North Kalesten
The northern part of Kalesten is considered to be everything north of the south banks of the Eora Rivers in the west, to the mountains of the Ertian Plateau in the east.
Contents
Geography
North Kalesten is home to the majority of the human nations of the entire Kalesten Continent. The following are the states in alphabetical order.
There are also loose confederations of peoples that aren't true nations, but still significant cultural unions.
Lands of Kaius
The northern most portion of Kalesten consists of coniferous forests and steppes, and is claimed by the Kaian tribes. The northern peninsula peaks above the arctic circle and is covered by the Kaius Mountains, a dense, high-reaching craggy range that is sparsely inhabited by some heartier Brech’mar tribes. The mountains are also home to many dragons, including their namesake dragon, the drake Kaius, whom the inhabitants regard as their god.
South of the mountains, the Lands of Kaius become steppe in center of their lands, and forests along the coastlines. A few Ochae’nafod tribes populate the the more isolated areas. The Kaians are the most populous people of the region, with many tribes and clans. Many of the steppe tribes are nomadic, wandering north and south with the seasons, while the coastal tribes are more established in villages.
A number of rivers and streams run down from sources in the Kaius Mountains, and into the Green Sea several hundred miles south, most notably the Tonnum, Quathery, and Velemray rivers which eventually merge into the Lyteus River that feeds into the Green Sea. The only true city of the Kaius people, Oni’kel, is located near the point at which the Quathery and Velemray rivers merge and become the Lyteus River.
To the east of the Lyteus is a wide band of unclaimed land, left untouched by the southern nations, and often uninhabited by the Kaians. The region is known as the Neutral Zone and acts as a buffer between the southern nations and Kaian raiders. To the west of the river is the nation of Samonight.
Green Sea
This large inland sea is centered in the eastern region of Kalesten, and is fed freshwater by the Lyteus River from the north, and empties into the ocean through the Siol River to the southwest and Vies River to the northeast. Bordering the sea is the Kalestein Empire to the west, Samonight to the east, Kosony to the south, and Lands of Kaius to the north. The region surrounding the sea is mostly open farmland and a mix of deciduous and coniferous forests. The region to the east of the Siol River is mostly swamp.
Kosony & The Ardir Forest
To the south of the Green Sea is the nation of Kosony, which stretches to the Ardir Forest. The Ardir is inhabited predominantly by the Fayl’Idayn, but also many tribes of Ochae’nafod and Dra’nafod. This stretch of land climbs in altitude steadily as you travel southward, as the sub-continent of Ertia to the south has wedged itself beneath Kalesten, resulting in the creation of a plateau. The plateau ends in high cliffs and intractable mountains that separate Ertia from Kalesten.
The Heartland
The rest of the northern portion of the Kalesten continent points southwest. The central region, made up of nations such as the Kalestine Empire, Isbany, Rheneld, and Chawoven is often referred to as the Heartland as its fertile grounds have kept it well-populated by humans for hundreds of years. Many nations have risen and fallen until giving way to the countries that fill the Heartland now, but the land is much the same.
From the west bank of the Green Sea to the Polnal River is mostly pasture and woodland, claimed currently by the Kalestine Empire and Isbany. South of the Polnal River, two mountain ranges rise along the north and south coasts of Kalesten; the Gayntos on the north and the Perdrasers to the south. In between the two ranges is the fertile valley that is claimed by Chawoven.
On the northeastern end of the Gayntos is the nation of Rheneld, which has a mix of rolling pastureland and denser forests near the mountains. On the north side of the Gayntos Mountains, along Kalesten’s central northern coast is the nation of Emkal, which is afforded some seclusion with the mountain range nearly surrounding their southern borders.
The southern Perdraser Range serves as Chawoven’s southern border. On the coastal side is the nation of Agenom which has a slightly warmer climate (Mediterranean) than their neighbors to the north. Zaedyn, Brech’mar, Ochae’nafod, Dra’nafod, and rogue Kuzo bands call the mountains and surrounding forests home.
Western Kalesten
From the far western edge of the Perdraser Range flows the Eora River, which after a few hundred miles splits in two. The southern Eora arcs down to the thin isthmus of Central Kalesten, providing a natural border for western Agenom before splitting once more and emptying into the sea on either side of the isthmus. The northern Eora flows westward, cutting through the nation of Belvon and into Serdenaugh where it meets the sea. Much of the land in the west is currently unclaimed open prairie, home to tribal humans, Kiar villages and some small herds of Eain’Idayn. Outside the northern border of Belvon, near the southwestern end of the Gayntos Mountains is the Beon forest, which is inhabited by Ochae’nafod, Dra’nafod, and Eain’Idayn.
