Abanasinia

Abanasinia found itself near the shores of the New Sea, created after the Fiery Mountain struck Krynn. Perhaps the most relaxed region of Ansalon, the plains are home to numerous tribes of plains barbarians, as well as the cities of Solace, Haven, Gateway and at least one hill dwarf community. Whilst the region is best known for it's wide and verdant plains, it also has a number of city states dotted throughout. Those from Abanasinia are called Abanasinian. Though many of the villages and towns of Abanasinia were destroyed in the War of the Lance, and again following the Second Cataclysm, the inhabitants continue to rebuild their homes. The tree town of Solace is perhaps the most significant village in Abanasinia, for here the legendary Majere Family lives among the mighty vallenwood trees. Here also is the Inn of the Last Home, the most famous inn of any sort on Ansalon. North of Solace are the shores of Crystalmir Lake, and southwest of the lake are the boughs of Darken Wood, where the living dare not enter. Its borders are protected by a legion of undead soldiers, and the wood is governed by the mysterious Forestmaster.
To the east lie the grassy plains, home of the barbarian tribes. If one ventures eastward further, the plains gradually become a huge swamp, which houses the ruins of Xak Tsaroth. Abanasinia is perhaps the most sheltered of the many regions of Ansalon: with Thorbardin, the Kharolis Mountains and the Neidar Dwarf (hill dwarf) communities to its south, the swamps of Xak Tsaroth, the Eastwall Mountains and New Sea to the east, the Straits of Schallsea to the north and Qualinesti to the west, Abanasinia is well protected.
Age of Despair :
Prior to the Cataclysm, the land which would become known as Abanasinia was ruled by the tribes of the plains. Whilst the Cataclysm had very little impact, it did see the majority of the tribes turn from the gods and instead revert to ancestor and totem worship as their primary religion. Many towns were founded along the coastline of Abanasinia, and more extensive trade routes were established between the towns of the region. Goblins and bandits preyed on merchant caravans, however an influx of mercenaries into Abanasinia, finally saw an end to their threat. The disappearance of the gods led to a new religion based on false gods known as the Seekers, which sprouted in Abanasinia. The Seekers formed a theocracy in the region and ruled several towns, basing their headquarters in Haven. However their reign ended with the War of the Lance.
The War of the Lance brought the Red Dragonarmy through Abanasinia, who conquered the region with Highlord Verminaard at their head. The army crushed the plains barbarians and subjugated the majority of the towns of the region to their will, enslaving many Abanasinian inhabitants in the mines of Pax Tharkas. However it was from this region that the Heroes of the Lance emerged and eventually defeated Verminaard

The Plains :
The Plains of Abanasinia are not the largest on Ansalon (not by a long shot), but to the provincial people of Solace and Haven, they seem to stretch on forever. The bulk of the Plains stretch north from Solace to the sea and an arm reach to Solace’s east. The Abanasinian Plains are the home of semi-nomadic tribal humans. The Qué-Teh, QuéKiri, and Qué-Shu peoples settle in villages in the wide valley east of Solace for at least part of the year; the sites of these towns are well-established, determined by mutual agreement reached hundreds of years earlier in an attempt to end the nearly constant low-intensity warfare among the tribes. With that fighting in the past, the Plainsmen live in relative security, though they are much more at the mercy of wind and weather than their distant cousins in the hamlets and farms around Solace, Gateway, and other Abanasinian towns.
That said, the Plainsmen continue to maintain a proud warrior tradition. They are descendants of the barbarian tribes who joined with Fistandantilus during the Dwarfgate War; martial skills (especially riding, archery, and wilderness survival) are still highly valued. The Plains are an untamed and dangerous place; wild beasts, bandits preying on travelers, and stranger things still are known to roam the grasslands.
Traveling through the Plains :
The Abanasinian Plains are grasslands, stretching from the hills around Solace north and east to the sea. The land isn’t mirror-flat; the plains are gently rolling, broken by the occasional stream or rain gully. Two thousand years ago, the ancient Ergothians constructed a system of stone-paved roads across the Abanasinian Plains. Though now reduced to rough trails, bits and pieces of this network are still useable. The Plainsmen call it the Sageway, and it’s still used by travelers and nomads alike. The East Road, part of this ancient system, leads out of Solace, through the Kiri Valley, over the northernmost ridge of the Kharolis Mountains, and down into the village of Qué-Kiri. Trails run from QuéKiri to Qué-Shu and Qué-Teh, from Qué-Teh to Gateway, and east from Qué-Shu into the Eastwall Mountains. A road runs north from Solace toward the far-off coastal towns of Crossing and North Keep.
The landscape of the Plains has been scarred by thousands of marching feet and hundreds of two-wheeled wagons. The grasses, which normally would be tall and ready to seed this time of year, are trampled to dust. In much of the region, the only living things are the insects and carrion birds feasting on the slain—the heroes cannot travel half a mile without seeing the corpse of a Plainsman. Their livestock and horses are nowhere to be found; presumably, the passing army took them as food or beasts of burden.
Weather :
The temperate Abanasinian Plains have warm summers and cool, dry winters. In autumn, the time of year in which this adventure occurs, the weather turns somewhat unpredictable; the warm, wet winds coming from Southern Ergoth and Southlund are beginning to be replaced by the colder breezes coming from the towering Kharolis Mountains to the south. Thunderstorms can roll across the plains from any direction, depending on the whim of the winds. The morning’s reassuring northerly breeze can be replaced in the afternoon by the chill from the south, a reminder that winter’s night must fall soon.
Flora and Fauna :
Tall grasses dominate, occasionally reaching up to four feet high; they average one to two feet high in most places, providing excellent grazing for large herbivores and good cover for stalking predators. Small copses and groves of windblown trees cluster in stream gullies, washouts, and other protected spots. The heroes spot small herds of wild oxen, bison, and (especially in the higher steppes close to the mountains) antelope, and some of the streams are large enough to support trout. In the region between Solace and the Eastwall Mountains, the herds aren’t large enough to support vast numbers of predators, but the Plainsmen have learned to avoid those that do exist.
The Seeker Lands :
The lands the Seekers hold sway over include the entire stretch of Abanasinia, from the edge of the Plains to the borders of Qualinesti. Darken Wood and Haven have their own sections, while the rest are handled below. The Seeker Lands are a mixture of mountains and wooded valleys, with pleasant streams and pastures at the base of steep white cliffs and windswept crags.
AB 12: Twin Flats
As the heroes travel through the section of the New Haven Road known as Twin Flat, they encounter a section of draconians in disguise. This is a great chance for a hero good at bluff or smooth talk to work his magic. A clear mountain valley sprawls in every direction around you. To the northwest and southeast, thick vallenwood forests flash their yellow and scarlet finery. To the east shimmers the cool blue of the Crystalmir Lake, two shades lighter than the bright autumn sky. Westward, the valley enters a canyon rimmed by granite cliffs. Only in the northeast does the valley floor continue unobstructed.

AB 13: Prayer’s Eye Peak
This is where you saw the white stag leading you to darken wood
An autumn breeze carries the sharp, fresh scents of fallen leaves and cooling air. To the southwest, the white-capped outline of Prayer’s Eye Peak soars in the distance. Barely visible from here, a sharp crack splits the peak, the two halves pressed together like two hands in a worshipful pose.
AB 15: Sentinel Gap
Walls of granite soar on either side of the narrow canyon floor. A chilly breeze whistles between the cliffs.
AB 16: Twin Peaks Vale
The twin peaks, Tasin and Fasin, stand to either side of the Shadow Canyon and overlook the north road to the capital city of Haven. In front of them, a lush mountain valley echoes with the sweet sounds of the forest.
AB 17: Shadow Canyon
Solid granite cliffs vault high overhead, forming walls that seem to scrape the clouds, casting shadows into the crevasse which are broken only for one hour each day at noon. The canyon floor is narrow, well-traveled, and clear.