Vatur

"According to historical linguists, "Vatur" means "ancestral homeland" in the ancient Elvish tongue that was once spoken when Elves ruled all of the continent. This was long before the Federation, Dominion, or Free-Lands, a barbaric time indeed." -Flavius the Decapitated's "A History of Vatur," 6E 248 Vatur is often called the "Jewel of Thāros" by world travelers, although for every remote ruin and sprawling city lurks an evil fortress or sinister dungeon; its beautiful face is forever fettered to a dark underside. The three major kingdoms marking the land are the Greater Elven Federation, a cosmopolitan empire with almost unmatched liberties granted to its citizens (although not every inhabitant is a citizen), The Blood Dominion of Mallus IV, an authoritarian autocracy of Vampires with strict social castes, and the Free-Lands, a rather laissez-faire free-for-all of small fiefdoms and towns vying for unity of the region.

Geography

Vatur's forests are thick, ancient, deciduous trees that form the majority of the landscape. Crawling creeks and raging rivers cut through the woods, and the only other major feature of the continent is the mountain range known as the Krizculyn Cliffs, so named for the tribe of Werewolves who made their last stand on the sheer cliff-faces of the mountains. It is whispered by many that so much blood was spilled that day, the lycanthropes' curse was remembered by the rocks and trees; the very landscape is etched with their pain and suffering. Several large rivers and lakes provide fresh water for the continent's inhabitants.

Fauna & Flora

The forests of Vatur are populated with animals and monsters of all shapes and sizes, from owlbears to moose to wolves to eye-tyrants. Large deer roam freely, making their home in the dense thickets. Hunters also live deep in the woods, building small cabins and dotting the rolling hills with small settlements. In the north, cold winters freeze over the lakes and creeks, and a white blanket of snow caps the mountains and treetops. Back in southern lands, a temperate climate and a lack of winter freezes is a notable feature for many animals, keeping most plants and creatures south of the Krizculyn Cliffs, save those who feed off the biting winds.