Southern Realms

The Southern Realms are a vast region of Venail in the south western parts of the continent. It is separated from the rest of the continent by the Tearless Desert to the north-west, the Red Mountains to the north and the Cold Steppes to the east and north east. As such, it is a highly insular region which exhibits remarkable cultural and religious diversity. Its climate is marked by harsh winters and cold summers, particularly along the Black Sea.
For much of its history, the territory was dominated by Old Somaria, and it was never fully brought under elven control. Somaria would fracture after a disastrous war against the Old Empire in the 1200s of the Old Age. It remained fractured until the northern portion of the region was briefly conquered by the Hosaq Empire at its peak in the fourth century of the New Age. During the First Orcish War, the region was conquered by the First Orcish Confederation. By the 450s NA, the Confederation began to break up and so the Southern Realms seceded, forming a number of independent kingdoms which persist to this day.