Kalaman
Situated in the province of Nightlund in Solamnia’s eastern reaches, Kalaman is one of the nation’s most vital gateways to the outside world. The city, known as the Beacon of the East, rises along a deepwater port near the mouth of the Vingaard River, Solamnia’s greatest trade artery. Blessed with the bounty of the river, the benefits of trade, and the fertile soil of the Solamnic plains, the Kalaman region flourished even after the Cataclysm.
Kalaman began as a sleepy fishing village. Centuries before the Cataclysm, Istarian trading missions arrived and saw the potential of a deep harbor near the mouth of the river. The Empire of Istar invested heavily in the town, transforming it into a thriving trading hub. Solamnia soon found the Istarian hold on the port intolerable, and after a climactic battle on the plains west of the city, Istar ceded control of Kalaman.
Even today, long after the Cataclysm, Kalaman remains a thriving port city surrounded by tall Istarian-built walls that have never been breached. Vessels from all over Ansalon do their ply their trade under the watchful light of the city’s two grand beacons, pre-Cataclysm marvels that have survived for generations. At the center of the city, the ancient Castle Kalaman rises intimidatingly on a sheer hill. The castle’s architectural marvels include defenses that have yet to be recreated in the modern age.
People of the Region
The city of Kalaman itself is notably cosmopolitan, while most people in surrounding communities make their livelihood through fishing and farming. Many of the region’s inhabitants are Solamnic humans, while others descend from the city’s Istarian founders. Traders from all over Ansalon settle in Kalaman through preference or necessity. As a result, some humans hail or have ancestors from Abanasinia, Nordmaar, Ergoth, Estwilde, and farther-flung lands. Kender, hill dwarves, and gnomes are common in the region, while some elves, mountain dwarves, and other people also make their home in the city. Anyone is welcome in Kalaman if they come peaceably with goods to trade.
Surrounding Regions
To the west of the Kalaman region lies Hinterlund. Even farther west lies the Plains of Solamnia, from where crops and crafted goods make their way to Kalaman for trade. Even in parts of Solamnia closer to the port of Palanthas, it’s often cheaper and easier to move goods down the river to Kalaman.
North of Kalaman, the grasslands characteristic of Solamnia give way to the broken steppes and labyrinthine canyons known as the Northern Wastes. Deadly beasts, treacherous cliffs, and unpredictable flooding make the wastes a dangerous land where it’s said nothing survives for long.
East of Kalaman, the lands of Estewild hold inhospitable terrain and peoples who have been unfriendly to Solamnia since the days of Istar. Across the bay in norther Estewilde lie the swamps of the Qwalmish. To the south and east of Kalaman are the rolling steps of Qlettaar, which in turn give way to the forbidding peaks of the Taman Busuk region beyond Estewilde.
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