Talanas
Talanas is the westernmost of the two, "middle" landmasses of Atalassia. The Nadir of the Talans, as it is sometimes called, is the most populous of the Atalassian lands. It is also the largest by area. Along its northern edge, Talanas is some 1,500 miles across, from west to east. Near the southern coast however, it narrows down to around 1,000 miles. Most of Talanas is 700 mies from north to south but the northernmost 200 miles are more are covered by the prodigeous peaks of the Spine of Atal.
Geography
Like the rest of Atalassia, Talanas "rests on the back of" the vast and imposing mountain chain that stretches across the northern edges of all of the continent's lands. This is known as the Spine of Atal and occupies the northernmost strip of Talanas. Beyond the mountains, the landmass is bound in the north by the Channels of the Ice Lords, the stretch of treacherous, iceberg-laden seas that separate Atalassia from the vast continent that sits atop the northern polar cap of Azocar.
Along its southern coast, a stretch of the Innerseas called the Avolmyr borders Talanas. West of Talanas lies the Channel of the Eldens, separating it from Eldenaar. And the eastern coast borders the Malraigh Passage.
South of the Spine, Talanas is largely dominated by a central plain where the majority of the land's peoples live. This landscape is subartic but it is fertile and easily habitable.
Two shorter mountain ranges stretch southward from the Spine. The Duskward Peaks separate most of Talanas from its western coast, with the exception of a flat tundra nestled between these mountains and the sea. On the eastern side of Talanas, the Central Barrier Hills rise up from the plains not far north of the coast and the Avolmyr, Near Gahren Bay. These stretch northward until they turn northeast at the corner of the Tormvald Plateau in the southeast corner of Talanas. The Central Barrier then runs into and becomes the Estheren Moutnains. This range continues further northeast until it meets the Spine and the northeaster coast of Talanas.
The lands southeast of the Barrier and the Estheren ranges form the aforemention plateau called the Tormvald. Bordering the plateau, next to the woodlands at it's northern edges is the beginning of a strip of lowland tundra that is called Esthernfeld. This hugs the coastline of the Malraigh Passage, dwindling in width the further north one goes.
The vast central plain of Talanas is, but for some spots of rolling hills and two notable areas of other characteristics in its southwestern area, largely unbroken. The exceptions include a large coniferous forests that covers the southwestern corner of the plain. Also, a peat bog called the Moor of the Atal occupies a large area near the south coastline of the central plains Talanas.
Otherwise, the central plain is wide and inviting, as much as a subarctic clime can be. It is also heavily populated. The largest settlement on Talanas is the eponymous metropolis that sits on the southern coast just east of the Moor. North of the city-state of Talanas and the Moor, the vast central plain is home to many of the Atal Dwarven Nations. Therein is found one of the more unique geographical features of Talanas. This is the towering, unary mountain called Parrak's Peak and it is revered by the dwarves as a place of holiness. Much like a towering god, Parrak's Peak rises out of the heart of Talanas in the northern third of the central plainlands and seemingly lords over all of Talanas.
History
Much of the history of Talanas is the history of the continent of Atalassia. The details of this can be found in the parent article.
The Current Age
Talanas felt the brunt of the turmoil brought about by the Horde Wars. After the great wars were done, the land and its people barely got a chance to catch their breath before devotees of the ancient archmage, Ba'Lial, also known as Aramago, raised more armies and waged more more. The War of the Night King raged across Talanas for almost the entirety of the second decade of the Sixth Age. When it was over, the political landscape of Talanas had been remade but its denizens cared little for this. Many of their kin were gone forever and many of their homes devastated. The effort required to rebuild would be tremendous.
Alternative Name(s)
Land of Talans
Type
Landmass
Location under
Included Locations
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