Giantstep

**Giantstep** is one of the five continents of the world of Giantstep (as the step receives its name from the continent itself). The continent of Giantstep is by far the biggest and most populated of them all by a considerable margin, and it also holds the biggest political powers in the step. The continent of Giantstep borders Scimitarian in the west through the Scabbard’s Range and in the northeast through the Faarowt Isthmus. It is also surrounded by the Treasure Sea, the Sea of Wraiths, the Okhelian Ocean, the Leviathan Gulf, the Sea of the End, the Sunset Ocean, the Sea of Dragons and the Sea of Merchants, as well as many other minor seas and bodies of water.

## Divisions of Giantstep

Due to the size and variety of landscapes, climates, biospheres, nations and demographics, studying the continent of Giantstep as a whole is complex. It is instead better to divide the landmass into areas that share similar traits.

### Western Giantstep

Western Giantstep includes the westernmost lands of the continent of Giantstep. It includes many different areas, bordering the Glass Mountains and the forests and meadows bordering the Domain of the Bog Witch, the Lands of the Hedge, the lands of Azan up to the plains west of the Bone Lakes, the Din-Milong Plains up to the outside Handprint Mountain Range and up to the Sea of the Dead Pirate. Western Giantstep borders Scimitarian through the Terusia Isthmus.

#### Geography of Western Giantstep

Western Giantstep can be divided into three great areas. Between the Glass Mountains and the Baalp Mountains there lies the Hedge, which are themselves divided into the Lands Behind the Hedge (including the territories of Elfwood, Windwillow, Hereby, Thereby and Whereby) and the Lands Beyond the Hedge (including from the lands of the Manogres to the Evergreen Pastures, the Forest of Sunflowers and the Swaying Meadows). West of the continent, we can find the Firebird Archipelago. The lands have a mild weather, with sunny but mild summers, moderate winters and frequent rains. The landscape is varied, but it is dominated by prairies, rolling hills and forests. Some areas can tend towards swamps, like the regions around the Moin Digua Lakes, but in general, the region has been described as “idyllic” by many, with plenty of fey influence all around.

South of the Baalps, we can find the lands of Azan and its historical vassals. This includes the core empire of Azan, the lands of Oront,  the mountains of the Gomorrah Breach and plains east to them (the division between west and central Giantstep in this area is murky due to the flatness of the land, though most expert establish the dividing line across the witchelven *hargens* of Qolamin and Yelnorin), the Wailing Desert and the Troll Wastes, the Yamantai Cape and up to the northwestern shores of the Sea of the Dead Pirate, as well as the Great Peninsula of Cemak I. This also include the archipelagos of Druwin, Seabee, Oroma, Inselsënn, and Siuverland.

This area is historically influenced by Azan and azanese culture, despite the progressive secessions the empire suffered. The regions are wildly varied, ranging from the deserts and wastelands between Azan and the Gomorrah Breach, the mountainous ranges of the Pommel Mountains, Oront, or Morgull’s Mountains, the fertile lands along the furlaniyan or the changrilese rivers, the swamps and dense forests at the core and south of the Peninsula of Cemak I… Many of these areas are also very rich in minerals, though rarely to the extent to something like the mineral wealth of Scimitarian.

#### Demographics of Western Giantstep

The lands of Western Giantstep are some of the most populated in the world, with the Azan Empire and the Changrilese Empire being the most populous nations in the world. The dominant species in Western Giantstep are humans, with a wide variety of ethnic divisions, though it depends on the region. Above the Baalps, the longstanding fey influence actually makes humans a minority in the Hedge, as halflings like hobbits, gnomes, and brownies dominate the region, with important minorities such as animalkin, elves, humans and goblins. We can also find populations of beastfolk (mostly she-eep and mastodon, but one can find small groupings of harpies, satyrs, deertaurs and centaurs as well), fairies, dryads and even some dwarves. The population tends to be distributed in rural towns and small coastal cities, with the hobbit and human cities being the biggest populations. In general, however, populations are often far from one another, and in many occasions the species in question prefer to live in nature, either in the mountains, the prairies or the forests.

South of the Baalps, humans are the considerable majority, with many big cities and towns across the land. Azan and Changrila alone handle more than half of the human population in Western Giantstep, and while the population of Azan is more evenly distributed throughout its territory (mostly in the core provinces), the population of Changrila revolves around their rivers and the shores, particularly alongside the Hiuan Tsi River, as the fertile lands around it are able to generate immense amounts of agricultural wealth. Many other areas also hold considerable amounts of population, like the furlaniyan city-states, the cities along the northwestern shores of the Great Peninsula of Cemak I, or the dwarven holds in Gäutland. However, there are also areas with very low population densities like the Stymphalian Swamps, the Wailing Desert and the Troll Wastes and the borders between the Witchelven Empire and its neighbors, not to mention the nearly abandoned lands under the Gomorrah Breach and the Magpie Nesting Grounds. Non-humans in these areas can form considerable minorities, in particular the tieflings and the dwarves, living in Azan and azanese-controlled territories. Ogres, goblins and trolls can also be frequently found, though mostly in empty areas, or at the outskirts of society. Another interesting case are the joos, who are most of the time nomads, often travelling from place to place, though there are small communities of settled joos in many cities across the region.

#### Regions and nations of Western Giantstep

* Altopolyan
* Ampleazzo
* Azan Empire
* Azhar Nar
* Big Rock Candy Mountain
* Castle Durnhold
* Changrila
* Daligrad
* Dsrvysth
* Elfwood
* Evergreen Pastures
* Fûrlaniya
* Gautlän
* Gibberlings
* Glass Mountains
* Golden Hills
* Golden Skulls Knightlands
* Gvilderstaaten
* Hasteria Province
* Hereby
* InGurLand
* Jibaro Wetlands
* Kingdom of Lorient
* Kresteneg Breeding Grounds
* Lands of fake Humans
* Lemon Kingdom
* Magpie Nesting Lands
* Maneater Islands
* Mastodon Isles
* Memory altering Statue
* Most Serene Republic of Kalydon
* Mostnoblest noble Kingdemocracy of the Civilized Trolls
* Nasr Satrapies
* Oroma Islands
* Oront
* Siuverland
* Stymphalian Swamps
* Succubus Breaches
* Sunflower Forest
* Swaying Meadows
* Terusia Isthmus
* The Baalps
* The Lost Isle
* Thereby
* Troll Wastes
* Wailing Desert and the Jooish Clans
* Whereby
* Windwillow
* Witchelven Empire
* Äelar'Ra
* Ögchuk Fiefdoms

### Northern Giantstep

Northern Giantstep includes the northernmost lands of the continent of Giantstep. It includes the lands from the Manogre Princedoms to the Forest of Getting Lost, as well as from the archipelagos in the northern seas to the swamps that conform the Domain of the Bog Witch.

#### Geography of Northern Giantstep

Northern Giantstep can be divided into three different areas. The first area of note are the lands within the Glass Mountains, from the Manogre Princedoms to the Laurentian Crusade, as well as the Land of Windmills and the Fairy Woods to the east and the Zapalovach Archipelago to the nort. These areas have a very humid climate, with very frequent rains and often fog, cold winters and mild summers. This allows the presence of a landscape dominated by very tall grasslands and dense forests, and in many areas, these woods devolve into murky swamps. The population often take advantage of this, with husbandry being a very profitable activity. The geographical location of the area, especially across the waldemarian coast and the Zapalovach Archipelago, is optimal for trade, as the vessels from the east and the west need to stop here first before continuing their voyage.

East of that, the amount of humidity and rain reaches critical levels, impeding proper drainage of the water and allowing for kilometers and kilometers of dense swamps. This massive sprawling swamp is mostly dominated by the Bog Witch, who rules most of the swamp in the region, and within it, a hellish and mysterious realm where few actually go and even fewer come back from. The Bog Witch does not rule the entire swamp, however, as the areas north of the Green Mountains are mostly free from the Bog Witch’s influence, though clashes are frequent.

North from that, one can find the divine realms, areas where the influence from the gods is palpable and visible, from Glutton Island, the Nes Archipelago and the Island of the Volcano God. In these places, the geography is bizarre in nature, following the desires of the deities whose influence governs them.

#### Demographics of Northern Giantstep

The westernmost areas of Northern Giantstep were once part of the outskirts of the Western Elven Empire, but mostly inhabited by humans. With the progressive decay of the WEE, these human population eventually began creating their kingdoms, with Zapalovach and Waldemaria rising to become the biggest nations in the area, and many smaller towns and city-states around. That is not to say there are only humans in these areas. Fey influence still lingers in many places, especially in the lands of Sniden and the Fairy Woods, with many populations of fairies, halflings, dryads, elves and other minor fey, while the Manogre Princedoms are dominated by ogres.

In the swamps and marshes to the east, the populations vary wildly. The Dominion of the Bog Witch harbor the biggest variety of sentient species in the entire world, with many communities only present within the bogs and swamps, all trying to survive within the strange and complex society under the watchful eye of the Bog Witch. The minor swamps are much less populated, with humans being predominant in most of them (safe for the Fungest), with strange communities such as the witches at Zyla Gora or the mushroomites of the Fungest. Other species that can be found are fairies, dwarves and minor fey.

In the divine realms, the lands are mostly uninhabited, as reaching the lands of the gods is left to Their purview. Only the people that are allowed into the Kingdom of Nes and Fitt or the Glutton Island (or those who are forcefully brought there) can arrive safely. The one exception being the Island of the Volcano God, where a couple of thousand of its followers fight to survive the inclement weather of the frozen island.

#### Regions and nations of Northern Giantstep

* Bayukmen Marsh Kingdom
* Bog of Eternal Stench
* Crag Island
* Fungest
* Dominion of the Bog Witch
* Fairy Woods
* Forest of Getting Lost
* Former Kingdom of Waldemaria
* Glass Mountains
* Glutton Island
* Harpies Peak
* Island of the Volcano God
* Laurentian Crusade Fortresses
* Mossovy
* Platanus Bog
* Sniden
* Petty Manogre Princedoms
* Swamp of Sadness
* Zapalovach Republic
* Zyla Gora
* Zorya

### Eastern Giantstep

Eastern Giantstep includes the easternmost lands of the continent of Giantstep. It includes a great portion of the continent, from the Faarowt Isthmus to the eastern shores, and all the way to the Moat Gulf and G’ar Gor’um to the Dogrillú Plains.

#### Geography of Eastern Giantstep

Eastern Giantstep covers a great amount of land, but geographically speaking it can be divided into three areas, divided by the Forest of Getting Lost and the eastern shores. Between the norther half of the Forest of Getting Lost and the northern seas, the lands are flat for the most part, either covered by forests, natural wheat or poppies. The climate allows cold but not freezing winters and mild summers, with enough rains to maintain all this vegetation. Other areas, like around the Peaks of Fate, are more mountainous, and some even have a reduced volcanic activity. The presence of many rivers that flow into the northern seas does allow for considerable agriculture, and the irregular shape of the shores allows for bays where shipyards and docks can be built. Closer to the Forest of Getting Lost, one can find wilder forests, affected by magic long ago unleashed, as well as the famous Bladegrass Lakes and the Thornwood. This area limits with the jungles of the Goddess of Harmony, a massive forested area greatly influenced by the divinity, and used by its followers as a route to enlightenment.

East of the Realm of the Goddess of Harmony, we find the eastern shores of the continents, which go from the Peninsulas of the Saints (Saint Annell and Saint Thinerio) all the way to the Ivory Peninsula. Many of the regions in this area were under the control of the Merfolk Empire, and as such, the divine magic of the Curse of Uun has transformed many areas, giving them unnatural properties that serve as torture for their inhabitants. Beyond the lands influenced by the Curse of Uun, one can find areas such as the nearly barren lands around the Izar Peninsula, the grasslands of the Mataandura Haishü, the Great End Peaks, the Forest of Bloody Vengeance within the Pinewood Peninsula, the ashlands of the Runaan, the arid lands of the Vodyanik…

South of the Forest of Getting Lost, we find the inner lands of Eastern Giantstep. An area dominated by the Great Central Prairie and the Cobblestone Badlands, these areas have a harsher climate, with hot summers, cold winters and occasional rains. The land is covered by forests and badlands, many of them at considerable altitudes, with most of the territories capable of decent agriculture located near the southern shores. Nowadays, the expansion of the Gnoll Empire has caused the land to be abandoned, becoming wild and feral. There is little information about the way the gnolls and the ogres are transforming the landscape of their empire, but from the account of some escaped slaves, many areas have been retaken by nature, whereas others have been haphazardly stripped for wood or other resources needed for the gnolls’ growing needs. South of the shores, the volcanic Okhost Archipelago are areas covered in such a dense cloud of ash and cinders that no sentient species can live in most of the land, becoming the domain of Vandervax the Vile, the most powerful undead in the world.

#### Demographics of Eastern Giantstep

The demographics of Eastern Giantstep are a very complicated subject. While before the fall of the Khenomeric Empire it was clear that humans were the clear dominant species in the region, the fall of the khenomeri at the hands of the gnoll and their quick conquest of most of the southeast has made it difficult to evaluate. Nowadays, it is clear that the biggest power in terms of sheer numbers is the Gnoll Empire, but the numbers of actual gnolls and ogres living at any moment in the empire is simply impossible to calculate, much less differentiating them between civilized gnoll, wild gnoll and the not yet fully matured gnoll. And of course, the presence of wild gnoll, and even gnoll in the form of armed bandits and mercenaries, outside of the borders of the Gnoll Empire is a well known phenomenon, though they are considered a pest and treated as such pretty much everywhere. Outside of that, humans dominate the lands north of the Forest of Getting Lost, as well as the eastern shores. Human populations tend to concentrate near the coast, with many of the capitals being coastal cities. Most of these human populations are of khenomeri descent, either as people conquered and colonized by the empire or khenomeri who settled in other areas of the region. Still, the history of the Khenomeric Empire shows that many of its provinces resented their rule, and pushed to keep many of their cultural and political elements, shaking khenomeric influence at the first opportunity they got. The other big human group used to be those from the Merfolk Empire, but the curse of their previously benevolent god turned many of these people into shadows of their former selves, either condemned to eternal torture, brought into barbarity or turned into non-human shapes. Other groups of humans in the region include the drunig living in the lands of Izar, an arid badland that was of no interest for either the khenomeri or the merfolk, and the ketlovians, cursed into a strange form of therianthropy, and conquered into vassals of the Gnoll Empire.

Eastern Giantstep has a great deal of non-humans. Gnolls aside, we can find a great number of ogres throughout the land, especially within the Gnoll Empire, where they serve as priests, herders and administrators, to the shock of the rest of species. Goblin nests are also frequent, especially since the fall of the Khenomeric Empire. Eastern Giantstep also has the few remaining colonies of ancient mermaids, survivors of the Curse of Uun who live near the shores spread throughout the coastline. Dwarves are present in some areas, particularly near the Bladegrass Lakes and the Kingdom of Tarot. Other species that can be found are the cowmen, the runaan, the vodyanic… while minor colonies of nymphs, elves and other minor fey in certain areas.

#### Regions and nations of Eastern Giantstep

* Anchovia
* Land of the Astromancers
* Bhakkari Tribelands
* Bladegrass Lake
* Bomilhald
* Chill Steppe
* Circle of Scatology Wizards
* Cloaked Kingdom
* Cowmen Grasslands
* Diaoul
* Dominion of Leng
* Drouchont
* Dual Kingdom-Empire of Voita-Malagsh
* Empire of Elanxa
* Erlkönig
* Faarowt
* Fehrum Edzulair
* Florinth
* Forest of Bloody Vengeance
* Forest of Getting Lost
* Fortress of the Night Rangers
* Frostlands of Khelek
* Frozen Lake and Isle of Cold
* Gnoll Empire
* Golden Sea of Wheat
* Great End Peaks
* Great Floating Garbage Patch
* Grobianismus
* Heraldic Kingdom of the Otamlar
* Ketlovia and Setlovia
* Kingdom of Drunigzar
* Kingdom of Grobianismus
* Kowloon
* Land of Kokaine
* Land of the Lord descended from the sky
* Lotus Islands
* Lucy's Land
* Luden
* Lumberling Grove
* Lunatik Nine
* Remnants of the Merfolk Empire
* Nogar
* Okhost
* Realm of the Goddess of Harmony
* Runaan Ashlands
* Scatoley
* Sealed Grove
* Seven Castles
* Squid Peninsulla
* Tenzin People
* The Land of Windmills
* The Sulfur Springs
* Thornwood
* Uckerath Mountains
* Urine Woods
* Vodyanik Lands
* Warmog Forest

### Southern Giantstep

Southern Giantstep includes the lands south of the Moat Gulf and G’ar Gor’um to the source of the Tiyaii River within the Suritas Range, following the borders of the Red Sand Steppes south to the Onyx Mountains all the way to the Dsrvyth Peninsula. It is surrounded by the Gre’zha Sea, the Marisibu Sea, the Sea of Fog, the Sea of the End and the Sunset Ocean. Southern Giantstep is also the only place in the world with a land border with the edge of the step, located in the Zulutaur Peninsula, War-Wel Island the Eldritch Jungle.

#### Geography of Southern Giantstep

The lands of Southern Giantstep enjoy a warmer climate than most of the step. Summers are hot to arid, while winters are very mild, with varying degrees of rain depending on the area. Typhoons can be common in some of the southernmost areas, and the presence of elements such as the Maelstrom in the Sea of the End can also result in powerful storms rocking the nearby coasts. In areas such as the Crimson Plateau, this translates in dense and dangerous swamps, where rains are extraordinarily frequent. Other areas, such as the lands within the north of Gilgemash and part of the surface in the Seguerial, are more barren and deserted. Between Gilgemash and the Dirihadarir Desert, different levels of humidity and soil quality present a more idyllic landscape, with lush forests and meadows, with the Sea of Fog often bringing mists to the nearby coasts depending on the winds. South of the snowy peaks of the Onyx Mountains, the land enjoys a near tropical temperature with gentle rains, allowing for the presence of very big flower fields. The Great Norossor Peninsula is surrounded by the Sea of Fog, the U’ritass Inner Sea and the Marisibu Sea, and yet most of the winds are blocked by the Cuprum Hills and the Weriest Mountains, letting the center of the continent as a harsh desert. Most of the winds leave the humidity coming from the east into the rainforests of the Terrania Freeholds or into the Eldritch Jungle. West of the lands of the Badgassi, one can find the Zulutaur Peninsula, occupied by an extensive savannah limited by the Azydiwi Mountains of the Azydiwi Peninsula and the Namabass Desert. North of that, the Dsrvyth Peninsula has a great amount of landscapes, ranging from glaciers to mountains to mangroves. The islands and archipelagos within the Sea of the End are covered in dense jungles and picturesque tropical beaches.

Of important note, there is the Squid Peninsula, a great portion of land previously islandic that became joined to the Crimson Plateau after an earthquake. The whole area is uninhabitable despite its dense and lush forests due to the presence of an extraordinarily dangerous fauna in the form of the hell ants and hell termites. The risk of these species spreading throughout the continent has forced the creation of the Great Wall of Fire, an enormous spell that covers the isthmus between the plateau and the peninsula, keeping the insects at bay.

#### Demographics of Southern Giantstep

Southern Giantstep is one of the most diverse places in the world in terms of sheer variety of sentient species, with the Zulutaur Steppes giving even the Domain of Bog Witch a run for its money in terms of different species present. In particular, Southern Giantstep has a plethora of beastfolk of all kinds, including all species of insectoid beastfolk, all living around and within the Onyx Mountains. Despite this variety of beastfolk, the only truly dominant beastfolk species is the badgassi, who after warring against the zidazzi, managed to create a powerful domain of their own. The rest of the beastfolk live as small communities spread around or within small pockets of land. Humanity is still the most prevalent species, especially in areas such as the Blind Bastard’s Domain, the Mumak Mahûdom, the Asvaran Confederacy and Gilgemash. Other species of note include the domains of the moon elves south of Gilgemash, the chotë of the Terrania Freeholds and the Star People within the Desert of the Weriest, the only sentient species of alien origin in Giantstep.

#### Regions and nations of Southern Giantstep

* Asvaran Confederacy
* Bakir Sahabaharadad Sultanate
* Blind Bastard's Domain
* Chakobsa
* City of Qadash
* Confederated Chiefdoms of Badgassi Mara Honi
* Dark Bog
* Eldritch Jungle
* Ettin-Range
* Gilgemash
* Great Ra'ga
* Isle of untangled Tongues
* Isles of Hogmen
* Jeraxih Tribes
* Lands of the Star People
* Mona Ki Ngi Xica
* Misty Isle
* Moonlight Shores
* Moreaux Island
* Mumak Mahûdom
* Nosso Lar
* Ortuga
* Rosmarinus Estate
* Seguerial Hordas
* Terminus
* Terrania Freeholds
* The Land of Changing Waters
* The Neeugs
* The Strange Meadows
* Tuarapon
* Usul
* War-Wel
* Zulutaur Steppe

### Central Giantstep

Central Giantstep includes the innermost lands of the continent, from the western swamps of the Bog Witch, the plains near the Bone Lakes, the Handprint Mountain Range, the northern edge of the Namabass Desert, the steppes of the Gökmavi, the Suritas Range, the Kinga Badlands and the Ogabo Desert, all the way into the Cardammon Plateau.

#### Geography of Central Giantstep

The main attribute of the lands of Central Giantstep. Due to the continental nature of this region, not that many winds with rain actually reach this place, causing a great dryness all around. The few areas with access to water are those near high mountain ranges, where the few snows and rains freeze and generate rivers and lakes. The other area that receives enough humidity is the western half of the swamps of the Bog Witch, as well as a few scattered rains within the lands of the witchelven, though it still makes their land quite arid in comparison to the west. Lands such as the Kinga Badlands, the Ogabo Desert and the Handprint Desert are some of the most arid places in the world, with the Handprint Desert in particular reaching extreme levels of dryness, as all the rivers from the Handprint Mountains flow outwards, not letting any water come in. The Snoloth Country has some humidity, but the water comes from within the earth, not from the atmosphere or rivers, and it carries such level of polluting and poisonous chemicals it would be suicide for anything but snoloths to drink from there. The climate is also affected by the continental nature, with no influence of the ocean to smooth the temperatures anywhere but on a small portion of the Sea of the Dead Pirate. In most areas, hot summers and freezing winters are the norm, and as such, badlands and deserts dominate the landscape. Some areas are able to retain more life, such as the lands near the Tooil and Tcheif Rivers, the lands of the Fallen Giants and the lands near the Bone Lakes.

#### Demographics of Central Giantstep

The lands of Central Giantstep are some of the most barren in the world, and as such, the population here is quite small, mostly concentrated within the Witchelven Empire as their lands can actually sustain enough population, not to mention the high reproduction rate of the witchelven. Even so, witchelven do raid frequently to compensate for their limited resources, though that is often a bonus for their more usual slave raids. Humans mostly concentrate in areas east of the Witchelven Empire, particularly within the Gökmavi Khaganate. Other notable species within Central Giantstep are the automata from the Republic of Abandoned Automata and the bizarre snoloths from the Snoloth Country. The land also holds the Succubus Breaches, allowing for a relatively common presence of succubae in the area.

#### Regions and nations of Central Giantstep

* Aquilea and Caprea
* Clockwork Castle
* Cursed Battlefield
* 0gabo Desert
* Dominion of the Bog Witch
* Dsrvysth
* Giant's Handprint Desert
* Kinga Badlands
* Republic of the Abandoned Automata
* Snoloth Country
* Succubus Breaches
* The Eternal Holy City of Tents
* Gökmavi Khaganate
* Urgun Plateau
* Valley of Fallen Giants
* Witchelven Empire