Nyternia

Cressa

Cressa is the player's starting territory, and the one they know the most about. Cressa is in the southwestern part of Nyternia. It has relatively mild and flat terrain, mostly grassland and forest. Pavalar, the largest city in Cressa, is home to about 400 Belar and 40,000 humans and is the territory's capital. Tallo and Karnos are the other major cities, each with a population of over 25,000. The belar in Cressa are mostly interested in the pursuit of knowledge and maintaining order around each of the major cities. Privileged humans are allowed to mingle with the belar in universities to help with experiments and propel learning. The largest region of forest is the Cressa's Forest, which once stretched all the way from Tallo to Pavalar. While much of it has been chopped down, it still remains the largest contiguous stretch of woodland in Cressa. The two sections of forest which used to be part of the Cressa's Forest are now named after the cities they are next to: Asterin Woods and Tallo Woods. In the northwest corner lies Batrini's Forest, named after Cressa's eldest daughter. To the east of that, in the middle of the region is, aptly named, The Central Forest. To the east of that is The Wayward Forest, which has a reputation of being haunted. South of the Wayward Forest is Wooster Forest, named after the town closest to it. The Borderlands is the name for the forest in the east which abuts all three Bedorae territories. A short mountain range, little more than hills mostly, cuts through the center of Cressa. Most of the mountains are too indistinctive to be named, but two peaks stand out. The center peak, rising to an elevation of 9000 feet above sea level, is named Mount Falkan. The peak in the northeast is Mount Swope, whose apex is 7500 feet above sea level.

Trovantain

Trovantain lies in the northwest part of Nyternia. The most significant feature of Trovantain is the Great Elven Forest, which lies in the middle section of this territory. The largest Elven city is Sil'lintinil. Not much is known about this city as humans are barred from coming within 100 miles of it. It lies in the heart of the Great Elven Forest. West of the Sil'lintinil, on the west coast is a clearing between the ocean and the Great Elven Forest. Here the elves keep a small town named Lumin which is co-inhabited by elves and humans, though elves rule this town. The only way humans can arrive and depart from this city is by ship, as they are not usually allowed to pass through the elven forest. Many humans call the area around this small town home, however, as it is one of the safest regions in this territory. The elves frown on humans developing any large settlements in the area, however, so the area surrounding Lumin has remained countryside and undeveloped. While Trovantain is one of the larger territories, it is also the least populous. The belar in this region do not make a show of themselves, and let the rest of the peoples (including the elves, dwarves, and humans who all call Trovantain their home) solve their own problems. Only when someone steps aggresively out of line will the belar react, most often with overwhelming force. While this implied threat is not often carried out, it is frightening enough that it keeps peace throughout the territory. The capital of Trovantain is Danlo, which sits near the middle of the territory on the Navari River. About 400 belar and 30,000 humans call Danlo home. Outside Danlo is Deonstramous's Bridge, the largest bridge in Nyternia and one of the historical wonders of the world. The only other large human city in this territory is Ashanto, which lies in the south along the border with Cressa. About 15,000 humans live there along with about 100 belar. At the west end of the Navari River is Deepwater, a trading town. The high rate of turnover of the ruler of this city has prevented it from growing beyond a moderately sized town. Running through Ashanto is the Beckard River, which forms the border between Cressa and Trovantain. The mouth of the Beckard River lies in The Central Spine, where it flows down and to the ocean. The Seeti Mountain Range lies on the east side Trovantain. Millenia ago, these mountains were unclaimed and home to the various magical beasts which survived The Great Purging. In the last 5000 years, humans have started to claim a portion of some of the lower peaks of the Central Spine, which runs along the center of the continent. The mountains are a rough and tumble life, with threats abounding from everywhere -- between the magical beasts who refuse to recognize the humans claim to territory and the dark elves and other denizens of the underdark who sometimes appear, a person would be wise to go to lengths to show he is not an easy target. South of Danlo and the Navari River is the Redun Forest. Often used as a home for those who don't want to be found, a traveler would be well advised to be well-armed and prepared for trouble here. (This advice actually serves well for the entire territory.)

Elven Forest

Though the Elven Forest is officially a part of Trovantain, the Elven lands are excempt from both belar and human influence. The capital city of the forest is Sil'lintinil, deep in the forest. In general, humans are not welcome within the forest. Obnoxious humans may be shot on sight; others are escorted to the border. There are many stories, all unsubstantiated, of a bond between the elves and the forest itself. While most don't believe the forest is sentient, it is commonly believed to feel different than forests elsewhere, and many believe the elves are able to communicate with the forest in some way. Many different types of trees make up the forest. The trees on the edge are smaller, perhaps 20' to 100', while trees in the interior can reach upwards of 500' tall and 40' wide. The elves have both ground dwellings as well as structures on the trees themselves. Though it is a dense forest, during the day sunlight pours onto the ground, as if the forest itself opens up to allow the light in. The temperature within the forest is always mild, regardless of whether there is snow on the ground or a heat wave in the air around the forest. No one knows why this is the case, but it allows the elves to live in ease. There are roads which run through the forest, but most elves travel on foot and will simply traverse through the forest. The roads are there to move trade goods around the various regions. The population of the elves is very small, which is perhaps the biggest reason they are content to remain confined to the forest. On a per capita basis, an average elf is much more powerful than the average human. However, the entire population of the elves is probably under 15,000. Between the (comparatively) small amount of land they have to defend, the magic of the forest itself, and the power level of the elves, they have reached a truce with the other major races. In truth, most people feel that the elves simply have no interest in the outside world, and instead prefer to spend their time within the forest. The capitol of the elves is formally known as Sil'lintinil. Like most elven names, the prefix is usually dropped in normal conversation, and the capitol is refered to as Lintinil.

More to come.