Glüm is the
Common Vulgar name for the plane of
Harmony within
Creation, however it is typically used to refer to the physical place, as opposed to the metaphysical dimension plane, though the two are one and the same.
Though official scholarship within the
Vekhen Empire only recognises the one continent on Glüm, it is widely accepted among scholars and even the lesser educated that Glüm is comprised of multiple continents that exist without massive oceans of salt water. The exact shape of Glüm remains hotly contested, though current thinking places it as an inverted sphere, with the continents emerging from the oceans into a hollow middle.
The Continents of Glüm
The following is a very incomplete list of the continents of Glüm, as understood by the scholars of the Vekhen Empire:
Syvat, the Known World
Syvat (
Vul. 'world') is a large continent believed to be either the only continent on Glüm — and indeed synonymous with it, by some accounts — or the central continent, surrounded by lesser continents. There is currently no known explanation how an inverted sphere could have a "central continent." Syvat is itself broken up into several regions:
Sŭrtseto, the Heartlands
The
Heartlands (
Vul. Sŭrtseto, 'heartlands') is a large expansive region in the middle of Syvat, which is traditionally seperated into two halves — North and South Sŭrtseto — due to its shear size and population. The region is dominated by fertile valleys, plains, and forests, threaded through by large navigable rivers. Sŭrtseto is the centre of the
Vekhen Empire. The region is primarily inhabited by the
Kaharota, though the cosmopolitan nature of the Empire means it is a land of many cultures.
Tax-Xatt, the Eastern Shores
The
Eastern Shores (
Nor. Tax-Xatt, 'the shore') is a thin strip of coastline that stretches along the entire eastern edge of the Heartlands, becoming wider as it travels south. Though the northern areas of Tax-Xatt are firmly within the Vekhen Empire, and typically referred to by the Common Vulgar name Bryag, the southern parts are seperated from the Sŭrtseto by a dense mountain range, enabling the native
Noraddem a degree of autonomy that they enjoy in exchange for tribute. Tax-Xatt is dominated by sandy beaches and rocky cliffs, with vegetation being more sparse, especially in the south.
Jugore, the Southern Stretches
The
Southern Stretches (
Bor. Jugore, 'southern') is a large region of Syvat that extends from the southern border of Gol-Kasha down to the southern tip of Syvat itself where it shares a brief border with the Eastern Shores, but otherwise bordered to the east by the Heartlands. It is a land dominated by the
Borenae culture, though under constant occupation by the Vekhen Empire, as it has a reputation of constant rebellion. Jugore is prized for its open rolling fields and plains, which rise up into foothills and mountains in several locations. Jugore is famous for its weird wildlife, which evolved in odd ways due to relative isolation from the rest of Syvat.
Gol-Kasha, the Empty Home
Gol-Kasha (
Aom. 'empty home') is a relatively depopulated region, bordered to the east by the Heartlands, the south by Jugore, the north by Maa Hele. The region is dominated by
Lake Dvor, and trecherous karst formations, around and upon which the
Aomeni culture holds claim, though the region was originally home to the
Ihmisii. The west of Gol-Kasha ends in the
Orntuib Desert, a region never fully crossed, and it is unknown how far it goes before the ocean is seen once more. Scholars are divided on whether this unknown land counts as Gol-Kasha, or a different region entirely.
Maa Hele, the Blinding Plains
The
Blinding Plains (
Tõdeh 'bright land') is a frozen expanse of ice caps that begins in the west with the
Gahet Wastes and stretches far to the east where it borders the Eastern Shores, being divided from the Heartlands by a grea mountain range. Paradoxically, the western parts of Maa Hele are supposed to connect to the Furthest Shore via an icy land bridge, though this continent is believed to be in the east, leading scholars to assume the
Stelta — one of the peoples who make Maa Hele their home — are tricksters. The other two cultures native to the Blinding Plains are the
Mererah, and the
Olmey. The Blinding Plains remains the only region of Syvat never conquered by the Vekhen Empire.
Dalech, the Furthest Shore
The
Furthest Shore (
Vul. Dalech) is a theorised continent far to the east of Syvat, believed to be where the speakers of
Affa come from, as well as where the
Salachian species is believed to have arisen. The great
Saint Urra Farwander is believed to have flown from Dalech to Syvat before settling the city of
Urra's Rest in the Eastern Shore, though theologians instead suggest she may have set off from the furthest western point of the Southern Stretches, and then circumnavigated all of Glüm.
It is of note that multiple travellers from distinctly different directions have arrived in Syvat, telling tales of the lands they have come from, many of which conflict with one another. Scholars interpret all of these stories as originating from the same place, and consider it both smaller than Syvat but also impossibly varied to account for this apparent inconsistency.
Comments