- ANKARANA -
The continent of Ankarana sits squarely across that which is named in Ancient texts as Dorsum Draco, the Dragon's Spine - our Equator. As a result the overall climate is, in general, one of warmth and humidity, although this basic range varies wide]y from one end of the continent to the other. This is Wyrdworld, after all, and it is quite common for one county to be in the middle of a heatwave whilst the one next door suffers heavy snow and sleet storms.
Life's like that.
To the North of the Continent the land is mostly plains and sparse grassy scrubland, while to the South the terrain is covered in lush grassland, verdant jungles, and rainforest. There is a distinct north-south divide on Ankarana: anything further up than Tomesha being regarded as 'Ooop North', and anything below as 'Daarn Saarf'.
The centre of the continent is a massive band of desert - that already-named as Tomesha, also often called the 'Plain of Fire', which stretches from the west to east coast and for in excess of four hundred miles north to south. Tomesha is a truly harsh region, the homeland and birthplace of the Melt race, and its climate is highly conducive to their way of life. It seems that the Melts thrive in extremes of heat - although they are by no means weakened by any lack of such temperatures, since they are known to live and fight with equal tenacity in climes ranging from steaming jungle to icy wastes.
Few civilised people live in Dauth's Valley - the third name of this forsaken place - but those that do are nomadic tribes well versed in combat and magikal lore - they have to be in order to be able to survive.
Towards either coast the bare sands become somewhat more forgiving, and it is here that much of the Desert's native wildlife can be found: dinosaurs roam the lands in large numbers, along with numerous other hardy and utterly vicious species that have evolved to survive anything the desert can throw at them.
On passing the Seasreach and Ahaggarian Mountains, there are four counties to the north, each with a government to itself and its own customs and laws. Seasreach is the smallest of these, situated between the harsh cliffs of the mountains and the 'Sea of Night' - or Oceana Noctis - whose black waters carry pirate and melt warships along the coast. The county is almost never quiet or at peace, with minor wars being common, and even in times of relative quiet there always seems to be something stirring on the winds that bodes ill for the people of the region.
The majority of trade through Seasreach is conducted by water, with all of its largest cities and towns being those on the west coast - the capital, Salhom, being one of Ankarana's largest and most successful ports.
Inland there is some farming, but again the need for the constant defence of the coast and southern borders to the mountains means that little aid can be spared for those communities that find themselves harassed by bandits and land pirates.
Moving north we reach West Soulsendshed, largest of the four north counties, a land which sees the greatest overall level of civilisation in the north. Trade routes on both land and sea are good and prosperous, with good fishing and hunting to be found in such places as Forstooth, and to the east in the Palian Marshes - though the latter is known to be a haunt of various and numerous unhealthy creatures and sentient beings. A strong military presence is maintained, though this remains fairly low-key for the most part: such a force is necessary due to the county's proximity to the Eastern province, which has always had expansionist aims threatening to overwhelm any not strong enough to withstand Her.('Her' being at the current time, Viscount Agrion Antares. Don't tell him I said so). Still, West Soulsendshed remains one of the safest places in the northlands in which to travel and live.
The same cannot be said of East Soulsendshed, a place of barbaric rule and cruel laws and rulers - although the capital of Gatehouse remains fairly safe and neutral at the present moment in time: Gatehouse is perhaps the largest city in Ankarana - certainly the largest in the north of the continent - and as such has a wide variety of cultures and peoples living within. Originally, Coronus Insul - true capital of the province to the north of the mainland - was the seat of power of the World Emperor, a position long-unfilled for many hundreds of years of unrest. Until relatively recently the province was ruled by a man known only as The Overlord, but about two hundred years ago his strict and often harsh term of rule was cut short by his death at the hands of the adventurer and knight of Pravex, one Agrion Antares, after a protracted battle in southern Ankarana. Antares took up the throne and has ruled ever since in a highly erratic and always cruel reign of terror and misery. It is common knowledge that the Viscount is in league with demons - indeed current rumour has it that he is a demon himself, and his association with other notorious criminals such as Maldred Plaguebringer, Drofaels ku Dokseni, Cairina Rathsax, Karik Brandson and Snuurg is legendary.
The lands off East Soulsendshed are dry and bare, open steppe-land and desert, almost totally flat from coast to coast. Massive military and naval forces are kept by the province, and all of its neighbours live in understandable fear of attack at any time on the whim of a demented ruler. Very few places are safe from the watching eyes of the Viscount - Gatehouse, as I have said, having still to be overthrown in name only, and a few towns and villages still being relatively safe places to live, but for the most part demon worship is enforced by law, and sacrifices of money, valuables and lives are common occurrences: many try to escape the province but few succeed, thanks to guards both mortal and magikal who deal out cold justice to all who try to cross the borders.
Tadornia is a land of martial law, the whole place run from the government stronghold that is the tree city of Tador. The population of the province is primarily anthropoid, with the official state religion being based upon the worship of Hoslart, an obscure elder god representing strength and power in battle. Freedom of speech and thought is frowned upon for the most part and the 'individual' is an almost unknown concept, especially in the central areas of the province. The Darkhald, a massive belt of oppressive rainforest to the east of the county, forms a natural barrier to the easternmost peninsula - almost a separate province to itself - the seat of power being in Tarax.
The Tadornians like to keep themselves to themselves: trade with all other nations is kept to a minimum in order to avoid contamination of local stock, and foreigners are regarded as second-class citizens at all times. The laws of Tadornia are upheld with great force, both mental and physical, with the shock-troop / police force being composed almost entirely of silverback gorillas, highly trained in personal combat of all kinds. Jokes about banana republics are not at all appreciated in Tadornia.
Moving south, by way of Tomesha again, we cross the tall Blaustwal Mountains, coming first to Purelon: this is basically a quiet, unassuming place which likes to remain quite isolated, and not get involved in worldly matters. The typical Purelonian is introverted, extremely shy, and prone to hiding in corners in order to avoid contact with strangers.
Of course, there are exceptions to the rule - and Purelon remains popular with travellers, who can be sure of a bit of peace and quiet there, even during the high season. Purelon's attitude to military strength is to keep a token force in residence in order to discourage attempts at invasion, and there are always border patrols on duty - but generally the county is considered by most outsiders to be something of an easy target should the situation of war ever arise. However, it is also because of this very attitude of non-violence that Purelon has good allies in all of the southern provinces, and is often used as a neutral base in which representatives and officials of other counties can meet in safety. Purelon has no qualms about allowing itself to be so utilised, as it tends to be well-recompensed for its services to such customers.
Moving clockwise we reach Godelene. This is the main home of Ankarana's various canine species, a little fact of life that tends to ensure that the county is almost always at odds with its direct neighbour, Varna. Godelene is a highly-organised military society of knights and cavaliers, captains and lieutenants - where might is right, but only if it takes place under a strict code of rules and regulations. The province is a popular destination for mercenaries on the lookout for a little job-security: it is widely held that a job in the Godelenian army is a job for life.
Godelene itself is a land of rolling green hills, with long grass and scrub covering the majority of its bounded territories. It is popular also with hunters as it provides ample game resources; meanwhile one of its drawbacks is the proximity to both the Yatus Mountains and the Cwithsom Forest, which necessitate a constant patrolling of the county's southern borders to ensure its safety from sneakers-in.
Next is Catiena, largest and most prosperous of the continent's subdivisions. Most of the land is lush and fertile, and its farming industry has much to do with its aforementioned prosperity. Skalos, the capital, is contestant with Gatehouse as the largest city on the continent, but in any case it is better-situated than the latter, being built as it is on the shores of an inland sea, connected to the ocean by river and well-served by land-routes besides, such that the place is a hive of trade and industry. Life here is for the most part peaceful and quiet under the fair rule of Lord Moldvay - a retired and well-respected soldier of the county's own army: Catiena maintains the largest force of soldiery on Ankarana, but although it is certainly thus the strongest of the continent's separate factors, its ruler has no particular desire to expand his reign beyond the county's normal boundaries; Moldvay's forces are instead more gainfully employed - as they have been for several centuries - in keeping at bay the threat of insect and melt invasion.
Towards the south is Forstdom, a deep and foreboding band of forest that harbours countless untold horrors, as well as far too many told ones besides - not least the ever-present melts. Beyond this lies Lorne, a territory that counts itself separate from Moldvay's rules and laws, managing a tidy profit for itself through trading by sea with all the other provinces of the continent.
Now we come to Corallane, another land well-suited to farming, but which makes more of a market from the livestock raised on that land as huge herds of sneep, kou, and jork lizards graze the plentiful greenery. Trade routes with the other southern counties are well-maintained, and the province has a healthy sea-trade both to the north and south - the ports of Tarnyx and Halter being amongst the largest of those so used.
Quite recently however Corallane has been struck by something of a famine, not helped at all by the sudden falls of snow in the region, a weather-condition unheard of in those parts before now: this has all resulted in the county having been summarily cut off from most of its outside trade, and the once proud region has been forced into begging whatever aid can be spared from those nearby counties that can afford - or can even get through - to give assistance.
The Kodsu Forest is one of the few inhabited woodlands on Ankarana (in truth, many of its forests are inhabited, just not by things or people you would particularly want to meet). Many farming settlements have arisen there, along with various groups of tree-dwelling peoples and hunter-gatherer types. The worship of the old gods of nature is quaintly prevalent in these parts, and the performance of ancient ceremonies relating to such practises are common occurrences.
Finally we arrive in Varna, often also known as the 'barbarian kingdoms'. Varna consists mostly of desert, dry scrubland, and mountains, with a population primarily made up of the various species of the feline race - which unsurprisingly causes much friction between this and the neighbouring province of Godelene: if you've ever heard any version of the phrase 'they fight like cats and dogs', this may well be the source of such an observation.
Varna's history is a long and bloody one involving many rebellions and coups as one barbarian family or tribe have vied for supremacy over the others. The throne of Varna has become a traditionally dangerous post, with few who have sat there lasting much more than a matter of months in their reign. Varna is the ideal stopover for the warrior, adventurer, or mercenary type, since there is almost always some form of conflict in evidence, and usually on a considerable scale. Not surprisingly the Varnans as a people tend to excel in many of the fighting arts - otherwise they wouldn't have lasted so long, after all - and they are considered to be the most warlike of all the peoples of Ankarana, given to blood-feuds that have lasted for centuries. Water is one of the most prized currencies in this region, and much weight is given to any who can lay claim to large quantities of the substance.
The mountains to the north and south are perhaps the Varnans' only real barriers, as they are otherwise a basically nomadic group of species. There are, however, a large number of permanent settlements within the region where trading posts have been established and have flourished into demi-towns as more and more people have gravitated towards them.
Currently at one with the throne is the leader of the Snow Leopard Clan from the Black Mountains, one Frugec a Quahe - having recently usurped the Lion Clan from their previous tenure. As is usual in Varna, the few months since this deposition have been taken up with frenetic activity amongst the Lion Clan to ready themselves for their attempt to retake their 'rightful' place as regents: in the meanwhile though the Leopards' place remains at least relatively secure, backed as they are by their close allies from the Plains Leopards Clan. It is held true in Varna though that treaties are made to be broken, and so it is expected to be not long from now that trouble of one sort or another will arise again.
And so, thus is Ankarana: there are otherwise a few outlying islands, some claiming independence from the main continent - notably the Pirate Isles - while others prefer to remain governed by the terms of their most closely-neighboured counties on the mainland: the isles of Baylos and Doon are prime examples of such happy alliances.
For the most part the continent is relatively at peace within itself, but always there are pockets of evil resident in the furthest north and deepest south, ready to seize their chances to spread: the Insects and the Melts are an ever-present threat wherever there is wilderness, but the world holds mostly to security and goodness. Of course, as students of our world's history know well, the past lives of Ankarana have been far different indeed, and there may be no telling when the troubles of The Old World will re-emerge to wreak their own peculiar havocs on the continent. But that's another matter.
Arfir Seeklark