Continent of Wyriel
The smallest of Valerick's three known continents and inhabited landmasses, how to approach describing and discussing the lands of Wyriel. A land locked in time, a strange place where ancient and forgotten flora and fauna dominate the wilderness spaces, yet on her coasts, two nations, two societies of great technological and intellectual capability stand. A birthplace of industry as we know it, the birthplace of magicore engines, yet a landmass mostly shrouded in mystery, legend and myth. Anywhere westward beyond the Sauri Mountains not well explored at all, the domain of scaled folk, vicious beasts and magnificent specimens of long believed extinct creatures.
The eastern/northeastern coastline up to the Sauri Range is the dominion of the Waston Empire, a land of invention and technological innovation amongst the jungle an mountains. Its cities sprawling realms of innovation, a place where sky-ships are as common or more common than boat, ship or train. The birthplace of smokepowder, born of need, innovated upon by desire and curiousity. Waston is the ancestral realm of the gnomish peoples and their core values of exploration, innovation and scientific study dominate the culture today. Very much a technocracy of sorts, or something close to it, where scientific accomplishment, innovation and invention are how one garners consideration for the political realm. Perhaps the most advanced nation from a technological perspective on all of Valerick.
Their closest neighbors such as it would be, are on the eastern seaboard of Wyriel, upon an island chain known effectively as the 'Shattered Keel Isles'. The Freebooter's Republic of Mora stands quite unique, a very democratic society of fishermen, salvage and shipwreck explorers and of course, their namesake, pirates and privateers. Few and far between are the scruples and limitations within Morian waters, or unclaimed waters, that those with a 'Writ of Armed Trade' are subjected too, often based on temporary alliances or other political needs of the nation as decided by the elected Fleet Captains, the body of 9 elected captains (one from each major city) who meet every 4-6 months in Tortuga.
However these two interesting and diametrically opposite neighbors (and often allies to boot) are not the oddest thing about Wyriel. No that honor goes to the Wyrie Expanse, the name for the collected environments that make up the majority of the continent's landmass between those islands and the Sauri Range. This region seems a time-locked world, separated from reality, from the timeline of the rest of Valerick in many ways. The forests dominated by club mosses, horsetails, and prehistoric flowering plants unrecognizable to any found anywhere else but in old fossilized stones, the trees much similar, with fruits, seed pods and nuts like nothing seen anywhere else. Grasses are non-existent, trees like ginkyo, cycads, and strange blotwoods, once believed long extinct, dominate everywhere in the region.
The fauna of the Expanse is no less strange, ancient and exotic, being dominated by creatures once believe to be myth or legend, and perhaps other types of Tanes by some whenever their fossils were discovered. Saurus, or now better known as Dinosaurs, as well as winged creatures known as Pterosaurs and amongst the seas along the coastlines and out into the southern seas of the landmass, many other marine beasts known simply as leviasaurs, coming in a wide variety. These creatures, it would seem, are in fact not Tanes, though would likely have been prime prey and eating for tanes and wyverns. This might be why some legends and local myths claim at least three Tanes still live on Wyriel, and why wyverns are not nearly as rare here as they are in other places on Valerick, though still they are quite uncommon.
The eastern/northeastern coastline up to the Sauri Range is the dominion of the Waston Empire, a land of invention and technological innovation amongst the jungle an mountains. Its cities sprawling realms of innovation, a place where sky-ships are as common or more common than boat, ship or train. The birthplace of smokepowder, born of need, innovated upon by desire and curiousity. Waston is the ancestral realm of the gnomish peoples and their core values of exploration, innovation and scientific study dominate the culture today. Very much a technocracy of sorts, or something close to it, where scientific accomplishment, innovation and invention are how one garners consideration for the political realm. Perhaps the most advanced nation from a technological perspective on all of Valerick.
Their closest neighbors such as it would be, are on the eastern seaboard of Wyriel, upon an island chain known effectively as the 'Shattered Keel Isles'. The Freebooter's Republic of Mora stands quite unique, a very democratic society of fishermen, salvage and shipwreck explorers and of course, their namesake, pirates and privateers. Few and far between are the scruples and limitations within Morian waters, or unclaimed waters, that those with a 'Writ of Armed Trade' are subjected too, often based on temporary alliances or other political needs of the nation as decided by the elected Fleet Captains, the body of 9 elected captains (one from each major city) who meet every 4-6 months in Tortuga.
However these two interesting and diametrically opposite neighbors (and often allies to boot) are not the oddest thing about Wyriel. No that honor goes to the Wyrie Expanse, the name for the collected environments that make up the majority of the continent's landmass between those islands and the Sauri Range. This region seems a time-locked world, separated from reality, from the timeline of the rest of Valerick in many ways. The forests dominated by club mosses, horsetails, and prehistoric flowering plants unrecognizable to any found anywhere else but in old fossilized stones, the trees much similar, with fruits, seed pods and nuts like nothing seen anywhere else. Grasses are non-existent, trees like ginkyo, cycads, and strange blotwoods, once believed long extinct, dominate everywhere in the region.
The fauna of the Expanse is no less strange, ancient and exotic, being dominated by creatures once believe to be myth or legend, and perhaps other types of Tanes by some whenever their fossils were discovered. Saurus, or now better known as Dinosaurs, as well as winged creatures known as Pterosaurs and amongst the seas along the coastlines and out into the southern seas of the landmass, many other marine beasts known simply as leviasaurs, coming in a wide variety. These creatures, it would seem, are in fact not Tanes, though would likely have been prime prey and eating for tanes and wyverns. This might be why some legends and local myths claim at least three Tanes still live on Wyriel, and why wyverns are not nearly as rare here as they are in other places on Valerick, though still they are quite uncommon.
Geography
The continent of Wyriel may at first seem like it would likely be all jungle and marsh, but in truth it is far more varied, with dense woodlands, a more sparse central hilly and plain region, with swamps, jungles and semi-tropical forests, as well as an ancient mountain range. Climate wise it is best described as sub-tropic, with no real dry or drought season, but a notable seasonal divergence, that is a notable monsoon and tropical storm season that coincides with what most would call winter. Hurricanes and tropical storms most commonly come from the south/southwest and very rarely threaten Waston. The most westward isles of Mora however are no strangers to such storms, often riding out 2-3 over the roughly five month season.
The Sauri Mountain Range despite now being quite small when compared to the heights of other younger ranges, erosion having worn its toll, is still an impressive and near impassible range on foot or with roads and certainly by rail. Its many crevasses, crags, sheer cliffs and extremely narrow ledge paths truly making it a great challenge. Thus this range acts as a natural barrier for the nation of Waston, keeping a great deal of the larger Wyrielian Fauna well outside the nation's controlled territory, which is a great boon. That does not mean that on occasion a desperate predator, or winged pterosaur or some other such creature does not end up making a nuisance of itself within Wastonian lands, just that it is very rare.
The Sauri Mountain Range despite now being quite small when compared to the heights of other younger ranges, erosion having worn its toll, is still an impressive and near impassible range on foot or with roads and certainly by rail. Its many crevasses, crags, sheer cliffs and extremely narrow ledge paths truly making it a great challenge. Thus this range acts as a natural barrier for the nation of Waston, keeping a great deal of the larger Wyrielian Fauna well outside the nation's controlled territory, which is a great boon. That does not mean that on occasion a desperate predator, or winged pterosaur or some other such creature does not end up making a nuisance of itself within Wastonian lands, just that it is very rare.
Ecosystem
"The wilderness and ecosystems of Wyriel are something of a sadly understudied mystery, solely due to the risk and difficulties involved in truly exploring the inland wilderness regions. Such an expedition would be exceedingly high risk, prohibitively expensive, and perhaps impossible to get proper funding for. So naturally, it is on my list of things I must accomplish in my career before I retire or pass on from this mortal coil."
Mochi, the famed naturalist, stating his proclaimed intention and goal, what would be the magnum opus of his naturalist studies. Time shall tell if they can truly organize such a magnificent expedition, finding volunteers, guides, supplies and of course, funding.
Ecosystem Cycles
The continent of Wyriel is a warm, humid, sub-tropic climate subject to somewhat regular precipitation, though having a storm (or monsoon) season during the months of Frigik to Morinsh. During this time frame, tropical storms are not uncommon, and torrential downpours lasting an hour or more are commonplace, an almost daily event.
Localized Phenomena
The Sea of Tears to the south is so named because following the line of the Sauri Mountains there seems to be a fault line of some sort that runs a fairly long distance. Earthquakes are not uncommon and though rare, tsunamis are not unheard of, and these can sometimes impact some of the most southeastern regions of Waston with devastating effects.
Wyriel is a land of local phenomena, being a land almost displaced from the passage of time. A land dominated not by mammals and birds but by ancient semi-reptilian creatures, the dinosaurs and their cousins of sky and sea. It is a place definied by localized phenomena, and therefore calling out any specific instances can prove challenging. However it is worthy of note that the taint of the Void, whilst not gone from manna that flows through the Aether amongst Wyriel, is heavily reduced, to the point of near undetectability. This is theorized to be because perhaps Wyriel was not impacted during the Sundering in the same way as other regions and landmasses, and is believed to actually have been the original position for the supercontinent Tariek, as it is known, before the Sundering shattered the world.
This lack of taint within the energies of creation may explain the continued existence of such ancient and magnificent flora and fauna, if this would be the normal for Valerick without the Void's toxic embrace. However another theorized explanation is obsidian. The region is very rich in obsidian and Mithrium, believed to have originated from three different and ancient impacts from large rocks from beyond, bits of shattered stars. These craters are believed to be the three massive lakes of the continent and given the amount of raw obsidian and mithrium ore being harvested from the cliffs and mountains near the Lake Ryini and all along the Sauri Mountains, and the commonplace usage of both metals in trinkets, holy treasures and weapons by the native Drakis, the fell lizardfolk whom live amongst the Expanse, it would seem to suggest this may be a valid hypothesis. However if that is true, that would imply, as many a scholar and magickal theorist have pointed out, that mining it at an industrial level, such as Waston has been doing for the last two to three decades and continues to do, is perhaps not wise. For the implications of that theory would also implicitly suggest if you remove enough of that obsidian, eventually the poisoning of the well, the taint of the Void, will start slipping through with manna as it circulates, and bringing Wyriel into the fold with the rest of the planet as a place where magick is most dangerous and potentially deadly.
Wyriel is a land of local phenomena, being a land almost displaced from the passage of time. A land dominated not by mammals and birds but by ancient semi-reptilian creatures, the dinosaurs and their cousins of sky and sea. It is a place definied by localized phenomena, and therefore calling out any specific instances can prove challenging. However it is worthy of note that the taint of the Void, whilst not gone from manna that flows through the Aether amongst Wyriel, is heavily reduced, to the point of near undetectability. This is theorized to be because perhaps Wyriel was not impacted during the Sundering in the same way as other regions and landmasses, and is believed to actually have been the original position for the supercontinent Tariek, as it is known, before the Sundering shattered the world.
This lack of taint within the energies of creation may explain the continued existence of such ancient and magnificent flora and fauna, if this would be the normal for Valerick without the Void's toxic embrace. However another theorized explanation is obsidian. The region is very rich in obsidian and Mithrium, believed to have originated from three different and ancient impacts from large rocks from beyond, bits of shattered stars. These craters are believed to be the three massive lakes of the continent and given the amount of raw obsidian and mithrium ore being harvested from the cliffs and mountains near the Lake Ryini and all along the Sauri Mountains, and the commonplace usage of both metals in trinkets, holy treasures and weapons by the native Drakis, the fell lizardfolk whom live amongst the Expanse, it would seem to suggest this may be a valid hypothesis. However if that is true, that would imply, as many a scholar and magickal theorist have pointed out, that mining it at an industrial level, such as Waston has been doing for the last two to three decades and continues to do, is perhaps not wise. For the implications of that theory would also implicitly suggest if you remove enough of that obsidian, eventually the poisoning of the well, the taint of the Void, will start slipping through with manna as it circulates, and bringing Wyriel into the fold with the rest of the planet as a place where magick is most dangerous and potentially deadly.
Natural Resources
The Sauri Mountains perhaps offer a great clue as to the nature of how this region is so...unchanged, so pure. This mountain range is rich with deposits of Obsidian and Mithrium, as well as some iron, and both smotherm and salt-peter, the two key components to make smokepowder. As such, Waston is an incredibly wealthy nation, and despite its smaller size and population comparable to Suranth compared to many of the nations like Raechin, Rohara, Valewyr or even Susma, Waston is generally seen as the economic leader of the world. The Wastonian Shailling has been the gold standard of currency, the marker that every other currency of the other nations and kingdom since worldwide trade become so interwoven and codified, nearly a full century now. Only in the last five to ten years has Suranth crept up to begin vying for that position of dominance, though Waston's footing remains quite firm due to these natural advantages.
Amidst these various metal and mineral deposits of such great value, along her coasts both nations have salt mines, and there will be found on occassion small sapphire or topaz deposits as well. Similarly, diamond and onyx deposits are stumbled upon rarely within the iron and mithrium mines of the Sauri mountains. Emerald deposits, found often in groves of truly old growth timber, are not unheard of in the old jungles and swamps of both nations, though Mora leans more into a timber industry due to their need for sea vessels.
Amidst these various metal and mineral deposits of such great value, along her coasts both nations have salt mines, and there will be found on occassion small sapphire or topaz deposits as well. Similarly, diamond and onyx deposits are stumbled upon rarely within the iron and mithrium mines of the Sauri mountains. Emerald deposits, found often in groves of truly old growth timber, are not unheard of in the old jungles and swamps of both nations, though Mora leans more into a timber industry due to their need for sea vessels.
Map of Continent of Wyriel
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