Aenín

Some call it the World. The land of Aenín spreads far and wide, from the Mountains of Madness in the North to the Dune Seas of Caradah in the South. A Kingdom greater than any in the entire World, ruled by King Thanebrand II the Great.

## Geography

Because of its enormity, many climates and regions can be found across Aenín.

### The Mountains of Madness

Aenín's northern border is formed by a massive wall of stone. Higher than a man can climb, taller than a dragon can fly. These are the Mountains of Madness. Many horrors roam between these stony peaks, making unsafe the lands. No cities lie there, except what horrendous fortresses have been constructed by these creatures. Outposts of Rangers are the only thing standing between them and civilization.

### The Eastlands

The Eastlands are an expanse of sunny plains, sometimes dotted by grassy hills. The people that live here are a gentle folk, content with cultivating the land, making it into outstretched fields of crops. For how long this landscape continues no one knows, but Aenín's border is generally placed no further than the town of Easthaven, as beyond that live only hermits.

### Drassfell Forest

Sweeping through the land is a vast woodland called Drassfell. Encompassing most of the land, it continues from the Mountains in the north and flows down until it meets the Anadurna in the south. There, the trees are beech, poplar and willow, while closer to the Black Crags the sturdy pines and firs withstand the Northern weather.

### The Lakelands

To the West, you will find a stretched strip of land, a little hilly, but mostly flat, dotted with dozens of sparkling blue lakes. Coursing through the land is the glistening snake of the Anadurna, the giant river that connects the World. Five major Lakes are distinguishable, bigger than the rest. Most people live in the great City of the Sunset banking the lakes, but some prefer the country life. Flocks of sheep are herded on the grassy slopes between the lakes, and some boats roam the water in search for fish, but there is not much else.

### The Steppes of the Shunna

South of the Anadurna the forest is no more. The land transforms into vast steppes, giant flat plains where the horsemen of the Shunna tribes live their nomadic lifestyles. Other than the Eastlands, where the grass is lush, green and long, the Steppes are covered in short, tough, brown-yellow stalks of grass. Occasional trees can be found, but other than that the horizon offers nothing new.

### The Dune Seas of Caradah

Travelling even further south, the grass disappears entirely. Hot winds blow over even hotter hills of dry, fine sand. The sun shines ever bright and unforgiving over dunes, seas of sand, with sometimes a rock formation. One would expect these parts to be inhabitable, but one would be mistaken. No small towns or nomadic tribes are here, indeed. But before Aenín's southern border, in the Valleys of Sand, stand the grandest cities known to man.

### The Aegaic Ocean

Eastward of the Dune Seas, and southward of the Eastlands runs the Coast of Wonders. There Anadurna empties its waters into the great Aegaic Ocean. The Endless Expanse. The Seven Isles of Thrai are a series of jungle-covered islands that jut out of the Everblue and form a last beacon of civilization before the waters hit the horizon. Though the King's Navy tries to protect the innocents, pirate raids are all too common nowadays.

## Politics

Aenín is a kingdom, ruled over ever so wisely by King Thanebrand II the Great from his Royal Palace in the capital Si-Tahna. However, because of its enormity, the rule of Aenín is distributed over twenty-four Counts and Countesses. They rule their own counties according to their own rules, although they do own loyalty to the King, and they pay a yearly taxation to the capital.

## Cultures

People from many different cultures call the land of Aenín home.

The people of the West are sophisticated and well mannered. Most of them are humans who live in cities between the vast forest of Drassfell and the Lakelands. Most of noble blood also have their homes there.

The people of the East are jolly and kind-hearted. Most of them are halflings who live in small, close-knit communities on the sunny plains of the Eastlands. Some elves also call these lands home.

The people of the North are sturdy and straightforward. There are humans living in towns and cities built of wood, but closer to the mountains the dwarves have built their grand halls of stone.

The people of the South are strict and hot-headed. Most of them are humans living in grand cities in the Valleys of Sand, or in nomadic tribes on the Steppes of the Shunna.