Stralis
This book contains the diverse regions of Stralis
Geography
🌍 Stralis – The Northern Continent
Overview:
Stralis lies at the crown of the world, a northern continent where warm polar winds make the far north temperate and fertile while the equator below burns in unending heat. A year lasts only 120 days, bringing long seasons of light and shadow that shape every culture and faith.
🏔️ Geography
The Compact:
A loose alliance of cities, dukedoms, clans, and tribes gathered in the broad river valley between the Eastern Mountains and the Western Deserts. Its lands range from grassy hills and forests to open steppe.
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The Capital City stands at the fork of the Great River. Originally elven, now a diverse metropolis ruled by a Council of nobles, guilds, and the clergy of Oros.
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The Compact’s unity is pragmatic: survival against larger powers, not shared blood or race.
To the East – The Veridann Empire:
A powerful, despotic elven realm known as the Blood Elves for their ruthless ambition. Stratified and expansionist, they control the only land bridge leading south toward the equatorial wastes. The Empire’s might is checked by distance, perilous terrain, and the Compact’s alliance.
To the Northeast – The Dominion of Ironhold:
A realm of dwarves and gnomes who rule from beneath mountains and desert. Industrious and proud, they prize craft and autonomy. The frontier between Dominion, Empire, and the Shifting Cities is a constant battleground.
The Shifting Cities:
Human settlements caught between the Empire and the Dominion. Their loyalties change with every border skirmish, giving them their name.
To the West – Sylvanis’ Embrace:
A vast rainforest fed by the second great river system of Stralis. Named for the ancient goddess Sylvanis, it teems with life and mystery. Trade with the Compact brings exotic herbs, dyes, and monster trophies, but few outsiders survive long in its depths.
The Compact
A loose alliance of dukedoms, free cities, tribes and domains that come together when faced with external military treath
Geography
Flanked on both sides by nigh impassable terrain features, the compact has for the longest time suffered relatively little from foreign treats. The Blade of Thalros, a massive mountain range to the east of jagged peaks seperates the Compact from the Veridann Empire. On the other side the Talharan Dessert and Handar's bane form an impassable barrier which even the hardiest of rangers would struggle to traverse. Any army would have to come trough the gaps at the north pole. This route has them contend with supply issues as the winter snows hinder logistics.
The midland is dominated by two broad rivers that meet in the middle, the Eldoras and the Khazrun. To the right of the eldoras there reigns a vast forest of desiduous trees until you get within viewing distance of Handar's bane. From there on out the thin mountain brooks only carry enough water to sustain shrubland and grasses. All this land is comparibly flat to that on the other side of the Eldoras. On that side the Khazrun, already a formidable stream when it leaves the Blade of Thalros, carves its way through its far stretching foothills.
Demographics
In the vast forest regions both high and wood elves dwell. The latter being migratory from Sylvania's Embrace. The elves preferred their communes, founding only a few townships in the forests. On the left banks sparse human villages grew into thriving baronies. Stout abbies and wealthy townships started to dot the land and the human merchants could soon be found in all the corners of the vast plains.
Politics
Although the compact comes together in times of greater threats, it is by no means a peaceful place. Local lords and tribes vye for territory and resources. Alliances are made and shattered. To draw a fixed map of the borders is to waste paper. Between all this the common folk are used as pawns or just trampled beneath the chaos of war. In this chaos only Eldoria and Karak Hur are the only semi peaceful places. The only true free cities in the compact.
The Veridann Empire
This despotic empire with its seat of power in its capital of Veridos rules over the lands on the other side of the blade of Thalros. Its militaristic culture and tenacity caused it to dominate its surroundings. Its curtrent expansion is hemmed in by the immensity of the mountains and the ferocity of the dwarves.
Geography
The Veridann Empire isn't as green as the compact's basin, but with effort and magic its landa are fertile enough.
Seasons
Stralis is a polar continent. This causes seasons of permanent day or night. Luckily this cycle is only 160 days long. Each season has 40 days
- Fall: this season begins after summer on the day that there's equal parts light and darkness. From here on out the days will grow darker and shorter
- Winter: It begins on the darkest day of the year. In the southernmost part of the continent the sun will be up for only a few minutes. The poles will be in complete darkness for five days now. This season is typed by cold and darkness
- Spring: the opposite of fall, the light is starting to return. plants are starting to wake up and the frost and snow is behind now.
- Summer: Night hasn't fallen for several days now and the crops grow tall in the warm sun.