The mortal realm has eight continents. Most whole world maps have Ardlui at the top left, though, as the realm is spherical, the left and right edges of the map wrap around.
Map of the mortal realm at time of event is Isle of Echoes
Ardlui
Ardlui is divided north to south by the high mountains of the Loft range. The lands to the east of the Loft range historically became incorporated into either the Armenturian Empire or the Sorrestec Empire. The Armenturian Empire grew from the city of Armentum on the Isle of Echoes. That Isle was originally called Armentum as well, but after the destruction by tidal wave of most of the city, the governance of the empire shifted to Fomenta on the nearby mainland of Ardlui. At its peak the Armenturian Empire stretched from the north shores of Ardlui as far south as Burve in the Ithipian Desert.
The Sorrestec Empire was founded by treaty, when the four city states based around the desert oases of the Sorrestec Desert set aside centuries of competition to face the threat of the southward expansion of Armenturia. Other states to the north joined, some voluntarily, some by conquest. After the fall of Armenturia, the glue binding the coalition weakened and the states north of the Sorrestec desert seceded. In the last one hundred years the Sorrestec capital in Q’Amolis saw a new family dynasty established, which has begun to expand into neighbouring lands once more, under emperor Vardin I.
The Loft Mountains are high icy peaks, separated by glaciers. Its people are hardy folk, naturally resistant to the cold and effects of altitude. It is also the natural home of wild pegasi. Hidden on one of the elevated ridges of Loft is the School of Air Magic.
Beyond the Loft mountains is a wild and untamed land, stretching for over a thousand kilometers. It is a land of savage beasts and farmer communities, who scratch out a living along the banks of the many waterways and lakes of the interior. In the far west are the Storn peninsular and the three Trylse islands.
Eagach
Much of this cold northern continent is taken up by the Vonstraal Empire, which stretches for over 2,000km from the borders of Umbolsenia in the west, to Reykland in the east. At the time of Isle of Echoes it begins an invasion of neighbouring Pangol on its southern border. These northern lands are largely covered by coniferous forests, on account of the bitterly cold winters. Worship of the god Winter is the established religion of the empire and a necessary aid to survival for many.
At the southern edge of Eagach are the northern half of the Ring Mountains. These were thrown up by a huge meteorite strike, which was instrumental in precipitating an ice age that ended the dominance of the fire giants throughout most of their range.
The eastern part of Eagach is a land of fijords, sounds and labyrinthine water ways between small islets. The locals have, by necessity, become supreme mariners. The treacherous currents around their kingdoms make them all but immune to invasion.
In the far west, beyond Umbolsenia is the home of the remaining fire giants, Dvorantia. Separated from the rest of Dvorantia by a causeway made up of tiny islets is the School of Fire Magic.
Furm
Furm stretches from the southern Ring Mountains in the north, opposite Eagach, to the temperate waters of Fijordland in the southwest. In a high inaccessible valley in The Ring is the tiny kingdom of Salpet, home of the School of Metal Magic and alchemy. The waist of Furm is covered by dense jungles and areas of open grassland around the great inland sea of Lake Furm.
In the west is Ossic. Once a fertile and populous place, it was the site of a furious magical battle against an entity from the void, tens of thousands of years ago. So fierce was that magical exchange, the land has not yet recovered, and remains a desert only the hardiest and most courageous will visit. Eddies of old magic abound, and the local wildlife has grown into unusual forms, many dangerously aggressive and intelligent. The practice of magic there is best avoided, since a spell one day may have no effect, but the next cause enormous destruction without warning.
The Sliddin Empire in the southern temperate zone is ruled by a cult that dates back to the first humans. Any who seek to deviate even slightly from the cult’s teachings are subject to harsh punishment. Only incompetence, arising directly from their cult practices, has prevented them from spreading their fervent beliefs further afield.
Coral
Coral was always the smallest continent, but lost much of its landmass to a volcanic erruption before the sentient races appeared. It now has two shattered rings of mountainous isles, with a central sea where the volcanic crater used to be. Around the eastern fringes, the warm tropical seas have seen the formation of large coral reefs that give the continent its current name. The sea in the old central crater is known as The Sea of The Dead, since none who venture there ever return. The reason for the deaths of all who venture there is unknown, but a small isle in the Sea of The Dead was once home to the School of Blood Magic. Some believe the long extinct practice of blood magic continues there, with the surrounding zone of death a way of keeping out all but its adherents and practitioners. The rest of Coral is home to a few small human fishing communities around Port Essil. The jungle clad mountains are inhabited by colonies of the Apoideans, Antmen, and Tegenarians
Eauxone
For centuries Eauxone has lain on the seabed, submerged by the gods to trap a powerful mage who over-reached herself in her thirst for power. The School of Water Magic and High Temple of Water were both inundated during this epic intervention, and remain lost to all sentient races except the merfolk.
Swelt
Swelt is a continent largely covered by a dense, steaming jungle. In the north a few areas have been cleared for agriculture by humans. The largest city is Jonglapur in Puria, famed for its huge library. The School of Geomancy lies close to the west coast in Geom. Other than a few other coastal settlements the inhabitants of Swelt are mostly Fey and Kat, who love its abundant trees. The tropical climate also suits the arthropod races: the Apoideans, Antmen, and Tegenaria, who are a threat to any who stray onto their lands. At its southwestern tip Swelt connects with Tarkuin / Jondlhu through a narrow isthmus of volcanoes known as The Neck.
Tarkuin / Jondlhu
Though Jondlhu is the proper name of this continent, it was divided almost completely in two by the actions of a powerful mage, using a staff of power given to her by a summoned demon. The collapse of the Dome Range during this event led to the formation of an inland sea, bounded entirely by towering cliffs. This natural barrier has made travel between the two halves impossible except by taking a lengthy detour on the oceans to east or west of the continent.
The northern half has become known as Tarkuin after the last of the great wyrms who lies asleep beneath it. His restlessness has caused the formation of The Rift mountains, a series of volcanoes that reach from The Neck to the western shores. Eruptions of these volcanoes have resulted in lava flows extending many hundreds of kilometers into the sea to the north where they cooled to form the eight Fimbral Duchies. Central Tarkuin has large swaths of grasslands home to the humans of the five tribes.
The southern part is now referred to as Jondlhu. It has a mountainous spine surrounded by rolling wooded hills that are home to the School of Wood Magic. The eastern side of Jondlhu is the most populated by humans, though the woods are home to both Fey and wood giants.
Pinbeg
Nothern Pinbeg is a land of volcanic mountain ridges cloaked in rainforests. Nestled amid these stormy peaks is the School of Lightning Magic. To the south, where the weather is more suited to human habitation, two empires vie for primacy. Over several centuries their fortunes have ebbed and flowed. The Tartal Empire is one of the few to experiment with voting as a means of selecting its leaders. Their rivals, the Ameconian Empire, is ruled by a series of powerful guilds who control every aspect of commerce within and without the empire. They have set up branches in several other lands across the world, though their hard negotiating style wins them few allies.
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