Oh, The Places You'll Go: Amalur's Dalentarth

This is a column by Kimberley Wallace where each week she visits an in-game world, acting as a travel agent. Read as she explores the nooks and crannies of each (probably war torn) landscape.

To say that Dalentarth is alive is an understatement; lush hues of green explode across the land, waterfalls magnify the deepest of blue water, intoxicating flowers jump out at you, and sky-scraping trees remind you how minuscule you are. Wolves and bears have taken to this world, along with a few new creatures you've never truly set eyes on, such as Kobolds, rat-like humanoids who mysteriously don't seem to gather candles.

Many visitors often have troll sightings. Be sure to refrain from feeding them, as you would be the snack! A warning for those who are arachnophobic: the Dalentarth region has a bit of a spider problem. With giant poisonous spiders, though, this is the perfect place to conquer your fears. It doesn't get any better of a deal than that, so please send your thank you letters to our agency. We love helping you overcome adversity!

Can we interest you in visiting a place that you thought only existed in your childhood fantasies? Take a moment and think back to when you were young, and in the blink of an eye, your imagination could turn anything into a mystical, magical place. That's the Dalentarth region of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning - a fantastical forest in bloom with the most vivacious, neon colors around every corner. It's a portal back to the wide-eyed innocence that let you see beauty where others saw only darkness. Let that inner child come back and dive into a world of non-stop wonderment, vibrant with life.
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Swimmers and diving enthusiasts, listen up! Dalentarth has beautiful, deep sea waters, which are not only a delight to swim through, but also provide a perfect viewing of the landscape. As peaceful as it is, adventure abounds while diving for treasure -- we promise Dalentarth stocks its seas with valuables and not boots. Although speaking of boots, plenty of fishermen would take delight in the town of Didenhil, a quaint lakeside village with bewitching, up-tempo lute music as you explore its beautiful piers. Now if only it wasn't suffering from an outbreak of the blood plague... but maybe you can help find the cure and really make a name for yourself.

For all you charitable souls, it just so happens that there are tons of people throughout Dalentarth who need your help. Their requests may take you on excursions to places you've never imagined, from chasing down a disappearing well to breaking the curse of a wolf in human form to even setting a delusional man straight about his monstrous "Nymph" bride. Your services won't go unnoticed either, but if their constant neediness and demands become too much for you, you can turn tail and destroy the abundant amount of crates around every city and cave. The best part? You'll end up with loot – if this isn't perfect for stress management, we don't know what is.

But what is really traveling without learning about different races and cultures? The Dalentarth region is packed with some pretty diverse ladies and gents. There are gnomes, humans, and elves, but probably the race you'll most run into is the Summer Fae. These mystical beings may look like humans, but they are actually nature personified. Since their birth on the Faelands, they locked away their land of Ysa from mortals ... but we can now offer tours to everyone! And it's a good thing, too, since Ysa is a sight to see -- its breathtaking fountain flows peacefully, creating tranquility in the depths of your soul. Just beware of Brit Codgan while you visit, he has a knack for selling cheap souvenirs to visitors for a hefty price. He may even try to recruit you as an accomplice for a cut of the profit, but the choice is yours.

For those who want to walk off the beaten path, there's almost too much exploration that can be done in Dalentarth – hidden caves, towers, pits, depths, dams, and caverns dot the landscape. Explorers can unlock the history of Amalur, as tales are concealed in landmark stones located throughout the world – find them for poetic prose and storytelling in the local accent. And as a bonus for the treasure hunters, there's more than enough gear hidden in the world for you to have your wardrobe set for the next ten years... as long as cosplaying is your thing.

Before we send you off on your merry way, we should be up front... did we mention going to Dalentarth, will maybe, sort of... put you in the middle of a war? You see, there are Summer Fae who breed life and Winter Fae who yield destruction ... and maybe a Winter Fae sect ruler went mad with greed and magic and sparked a decades-long conflict ... Inhabitants will be slightly on edge over this, but if you're willing to show no harm, they welcome you with open arms.

Despite the raging war, Dalentarth is a gorgeous place that will satiate your wildest desires. Your trip also brings an unexpected bonus: this locale isn't populated with many children, so if you need a break from screaming tantrums, look no further. And honestly, it's worth the price of admission - we bet you didn't think a world like this actually existed. You'll also be one-upping your cousins who visit Gettysburg ... they will see where history once was, while you'll be watching history in the making.

Kimberley Wallace is a Chicago-based freelance writer with work featured in the Official Xbox Magazine, GamesRadar, and PlayStation: The Official Magazine. You can follow her on Twitter @kstar1785.