Pax
The continent of Pax is a water-broken landscape of rivers and primeval forests. Cut nearly in half by the mighty River Wutjörn, the lands can be wild and untamed the further one gets from one of the cities.
Split into territories ruled by city states, the five great cities of Pax are the capital of Craysilt, the tropical metropolis of Greynor, the mystical and mysterious city of Feynor, the ice-bound city of Cotnor, and the maritime powerhouse of Stilton Head.
In years long past, during the turbulent times of The Kobold Accord, the five city states formed a protective alliance under one strong King, named Jusinian Grey. He would later come to be known as The Unifier, and was named High King by the five city states, who were desperate for protection from the massive kobold assault. Thus, The Unified Kingdoms of Craysilt was formed.
Although Cotnor claims all lands north of its southern borders, the rugged mountains and eventual impassable arctic conditons of the northern pole claim sovereignty soon enough. Not even the barbarian tribes of wilderness Goliaths live that far north. It is a land of desolation, sterility, and silence, but for the wind.
Geography
From the deep primeval forests of the west, to the glittering tropical seas in the south; from the snowy white vistas of the northern plains to the riotous color-scape of the magical east; Pax is filled with natural wonders and geographic marvels. With the Pikespine Peaks and Stonytop mountain ranges splitting off from the main mass of arctic mountains in the north east, one would think the weather would be adversely affected, but the prevailing winds bring warm air from the south, funnelling it into the mountains, and providing surprisingly stable weather conditions. These winds also bring a profusion of volcanic ash at times, which can serve to nourish the plantlife of Pax.
The mighty Wutjorn river separates east from west, while providing vital transportation between three of Pax's major cities. This river can get so wide that the far side is often a day's sail away. The river is very stable, being large enough to take in the flood waters of spring without rising so fast that white water forms. This has allowed for population centers to be built directly next to the river itself; in fact, Greynor is built right on the river's delta.
Descending from the northern plains, the River Whitten swings east and cuts through The Impenetrable Forest of Birkwud and entering the Frigide Sea to the West, just north of the many islands of Stilton Head. It passes through Wood Elf territory in Birkwud, which is as pristine of a forest as can possibly be gotten, and the river brings with it all those nutrients that feed the farmlands to the burgeoning west of Pax. Still mainly a frontier, after having been mainly a remote port for many years during the The Kobold Accord, Stilton-Head and the surrounding townships and hamlets are relatively new.
The Fey-touched lands to the east are colorfully dressed in a panoply of color and textures the further one travels through the region. The veil between the prime material plane and the feywild grows thin at points, in Feynor, and the influence of both the Seelie and Unseelie courts can be felt in the very bones of the planet. There are many twisted things in Feynor; there are just as many kind souls and breathtaking tableaus. Still, one is advised to great caution while travelling in the east of Pax.
Ecosystem
The complex web of all living things really takes shape when looking at Pax. From the tropics in the south to the arctic reaches of the north, the surprisingly stable weather patterns have allowed for the flora and fauna of Pax to proliferate so aggressively that farming is nearly impossible in some areas. The delicate interplay between temperatures and prevailing winds brings rainy seasons and times of plenty, with enough sunshine to nourish everything in between. Insects can be a problem in the populated areas, as one would imagine, and the people of Pax have invented several new and interesting ways of controlling them; including, in some instance, eating them. Ferns and broadleaf forests cover the temperate areas of the continent with shade, and nourish the soil with the passing of the seasons. The weather is wet enough that fires are rare, and growth patterns can be described as 'explosive' during the spring and summer months.
Localized Phenomena
The Feywild is unusually close to Feynor, in fact touching the realm in some places. It is rumored that the City of Feynor was built directly atop such a rift.
The weather, also, is so stable it is almost as if someone designed it. Philosophers and other intellectuals have been debating whether or not this observation has any meaning for centuries.
Climate
Spanning a tropical southern border, to arctic northern reaches, Pax's climate runs the full gamut between excesses, with a firmly temperate zone smack dab in the middle of it. It is so predictable, in fact, that treatises and scholarly works have been written about 'the Pax Weather Phenomenon'.
The almanacs hereabouts are all dead-on accurate, every year, unless there is a major volcanic event, or the like, somewhere. The volatility of the volcanic mountains and archipelagoes of the former Tolmec Empire, to the south, have historically been the only things that alter the weather in Pax.
Fauna & Flora
Dominated by ferns and broadleaf forests, Pax is home to all manner of creatures that shelter in such places. Elk and deer abound; moose, in the more northern climes. Red foxes and black squirrels roam the woods, while jaguars stalk through the jungles of the warmer southern lattitudes. It is a place of great biodiversity and much natural wonder.
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