Everos is the largest continent of Qadal and is commonly considered by those who live there to be the greatest of them all. Fields of lush, fertile land span across the continent from the Semyr in the south to the hinterlands of the Balendorn Mountains to the north, slipping through the confines of the Aedúcarran corridor in the center. Interspersed amongst the lands between, forests of rich greens and brown bear vibrant life, both animal and olûndari. This can be said of both Mehras and Sedrohed, the central and southern reaches of Everos, where temperate climate dominates before transferring to snow and tundra to the north and sub-tropics across the sea. Beyond the temperate heartland, Everos is blessed with soaring mountains in Nemrohed, which grant silver, coal, gems, and other treasures, and the Gól Sädûn range to the south, which grants gold, iron, copper, and trace amount of Viiryne. Betwixt the forests and mountains and running through the fields are surging rivers that grant food, transportation, and resources, closely influencing the lives of whose who live near them. Looking over the Everos, it's as if the land itself was a river that flows to the horizon, only being broken or altered by the mountains that spike up like the rocks do in a stream. It's a fine place to live, but even here danger is ever present. At present, three coherent cultures dominate the continent, chief among them being the Ghetunbalastod ast Corgastor. The Lodesh of the Elivas rules in the west, troubled by the historically transgressions of the Corgastodmar, but with eyes turned to Nevan in the west. Potential invaders sit at the borders like hungry wolves, and Nemgarotirs still stir in the dark places that are long forgotten.
Spanning into the north is the rocky and frigid region of Nemrohed, home of the proud Daorhu and the nomadic Karthuuzar tribes. Qadal's richest mines are to be found below the mountain holds, and lords from all across the world pay handsomely for pieces of Daorhu craftwork. Below them in the tundra lands reside the tribes, divided in their politics and leadership, but united in their fear and hatred of outsiders. All throughout Qadal's history the area has been the site of brutal battles and joyous gatherings as the fortunes and relations of each nations rise and fall with the passing years. By 3451 there is no one master of this land. The Daorhu yalar have been bitterly divided since the collapse of Banbaljir in 2999, and no single lord has been strong enough since to unite them all and gain the approval of the deities in the Vulkraz ceremony. The Karthuuzar tribes have seen no chief strong enough to lead them since the days of Wolfskull over a century ago. The Ghetunbalastod ast Corgastor, the strongest nation in the area and possibly the world has even failed to claim the region.
In the west is the land of Lodon, home of a curious race of bipedal, intelligent beasts called the Elivas. Their craftwork is famous, for those lord’s wealthy enough to purchase fine steel wouldn't be caught without Elivas pottery as well. Their people are also famous for their strong sense of adaptability, being able to work with any situation to create the best outcome. To contend with the sea, they created the sleekest boats, to settle their wild forest homeland they developed some of the cleverest methods of land development. Indeed, who needs to build a castle when you can suspend your home in the trees? They are also known for their brilliant use of terrain in their military tactics. The Ghetunbalastod ast Corgastor learned that when they lost a Ghetunbast and 10,000 men in the craglands of the west.
Finally, to the east is the broken, mutated land of the Fringe. It was once known as Nathrovas and was the homeland of the Etayen of Sutan and other small domains. It was a favorable land, blessed minerals equal to the mines of the north, forests equal to those of the west, and fields of grains equal to Valgorod. One might consider it the jewel of the continent, making it a regular target for warhosts and intrigues. Unfortunately, it was destroyed by the detonation of Lysander's stone at the end of the Great Conflict and has since been abandoned to all but the most daring or insane of people.
As the Wandering era continued and the hideous anarchy of the period worsened, the northern reaches of the continent became a veritable wildland. Eroyther fell under the sway of the Yrd while the reigning government attempted to maintain order, only to have Sekras’kolura of Ácolitus cause further disorder. The whole region beyond the immediate shores of the Lornesse became a half-settled domain of terrors. Militia groups rose in response, consisting of veteran warriors and disgruntled and displaced farmers who struck out against the Yrd and Sekras’kolura with equal anger. Blood ran openly. The Ghetunbast ast Lornesse, which reigned nearby struggled under the combined pressures of immigrant influxes and militant strife from nearby realms. The northwest remained under the control of Loryne, which buckled and became a realm of poxxed bastions of power amidst a landscape of lawlessness.
The Daorhu too changed during this time and became militant as they shred off the rule of the Caranadu created centuries ago. New combinations of yalar banded together, and they struck against the hated Karthuuzar and drove them southward in a frenzy of migration. Only the strongest bastions of those people remained stalwart. This drove conflict along the borderlands of the weakened ex-Corgastodmar realms which now possessed no greater master to muster protection. Chaos broke look, and the fragile bonds which held together these “Last Light” bastions of ancient order were torn apart from one another as each attempted to survive.
Geography of Everos
Traditionally, Everos is divided into four geographical regions. Nemrohed is the distant northern portion of the continent, dominated by snow, ice, tundra, and various mountain ranges. It is an inhospitable land, and home to the Karthuuzar tribes of Aemar and the Daorasyalar. Its defining features are the tundra territories which span from Wolonorends to the Gismyr, the forests that blanket the low-lying hills and fens, and the soaring peaks of the Steelspear Mountains in the farthest northern reaches. It is a hard land and fit to breed Everos' strongest people. The borderlands of Nemrohed fall upon the Balendorn Mountains, at the foot of which lies the city of Loryne and upon the spine sits the Vehem Bandast. These mountains, though smaller than the other ranges in Everos, protect Mehras from the harsh, sweeping cold of Nemrohed and allows the civilizations thereabouts to prosper. It is a natural political border between the native Karthuuzar and Corgastodmar settlers that wander northward, but disputes and constant fighting are still commonplace between all parties.
Mehras in the central region of the continent that spreads from Lodon in the west to what was once Nathrovas in the east. In the regions east of the Aeducarr mountains, it is characterized by temperate forests and rolling plains that stretch in all directions farther than the mind can fathom, punctuated only by steep natural stone protrusions. Sedrohed to the south is separated from the area by a chain of high hills known as the Amhelon, which separtes the swamplands around Lohoremas with said dry environment which roils forth from the west. In Lodon itself, where the Elivas traditionally dwell and the weather is strongest, the dryness is such that remote patches of desert, otherwise unknown to the world, appear and are vigorously combatted by the locals. After all, nothing grows in such places.
West and somewhat south of the Aeducarr mountains is a dry region known as the Amhemas which spreads from Lodon’s western borders to the water-sodden southern reaches. It is a harsh mixture of sparse tree growths, spindly grasses, and broad crags broken only with isolate lush areas blessed with water. Its existence is caused by the altitude of the western territories. The most common plain in Lodon is quite above the common plains of Mehras further to the east. Rivers cannot penetrate deep into the region. Instead, deep subterranean waterways naturally winnow through the thick ground rock. Only in the extra coastal territories are greater settlements found. These areas sloping toward the ocean are known as the Weshuva, or the Shallows in the tongue of the Elivas. One might walk along that shoreline and circumvent the whole cragland, instead enjoying fair strips of grassland with forgien palaces. The river Zomore bisects the Amhemas, granting some respite from the strange defilement of Everos’ temperate nature, but nothing with sustains beyond a few dozen miles. Throughout the whole realm of Lodon, this river watershed is the most famous and prosperous for foreign traders and travelers. Its northernmost reaches are known as the Rhemenon, which is a temperate pass between the Zomore river and Bay of Asiphes. It is the best suited passage for land travel between those regions. This comprises the western border of Corgastodmar Everos.
Farther to the east is what the continent's inhabitants have called the Fringe since 2304, once Nathrovas. It is a collection of hundreds of blackened and desolate islands of varying sorts that follow the south-eastern coast of Everos. In years past it was once a vibrant place like the rest of Everos and was known as Nathrovas. It was the home of a developed Voletal civilization that had separated from Etal during the Ascension era and claimed much power throughout the surrounding territories. The terrain was mountainous, and similar in many ways to the western coast of Othos, which it is said by scholars to have been connected in earlier millennia. After the Great Conflict, however, the land no longer supports olûndari life through its own bounty and is now host to Nemgarotirs.
Sedrohed is the southern most region of Everos and is defined by its rough and hilly terrain in the farthest reaches, its thick tree coverage along the mountain hinterlands, dryer plains regions, and its deep-water ports. The region's strongpoints are located atop hills and other rises in the land which grant it defense, as well as avoid the arduous task of cutting down hundreds of trees. In the unique case of Drakar, settlements can even be found atop the peaks of mountains, astounding ancient contemporaries and impressing modern scholars. This is contrasted by the lowlands that exist to the west of the mountains, in eastern Grathem and in Lohoremas. In those places the sharp hills give way to farmlands, and further still the land becomes marsh. The farms in the lowlands provide the region ample food, but little in cash crops. The marshlands, perhaps better than anywhere else, represents from where the wealth of Sedrohed originates. It is there that the guildmasters and guildmen build their palaces and mansions, great places of beauty that exude wealth and prestige. These magnates gain their wealth from the lucrative trade with Nevan and Lodon that flows through the trade ways of the Semyr Sea and beyond.
Four major mountain ranges span Everos, towering over the land below them. In the northern reaches of Nemrohed, along that coast are the Steelspear Mountains, or Marobaor, named so for the sharp peaks that are reminiscent of the points of spears. The range runs from the foothills of Metaorbu Baljir, bordered by the River Uld in the west, to the northern coast of the continent near Metaorbu Ganaorum. It is host to a variable of wildlife, from large wild bears to the more peaceable and docile goat species that migrate across its peaks. The Daorhu regard the mountains with reverence and refer to them as Otaoradu's gift. In the heart of Mehras is the Aedúcarr mountain range, known as the Old Rock Mountains to the local people. It rises from the eastern reaches of Oederan and marches eastward to the midlands of Nossen, creating a ring of settlement around them. The followers of Aebaster see it as a holy place and conduct their rituals of water and stone up in the high places of the mountains. Finally, in the south is the Gól Sädûn range of mountains, known as the Great South Mountains in the ancient Etayen dialect. It runs from the southernmost tip of Grathem, around Drakar, up the coast of the duchy until it passes into the Ghetod of Hennas and goes about half its length. The Empire has relied on the steep slopes of these mountains to deter invasion from the South, which for many years had been effective. The surprise attack by the Etayen during the Drakayen War allowed them to bypass Imperial defenses in the area and move directly to Drakar, showing the fallibility of the strategy.
Four major rivers pierce deep into the heart of Everos: The Lornesse, which is in the Northeastern lands of the continent and winds all the way from the Wolonorends to the borderlands of the north; the Gosver, which separates the provinces of Grathem and Lohoremas in the south and terminates into Lake Nelsor; and the Zomore, which flows up from the Gismyr and acts as the border between Lodon and the Ghetunbalastod ast Corgastor. The fourth is the river Uld, situated deep in the tundras of Nemrohed. These major rivers are in turn the sources of hundreds of tributaries, all of which bring life and wealth to the land's inhabitants. Control of these rivers has been a source of conflict since the Awakening, and even in modern times nations occasionally devolve into squabbling over who can levy taxes or station ships. The mouths of each of these rivers is named Moher, or mouth in Corgastodmar Everosi, then that river- Moher Uld, Moher Lornesse, Moher Gosver, and Moher Zomore.
Four major seas surround Everos, keeping it remote in elder times yet tightly connected with its neighbors through modern travel. To the west is the Gismyr Sea, named after the term for Golden Hair in Etayen. In the southwestern part of that sea is the realm of Nevan, a generally amicable sort of land. To the far west of it, beyond Nevan, stretches endless ocean. What's beyond is unknown to sailors and explores. Perhaps there are new islands and continents to be found, but only time will tell. To the south is the Semyr Sea, or Semyr, which separates Everos from Etal. Trade constantly flows through, but so to does conflict as the Etayen and the Corgastodmar Ghetunbalastod struggle over control of trade and strategic locations. To the east is the Wolonorends, which separates Everos from Othos. It too has a long history of conflict as everyone from the Corgastodmar Empire, Casbaran Etayen, Etayen Etal, Eurobasar, and Gressar have vied for control. The Wolonorends' proximity to the Fringe adds another level of difficulty, as pirates can easily escape into the labyrinth of islands into which Imperial ships dare not follow. In more recent times the turbulence has calmed to a degree, as Imperial naval power has cleared the straights of most raiders and pirates. Finally, to the north spans the Enaorebaru, named so for the jagged icebergs that float across the water in constant patrol. To some it is also known as the Winter Sea for its constantly frigid climate. Travel to that region has been limited, due to the harsh conditions, natural dangers, and low prospects of discovery. Typically, only hunters and the insane trek that far north, and it is no surprise when they fail to return.
Embraced by land but neighboring the sea, there are a number of significant bays and lesser seas in Everos. The bay on underside of Nathrovas is Demyr Vinkesaur, named after the first Etayen explorer to die in such regions. Farther to the west, the sea north of Lodon is named Asiphes. This simple term means to “toward water” in reference to such area as passage to wider Everos. North of the Nathrovayen shore is the Korunussqir Shar’kova, being the Great Northern Gale of Shar’kova. This references great winds of fire and destruction which swept north from that place during Karundar.