Ardaisin

This continent is loosely oval shaped, with a connecting land bridge that tapers as it reaches a second, smaller land mass to the south. There are a variety of environments and natural barriers that prevent mass movement of people, especially to the second landmass. A large mountain range and the arctic separates the west coast from the rest of the continent. The rivers on the west coast tend to flow towards a single delta, though further south, they find their own ways. Most of the rivers crossing the continent drain southerly, creating a coastline well suited to travel and trade throughout the continent. These rivers make terrestrial travel difficult, however. The central portion of the continent is plains, with deserts and forests scattered around the edges. Swamps dominate the southeastern coast.   The land bridge is extremely mountainous, and few, if any people traverse it. It tapers as it heads south, connecting to a mysterious landmass that has little to offer. Some trading outposts cling to the coast, but there are no large cities. It is much smaller in size to its northern counterpart, but due to the tectonics, is difficult to explore. Around the coast is a sporadic barrier reef, creating calm coasts, but preventing frequent trade. In between these is a sea that is filled with small, often volcanic islands. While these do provide excellent rest points for traveling sailors, they also make it difficult to sail to the southern continent, creating another barrier. These islands are lush and rich in foodstuffs, and are frequently used as farming colonies by the larger powers.   The people here live in a pre-gunpowder world, with some places being more advanced than others. The southern trading civilizations have built local kingdoms and empires, expanding their influence along the coast, and claiming islands as their own. Some city states emerged in the plains, acting as trading ports along rivers, or mining communities closer to the mountains. The deserts are mostly vacant, aside from the occasional small town located at a trading crossroad. The forests are mostly untouched as they are difficult to traverse and the southern coasts provide plenty of wood, especially from the swamp. This leaves them mostly isolated from the world, and strange customs and cultures have been left to develop. Tribes also still exist, traveling and living as they have for centuries before, though they mostly avoid being too near cities, and live in open prairie, mountains, or in forests. The further north one travels, the less signs of standard civilization they'll encounter, and the more tribes theyll find. The west coast is dominated by a major city and trading empire located at the mouth of a large delta. While not in direct competition with the southern trading powers to the east of the mountains due to physical boundaries, its power rivals them. Few people live on the land bridge or southern landmass, due to its inhospitable and difficult terrain.   Magic does exist in this world, though controlled by certain principles. Magic is another form of energy, and flows across the continent like an air current. Locations under these currents tend to have higher concentrations of magic users, and those who travel across these currents find their ability to absorb and use magic increases, as there is more available. Magic may pool in certain areas, often in mountainous regions, and while the exact mechanics of this are unclear, these locations attract magicians from all over who wish to exploit these large concentrations of magical energy. These currents change through the ages, and places that were once strong in magic may lose the current, and their power will wane. Places that have high concentrations of magic will shift and grow or shrink in strength. Magic users themselves are only able to manipulate magical energy already around them, and cannot draw it where there is none. They can imbue objects with magical energy, but this is mostly to act as a battery for them as they travel, or to give them added strength. Some have found ways of concentrating this energy around their hands in battle, attacking others with melee strikes that can rip through armor. However, such tactics are difficult and users of these methods are rare, especially after the War.   Generations before this story, magic users ruled the land. The currents were at a point of transition, and were relatively evenly spread, with a historical maximum of concentration points. Due to a lack of rules about magic, many abused this power to take over territories, or to perform experiments. It reached a point where it became chaotic, and magician battled magician for secrets, or ganged up to extort towns of their money. One magician created weapons at a forge that was located at a magical concentration, granting the weapons unnatural strength and utility. A greatsword that felt as light as a stick. A bladed shield that would also act as a boomerang. Orbs of metal that could concentrate even the most minute amounts of magical energy around it into a dangerous sphere of naked magic. A bladed staff that could absorb magical assaults. Using these, he gathered followers and took down the bands of magicians, traveling across the continent to reestablish peace. Removing the magicians decimated the magic sensitive populations across the continent, and allowed people to recover. He also spread word on how magic should, and should not be used. However, he was not able to set up effective ways of maintaining control as he traveled, and his conquests fractured. Magicians faded into legends, and in some places, as boogeymen who would steal your children or turn you into animals. There were sporadic witch hunts in places, but little came of them aside from further demonization of magic users. The weapons that this magicians used were scattered by his followers and lost to legend. He is revered as a mythical hero.