Post by Beolakh on Mar 17, 2009 18:11:13 GMT -5
Overview:
One of the largest human nations of Domhantir, Talambar's history is one of strife, barbarism, foreign interference, and—somehow—civilization. It boasts one of the most resilient (though certainly not stable) cultures in the world, a society accustomed enough with war to call it sport. A rough but temperate land of shores and forests, mountains and plains, Talambar is at once both a nexus of ancient enigma and modern vitality.
Location:
Talambar makes up the northern half of the central continent between Atherom and Aetherae. Bounded on the south by Creigion Bay and the Blood Sea, it is separated from the continent's southern half, Srada, by the wastelands of the Craith.
Geography:
From northernmost coast to southernmost boundary, Talambar measures roughly 600 leagues*. At its widest point, measured from Llonydd Bay to the Cadarne River Delta, the region is about 550 leagues** across. To the west, the land is marked by the jagged Talmynyd Mountains and is mostly forested. The Great Forest is divided into two main forests—the Tairafon in the north, a mostly temperate area of rolling hills and rich soil fit for orchards, and the Cedenwys in the south, a more rugged wood of pines which many trappers call home.
The narrow lowlands between the Talmynyd Mountains and Llonydd Bay are covered by rain-soaked woods in the north and lush prairies in the south; they are inhabited by many small villages of fishermen and other simple folk who have little contact with the rest of the nation, or the world. East of the Talmynyd lies the expanse of the Rhinwyllt Heath—a wild grassland void of any large settlements.
Talambar's eastern midland coastal area, the Mordir Maestir, runs from the Fool's Bay in the south to the port of Masnachr in the north; it consists mostly of rolling hills and pastures, and the occasional harbor town. In addition to seagoing folk, the area is home to many shepherds and herdsman.
The suncracked wastes of the Craith occupy the southern extreme of Talambar—this arid isthmus of rocky plateaus, scorched plains, and untold dangers has long made land travel into Srada a treacherous affair.
Landmarks/Major sites:
Situated at the southern limit of Marchnad Bay, north of the Heath, the city of Caermarn serves as the seat of Talambar's culture and power—the rhyn's palace is located here, and many of the nation's magistrates are required to spend a portion of their year within its limits. In terms of size it is second only to Penrhyn. One of Caermarn's most notable landmarks is the Talmas—a giant coliseum operated by the crown which features daily gladiatorial battles and other sport. The Caermarn Runic Academy, the largest human school of magic, is also located here.
Outside of Caermarn to the southwest is the Henebion—the largest of the ancient runic henges which lie scattered across the Talambrian landscape. The power of the Henebion makes it highly prized by the rhyn, and access to it is carefully controlled.
Penrhyn, Talambar's largest city, occupies the peninsula which bears its name, between the Blood Sea and the Raiders Sea. It is the main shipyard of the rhyn's navy and serves as the focal point for Talambar's continuing naval struggles with Srada.
Across the nation from Penrhyn to the north lies the port city of Masnachr, second to Caermarn in terms of trade. Masnachr boasts healthy economic relations with Atherom and Aetherae, and enjoys what trade there is to be had with Bruman.
Caerweira is Talambar's third notable trading center, located to the west of the Talmynyd Mountains on the edge of Fisher's Bay. Caerweira supplies the lands west of the Talmynyd with trade from Atherom, though its isolation from trade routes to Caermarn and the rest of Talambar makes it a poorer choice than Masnachr for many traders.
Inhabitants:
Talambar features a very large human population, particularly in the city centers. Most creatures of other races who live within the cities are slaves. Second in size to the human demographic is Talambar's centaur population. Most of Talambar's centaurs have been enslaved, but several free herds still evade the rhyn's grasp in the wilds of the Heath.
Other minor races exist within Talambar, but the strength of the human nation and its supremacist culture usually force them to live in areas where humans seldom venture, or as slaves.
Flora:
To the north, the Tairafon Forest is populated mostly by oak, maple, and fruit trees, graduating into conifers further south as the wood rises into the mountains. The Cedenwys, by contrast, is mostly evergreen. The oceanic climate of the land around Llonydd Bay yields lush temperate forests. To the east, the Rhinwyllt Heath is habitat to a wide variety of grasses and dry shrubs.
Fauna:
Besides bears, there are few large game animals in Talambar. A few wild horse herds roam the Heath, but other than that, most horses have been domesticated—the Mordir Maestir is pasture to many such tamed herds, as well as domesticated sheep and cattle. The Tairafon is home to a number of smaller sylvan species, though the Cedenwys is better known for its fauna; various species of beaver and mink which call the forest home provide it with a lucrative fur trade.
History/Myth:
Artifacts suggest that the first humans appeared in Talambar in the early fourth millenium d.s., forming a scattered array of independent barbarian tribes. These tribes remained disjoint for the most part until around 4800 d.s., when the massive military campaigns of the warlord Brencynt, chief of the Careg tribe based around Marchnad Bay, consolidated power over all the tribes under himself as the first Rhyn. To this day, the various magistratures of Talambar are divided more or less along the old tribal boundaries, though the magistrates which govern them are appointed by the rhyn, often from his own family.
During the Elven-Dwarven Wars, control of Talambar was fiercely contested by Bruman and Aetherae. Only the interference of the Thromese navy preserved Talambar's sovereignty.
Since the dawn of the seventh millennium, Talambar has skirmished fairly continuously with Srada. While the official aims of the war are to gain possession of some northern Sradan lands, the true motivations of the rhyn are to repair Talambar's image after the embarrassment of the Elven-Dwarven Wars and to sustain the need for a standing (and occasionally conscripting) army, which facilitates continued control of the magistratures.
Real world comparisons:
* 600 leagues is about the distance from Mexico City to Canada.
** 550 leagues is about the distance from San Francisco to St. Louis.
One of the largest human nations of Domhantir, Talambar's history is one of strife, barbarism, foreign interference, and—somehow—civilization. It boasts one of the most resilient (though certainly not stable) cultures in the world, a society accustomed enough with war to call it sport. A rough but temperate land of shores and forests, mountains and plains, Talambar is at once both a nexus of ancient enigma and modern vitality.
Location:
Talambar makes up the northern half of the central continent between Atherom and Aetherae. Bounded on the south by Creigion Bay and the Blood Sea, it is separated from the continent's southern half, Srada, by the wastelands of the Craith.
Geography:
From northernmost coast to southernmost boundary, Talambar measures roughly 600 leagues*. At its widest point, measured from Llonydd Bay to the Cadarne River Delta, the region is about 550 leagues** across. To the west, the land is marked by the jagged Talmynyd Mountains and is mostly forested. The Great Forest is divided into two main forests—the Tairafon in the north, a mostly temperate area of rolling hills and rich soil fit for orchards, and the Cedenwys in the south, a more rugged wood of pines which many trappers call home.
The narrow lowlands between the Talmynyd Mountains and Llonydd Bay are covered by rain-soaked woods in the north and lush prairies in the south; they are inhabited by many small villages of fishermen and other simple folk who have little contact with the rest of the nation, or the world. East of the Talmynyd lies the expanse of the Rhinwyllt Heath—a wild grassland void of any large settlements.
Talambar's eastern midland coastal area, the Mordir Maestir, runs from the Fool's Bay in the south to the port of Masnachr in the north; it consists mostly of rolling hills and pastures, and the occasional harbor town. In addition to seagoing folk, the area is home to many shepherds and herdsman.
The suncracked wastes of the Craith occupy the southern extreme of Talambar—this arid isthmus of rocky plateaus, scorched plains, and untold dangers has long made land travel into Srada a treacherous affair.
Landmarks/Major sites:
Situated at the southern limit of Marchnad Bay, north of the Heath, the city of Caermarn serves as the seat of Talambar's culture and power—the rhyn's palace is located here, and many of the nation's magistrates are required to spend a portion of their year within its limits. In terms of size it is second only to Penrhyn. One of Caermarn's most notable landmarks is the Talmas—a giant coliseum operated by the crown which features daily gladiatorial battles and other sport. The Caermarn Runic Academy, the largest human school of magic, is also located here.
Outside of Caermarn to the southwest is the Henebion—the largest of the ancient runic henges which lie scattered across the Talambrian landscape. The power of the Henebion makes it highly prized by the rhyn, and access to it is carefully controlled.
Penrhyn, Talambar's largest city, occupies the peninsula which bears its name, between the Blood Sea and the Raiders Sea. It is the main shipyard of the rhyn's navy and serves as the focal point for Talambar's continuing naval struggles with Srada.
Across the nation from Penrhyn to the north lies the port city of Masnachr, second to Caermarn in terms of trade. Masnachr boasts healthy economic relations with Atherom and Aetherae, and enjoys what trade there is to be had with Bruman.
Caerweira is Talambar's third notable trading center, located to the west of the Talmynyd Mountains on the edge of Fisher's Bay. Caerweira supplies the lands west of the Talmynyd with trade from Atherom, though its isolation from trade routes to Caermarn and the rest of Talambar makes it a poorer choice than Masnachr for many traders.
Inhabitants:
Talambar features a very large human population, particularly in the city centers. Most creatures of other races who live within the cities are slaves. Second in size to the human demographic is Talambar's centaur population. Most of Talambar's centaurs have been enslaved, but several free herds still evade the rhyn's grasp in the wilds of the Heath.
Other minor races exist within Talambar, but the strength of the human nation and its supremacist culture usually force them to live in areas where humans seldom venture, or as slaves.
Flora:
To the north, the Tairafon Forest is populated mostly by oak, maple, and fruit trees, graduating into conifers further south as the wood rises into the mountains. The Cedenwys, by contrast, is mostly evergreen. The oceanic climate of the land around Llonydd Bay yields lush temperate forests. To the east, the Rhinwyllt Heath is habitat to a wide variety of grasses and dry shrubs.
Fauna:
Besides bears, there are few large game animals in Talambar. A few wild horse herds roam the Heath, but other than that, most horses have been domesticated—the Mordir Maestir is pasture to many such tamed herds, as well as domesticated sheep and cattle. The Tairafon is home to a number of smaller sylvan species, though the Cedenwys is better known for its fauna; various species of beaver and mink which call the forest home provide it with a lucrative fur trade.
History/Myth:
Artifacts suggest that the first humans appeared in Talambar in the early fourth millenium d.s., forming a scattered array of independent barbarian tribes. These tribes remained disjoint for the most part until around 4800 d.s., when the massive military campaigns of the warlord Brencynt, chief of the Careg tribe based around Marchnad Bay, consolidated power over all the tribes under himself as the first Rhyn. To this day, the various magistratures of Talambar are divided more or less along the old tribal boundaries, though the magistrates which govern them are appointed by the rhyn, often from his own family.
During the Elven-Dwarven Wars, control of Talambar was fiercely contested by Bruman and Aetherae. Only the interference of the Thromese navy preserved Talambar's sovereignty.
Since the dawn of the seventh millennium, Talambar has skirmished fairly continuously with Srada. While the official aims of the war are to gain possession of some northern Sradan lands, the true motivations of the rhyn are to repair Talambar's image after the embarrassment of the Elven-Dwarven Wars and to sustain the need for a standing (and occasionally conscripting) army, which facilitates continued control of the magistratures.
Real world comparisons:
* 600 leagues is about the distance from Mexico City to Canada.
** 550 leagues is about the distance from San Francisco to St. Louis.