Arath

Arath is the largest and most densely populated continent in Gaiar. The fertile grasslands which span most of the country provide ample food for its flourishing population and international relations are generally amicable. Trade across the Arathian Greenlands is strong and all roads are said to lead to Arath's main seaport on the west of the continent.

Northern and Southern Arath are separated from central Arath by long mountain ranges which span the width of the continent. To the north, few communities exist and the Northern Arathians sport a more clan-like government than their neighbours to the south. To the South, the Ashlands of the Fire Queen are dangerous and deadly, and only those native to them are able to navigate their way with any accuracy. Small tribes of people live under the ground, having created a vast cave system long ago where ancient songs of worship to the fire queen never cease. Central and northern Arathians tend to avoid their Southern cousins due to fear and prejudice.

## Northern Arath

Northern Arath is a cold desert which sees the sun very rarely and the ground is made of hundreds of metres of ice. The mountains in the south of the country are a popular destination for wealthy central Arathians to holiday where they enjoy skiing down the steep slopes.

### The Ice Wilds

The Ice Wilds are main country in Northern Arath, located north of the Bergheim mountains. Its land is harsh and the inhabitants are wild and uncivilised according to the central Arathians. Despite these prejudices, the Clan Chief of the Ice Wilds and the International Council of Central Arath have cordial and often friendly relations, and trade between the two is common. The clans of the Ice Wild are so numerous that only Mmenemar the Clan Chief of all knows exactly how many populate his nation, and it is information he keeps to himself.

### Bergheim

The Bergheim Mountains are the northern half of the mountain range to the south of The Ice Wilds. Tall and daunting, the mountain range was previously uninhabited and dangerous with steep slopes and regular avalanches. In recent years however, ambitious and cunning Arathians have built ski resorts in the safer places, turning the previously bypassed region into one of the most popular vacation destinations for the Wealthy of Gaiar.

Deep beneath the Bergheim Mountains, colonies of dwarves, gnomes, and goblins thrive, keeping their presence hidden from the land walkers. They hoard precious gems and jewels that they mine and can be hostile to outsiders who happen upon them.

In recent years, only one area of the Bergheim Mountains remains unexplored - the bottomless dark. At the top of Ben'Na'Bah, the tallest mountain in Bergheim, there is a flat space to walk around a large open space leading down. No one knows where it goes, or how deep it is, and individuals who have jumped over the ledge have never been seen again. It is said to be a bottomless hole in the world which will drop you out into the Astral Sea to float forevermore.

## Central Arath

For as long as people remember, Arath has been a farming nation. The fertile greenlands make farming an ideal vocation and throughout the countyside large farmsteads host populations of anywhere between twenty and a hundred farmhands. Villages and cities soon began to grow in size as trade routes materialised and when the engineers of Arath discovered how to build ships, trade was soon flourishing with the nearby continents of Ullya and The Holy Isle.

Arathians tend to get along with their neighbours and Northern and Central Arath have always had cordial relations between the Clan Chief of the Ice Wild and the International Council of Central Arath. Neither group are particularly fond of their Southern neighbours and no one ruling group has ever presented themselves at the annual Arathian council held in Seraphia, however, while relations are slightly tense, no aggressions have been exchanged between the nations and the Southerns appear quite content to keep to themselves.

In recent years, Arath has been flourishing as a farming and trade capital and its main exports include grain, beer, and textiles (mainly wool and leather). Arath has also begun exporting beef and lamb to Ullya since the development of technology which can preserve the meat during the journey.

For centuries, central Arath has been using prefixes to indicate to travels what they are approaching. This was developed when trade was first beginning to flourish and maps of the vast continent were expensive and rare. Th' indicates a capital settlement, Ar' indicates a city, Min' indicates a town, Tee' indicates a village, Qu' indicates a hamlet, and Om' indicates a farmstead. Sk' is a special prefix given to the city of Sk'Paine to indicate that it is the seat of the International Council of Central Arath.

## Southern Arath

### Nujiro

Commonly known as *The Ashlands of the Fire Queen*, Nujiro is a barren wasteland covered in a thick layer of ash which descends down from the Granathas. The people of this land were long thought to have been eradicated by the harsh conditions long ago, but recently they were discovered to have moved deep underground. Over centuries, the Nujirans have tuneled a vast empire under the soil of the Ashlands, using advanced methods to block their entrances against the lava and ash which descend from the mountains above.

### Granatha Volcanic Range

A vast and dangerous group of volcanoes, the Granatha range is all but impassable. A number of the volcanoes are inhabited by red dragons, the biggest and most dangerous of whom is Irghas the Wicked. Without Irghas keeping the dragons from murdering each other, it is thought that the Granathas would have been purged of all but a few red dragons millenia ago.