Hera

**Hera** is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the southern hemisphere. It is one of four continents often grouped together as the New World.

The only continent it is bordering is the continent of Maria to the north, being connected only by an isthmus. To the north is the Adne Golf, and the eastern coast of the continent is bordered by the Zothca Ocean. The southernmost tip of the continent sticks into the Porralis Ocean which separates Hera from Lemca. The western coast of the continent is bordered by the Gamtis Ocean.

There are several major physical geographical features across the continent. The Abel Mountains, the Leitois Mountain Range, and the Lockecook Mountains are three major mountain ranges along the western side of the continent that form part of the Western Cordillera. Other major features include the Rinunaz Rainforest and Rinunaz River which are found in the northern part of the continent. The southern region of Hera is known as Jakonia and is mainly a cold plateau with several minor mountain ranges the stretch across the region.

Other features include the Vamir Rainforest, Usamar Region, Jara Desert, the Imagia River, and the Temer Region.

## Geography

The border of what differentiates Hera from Maria to the north is considered to be geographically the Almomira Ridge, a small ridge that marks the border of Salmo and Costa Rhyncipe. The political border is also defined as the border between the countries of Salmo and Costa Rhyncipe. Almost all of Hera is south of the Equator, with only the northern fifth or so of the continent being in the northern hemisphere.

Based on plate tectonics, Hera is made up of two major plates which are considered synonymous in modern day, but where once separated. The Northern Heran Plate and Southern Heran Plate cover most of the continent. The western coast of the continent is made up by the Intovan Plate, Manzamoros Plate, and Gamtis Plate. The northern part of the continent is made up partly of the Almomira Plate.

The continent is home to the world's largest rainforest, the Rinunaz Rainforest, the longest river, the Rinunaz River, the highest commercially navigable lake in the world, Lake Coko, the driest non-polar place on Ratera, the Jara Desert, and the wettest place on Ratera, Morarida in Bonranmau.

The largest country in Hera is Greater Rinuni. The remaining countries are divided into three subregions: the Southern Cone (Lesser Rinuni, Gacoast, and Intova), the Jade States (Boque and Bonranmau), and Adne Hera (Salmo, Riablic, Bisipit, Tumas, and Ghapor).

The continent also includes a few outlying islands. The Petershire Islands of Gacoast, the Lela Islands and Avroso Island, both of which are in the Porralis Ocean. A majority of the major islands of the continent are found in Gacoast and overall, in southern Hera, the largest of which being Quemar Island.

### Geographical Regions

Hera is split into a total of ten main geographical regions. The northern regions are the Trans Maria-Hera, Vamir, Usamar Region, and Jade Region. Most of the continent is covered by the Rinunaz Region which makes up the Rinunaz Rainforest and its waterways, the Heran Plains, and Jakonia, a mountainous region in the southern part of the continent. There are also two smaller regions to the west, the Jara, which include the Jara Desert, and the Temer Region, which includes the Temer River and Titan River. The outlaying islands of Hera are also split into two regions, the Petershire Islands, and the Southern Islands.

## History

### Prehistory

Indigenous peoples are thought to have arrived in Maria around 30,000 to 15,000 years ago, arriving in Hera shortly thereafter. The oldest evidence of elves appears at the Anagá Site in Lesser Rinuni which dates to around 12,750 years ago. One style of spear tips known as the scale-point appears widespread throughout much of Hera and parts of southern Maria by around 11,000 years ago and disappears around 10,000 years ago, which coincides with the disappearance of much of the continent's megafauna.

Agricultural societies appeared by around 2000 BCE in parts of northern Hera and mainly along the western coast in the Abel Mountains. Fishing was widespread across much of the coast of the continent from the east to the west and appears prominent in areas prone to flooding, such as parts of the Rinunaz Rainforest and around the Temer Region.

### Pre-colonization civilizations

The earliest known civilization in Hera was Carsarta, which appeared around 2100 BCE. Carsarta was one of the first civilizations in the western hemisphere and the cause of its collapse is generally unknown but is dated to around 1800 to 1700 BCE.

The Trebali were one of the last indigenous civilizations which existed from the late 1300s to the mid 1400s, lasting until the colonization of the region by foreign powers. The Trebali inhabited the Temer Region of western Hera.

### Colonization

Colonization of the continent began sometime in the late 1400s to early 1500s, with most of the continent being controlled by Nikosto, and smaller regions being colonized by Portu, Aeastland, and the Bostan Kingdom. By the mid 1500s, almost all of the continent was claimed by foreign powers with the exception of the southern reaches of the continent and much of the deeper Rinunaz Rainforest which were still home to several native tribes like the Labica, Lena, and Kabuca people.

By 1650, the continent was home to eight total countries, two of which were still ruled by foreign powers, the rest of which were independent. The northern most countries were Bisipit, Tumas, and Ghapor, with Riablic being ruled by Aeastland still. To the northwest was Greater Bonranmau, which includes modern Bonranmau, Boque, and Salmo. Much of the continent was part of the country of Rinuni. The western coast was part of Intova, and the southern part of the continent was part of Gacoast, which was ruled by the Bostan Kingdom.

By the 1800s, all countries in Hera were independent. All modern countries existed with the exception of Greater Rinuni and Lesser Rinuni, which were still one country. The continent otherwise remained unchanged politically until the year 1999, when the Rinuni Civil War occurred, splitting the country of Rinuni into Greater Rinuni (Military Dictatorship) and Lesser Rinuni (Democratic Republic Party). The Civil War resolved by the year 2001, in which both two countries were recognized by other world powers and remain independent to this day.

Today there is little civil unrest in the continent with the exception of Greater Rinuni and Lesser Rinuni, where tensions along the border are high.