Northland
The northern continent of Elshore, called Northland in common speech, on which every chapter of the story so far unfolds. It is a post-imperial hinterland of broken mountains, misted forests, ancient river valleys, and golden deserts: the land where the Iru People Iru The progenitors, and the only naturally evolved people of Elshore. fell, the Maan People Maan The most numerous people of Elshore and the baseline cultural reference of the age. rose, and the remaining Annil People Annil Small, scaled, and easy to overlook, the Annil were the earliest of the engineered lines, made as household aides and keepers of the systems that kept the world running. are being ground out. The Inarin peninsula Place The Inarin Peninsula The imperial heartland of Tarkdaara, the peninsula on which Udhafa stands and on which every chapter of the story is set., Udhafa Place Udhafa The capital of the Maan empire and one of the great inhabited ruins of the world, an ancient Iru-founded city in eastern Tarkdaara, carved into the bedrock below the Claw Peaks..., and the Spine of the World Place The Spine of the World The continent-long mountain crown that splits Tarkdaara down its centre, a chain of stone and ice where the peaks tear at the clouds and the valleys drown in mist. all sit within it.
Key traits
- A continent of broken mountains, misted forests, ancient river valleys, and golden agricultural plains; a sub-polar setting at high northern latitude.
- Tarkdaara is the Old Arram Language Old Arram Old Arram is the first naturally evolved language in the history of Elshore, arising from the continuous cultural development of the Iru. name; Northland is the New Arram Language New Arram New Arram is the living lingua franca of Elshore, spoken by every sapient people on the planet. equivalent used in common speech.
- The northern half of the sundered supercontinent Pandaara, drifted toward the colder reaches of the world.
- Crowned by the Spine of the World, a continent-long range of stone and ice, with the Claw Peaks Place Claw Peaks Three hooked peaks on the great Spine of the World in eastern Tarkdaara, rising above the bedrock shelf that holds the old capital of Udhafa. at its eastern edge where Udhafa sits.
- Where the Inarin civilization rose, with Udhafa as its capital and crown Place The Crown A newer foundry like a wide crown, a ring of tall pale spires flaring around a central stepped tower of lit decks, the broadest of the network. jewel.
- Held in this age as one realm: the Maaniskaar Empire Place The Maaniskaar Empire In AC 50 the Maaniskaar Empire - called the Maan Empire in common speech - is the single unified power of the north, ruling all of Northland from the old crown-city of Udhafa., the Maan empire Place The Maan Empire By AC 364 the long Throne War has reshaped the north: the Maan Empire proper rules from Goldenhold under Emperor Theodelf Vissor, an absolute monarchy of order, debt and flame w... of common speech, ruling from Udhafa, with the Grand Kingdom of Iruel Faction The Grand Kingdom of Iruel The last sovereign homeland of the Iru, designated as their settlement zone by the AC 1 Maan war council and shaped into a hereditary monarchy governed by breath-law and archite... offshore and the sovereign, disputed islands of Baramma Place Baramma The great jungle island east of Tarkdaara, separated from the mainland by the Bram Sea and home to the Bar., Midveil Place Midveil A sovereign island west of Annilia and north of Baramma, wrapped in the mists of the Vapor Sea., and Annilia Place Annilia A large island north of Baramma, where cold mist rolls down fern-carpeted hills and forgotten roots crack the stones of abandoned places. beyond its control.
- Intensely hot in midsummer despite its northern latitude, its cities thick with rain rot and engine exhaust.