Exploring the Regions of The Forgotten Runiverse

The Runiverse, a massive world filled with a vast array of ecosystems, large metropolitan regions, and 70,000 plots of land, is home to all kinds of creatures and cultures. As you may have noticed, in the Hunt for the Lightbulb Frogs we sectioned off a large area for you to explore—but that was only a small portion of what you’ll be able to experience at launch. 

Many years ago, Wizards wandered throughout the world, eventually forming seven small settlements, each representing unique understandings of the world. Then, as the years passed, these settlements grew into cities and became lodestones of culture and commerce… Lodestones you now get to enjoy, in the present day Runiverse.

Upon release, four of these cities; The Red Wizard Capital, The Yellow Wizard Haven, The Green Wizard City, and the Blue Wizard Bastion will be open to Players and will probably be the places newcomers gravitate towards, as they provide everything they might need, from Forges and Trade Stations to Guildhalls and Art Galleries.

More weathered travelers, however, will eventually venture out into the wild, first encountering small villages and sprawling farmlands before reaching untamed areas, like deserts and swamps. These areas, ripe for exploration, will provide players with unique vistas and will reward their explorations with rare materials and recipes.

The diversity of the Runiverse can’t be understated. The initial playable area offers 8 different regions: The Forest, The Fey, The Thorn, The Northern Grassland, The Southern Grassland, The Beaches, The Mountains, and The Jungle, each broken down into multiple sub-biomes which have their own distinct flora, fauna and their share of unique mysteries to uncover.

Below is a closer look of what you can expect to find in each region. 

The Forest

The Hedge Wizard Forest near the center of the map is one of the few relatively peaceful regions of the Runiverse and one of the Game’s Beginner Areas. The overall look of this area is that of an European Forest, subdivided into three areas: The Southern and the Northern Thickets and the Moon Island Region. You can tell the Northern and Southern Thickets apart by their temperatures (the Northern is colder) and the colors of their trees (the Northern trees have darker shades of green as opposed to the pale green, yellow, and orange trees in the Southern). The Moon Island Region is an anomaly, with the influence of the Moon Temple radiating shades of Pink onto the trees nearby.

As you’d expect, you’ll find a plentiful amount of woods such as oak, redwood, pine, willow, and olive in the forest. You’ll also find fabrics such as flax and silk. Gems are more rare, but a persistent searcher can find anything with some luck.

The forests of the Runiverse have long been left to develop on their own, though some attempts at taming them such as buried train cars can be found. Existing maps of the forest are seldom detailed, though whether that is for lack of ability, or because the forest actually changes to confound those who try is uncertain.

One feature of the forest that has an apparent permanence is the Great Tree which adventurers can use to orient themselves. Standing alone within a great clearing of the forest, this old growth tree seems to radiate a calm around it, though some have referred to it less as a calm and more as a smothering presence. The tree’s massive size is exaggerated by the appearance of an alcove at its base. While this alcove appears to permit a wanderer the ability to walk within the tree itself, no records of what they’ll find appear to exist.

The Fey

The Fey in the Northeastern area of the map is known to many as the enchanted forest. This entire region is in fact one single living organism spawned from the Fey Tree.  It is not known if this symbiotic nature of the biome is the result of advanced technology or magic, though entrepreneurial Wizards have invented unique greenhouses in which to grow and mold offspring of the Fey Tree to study.

This Fey Tree is the god of the people who share their homeland’s name, The Fey, a humanoid species that bear traits of their homeland in their very skin. The single organism nature of The Fey makes it dense and lush, filled with creatures of a scale that dwarfs the domesticated animals of the human realm. 

In the Fey you’ll still find many of the same woods, gems, and fabrics that you’d find in the regular forest. Though mostly uniform, two areas stand out from the rest in terms of biodiversity: The Faded Copse and the Sheer Face Grove. The Sheer Face Grove is named after the abyss of the Hue Master’s Pass. Though still a part of the Fey, the trees here are smaller in stature, as if the fear of falling kept them closer to the ground. The Faded Copse is a section of the Fey Tree located at a slightly higher altitude. This height difference makes it hard for the roots of the Fey Tree to seek out nutrients, so the trees in this area look peckish and frail, especially as you reach the top of the hill where it’s located.

The beauty and wonder of The Fey isn’t limited to what is hidden beneath the forest floor, but also what is visible in plain sight. A crystal cave, with glimmering gems reflecting the sun and throwing off an incredible array of  colors stands in the face of a high rock wall and draws miners from the whole of the Runiverse to plumb its depths. Of course, the magnificence of the Fey Tree herself draws gawkers and explorers the world over. This monumental Tree with white and purple leaves and roots that stretch outwards in the four cardinal directions, stands in all her glory and influences the entire region with her magic.

The Thorn

The Ravaged Forest, also known as The Thorn, was once the Southern expansion of The Fey. Now it is a decaying forest fallen to the influence of the Quantum Shadow. The closer one gets to the Quantum Shadow, the clearer its influence is visible in The Thorn’s three regions: The Frog Master Marsh, The Shadow Waste, and the Hollowed Fey.

Though affected by this vile energy, new plant species have been able to thrive in this environment, in particular tech infused trees and the Tubular, which are hollow, almost alien looking trees. Weird Fauna has also prospered in spite of the darkness and lives alongside corrupted Fey now known as Vampires who have made the Thorn’s most corrupted regions their own. 

The Frog Master Marsh is the least corrupted region of the Thorn. In between the constant influx of water from the Fey River and the relative distance from the Quantum Shadow, the Marsh somewhat resists the spread of the darkness. Proof of that is the “Happy Camp,” an eclectic collection of huts built by a hippie, vegan group of Vampires. There are still vile parts to avoid, such as the The Fetid Pool, a seemingly bottomless pool of acidic slime that will swallow you whole.

The Hallowed Fey is what remains of a once thriving enclave. Now its only occupants are a small mix of horrendous, deadly creatures. An Abandoned Church swallowed by the tentacles of The Thorn sits within the region as a solemn reminder of the once thriving community that used to exist there.

The southern parts of the Thorn are called the Shadow Waste, on account of the bare-boned vegetation and the clearly visible influence of the Quantum Shadow. Of note, however, is the Dark City, a thriving population center filled with Vampires and other dark beings. As they say, if you can’t beat the Void…

As you can imagine, resources to be found in this half-dead landscape are scarce. The Thorn is not a place to go in search of materials, but if you have a death wish and hope to come across a variety of beasts to battle, The Thorn is a wise choice. Let’s just put it this way: a voyage into The Thorn is not for the faint of heart.

The Northern Grassland

As you travel North of The Forest and The Fey their dense and often impenetrable groves of trees give way to The Northern Grasslands, a region defined by its mostly flat and lush landscape, with a richness of life about it. Within The Northern Grasslands you’ll find the Fur Gnome Wold and the Blue Wizard Gardens. 

The Fur Gnome Wold, a hilly section of the northern grasslands known for its plantlife’s reddish hues, is home to the Plotziggers family. The Plotziggers are a large family of gnomes who roll 317 deep with… eccentric hobbies. The Plotziggers and other families in this region have taken their knowledge of robotics to a new level. Many of the farms of the plains incorporate robotics for everything from tilling their land to warding off pesky flying creatures.

The area around the Blue Wizard Bastion is a grand garden filled with sculpted trees and bushes that shows slight signs of decay as it was a grand gift from the Green Wizards a long time ago, when the Factions were closer. Near the Bastion, a grand statue of Wizard with a radiant sapphire escaping its crown symbolizes the expansive nature of knowledge. This statue was erected by the Blue Wizards in honor of their commitment to learning and experimentation. 

In the Northern Grasslands, you’ll find gems and fabrics are more readily available than they were in the forested areas. While still not a guarantee during each excavation, one has the possibility of stumbling upon rubies, emeralds, and sapphires as well as silk, flax, cotton, and hemp. Teeming with life, you’ll find the Northern Grasslands to be a relatively inviting region though not without their challenges for the Wanderers who know where to look.

The Southern Grassland

In contrast to the lush Northern Grasslands, the Southern Grasslands are mostly flat and barren, with fluctuating levels of dryness. These arid lands hug the Southern stretch of the Forests and stretch from the Thorn to the beaches of the Brine and Kelpe’s Bay. With their proximity to the waters of the Brine, the Southern Grasslands can be divided into two regions that stand with striking differences to one another: The Riviera and the Blackened Grassland. 

The Riviera is a bountiful region that has been kept extremely groomed by the Yellow Wizards. It’s tall, flowing grass and its extravagant palm trees and flowers speak of the hedonist nature of its caretakers. Home to their capital, adventurers with a want for fun tend to congregate here to listen to the lapping of the waves, feel the tickle of the grasses and the kiss of the sun. While food and drink are plentiful, they also can serve to loosen lips – a great cocktail for beginning a unique adventure fueled by whispers of riches and perhaps a touch of whimsy.

On the other hand, the influence of the Quantum shadow bears a clear mark of the land of the Blackened Grassland, making it seem as if dark claws were raking the ground ever onward. Did that give you chills, or is it just us? The Quantum Shadow’s influence seems to mean more for this region than just dark landmarks as a disturbing number of fell events occur within its borders. Travelers have made one half-buried plane a place of contemplation for its passengers and more than one wanderer has found his forever home within the buried halls of a corrupted pyramid that just begins to protrude from the ground.

The Southern Grasslands have similar deposits of woods, gems, and fabrics as its northern cousin does, but with certain resources like topaz and quartz making more of an appearance. 

As a central area for commerce and transportation across the known world, Kobold’s Crossroad points travelers to their final destination. This crossroad can be a wonderful spot for sharing of cultures and draws colorful characters to it like a lodestone. With so many directions to travel, which way will you go?

The Water’s Edge

Beaches are a persistent landmark across all regions. The constant lapping of the water and the reshaping of the earth it causes seems to act as a siren’s call to those who wander or seek to be remade. As in most societies, the water’s edge has also proven to be a desirable place for civilization to grow and large, defensible bastions such as Alessar’s Keep have become permanent fixtures where river meets sea.

Most of the beaches are made of golden sand and have become a desirable locale for wandering merchants. The more rocky parts of the beach, which are slightly less common, tend to be a haven for homeless wizards and vagrants. And on occasion, a scattering of high cliffs, where the edges of the Runiverse reach extraordinary altitudes, protrude from the ground. The beautiful pale blue water extends for seemingly eternity as the sun floods the land, casting shadows and bringing everything dark into the light. 

Washed up on the beaches you’ll find everything from seashells, fossils, and coconuts to washed-off waste and sea mammal remains. Large palms decorate the shore and provide a sunny demeanor to the landscape.

A charming tide pool separates surf from sand in one area. In another, an abandoned fort sits in shallow water. And a lighthouse winks off in the distance. Perhaps most curious is a giant skeleton that lay across one section. Where such an enormous person came from and how long its been there has a been a mystery which many a wizard have contemplated. For giants haven’t been seen in these lands as long as the Book of Lore has been about.

Deeply buried gems and other treasures glisten below the sands’ surface, just waiting to be uncovered. The beach truly is one of the most beautiful and universal parts of the Runiverse.

The Mountains

The Northern Mountains touch the Northern edge of the Southern Grasslands and sprawl to the West of the Northern Grassland dividing them from the sea. As you climb higher into their reaches, the terrain becomes less hospitable, and only the most seasoned adventurers will safely traverse the passes of the snow-covered high peaks. The Low Mountains sit at their base and serve as the entrance to the peaks. Their steep inclines are slightly more hospitable and are lush with growth where they meet the heat of the Grasslands and the mists from the sea. The mountain’s rocky climbs are home to a plethora of strange birds and beasts.

Adventurers who make the trek will discover an old watch tower from which settlers once gazed across the pointed reaches to keep an eye on the passes leading to their homes. Nearby, a new two-house encampment acts as a training ground for would-be warriors looking to test their mettle against the more nasty inhabitants of the peaks. This encampment’s training dummies are only a weak imitation of the challenges true warriors will face when they step inside the combat circle to face their fellow adventurers or into the uncharted terrains of the mountain passes. Beyond that, an abandoned rock quarry called the Gem Maw sits preserved, gems still exposed, as if its miners just vanished into thin air one day mid-work. No one knows who the miners were or what fate they met. What is known is that the gems inside drain the energy of non-magical creatures, so only Wizards can venture inside to mine.

Not all within the Mountains matches the rougher nature of the terrain however. Inquisitive wanderers will also make note of the area’s observatory which researchers use to gaze into the skies while giving thanks to the Mountain’s peaks for parting the clouds that might otherwise obscure their view of the cosmos. 

Willow and redwood can be easily harvested in the ranges and quartz, emerald, and other gems can be found hiding under the dirt floor. For as tall as the mountains reach, the crags and pathways reaching deep inside them hide just as many mysteries and opportunities as the clear skies above.

The Jungle

Below the Riviera of the Southern Grasslands, The Jungle springs to life. A region rich with bio-diversity of exuberant vegetation, The Jungle is home to the Green Wizards. This faction of the wizard world strives to preserve nature using magic and eco-friendly tech. Most of the jungle is a lush and colorful tropical forest of tall trees and vines. Here and there can be seen eco-symbiotic technological stations that feed the plants around them. 

The classic jungle fades into the majestic Baobab Range, a forest made almost entirely of deciduous Baobab trees that stretches as far as a wizard can see (if a Wizard can see the forest for the trees, that is…). Around sunset, their distinct shapes create stunning silhouettes against the purple sky. 

Finally this makes way for The Savannah, a transitional region between The Sand and the Jungle that is home to large creatures and is covered in tall grass.

This is a small glimpse at some of the initial areas of Forgotten Runiverse that you’ll be able to explore. To learn what our plans for the game are, go check out this overview, or sign up for our allow list to be among the first to mint land and officially visit.