The Riverlands

Far to the south of our capital is the Riverlands, which houses a strange people indeed. I would never say this in public, of course, for they are our trade partners, and their generosity only makes our lands richer.
But they are strange; I will not change my mind on that. Their dress is modest and their priestesses dye their hair the colour of the ocean. They are a tall people, towering over Ixile'a. They do their rituals under the light of the moon, and do not even give their gods necessary lifeblood.
I may never understand them, but I will be grateful for what they share with us.

— from the diaries of an unnamed priestess of the Nine Gods, early in the Second Age

The Riverlands, as a term, refers to a region that stretches from the lowest portion of the continent of New Erika to the continent below, Tsjinoard. It is a strange term for it, for while the part of the region on New Erika is covered in riverbeds, the lower continent has few rivers and many lakes.
North of the Riverlands is Ixtepan and, beyond that, Athering . To the west is the Cluster of Fire, a series of volcanic islands and one large volcanic continent. To the east is the Jasmine Isles and the southern part of the Suncoast continent, as well as the Hidden Continent.
One country takes up all of the Riverlands: Velevieren. However, the two halves of the country are often referred to as North Velevieren and South Velevieren. N. Velevieren is located on the continent of New Erika, and S. Velevieren is located on Tsjinoard.

Geography

The Riverlands contains the following geographic locations:

• The Strait of Nehalennia, which separates the continents
• Magounos Mountains, a large mountain rage on the western edge of the northern portion of The Riverlands
• many forests, lakes, and riverbeds
• Giant's Caves
• several islands and islets
• Wraldein, a massive, solitary mountain far in the south of the second continent

Localized Phenomena

One might think the name "Riverlands" denotes actual living rivers, however the riverbeds of the Riverlands have been dry for thousands of years, ever since the Cataclysm.
These riverbeds are now known as the Dry Runs by the people of N. Velevieren, and they use these beds as roads between towns.

Climate

The Riverlands is located entirely in the Southern Hemisphere of Zarqon.
The northern end of the region, which borders Ixtepan and the tropics, is warm most of the year. (It was dry before the Great Quake of 4021, now it's humid.)
The rest of the Riverlands which reside on the The Southern Temperate Belt of New Erika is mostly temperate, having distinct seasons of spring, summer, fall, and winter (happening at opposite times to the ones in the Northern Hemisphere).
The portion of the Riverlands that rests on Tsjinoard starts temperate at the very northern edge of the lower continent, but things get rapidly cooler the further south one goes. In fact, the lower portion of the continent is nothing but ice and snow, and uninhabitable by most humans.
Humans live as far south as Wraldein, but not beyond that.

Natural Resources

The Riverlands have several natural resources of note, including the rare and valuable heksensteen.
In addition to the magical stone, the Riverlands boasts the following items used for consumption or trade:

• tobacco (N. Velevieren)
• krudsjen, a plant used for entheogenic purposes in N. Velevieren; outlawed in S. Velevieren
• many types of pine, yew, and other hardy winter trees, grown using sustainable forestry practices in S. Velevieren

Alternative Name(s)

Velevieren, Velemeren

Type

Region

Location under

The Southern Temperate Belt

Included Organizations

• Velevieren

Owning Organization

Velevieren

Related Materials

• heksensteen