(And if you want one more behind-the-scenes tidbit, we chose to have the artist paint the map blue and gold instead of blue and green—like Earth is normally painted—because the elves see land as “wherever sunlight reaches.”)

PS: The map was drawn by Francesca Baerald, who somehow took the disastrous sketch I sent her and turned it into all of that stunning beauty. She seriously deserves a round of applause!

MAPPED LOCATIONS

(FOLLOWING THE ORDER ON THE MAP, CLOCKWISE FROM THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER)

Splendor Plains: Elwin’s residence is just as bright and bold as his fashion sense, and every pane of his windowed walls is set with a different color of glass. But the architecture is also surprisingly sleek and modern, with a flat roof and lots of sharp angles. And while the decor is somewhat sparse, there are plenty of “Elwin” touches—like the room holding his stuffed animal collection and the tunnels visible under the glass floor, which allow his pet banshee (Bullhorn) to scurry wherever his little heart desires. The house is bordered by forest on one side and ocean on the other, providing Foxfire’s resident physician with a variety of peaceful views to enjoy after stressful days in the Healing Center (most of which involve complicated injuries suffered by Sophie Foster).

Wanderling Woods: As the Lost Cities’ only graveyard, the Wanderling Woods is a place of peaceful silence, filled with carefully arranged, incredibly special trees. Wanderlings are planted with the DNA of someone deceased in order to grow with hints of their physical attributes. As a result, no two Wanderlings are alike, and each is labeled with a sign to indicate the life being memorialized—though there are three Wanderlings that were planted prematurely: Sophie Foster’s, Dex Dizznee’s, and Alden Vacker’s. Only elves may enter the Wanderling Woods (unless special permission is granted by the Council), and a golden sign arches over the entrance reminding visitors that “those who wander are not lost.” And while some might comment on how few trees grow in the woods—and claim it as proof that death is rare in the Lost Cities—those mourning loved ones would likely argue that there are still far too many Wanderlings.

Candleshade: This towering skyscraper of a residence is one of the tallest structures in the Lost Cities, with at least two hundred stories. Owned by Lord Cassius Sencen—but unoccupied since the family fell into scandal (after Lady Gisela Sencen was discovered to be a leader of the Neverseen)—Candleshade is equal parts impressive, intimidating, and devastating. A hundred stories up, the main building splits into a series of narrow towers, each crowned with a curved golden roof that looks like a flame. Decor varies from floor to floor—some rather simple, some quite ostentatious. (One room even includes a life-size statue of Lord Cassius.) And while numerous searches have been made of the property since Lady Gisela’s ties to the Neverseen came to light, little has been found. But given the enormity of the property, many suspect that Candleshade still hides vital secrets.

Everglen: Alden and Della Vacker’s castle-style manor is every bit as luxurious and opulent as someone would expect from such an illustrious family. It’s also surrounded by parklike grounds and overlooks a glittering lake. The estate was originally owned by Luzia Vacker, but she passed the property to Alden when he was appointed as an Emissary for the Council. Everything about Everglen’s design is meant to testify to the prestige of the Vackers, from the fountains that spout arcs of colored water throughout the halls, to the tinkling chandeliers and jeweled mosaics on many of the doors. The property used to be protected by an enormous glowing gate with metal bars that absorbed light (to prevent anyone from leaping inside without permission). But after the recent scandal involving an illegal troll hive discovered on the property, the Council ordered the gates to be removed.

Mysterium: As one of the “working class” cities in the elvin world, Mysterium was designed for function and practicality (as opposed to the glitz and glamour of many “noble” cities). The narrow streets are lined with food stalls and vendor carts and plain, identical buildings—with one notable exception: Slurps and Burps (the Dizznee family’s tremendously popular apothecary), which adds a bold splash of color and a topsy-turvy style of architecture, along with a door that belches when anyone enters or exits.

Havenfield: The Ruewen family’s estate is a mix of chaos and elegance, between the shimmering glass-and-gold house overlooking the ocean and the vast expanses of fenced-in pastures. As one of the rehabilitation centers for the Sanctuary, Havenfield is home to an ever-changing assortment of strange and wonderful creatures—everything from dinosaurs, to verminions, to the precious alicorn family (as well as the lone mutant gorgodon freed from the Neverseen’s facility). The property is also home to the only known Panakes tree (along with a large number of gnomes who reside in a special grove in order to gather the Panakes’s healing blossoms). Havenfield is bordered by steep cliffs, which have been blocked by a massive gate ever since the Neverseen abducted Sophie Foster and Dex Dizznee from the dark caves below. Given the near-constant danger Sophie lives with, there are numerous other highly classified security elements to the property.

Gildingham (OR DORARSPADERA IN GOBLINESE): The goblins’ gleaming capital city is made of intricate golden buildings that surround a golden lake, so it’s highly possible that Gildingham is the source of human myths about “El Dorado.” And while most of Gildingham’s architecture has a fragile feel (lots of arches, pillars, windows, and balconies), the queen’s palace is a sturdy golden step pyramid. One of the city’s most notable features is the Hall of Heroes—a massive memorial of twisted golden columns and gilded statues of the many goblins lost in battle. And Queen Hylda enters and exits the city using the Imperial Pathways, where her royal carriage is pulled by Twinkle (a massive titanoboa—which is far less fearsome than it first appears). Elves aren’t unwelcome in the goblin capital, but they need special permission from the queen to visit.

Fluttermont: The Redek family’s sprawling estate has a series of domed buildings draped with bougainvillea that surround a square reflecting pool mirroring the sky. The house is peaceful and immaculate, but visitors tend to catch themselves wondering which of Fluttermont’s numerous balconies was the one Caprise Redek fell from—a fall that caused the injuries she still battles. A huge stone firepit was recently added to the property, surrounded by golden beanbag chairs made of flareadon fur, in order to provide a safe space for Marella Redek to practice her pyrokinesis. The family limits visits to Caprise’s “good days.”

Marintrylla (OR WEERIIDUULOOAA IN TROLLISH): Little is known about Marintrylla, since the elves are rarely invited to visit. But the city serves as the trollish capital and includes Empress Pernille’s palace. Marintrylla is housed on a secret island and consists of an intricate network of caves and bridges—and it should be noted that the city likely doesn’t include one of the trolls’ special hives. Those appear to be hidden among elvin locations, thanks to Luzia Vacker (who secretly served as an ally to one of the trollish empresses), in order to keep the trolls’ unborn babies safe from ogres.