Zaniq
The largest continent in the known world, Zaniq can be divided into two sections. The Vilushan Lands consist of the draconic realms, the regions of the now-disbanded Vilushan Empire, Gajistan, and Gukam. All the areas east of these are known as the Sunward Lands. The arctic Bo Tundras (a misnamed region which includes many forests as well) stretch across both areas. Many giant beasts roam across Bo, and dragons, especially the dracolich Tulynax, pose a serious threat to the people there.
The northwest of Vilushan Zaniq is controlled by Uburac, the realm of the chromatic dragons, and Ostela, the realm of the metallic ones, each named for their leader. They have warred with one another for too many years to count, and in these lands dragons are a noble class ruling over the dragonborn majority. To their east, the steppes of Vilush (known to the Bazuni as the Western Grasslands) are home to a multitude of peoples, some sedentary and some nomadic, and a group of trade routes known by the same name run through them. Beneath Vlush, humanoids and unnatural creatures who have never seen the sky reside in the huge caverns of the Underdark, which gets more bizarre and dangerous the deeper one goes.
North of the World’s Roof Mountains, the human Empire of Gukam recently lost both potential successors to the throne in a bloody civil war, and now its nobles scramble for a chance to take over. To its north, the isolationist republic of Gajistan is the homeland of the Gaj Intellectuals, who have trained many magical adepts. Xuta is the westernmost realm in Vilushan Zaniq.
Arguably the most powerful and influential realm in Sunward Zaniq, the Bazun Empire is advanced and cosmopolitan, and was experiencing a golden age in art and culture before crisis struck. A coup resulted in the rise of a new ruling family, which has brought about internal tension and the secession of five kingdoms in the south. These are the human-dominated realms of Hinso, Medwa, and Pey, as well as the theocratic dragonborn nation of Dulong in the west and the origin of the kenku, Kenland, in the east.
Just east of Bazun, the recently united realm of Hadora is prospering, famous for its artisans, evokers, and transmuters. The islands of the nearby Renad Archipelago are under one empire, but the noble bureaucracy has a great deal of power, sometimes more than the monarch. Renad is known for its arts and literature, though it is occasionally troubled by rebellion.
South of the formerly Bazuni realms, the empire of Iramet boasts beautiful and well-built cities, roads, and canals, though it sometimes struggles to control ambitious aristocrats. The southernmost peninsula and many islands are ruled by the Empire of Nefer, which has numerous vassal kingdoms of humans, merfolk, and kenku. Its maritime trade has allowed its cultural influence to spread, and Neferan is the primary language of southern Zaniq despite the vast diversity of that region. The Southern Isles are inhabited by humans, and by many beasts including dinosaurs and plesiosaurs. For unknown reasons, ghosts are unusually common here.
Type
Continent
Included Organizations
Characters in Location
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