Heliot
The West Deserts
Separating the western peninsula from the rest of Kernier, Heliot is an arid region with little to show. Almost no written records of history exist in this region. The only life to be seen are hardy plants, small creatures, and the occasional nomadic tribe of humans. However, while the surface of Heliot is quite barren, rumors and legends speak of an old, powerful being or device that drains Heliot and everything within it of energy and life.
Most travelers do not stay in Heliot for long and are simply people seeking to enter or leave Sernia. In recent decades, with the growth of The Creator, these treks have become rarer and rarer. Many have tried to bring civilization and plantlife to the region, both practically and magically, but every attempt has failed. Only the hardy plantlife and animals that already exist in the area seem capable of surviving it.
Geography
The region is primarily desert, with the Greater Spine dividing it down the middle. This results in Heliot being subdivided into 3 main sections: West Heliot, East Heliot, and the Helation Spine. All three areas have differences in their terrain, but maintain the same dry climate.
Heliot is bordered to the south by Sernia, the north by Keliador, and the northeast by Antioch. It's shorelines run along the Great Tear Ocean to the west, and the Serasian Sea to the east.
West Heliot The Wasteland
West Heliot spans from the western slopes of the Greater Spine to the shores of the Great Tear Ocean. The entire land is hard and dry, making for a challenging terrain to travel on foot. While mostly flat, West Heliot is interspersed with hills and, closer to the mountains, tall mesas. Plantlife is uncommon, but present, dotting the landscape in rough, hardy stalks growing out of the cracks in the ground, with roots that run deep. The route connecting Sernia to Keliador runs through West Heliot, though many would recommend crossing the Greater Spine and Antioch, then travelling by boat through the Serasian Sea instead.
Helation Spine
Dividing Heliot down the middle is the Greater Spine, a mountain range that spans almost the entire length of Kernier. The section of mountains within Heliot, however, are far more treacherous. Whatever magical power drains the lowlands of life also leads these tall mountain peaks barren and dry. No snow can be found here - Only sharp, ragged cliffs and a complex network of tunnels, caves, and passes. Crossing the mountains in this region is considered suicidal by most, yet the nomadic Helation Tribes do so on a regular basis.
East Heliot The Desert
East Heliot, bordered by the Spine to the west and the Serasian Sea to the east, is primarily sandy dunes and desert. Strong winds gust throughout the region, kicking up sandstorms and dust devils on a regular basis. Very little life can be easily found here and when it is, it's mainly in the form of small lizards and mammals. Cacti and other small, hardy plants can be found spread out through the desert.
Origin
According to the Draconic Pantheon, Heliot was initially formed by Giriad, the god of earth, rock, and stone. The land, while arid, was far more hospitable than it is now, and home to Giriad's people: The Dwarve. These hardy, stout people used to live on the surface, but were slowly driven into the mountains, then north into Keliador, as the region gradually became more and more unhospitable to live. Myths and legends hold that the Dwarves found something beyond the power of even the Dragons, and this artifact or being began siphoning the life force of the region for its own magical purposes.
In Sernian teachings, it is said the land has been made barren by The Creator to protect his people from the unclean races on the other side of the desert.
Population
Heliot has no governing body, kingdom or otherwise. The region is, instead, populated by a collection of tribes known as Helations. These nomadic people travel across Heliot and traverse the Helation Spine - A part of the region considered especially deadly to anyone else. The tribes are primarily composed of humans, though some can include elves, dwarves, and gnomes from the neighbouring regions. Tribes that travel closer to Sernia tend toward pure human.
Helation tribes commonly stop in Keliador, Antioch, and Sernia's borders to conduct trade, connecting the three cultures. However, most of what these people bring to Sernia have recently been declared contraband by the High Inquisitor, Anor Warry. These tribes are also commonly hired to escort travelers across the wastelands, for a hefty fee.
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