Beyond the edges of the map, things continue as they are for a little while and then get harsher. There are no known human cities beyond the map edges, but farming villages appear here and there. After a couple of weeks' journey, the lands get more barren and foreboding, less cultivated. Another two or three days' journey leaves caravans in practical "no-man's land". Nothing grows here, and they must survive on what food they carried with them. Very few Nomads are even found farther than fifteen days' travel from the map edge. No one knows what is beyond that, but rumors abound. By area, the terrain beyond the map is:
In this area, the mountains are all rather similar. The steep side is to the north, the lee side to the south. These are all newer peaks, tall and pointy, except in the Oidillaf.
Tall mountains protecting the area from the desert winds to the south. They are inhabited by Mountain dwarves and numbers of humanoids. Giants live in the farther areas, but have so far stayed away from human towns.
These mountains contain salt and plenty of stone, but not much in the way of metals or gems.
Medium mountains, but spiky. These continue to be the home to numerous humanoids: orcs, goblins, ogres, hill giants, but not many other monsters, despite all human efforts to "clean them out". Ket maintains towns and bases on the northern slopes, while Beogar patrols the southern edge. Mountain Dwarves live in the interior, but they are constantly at war with the evil forces surrounding them.
Of course, these are the richest mountains in terms of silver and gems, but also produce stone and coal in abundance.
A huge range, and generally not inhabited by humans, these mountains are tall and proud. Snow covers some of the upper slopes year-round, and earthquakes are fairly common as the ground here is still settling. Elves and dwarves live in the area around the Adri Forest, but not too far from there. No one has ever crossed the mountains and returned to tell about it. Dragons are seen flying in the heart of the range sometimes.
These mountains provide the best metals and gems, but not the best stone. Coal, salt, and other things are found here in lesser quantities.
Probably the oldest mountains here, these are not very "peaky". Rounded tops, shorter than other ranges make these mountains seem "friendlier". They are even livable in places. However, in past conflicts, evil humans and others were driven into this range and left here. Thus, the place is full of evil groups trying to survive and regain power. Undead control large portions of the land and bandits are everywhere.
Mining here produces the best stone and coal, but fewer gems.
Only the major forests are shown on the map. Much of the hilly country is covered in trees, and copses dot the plains in Wayland and Athmyr. All the major forests are home to elves.
Stately, sedate, the Grandwood is an open forest. Trees tower over the ground, leaving it fairly free of underbrush. The Overking of the Elves lives here, in a city in the treetops, and therefore the forest is well-tended. Population density for elves is similar to cultivated land for humans, thus very little of the area is unused.
Old oaks, redwoods, and other huge hardwoods dominate here, except for the far south, where fruit trees are plentiful. These orchards provide enough fruit for the elves and much of Ket.
Older, but shorter, the Adri is much more tangled. Every now and then forest fires sweep sections of the forest, getting rid of old growth and making way for new trees. The elves keep a constant vigilance for these fires. Paths and roads lead through the forest, but wandering off the path could get a traveler lost for days in the brush. The elves live on the ground more than in the trees, but the Underking lives in a treetop city similar to the one in the Grandwood. There are fewer elves here, and some of the forest has been given over to orcs and goblins, on the west side of the river.
This is also a hardwood forest, but without orchards and the giant redwoods in the Grandwood. As the Adri joins the trees on the slopes of the Telos mountains, the trees get larger and grander.
A softwood forest, this area is greatly affected by the sea. The trees here need lots of moisture, and the forest floor is so damp as to be squishy in places. Underbrush and ferns grow everywhere. The elves here live on the ground, because the trees would not support the weight of a building. However, most larger buildings are built about twenty feet up in the trees, to keep them safe from the wild boars and deer. This is a wild forest, and the elves try to keep it that way.
Also softwood, but a different character than the Ta-Bel'Ran. Fruit grows on the trees and nuts fall heavily to the ground. In most worlds, this would be a cultivated forest, but here it has a darker reputation. The elves have made sure that no one north of the Nada Veda stays in the wood overnight, thus making it difficult for humans to enjoy the area. The trees actually extend out to the Emba Veda, but in small copses and little woods, which are all inhabited by humans.
All the water in the area is fresh water. Salt water is only found in the desert, in the south.
The largest body of water in the area is fed by all the rivers. Tides are small, and even small boats can venture across the sea. At the narrowest point, it is only four days' sail from Hædburg to Telandyr. Storms are generally small and few boats capsize. There is very little fear of sailing here, and most of the commerce of the region is shipped around the sea.
Many fish are found here, and in the depths even huge fish and things like Dragon Turtles and giant Octopi live. It is all considered temperate fresh water.
Also temperate fresh water, with the same kinds of aquatic denizens. However, since this sea connects less important things, it is not sailed much. In the past, when the Autarch Costanza ruled the area, it was used much more, with cities built all around it and his capital on the main island. The ruins are still there, but they have been pretty much cleaned out over the years.
All rivers flow towards the Seas.
Slow moving and wide, this is the main corridor of travel for Ket. From Maaros to Gothos, the river is practically covered with boats and barges, the banks worn nearly to the stone due to the foot traffic. As it nears the mouth, it splits and wanders its way through the marshy delta under the city of Gothos.
Wide, but reasonably swift, this river carries traffic from Sauthos up into Ket. When going upstream a rope attached to a horse or donkey on the bank is used to pull boats against the current.
A narrow, but slow and long-running river, it still carries its Elvish name. The river is only wide enough for one barge at a time, so many towns along the banks have built "passing areas" to hold a barge temporarily while one passes the other way. When two boats meet in the river, one of them has to back up to the last passing area -- as expected, this can get very competitive at times.
Generally slow moving, this narrow river meanders forever across the plain to get to the Rhu'nada Sea. Very little traffic is found on it, though, since the nomads have no need to go anywhere. It is primarily used for fishing and water for the nomads living along its banks.
Slow moving and narrow, this river practically begs to be crossed. At some points, it is shallow enough that a man can walk across without getting his tunic wet. Thus, Athmyr finds it necessary to guard every inch of its southern bank. The nomads on the northern side usually give it a wide berth, because being seen there is asking to be shot by the soldiers. No one travels the river, except for Athmyrian patrols.
Rushing down from the mountains, this river moves far too fast for boats until it reaches Atrek City. From there, it widens a bit, but continues to move swiftly to the sea. No boats can move upstream without serious effort.
Much slower and wider than the Atrek, most traffic uses this branch of the river. Boats destined for Beogar and from there pass in its wider spots. These shallow boats are not good for serious seafaring, but suffice in good weather as long as they follow the coast.
Swift and narrow, this river races to the sea. By the time it reaches Cælwynn, it moves fast enough to turn water wheels and power much of the city's manufacturing. Only canoes and similar boats can survive the rapids that occur frequently along its path.
Swift but wide, this river handles most of the traffic going from Huætburg to Alhwick. However, the upward journey is only attempted with good rowers or magic. Lumber is floated freely down the river, thus causing travel upstream to be doubly hazardous. Many boats are built in Huætburg, travel to Alhwick and are dismantled. The parts are put on wagons and then carried back up over land to Huætburg. There, they are put back together again for the trip downstream. Effectively, this means that it takes about a week to travel downstream, but at least two or three weeks to make the return trip.
The desert goes on for miles. Few have ever ventured there, but it is known that there are human lands on the other side. Every now and then, something or one turns up in Wayland claiming to be "from the distant south", and it is often enough that there must be some truth to it.
Plain grasslands, not very good for cultivating, but excellent grazing land. They stretch for days to the east, with various tribes of nomads living all over. Herds of cattle, horses, and buffalo run wild here, followed by the tribes.
It's the same water as in the Kitaran Sea, but the fish here are bigger and better. A bluish algae grows here, just below the water's surface, and fish love it. The algae is edible by humans, too, and is eaten as a vegetable in Telandyr and other surrounding towns. No one knows exactly why it grows here and nowhere else. The algae doesn't interfere with ships, since it grows from the sea-bottom up, so it is hardly noticeable except for the blue tint to the water.
This rocky arm of the Granos Mountains thrusts all the way into the sea. Almost twenty miles of land that is one or two miles across, extremely rocky and very stable. It is high enough that only the very last mile or so is ever covered in water, so many people live here. The entire peninsula is considered to be part of Hædburg, even though the "city proper" sits at the base of the arm. The peninsula is covered with docks and mooring ropes, with warehouses along the length. If it had been made by man, it couldn't have been better placed or set up. Almost every ship in the Kitaran Sea visits here, if only because it's so easy. (And to get metals from the Granos Mountains.)
Copyright © 2000, Michael Friedman.