Lands

Akados is the largest of the known continents of the Lost Lands. Through its center runs the greatest of the world’s mountain ranges, the Stonehearts, from the icebound far north to the heart of the continent in the south. In the southwest, the Crescent Sea divides the western lands of the Green Realm and the Xha’en Hegemony from the former lands of the Hyperborean Empire of the Foerdewaith. And in the far northeast is the Irkainian Peninsula, which reaches out to the shores of Libynos, separated only by the narrow Mulstabhin Passage and Krivcycek Island.

The climates within Akados are vast. In the northwest are the trackless plains of The Haunted Steppes; to the north, the forests and icy rivers of the Northlands and the taiga and tundra beyond; in the northeast, the Vast and Irkainian Deserts; and in the southwest, the mighty forests of the Green Realm.

Akados was the first land conquered by the Hyperboreans when they marched forth from their homeland in Boros to the north. As a result, many of the human kingdoms and realms of Akados can trace their origins to provinces of that empire and look back to the Hyperborean era as a golden age of peace and prosperity. Only the far western portion of the continent, beyond the Crescent Sea — where can be found the Green Realm of the wild elves, the Xha’en Hegemony, Gtsang Prefecture, and Anaros Island — never felt the rule of the imperators.

Akados is also home to the largest groups of non-humans in the world, including the wild elves of the Green Realm, the high elves of the forests of eastern Akados, and the clans of the mountain dwarves in the Stonehearts and other mountain ranges of the continent.

The northern Borderlands Provinces fill part of Eastern Akados, but the region is better known for the great city of Bard's Gate as well as the massive Stoneheart Mountains. The former is a land in transition as the great tide of empire drags back, leaving the old provinces to fend for themselves. As the Foerdewaith retreat, the city-states and border lands must contend with growing threats both inside and out. This region is home to the deep-infested hall of Rappan Athuk, as well as the bustling cities of Eastgate and Freegate. By far the grandest city in the region , if not all of Eastern Akados, is Bard's Gate, whose economic, military, and political might allow it to govern the surrounding land as a calm, rational parent. In the far west, along the Sinnar Coast is the breakaway Kingdom of Oceanus, founded by a former Foerdewaith admiral. The central portion of Eastern Akados is loomed over by the Stoneheart Mountains, a long range that stretches from the frozen Northlands south to the outskirts of Bard's Gate. Also known as the Spine of the World, this mountain range is home to many dwarf kingdoms and communities, as well as giants, goblinoids, and terrible monsters in the isolated vales. This has led to a near constant state of warfare in the mountains, a struggle that might spill over onto or draw in outsiders.

Known as The Spine of the World in many circles, the Stoneheart Mountains stretch from the frozen Northlands to the north to the outskirts of cosmopolitan Bard’s Gate to the south. Despite their impressive size, the mountain range is relatively new, having been magically raised atop the Keltine Barrier roughly 10,000 years ago. Most of the range’s formidable peaks reach heights of 14,000 feet and higher, though the summits of many mountains in the northern and central portions of the range climb into the proverbial death zone of 26,000 feet, with the highest exceeding 30,000 feet. At these dizzying heights, temperatures routinely dip far below the freezing point. Few creatures can withstand the low oxygen levels and frigid temperatures in these areas, leaving them sparsely inhabited. Dense glaciers, sometimes hundreds of feet thick, cover the slopes and summits of the tallest peaks. Below these heights, sheep, oryxes, llamas, and other animals adapted to life at elevation thrive in this rocky, arid environment.

Mountain dwarves are the most dominant military and political force in the Stoneheart Mountains, though the hobgoblins occupying the citadels along the eastern edge of the Stoneheart Mountains and the neighboring Starcrag Mountains also vie for supremacy. Several dwarven clans hold sway over this vast region, with Clan Craenog being generally recognized as the strongest and most influential of these, though the other clans would certainly disagree. Although none of the mountain dwarves hold humans and elves in high regard, several of these clans at least tolerate their former adversaries.

Foothills, swales, and nadirs mark the buffer zone between the massive Stoneheart Mountains to the north and the flatter grasslands and forests to the south. The valley is a study in flux and transition. Where the soil is fertile, lush grasses, pine trees, and other vegetation flourish. In regions dominated by exposed stone, the land appears lifeless and barren. The rocks embedded into the earth often feature sharp edges and jagged protrusions that make travel through the region slow and tedious. Despite its desolate appearance, the valley boasts a reliable water supply fed by frequent precipitation and runoff from the snowcapped summits of the neighboring Stoneheart Mountains. Small hamlets and lone farmsteads dot large portions of the landscape, though most residents dwell alongside the Tradeway running through the heart of the valley as well as the larger towns of Fairhill and Crimmor.

Hawks, falcons, eagles, and other birds of prey nest in the rocky nooks and crannies atop the foothills. These predators frequently circle the clear skies while scanning the bare stone for their next meal. Rodents such as mice, rats, squirrels, and other small mammals are their typical fare. Wolves are the dominant land-based predator species in the region. Their larger and more vicious worg relatives frequently accompany the pack during their hunts for deer and other game animals. Gnolls are the dominant disruptive force in the region, spreading havoc wherever they go. Orcs have also begun to make inroads into the area, most notably in the Ruined Keep and the wilderness surrounding Fairhill. Rumors even claim wormholes in the northern section of the valley burrow into the earth, where they ultimately lead to the Cyclopean Deeps.