The Gray Expanse

The Northern Continent

A Lavender Wasteland

The northern half of Twinsun's landmass is a desolate stretch of ashen purple and foreboding mountains. Between these silent peaks, hardy folk eke out a meager living, either subsisting off of the indifferent land or by trading with the ever-present expeditionary forces from the south. Living in the Gray Expanse is almost unilaterally difficult. The sparse beacons of civilization, Bethra's capital city Vena and Gauth Cove, are unique in their promise of warm beds and prepared meals - almost every other town and city in the Gray Expanse is hewn from stone or barely clinging to survival. Local flora and fauna alike are both dangerous - Shiverscrape hordes and the virulently toxic red ghorroji both grow in great numbers in the north.

Poor Soil, Rich Earth

Despite all of the terrible conditions that make the Gray Expanse hostile to life, there is still one reason to explore it: Astral Ore. This mysterious, anomalous material has uses in warfare, trade, crafting, and even the magics and sciences. Wars have been fought over even small veins of it. While no one knows for sure what exactly creates astral ore, it can occur naturally anywhere north of the Divide. The presence of astral ore often correlates with the spawning of many kireza, though the link between the two is poorly understood at best, and the presence of one does not necessarily dictate the presence of the other. Much of the Family of the Sixth Essentia's work involves studying astral ore in its natural state.
Beyond magical metals, the Gray Expanse is also laden with mundane yet useful resources such as iron, copper, many forms of corundum gems, and most valuably, hard wood. The Jeweled Lands are poor in such materials, leading many kingdoms on expeditions through the northern perils in search of riches. The forests of Naruk are the single largest available source of hardwood on Twinsun, while the Prydwich Mountains to the north boast the densest mines and most valuable jewels anywhere. During the age of exploration, expeditionary forces clashed with almost every danger the Gray Expanse contained to get at these resources.

Harsh Climate

Though the Gray Expanse follows the same calendar and seasons as its southern counterpart, many locals argue that there are only two seasons in the north: Winter, and the five days you have to plant your seeds before the ground freezes again. Of course, what others might call "Winter" is a far cry from the desolate ice-hell that the Gray Expanse can become during the depths of Feredai. Temperatures can drop well below -100° Fahrenheit, meaning that every creature that lives there year round - including the villages and cities - must have clever tricks to survive the abysmal cold. More threatening than mere cold, however, are the Ice Mists. The particular chemical composition of the mists that roll down off of the Prydwich Mountains and onto the northern plains is devoid of fire essentia thanks to the absorptive properties of their volcanic calderas. Denser than the water-based fog that normally clings to the land, the ice mist flows along the ground up to five feet deep. With the sunlight blocked by fog and no warming fire essentia present, the ice mist can spontaneously undergo deposition and freeze objects, animals, plants, and even people completely solid.

Type

Continent