Ak'Aidor
The North Ashlands
A northern region surrounded by mountains, Ak'Aidor is a land of both arctic climate and volcanic ash-lands. A vast majority of the region is almost always covered in clouds of ash and darkness from the active volcanoes dotting the landscape. The region is entirely surrounded in mountains from both the Lesser Spine and The Divide, and bordered along the northeastern shore by the Great Tear Ocean. On the other side of the mountains, bordering the region are Keliador to the west, Antioch to the southwest, and Krasi to the southeast.
Ak'Aidor is a land created by the God of Shadows, Kithar, and is the home of the draconic race that call themselves Drakon.
Geography
Despite being primarily described as an arctic, volcanic wasteland, Ak'Aidor actually has a varied landscape. While a number of volcanic peaks dot the landscape, a majority of the region is actually low flatlands scarred by active lava flows, calderas, sporadic deadwood forests, and rocky outcroppings. The near-constant ash-fall from the various volcanoes in Ak'Aidor leaves the region in perpetual darkness, with ash covering the ground everywhere. Strangely enough, this falling ash is completely harmless to anyone in the region, a curiosity said to be the act of Kithar by the shadow god's Drakon followers.
The North Shores
Main article: North Shores
While the active lava flows throughout most of Ak'Aidor prevent frost from taking hold on the ground, the northern reaches of the region that touch the Great Tear Ocean are free from most volcanic activity yet still within the reach of the ever-present clouds of ash lingering in the sky. This leaves the shoreline a cold, dark, and icy land inhabited only by a few smaller Drakon tribes.
The Ashlands
Main article: Ashlands
Encompassing a majority of Ak'Aidor, the Ashlands are a large area of plains and hills. This region is in perpetual twilight from the dark ash clouds covering the sky from the nearby volcanoes. These same volcanoes provide the region with lava flows and pools, active geysers, and an ever-present blanket of ash covering the ground.
Dragon of the Ash
Concept art of a Blood-Wing Shadow Dragon in the Ashlands of Ak'Aidor.
The Deadwoods
Main article: Deadwoods
While a majority of Ak'Aidor is a large hilly plain of ash, surrounded by a mountainous ring, the region is not without its forests. Most notable is the Deadwood - A forest spanning the southeastern portion of the region along the base of The Divide. Named for the dark gray coloration caused by the ash-falls, the Deadwood is a forest of 'evergreen' trees with a similar name, capable of growing and surviving in the cold, dark lands of Ak'Aidor.
Kithar's Throne
Main article: Kithar's Throne
In the middle of the dark Ashlands rests a tall, lone mountain. This mountain, named after the draconic god of shadows Kithar, overshadows the ash-lands around it and is a source of various constantly flowing rives of lava. Within a large caldera on the summit of the mountain rests an ornate structure of various stones, including basalt and obsidian arrayed in a large circle - The Summit Throne itself where Kithar sometimes rests. Drakon priests commonly make pilgrimages to this shrine, seeking guidance and power from their god.
The Divide
Main article: The Divide
Along the south-eastern border of Ak'Aidor is an almost unnatural looking mountain range. Known as 'The Divide', these mountains separate the volcanic region from its neighbor, Krasi. According to legend, this mountain range was erected suddenly by the Dragon Gods in retaliation to a Drakon invasion of its neighboring territories, completely locking the region in with mountains and ocean. Unlike the more forgiving peaks and valleys of the Lesser Spine, the Divide is treacherous and dangerous, making travel to Krasi near impossible for most.
The Lesser Spine
Main article: Lesser Spine
Isolating Ak'Aidor from the rest of Kernier is the southern half of a range of mountains known as the Lesser Spine. Far more forgiving than the steep, treacherous mountains of the Divide, the Lesser Spine has numerous trails and valleys allowing passage in and out of Ak'Aidor to its neighbors in the west.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Great Tear Ocean
Keliador
Krasi
Comments
Author's Notes
Ak'Aidor is a contender for one of my favorite regions in Kernier. There's something about the idea of perpetual twilight, clouds of ash, smoke and fire, and a race of draconic people serving a god of shadows that call this land their home that I really like.