Great Green Plains
The vast majority of Latreous is flat plains, regularly grouped into three distinct plains regions. The first of these is known as the
Western Greenlands, which encompasses all of modern-day Arthuria, the
Kingdom of Cheval, and parts of modern-day Kryos. The Greenlands contains vast open land, with little elevation and sparse forests. Crops grow easily in the soil, and many species of wildflower have been domesticated over the years. That's not to say the Greenlands is completely free of danger, as many large apex predators still roam the land, hunting the herds of wild buffalo, plains cows, and wild horses that still run free.
The second of these is the
Kryosan Plains. These dry, grassy lands stretch across all of modern-day Kryos, along with parts of
The Kingdom of Ferrum and the small
Duchy of Vicar. The thin grasses are interspersed with low, sloping hills and thick forests that are nigh impenetrable. Indeed, these forests are full of strange and dangerous creatures mutated by the wild magics that permeate the trees and plants. The most dangerous of these is the
Verdantarion Forest just outside of Kryos' capital city of
Gladius. This ancient wood is said the be the oldest on Icarus, and at its heart lies the massive
Heart of Paneros, a tree that can be seen towering over the forest. The wild magics within this dense copse of trees are highly unpredictable, and it is said that only the ancient order of the
Satyrs know how they work.
The last plains region is the
Talkur Steppe, a cold and rocky stretch of land encompassing all of the modern-day
Republic of Nogdul along with parts of the
Kingdom of Hoar. For centuries, the semi-nomadic
Dulesh Orcs have roamed the Steppe, hunting large herbivores while riding on the backs of surly and ill-tempered
Grunt Boars while living and farming within settlements called "Nul", meaning "Fortress" or "Stronghold" in the Dulesh language. The region has also long been home to the
Hoarfrost Unicorns, who have farmed what crops they can in the Steppe's unforgiving soil. However, these brawny and thick-furred unicorns have made themselves famous (or infamous, depending on who you ask) by sailing the many rivers and lakes of Latreous in their sleek and maneuverable longships. These longships have allowed the Hoarfrost to do two major things: trade and raid.
The Riverlands
Laying between the
Kingdom of Athuria and the
Republic of Nogdul are
The Riverlands. This vast stretch of swampy land is the intersection of several rivers that run from the eastern side of the continent. The thick forests and deep swamps are home to two particular species who can't survive long without being near some type of water: the frog-like
River Orcs and the catfish-like
Kelpies. Despite differences, both of these groups live in relative peace with each other, often sharing a mutual history of discrimination, as the Riverlands run through not only Arthuria and Nogdul, but also the
Kingdom of Cheval and even parts of the
Empire of Kryos.
Deltas of Doggur
But plains are not all that Latreous has to offer. At the southern tip of the continent lies the
Dogguran Delta, a unique peninsula of land home to the entire modern-day nation of the
Kingdom of Doggur. Bordered in the north by the
Tungstun Mountains, nearly every river in Latreous finds its way to the sea here. This has made the peninsula quite swampy, home to many coastal swamps, marshes, and bogs. The center of the Delta, however, rests up a solid layer of granite, shale, and limestone, full to bursting with quartz crystals of every size, shape, and color, with the largest deposit resting beneath the Dogguran capital of
Forge.
Iron Caldera
Another feature of note within Latreous is the
Ferran Caldera, a massive ring of mountains that contain the heartland of The
Kingdom of Ferrum. Evidence once suggested that the Caldera was not simply a name, but was once an ancient supervolcano. While the supervolcano is no more, the volcanic
Mt. Russel still sits at its heart, occasionally erupting and providing the soil with fertile ash along with the destruction it brings.
Ice, Death, and Ancient Secrets
The last, but certainly not least, feature of note within Latreous is the far northern region known as the
Ice Wastes. Beyond the borders of the Kingdom of Hoarfrost lies a range of mountains known as the
Giant's Teeth Mountains, and beyond them is an icy tundra so cold that it can freeze even the hardiest of living creatures solid within mere minutes. Winds that howl at over 100 MPH and ice storms that can strip the flesh from a dragon ensure that nothing can live here. But peaking out from the snow and the ice are ancient structures that seem impossible. They have never been explored, though many have tried, never to return. In the farthest north rages a storm that sends out magical pulses that even the most novice spellcaster can feel, leading many scholars to hypothesize that the Ice Wastes may have not always been as inhospitable as they currently are. But the question still remains as to how it got that way and, even more frightening, what once lived there?
