Jaelma

This land of deserts and severity was the second land mass found by the elves. Before their influence, the continent was mostly home to roving masses of lizardfolk, goblins, hobgoblins, and dragonborn. The **Shifting Sands of Rubalnar**, named for the elf who first ‘discovered’ it, make up the more arid portion of the continent. In the beginning, it was run mostly by the dragons (and their dragonborn kin), ruins and temples buried in the sandstorms revealing its heritage. As the dragons invaded and conquered, the hobgoblins moved to the Frozen Shards in the south to escape genocide/slavery, the land slowly getting colder and colder until the sand turned to ice and hail.

This was later deemed the **Sallas Desert** by the elves when they came to Jaelma. It rarely precipitated, but the harsh winds and freezing temperatures made it hard for any to survive. Yetis and bigger furred creatures exist at the most southern tip of the continent, but as the temperature got more hospitable, it became the home to roving hobgoblins more south and surprisingly lizardfolk known as the *Tirities* towards the center. Goblins tended to hang out in clusters all over the continent and stuck to stalking other tribes to pick up the scraps and stranglers left in the harsh climates. Despite its location, the **Frozen Shards** have never thawed, the Ash Basin the remnants of an ancient forest petrified and left abandoned by the less capable of civilization. There are rumors of a white dragon still living in the Basin, but dragons have been extinct since 372 P.I., so many believe it to be false. A temple to *Jakylin* is said to be hidden away in the shards, the only solace to the bitter cold, though it has never been found.

There are a few pockets of lush green forests on the land mass, one being the small town named **Fontias** that is protected by a gathering of Sheeple (firbolg variants) in the far northwest of the continent. Fontias is the only recognized settlement to have existed before the arrival of the elves. A congregation of farmers descended from the Giants in the Brujali Ridge settled in this area, cultivating it to be the main source of grain and maize on Jaelma. It is also the safest way to get into the mountain range; a wellspring of seaglass deposit hides an hour north of the village. The miners of Fontias have taken great strides to hide the deposit’s location from outsiders, seaglass a powerful amplifier of arcane capabilities. A few other sites have been found north of Patni, but the path is littered with beasts, leaving Fontias the premier place to find the mineral.

Other oasi dot Rubalnar, but the only ones plotted around **Taif** and the **Zegret Oasis** to the southwest of **Sraem**, the biggest city state on the continent. None of the others are consistent enough to plot, the mirages of the Shifting Sands making them near impossible to chart. Lore states that this is the birthplace of the Meridis Gods, and here is where their worship and influence is seen most, though their reach is felt throughout the Meridis. A temple to the Smoke Weaver is the only ancient citadel revealed by Rubalnar, but it hasn’t given up many secrets.

The continent is poxed by its history of war, the Devils and Elves fighting the **Hypogean War** over the land as Elvish Expansionism continued across Jaelma. Neither side really won, though the elves now hold sway in the eastern edge of the continent with Uniper and Viris. The **Scions of Singone** has sought to gain more power for an empire in Jaelma, most notably having ties to the Casino Leader in **Sinlum** and **Wasi-Bidha**. Sraem is the melting pot of Meridis and as such doesn’t hold particular love for any faction, in theory. Fiendish influence can still be found across the continent, if only one knows where to look.

The Continent is currently split into city-states, each settlement an independent entity, but there are rumors of a convergence of power by the *Rahu Chesa* in Ma’long and the military base **Viris**.

Cultural Reference:

Uniper and Sraem: India mostly, bits of Greece, Turkey, and Egypt

Sinlum: Mexico City

Fontias/Brujali Ridge: Russia

Sallas Desert/Frozen Shards: Siberia

Pel Aran: Iran/Iraq