Eithlith

### **INTRODUCTION**

Eithlith is the western continent of the two main continents in Burithien. The majority of stories set place in Burithien take place either in or around Eithlith. A vast island, Eithlith is surrounded by the Western, Northern, Eastern and Southern seas. In appearance, the continent can effectively be divided into three main sections: two, large landmasses in the noth and south of the continent, joined together by a region known as the Middle-Lands in the centre. Around Eithlith are also numerous islands, formed either by ancient volcanic activity, or separated from the mainland by millennia of being worn down by the elements; or, as the locals believe, through the work of gods.

### **THE NORTH**

The northern half of Eithlith can be divided into two main regions: the 'Far North' and the 'Great North', lying closer to the northern pole and the Middle-Lands respectively.

The Far North is dominated by tundra, with its southern marches covered in boreal forest that gradually thins out the further north the forest is. Here, conditions are harsh, characterised by long winters and short growing seasons. When not completely blanketed in snow as it is for most of the year, during the thaw and in summer the land turns into muddy bog or rocky plains covered by a thin layer of lichen and shrubland. In the northern boundary of the Far North, where the Eithlithian continent meets sea ice, the land turns into permafrost, where virtually no vegetation except for grass and moss grows. In its most extreme areas, the land is kept under a layer of snow and ice all year round.

The more hospitable Great North characterised by a temperate climate, with the landscape being made up of a diverse range of biomes, including meadows, moors, highlands, mountains, both deciduous and boreal forests, lakelands and steppe. As suggested by its name, this region occupies a significantly larger area than the Far North, making up the majority of the northern half of Eithlith. It is roughly separated in half by the Heinrikanen mountain range, which runs from north to south, marking the border between the Conoilith and the Arjentriaet. The western and southern coasts of the Great North are characterised by cliffs and hills; wide and flat expanses of beach are rare here. The eastern coast is far more generous, with gently sloping beaches and plains, although some regions in the far-east of the continent can also be quite mountainous.

The land west of the Heinrikanen range largely consists of a moderate balance of hilly meadows and forests containing both deciduous and coniferous trees. The Conazerond river, originating from the Heinrikanen mountains, flows through this land to the sea, effectively dividing the region into north and south.

### **THE MIDDLE-LANDS**

Between the northern and southern halves of Eithlith, a narrower stretch of land connects the two landmasses. Due to its geographical location (and a lack of creativity on the mapmaker's part), this region is referred to as the Middle-Lands. The Middle-Lands have a temperate climate, gradually becoming warmer on its southern borderlands. The northern borderlands have landscape similar to that of southern Conoilith, with grassy hills and highlands at the frontier with Karzon, rich in coal and treacle. The northern coastlines of the Middle-Lands are hilly, as with the coastline in the Great North. The areas around the eastern coast are for the most part grassy hills and pasture, and it is here where most of the crops for the northern part of the Middle-Lands are grown. The north-western coast is far more rocky, as the Karzon mountains are located in the north-western corner of the Middle-Lands. In the centre of the Middle-Lands, the land is mostly made up of plains and forest.

Between the Vogelfluss river and the western coast of the Middle-Lands, the natural landscape is characterised by both freshwater and saltwater wetlands, due to periodic flooding from the river (though this has been largely remedied through the construction of dams and canals by human settlers in the region). Toward the southern end of the Middle-Lands, the land gradually becomes more undulant again, and the frontier with the South is marked by the Grensbergen (in Mittelrijkian), a range of rocky hills.

### **THE SOUTH**

The south of Eithlith is dry and hot, with rocky hills and deserts making up the main features of its landscape. In its northern sector, closer to the Middle-Lands, the land is fertile, and although in some areas it can be quite rocky and hot, there is still enough vegetation here to support agricultural civilisations. It was in this place where the first ancient Elven and Virgandian civilisations emerged and expanded outwards from. The far south however, is an unforgiving, barren desert; a range of sun-baked, rugged hills marks the border between the more hospitable northern regions and the desert. Immediately south of the hills, the desert is quite rocky; however, further south, sand dunes begin to dominate the landscape.

Although barren for the most part, the far south of Eithlith does still have rather exotic features. Salt lakes and forests of dead, shrivelled and blackened trees dot the landscape, with the largest cluster of these salt lakes in the south-west of the subcontinent, forming the Grey Desert, which takes its name from the grey-coloured sand there. Near the south-eastern coast, there are also karst landscapes with limestone formations rising out of the ground like ruined pillars, giving rise to numerous myths and beliefs that they are in fact the abandoned ruins of ancient civilisations. These theories are not baseless, as many ancient ruined structures can be found in the far south. There is also a mountain chain at the very southern end of the continent, with some of the tallest mountains in Eithlith; for centuries many thought it marked the end of the world, as a journey across was perilous enough that few ever dared to travel to the other side. However, over the years with the advent of more modern methods of transport, in this case hot-air balloons, it was eventually discovered that across these mountains is the southern coast of Eithlith, a land of karst hills covered with trees twisted and bent by ocean winds.

### **ISLANDS**

There are a few notable island chains and formations around Eithlith.

#### **The Northern Isles**

The Northern Isles are located north-west of Conoilith, just short of Eithlith's northern tip. It is a chain of rocky, mountainous islands, formed millenia ago by volcanic activity. Although conditions here are especially cold and harsh in the winter, the islands are still nevertheless inhabited by animal life, mainly in the boreal forests which cover their hilly landscape. Human settlement here is mainly limited to the coast and near forests, where settlers are able to fish or hunt for food; the climate is unable to support an agricultural society.

#### **Vorivaikoka Isles**

These mountainous islands, formed by volcanic activity, sit about halfway between Burithien's western and eastern continent. Surrounded by some of the roughest waters in Burithien and with its coast frequently blanketed in fog, concealing the reefs and shoals below the waves, this cluster of two main islands and their rocky outliers is extremely difficult to reach. As a result of being isolated from the other two continents, these isles have developed unique and exotic features. The islands are covered mainly in enormous, tall, snow-capped mountains, with many natural springs, surrounding fertile and lush river valleys.

The Vorivaikoka Islands have achieved something of a mythical status in Eithlith, especially the main islands. Numerous attempts by Eithlithians to explore these isles have failed to yield any truly reliable information; all information in Eithlith regarding the geography of these islands has been provided by natives, who generally refuse to allow anybody to go inland. Attempts to fly over the islands using aircraft are rare and often end unsuccessfully, as the winds above the island are known to be unforgiving and perilous.