Surthur

Surthur is a large continent in the south of the first layer of the Midlands. Surthur is mostly covered in volcanic ash, and there are many rivers and lakes of lava on the surface of the continent. This is because of the extremely active and large series of volcanoes that run along the length of the southern part of the continent in a mountain range, with everything north of the mountain range being hot and covered in ash, while the smaller area to the south of the vocanoes in a cold snowy place.
The western half of Surthur is controlled by the Ashen empire which rules over the vast gold deposits of Surthur, and the eastern half is ruled by the Obsidian Empire, which controls the amethysts and other gemstones which are found abundant in their lands. These two empires have waged with with eachother for thousands of years for control of the continent. In the far south, in the cold, snowy land beyond the mountain there are only iron-age tribes that have little contact with the outside world.
Surthur's natives are adapted to the hostile environment here. They are able to breathe in the smoky air, and have developed black/grey skin and a strong resistance to heat. Due to outsiders lacking these adaptations, they have not colonized any part of Surthur, but do trade regularly with them.

Geography

Surthur has a long curved shape to it. The northern 2/3 of the continent is covered in thick volcanic ash, rivers and lakes of lava, dark smoky skies, and charred forests. The southern 1/3 in stark contrast is cold, snowy, and bright. These two sections are divided by a vast mountain range that runs lengthwise along the continent. The lava flows flow north, and the great ash plumes from the volcanoes are all blown north by a constant strong wind, which is why the south is cold, and the north is hot and covered in ash.

Fauna & Flora

Most of the north of Surthur is mostly barren, but there are some forests which survive the heat. The trees of these forests are specially adapted to being lit of fire. When they catch on fire their outer layer burns off, but the inner layer of the tree doesn't burn, ensuring they survive, and when they burn they release seeds, which grow quickly in the volcanic ash.
The animals of Surther are specially adapted to the ash. There are many nutritious plants that grow under the ash, so the herbivourus animals all have large horns or tusks that they use to sweep away the ash to get to the plants underneath. Surthur is mostly inhabited by dinosaurs, with some birds and small mammals existing too. The dinosaurs on surthur, unlike most other dinosaurs don't grow feathers, and just have thick scaly skin.

Natural Resources

Surthur doesn't have much to offer, with little of value being found in it's burning wastelands. There is however a massive amount of gold in the western half of surthur, and huge amounts of amethyst and purple agate in the eastern half. These resources make up a majority of the exports of Surthur's nations, although some other large exports exist in the form of obsidian bladesm jewellery, and animal tusks and horns.

Type

Continent