The Savage Steppes
Geographic Features
Eternal Ocean
The Eternal Ocean lies to the west of the known world. It has two known currents. The colder, northern current flows south, bringing cold waters from the White Ocean south along the western Auric coastline, feeding cold water into the Aebasan Ocean through the Tangar Sea. The warmer, southern current moves warm water north along the western shore of Gallorea, an stream feeding warm water into the Aebasan Ocean before the main current cuts west into the trackless sea.
There are no known land masses in the Eternal Ocean, nor even rumors of such. It is rumored that the Eternal Ocean literally goes on forever, though scholars knowledgeable about geography point out the world being round makes that theory little more than ignorant myth. Like the Endless Ocean in the east, the Eternal Ocean is home to numerous monstrous creatures of legendary size, some of which wander close enough to the continents to terrorize shipping.
Reg'thul Peaks
The remote Reg'thul Peaks have been the homeland of the orcs for the extent of recorded memory, even when human empires are believed to have spanned the plains of western Aurea. It is believed that the Peaks are somehow holy to the orcs and few humans have set eyes on its heights in millennia. Rumors persist of an ever-burning volcano somewhere deep in the Peaks that, if legend is to be believed, is guarded by a massive dragon that the orcs of the region protect.
Tangar Sea
A remote stretch of water connecting the Aebasan Ocean and the Eternal Ocean along southwestern Aurea, Tangar has a reputation for being a wild and dangerous body of water, with unexpected doldrums, chaotic winds and surprisingly heavy storms, particularly in the autumn months. Recently, there are rumors of strange, black ships plying her waters and even more alien vessels with odd, ribbed sails. As most respectable merchants have little reason to cross the Tangar, these rumors are as yet unconfirmed.
White Ocean
The cold waters of the White Ocean lie north of the continents of Aurea and Duria. It is dominated by a sluggish eastern current that dips into the Valtaani Sea before moving northward back across the northern Durian continent. Some parts of the White Ocean freeze over, particularly the portions north of the eastern half of the Durian continent, sometimes freezing all the way to the shoreline. The late spring and early summer tends to be a very dangerous time to travel in the White Ocean as huge icebergs break off the ice pack and flow southward.
There are very few monstrous creatures known to live under the waves of the White Ocean, though much of it is patrolled by Valtang raiders, making mercantile travel dangerous even in warmer seasons.
Nations
The Green Isle
A legendary island north of Aurea, the Green Isle is rumored to be peopled by cannibals (or, according to some legends, Fey creatures) who will consume any who set foot on the isle. Legend also states that the rivers are literally paved with gold, leading no few hapless fools to gruesome deaths.
Hinode
A remote hinterland at the edge of the known world, very few have even heard of this region, carved out of what was once orcish land.
Kadach
Rumors persist that a number of minotaur slaves of the orcs have successfully risen up against their former masters and founded their own nation at the edge of the world. Few human scholars believe this is even possible, though there are rumors of great minotaur sailing vessels that have recently reached Ywys to establish trade with human lands.
The Orcish Moorlands
Dry, hilly lands in western Aurea, the Orcish Moorlands are the human name for territory along the Brothers controlled by orcish tribes. The heart of the orcish horde that ravaged much of northern Aurea in the waning years of the Third Age of Man, the Orcish Moorlands are currently experiencing an invasion of their own as nearby human and dwarven nations push into the area, establishing military colonies to ensure the orcs do not again organize into an unstoppable horde. Some scholars have pointed out that this sort of military aggression might just be the catalyst that encourages the fractious orcs to work together, perhaps generating a new Great Khan to unify the clans against the civilized nations of Aurea.
The Plains of Tazgrat
The Ride of Tongwr
The Ride of Tongwr has been dominated by nomadic Orcish horsemen for as long as anyone can remember, though there are some scholars who suggest an ancient empire was once centered in the region, its ruins avoided by even the bravest of orcs as haunted by malignant ghosts best left alone.
Schweinholz
A surface colony of the dwarven Kingdom of Nuithone, Schweinholz was founded by dwarven explorers to serve as a bulwark against the orcs of eastern Aurea. Today a mixture of dwarven, Murgosh and even Gael cultures, Schweinholz is quickly becoming a popular jumping-off point for expeditions attempting to carve out habitable territory in orcish lands. The dwarves of Schweinholz have quickly become bitter enemies of Murgosia and rumor suggests they are considering an alliance with other nearby nations against Murgosh aggression in the region.
| This article is part of the Player's Guide to Aurea | |
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Introduction · Economics and Trade · Legends and History · Religion · Regions and Realms |
