Geographic Regions on Duria

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Original article: Geography of Duria

Duria is the smallest of the three known continents, forming a triangle between the frigid White Ocean, the Betshaban Ocean to the southwest, and the Endless Ocean in the east. Prevalent winds generally coming from the west in the north and from the east in the extreme south. Wind patterns are heavily affected by the two large mountain ranges on the continent, with the Divian Mountains keeping the frigid northern winds from cooling the fertile lands south of it and the Cambrecian Mountains keeping the winds mild in the south. Lun Dorak, however, is generally unprotected and periodically experiences violent tornados, particularly during the spring stormy season.

The vast Divian Mountains are the highest mountains on the continent, with frozen peaks throughout much of the range. The Cambrecian Mountains in the south tend to be warmer and lower, as if age has eroded its once-sharp peaks. The only other mountains of any particular size are the Sapphire Mount in Lun Dorak and the Tamerynd Plateau on the island of Tamerynd. Duria is peppered with numerous woods, most of which were inhabited by elves at some point. The Webwood in the far north, has one of the largest concentrations of elves outside the elven homeland of Elarean, though their numbers were greatly reduced when the orcish horde burned most of the southern woods after the Mage War at the conclusion of the Third Age of Man.

Divia is bordered by several seas: the Valtaani Sea, the Pirate Sea and the Maroshan Sea along its southwestern shores. The Sea of Blades, the largest freshwater lake in the known world, dominates the northeast, emptying into the Endless Ocean through a strait called the Maraudine. There are several islands of various sizes considered part of Duria, from the frozen Trollstova Islands in the north to the Black Isle, Stormward Isle, Braregia, Tamerynd, Harshwind and Marosh in the Pirate Sea.

Forests

Original article: Forests on Duria

Bartik Wood

Original article: Bartik Wood

The frozen Bartik Wood lies in the extreme north of the Divian Peninsula on the continent of Duria, bordered by Norlund to the east and the ruined wastes of what was once northwestern Koramia to the west. Bartik Wood is a boreal forest, with elk and caribou being the largest game in the region. Small game are plentiful, particularly foxes and rabbits, though there are some wild boar and goats in the hilly southern reaches of the forest. Seal and walrus are abundant on the rocky northern coasts of the White Ocean.

Much of the eastern edge of the forest is heavily harvested by the humans of Norlund, mainly for building materials as the rest of Norlund tends to be somewhat bare of wood strong enough to be used in construction. Though there are some hobgoblin tribes lurking in the western and northern reaches of the forest, they rarely wander far enough east to come into conflict with their human neighbors. There are rumors of giants living deep within Bartik Wood, though there have been no reliable reports of giants in the region for generations.

Farnham Wood

Original article: Farnham Wood

Nestled in the northeastern Calmerian Marches on the continent of Duria, Farnham Wood has long stood as a bulwark between the Gaelish clans of the Marches and the depredations of the Magocracy of Lun Dorak to the east. Farnham Wood is a magical place, viewed with reverence and awe by the Gaelish clans and decried as a place of wild, dangerous magic and Otherworlders by the Dorakians. Though all forests have at least some Fey activity, Farnham Wood is considered to have the strongest connection to the Fey. Legends suggest that there are no small number of Fey hill forts and portals to Otherworld scattered throughout the wood and more than a few unwary traveler has entered the wood never to return (or to return a century later, believing himself to have been gone for only a day).

Mistwood

Original article: Mistwood

Situated south of the Sea of Blades and east of Enesia on the continent of Duria, Mistwood is believed to be an ancient haven of elves, though there are no reports of contact with the elves of the Mistwood for centuries, even among other elven nations. Though the forest is primarily an old, mixed temperate forest, there is relatively little harvesting along its western edge, despite the proximity of several villages to the forest. Most of the humans of Enesia have an almost religious reverence for the forest and many stories would indicate that it is haunted, though no one seems to know what event may have lead to such a preponderance of spiritual activity.

The forest is often shrouded in a dense fog that seems to descent from the Cambrecian Mountains to the south, which sometimes encroaches on the grasslands east and west of the forest. There are legends of "something" living in these thick mists that will take away the unwary traveler and even a rumor that some time in the ancient past, an entire town disappeared to the fog.

Orqneal Wood

Orqneal Wood

Volasci forest

Original article: Volasci Forest

Volasci Forest lies in northern Cambrecia in central Duria. It is primarily a mixed temperate forest, with broadleaf trees predominant in the western lowlands and conifers more present in the eastern highlands. The forest was relatively tamed by humans by the end of the Third Age of Man, with several logging communities throughout, though the chaos of the Dark Times has left many of those communities empty or cut off from civilization and the forest has reclaimed much of the land that was once cleared. Reports of hobgoblins and giants migrating down from the mountains also suggests that Volasci Forest has become much more forbidding and dangerous.

There are more recent rumors that suggest a mysterious group of people identified as druids have formed a community somewhere deep within the Volasci forest and have allied with some giants in the area. Traders skirting the northern reaches of the forest have reported seeing giants lugging huge stones quarried from the Cambrecian Mountains that some scholars suggest are for a new Great Henge deep within the forest. It is unknown if these druids are allied with the Great Henge of the Calmerian Marches or if they are a break-away sect seeking to establish their own Archdruid.

Webwood

Original article: Webwood

The mysterious Webwood lies north of the Sea of Blades, east of Illyria and Dakra and west of Vor Midal. The forest is primarily boreal in the north, though the forest quickly shifts into a temperate broadleaf forest in the south, where the cold northern winds have less sway over the climate. Elk and caribou are fairly common in the north, particularly along the edges of the forest, near the grasslands of Illyria. Walruses are common along the rocky northern coast and whales are often seen near the coast in the summer months. The southern forest is dominated by great grizzly bears, usually found along the floodplains of the Danural River, and hives of giant spiders along the forest edge that give the forest its name. These giant spiders are the apex predators of the Webwood... wolves are extremely rare and there are rumors that those wolves who did live in the Webwood were

The Webwood is one of the remaining hereditary territories of the elves, though the forest itself was almost wiped out in recent memory. After the defeat of Lun Dorak at the conclusion of the Mage War, the orcs of Vor Midal turned on their allies and began a conquest of the Divian Peninsula. Unfortunately, the elves of the Webwood were directly in the path of the orcish horde. Much of the forests south of the Danural River were burned as the horde moved through and most of elven civilization in the Webwood was destroyed. Many of those elves who survived began a diaspora into neighboring human nations that were at least semi-friendly with the elves. Though some stalwarts remained in the Webwood and have worked to regrow their ravaged woods, it is generally believed that about three fifths of the surviving elven population chose to leave their ancestral lands and have yet to return.

Highlands

Original article: Highlands on Duria

The Cambrecian Mountains

Original article: Cambrecian Mountains

The Cambrecian Mountains rise sharply in central Duria and run southward towards the the Endless Ocean. They are substantially higher and rockier than the more northerly Divian Mountain range, averaging about 12,000 feet about sea level. The Throne of Balthor, the tallest mountain on Duria, rises over 15,500 feet into the sky. Much of the surface of the Cambrecian Mountains are wild, with giants, goblins and strange creatures lurking in its deep valleys. In contract, the dwarves of the Kingdom of Derlos have built expansive caverns and cities beneath the mountains, with a large fortification dominating the one known pass through the mountain chain. There are rumors of other dwarven settlements on the surface, though few human scholars or merchants are willing to brave the wilds of the mountains to confirm these rumors.

The Divian Mountains

Original article: Divian Mountains

The rolling mountains that bisect the Divian Peninsula on the continent of Duria.

Rivers

Original article: Rivers on Duria

Angulls River

Angulls River

Archvyla River

Archvyla River

Autrica River

Autrica River

Brymn River

Brymn River

Cairiogh River

Cairiogh River

Danural River

Danural River

Dunshield River

Dunshield River

Galforth River

Galforth River

Gweafon River

Gweafon River

Hother River

Hother River

Ivalaa River

Ivalaa River

Kemyoki River

Kemyoki River

Krios River

Original article: Krios River

The Krios river is a major waterway in southern Duria and serves as a border for Auteria, Daredonia, Kamaros, Malvetia and the Neptaran Territories. Its source lies deep within the Cambrecian Mountains and it empties into the Maroshan Sea just east of the Freecity of Neptaris.

Prior to the dawn of the Third Age of Man and the Foundation of Neptaris, the river was called Balinars.

Pol River

See Cairiogh River

Prespa River

Prespa River

Red River

Red River

Septimia River

Septimia River

Shir River

Shir River

Spareth River

Spareth River

Surk River

Surk River

Tredlbach River

Tredlbach River

Tweph River

Tweph River

Ulath River

Ulath River

Velusian River

Velusian River

Vola River

Vola River

Vuorne River

Vuorne River

Waite River

Waite River

Swamps

Original article: Swamps on Duria

Dragonmire

Original article: Dragonmire

The Dragonmire is a large swamp that lies between the elves of the Webwood forest and the orcish grasslands of Vor Midal. Legend claims that a dragon was slain by orcs somewhere deep within the mire and that its undead form still haunts the crooked trees and stagnant water. There are also rumors that the Dragonmire was once a shallow lake that was somehow drained into the depths of the world.

Frostmire Swamp

Original article: Frostmire Swamp

Located north of Ciritasnia on the northwest coast of the Divian Peninsula on the continent of Duria, the Frostmire Swamp is the frigid delta of the Galforth River where it spills into the Valtaani Sea. Despite being frozen for almost half the year, the Frostmire quickly floods in the summer as glacial melt in the Divian Mountains swells the banks of the Galforth, often changing its course in the delta.

The swamp is dominated by birch and alder (which look much like skeletal hands grasping at the grey northern sky in the winter), with some spruce along the northernmost shore. Most of the local game are small, such as rabbits and foxes, though caribou are not uncommon in the northern months. Since the defeat of the orcs of Vor Scheral, small herds of wild Midalan horses sometimes wander into the areas of the Frostmire that border the surrounding grasslands. When the orcs of Vor Scheral first defeated the Koramians of the region, there were no real predators in the Frostmire, but worgs have been lurking in the depths of the swamp since they were abandoned by the orcs' hobgoblin cavalry.

There are rumors that there was once a city deep within the Frostmire, before the orcs came after the end of the Mage War. It was protected from the chaotic changes of the Galforth by great levees and is rumored to protect the treasures and secrets of the Third Age of Man. None are known to have ventured into the Frostmire since the dawn of the Fourth Age of Man, though most presume the city was consumed in the cold, frozen grip of the Frostmire.

Zaralan Marsh

Original article: Zaralan Marsh

A large saltwater marsh on the southeastern shores of the Sea of Blades, Zaralan Marsh was long a hiding place for rebels and escaped criminals from Lun Dorak. After the conclusion of the Mage War, in which the refugees of Zaralan provided some assistance in defeating the Mage King Lucasa, the rebels formed the nation of Stenoa on the plains to the west of Zaralan Marsh, using the tangled swamplands as something of a physical buffer against the Dorakian armies. The swamps today are even more dangerous than in ages past, with some independent raiders still trying to eke out an existence on the salty wetlands, fighting against the terrible creatures (some of which created by Dorakian mages) that lurk in the deeper recesses of the swamp.

Waterways

Original article: Waterways on Duria

The Betshaban Ocean

Original article: The Betshaban Ocean

The Betshaban Ocean lies between the continents of Aurea, Duria and Gallorea and includes the Pirates' Sea and the Maroshan Sea near Duria and the Yglarsed Sea on the Gallorean coast. The ocean is dominated by the clockwise Betshaban Stream, which is fed by warm waters in the west from the Aebasan Ocean and warm waters from the Endless Ocean in the east. The Betshaban Stream tends to cool somewhat along the Durian coast, feeding into the Endless Ocean south of Danas. Prevailing winds in the southern Betshaban Ocean tend to move from the east, with the current, making westerly travel particularly easy for most ships and easterly travel extremely difficult. In the northern reaches, winds tend to move from the west, also with the current, making travel from Aurea to Duria particularly easy, though the converse more difficult. The currents and prevailing winds create a large calm area southwest of The Island of Tamarynd known affectionately as "Betshaba's Bosom". Ships who drift into Betshaba's Bosom are rarely heard from again. The northern reaches of the Betshaban Ocean are known for its legendary storms, particularly in autumn and winter. Hurricanes are a constant threat during the storm season, particularly along the Aurean coast and the northern Pirate Isles.

Though all oceans are claimed by Betshaba, the Betshaban Ocean is, obviously, considered particularly blessed (and cursed) by the Wave Queen. Though the Pirate Sea is considered by many to be appropriated by her greatest enemy, Taltos, the Deep Dweller. Most aquatic creatures, monstrous and sentinent, can be found in the Betshaban, though the most legendary creature known to travel Betshaba's ocean is the Leviathan, an impossibly huge whale said to be her personal eyes and ears in the mortal realm.

The Valtaani Sea

The Valtaani Sea

The Endless Ocean

Original article: The Endless Ocean

The Endless Ocean lies to the east of the known world and is considered the eastern edge of the world by most. Known currents move predominantly northward, with a major warm current entering the Betshaban Ocean north of Haleland on the northeastern shores of Gallorea, forming the Betshaban Stream. The Betshaban stream cools substantially before re-entering the Endless Ocean just south of Danas, on the southern shore of Duria. The main current turns eastward once it reaches the easterly currents of the White Ocean.

The Endless Ocean is a place of legend and a source of fear for sailors who ply her waters, almost always hugging close to the shores. Fantastic creatures, all of which seeming to consider air-breathers a delicacy, ply her deep waters. The island of Kesh hangs off the eastern shores of Gallorea, the only known island in the Endless Ocean. Rumors are heard from Kesh traders of another continent to the east across the trackless waves, but most scholars consider these rumors little more than foundless myths.

The Maraudine

Original article: Maraudine

The Maraudine is the small stretch of water wherein the Sea of Blades empties into the Endless Ocean. It is patrolled both by the warships of Lun Dorak and Vor Midal, who are constantly at war with one another. Merchants and other neutral parties who attempt to use the Maraudine tend to either end up confiscated and conscripted by the Dorakian mages or raided and murdered by orcish pirates.

The Maroshan Sea

Original article: Maroshan Sea

The Maroshan Sea is a part of the Betshaban Ocean between the Pirate Isles and the mainland of Duria, west of the Black Isle and north of the island of Marosh. The Sea itself is relatively calm, with major storms usually restricted to early autumn. The Maroshan Sea is a major trade route along the Inner Shore of Duria and is patrolled by many of the nations of the Inner Shore searching for the elusive Tamerynd pirates who lurk about looking for easy prey.

The Sea of Blades

Original article: Sea of Blades

The Sea of Blades lies in northeastern Duria. The Sea is mostly freshwater in the west, where it is fed by the Upper and Lower Blades on either side of the nation of Pelusia at the eastern terminus of the Divian Mountains. In the east, the water is substantially saltier, particularly where the Sea empties into the Endless Ocean through the strait known as the Maraudine.

The western shores of the Sea of Blades is criss-crossed by merchant vessels from Dakra, Pelusia, Nagos, Enesia and even a few merchant ships from Stenoa and Lun Dorak. The eastern shores tend to be extremely dangerous, with orcish pirates from Vor Midal competing with military ships from Lun Dorak for dominance of the Sea.

There are rumors of deep tunnels that pass deep beneath the Sea of Blades and dwarven legends even tell of a lost dwarven city somewhere deep underground in the region, though there is little direct evidence of either.

 
This article is part of the Player's Guide to Duria

Introduction ·  Economics and Trade ·  Legends and History ·  Religion ·  Regions and Realms

Regions and Realms on Duria

Geographic Regions · Nations and Realms