Tarkdaara
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 old 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 Pe..., 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 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.
- Divided in the present age between the Maan empire in the east and centre, the Kingdom of Maaniskaar Faction Kingdom of Maaniskaar The western realm that emerged from the fracture of the Maaniskaar Empire in AC 138, Maaniskaar is a theocratic-constitutional monarchy ruled from the five-river capital of Five... in the west, and the island realms of Iruel and Baramma Place Baramma The great jungle island east of Tarkdaara, separated from the mainland by the Bram Sea and home to the Bar..
- Intensely hot in midsummer despite its northern latitude, its cities thick with rain rot and engine exhaust.