Introduction to Duria

Duria is the northeastern continent of the world of Gallorea, stretching over 2,200 miles from the frozen northern shores of the Trollstova Isles to the tropical southern tip of Harshwind Isle (from about 65 ° to 33° longitude). The continent is north of eastern Gallorea and east of the continent of Aurea. It is bordered by the frozen White Ocean to the north, the Endless Ocean to the east and the Betshaban Ocean to the south and west. Though the Pirate Isles are not truly part of the continent, they are considered geographically and culturally connected. The continent includes three seas: the Sea of Blades in the northeast, the Maroshan Sea between the continent and the Pirate Isles and the Valtaani Sea between the northwestern coast and the frozen lands of Valtaan.

Duria has two large mountain ranges. The ancient Divian Mountains in the north are heavily eroded, averaging about 3,000 feet above sea level. The largest mountains in the range tend to be in the western arm, with Mount Josephus the tallest in the range at over 4,500 feet. The Cambrecian Mountains, by contrast, rise sharply in southern Duria, averaging about 12,000 feet above sea level, with the Throne of Balthor being the tallest mountain on the continent at over 15,500 feet. Both ranges tend to be wilderness with a large variety of animals, mystical beasts, giants and humanoids.

Despite the variety of climates on Duria, the climate of the Interior Shores (those bordering the Maroshan Sea) are moderated by the Betshaban Stream, which warms the southern shorelines of the Divian Peninsula and cools the shores of the southwestern coast before it moves south to the continent of Gallorea to be warmed again. The southern Exterior Shores (those facing the Endless Ocean) are warmed by the Gallorean Current from the south. The northern shores of the continent are exposed only to the frozen waters of the White Ocean, making much of the land cold taiga throughout the year, except for the borders of the Webwood, which appears to be supernaturally warmed by unknown methods.

Chapparal is the predominant ecology along the southern Interior Shore, bordering the Maroshan Sea from Danas into southern Koramia. The interior of the continent is mainly dominated by forests, from the coniferous forests of the northern Webwood to the abundant deciduous forest that encompasses the Cambrecian Mountains and the plains surrounding it. Taiga dominates the northern coastline, with tundra found only in the heights of the Divian Mountains, the northern shores of the Webwood and the remote Trollstova Isles. There are no classical deserts on Duria, though the land northeast of the Sea of Swords tends to be extremely dry steppe that can become dusty during major droughts.

The continent itself tends to be fairly stable geologically, with periodic and mild temblors mainly along the Interior Shores. The Island of Tamerynd, in contrast, tends to be very active, with truly devastating earthquakes occurring every two or three centuries. There are at least two major active volcanos on Tamerynd, though they are near the interior plateau and well away from any settlements.

The weather tends to be mild, relative to the other two known continents, with large, violent storms rare. The southeastern coastline tends to be hit by hurricanes periodically, though not nearly as often as the Interior Shore of Aurea. For much of the continent, spring and summer tend to bring ample rainfall, with autumn and winter being comparatively drier. Weather patterns tend to move from west to east along westerlies, though northeast trade winds tend to bring warm rain to the Pirate Isles during the summer months. The northern half of the Divian Peninsula tends to have stormier winters than in southern climes, with blizzards lasting several days not uncommon. The Divian Mountains tend to protect the southern Divian Peninsula from the frigid northern winds. The plains of Lun Dorak have no natural protection from the weather and tornados are not uncommon during the spring storm season.

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.