Alvania

Geography

Alvania makes up the North Western region of the Bay of Hope. It's maritime border is with the Serenic Ocean to its west and the Narrow straits to the South East. The land relief is mostly rough, with the north more so than the south. In the North the Berrek Highlands stand tall dropping down into the Delerin Valley in the South. Further south still is the Helvia Lowlands which are separated from the Delerin valley by The Ikerfen. The island of Sotin sits to the west and is comprised of three decreasing points of elevation between which low valleys have formed.

Rivers

The Rivers of Alvania with the exception of the Alvaris find their sources in the various highlands across the region. From their they flow into the Serenic Ocean. The longest of the rivers is the Alvaris which has its source North East of the region and is split into three parts: the Upper Alvaris, which comprises the section of the river before it reaches its first major lake, Lake Caeb; the Haelris, a small section of the river that connects Lake Caeb to Lake Enthiss; and finally the Lower Alvaris, which flows from Lake Enthriss to the Bay of Gulrik, which cuts through the Delerin Valley. The Alvaris dwarfs all other rivers in terms of drainage area, length and flow, with the next largest river being the comparatively small Gleru River situated in the North of the region.

Mountains

Compared to the more Northern regions of the Bay of Hope, Alvania has relatively small mountains located around Sotin, the Berrek Highlands and the Ikerfen. Some of the notable peaks are:
Mt. Froshkern - The highest point of the Berrerk Highlands in Alvania, this mountain is famous for its strong connection to the Winter god (tbd).
Gulrik's Point - Located in Sotin's largest ridge, this mountain was named after one of the first kings of the Thaumen. It is an important site and climbing it is a rite of passage for the (tbd).
Mt. Ulirin - Overlooking the Bay of Gulrik, this mountain contains some of the largest deposits of Lemirus in all of Alvania.

Climate

Do to the coastal nature of the region, Alvania is dominated by an oceanic climate. The region experiences cool summers and winters, however winters are seldom very cold. Along with this rain fall is consistent year round being concentrated in the Lowlands and North Eastern coast. Exceptions to this are in the North East where Humid continental climates begin to appear, and along with it colder winters and hotter summers. Finally to the South East where the climate begins to get warmer and dryer, with rain becoming much more seasonal with this change.

City States

Major Cities

Gulmire

Gulmire is the oldest of the Thaumen states in Alvania and competes with the city state of New Haelia for dominion over the region. The City of Gulmire is located on Sotin at the base of Gulrik's Point. The city is famous for being home to many of the old noble families from the various kingdoms of Maloth before its fall. The city state is a powerful trade power and is known for its naval cultural prowess.

New Haelia

New Haelia is the second great city state found in Alvania, boasting the larger and more militarised population then Gulmire. The City of New Haelia is located on the North side of the mouth of the Alvaris. This city is the largest mainland settlement. New Haelia is famed for its large population due to the abundance of fertile land it controls as well as its magical engineers. Its location in the Bay of Gulrik however, means it relies on its control over Emberbay in order to have access through the Mercthen straits.

Secondary Cities

Grey Harbour

The City of Grey harbour is known as the city of gods for the many temples and shrines that have built there over the years. The city is located North of Gulmire on the island of Sotin and is notable for its choice in leadership. Instead of a monarch or parliament, Grey Harbour adopted a theocratic state where the various religious sects based on their following gain votes in the Grand Council. A number of smaller sects have over the year, created small settlements around the city in order to gain what are known as 'Temple Votes' as they would be too small to gain votes through the city follower requirements. It is a tribute of Gulmire however acts with a large degree of autonomy.

Last Harbour

Many consider Last Harbour as the black sheep of the Alvania Colonies. This is likely due to the unique culture that developed due to its isolation form most of the other city states and its constant need to defend itself from raiders coming from both the North and East. As such some consider it separate from the other states of the Alvania Colonies. The City of Last Harbour is located on in the North West where rivers(names tbd) flow into the Ice Wraith Bay. It experiences colder weather, some believing this to be the cause of divine curses on the the area.

Emberbay

Emberbay is a trading state much like Gulmire however is subservient to New Haelia, with much of its profits being sent to their overlord as payment for protection from raids. The City of Emberbay is located at the mouth of the Bay of Gulrik and as such it controls the trade that moves through it. For this reason Gulmire seeks to sway the state to its side in order to have control over its rival. Emberbay is famous for its artisans and markets, however due to its smaller size and the constant raid from Northern tribes it has struggled to extend its influence outwards.

Shelford

Shelford is the wild frontier of Alvania, being founded by mercenaries form New Haelia. The City of Shelford lies upstream of New Haelia at a crossing on the Upper Alvaris. It is well known as the home of hunters and explorers with many using the city as a base of operation for missions further up along the river. Shelford is also used as a defensive location. Like Emberbay, New Haelia stations its troops and builds fortifications in Shelford in order to prevent raiders from reach further south. Shelford is then made to pay to help maintain these defences.

Lemport

Lemport controls the lands south of the Ikerfen. As such it possess the largest amount of fertile lands along with the large deposits of minerals and ores found in the foothills of the Ikerfen. The City of Lemport is located on the mouth of the Lemshire RIver. The city is the last major settlement before one leaves Thaumen controlled territory. As such the city is home to the largest population of non Thaumen inhabitants especially the Senjati.

Avia-Al-Teth

Alvia-Al-Teth is a trading city for a distant Senjati kingdom. Not much is known of it expect it is home to a great supply of foreign good which are unavailable in Alvania, such as exotic creatures, rare gems and powerful artefacts. The city is located on the southern edge of Alvnia and guards the entrance to the Bay of Hope. The denizens of the city do not allow traders to move eastwards and have set up a trading post outside the city border for Avlanian merchants to trade in.

Type

Region

Related Professions

• Gartian