Balinor

The Untamed Lands

Balinor is the second largest continent on Terro, created by the Sovereign of Horn and Hunt, Balinor. It is said the inhabitants of these lands are strange, often godless creatures, regarded as nature's experiments. Large beasts roam the savannas, scrub forests, and snowy mountain ranges of this inhospitable continent. Areas to the far north and south are sparsely populated and far more temperate.
For most of the world, it is recognized that Balinor, and the other three continents, were created by the Sovereign Host, who have since disappeared and left the various continents in the hands of other deities. Not much is known about the gods of Balinor. Most humanoids in Balinor worship the god that created their race, but plenty of smaller religions exist throughout the region.

Geography

Harsh Wilderness

Balinor hosts a large savanna and temperate biome flanked on either side by treacherous, freezing mountain ranges and scrub deserts. A few of the islands are icy tundras with very little life or inhabitants. It is located in the Northern Savanach Ocean, the Anodiac Ocean, and the Hurez Ocean. Smaller bodies of water include the Enchanted Sea and the Depths of Tregeo.

Fauna & Flora

Nature's Experiments

The most monstrous plants and animals reside in Balinor. Giant creatures with many legs and horns protruding from various places on their bodies. Ferocious predators and cunning prey, dangerous insects, poisonous reptiles, and soaring avian monstrosities. The plants can provide healing properties, but many are poisonous and kill quickly.

The Scrub & Savanna

This area is hot and dry with mild winters. Most plants in this region have large, hard leaves, which hold moisture. The plants are also very well adapted to fires. Some examples of plants in here are toyon, chamise, poison oak, scrub oak, Yucca and other shrubs, trees and cacti. The savanna is dominated by grasses such as Rhodes grass, red oats grass, star grass, lemon grass, and some shrubs. Most savanna grass is coarse and grows in patches with interspersed areas of bare ground.
Gemsbok, kangaroos, and camels inhabit most the Banilor scrub. The animals roaming the savannas vary. Examples of herbivores include: elephants, zebras, horses, rhinos and giraffes. It is also home to carnivores: cheetahs, lions, hyenas, crocodiles, hippos and wild dogs.

The Mountain Tundra

If anything grows here, it is short and low to the ground. Not much life of any type survives out here in these conditions. The climate is so cold in winter that even the long days of summer are unable to thaw the permafrost beneath the surface layers of soil. Sphagnum moss, a wide variety of lichens, and some grasses and fast-growing annuals dominate the landscape during the short growing season. Caribou feed on this growth as do vast numbers of insects. Swarms of migrating birds, especially waterfowl, invade the tundra in the summer to raise their young, feeding them on a large variety of aquatic invertebrates and vertebrates. As the brief arctic summer draws to a close, the birds fly south, and all but a few of the permanent residents, in one way or another, prepare themselves to spend the winter in a dormant state. Rare predators such as Dire wolves and polar bears also stalk the tundra for prey.

Natural Resources

Iron ore, lead, zinc, diamonds, gold, and other rare earth elements are Balinor's claim to fame. The harsh conditions make growing and cultivating difficult, and the water is often muddy or completely frozen over. Temperate forests in the center and coastal regions provide some relief for this problem, but not enough for the whole continent.
Rare animal products are also sold on black markets and fetch a high price with wealthy aristocrats looking to show each other up.

Alternative Name(s)

The Untamed Land, Land of Horn, Gajup-Tok, Eglador, Werghadn, Maulkzil

Type

Continent