Weather and Climate

Similar to the Earth, the climate of Lloegyr is heavily influenced by the axial tilt of the planet, which is approximately 25 degrees relative to its orbital plane with the sun.   As a result, the northernmost latitude at which the sun can appear to be directly overhead, on the summer solstice, is at 25 degrees north. This latitude is also known as the Tropic of Freya. On Akados, it runs through the Worntooth Peaks, the southern extent of the Blackrock Mountains, the southern fiefdoms of the Kingdom of Foere, and Old Burgundia to the east. Similarly, the southernmost latitude at which the sun can be directly overhead, on the winter solstice, is at 25 degrees south, known as the Tropic of Mithras. This latitude is well south of the southern shores of both Akados and Libynos, though some say it is near the location of the Razor Coast.   The equator lies approximately 1,700 miles south of Akados, and crosses Libynos in the region of the Southern Paramountcies.   The arctic circle on Lloegyr is at approximately 65 degrees north; at this latitude and farther north, the midnight sun (when in the summer the sun never appears to set) is visible at least one day of the year. Above this latitude are the Shadowlands north of the Haunted Plain, the northernmost reaches of the Stonehearts, the Far North and, somewhere, the continent of lost Boros.   Another factor unique to Lloegyr also has a substantial effect on the climate of Akados and Libynos. When the god Arden sacrificed himself to banish invading hordes of the frog demon Tsathogga in –182 I.R., the very fabric of the world was rent, creating what is now known as the Tropic of Arden. Unlike the other tropics which parallel the equator, the Tropic of Arden lies at an oblique angle to the equator, which it crosses in Mother Oceanus at a point southwest of Akados (where legend says can be found the Isle of Ra). From there, the Tropic reaches the coast of Akados near the Cinderhame Mountains, and then crosses, in turn, the southernmost reaches of the Green Realm, the Crescent Sea, the Kingdom of Vast, The Plains of Eaux and the northern domains of Foere, the southern Stonehearts and the Dragon Hills. From there, the Tropic passes over the Gulf of Akados, and then through Irkaina and the northernmost regions of Libynos.   More than just a geographic designation, the Tropic of Arden in fact constitutes a powerful atmospheric effect that refracts the sun’s light in ways that change the climate of areas a thousand miles or more to either side of the Tropic. Part of the effect seems to redirect solar energy from lands in the Tropic’s influence in the southwest toward the northeast. As a result of this effect, the southern regions of Akados are much more temperate and less tropical than would be expected of such southerly latitudes; and in fact, the Helcynngae Peninsula, not far from the equator, has the cool climate one would normally only see in a region much farther north. On the other hand, the area around Freegate on the coast of the Gulf of Akados is known for its remarkably subtropical clime.   Passing over the northern Gulf of Akados and Irkaina, the Tropic of Arden heats and desiccates the air, giving rise to both the Vast and Irkainian Deserts, while also creating an odd coriolis effect that brings moisture off the northern Sinnar to the Buntesveldt and Pelshtaria. In Libynos, the Tropic causes the Ashurian Desertand the Maighib Desert to be hot and dry though they are in northern and middle latitudes, respectively, while across the Jungteran Mountains it brings warmth and moisture to the lands of Jaati and the northeast coast of the continent.   Prior to the shift of the world’s poles in 2491 I.R., the angle between the equator and the Tropic of Arden was substantially less, mitigating the effect the Tropic had on weather and climate. Since the pole shift, however, the angle increased substantially, which has resulted in a concomitant increase in the effect the Tropic has, particularly the regions farther north.