Vaerun

The most western continent in Nova.

Vaerun is divided into several regions:

* The Frostreach: A cold and desolate tundra-forest land ruled by numerous horse lords, and consisting of tribes of hardy fishing and herding tribes in the north, with sparse villages of plainer folk in the south who are often conscripted for the long lasting wars between tribes. Only on occasion will the various warlords ally in order to defeat an external threat.
* Daerrûn: Daerrûn is an uninhabitable place regarded with mystery and fear. A wild magic burst during one of Baethin’s many escapes created a fissure through the terrain here, permeating even the plane itself into raw magic. Little vegetation grows here, and attempts to encourage growth have led to deformed, mutated plants with short life spans. Travellers avoid the area and countless stories exist about unspeakable horrors coming from Daerrûn.
* Llerwyn: A quiet region of outstanding natural beauty. The population comprises of a unique mix of people, from barbaric natives of The Frostreach, intelligent Junish, a high number of elves, and even the odd outcast or two from Whitespires. Travel and trade are difficult given the location, but Llerwyn is known as the birthplace of art. Llerwyn’s wealth and power derives almost entirely from this skill in producing world-renowned masterpieces.
* Elden: A prosperous, peaceful nation based around the great River Sarna, which pools into Lake Obin. The heavily forested river basin is home to numerous small villages and only a few larger connecting towns, with most people living simple lives. The simplicity, beauty and wildlife regularly attracts visitors, particularly to Lake Obin which is affectionately known as the Blue Beauty.
* Whitespires: The tallest mountains on the planet, some sparse settlements actually exist high up on these mountains, however the journey up there is harsh and dangerous, so they remain quite isolated from the rest of the world. The people are incredible hunters, relying almost solely on the meat from dangerous creatures that have developed a small ecosystem here, originating from Baethin’s creation. Humanoids from here are a unique race known as Neigerthal, born from the harsh conditions and isolated area.
* The Jun Empire: A vast, advanced country with multiple major cities and ports along the great river Obus that empties into the Arnean Ocean, and along the ocean front. Along with Sar the two major military powers on the landmass. Emperor Wei holds three states. Junault is the original, residing in the north of the region. It holds strong defences and large structures. Seinhault is a technologically advanced state with many of Nova's leading scientists and philosophers, being pushed into developing weapons, armour and siege weapons. Seinhault has been heavily developed since it was annexed, being much use to the Jun Empire as their cities are located closer to the mouth of Obus. Barault was the most recent state to be annexed - a collection of wood elf tree villages led by the Council of Elders who conceded after losing too many of their young. As such, there is still much enmity towards the Jun Empire, but they play their part to keep their people safe. Their ancient knowledge of nature and battling in the forest may be crucial to the Jun Empire in future wars.
* Angla: The Anglians are a proud people, but their land is mostly quite thin soil. No settlements are larger than villages, probably due to their inability to sustain them. The lack of crops has led to them finding other skills, so many train with martial weapons from a very early age. This makes them outstanding fighters and Sar has formed an alliance with them to make use of this.
* Ossu: A quiet nation that welcomes all races and is widely diverse, trading in the port city of Oilan which faces across the Krat Sea to Galben. Exotic wares from Galben go through Oilan on their way to ports in other countries, or upriver and along roads down the Atoan Mountain range. The queen of Ossu enjoys seeing her people thrive, no matter what their background. She puts funds made from exports into education and social initiatives, including those that help the poor and disadvantaged.
* Sar: Sar is famous for it's farming methods and high crop yields. The soil here is incredibly fertile and they've developed their methods to maximise growth and export the food to develop the nation further. They have a democratic government, voted for by landowners whose votes are weighted by the amount of land they possess. Recognising the threat of the Jun Empire, they have built a great military, easily sustained by their plentiful food. Many of the minor native races were pushed to the fringes of Sar or abroad due to various issues in early Sarian history. There is an ongoing reassimilation of the other races continuing, but there are lingering strains and resentments that continue within certain elements.
* Egress: The Krale tribes from the plains lost the Demon Wars against Sar and were forced into the wilderness beyond the Atoan Mountains, a thin and unimportant country bordered mostly by mountain and sea. The Krale are an embittered people who eke out a meager existence in the shadow of the now dominant and prosperous Sar. Each tribe is led by a chieftan and they live quite independently of one another. Communication between tribes is normally friendly and they regularly trade and celebrate.
* Kun: The islands of Kun grow exotic fruits that are exported to the rest of the world. Many plants and animals evolved on the cold climate of Kun, so it seems very different to anywhere else. Kun remained undiscovered for hundreds of years because of the thick mist that constantly surrounds it. Settlers travelled there in 1300 NC, making it the newest region. Through lack of resources as well as preference, the natives have a rather primitive society despite seemingly being as civilised and educated as people from other regions.