Erdioa Volcanic Range

No one thought much about the earthquakes, or the lesser mountains puffing grey smoke into the air. After all, the sfinckses warned of it--and we did not trust the sfinckses.
We should have listened. Our deafness ended in death.

--Liatha Weatherwise
on the eruption of Bakioya

In this document:

All artwork by Shade Melodique
unless otherwise stated

The Erdioa

The Erdioa Volcanic Range runs from the northwestern seaboard of Yena to the northeastern wastelands along the Gulf of Anjra. They are the continuation of the Re a tari Rendari mountain range of eastern Seari, though far more volcanically active.
There are over a hundred volcanoes throughout the range, though only sixteen have been active in recent memory. The majority of the active ones produce flowing lava, and only a handful are more violent in their eruptions.
While the sfinckses consider the range their homeland, even they use the ancient Ga Iniria name for the mountains. Erdioa, a deity associated with volcanoes and the fire of eruptions, is a vengeful one, and they have no wish to provoke her wrath yet again. In secret, however, the sfinckses refer to the mountains as bas tilat, or Our Home.

Photo by Ramadhimawan Photography,
Envato Elements

The Erdioa are known for amazing sunsets, especially when the local volcano spews ash into the air.

The Landscape

The Erdioa is a tall range created from a series of hotspots the earth moves over. These hotspots run from the Gulf of Anjra, through Yena, under the Strait of Co Jer, and end in the northern Ri a tari Rendari.
Some hotspots are more active than others, producing a lot of lava, but not much airborne material other than ash.
The range contains broadleaf forests in the southwest, which change to hardy wasteland needle forests in the north. Many of the mountains are tall enough to have snow year-round.
Erdioa valleys are some of the most fertile areas on Yena, and much of the cereals and grains grown for the continent's population come from them. Despite the dangers of eruptions, the valleys have large population centers driven by the trade in foodstuffs.
While farming is the economic driver, the fish-heavy waterways and abundance of game support hunters and fishers who sell meat in markets south of the Erdioa.

The Erdioa have five large herbivores, the most famous being the longfur, a mottled brown bovine found on the colder slopes and higher altitude meadows. It is the height of a shack at the shoulder, with flowing fur that reaches the tips of its hooves. They are best known for their running; they can outpace a boulder cat using short sprints that end in huge leaps down mountainsides.
Scholars believe the jumps originated from the beasts needed to cross smaller lava flows. They will start above their selected jump spot, race downhill, and leap across the fire rivers without mishap.

The Volcanos

The Erdioa is considered a dangerous volcano range, not just because of the number of active mounts, but for the Bakioya. This volcano's past eruptions have destroyed the valleys and mountains next to it, and sent ash, pumice, and other debris high enough into the atmosphere that the small particles have traveled on the winds to all ends of Elthessera, causing intense cold years globally.
Despite the dangers, humans and sfinckses reside in the valleys near the volcanoes. The soil is fertile, so not only do the farmers harvest large crops, there is plenty of grass and other foodstuffs for domestic and wild animals to consume. The Erdioa have plants used in a variety of mystery arts found nowhere else, one of the major attractors for the sfinckses.

The most famous active volcanos:

• Bakioya:
  If Bakioya had not erupted 5120 years ago, there would be no Condi on Seari


• Ilthi:
  The most fertile valleys lie within its old lava fields. Named after an ancient sfincks who supposedly taught the local humans how to farm sleewheat


• Meekmare:
  Constantly reeks of sulfur; known as the Armpit of the Erdioa


• Mokmok:
  Some sfinckses consider Mokmok the place the Earth Mother created them. The only humans allowed within dragonlengths of this volcano are those associated with the religious cult that worships them


• Yuspam:
  A constant run of lava enters the sea, forming new islands. Named after the Somal Mountain People's earth deity.

The Bakioya's last eruption, in 2 BGI, was its most famous. It sent hot ash and suffocating clouds into the Rienysse Valley, killing everyone there. Only the few lucky ones high on the surrounding mountains, who made it over the peaks before the fires and the clouds caught them, survived.
The eruption disrupted the country of Rel Dylar's wealth and standing, which eventually led to the monarchy's downfall. Thousands starved in Yena, as the food typically grown in the Erdioa fell to ash and sunless days due to thick grey cloud cover.
That, however, is not the reason for the eruption's fame. A small band of surviving Ga Iniria led by Liatha Weatherwise crossed the Strait of Co Jer and landed on the western continent of Seari. From those few survivors came the Condi, who changed the course of Seari's peoples, lands and religions, and conquered half of Seari under the banner of the Jonna Empire.

Original Image by Vincent, Adobe Stock Images

Bakioya, Kingdom of Shain

Because the population of Yena in general relies so heavily on the products grown in the Erdioa, the range's countries have the strongest earth wielders monitoring volcanic activity. When an eruption is deemed imminent, the nearby valleys and mountains are evacuated, despite local protests.
Because inaccurate forecasts disrupt populations, the country of Sar Tien boasts a mystery arts academy dedicated to the study of volcano-related topics. Their scholars' discoveries have led to better evacuation procedures, more timely warnings, and a fair number of interesting wieldings concerning mining, building, and farming.

Earthquake monitors are nearly as important as eruption ones. Snowslides, landslides, the interruption of rivers and streams, and the catastrophic draining of lakes all endanger people and crops.
Local leaders are beholden to the sfinckses for this information. The beasts have a highly accurate Earth wielding they use to detect them, and they refuse to share with humans except those who populate their cult. Since sfinckses have been known to withhold important information about earthquakes as punishment for slights, this aggravates human community leaders.

Erdioa communities sponsor several festivals and celebrations meant to appease the sylfaone Erdioa and other fire- and earth-related sylfaodolon. During Red Leaves lesser season, each one has a "no-eruption" festival that corresponds with the last harvest.
Religious leaders invite the deities through prayer to the celebrations. Bonfires are lit at night, and communities eat and drink to their fortune. Traveling carnival troops provide entertainment, and many have a mystery arts competition.