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Syngorn is an ancient elven sanctuary and the largest elven city within the continent of Tal'Dorei.

City Description[]

Syngorn is built against the western base of the Stormcrest Mountains surrounding Lake Ywnnlas, and is surrounded by 40-foot-high walls of jade. All entrances into the city are warded by threshold crests depicting Syngorn's symbol, a crescent moon flanked by two trees over a cerulean stone. These stones anchor the city to the Feywild, allowing the city to transport to the other plane of existence in times of crisis.[2]

Districts[]

Beryl Keep[]

Beryl Keep is the military district located on a hill in the northwest of the city, separated from the rest by walls of beryl. Within are the necessities to train Syngorn's military, the Verdant Guard, including barracks, archery ranges, and forges. Beryl Keep is commanded by Verdant Lord Celindar.[3]

  • Beryl Keep: located at the far northwest is the fortress after which the district is named. The keep's boundaries are marked by six ancient eucalyptus trees, which legends hold are treants who will animate to defend the keep in times of crisis.

Emerald Citadel[]

Kent-davis-theemeraldcitadelofsyngorn-03

Official art of the Emerald Citadel in Syngorn, by Kent Davis.[art 3]

Looming over northern Syngorn is a mighty castle of faded marble covered in climbing ivy known as the Emerald Citadel. Located at the highest point of the gradually sloping city, the citadel's emerald-tipped spires can be seen from anywhere below. The Emerald Citadel is the domain of Syngorn's High Warden, Tyrelda.

Memory Ward[]

Considered to be the mind of Syngorn, the Memory Ward is built within a ring of marble walls on the northeast side of the city. A winding staircase called the One Thousand Steps leads to the district, which contains at its center the Sequoia of Remembrance, a three hundred-foot-tall redwood tree that mystically stores the lives and memories of every elf in Tal'Dorei. The redwood is tended by a group called the Dreamweavers, led by Ouestra, the Voice of Memory.[3]

  • Spires of Yurek: This academy is named for Yurek Windkeeper, founder of the Arcana Pansophical. The seven towers of the school are home to dormitories for the Dreamweavers, as well as many scholars who teach, study, and experiment with magic within its marble walls.[4]

Reverie Walks[]

The Stone of the Heart - Alexandra G

Fan art of the Stone of the Archeart, by Alexandra G.[art 4]

The Reverie Walks is the artistic and spiritual center of Syngorn. The district is made up of a shifting labyrinth of living trees and stones. Elves seeking meditation will wander through the Reverie Walks for hours in a trance-like state. No Warden holds sway over the Reverie Walks.

  • Stone of the Archeart: At the center of the Reverie Walks is a column of pure diamond carved in the likeness of an androgynous elf. This stone is dedicated to Corellon, the Archeart, the progenitor the elven race. Many who seek enlightenment wander through the Reverie Walks seeking to find the Stone of the Archeart, but few find it within it's shifting paths.[5]

Tarn Ward[]

Syngorn's central district is the Tarn Ward, a commerce district surrounding Lake Ywnnlas. During the day, the Tarn Ward holds no business save for inns and restaurants. At night however it it becomes a bustling marketplace, home to expensive goods of fine elven make, as the trade of common magical goods. The district's Warden is Guildrunner Rawndel, who leads the three guilds with which most businesses in the district are affiliated.[6]

  • Lake Ywnnlas: During the day, many magically propelled boats sail across the clear waters of the lake. By night, it becomes a perfect mirror reflecting the heavens above. On rare nights when the spiral-shaped constellation known as the Imprisoned is visible in the sky, spectral figures of starlight dance across the lake's surface, casting no reflection.[7]
  • The Feygrove: Once a large manor belonging to an elven noblewoman named Lady Il'shavfa, the building is now completely overgrown with plant life. Following the city's return from the Feywild during the Chroma Crisis, a small pocket of the Feywild was seemingly brought with them. The manor is now teeming with fey creatures, and is ruled by a pixie prince named Windybranch. The fey who make their domain within the Feygrove have named it after the archfey who allowed them into the city, calling it "Artagan's Lodge".[8]

Maps[]

Syngorn Map - Andy Law

Official map of Syngorn, by Andy Law from Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn.[art 5]

Syngorn by manofmischief

Fan-made map of Syngorn, by manofmischief.[art 6]

Society[]

Demographics[]

Syngorn is a large city with a population of 37,030 in 812 PD. It was one of the most homogeneous cities in Tal'Dorei, with the vast majority of citizens being elves (91%). The rest of the population is made up of humans (5%), halflings (2%), and other races (2%).[2]

By 836 PD, the population had grown to 38,540, due in part to more freely allowing other races into the city. Elves remain the majority (85%), with the others being human (9%), halflings (3%) and other races (3%).[1]

Notable People[]

Since not all surnames are known, the following table is sorted by first name.

Name Type Description
Verdant Lord Celindar NPC Warden and commander of the Beryl Keep.
Devana Vessar NPC Cartographer and stepmother of Vax'ildan and Vex'ahlia.
Lyssev Sorveline NPC Elven monk who wanders the Reverie Walks.
Ouestra, the Voice of Memory NPC Warden of the Memory Ward and leader of the Dreamweavers.
Guildrunner Rawndel NPC Warden of the Tarn Ward.
Syldor Vessar NPC Diplomat and father of Vax and Vex.
High Warden Tyrelda NPC High Warden of Syngorn.
Velora Vessar NPC Half-sister of Vax and Vex.
Windybranch NPC Pixie prince of the Feygrove.
Yurek Windkeeper NPC Founder of the Arcana Pansophical.
Wardens of syngorn

Symbol of the Wardens of Syngorn from Critical Role: Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 39.[art 7]

Factions[]

  • Dreamweavers: Oracles and tenders of the Sequoia of Remembrance.
  • Rawndel's Guilds: Numerous crafting guilds.
    • Elvencraft Alliance
    • Mithral Fellowship
    • Spellbinder's Guild
  • Verdant Guard: The guard and military of the city.
  • Wardens of Syngorn: The council of four in charge of the city's districts.

History[]

Syngorn's temple of Sehanine - enniesways

Fan art of the temple of Sehanine in Syngorn, by enniesways.[art 8]

Syngorn was originally founded after The Calamity by a group of 400 elves led by Yenlara, survivors of the fallen Court of Ullusa.[9][1] In this virtually exclusively elven ancient sanctuary, laying with a human is considered demeaning and somewhat disgusting, and "siring children with one is not just a disgrace, it is an abomination."[10]

Pre-Stream[]

The half-elves Vex'ahlia and Vax'ildan went to live with their father in Syngorn when they were ten years old, and although they spent several years there, they didn't feel accepted and eventually left.[11]

Campaign One: Vox Machina[]

On 27 Duscar, 810 PD, a day after the attack of the Chroma Conclave, Keyleth performed a scrying ritual to check on Syngorn. She discovered a giant hole in the ground where Syngorn once stood. The members of Vox Machina believed that Syngorn had phased into the Feywild as a defensive response until the danger posed by the dragons had passed.[12]

While in the Feywild, Vox Machina entered Syngorn with Garmelie[13] and visited the twins' father, Syldor and conversed with High Warden Tyrelda.[14]

Some time shortly after 8 Misuthar, 811 PD,[15] before the siege of Emon, Syngorn was transported back to its original location in Exandria.[16]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 123.
  2. 2.0 2.1 See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 81.
  3. 3.0 3.1 See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 82.
  4. See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 84.
  5. See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 85.
  6. See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 83.
  7. See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 84-85.
  8. See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 83-84.
  9. See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 8.
  10. The Chronicles of Exandria Volume One: The Tale of Vox Machina, p. 10.
  11. See Vex'ahlia's character introduction.
  12. See "Dangerous Dealings" (1x42) from 33:33 through 36:43.
  13. See "The Feywild" (1x59) at 2:59:46.
  14. See "Heredity and Hats" (1x60) at 0:29:47.
  15. See "Path of Brass" (1x74) from 1:23:25 through 1:26:23.  Allura notified Syldor and Mikael Daxio in Syngorn to return to Exandria.
  16. See "The Siege of Emon" (1x78) at 1:52:34.  Vox Machina met with the armies of Tal'Dorei and Syngorn outside of Emon, so Syngorn must've returned to Exandria by then.

Art:

  1. Official art of Syngorn's Tarn Ward, by Bryan Syme from Critical Role: Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 83. Used with permission.
  2. Official map of Syngorn and surroundings, by Andy Law from Critical Role: Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting. This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.
  3. Official art of the Emerald Citadel in Syngorn, by Kent Davis (source). Used with permission.
  4. Fan art of the Stone of the Archeart, by Alexandra G (source). Used with permission.
  5. Official map of Syngorn, by Andy Law from Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn. This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.
  6. Fan-made map of Syngorn, by manofmischief (source). Used with permission.
  7. Symbol of the Wardens of Syngorn from Critical Role: Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 39. This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.
  8. Fan art of the temple of Sehanine in Syngorn, by enniesways (source). Used with permission.
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