Abanasinia

Capital: No official capital. Haven, as the largest population center, is the de facto capital.
Demographics: Humans, neidar, qualinesti, goblinoids, draconian.
Languages: Abanasinian, Ergotihian, various tribal languages.
Government: Confederation of city states, sovereign tribes.
Trade: Finished steel goods (weapons, armor, tools, etc.), grains, ale and spirits, trained horses, lumber.
Abanasinia is a rich and fertile land of broad plains, rolling hills, deep forests, and rushing rivers. Situated south of the Straights of Schallsea and north of Qualinost, it's a loosely organized region of city states, independent townships, and sovereign nomadic tribes. Abanasinia has never been under the direct rule of any one government, not even during the time of the Kingpriests of Istar. During the time just prior to the War of the Lance, several towns and cities united to form a theocracy under the rulership of the Seekers religious movement. This didn’t last long, because the War of the Lance brought the return of the old religion and the destruction of many old governments.
The central portion of the region is dominated by the north fork of the Kharolis Mountains, known locally as the Sentinel Peaks, and by a small, unconnected range to the east called Eastwall that separates the central region from the east coast and Cursed Lands. South of the Sentinel Peaks is mist-shrouded Darkenwood and the mighty Whiterage River. The western part of the region is a dense forest that was once the northern reaches of Qualinost until the Cataclysm. The northern third of the region consists of the wide, fertile plains for which Abanasinia is so famous, and is home to numerous nomadic peoples collectively known as Plainsmen.

Climate

Abanasinian weather tends to be fickle. Its hot summers last from late Corij to early Reorxmont, providing near-perfect conditions for the grains grown here. Rain does not come regularly to the plain, but falls in downpours when it arrives. Long stretches of sultry weather fill the space between summer storms. Winter begins in H’rarmont and lasts into Chislmont. During this time, the moist air from the Straits of Schallsea clashes with bitterly cold air from the mountains, producing heavy snowfalls. The critical pass of Sentinel Gap in the Seeker Lands often snows closed, leaving Solace cut off from Haven.

Politics

Haven is run by a city council headed by a powerful mayor or "Lord Mayor". Abanasinia's major port cities, Crossing and New Ports, are ruled by merchant princes while the minor ports are led by councils or mayors. Mayors or shiriffs rule the interior towns such as Solace and Long Ridge. In some towns, the mayors are elected, while in others they are chosen through elaborate competitive tests of mind and body. In Haven, its leaders are the descendants of the city's founders.
While the Plainsmen tribes aren’t particularly welcoming to outsiders, the other communities of the region accept those who have moved from other parts of Ansalon. The region is isolated enough that it has become a haven for those leaving some other life. Unwanted half-elves, drifting Ergothians, and exiled Solamnics have all found homes in Abanasinia.

Notable Geographic Features

Despite its reputation for broad plains and wide-open sky, Abanasinia is remarkably geographically diverse. From the deep western forests to the central mountain ranges to the great eastern swamps, nearly every conceivable type of terrain can be found here. The following geographical information is provided here to ease your passage through Abanasinia and into greater Ansalon.

Crystalmir Lake

The lake is the only significant body of water north of the White-Rage River and lies in a lowland area called Solace Vale located in a sheltered valley between the forks of the Sentinel Peaks. Renowned for its clear, cold water and excellent fishing, Crystalmir Lake is enjoyed by the people of Solace and the northern farmers.

Darkenwood

Broken up by a series of mountain ridges and bordered to the south by the Whiterage Cut, Darken Wood is shunned by Abanasinians for its reputation as a cursed and haunted wood. Those who brave its shadowy interior discover a wondrous but deadly world of faerie magic, as Darkenwood is home to the largest faerie court in Ansalon. A mysterious fae known as the Forestmaster is the current ruler of Darkenwood, but little information exists about who, or what, they exactly are.

Direwood

Direwood goes by many names among Ansalon's people. Seekers called it The Unnameable and forbade the faithful from entering. Its most common name among the plainsmen is The Trap, and they treat it with a mix of superstitious dread and deep respect. While the forest is home to numerous exotic plants and animals useful in the creation of potions, poultices, and medicines, an unknown curse lies over it that makes harvesting the flora and fauna exceedingly dangerous. Some legends speak of legions of ghosts haunting a lone stretch of the ancient Imperial Road that still exists deep in the forest's heart. Others speak of undead horrors, the restless spirits of ancient elven dead, and even an alleged portal to the abyss. Whatever the case, Direwood is a dangerous place and is best avoided.

Eastwall

The Eastwall Mountains are located in the east-central region of Abanasinia and divide the plains from the coast. They're neither as high nor as grand as the Kharolis Mountains, and only a few peaks are visible above the conifer and aspen heavy forest. The rugged terrain is home to many animals including deer, elk, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, mountain lions, and wolves. Many of the mountain streams and rivers feed the great eastern swamp known as the Cursed Lands. Before the Cataclysm these mountains were traveled by traders coming and going from Xak Tsaroth to the western lands of Abanasinia using Sageway East through Forsaken Pass. But since the cataclysm, few have ventured to these mountains, including the plainsmen who rarely hunt here due to owlbears making it their home.

Forsaken Pass

The Forsaken Pass rises from a pleasant meadow in the eastern foothills of the Eastwall and provides a route for Sageway East to cross the mountains into central Abanasinia. It runs through miles of heavily wooded hills and natural clefts in the low mountains, and is one of the only safe ways into Abanasinia's interior from the great swamp. The only structure in the pass is an ancient fortification that once defended the pass’ eastern approach. Most of its walls have long since collapsed to rubble, but characters searching the ruins will find unmistakable dwarven runes carved into the rock, runes of blessing and protection. Any magic they once might have had has long since dissipated, however. Since the Cataclysm, the pass has fallen into disrepair and the trail is so overgrown that it almost vanishes in places.

I've heard of this supposed ruined dwarven fort in the Forsaken Pass, but I've never seen it and I don't believe we built it. There are no records in Thorbardin of an outpost in those mountains, and even before the Cataclysm that part of Ansalon was well beyond our reach. Whatever it is, if it exists, it's probably worth seeking out. —BT

Prayers Eye Peak

The closest peak to Solace, Prayers Eye Peak is an old glacial mountain with a split peak that resembles two praying hands from a distance. The wooded eastern slopes have numerous trails that are used by the locals, though none lead directly to the peak itself. It's said that a powerful mystic lives in the steep, narrow valley between the split peaks and that anyone who finds them can have one question answered truthfully.

Sageway East

The remains of Ergoth's once vast trade network, Sageway East was first built nearly 2,000 years ago. This ancient highway runs east from the former village of Que-Shu through Forsaken Pass and into the great Eastern Swamp. Other sageways exist all across Abanasinia's plains, reminders that it was once part of the great Ergothian empire.

The only reason the sageways exist today at all is that they were built by dwarven hands with dwarven tools and dwarven stone. The Ergothians could barely build a brick wall in those days, let alone a sturdy road. If you ever find yourself walking a stretch of sageway, remember to thank our ancestors for your comfortable walk. —BT.

Sentinel Peaks

The Sentinel Peaks is the name for the northern fork of the Kharolis Mountains that stretch into Abanasinia. These ranges are dwarfed by the larger mountains to the south, and have several key passes in them to enable travelers to move further southward. The passes tend to snow over in the colder seasons, and can often become blocked.

The Cursed Lands

Situated between the Eastwall and Newsea, the Cursed Lands consist of two general regions—the western ironclaw forest and the eastern swamps surrounding the ruins of Xak Tsaroth. The ironclaw forest abuts the Eastwall and is a dense, dark land dominated by ironclaw trees. These towering trees thrive in wetlands and their complex root network grows half above and half below ground, making passage through the forest difficult at best. The ground in the ironclaw forest is saturated with water and dotted here and there with streams and ponds. It's generally mucky, humid, and miserable under the dark green ironclaw canopy. No roads or trails are cut through the forest, and no notable settlements exist within. The forest is primarily home to birds, reptiles, amphibians, and swarms of insects. Some small animals, mainly rodents and other vermin, call the forest home, but no large mammals or monsters have been reported here.

There are rumors that lizardfolk have migrated into the cursed lands and claimed large areas as their own. If you travel here, watch your step.

Closer to Xak Tsaroth, the wet, mossy ground of the ironclaw forest gives way to a brackish, poisonous wetland. The ironwoods grow thinner here, broken up by fetid bogs and stagnant, algae-covered ponds. Here and there, still, black waters encircle islands of soggy ground. Narrow land bridges or slimy fallen logs connect the islands. Occasional ripples on the scum-laden ponds indicate that something lives beneath the surface. The entire region has a sour, metallic smell mixed with the reek of rotting vegetation and stagnant water. Most of the marsh is covered in algae and nameless green scum, and the waters carry various nasty diseases.

During the War, a mature black dragon named Khisanth laired in Xak Tsaroth where she was placed in charge of a battalion of draconians. Her primary mission was to keep some ancient relics of Mishakal out of the hands of Takhisis' enemies. She failed and was ultimately killed and her draconian forces scattered, but her presence still lingers in the great swamp. Even today, the wetlands haven't recovered from her corrupting influence, and much of the flora and fauna remains twisted and evil.

Western Wood

Before the Cataclysm, Western Wood was the northwestern portion of Qualinesti. In the years after the Cataclysm, a plague swept through this region and killed most of the elves living there. The survivors abandoned their decimated towns and retreated south toward Qualinost where the effects of the plague weren't so extreme. Humans living in the area, who were immune to the plague, moved in and settled the abandoned elven lands. They buried the dead, rebuilt the towns, and set to making lives for themselves in the deep forest. After about a decade, the elves tried to take back their abandoned lands, but the human settlers refused to budge. A short, bloody conflict was fought with no clear winner, and a truce was eventually negotiated by the Seeker government at Solace. The human settlers were allowed to keep their land and a new, fortified border was drawn separating the forest from the elven lands.
To this day, the elves are bitter about the loss of Western Wood, but time and the ravages of the War have reduced their incandescent rage to a sullen acceptance. The people who live in the Western Wood are a hardy mix of hunters, trappers, loggers, and homesteaders. The forest is dotted with small villages and settlements, but nothing approaching a city. The forest itself is a mix of various deciduous trees and shrubs inhabited by a broad variety of animals and birds. While it's a hard place to eke out a living, the Western Wood is one of the safest, most welcoming woodlands in Ansalon.

Whiterage River

The Whiterage is the largest river in southwestern Ansalon. Fed from numerous streams and smaller rivers in Qualinesti and the Sentinel Peaks, the river runs east from Haven, through the ironclaw forest and great swamp, to Newsea. The western part of the Whiterage is fast and shallow with long stretches of dangerous rapids making it difficult to navigate. West of Haven the river broadens and becomes deeper. This section all the way to Newsea is easily navigable and only a scattered handful of sandbars and rock outcroppings pose any threat to shipping. The Whiterage is home to various fish, bird, reptile, and amphibian species, and its tributaries provide water and sea access to many of Abanasinia's settlements.

Cities, Towns, and Settlements

Abanasinia is primarily a land of villages, not cities. Aside from Haven, Crossing, and New Ports, most of Abanasinia is made up of small to medium-sized settlements with the occasional large town like Solace here and there. Even Haven, despite its aspirational title of "Lord City" is more a large town than an actual city. The following cities, towns, and settlements are just a few of the places you may visit during the first part of your mission.

Ankatavaka

Crossing

Goodbay

Haven

Long Ridge

New Ports

Shrivost

Solace

Tantallon

Zaradene

Known Ruins and Curious Landmarks

Although small and provincial, Abanasinia has its share of historical ruins, strange wonders, and curious landmarks. Ruins are particularly common in among the Sentinel Peaks, in the Eastwall, and in the lowlands region around Haven. Many of these ruins date back to before the Cataclysm, their origins and histories lost to time. Others are relatively new but no less interesting, like Eld Manor or Gaedra's Citadel. The list below is not an exhaustive catalog of the region's ruins, but a list of major places you may encounter during your mission.

Eld Manor

Gaedra's Citadel

Gateway

North Keep

The Tower of Truth

Westwood Light

Xak Khalan

Xak Tsaroth

Type

Geopolitical, Country