Arcadia, Unbound Realms
... the Titan's Eye glares from the raging Storms, dividing lands of Fire & Ice!
"If you find yourself in the shadow of Titanomach, seek the green heart of Arcadia, before the Titan sets a wicked eye upon you. In the Arcadiwylds, you'll find cold, frozen death. As we did."
Arcadia is a vast and diverse region, established in the Ice Age and dominated by a colossal glacial shelf, once known as Titanomach. This immense glacier crushed the continent beneath, causing tectonic plates to bulge, dividing the land into zones of extreme temperatures. After years of relentless storms, the snow and dust settled, vast deserts sprawled from the rain shadows of multiple mountains.
Atop the glacial peak, a perpetual ice storm called the Titan's Eye formed, intensifying the gales. Combined with the glacial winds and a warm volcanic region to the East, severe blizzards thrashed the lands. Dramatic climatic forces have created a striking geography, each area shaping Arcadia by the relentless interplay of ice, fire, and wind. Despite harsh conditions, settlers found a hidden oasis amidst the tumult of ice and sand.
Geography
Arcadia, Land of Ice and Smoke
Arcadia is one of the largest regions of Mystomythia, characterized by its vast and diverse landscape. This region is harsh and unforgiving, with intense blizzards and hail constantly reshaping the arid terrain. As the land descends towards the sea, the heartland valleys of Arcadia reveal a vast, unspoiled wilderness. Rolling hills, groves, and bubbling thermal springs make this part of Arcadia hospitable, despite the ever-present influence of Titanomach.
Sathacha, Shadow Lands
To enter South-Eastern Arcadia by land, one must cross the Gales of Calamities- a wind blasted region open to the Arcadian Cold Sea. These gales torment the coastlines, making approach by sea difficult. This is the "Land of Shadows", Sathacha.
These barren hills and slopes endures persistent storms year-round, with fierce blizzards, hailstorms, and hurricanes. Shaped by relentless winds and the perpetual storms, this region is covered in sharp icy razors and expansive plains of ice. Snowfall from Titanomach blankets the land, creating treacherous conditions with high elevations, slippery ice bridges, and cavernous pitfalls.
Beneath the rain shadow of the giant glacier is Jark's Divide. A great fissure formed, creating an icy schism in the barren land. Quickly filling with water, the River Daphne flows towards the coastal cliffs, remaining turbulent all-year long, with a strong current, rapids, and frozen cascades as they pour into the Heartlands. Swimming within the river is dangerous, as there are many currents which lead into icy caverns below.
Above the chasm, stretching towards the glacial and volcanic mountainous regions, there is Vliska's Waste; a barren land of icy sands. It remains cool and dry through most of the year, sprouting sparse Aefalagis Trees amidst the dunes. It sits closest to the rain shadow, forming frozen salt-marshes full of Tundra Bottan and Botiban colonies.
Titanomach, Titan's March
Titanomach is the second-largest glacial shelf of Pathon, dominating the Arcadian region. Its size and bulk fell atop the continent, shattering the tectonic plates beneath and causing massive upheavals for thousands of years. The Orichalum Range makes the border of the West, protruding from beneath Sathacha in craggy outcroppings. Atop Titanomach's crest, there is a perpetual storm of ice and lightning, referred to in Folk Lore as the "Titan's Eye". Titanomach stands as a formidable barrier, testing the resilience of any who dare to traverse its hostile expanse. Those who ventured beyond the Titanomach were considered exiles.
Nephraskari Mounts
Once comprising four major volcanoes, Nephraskari Mounts now feature only three volcanoes, with the fourth believed to have been ejected to become the Arcadian Moon during Sathacha's cataclysmic impact. This region remained inaccessible for millennia, shrouded by turbulent wind storms and hurricanes that repelled all but the most vigilant pilgrims.
Cradle of the Moon, sub-region of Nephraskari Mounts, is infamous for its specialized hailstorms, the Furiorios, or "Comet Furies". These storms whip up mineral-laden dust particles into furious hailstorms, posing deadly risks to any caught unprotected. One must cover their face from loose particles when venturing through the dust and windstorms created by the Furiorios. Survivors often reap rewards in the form of rich mineral deposits left behind in the icy sands, making the Barrens a coveted but perilous destination for adventurers and miners alike.
The collective regions of Sathacha, Titanomacha, and Nephraskari Mounts forms the Arcadiwylds, "Arcadian Wilds".
Elysia, Threshold of Arcadia
The rolling hills beyond and below the vast Arcadiwylds are known as Elysia.
Where the border of the Mounts meets lowland valleys, the Mithral Grottoes form. Shielding this lowland against the harshness of the upper regions, Mithral Grottoes runs the course of the cliffs before it comes to the Elysian Glades. This area became inhabitted by various flora that appeared in later Eras of the Ice Age. Cascades and mists pour from the upper plateaus, into the groves and valleys below.
The mouth of the Daphne River forms at the foot of the Titanomach, courses through Jark's Divide, and falls into the Elysian Glades, where its tributaries feed the Arcadian Lake. Along this lake, seeds from the Elysian Glades many plant species embed in ice and drift downstream, where they can flourish in the Arcadian Gardens. Both lands are marked with nutrient rich lichen and algae.
The Arcadian Lake is a thermal spring, maintaining its temperature all year long. It is a mist-bound paradise, where the water is kept heated amidst the frozen terrain. The Arcadian Gardens is a sprawling lowland nestled in the foothills of the Mithral Grottos. The Elysian Glades connects both, as the River Daphne ends at the Arcadian Cold Sea. Polar islets make this barren coastal region.
Ecosystem
The Eastern region of Arcadia is storm-blasted, resulting in frozen tundra divided by a chasm, and the cold desert region of Vliska's Waste. Sparse vegetation grows throughout the Gales of Calamities, while only the sturdiest plants and animals remain in Vliska's Wastes. The arid desert region of Moonfell Barrens has more humid conditions.
Below the highland deserts and thunderous volcanoes of the Nephraskari Mounts, the Mithral Grottoes carve hills and caverns throughout the East. The Grottoes block windfall, but suffers from avalanches. It is within Elysia that the land becomes much more forgiving, allowing Life to flourish along the terrace hills.
Surrounding the Titanomach, the cold, unforgiving ice rises high above the land, a glacial wall. Climbing the sheer wall leads to icy plateaus where one false move can be fatal. A dark storm mounts the peak of Titanomach, circling the land with its thunderous clouds all year long. Dust storms and blizzards are frequent and unpredictable, appearing suddenly and lasting invariably. It is easy to become lost in the blinding sands and snow.
Ecosystem Cycles
The ecosystem of Arcadia is as diverse as its geography. The harsh conditions of the glacial and volcanic regions give rise to unique flora and fauna, adapted to extreme cold and heat. Where these zones meet, storms appear without warning, and go on to cause mayhem in the surrounding regions.
During the colder seasons, Arcadia sees consistent snowfall and blizzards for most of the year. The River Daphne will freeze at the bottom of Jark's Divide, creating the Frostfalls above the Elysian Glades. These begin to melt in the warmer seasons, when the days lengthen, but the shade of the Titanomach guarantees cool conditions all year long.
When the River Daphne melts and flows, polar islands appear in the shallow tundra coasts. The Elysian region is warm for most of the year, due to geothermal vents beneath the lakes and river. Before the cold seasons return, many creatures emerge to spawn and feed before returning to states of torpor in the cold.
Resources
Flora & Fauna
In the icy regions, hardy, frost-resistant plants and creatures like the Tundra Bottan, which has a cottony interior within its shoots, are commonly found. This plant is not only resilient but also useful for housing, tools, and hull plating. Bottiban are creatures that thrive on the icy winds, wielding icy spears in their cottony manes as they float about the gales. In the volcanic areas, heat-resistant flora thrives, alongside creatures capable of withstanding the extreme temperatures. Rock Ammon are a type of Ammonite that migrated inland from the Arcadian Cold Sea, hunting for prey in the various regions during spring and summer, when they're more active.
T-Bottan Shoots
Localized Phenomena
Mystomythians refer to the hail and dust storms as "Furiorios" or "Comet Furies". Chunks of ice plummet through the air, containing precious minerals, carried away from distant lands. Locals know to take refuge during the Furiorios, as the plummeting hail are like small comets impacting the sands and snow. When the storm has subsided, those lucky survivors may come across rare ore.
Mythic Heartlands
Arcadia, Cradle of the Moons
Geography
Biome Type
Arid Deserts (Varied)
- Continent: Mystomythia
Regions:
- Elysia
- Sathacha
- Titanomach
- Orichalum Range
- Nephraskari Mounts
- Mithral Grotto
- Arcadian Cold Sea
- Climate:
Cold, Humid
Sub-Regions:
- Jark's Divide
- Vliska's Waste
- Elysian Glades
- Gales of Calamities
- Moonfell Barrens
- Arcadian Gardens
Major Cities:
- Arcadia
- Nirudin
Minor Cities:
- Aesophael
- Domin Vala
Resources
Flora:
- Aefalagis Trees
- Arcacao Trees
- Tundra Bottan
- Sea-Grass
- Icy Lichen
- Aefalalgae
- Deivi Onion
- Aelf Pepper
- Snowy Tricorns
- Azure Caps
Fauna:
- Slimes
- Botiban
- Myricorn
- Moon Bear
- Aurora Wyrd
- Rock Ammon
- D-Snow Tigers
- Cryocton Crab
- Icing Orb Weaver
Natural Resources:
- Water
- Salt
- Wood
- Volcanic Coal
- Clay & Marble
- Stone & Iron
- Gemstone
- Silk & Cotton
- Magic Ice
- Copper
- Mithral
- Orichalcum
- Shells & Carapace
- Gold & Silver
- Moon Stone
Comments
Author's Notes
Hell, I'm going to be revisiting ALL the SC Articles; let's just get that straight. I hope you're gaining fulfillment from the work you're doing this Summer Camp!
MYTH X