Aldenrealm

The known world of Aldenrealm stretches from the salt cities on the south of a single huge continent, East to the Blinding Sea, North to the Var and the Northwest Coasts, and West to the Warm Sea. The Calm Sea resembles a cut in the greater continent. There exist several locations outside of the continent, but these are confined to legends and second-hand reports.

West Aldenrealm
The region known to its inhabitants as Aldenrealm consists of the Northwest, the Marsanian Plains, the Var, and the coastal states. The Marsanian Plains stretch from the Sea of Cormende North to the Nodh River and northern tributary, the Brait River. The Marsanian Plains are the location of the [of Marsaine|Kingdom of Marsaine] and several independent city-states. North of the Nodh River lies the Northwest, occupied largely by forests with several outposts and the independent city of Waldburg. West Aldenrealm has a temperate climate which gets colder as one travels North and East.

East Aldenrealm
Northeast of the Marsanian Plains lies [Var|the Var], a collection of principalities occupying a evergreen forest region on the north coast of the Blinding Sea. The northernmost point on the continent is the great Ice Bridge Peninsula, which stretches north into a glacier. South of this peninsula and Northeast of Marsaine lies the Var. Most of the Var consists of the Panoric Mountains. South of the Panorics lies the Wilderness, which is bordered on the East by the Blinding Sea. The Var is inarguably the coldest region of the continent.

Calm Sea
The Calm Sea coasts are home to the majority of known states. In the West, the Calm Sea joins the Warm Sea through the Sea of Cormende. The north coast of the sea is occupied by, from west to east: Cita Lago, Marsaine, Foca, and Adenium. The east coast of the Calm Sea is occupied, from north to south: the [Empire|Panotean Empire] and the [Cities|Sunny Cities]. Finally, the south coast is home to, from east to west: Candeia, Magereno, and Symithia. The isles of the Calm Sea are also home to several nations and cities, all of which benefit from the sub-tropical climate of the sea.

South of the Calm Sea
South of the Calm Sea lies the Diadena Desert, also called the Salty Sands. Home to one great power (Symithia) and a variety of minor tribes and desert fortresses, the South is crossed by the Salt Trail which connects Symithia to the Delta cities of the southern coast of the continent. The Salty Sands are hot and arid, with a little humidity near the coast of the Calm Sea.

Wilderness
East of the Salty Sands, the desert changes into a great plain which ends at an unnamed mountain chain. North of that mountain chain lie forests which border the Var to the North. The wilderness is inhabited by a few scattered groups of nomads, who share the city of Petrab on the coast of the Blinding Sea. The Wilderness is arid and gets progressively colder as one heads East and North.

Tamba Isles
A group of elusive islands which have been visited by a few traders, the Tamba Isles lie East of the continent behind a cloud formation known as the Swan's Mist. The Tamba Isles have a hot climate and are the source of many exotic fruits.

Marbron kingdoms
The Marbron kingdoms are a group icebergs floating in the North of the Blinding Sea. They are supposedly the home of the giant Marbron people who plagued the Var before being forced onto the ice. There have been reports of icebergs stranded at the Var's coasts which contained large bones and ice structures, but no living Marbron has ever been seen.

Gotendal
The famed land of Gotendal consists of (sources disagree) a group of islands or a new continent. According to legend, the city of Waldburg was originally a fortress protecting the Marsanians from Gotendal raiders.

History
Aldenrealm bases its calendar upon the visit of a mythical being named Alden. Before the appearance of Alden, the world was inhabited by isolated tribes of humans, proto-humans, elves, and demonlings, having arrived at this stage via a standard evolutionary process similar to Earth's. Shamanism prevailed until a humanoid being named Alden appeared and taught the Bear Dance to the Marsenese tribe. The Marsenese were taught writing and other technological advances, and finally founded Marsaine, the first city in Aldenrealm. A pattern of settlement followed around the continent, never reaching the remote south and the far North. As each tribe settled and fought for influence, shamans gradually lost their influence. Scribes and nobles replaced shamanic tradition with a scholarly one, and the low-level magic of the shamans eventually died out in most areas of the world. With the help of the rapid technological boost, the continent almost fully entered the feudal era by the 600s. Wars between kingdoms helped establish rivalries and strengthen cultural alliances between several regions, and kingdoms sponsored institutions which trained not only warriors, but also mages. The university era, lasting during the 8th century, saw an expansion of magic, fueled by the magic Bear Dance, from primitive chemistry-based magic (alchemy and healing potions) to powerful spells which drained energy straight from the soul and channeled it into physical reactions. Mages began replacing knights as the leaders of the university society, and social conflict began to haunt the prospering human civilizations. The late 700s saw an increase in "hero battles", where individual mages fought in place of armies. Several royal dynasties fell to power-hungry mages who then ruled as tyrants. Eventually, a small group of summoners, who were considered to be low-ranking compared to other types of mages, summoned a plague demon, and sacrificed their lives to act as vectors to pass the plague around the continent. The strategically-spread Burning Eye, named for its magical ability to spread by eye contact, wiped out kings, mages, nobles, and commoners. By the year 814, the old order was wiped out, and the military class had seized power in many kingdoms. Instead of ruling by monarchic right, these knights sought to rule by power, and again began sponsoring colleges to advance magic. However, only basic magic resulted from these efforts, as all those who knew the Bear Dance had died in the plague. The development of fireball launchers (856) and voltaic weapons (897) ushered in the Grim Era, where thousands of peasants were trained to operate cheap voltaic guns and huge flamethrowers. Despite the military buildup, or perhaps because of it, Aldenrealm to this day sees a peace held in place by the monstrous hands of modern weaponry.