The Second Strakan Expedition

Expedition

"May your journey be swift, and your discoveries many. May this be the first step towards a more united world." - Tarkus

For centuries now, Tarkus of Straka had sponsored many a small expedition to the various other continents of Nilam.   In 422 3A Tarkus officially sent off the largest expedition yet. Including dozens of airships and hundreds of explorers, mages, scientists, diplomats, and soldiers; the expedition was to split up into four groups, one for each cardinal direction. They would travel in each direction and explore, make maps, take notes, and return with more information about the wider world.   Out of the four groups to leave, three returned (with the Northern Expedition being considered lost). They came back with a wealth of maps, news, and insights into the far flung continents of Archin and Wahar, as well as their southern neighbor of Efaanu.   Their most important recorded discovery though, was that the strange barriers that made travel difficult between continents had collapsed sometime after The Return. Journeys were easier to undertake now, but they were still long, dangerous, and risky. The only exception to this was the barrier between Efaanu and Kalin. The desert of Ulb still served as the separating point between the continents, and anyone who journeyed between them risked sickness or outright death. Why this barrier remains while the others have fallen remains an arcane mystery yet to be solved.