RGG
The mainland is broken up into several large regions by prominent geographical features. Each of these regions, with one notable exception, are claimed as the homelands of one of the major races.
Burning Plain
This is the largest region, and home to the humans. The most prominent feature of this great expanse is the Earthgouge, a 150 mile long canyon that breaks up the middle of the plain. Near the bridge that was constructed by 500 Illuthian elementalists and 300 Denzorali elementalists over 250 years ago lies the second largest of the five major human trading centers, Quarry Town. This city is the largest provider of metal ore in the world, outside of the Valley of Steel. The largest single trading post in the entire world was erected roughly 500 years ago on the eastern coast of the Plains. The Great Bazaar, as it has come to be known, covers roughly 25 square miles of territory, and it is said that anything can be found among the shops and tents of the salespeople there. The other three trade cities of the Burning Plain are Flamequench, Shanish, and Windy Mesa. Each trading city was founded on the border of one of the other regions. The rest of the plain is empty of the trappings of civilization and plays home to the great nomadic tribes of the human Wanderers.
Valley of Steel
The second largest region, the Valley of Steel, is home to Shen. It is said that most of this region was once a verdant wetland, however, over the past millennium the Shen have worn away at the face of their homeland, constantly searching for the metal that drives their culture forward. Everywhere one goes in the Valley, they will see signs of the great strip mines and coring tunnels dug by the Shen in their quest for metal. Small towns and villages dot the few relatively fertile areas of the Valley, but the three most significant are Miika, Onkta, and Shelin. Miika is the sister city to Flamequench and together they form the Twin Trade Cities of Deepwell, thus named for the trade route they provide over the largest body of fresh water in the world, Deepwell. Shelin is one of the largest shipping yards in the world and the largest single Shen settlement. Onkta, situated in the center of the Valley of Steel, is home to the largest mining operations in the world. All manner of things that must be dug from the earth can be found here.
Living Forest
The home to the Illuthians, this region is completely overwhelmed by the Living Forest. This woodland has stood since before the Night of Wind and Fire, and legends say that it is beating heart of the world. Should the Living Forest die, the world will die with it. In the center of the Forest is the oldest city in the world, Oakhaven. This was the first city to emerge after the Night of Wind and Fire, and also holds one of the greatest libraries in the world. It is said that the Library of Oakhaven holds all of the knowledge of the Illuthien since the beginning of time. Unlike the cities of the other races this settlement is integrated into the forest, instead of being cut from the woods around it. The other major city of the Illuthians rests at the mouth of the Heljenford River. The City of Sight is the capital of shipbuilding in the non-Jenisari world.
Great Aerie
Across the Heljenford from the Living Forest the land quickly rising into the imposing buttes, mesas and mountains of the Great Aerie. This is the land of the bird people, the Beradai. There is only one major city, completely inaccessible from the ground, the Golden Roost clings to the side of the tallest mountain in the entire range, Cloudbridge. The Golden Roost is the home to a representative population of all of the clans of the Beradai, as well as the meeting hall of the Council of Winds. The majority of the Beradai live a semi-nomadic existence drifting from mountaintop to mountaintop, in small flocks.
Mountains of Order The Denzorali homeland is one of the most diverse regions in the world. Though bordered on all sides by the Mountains themselves, the central valley boasts both forest and plain, water and hills. It is in this pastoral valley that the Denzorali have made their homes. The Mountains of Order are also home to the Hall, a great stone building that houses the census and accounting records for all of the races. It is well-known that the Denzorali specialize in the maintenance of order and structure in the societies of the all the races, and the Hall was built over 500 years ago to give them a central repository for their collected data. Those Denzorali that are not directly involved in government make their homes in the innumerable small villages and towns scattered around the valley and the lower mountains.
Sulfur Forest This steaming wasteland of quicksand, sulfur springs, and twisted deformed trees forms the northern border of world. It is said that this wasted, desiccated land was once the stronghold of the Faeries and other twisted evil creatures. According to legend, after the Night of Wind and Fire, the races joined together and drove all of the Faeries and other horrible creatures to the north, where the Fey began a scorched earth campaign before being driven to their deaths in the Northern Sea. The Sulfur Forest has been left as a reminder to future generations of the horrible rapaciousness that the Fey are capable of should they ever return.
Forest of Learning In the center of the inhabited regions lies the artificially created Forest of Learning. Built using the combined magics of all of the races, the Forest of Learning, encircled by a ring of near-impossible to climb mountains, was created under the guidance of the Order of Totekai to act as a safe zone during the Chaos Wars. It is the one place that the forces of the Fey were never able to penetrate. In the center of the Forest lies Anak, the city of the Totekai. It is here that the Order makes its home. One can also find the Elemental Colleges here, where all elementalists must come for training and education, and the Home of Lost Souls, the largest Chirurgery in the world.
