Akhior

This landmass lies far to the north of Esrior, about two months' travel by sea. According to ancient legends, humanity first originated in this continent. None from Esrior have seen its shores for ten thousand years, as the vast majority fled this land following a destructive conflict between Dragons and the Strygarii, giant elementally-aspected avian creatures.

The climate of Akhior varies from temperate, thick forests in the east, to vast arid savannas in the south, to highland steppes in the west. In its north is a warm archipelago of magical waters, created by devastating meteor impacts called down during the Stormwing Calamity.

Akhior's real-world inspiration lies in East Africa (eastern), West Africa (central/southern), and Mongolia (western). Most names are adapted from Igbo, Yoruba, Amharic, and Mongolian.

Four Strygarii make their homes on Akhior: the Firewalker in the north, Strumta in the east, Holeh in the center, and Ashet in the west. Respectively, these creatures represent earth, music, death, and strength. Their hunting ranges are vast, and their dominance over the region has suppressed mortal civilization from growing, developing, and connecting ever since the Calamity.

The eastern third of Akhior is covered by the Mezemeri Greatwood, a vast temperate forest. This forest has rebounded well from the Stormwing Calamity, although many marks of the Great Beasts' magic still remain. In places, flora grows so thick that the sky is obscured. In others, the leaves of trees turn a variety of bright colors, from blue to red to purple.

In the southwest of the forest is the Melekotawi Defile. This location is a grand set of ruins, which was once a settlement, or perhaps barracks, or perhaps factory for one of the Great Beasts - no one remembers if it is Dragon or Stygarii, not even the Strumta. Odd golems lie dormant and scattered about the region, and both the human and avian tribes about the area have declared it an unholy place.

On the northern edge of the Mezemeri Greatwood, where it meets the Tunu'Ilu Bay, is the self-professed Empire of Werikama. This city-state is hardly an empire, but its people and rulers like to believe so.

In the center of the continent is a vast mountain range known as the Spine of Si'Orun. Legends attest that Si'Orun was an ancient, massive dragon who perished in order to cover the retreat of humanity to Esrior during the last days of the Calamity, and their skeleton became part of the earth itself.

At the west of the mountains are a chain of floating islands, covered in lush vegetation and waterfalls which originate from some mysterious source and pour down to the ground. These isles are known as the Igwetiti Isles, and are home to a few small, traveling tribes of humans who have learned how to safely navigate the great heights and vast aerial distances.

The tallest peak of the Spine is a mountain named Sela Gadol, home to many Akhioran Avians. Other than the denizens of Sela Gadol, no other permanent settlements exist here.

Flowing down from the Spine of Si'Orun is a river, which splits off into two as it flows down to the ocean. These rivers are known by a different name by each tribe and city which knows of it. The rivers form a triangle, with three cities at each vertex: Ebe N'okinyo, Ulo Okwute, and Taj Azhoda. The area between them is known as Ala Yanrin, or the Dreaming Sands.

This area is arid and more desertified than the rest of Akhior, save for small zones around the rivers. As such, people usually travel up and down the rivers, rarely venturing across the dunes.

To the east of Ala Yanrin are the vast Ala'Ura Plains, an untouched savanna full of mystic fauna and flora. Humanity rarely ventures into the Plains, for fear of the constant hunt of the Ashet and its Strygos.

West of the Ala'Ura Plains, the elevation suddenly rises. At the top of a string of hills lies the Khaiguul Steppes, a vast field of rolling hills dotted by a variety of roaming tribes and khanates. To avoid the Ashet, these people live constantly on the move, and have become known as fearsome warriors. A large series of slashes and lakes cuts through the middle of Khaiguul.

Reportedly, these bodies of water were the product of a battle during the Calamity, which saw the earth itself rent and slashed into pieces. Wild, uncontrollable magic still remains, but the nomads do not fear it: instead, they come near the ravines and lakes to charge their magical items and train their skills in the arcane.

[WIP. Awaiting GMs to run in the region and flesh it out.]