It stands as the fortified seat of the Ingeld family, high atop the mountainous island that overlooks Larova’s lowlands. Stoic and immovable, the castle is equal parts fortress and monument. Though its halls echo with opulence, it was built for war. Heavy gates, reinforced ramparts, and looming watchtowers serve as a constant reminder of the price of power. Within its walls, politics twist sharper than swords, and the Ingelds rule with a calm, gilded hand. Castle Verdant is a symbol of enduring order, but to some, it is a cage built over the rotten roots of a dead tree.
It was previously known as Forster's Rock, the last residence of the Forster family.

The Academy is the home of the Arcanum of Larova, the newest institution in West Tykonia. Here, most mages are offered classes to expand their skills and expertise. The Academy within Larova is lead by the Singers, a dynasty of sorcerers and sorceresses. Following the catastrophic Battle of the Bog, creatures such as zombies, wraiths, and more began appearing mysteriously within the Academy and around the graveyard, making the Academy get sealed off from the rest of the city thanks to a magical barrier to prevent any of the citizenry from entering its grounds.

As of today, Adventurers reclaimed it after discovering the Pale had infiltrated the Academy to revive a giant Cockatrice with the intentions of using it as a weapon of war.

Once home of the Forster family, as it used to be run by them, it now serves as the sprawling headquarters of the Adventurer’s Guild. Now led by a council of specialists after Forster's rise to power centuries ago, it is unrelated to any noble house. It straddles the river like a defiant stone bridge, part fortress, part training ground, part makeshift home for mercenaries and wanderers alike. Though the Forsters abandoned it when they claimed the throne and moved to what is now Castle Verdant — Forster's Rock at the time — Eldcastle has retained its air of proud grit. Following the catastrophic Battle of the Bog, creatures such as werewolves, vampires, zombies, ghosts, and more began appearing mysteriously within the Eldcastle. 

As of recent, Adventurers reclaimed it after discovering the Pale had infiltrated the Eldcastle to kill some Cultists who had hatched a Basilisk egg, with the intentions of using it as a weapon of war.

 The Graveyard of Larova, in disrepair as it is, remains the final resting place of the many denizens and soldiery of the city. Catacombs rest under the city, which are populated by hundreds of bones from those who once were. The Temple resides in the side of the mountain atop The Graveyard, which has since been closed off due to the encroaching Pale, the Undead Army.

Next to the main square, with its signature crimson awnings, the Theatre is one of Larova’s most recognisable cultural landmarks. Though modest in size, it is elegant. Known for its stained glass dome, velvet-curtained stage, and elevated balconies where nobles and commoners alike gather to enjoy tales of heroism, tragedy, and political satire.

The theatre was funded by the Forster family as a public works project during the city's “Golden” era, meant to foster the arts and distract from growing unrest. Since the fall of the Forsters, the Theatre remains open, though it has decreased in activity due to the looming threat of the Skull King, but it often hosts everything from classic tragedies and local folklore to satire and modern tales penned by Larovan playwrights.

The Pale Stagg Inn, also known as the Tavern, is located in the centre of Larova. It is a large, four-story building and is considered the centrepiece of the city. Many dealings, quests, and miscreants occur in the tavern, and within its walls are many secrets. There is a large tapestry of an albino stag within the inn, and it seems like it may have a story behind it. Though no one can seem to remember ...

Built into the lake edge of Larova, the Port is where an important part of the city breathes and the other half schemes. Ships come and go, though activity has notably decreased since the Skull King's arrival. The Dasmant family runs the docks, the shipyards, and just about anything that is in the bodies of water of Larova. You’ll find dockhands, mercenaries, and merchants all hustling for coin or a way out. It’s a place of hard labour.

Perched on the high plateau near the Temple, Cassen Manor has stood abandoned for years. The story goes that after the townsfolk discovered the Cassens—owners of the Temple—were dabbling in cultist rites, they rose in fury, sealing the manor and leaving the entire family to rot inside. Nobody’s set foot there since.

Some say the place is cursed, haunted by the restless undead; others talk of werewolves, vampires, or worse, lurking behind the windows that still flicker with light on certain nights. It’s all just rumours—probably.

The Forsters once sent a band of knights to investigate and put the fears to rest. None of them ever returned. That was over ten years ago, and since then, the manor’s been left alone. These days, most folks avoid even looking at the place for too long. Just being near it feels wrong—like something’s watching.

The Slums, as they are now known, house the beggars, urchins, and the plagued of Larova. Ironically, the ruins of the building are what remains of the Library of Larova, one of the oldest buildings in the city with centuries of knowledge stored within its walls. Little to no information survived from before the attack, and what information did has been auctioned off below The Slums, where an auction house of dubious legality resides.

Other smaller libraries have appeared around the city since then, trying to preserve part of the knowledge that was lost, though they are much smaller in size and information.

The Lady & the Lord is the common title of a statue nearest to the entrance to the City of Larova. The statue depicts an Ildae lord holding the dying body of his lover, whom many believe he had struck down himself. The story is commonly told as a warning to many, both about the tales of “shapeshifters” and about how hysteria could take hold of an individual.

The story is commonly told as the Lord being toyed with by apparitions of his lost mistress, the work of a beast, no doubt. The lord had tried time and time again to get the shapeshifter to break its form when it appeared, but the creature would always be out of his blade's reach. Until one day, the Lord had come up with a trick to prove to himself that it was truly a skintaker, by laying out his Lady's favourite flowers. It had taken the bait, and the Lord had finally sunk his blade through the heart of the beast, so that he could finally find solace in at least knowing it wasn't truly his Lady.

Her visage didn't melt away, however. As her hands reached towards the flowers, the Lord took the Lady in his hands as she died, all the while the skintaker was out there somewhere, using his Lady's face as its own. The Lord had never forgiven himself and had never let himself forget. Some say that is why the statue was erected, so that even as his mind went with age, or with madness, he would always see and remember what he had done, and what once was.

This modest statue of a dog, which was carved from the same stone as the surrounding walls, has great significance for the residents of Larova.

It honours Bran, the devoted dog of Old Rurik, a craftsman. Rurik was one of the first people to build Larova, making tools, forging weapons, and forming the city's walls in its early years. He mostly worked alone, save for Bran, who never left his side. As Rurik grew too ill to work, stories say Bran took up his role the best he could, carrying his master’s tools in his mouth from one workshop to another, helping other builders keep the city's defences growing strong. One tale even recalls Bran bringing a hammer directly to the Forster king as a gift.

Rurik eventually passed, and a few days later, Bran was found in his master’s shop, having died from exhaustion. Moved by the story, the townsfolk carved this statue in Bran's image and placed it near Eldcastle—the Adventurer’s Guild headquarters—placing a copy of Rurik’s hammer into its mouth. Even now, visitors leave offerings such as bits of food, candles, and wildflowers. Craftsmen, travellers, and young warriors alike treat the statue as a kind of guardian, believing that a barking dog near a forge or scaffolding means Bran’s spirit is close, watching over their work.

A statue embedded in the stone mountainside nearest to Larova. It is said that the statue is of the knight Seart and his goblin squire T'varn. It is said that Seart was followed by T'varn after saving his warren of goblins from a series of monsters, swearing loyalty to him. Many stories are shared about their adventures together, though rarely do they share similarities. 

Though the stories vary wildly—some casting Seart as a lost knight, others as a vagabond hero—the bond between man and goblin is always central. The statue has stood for over a century, origin unknown, but many believe it was carved in their honour after they vanished after venturing to Eastern Tykonia.

Travellers often leave offerings at the base for luck, and some swear two mysterious figures still guard the pass to East Tykonia, watching over those who walk the road below.

The statue placed in the town square of Larova is said to be of a Leothric Forster I, or simply Leoth I, a suitably old-Midran name for one of, if not the oldest known, monarch of Larova. It is said that with four nobles who swore fealty to him, he was able to claim the lands where Larova now resides as his own. The Eldcastle is said to be where he and his many family members resided until the creation of Forsters Rock, now known as Castle Verdant. 

The statue has recently been defaced by an angry mob following the coup by the Ingelds, both by loyalists to the Forsters and the Ingelds themselves. The symbol of rebellion against the Forsters is still painted on the statue.