Amilyn (Am-ih-lin)
Geography
Amilyn is a disparate land that changes dramatically as one wanders from end to end. The north is primarily flat plains, with the eastern realms of Tol Baldir and Caroux dominated by vast forests and thick swamps. To the west, through The Uluk Empire, the land slopes downward at a gentle place, a remnant of when the lands were ruptured by The Bore, and set crashing against the edge of the world. Cliffs surround this small parcel, with a few natural ports providing great wealth and importance to those lucky enough to claim them.
Through the heart of the continent lies the Mountains Glym, a vast array of towering earth that bars passage to all those who wish safe journey to the other side. West of this great range lies The Crowlands, a desolate land of undeath and ruin, barren of life and empty of all but the most demented beings. East then is the Ashweald, a dour swamp and safe haven for the Corpse Lords and Rag-Pirates of the Ashuran Ocean. An ever-changing locale, its briny waters hold countless islands cast adrift upon their tides.
Deeper south come the lands of Naggarn, filled with verdant farmland and gentle hills, scattered with old-growth forests possessed of strange spirits and stranger things in the dark. Two vast Cairn Woods dominate large swathes of the east and west, home to the Elven Tribes that live their lives in isolation, enraptured by the brutal politics of fae rivalry. The Elfar'Vir runs through this realm, less imposing than the bleak Mountains Glym and Mount Mordain, but filled with the uncertainty so common to darkling gods.
Ecosystem
This continent is a verdant place that generally experiences pleasant and temeperate cycles, encouraging life to flourish and civilisations to prosper. Unfortunately, what creatures that live here, and what empires are formed, are shaped by more than just their environment. Cryptic influence has left a bitter mark upon this lands history, and it is a place of strife, of hunter and hunted, of predator and prey. Most of life is trapped in violence, until eventually it ends the same.
Ecosystem Cycles
Being that it is trapped within the orbit around the Iyl Draconys, the seasons of Amilyn are dictated not by their position in relation to the sun, but in relation to The Great Veil. Amilyn itself undergoes great change as the shadow falls across the land, as the Winter claims the continent for the years to come. Creatures long buried come lurking to the surface, a deep night falls across the sky, and crops fail leading to war, strife and anarchy. This is a time of desperation, where what moral laws that cling to the mortal soul are abandoned entirely in the name of survival. During this period, the Cryptics that dwell upon Amilyn grow malign, and the shrieking mass of The Harlequin's Court emerges for their greatest performance. Such only drives the land deeper into suffering, barely surviving until Summer comes again.
During the Summer, supernatural malignacy is replaced with a much more mundane mortal cruelty. Harmony, however, is restored and creatures live in careful balance with each other as nations grow, war and evolve throughout this more 'peaceful' time.
Localized Phenomena
The lands of Amilyn possess what most would consider to be a typical array of weather, ranging from heavy storms to gentle breezes. There are, however, two particular events seemingly unique to the continent, and of endless fascination to those dwellers of other lands.
The Lash-Winds are a strange occurance that seem to originate from stellar storms drawn from outside The Hand. Why they only strike at Amilyn is unknown, but without warning or emergence can they tear across the continent. Temeperatures plunge as they pass, and their bite rends not the body but the soul. Those frail or weak in spirit can find their light extinguished, cast adrift into the quiet void. They are not common or wide-spread fortunately, and most occur in the high Mountains Glym or Mount Mordain.
The other, far more benign event, is The Imaris, named after the Fae-Prince Imar who rules over The Enchanting Light. Occasionally, during deep storms throughout the night, the sky will flicker and bend, sending streaks and plumes of vivid emerald shrieking throughout the air. Plenty of supersititons and omens have been born from these evenings, but fortunately, they appear to cause no harm to those who witness them.
Fauna & Flora
Amilyn is home to a vast range of creatures and wild plant, with each region possessed of countless unique variants. Whether it be Dyr'Fain of the blasted Crowlands, or the fabled Black Yew of The Cinderwood, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to list every beast and plant there is. That said, there number some creatures whose existence is lonely, whose bloodline ends with them. The dark line of monsters and abominations has faded in the wake of civilisation, but plenty still roam the shadows just out of sight.
Natural Resources
Possessed of a rich variety of metals and ores, Amilyn is blessed and cursed with such bounty. By means of such access have they been able to advance steadily and repeatedly in the wake of disaster, and by the wealth have they wrought wonders of engineering and machine-craft. Alas, with such boons comes the curse of war; their very fortune the reason behind their endless strife. They also possess access to a few materials seemingly unknown outside of their continent.
Glint is produced deep beneath the ground, within the vast Empire of Makir. Through the gates of Glymgol do they sell but the tiniest fragment to those interested, charging a kings ransom for but a single shard or sliver. There is good reason people pay for such, however, as the material is known to be nearly unbreakable, and possessed of a great capacity for magic required in the most terrible and potent rituals. Being an alloy of Clock-Steel, there are many in the northern kingdoms who regards its existence as heresy, but its relative safety and countless uses has allowed secular opinion to win out... For now.
Black Yew, or Cinderwood, is a timber found from its namesake forest near the edges of The Brazen Empire. Legend states that once an endless fire raged within the soul of those trees, extinguished only by The Maw's search for its heart. What remained then was a durable yet springy material, perfect for the construction of bows, and possessing a durability against the flame not unlike stone. It even appears to provide an ember edge to those weapons or arrows hewn from its material. Unfortunately, few pieces of this timber make it to sale, for The Cinderwood is a jealous place, and not fond of those who bring axe against the bark.
Elvarn Steel, known to the Tennen-Cairn as Vol'nyr, is a strange metal. Possessed of a ghostly hue, it exists as much within The Shade as within reality. It is found only in the Elfar'Vir, picked up by Tennarn hunters and brought back to be fashioned into any number of tools or trinkets. None outside the clans know how they work such metal, for common equipment will ring hollow against it, striking not the form but its shadow. It is said that weapons made from such material can pierce a Cryptic heart, even when it is not manifested, and that armour forged by its nature can guard against even the most terrible magics. So little of this material has made it out of the Cain Woods, however, that such stories are unproven.
History
The history of Amilyn is one of doubt, uncertainty, deceit and myth. During the end of the First Turning, as the world was still in flux, life did appear to prosper across its surface. Great ruins still dot the continent, their style and technology bizzare and engimatic. Known as The Quiet Court or The Silent Empire by those nations now dwelling in these lands, at some point did they dissapear entirely. They appeared to capture parts of the land, and through magic or science, bind them to safety and security, allowing their survival amidst the primordial formation of the world. The Elvarn claim to remember these people, or at least their stories do, but the specifics are vague and nearly meaningless, claiming nothing but that they were there.
With the disappearance of The Silent Empire, the Elvarn soon took to supremacy. They bound their blood with dragons and gave worship to their callow gods. The Cairn was formed; a tenuous alliance between the Darkling Gods and the Fae Princes, and the world evolved into violent feud but general peace. With the coming of The Mouring War however, a schism started over hatred towards the divine, the Elven nations were shattered, their people broken into four tribes that scattered throughout the continent. Each had diverged heavily at this point, reflecting the Crpytic spirits to which they had aligned with.
So broken, as the Third Turning slowly came to be, the more mortal races emerged to fill the vacumn. Orcs, Humans, Glymnar and countless others found room to expand amidst these ruins, and nations rose and fell in constant competition for both survival, and supremacy. The Realms of Makir expanded greatly beneath the ground and, at their height, spread from one edge of the world to the other. None of the surface-dwellers can know for certain that their claim is true, but vast are the lands of the Dwarrow, and equally riven by conflict. To the west would Thenia fall into madness and agony, as the dreaded Crowfather would enact his ritual and plunge the region into death, as those survivors of this catastrophe would flee into the Ashweald, beginning the reign of The Rag-Pirates. The Elvarn Tribes would cement into four; the Dragon-Sick merchant-princes of Tol Baldir, the gloaming reavers of the Vokai, the bitter masters of the Tennen-Cairn and the bright lords of the Failin'Die. Relationships between them would grow distant and cold, and each would begin to change as their obsession took hold.
Eventually, the formation of the modern world would emerge. Humanity would settle in the southern-lands, assimilating with the Elvarn Tribes and forming the dark nation of Naggaryn under the banner of Scarrow Black. The Orcs would eventually abandon their connection to Samadhi, The Wyld Hunt, and form The Uluk Empire, accepting all those who believe in the communal good. Later still would the broken nations of the north band together into The Brazen Empire, and begin their eternal feud with the Uluks to the west.
Tourism
Amilyn does experience a few visitors from time to time, almost exclusively from the neighbouring continent of Jainir. Operating mostly as traders through Tol Baldir, a few scholars have arrived to examine the unusual phenomena that occurs across the continent. Most do not stay for long, however, for the dangers are many and different from whence they came. They travel for a while, and then depart, taking their knowledge and findings with them.
Maps
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Amilyn (31/47/04)
This is a map of Amilyn, circa 31/47/04
Alternative Name(s)
The Westran, Cairn'Diol
Type
Continent
Location under
Included Locations
Included Organizations
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