Thane's Isle

Thane's Isle is one of two continents on Universe Eight, the other being Sunnas. Most of the area in Thane's Isle is covered by a political entity known as The Gregaronian Loyalists, but north of the Central Region is a faction of socialist and communists, known as "The Second Afterlifian People's Republik". The Republik is in an active rebellion against the Loyalist faction. Thane's Isle is heavily dependent on rail transportation, and the railroads have a massive economic and political influence over the region.

## Geography:

The continent of Thane's Isle is long, and relatively narrow. It extends from its southern peninsula near The Strait of Africa, to it's most northern point where the steel production city of Benedict Hold is built. The continent is surrounded on all sides by the sea, similar to Australia.

According to author Christopher Dorsey, Thane's Isle is around 2,500 miles north-to-south, and according to dubious claims by the Eastern Gate Railroad regarding their one-hundred-mile-per-hour, "town-an-hour" policy, it can be theorized that Thane's Isle is 500-800 miles east to west at its widest point.

Thane's Isle's western coast borders the Moon Sea, with the Island of Oilton close by. In the north, the bordering islands are the Northern Isles, which are rarely travelled to by Thane's Islers due to their desolate nature. Across the Moon Sea to the West is the continent of Sunnas, where Thane's Isle's rival nation of "The Sun Nation" makes its claim. The eastern coast of Thane's Isle borders the Eastern Sea, with the small islands of The Isle of Tall Trees, and the larger Isle of Clay off the shore. There are no known lands across the Eastern Sea.

The Southern portion of Thane's Isle, south of Ship's Grave, is less populated than the central and northern regions. Much of the land in this region is farmland, due to the semi-stable climate of Universe Eight.

During the period after The Rift, Thane's Isle was split into many cultures and governmental systems, including the Second Roman Empire, based out of New Rome. These cultures were all assimilated and annexed by the first known Thane of Universe Eight, Violette Frederikke the Rebuilder.

## North:

The northern region of Thane's Isle, currently under the control of the Second Afterlifian People's Republik, is less hospitable than the southern region. Many of the smaller townships are sparsely populated, with the larger cities of New Tuesis, New Rome, Loch Gwint Oer, and Benedict Hold holding most of the population density and political influence in the region. The seemingly random "flash freezes" (weather events that deploy rapid and intense blizzards), effect this region far more so than the south. There are also more pine and coniferous trees located here.

Most of the Thane's Isle Civil War has taken place north of the border of nations, an arbitrary line that tends to shift and move by the day.

#### Sleeping Giant:

In the northern region is the massive mountain range of Sleeping Giant, named so as from certain angles it looks like a sleeping man. Sleeping Giant is rich with minerals, and is one of the primary sources for bluesteel on Thane's Isle. Sleeping Giant rises high enough that it always snows after a certain elevation. The tombs of both Thanes Violette Frederikke, and Wynton Kellogg, were built on this mountain. Sleeping Giant's mines and tunnels are said to snake deep into the earth, and some tunnels appear to not have been dug by humans.

The northern region is serviced by both the North Sea Capital, and Eastern Gate Railroads.

The settlements & cities making up the northern region are:

* Benedict Hold, the furthest north city on Thane's Isle, producing steel as a main export produce. Serviced by the Northeast Capital Railroad.
* Great Bay, a port town with many fisheries and sawmills.
* East Sea's Watch, a city made from and built around an old fort, at the mouth of the River Wynton.
* Lighthouse Point, a more remote town, originally a lighthouse to protect ships entering Great Bay.
* Riverperch, sports a winery, also sports an Earth-item scavenging industry.
* Swordstone, sports a winery, serviced by the Eastern Gate Railroad
* New Rome, the seat of the former "Second Roman Empire, dissolved by Violette Frederikke. Now a tourist trap, with a conflicting Italian and Roman population.
* Bendfort, A settlement built into an ancient fort, the walls snaking down the River Wynton. Few live here.
* Rosia Village, the ancestral home of the "Rose" family, formerly known as House Rhode.
* Loch Gwint Oer, a town named by the scots who inhabited it centuries ago. Positioned north of Lake Kellogg. A major Earth-item scavenger's town.
* Cedarville, a railroad town on the shore of the Moon River, serviced by the Eastern Gate Railroad
* North Head, a railroad town on the shores of Lake Kellogg, serviced by the Eastern Gate Railroad.
* West Head, a snow-bound settlement on the "head" of the giant.
* Havenlyn, a harbortown by the "right foot" of Sleeping Giant.
* New Tuesis, the capital city of the Second Afterlifian People's Republik, built into the hills and much of this city is subterranean.

## The Central Region:

The central region of Thane's Isle extends east-west from the Earth-item scavenger's towns of West Newburyportyard and Segontium, to the Shoreport Bay on the East side of the Isle. The area is rich with mines and farmland, though many of the townships in this region are impoverished and lack basic necessities like running water, and electricity. The larger towns in the area tend to be hotbeds of crime, and gangs such as 'The Cadillac Boys', 'The Carlisles Gang', and 'The East Sea Pirates' terrorize villages and smaller settlements. Some of the larger settlements consist of Oldmine, Piper Cross, West Head, South Head, and Shoreport. Many of these settlements are trade hubs, and their suburbs and tributary towns are often the origin point of trade goods, such as wheat, barley, bread, silver, copper, bluesteel, coal, iron ore, and corn. The Hero's Folly mountain range is located in this region.

This region is serviced mostly by the Eastern Gate Railroad.

The settlements & cities making up the central region are:

* Collier, a coal and copper mining city, serviced by the Eastern Gate Railroad, and Redberry Valley Railroad. Has smaller company towns in its outskirts, one of them being the town of "Blackriver."
* Oldmine, an iron, bluesteel, and silver mining town, serviced directly by the Eastern Gate Railroad.
* Piper Cross, a farmer's town, with growing suburbs on the Eastern Gate's mainline.
* South Head, considered the strangest town on Thane's Isle. Has numerous paper factories and lumber mills.
* Shoreport, a major port city, formerly called "Craiqsport. Named for Harold of the Craiq, one of Violette Frederikke's apocolite's.
* The Isle of the Tall Trees is considered part of this territory.
* Eboratum, a crossroads town, sporting a military base and airport.
* West Newburyportyard, an Earth-item scavenger's town in a never-ending feud with East Newburyportyard.
* Segontium, an Earth-item Scavenger's town.

## The Eastern Hills:

The Eastern Hills are a group of settlements and industries located along the Blue Ridge Hills, which are rich in gold and silver, and are mostly fertile with fruit trees of various types. This region heavily relies on the relatively small Blue Ridge Railroad to deliver their goods to the shoreline cities, as well as provide transportation as paved roads are scant in this region. It is said that the citizens of this region are vastly loyal to Gregoros, and Thane Zenzele.

The Eastern Hills region begins in the west at the City of Aransazai, and ends at East Newburyportyard.

This region is primarily served by the Blue Ridge Railroad, but East Newburyportyard is only accessible by road, or by using the West-North Railroad.

The settlements & cities making up the Eastern Hills region are:

* Deepcastle, a railroad town, serviced by the Blue Ridge Railroad.
* Silverhill, a silver mining town small enough to not be mapped.
* East Newburyportyard, the Easternmost city on Thane's Isle, in a a never-ending feud with West Newburyportyard. Serviced by the West-North Railroad.
* Lebark Square, a farmer's town
* Goldencrowne, a farmer's village in rivalry with Eboratum due to events of The Tumult.
* Aransazai, named for Queen Natalia Aransaza.

## The Capital Region:

The Capital region of Thane's Isle is marked by the City of King's Hill in the Isle's center, just north of "Ship's Grave," a large bay noted to be dangerous by early mariners. The capital region is the economic powerhouse of the nation, as the city of Bankersville (and in some cases King's Hill) is where all of the nation's money is minted, from copper, silver, and gold. The capital region sports two of the largest ports on Thane's Isle, those being King's Hill Port, and the port of Great Bridge respectively. These lands have governors and councils, but due to their proximity to King's Hill, they are often ruled directly by the Thane of Universe Eight. The towns and cities included in this region are King's Hill (the capital itself), Great Bridge, Bankersville, and North Greatbridge. Most of the territory east of King's Hill is dense, hilly forest, with very little human settlement to be seen.

The settlements & cities making up the Capital region are:

* King's Hill, the capital of Thane's Isle
* Bankersville, the economic center of Thane's Isle
* North Greatbridge, one of two massive ports on either side of the destroyed "Great Bridge." Connected to Greatbridge.
* Greatbridge, the economic powerhouse of thane's isle, with a massive trade port.

## The Southern Region:

The Southern Region is a mostly agricultural region of Thane's Isle, with a lower population than other locations. The farms here are large, with one property taking up vast swaths of land before another equally as large begins. Parts of the southern region are accessible by rail, but due to the efficiency of trucks, much of the rail has been replaced south of the Salt River. The West-North Railroad still operates trucks as opposed to the farmers providing their own means of transportation. In the far south, the peninsula and airport of Thane's Isle is protected by Fort Lightchild. The airport carries civilians, but is mostly a military outfit due to its odd location.

The settlements & cities making up the Southern region are:

* Stein county, and all of its townships, formerly an empire of Greeks who warred against Thane Frederikke, but were repatriated and the towns were renamed.

## Climate:

Thane's Isle's climate is often compared by some to that of New England in the United States, though it differs in major ways. Thane's Isle has a two-long-month yearly cycle, each with 182.5 days in a month (though the length of a day seems to be semi-random, determinant on the Moonstar's glow). These months are "July" and "October," but they seem to have little similarly to their Earthen counterparts. Flash freezes strike at random, with heavy blizzards and snowfall, though the day following a flash freeze could be up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It is often considered to be impossible to predict the weather on Thane's Isle.

When random weather events are not occuring, the "summers" in Thane's Isle are typically warm and humid. Average temperatures range from the mid-70s to low 80s Fahrenheit (24-28 degrees Celsius), although hotter days in the 90s (32-37 degrees Celsius) are not uncommon. Summers often bring thunderstorms and occasional periods of high humidity.

In October, the foliage changes colors in vibrant ways, a result of the region's temperate climate. Autumn in Thane's Isle is characterized by mild to cool temperatures, with daytime highs ranging from the 50s to 70s Fahrenheit (10-25 degrees Celsius). It is a popular time for tourism due to the stunning colors of the changing leaves. Though, it has been known that the temperatures can often drop to below freezing during the long-month of October.

At the beginning of "Universe Eight," when Ben Reynolds arrives to the Afterlife, he finds himself caught in a heavy rainstorm, that quickly dissipates to a bright sunny day.

## Biology and Anthropology:

### Sentient Species:

* Humans - Humans appear to be the dominant sentient population on Thane's Isle, though there are two notable "types" of humans; those who died on Earth and arrived on the Afterlife, and those who were born on Thane's Isle as babies. There does not seem to be any difference between these two groups.

* Dinosaurs - There are at least two known living dinosaurs on Thane's Isle, and they are assumed to be the last dinosaurs in existence. They live in the town of South Head.

* Gevvyd - It is assumed at one point that the ancient race of metal men inhabited Thane's Isle, but are now extinct.

* Lumieri - The Lumieri are an unknown sentient life, that appears to be able to mask themselves as living things. Other creatures exist, such as the one Julia Nixon encounters at Fort Lightchild.

### Animals:

Some species of animals inhabiting Thane's Isle are similar to Jurassic and Pleistocene megafauna of Earth or historical animals. Many of these animals do not have a scientific classification, as the greatest of scientists are often not available to assist the Universes apart from the Ninth. Many of these animals are thus named colloquially.

* Super Geese - abnormally large carnivorous geese, possibly related to those of Earth. It is unknown where their biological origin comes from, only that they have been known to attack adult humans to varying degrees of success.
* Animal Sentients - animals with the ability to talk and communicate like humans, but do not have opposable thumbs and therefore are societally limited.
* Griffinflies - also called "big flies," are relatives of Earthen Griffinflies of the prehistoric era, which evolved separatly from their dragonfly counterparts and grew larger, as opposed to the smaller dragonflies.
* Lizzies - large iguana-esque lizards, possibly related to the iguana or bearded dragon.
* Swamp-hogs - large boar-like creatures that inhabit bogs and swamps, and are the source of "swamp ham."

Other animals appear that are not dissimilar from their earthen counterparts.

* Birds such as crows, seagulls, and pigeons
* Wolves
* Small insects and arachnids
* Fish, and shellfish
* Deer and moose
* Horses, Pigs, Sheep, and Cows