Velskeprodia

**Velskeprodia** is the great continent at the northern end of Jerde. Due to its location, it is a wasteland of nearly-endless ice and snow, where islands of mountainous rock occasionally break the ever-spreading pale.

Its name literally means "**The Great Crossing**", which its translation is also another name for the continent itself.

## History

At around the Second Age, a race of humans left what is now Ardesch northwards across this frozen continent. They navigated a series of tunnels beneath the ice, feeding on whatever animals, beasts, and plants that were beneath. They left behind many fields of crops near geothermal vents where they lived, the only sources of heat and light that prevented the cold from destroying them. Their voyage took them six months, and they emerged at the other side of the world. They became the ancestors of the Tuksharans and the Slavs, so the Slavs named it "Velskeprodia", or "the great crossing". This migration is now known as the Aksiparche Migration, after the Tuksharan name for the common ancestors, "Aksi-Parcaines".

Nowadays it is filled with various ruins from battles between extraterrestrials and other empires. Many civilisations race to collect as many artifacts from those ruins as they could.

## Locations

### Moroztrana Severej

The large swathe of snow that is controlled by the Kingdom of Bujan. Fortified due to its overlapping territory with Wannaenid claims.

It is located east of the United States of Vintland, its ally.

This is the source of much of Bujan's advanced technology, mostly from alien ruins.

* Tjenje Station - Radumo and Paruko were stationed there. It was built to excavate a wrecked Konjor starship bearing a spyglass related to the monstrous god Loskar.

### Stribohschyna

Stribohschyna is the large portion of land controlled by Rukania, northwest of Moroztrana Severej. Parts of its eastern territories were given during Zvestarid times as tribute to Rukania in a certain year, which were later developed as underground farms and greenhouses. The main reason for giving that supposedly-useless portion of land was also to stop the Wannaenids from teleporting there and attacking the Zvestarids on two fronts.

Most of Stribohschyna is mountainous, boasting huge troves of gold and minerals. The machinery used in this territory was designed to minimise any pollution and prevent melting the ice, except to build bases within. Its snow-buried ranges are home to vast, intricate fortress networks and a high-speed rail system that prevented the world's empires from using the far north as a forward base for further conquests.

### Wannaenid Ice Realms

The name given by foreigners to Wannaenid-controlled territories. These frigid territories are sparse, but dotted with military bases and fortresses with many laboratories and factories.

### Srevalt and Grevalt

Two Norse nations in the west and east. Among the age-old survivors who dug cities beneath the ice, and aided the Zvestarids and their Bujanski successors as allies.

### United States of Vintland

Between Nordgard and Darros, this nation is perhaps the northernmost sovereign state in all of Jerde. Like Srevalt and Grevalt, the Vintlanders also live in cities under the icy wastes and mountains, but others also live on the islands just north of Darros. The Bujanski territories are just east of this vast nation of endless snow.

This ancient nation was descended from whalers and exiles who built Burrow-cities to protect themselves during the Green Years. Luckily, this nation was able to survive as the toxin bombs crumbled to crystal dust from the extreme cold. Families of Lausorijo migrated to Vintland, teaching young men and women how to build stronger cities, forming knighthoods under vows to protect them from invaders.

As more farms and cities were built, it resulted in one of the biggest human nations in the Green Years. Such strength and numbers allowed it to fend off the Survivors who conquered the planet. Its impressive resistance against various empires encouraged other nations to contact them as a new, powerful ally, such as Zvesta and Rukania.

### North Pole

The North Pole of Jerde is known as Black Mountain. Its vast chambers, mostly dating back to Sarmelonid times, is split between Bujan and Marnos.

Southwards into the Eastern Hemisphere, facing Baesorja and Marnos, is the Peak of the Truthful, a taller mountain.

## Mythology

Although the Wonao concept of hell, Notluna, was based on ancient accounts of sailors who ended up on the southern coasts of this polar continent, later, Wonao scientists went on research expeditions in this frozen continent, as they knew that this was not really like the frozen demonic realm of their religion. Still, the Wonaos set up some of the oldest shrines and inns on the polar continent, for expeditions to the north.

Heronoi consider Velskeprodia as the supposed location of Keratönö, their equivalent of Hell. Like its Wonao counterpart, it is an icy wasteland inhabited by demons.

On the other hand, in Sevraejan mythology, Paradise (land of good souls) and Heaven (the court of Perun) are supposedly located on the North Pole, with Black Mountain being the site of the divine tree Guokerina. The North Pole therefore is considered holy ground in Sevraeja and Zarijana, and the Peak of the Truthful corresponds with Mount Khabraesarja, supposedly the source of all water and snow.

## Trivia

* Velskeprodia may correspond to Antarctica in the real world, or Greenland. Geographically it may also resemble Hyperborea, a continent or land located somewhere in northern Europe or Siberia.
	+ Its ice bases were inspired by the Rebel Alliance's bases in Hoth from Star Wars.
* The name "Velskeprodia" was derived from the Russian words "великий" (vjelikij, great) and "переходить" (perekhodit', to cross over).

## See also

* Keratönö
* Sharpening