Ulthuan

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Ulthuan, homeland of the High Elves

The regions of Ulthuan

Ulthuan is an island-continent and ancient home of the High Elves. It is located in middle of the Great Ocean, west of the Old World and east of Naggaroth. The nation comprises ten kingdoms, each ruled by various noble families that owe allegiance to the Twin Thrones - the Phoenix King and the Everqueen. ^[4a]

Each kingdom has its own cultural identity, and is divided by the Annulii mountains into the Inner and Outer Kingdoms. ^[1a]

Geography

Outer Kingdoms

The Outer Kingdoms suffer most from foreign raids and invasions. As a consequence its inhabitants are more worldly, cautious, and martial.

• Tiranoc, weakened by the Sundering, its capital is Tor Anroc. It is home to great charioteers.
• Shadowlands, formerly known as Nagarythe. The nomadic Shadow Warriors travel through this realm, ever-watchful for raiding parties or invading armies of the Dark Elves as the Shadowlands are the ideal landing ground for their invasions.
• Chrace, home of the White Lions, wood-dwelling High Elves possessing great strength and wielding large axes, who act as bodyguards to the Phoenix King.
• Cothique, a coastal realm, whose main industries involve shipping, trading, and fishing.
• Yvresse, the most sparsely-populated realm, it has only one city, Tor Yvresse, ruled by Eltharion. The kingdom is largely protected from sea raiders by the Shifting Isles.

Inner Kingdoms

The Inner Kingdoms are largely shielded from foreign incursions by the Anulii Mountains, allowing them develop more refined and scholarly cultures than the Outer Kingdoms.

• Eataine, this realm contains the great seaport of Lothern. Lothern is the greatest city of Ulthuan. The current Phoenix King is from Eataine, making Lothern the current political capital city. Human merchants are allowed to trade here and the city is a busy centre of international trade. Home to several thousand High Elves the city is guarded by the 10,000 strong Lothern Sea Guard besides sporting mighty walls and numerous defences.
• Caledor, the proudest and most martial of all the High Elf realms. Caledor was once at the centre of Ulthuan's power because of the might of its Dragons. However, these days are long gone and most of the surviving Dragons sleep and dream while the Dragon Princes ride heavy warhorses, a sad echo of glorious days long past.
• Avelorn, home of the Everqueen.
• Ellyrion is home of the horselords. Its inhabitants learn to ride as soon as they can walk and are considered the greatest horsemen on Ulthuan. The capital of Ellyrion is Tor Elyr.
• Saphery, known for its many mages and the Tower of Hoeth, where magic is taught and knowledge is stored, run by the Loremasters and zealously guarded by the Sword Masters, the most skilled swordsmen in the world.

The Inner Sea

The Inner Sea consists of the Sea of Dusk to the west and the Sea of Dreams to the east.

• The Isle of the Dead lies between the both seas.^[2] It is the centre of the great Vortex which gathers the larger part of the Winds of Magic and returns them to the dimension of Chaos.
• The Isle of the Flame lies in the Sea of Dreams.^[2] It holds the Shrine of Asuryan where the new Phoenix Kings are elected and crowned.

Flora and Fauna=

• Great Eagles

Dragons

In days long gone, there were many Dragons to be seen, riding the thermals of the mountain ranges, from Eataine in the south to Chrace in the north, and fighting alongside heroes of the age The largest nests of Dragons were in the mountains of Caledor, and the Asur of that realm were known as Dragon Princes. and rightly so, as they rode these majestic and fearsome beasts to war and vanquished all who challenged them.

But alas, the days of dragons are slowly fading. Many of them have been hunted down and killed by adventurous humans or Dwarfs. Most of the remaining dragons have taken refuge in distant mountains and most of the time sleep and dream of days long past. However, when they can be awoken from their deep slumber, they are terrible to behold. The light catches their glistening scales before they spread their mighty wings to blot out the sun and light the world with their fiery breath. They are huge and terrifying monsters with a cold, alien intelligence which fills sane folk with dread.

Griffons

Noble beasts, as beasts go, though they are far from tame and placid. Their heads are like that of a huge bird of prey, whilst their bodies resemble that of a lion or any other great cat. All this is borne aloft by a pair of mighty wings that carry the Griffon across the high mountains and peaks where it dwells. A patiently hand-reared hatchling can be trained to bear a noble upon its back, making a formidable mount in times of battle and war. The hunters of Chrace are especially skilled in rearing and training them. ^[3a]

Great Vortex

Created in the Time of Legends, the vortex draws in and disapates magical energy from across the world, ensuring that its chaotic power does not turn it into another Realm of Chaos. ^[4a]

Menhirs

These vast standing stones form a complex network that stretches all across the continent, capturing and channelling the magical energies that are drawn to it and sending it into the Great Vortex at the heart of the land. ^[4a]

Sources

• 1: Warhammer Armies: High Elves (4th Edition)
  • 1a: The Land of Ulthuan, pg. 4-5
• 2: Warhammer Armies: High Elves (5th Edition), pg. 7
• 3: Warhammer Armies: High Elves (6th Edition)
  • 3a: Griffons, pg. 12
• 4: Warhammer Armies: High Elves (7th Edition)
  • 4a: Ulthuan, pg. 6