Vesperia

Geography

The continent of Vesperia is huge, spanning across many climates and biomes. There are mountains at each end, temperate floodplains along the coasts, subtropical swamps in the south, deserts in the west, tundra in the north, and thick forests scattered throughout.
Some of the more important features include:

The Eastern Territories:
Veritas River:
The Roaring Plains:
Boreal Sea:
The Frostpines: Bordering the Boreal Sea to the south is rocky terrain covered by a dense coniferous forest. The remoteness of the region has resulted in it becoming home to many beastfolk who still have trouble integrating with civilization, such as lycanthropes, gnolls, minotaurs, and shifters. The hidden village of Umbra's Eye is where many congregate, led by a charismatic rakshasa who calls himself the Red King. Several firbolg communities and druid circles also inhabit the Frostpines, but are much harder to find.
The Pale Wastes: The northwestern sub-arctic prairies and the northernmost reaches of the Dragonspires are largely unclaimed even by the hardiest settlers. The cold, harsh land is only capable of growing crops for a short few months out of the year, but the grasslands and occasional discoveries of valuable ores have drawn some brave souls from Golden Heights. But the more significant force here is the Five Pillars Covenant, an alliance of orcs, goblinoids, and ogres that managed to sieze a large chunk of land along the Boreal Sea and westwards from dwarven colonists. They prefer to mind their own business, but will not abide with any trouble from outsiders.
The Low Desert:
The Great Rift: The western desert of Vesperia is bisected by a canyon known as the Great Rift. Hundreds of miles long and a mile deep, parts of the Rift have their own climate and ecosystems, owing to its depth and the presence of the Rainbow River that carved it into the earth. It was one of the hardest obstacles for explorers surveying the continent, other than the dragons and other winged folk, who passed straight over it to settle the Dragonspire Mountains.
The High Desert:
The Dragonspire Mountains:

History

Habitation of the continent began with a civilization known only as Ancient Vesperia, which existed over three thousand years ago. These people left nothing behind but their buildings, constructs, and roads; even their language has yet to be deciphered. Whatever happened to them, they seem to have vanished bodily from the Material Plane, because there are not even any bones to inspect. But based on their surviving artwork, they resembled both humans and elves to a degree.
The modern history of Vesperia begins 400 years ago, when Thulish explorers set foot on the east coast, founding what is now the Kingdom of Vinland. Other countries and races soon followed. Albionic settlers established the colony of Parthenia, Gallians founded Acadia, and the Iberians built Dorado. Meanwhile, settlers from Elsinor, searching for a quicker route from their own continent, found the western side of the continent and the Mirovian Islands. They formed the Mirovian League in the latter, while Ruthenia and Cathay made their own footholds, Opona and Penglai, on the continent. The eastern and western territories knew little of each other until dragons from the east first crossed the Roaring Plains in search of new lairs.
But for the first few centuries, the frontier was right at or just over the eastern mountains. Further exploration was stymied by wars and civil unrest, as the continents were either fighting for independence from their parent nations or being forcibly cut loose. For a long time, only outcasts such as orcs and goblinoids cared to venture further outwards It was not until the Wallace Expedition of 2556 that any serious attempt was made to survey the central part of the continent. Discoveries of valuable resources and mysterious ruins ignited interest in exploration; territories began to send expeditions further and further west, while several independent ventures (such as the Golden Heights Company) made their own attempts to settle the region. Some were successful. Many were not.

Type

Continent

Included Locations

Included Organizations