Midlands Overview

The Midlands are the mild, well-populated regions along the western coast of Sableheim. Here can be found a number of thriving kingdoms and city states, along with some of the most ancient and sought-after sites on the continent.
This region, along with the Shingan peninsula far to the east, is where the majority of newcomers to the continent make landfall. Travelers should be aware of the various areas within the Midlands, and the settlements they contain.
Most of this region falls under the banner of Vaelgard, a would-be empire whose power is centralized in the isolated mountain cities of the Glories. Two other smaller, though not insignificant, countries call this place home: The Frontier Republic in the wastes to the south, and Emerald Hollow, the elven city-fortress hidden somewhere in the Dragonspine mountains.

Shorn Coast

The Midlands were long ago divided. This is nowhere more apparent than the Shorn Coast, where some baleful ancient force cut the Midlands from its sister landmass, bisecting valleys, severing rivers, and making cross-sections of hills and mountains. Here can be chiefly found Port Calum, the largest city and most diverse city on Sableheim, as well as steadfast Ourus, who guard the coast. The small fishing community of Tynemouth is a popular waystop for sea-farers. The northern crest of the coast, known as Shalloarc, is a thin strip of land caught between the sea and the towering Glories. It is home to a handful of fishing communities and tall, noble forests.

Hinterlands of Wynn

The pale of Calum and the foothills of the Glories are placid lands, well sheltered from storms by the mountains to the east. Small settlements such as Abide carve out a life in the southern reaches of the hinterlands, while Smokeater Mountain sticks out like a sore thumb, attracting the areas more rugged folk. The fortress Noman's Claim sets a stern boundary between the lands of the Mountain Kingdom and the lands beyond.

Four Spokes

The Tyne's wandering journey across the land creates a vast pocket of fertile land at it's heart: The Four Spokes. The Wheel, as it is sometimes called, are plains and valleys rolling endlessly from river to river. Four city-states comprise the majority of the area's powers: Powerful Crownhold, stalwart Caladburg, hallowed Gairloch, and industrious Valthia. The area is usually idyllic, but is currently in the throes of a bloody civil war. Travel with care.

Gran Lac

The meeting of the Tyne and Cyr rivers creates Gran Lac, an island-strewn puddle serving as a travel hub for all the Midlands. The lake is massive, often mistaken for the sea by more land-locked travelers. Here can be found the ever-whimsical Le'Ceil, site of an ancient war-fleet run aground, as well as a smattering of island communities such as Tin Ton Ten and the Io Waystation. To the west can be found the dour Selk's Cliff, a veritable haven for smugglers and riverunners.

Westveld

West of anywhere important is Westveld, the marshy, fallow swath of land that ring the foothills of the Dragonspines above the norhtern arc of the Tyne. Westveld has long resisted settlement and investigation, leaving its exact geography more rumor than fact. The nearby presence of the Sommerwald is likely responsible for much of this, though Westveld (often called Westveldshire, referring to its more livable portions) has its own share of native dangers. Certain remote settlements dot the area, such as Hookton, home to its famous far-ranging corps of wardens. The ancient stronghold Threshold lurks somewhere high in the hills, serving as a entryway into the higher reaches of the Dragonspines. Lonesome Fort Recluse is rumored to once again be occupied, and the mythical halfling city of Shayfordwall is chief among the legends of Westveld.

Frontier

Far to the south is a vast, lifeless waste, which has only recently come to be called the "Frontier." This name is used partially in jest, as it has been settled time and time again over the centuries. Each time, however, life cannot take root, and the ruins of another civilization are added to the ever-deepening bonepiles beneath the stone and dirt. Frontier is a broken land, gouged with deep ravines and covered in only the faintest signs of life. The Frontier Republic is the latest to call this place home, operating out of cities such as Divide at the heart of the plains and Integrity to the far south. While it is a large region, the Frontier seems...cut off from the rest of the midlands, thanks in no small part to the Cusp, a wave-like rock formation that extends hundreds of miles from north to south, likely where two landmasses were fused together during the Scourging.

Leyveldt Na Van

The highland steppes of Sulta Van are among the great wonders of the region. Their ascent is swift, buffered from the lowlands only by a small collection of foothills, and they soar to majestic heights. Within their embrace lie vast sweeping plains. In the valleys ringed by rocky hills and mountains can be found the Vanish, once a nomadic people who, following their subjugation by Aertas, have become loyal vassals and fervent defenders of the nation's northern borders. Here in the high steppes can be found Rathmorne, the lynchpin fortress in their defense and the seat of their ruler. Further south, travelers may stumble upon Levinville, the strange little town that sprung up seemingly overnight, and is now attracting engineers and artificers from across the continent.

Glories

The Glories certainly live up to their name. Once home solely to squabbling tribes, it has become the seat of the most powerful nation on eastern Sableheim. Here can be found towering mountains, lush valleys, and ancient subterranean pathways among and amidst the string of cities and small villages. Many are perched above dizzying drops, such as Auxthane, the eastern capitol of culture and refinement. Others solidly anchor themselves within the mountains such as the impregnable Blackmaze, fortress-city of the Burgunther family. Regal Glorfont chooses to perch atop the peaks, sprawling out between several nearby summits. The uncontested jewel of the Glories, however, is certainly Aertas, city of heroes and capitol of Vaelgard. While traversing the mountain range can be difficult, the wealth and power of the mountain kingdom make it an attractive prospect for merchants and seekers alike.