A Brief Geography of Alzhrin

The Stonebraids are a pair of mountain ranges running across the continent. Westbraid, in the north, runs from where the mountains meet into the west. Southbraid, in the east, runs from where the mountains meet southwards into the sea. North of Westbraid is the forest of Issheim and a region of tundra. East of Southbraid lies the Khanos desert, the badlands of Gelhint, and the Wandering Wood. The centre of the continent is dominated by the wetlands of the Rivermarch. Between the Rivermarch and Westbraid are the High Plains, a region of steppe and plateaus. South of the Rivermarch is the forest of Anathos. South of Anathos is a coastal plain called the Witchdunes. Alzhrin is bounded by water to the north, east, and south: the southern Clear Seas, the northern Radiant Sea, and the eastern Sunsea. The Clear Seas hold the archipelago of Tembel. Above the continent float the flying islands making up the Aerial Nations. West of Alzhrin lies land which is poorly-explored, due to a number of planar and magical confluences which make navigation difficult, and broadly referred to as the Western Lands.

Regions of Alzhrin

Anathos

This vast forest fills much of southern Alzhrin, from Southbraid to the edge of the continent, between the Rivermarch and the Witchdunes. The nation of Tsien is in the west of the forest, while Vasrim lies northeast of Tsien in the border region between the forest and the 'March. Anathos is warm, with a heavy rainy season in the winter and spring.

Fazil

This nation is not actually in Alzhrin. It is a mist-shrouded region of wooded wetland west of Ordos. Though it is not well-travelled and is poorly understood, it remains the most accessible and understandable of the Western Lands.

Gelhint

These rocky badlands are east of Southbraid, between Khanos to the north and the Wandering Wood to the south. Fragmentary records of the Kaiyumba indicate Gelhint used to be steppes covering the northeast of the continent, and what survives is a continually-shrinking border against the magical destruction that formed the desert. Gelhint is largely hot and dry, but not as unnaturally so as Khanos.

The High Plains

This is a windswept area of steppes and plateaus between Westbraid and the Rivermarch. The Mechanitropolis of Azig is found here, in one of the deep crevasses below the Plains. The area would share the temperate character of the Rivermarch, except for the increased altitude lowering temperatures across much of the region.

Issheim

This alpine forest lies north of Westbraid, on the western side of Alzhrin. The entirety of the forest is claimed by the nation of Issheim. Issheim is cold, too cold for its latitude, presumably due to the magic of the laussalfar.

Khanos

Khanos lies east of Southbraid, between the Runic Kingdoms to the north and the Gelhint badlands to the south. This desert was created by the backlash of a massive magical cataclysm, presumably caused by the now-destroyed Kaiyumba civilisation whose ruins litter the desert. Modern civilisation is mostly formed by various city-states, each an independent political entity. Most of them lie near the branches of the Saltforge, as Khanos ley lines are difficult to pull water from. In the east, near the Sunsea, lies the Magnetic Mountain, stronghold of the inductor monks. Several rivers enter Khanos from Southbraid, but peter out before they reach the ocean. They are all collectively referred to as the Saltforge. In the central southern part of the desert lie the Luminescent Spires. These constructions of crystalline light seem to grow out of the ground and are the source of the strange lumentech. Khanos is unnaturally warm for its latitude.

Though there are a few dozen yatil-built city-states, I shall only mention a few of them here. Bor-Zeital is unusual in that it is, unbeknownst to anyone involved, actually ruled by a council of four sandmaidens. They all possess similar proficiency in yatil, and by happenstance do not enact any policy which contradicts any of the others. Fin Varhart is one of the notable cities not built on the water, and the secret to its success is that it is actually ruled by a powerful shaman. She has enough magical skill to coax water from the city's nodes and has convinced spirits of the sand to construct and maintain the city in the place of the usual sand magic. Gu-Kellem is one of the more troubled cities, experiencing frequent small tremors which require reparative magic across the city. The ruler here employs a team of sandmaidens in the civic service to maintain structures in the face of this difficulty. These tremors are caused by the thrashings of a bound demigod who lies in the city's understructure. A few other cities of note are Havasterie, Mor-Badar, Ens Bohenkline, and Larad-Sin-Mordest.

The Rivermarch

This wetland dominates the centre of the continent, between the High Plains to the north and Anathos to the south, and from Southbraid in the east to the western edge of Alzhrin. The centre of the 'March is claimed by the Yaoren nation of Kellam, while the nation of Ordos sits on its western edge. It is temperate with frequent rainfall.

The Stonebraids

These mountains are split into two connected ranges, Southbraid and Westbraid. They meet in the northeast of the continent. Westbraid runs west from this Knot off the edge of Alzhrin. Southbraid runs south from the Knot into the sea, and may be what forms the eastern edge of Tembel. Southbraid contains the nation of Balsteinn, mostly in caverns beneath the surface. The Valley Midnight sits in the pocket inside the place the mountains meet, next to the High Plains.

The Underweb

There was a time, over a millennium ago, when these caverns connected the whole continent through massive dimensional workings. That time passed long ago with the collapse of the dvergar's empire. Now most of the Underweb lies open to dimensionally anomalous worlds, where terrors beyond mortal understanding bleed through and have taken over. The few safe regions, remnants of the former dvergar civilisation, are now referred to as the Undercaverns.

The Wandering Wood

This woodland is east of Southbraid, ranging from Gelhint in the north down to the Clear Seas. It is said to be a portion of Anathos which was cut off by the Stonebraids, now set loose to travel the world. Stories suggest that over the centuries it has been pushing back on Khanos, growing slowly larger. Strangely, when it grows it doesn't expand into Gelhint, instead pushing the badlands north and forcing Khanos to shrink.

The Witchdunes

This coastal plain covers the southern edge of Alzhrin, between Anathos and the Clear Seas. It largely shares the subtropical climate of Tembel and the Clear Seas. The Striding City of the South roams the Witchdunes, following patterns known only to that city's administrators.

Nations of the Continent

Aerial Nations

This is a series of islands that patrols the skies above Alzhrin. They roam above the entire continent. Technically the islands are not neighbours to any other nation, though some of the smaller ones do sometimes dock in Issheim and Balsteinn. The Hikarr are generally unwelcome in the Aerial Nations and it would take a lot of work to earn the trust of Aerial Nations folk over the centuries of theft the Hikarr have committed as a culture.

It is generally about five degrees colder on an island than on the land far below. Wind is common and sometimes it rains or snows, depending on the climate below. Each island is entirely urban; they do not have space for wild lands and do not carry their own ley lines. Food is often produced in basement laboratories, but the islands can also sometimes access the unpredictable air lines, which shamans and engineers can occasionally cajole materials from. The largest island, Thyrskala, serves as the capitol of the aerial empire. This is where the Gearmind, mechanical leader of the Aerial Nations, resides. There are six other major islands, though there are also "satellite" islands that are reminiscent of large stone airships. These are, in order of largest to smallest, Faljer, Mossik, Thanbjr, Ovikla, Pennet, and Skaib.

Thyrskala is accepted as the hub of research in Aerial Nations society. Its proximity to the Gearmind means that the best clockwork developments are made here, the ones most likely to benefit the skyborn and Aerial Nations as a whole. Thyrskala is also the least mobile island. Although it has the same flight capabilities as any of the large islands it tends to remain near the centre of Alzhrin.

Faljer is primarily devoted to manufacturing. They have facilities for smelting ore, shaping wood, and crafting mechanical parts. Clockwork engineers are frequently seen here ordering custom gears, pistons, or other components for their work.

Mossik is largely responsible for the satellite islands. It is often seen hovering low over one of the many quarries that lie around Alzhrin for this purpose, levitating large stone blocks into the island's underbelly for processing.

Thanbjr is a Skatic word meaning "lightning". This island spends much of its time higher than the other islands harvesting electricity from the clouds. Most of this is sent to the other islands in electric jars, though rumour has it Thanbjr stores a quantity of the electricity in case it needs to combat threats to the nation.

Ovikla is one of the three docking islands. Unlike the other two this one never nears the ground. Ovikla docks with the other floating islands, transporting items too large or numerous to effectively convey on satellite islands.

Pennet is the second docking island. It makes a circuit between ports in Balsteinn and the middle of Alzhrin near Thyrskala. People from Pennet are frequently seen in Balsteinn, trading with them to acquire metals and gems.

Skaib is the third of the skyborn docking islands. It moves between the laussalfar's home city of Ghidetta in the northwest and the central regions of Alzhrin near Thyrskala. Skaib trades with the Ishimfolk for exotic woods and elemental ice.

Balsteinn

Balsteinn lies in the southern portion of Southbraid. The large caverns below Balsteinn are where most Balstinians live.

Balsteinn is warm like the neighbouring Anathos forest. The caverns below are much warmer, often described as uncomfortable and stifling by visitors.

The caverns of Balsteinn were divided into three layers by the svartalfar. The lowest set of caverns, near the world's core where the stone begins losing its stability, is called the Hellfurnace. This is where most of the smelting and the most important smithing happens. Most non-svartalfar Balstinians can only make brief visits to the Hellfurnaces. A series of stairways that serves as a clever planar shortcut connects the Hellfurnace to the main cavern area. The larger caves are called Bellan, a Svarten word meaning "home". Smaller tunnels and outlying caverns are called the frontier. Frontier regions are frequently patrolled by elemental knights to ward against incursions from the Underweb. The final layer is on and near the surface. There are scattered settlements up here, most frequently near the mountain range's border for interacting with other nations. Several towns lie in Balsteinn's interior as well, largely for trading with the skyborn island of Pennet. Most Balstinians consider their surface-dwelling kin to be quaint and provincial.

One of the most important svartalfar sites on Zindu is the Grand Forge. This squat obsidian building sits deep in the centre of the Hellfurnace. Amidst a sea of magma, the Grand Forge serves as the primary temple to the Lord of Fire. It is said to contain a portal to the nearest of the otherworldly realms of fire, from which a pious (and strong) svartalfar may embark on a pilgrimage to meet the Lord of Fire himself. Non-svartalfar Balstinians sometimes attempt this pilgrimage as well, though it is typically only well-prepared legends who survive any part of the journey. The most well-known surface settlement to most outsiders is Gormu, which I am told is based on a derogatory Svarten word meaning "the mouths of others". This town is right on the western edge of Balsteinn, nearly in Southbraid's foothills. It is the most frequented of the trade towns that do not have a dock for Pennet.

Issheim

Issheim lies in the north of Alzhrin, west of the Ten Runic Kingdoms. Though there is more land to the west, few travellers that press beyond the nation's borders return and the lands beyond are not considered part of Alzhrin. While Issheim is mostly laussalfar due to its temperature, other people are not forbidden from living here. However, Hervarðr and svartalfar are often viewed with suspicion if not outright hostility.

Issheim is noticeably colder than the Runic Kingdoms. It lies entirely within a massive alpine forest. The parts of the forest that lie within Alzhrin are also called Issheim—the forest and the nation are considered identical. The northern shore, still geographically considered a part of the Frost Shores, is entirely steep cliffs. It is said the terrain was altered by powerful Jösvar to protect Issheim from kraken and dvergar. In the south there is a line where the temperature and the variety of trees increases, approximately matching where the land becomes hilly and starts the climb to Westbraid. This makes a rather sudden demarcation to the edge of Issheim.

The capitol of Issheim is Ghidetta, called the home city by laussalfar. This is said to be the one place on Zindu where the Lord of Ice travelled before agreements with the Lord of Fire prevented him from manifesting here any further. The oldest buildings in Ghidetta are made from ice. They are believed to have been made by the Lord of Ice and are maintained by the Jösvar. Jösvar are elite elemental knights in service to Issheim's queen. Most other buildings, in Ghidetta and elsewhere, are made from wood. Ishimfolk rarely work in stone and never in metal. The placement of other settlements in Issheim seems random at first, but conversations with elemental knights revealed that they are chosen for a combination of defensibility and favourable elemental currents.

On the cliffs near the town of Hjilsa, about two hundred metres above the sea, is a curious hole. This hole is an opening into the Underweb. Due to extraplanar energies the gravity around this hole is altered, with down being towards the cliff face instead of the sea. The interior of the hole is supernaturally darkened. Ishimfolk aren't sure what lies inside—nothing has emerged so far, but elemental knights stand guard in Hjilsa for the day that whatever lurks under that dark decides to come forth. Laussalfar legend speaks of a site hidden in the forest they call the Lattice, said to be a portal to the Lord of Ice's palace. Accounts vary as to whether the portal is active or not. Some say the portal is used to create Issheim's favourable climate and empower the Jösvar. Others say it is under construction and will be used to call forth the Lord of Ice into Zindu once more.

Kellam

Kellam, the nation of the Yaoren, lies in the middle of the Rivermarch, in the northern section of the 'March near the High Plains. The nation is split up into nine provinces, each ruled by a noble house. A tenth "lost" province sits on the border with the High Plains, once ruled by a house long-gone.

Like the whole Rivermarch, Kellam's climate is temperate and wet. It never really gets cold enough to freeze or hot enough to induce discomfort in the leather-clad populace.

The nine provinces, sharing a name with the noble house governing it, are Zerrit, Ablados, Hambries, Keromas, Finzier, Barrinton, Gordisz, Obravigne, and Samaro. The name of the lost province was removed from all records as well as the Yaoren collective memory, apparently as a consequence of whatever the fallen house did to cause its destruction. The house's castle was built into a cliff wall at the High Plains and seems to be the centre of the haunting astral winds that blow around the province.

Arrayed approximately equally around Kellem, forming something of a boundary circle, are the tombs of the six psychic founders. These fall in the provinces of Barrinton, Samaro, Ablados, Keromas, Zerrit, and Hambries. The story from these houses is that in addition to the nation these founders were the original heads of their own families. Ley lines are especially strong in the vicinity of the tombs, though a combination of law and respect forbids any nodes from being constructed near them. In the centre of the nation, in the province of Obravigne, sits the Pearlvoid Spire. This double-helix structure of white and black stone represents the balance and cooperation required by the deva and asura to maintain the stability of the nation and its people.

Ordos

Ordos lies in the west of the Rivermarch, on the furthest edge of Alzhrin. This small nation is a refuge for ideologues and other planar travellers who have settled on Zindu. As such, it's more mixed than the other nations of Alzhrin and struggles to carry a unifying cultural identity. It doesn't have any large cities, instead being a collection of small towns scattered around the 'March.

As with the entire Rivermarch, Ordos is temperate and wet. The most notable oddity in the nation is the mostly-ygrell town of Crzaxthen. It is said that a great rune, unknown to the runesmiths of this Age, burns in the sky above the town. It is unclear what this rune is supposed to do, but apparently Crzaxthen is impossible to find without special knowledge only the ygrell hold.

Tembel

Tembel is the name both of the archipelago in the southern Clear Seas and the nation of Jami who live there. Cave systems under the islands, below the water level, are home to the Zafaros.

Tembel is subtropical with frequent rainfall. Unlike many parts of Alzhrin, they don't have a warm and cold season, or wet and dry season. It's more of a wet and wetter season. Winter and spring in the islands bring heavier rains and winds, often collecting into cyclones which shut down common sailing lanes and endanger whole islands.

The islands of Tembel feel innumerable to outsiders, but they are divided into several major groups depending on what kind of ley lines they have. Unlike on the continent ley line nodes in Tembel are not a general, universal producer of supplies but can only provide a particular type or category of thing based on which island they are in. Different islands are different colours. Not literally—they're the normal sorts of colours one would expect from islands. But their ley lines can only produce goods of one particular colour, and this is how the Jami have categorised them. The colour of an island doesn't seem to be based on anything like geography or proximity to other islands of a particular kind, and so port towns on each island will fly flags of their island colour to help identify them. (They are, of course, also identified as such on maps.) One oddity about these ley lines is that it is extremely difficult to get metals from them, even metals which could be said to carry one of the seven colours. As such, the Jami have developed both magical and alchemical methods of treating the gemstones they can conjure, and it is these gems which serve the role metals carry in other societies.

The five largest islands are indigo Corbem in the north, yellow Salbun in the northeast, green Habarra in the southwest, red Abadiel in the east, and violet Malan kind of in the middle. More important than individual islands to most Jami, though, are the major trade routes. They fall into two broad categories, orbits and webs. Orbits go around the edge of the whole archipelago, or some portion thereof. Webs weave their way through the interior, the largest ones going from outer islands through the centre of the archipelago to points on the other side.

Ships sailing the major routes make sure to be well-armed, as they are often targets for pirate vessels. The smaller routes are less well-armed, but harder to find ships in, so the smaller pirate vessels can often try to make their way on those.

The Ten Runic Kingdoms of Kjolheim

The Runic Kingdoms occupy much of the north of Alzhrin, between Westbraid and the Radiant Sea to the north. Jotunkin are more common in Kjolheim than most other nations; in most of the kingdoms laussalfar are met with a mild disdain.

The entirety of Kjolheim is cold. Most of the northern kingdoms are covered in snow for the majority of the year. Most of the Runic Kingdoms are plains with the western region rising into hills. Kjolheim is divided into four major geographical regions. The north, along the coastline of the Radiant Sea, is called the Frost Shores. This barren, wind-swept plain perpetually has at least a thin coating of snow. The western hills are called the White Hills after the laussalfar, who they share the border with. The south is stony tundra. The rest of Kjolheim, from the White Hills to the Sunsea, is open plains.

Politically, Kjolheim is divided into ten Runic Kingdoms. In the west, taking up most of the White Hills, is Zükinn. Most of the southern tundra is split between the three Bandit Kings, ruling kingdoms largely-ignored by the rest of the Hervarðr: Ojos, Valheir, and Gubenshev. The Frost Shores are occupied by Heimell in the west and Westhenn in the east. The shores of the Sunsea, along the eastern border of Kjolheim, are ruled by the seafaring kingdom of Jelthune. The central plains are divided rather unevenly and arbitrarily by the kingdoms of Pollut, Thornzev, and Korðr.

Zükinn is the largest of the Runic Kingdoms, spread across the majority of the White Hills. This is the kingdom on best terms with Issheim due in large part to the efforts of Zükinn's king, Zerick Jandol. Zükinn's capitol city of Reiklin sits in a valley just to the west of the kingdom's centre. Reiklin has the highest concentration of crossing ley lines in the Runic Kingdoms—likely a factor in Zükinn's size and importance. Other towns in Zükinn have the normal ley line connections, and small settlements throughout the kingdom have their own tiny nodes. Larger animals are rare in the White Hills, typically not much more than foxes and rabbits.

Ojos, Valheir, and Gubenshev are fighting for the poor land in Kjolheim's south. They are little more than city-states in the middle of the tundra, with natives of each "kingdom" greatly exaggerating its size. These kingdoms are ruled by the Bandit Kings Martev, Lisser, and Volthume, respectively. Though Lisser is a woman, nobody refers to her as a "Bandit Queen". Most food is found by hunting moose and other large tundra-dwellers, as the ley lines through these kingdoms are weak. Smaller settlements are less common in these kingdoms than elsewhere in Kjolheim as the rule of law is weak and banditry is common.

Heimell sits in the northwest, abutting the Radiant Sea. Few cities are near the coast, though many lie along the kingdom's rivers. The capitol, Walsheimr, sits in between the rivers Westfimn and Eastfimn just after they split. Heimell's king is Korgen Vasthustr, a small man renowned for his prowess in battle against larger opponents. Fishing and hunting are common pastimes.

Westhenn stretches from Heimell nearly to the Sunsea. Its population is sparse due to much of the region being rocky coastline. Few rivers run through Westhenn so due to most Hervarðr's strange phobia of the sea few fishers work in this kingdom. There are also weaker ley lines than is typical for Kjolheim due to the poor terrain. Westhenn's queen, Mairses Ithorr, has been sending young warriors out to slay monstrous beasts to provide food with varying degrees of success. The capitol city of Karjen lies entirely on the western shores of Eastfimn.

Jelthune lies along the eastern shore next to the Sunsea. Its residents are unusual among the Hervarðr in that they show no aversion to the ocean. They have several cities along the coast and frequently send ships out for fishing or settlement of some of the nearby islands. Several prominent warriors have been known to dive into the Sunsea and battle aquatic monsters. The Sea-King Gabfirn rules Jelthune from his flagship Kessminr, coming to port only when an emergency demands his attention. As much of Jelthune's land beyond the coast is a rocky prelude to the Khanos desert, most of its population consider themselves more of a seafaring people than a land-dwelling one.

Pollut is a small kingdom between Zükinn and Korðr. Pollut's queen is Lesthem Vadsignr. Due to an uncontrolled reaction that is believed to have been caused by a linking of incompatible runes the old capitol, Teryel, was vaporised. New Teryel sits a mile south of the old city's location. As a result of the disaster, runesmiths are distrusted in this kingdom and, on rare occasion, have been attacked.

Korðr sits near Kjolheim's geographic centre. Lying in the plains between Zükinn and Thornzev, Korðr is more violent and expansionist than is typical for Hervarðr. While Zðkinn and Thornzev are largely able to to defend themselves militarily, Korðr's king Theven Hasrisr has been slowly taking territory from Pollut for the past seven years. The capitol recently was moved to Pellgavr, a fortress that used to sit within Pollut's territory.

Thornzev lies between Korðr and Jelthune. Lacking Zükinn's natural defences, the kingdom must spend much of its resources warding off aggression from Korðr. Combined with the beasts that roam the land, Thornzev's citizens are tough and accustomed to battle. Barik Motos, queen of Thornzev, manages the defence of her land quite proficiently. Thornzev's capitol is Mellthon, a small city surrounded by earthen ramparts.

The castle of Thigsevr has recently seceded from the kingdom of Thornzev. Its ruler, Brennol Kathjos, is attempting to declare it an eleventh Runic Kingdom. So far none of the other kings recognise it as a sovereign entity. A large region of the tundra between Ojos and Valheir is filled with shallow lakes. These lakes range from one to six metres deep. The lakes are very close together, only navigable by small, winding paths that meander between them. This area is called Böehm's Footsteps after the demigod that is said to live there. Though Pollutens don't like to talk about it, the former site of the city Teryel is haunted by something. Theories range from spirits of the dead to runes that gained sentience, but whatever the case may be the entities are not able to leave the several-kilometre-diameter circle where the city used to be. A few hundred metres off the northern coast, near the centre of Westhenn, lies a strange sculpture known as the Black Knight. Seemingly carved from black ice this gigantic idol rises out of the ocean, the Radiant Sea only coming up to the Knight's knees.

Tsien

Tsien lies in the south of Alzhrin, in the west of the Anathos forest, nearly reaching the shore of the Clear Seas.

Tsien is warm, like all of Anathos, but not as warm as the surface of Balsteinn. It has frequent rain, sometimes great storms coming in from the Clear Seas, but the middle of summer also carries a long dry period. Most of Tsien is forested. A relatively small area in the south is in the Witchdunes. Tsien is divided into three general regions. Central Tsien contains the emperor's palace and the city surrounding it. Eastern Tsien is dominated by the vast Qaral River and its tributaries as it flows to the Clear Seas. Western Tsien is considered the most rural, as it bears the brunt of invasion from the Western Lands.

Tsien has five provinces. Tzol and Kemrac are in eastern Tsien, Haril and Luo are in western Tsien, and central Tsien is the province of Ku Bao. Luo, in the southwest, provides much of the food for the nation as it is more dense in ley lines than the other provinces. While there is a strong warrior culture among the Shutein, it is the most prominent and inventive in Tzol due to the border with Vasrim. Haril bears most of the brunt of attacks from the Western Lands. They provide soldiers to help defend Luo and its nodes from monsters, as well. Much of Kemrac is split up by the Qaral delta, and Shutein from this province have a strong tradition of riverboating and trade along the waterway.

Much of the western border is covered by Tsien's Arcane Wall, a mix of runecraft and elementalism that provides both a physical barrier and extensive magical traps and defences. In the east, among Anathos' hills, lie the Elemental Steps. Legend maintains that this region contains an unusually high concentration of portals to the Elemental Reaches.

Vasrim

Vasrim lies in the border region between Anathos and the Rivermarch, northeast of Tsien.

Vasrim has a temperate climate. It sits in a small valley amongst the hills of the eastern Anathos forest, nearly into the Rivermarch. Though there are several Vasrimr towns the nation is not large enough to have distinct regions. The six largest towns are Koldar, Fjen, Agrist, Molosh, Bialt, and Hengrjr. These towns provide the chiefs that sit on the Honourable Council.

One of the most important positions in Vasrimr society is to be stationed at the Westerwatch Keeps. These four towers sit along the western edge of Vasrim to guard the nation from the west. The western Anathos is considerably more dangerous than the eastern portion, especially the northern area which is not settled by Shutein. While many of these hazards, such as carnivorous plants and elemental sinkholes, are stationary, many more come in the form of roaming monsters. The source of these dangers is debated but two of the more popular theories are elemental eddies and wandering creatures from the lands west of Alzhrin. In the southwest of Vasrim, near Tsien, lies a large settlement known simply as the Temple. This settlement is based around martial training and friendly competition between the Shutein and Vasrimr. At least once a month the Temple holds a fighting tournament which is open to anybody in the town at the time. Warriors from all ancestries and cultures tend to come at varying intervals to test their skills and compete for the prizes, though the majority of the participants in any given tournament are either Shutein or Vasrimr.

Sites of Interest

Here I will give brief attention to some of the above-mentioned places which could be interesting to explorers in the area.

The Arcane Wall

This is a line of magical defences along Tsien's western border in Anathos. Tsien lies on the edge of Alzhrin proper, and so this wall was erected to keep the nation safe from the denizens and other wandering hazards of the Western Lands. Most of it is functionally invisible to those with normal senses, and so there are a number of signs and small barriers on the Tsien side of the wall to prevent travellers from accidentally blundering into it. Patrolling rangers and magicians can let people through, if they insist, but they make no guarantee that a way to re-enter the country will be possible, if the traveller even survives the journey.

The Black Knight

This titanic statue, seemingly of black ice, stands a few hundred metres off Kjolheim's northern coast near the kingdom of Westhenn. Though few have travelled to it, owing to the Hervarðr's natural aversion to the sea, stories suggest that it is indestructible. Sea life seems attracted to the knight's legs and there is a faint sense of current, as though it is very slowly moving. The prevailing rumour is that it comes from some distant land to the north, slowly wading across the ocean over the last millennium. Nobody agrees on what it is the Knight wants, though one popular story indicates that it has currently-unknown runes carved into its body higher than anybody has been able to reach.

Böehm's Footsteps

These shallow lakes lie around the border between Ojos and Valheir in Kjolheim. The demigod Böehm lives in this region. Whenever encountered he is human-sized, so the reference to the lakes being his footsteps is probably allegorical. Böehm is generally hospitable, offering shelter and food to travellers. He will also agree to duel legends, and the story goes that he offers his blessing to any who fight him, win or lose.

Crzaxthen

This town allegedly lies somewhere in Ordos. It is populated primarily by ygrell, and is also the only town where they gather in large numbers. A largely unknown rune is said to burn in the sky above the town. Only ygrell know how to find the place, and even those of other ancestries who are taken to Crzaxthen are unable to explain it to others or guide them there. The story is that the rune protects the ygrell from being found and re-enslaved by Gourem's primary embodiment.

The Elemental Steps

These hills in the east of Tsien and extending past the nation's borders into the centre of Anathos are said to contain a multitude of connections to the Elemental Reaches. Unlike most such connections around the continent, this area is not dominated by any one element but seems to express outbursts of all of them, including minor ones which come from reaches poorly-understood by planar scholars.

The Grand Forge

This is the primary temple to the Lord of Fire in Alzhrin. It lies deep in the Hellfurnaces of Balsteinn, floating on a pool of magma. It holds an active portal to the nearest Elemental Reach of fire, occasionally shifting targets as the planes of the fire alliance drift relative to the Void. Legendary svartalfar sometimes make pilgrimages from here to meet the Lord of Fire; only the strongest legends of other ancestries have the fortitude to attempt such a journey, and the stories indicate that even most of them do not succeed.

Hjilsa's Hole

On the cliffs north of Issheim, near the town of Hjilsa, there is a hole that pierces directly into the Underweb. Gravity re-orients itself near the hole so that "down" is towards the cliff face. An impenetrable darkness fills the hole. So far, none of the Underweb's horrors have emerged, but the queen of Issheim expects there's something merely biding its time.

The Lattice

This site is hidden somewhere in Issheim. Legend indicates that it's a portal directly to the Lord of Ice's realm. Few have seen it, but it is typically described as a structure of ice formed into a large geometric shape. What shape, exactly, often varies based on who is telling the story. The stories also vary on whether the portal is actually active. Some say it is, and this is the reason for Issheim's climate. Others say it isn't, and that the strongest Jösvar are working on completing the structure so that it can activate and allow the Lord of Ice to walk Zindu once more.

The Lost Province's Castle

The lost province in Kellam is said to have been destroyed by the psychic hubris of its ruling house. The haunting and disruptions in the astral layers of the province support such a claim. The castle they ruled out of was built into a cliff face at the edge of the High Plains. Psychics report that the astral winds are strongest near the castle, and most of them can't even approach the area without suffering debilitating headaches.

The Luminescent Spires

These towers made out of crystalline, pulsing light grow out of the sands in the southern central Khanos desert. Visible for miles at night, Hikarr tell stories of how the Spires pulse in light patterns which are hypnotic, seeming almost to speak to the viewer. Those who sleep within a mile of the Spires has dreams of spirits of light, living outside the flow of time, who beckon travellers to visit the spires and partake of their wonders. The buildings of the Spires give an impression of being a city, but the needs they serve for a hypothetical populace are strange and uninterpretable. Visitors are invited to take objects of lumentech, which communicate with their bearers to explain their functions. Wielders of such items report that they dream of life in a distant land, where they use the lumentech in ways they don't understand to perform tasks which feel mundane in the dream but can't be explained once awake.

The Magnetic Mountain

This mountain in the east of Khanos, near the Sunsea, is the stronghold for the inductor monks. Founded by a group of Hikarr who wanted to settle down and study their own powers, this fortress is perfectly defensible. Using special runes, the inductors have been able to augment their powers within the mountain to the point where they can control even the usually-immune arms and armour formed by Hikarr metallurgy. As such, anybody who relies on metal arms or armour has no chance when attacking the mountain.

The Mechanitropolis of Azig

This city sits at the base of a plateau in the High Plains. It was built on the site of a natural rift to the Elemental Reaches by a group of travelling gundersbidt, a type of fire-elemental embodiment superficially similar to the dvergar. Some marid discovered the city and took over, pushing the local population of gundersbidt into a servant class. The river Vorr flows down from the top of the plateau above Azig, disappearing somewhere into the city. Azig is one of the few places on Alzhrin which has any notable amount of nonmagical clockwork.

The Pearlvoid Spire

This double-helix structure sits in the very centre of Kellam, in the province of Obravigne. One half of the spire is a white stone, the other black. Local legend suggests that this represents the balance between deva and asura required for the success of the Yaoren people, though my own observations suggest that the factions who follow deva or asura are more often in competition than cooperation. Whatever stones the Spire is made from, psychics report feeling a sense of calm and rightness in the world in its proximity.

Saltforge

A number of rivers flow down eastward from Southbraid. They splinter into smaller rivers and streams through Khanos, but all disappear into the sands before reaching the sea. As Khanos' ley lines are difficult to draw water from, most of the city-states are built on Saltforge and the Hikarr tend not to roam more than a few days away from it. Despite the name, Saltforge is fresh water, and so the Rydel pilot their boats up and down its waters. Cactos have a reduced need for water, and the Saguarai culture has a strong religious focus that centres priests and their ability to serve as divine lenses, and so the Saguarai enclaves are often in the deep desert, far from Saltforge and the people it brings.

The Striding City of the South

This city is roughly cone-shaped and sits on a number of mechanical legs which allow it to travel the landscape. It currently roams the Witchdunes, with rare reports of it leaving into neighbouring regions of Alzhrin. Legend states that it comes from a nation to the south of the Clear Seas called Tanaelia, having walked across the ocean to reach Alzhrin. The Striding City is the other major place with nonmagical clockwork (in addition to the Mechanitropolis of Azig in the High Plains) and it also uses a primitive electrical technology, allegedly developed by the Tanaelians. As it is constantly moving, the Striding City cannot hold ley line nodes, so much of its needs are met through clever use of planar portals.

The Temple

This settlement in Vasrim, on the border with Tsien, is a temple to martial arts. Teachers of many styles hold schools here, and typically every month there is a fighting tournament open to anybody who is in the Temple at that time. Though majority-Vasrimr, a number of Shutein are typically in town as well and the placement and ideal of the Temple is for the purpose of martial sharing and friendly competition between the two cultures.

Teryel

The former capitol of the Runic Kingdom of Pollut, this city was vaporised by a magical disaster commonly believed to have been an accident in experimental runecraft. Though all that remains is a shallow crater in the shape of a perfect circle, it seems to be haunted by something. Largely due to the Polluten distrust of the area, nobody is really sure what it is yet.

Thigsevr

This castle is formally part of the Runic Kingdom of Thornzev. It has, in recent years, declared that it is seceding and is the foundation of an eleventh Runic Kingdom. So far the other kingdoms haven't recognised this claim, but the talk of the Hervarðr on the topic is that the aspiring monarch Brennol Kathjos wouldn't be making this declaration without some sort of leverage on their side.

Tombs of the Six Psychic Founders

The nation of Kellam is said to have been founded by six powerful psychics. Their tombs lie in a circle around the edge of the nation, and the founders are claimed by the houses their tombs lie in as being the progenitors of those six noble houses. Ley lines are strong in the vicinity of the tombs, as is a connection to the astral layers. A combination of law and respect for their founders prevents the Yaoren from building nodes or other settlements nearby. Stories abound of powerful artefacts being buried with the founders, but they also come with the claim that powerful curses, or sometimes the vengeful psychic spirits of the founders themselves, protect such treasures, and I haven't heard any tales of anybody attempting to loot them.

The Valley Midnight

In the corner of the Stonebraids, next to the High Plains, lies a valley permanently shrouded in night. This permanent status is allegedly due to a powerful sorcery cast by the valley's master, a vampire. This valley is also the source of the world's rare undead, strange deathless and nearly-indestructible denizens created by a restoration of a twisted form of life to a deceased body. The vampire in the heart of the valley is stuck within its bounds by the actions of a powerfully heroic legend several centuries past.

The Westerwatch Keeps

These small forts on the western border of Vasrim watch the western Anathos, north of Tsien, to protect it from wandering denizens. Likely due to their proximity to the Western Lands, the western Anathos is more dangerous than the eastern half, and lacking the might for something like Tsien's Arcane Wall, the Vasrimr rely on more mundane means for protection.