Crakec

Named after the consort of The Painted Queen, Crakec is one of the largest currently known continents in the world. It also stood as the most inhabited and third oldest in recorded history. With Crakec being the main home of the Demon-folk, Hags, Dragons, Jotuns, Niwarves, Pakob, Langlebig, and Gnolls.
 

Geography

The overall geography of Crakec was once one with mostly mountains, beautiful forests, and thousands of small lazy rivers. After ages of unnatural mana techniques or battles filled with godly rage, the land finds itself scarred and broken from its once beautiful appearance. Two large rivers dominate the map itself showing the continent split into thirds, while two vast deserts now stand where powerful spells were unleashed. Truly the land has been broken to our will, and one must wonder how this will come back to us one day.
 

Notable Mountains

While smaller mountains are dotted across the known map, as well as many that act as important keeps. Few are truly worth mentioning outside of the cities or inhabitants in The First Age. This is due to the fact that many of the mountains we know today, have only existed for a few thousand years. While those listed below are noted to have either existed since the Age of Fae, or be at the epicenter of a major historical event in recent memory.
 

The Dragons Crown

A massive mountain said to peak well above the cloudline, this mountain has stood the focus of every dragon to have ever existed. Almost as if drawn and obsessed with the massive mountain, few times in history has it not been inhabited by one. The Dragon’s Crown is said to be where dragons started, with the large hot springs beneath, the massive open caverns that allow for plenty of room, it is the perfect atmosphere for a dragon clan to grow strong. However, the claim that dragons originated in it is far from fact, with most of the bones only dating back to The Clouded Age, and before that a smaller species similar to the dragons would instead rule it during the Age of Fae. Instead we believe that the large deposit of draconic remains is what causes other dragons to seek it out. Similar to Paladium, The Dragons Crown mountain produces more powerful ores seemingly mixed with the corpses of prior draconic tenants.
 

Demon Wing’s Mountain Range

Named this after both the apex monster Demon Wing who ruled the mountain range around the then lake front lands and the Demon Wing clan itself who inhabited them. The Demon Wing clan were a group of dragons who were said to terrorize the Four Season Courts, devouring their kin anytime they came near. For nearly a thousand years the dragons would live and die in these mountains, their bodies mixing with the ores to create a land rich in ore. Now due to this the Rok-Heap are drawn to the high quality minerals mixed with dragon bones. And the mountains themselves are said to be actively mined by the fire jotun clans.
 

The Crying Crimson Mountain Range

Called this due to the brief history in which the many snow beard clans would spend their early days fighting one another. The insides of the mountains were said to see so much battle, that any who passed by could see the mountains almost crying blood from every cave. Thus, with so much bloodshed it is said the entrance to any old family keep is stained red from the blood spattered there.
 

Notable Rivers

Though a few hundred small rivers can be found across much of Crakec, few of them are big enough or noteworthy enough to even mention. With many of the rivers finding themselves throughout the Pakob and Langlebig territories, or branching off from The Twin Queens themselves. They act merely as points for faster travel by local merchants that know their secrets. With few being even worthy of an ask within a tavern or guild as one could either easily locate or traverse them.
 

The Twin Queens

Once there was a belief that the hags ruled much of Crakec while the Demon-folk were still attempting to learn of the world. During this time, The Painted Queen would recognize the great threat that the Demon-folk posed, and thus she would carve out two massive lines within the continent. Two rivers that she gave to her favorite twin younger sisters that had made up her coven with. Both powerful in their own regard, but not nearly as capable as The Painted Queen herself. The two would take the kindness and form domains through the river that still to this day rule deep beneath the river's surface. Named Oshara’s Sweet River and Oeo’s Storm River individually, the rivers are said to take on the personalities of the twins themselves. With one being easy to traverse in the far east, while the other is a rather difficult and deadly waterway in the far west.
 

Primorial’s Golden Rage Lake

A massive lake and waterway that helps much of the trade throughout the Pakob and Jotun territories. This lake was once just a small river that had no bend further into the continent. However, it is believed that one of the Dragon Lords known as Yacyroxr “The Mad” would manage to anger the queen of the Pakob Primorial "The Golden Queen" during a battle between the two nations. As her rage reached a boiling point her mana technique would let loose immense spells that would cause the ground to cave in beneath her and Yacyrox's army's feet. The water would rush in and manage to consume a few of the draconic soldiers before both sides retreated to the newly formed coastline. It was said that shortly after the battle, Yacyroxr would seek peace in hopes of maintaining the lands he wished to conquer.
 

Notable Forests

While much of Crakec is dotted with forests, it should be noted that only two major forests are worth noting. The rest act similarly to a normal forest, though with some variations of beasts and inhabitants. The two below signify the most noteworthy and cautionary forests to visit in all of the continent for new adventurers.
 

The Singing Forest

A large forest north east of Dragon’s Crown, the forest itself is said to be the last resting place to the once powerful Singing Dragon clan. The forest is said to have had so many entombed there that now the forest can sing just like the clan. With many adventurers noting spirits of the entombed even appearing at certain hours and singing along with the trees. It now acts as a hunting ground for a few Lesser Apex Monsters that few wish to deal with and thus stays largely unexplored.
 

Gaia’s Gift

A forest that dominates much of the Pakob lands, Gaia’s Gift was said to be given to Queen Primorial after her peace with Dragon Lord Yacyroxr. The forest itself is said to be inhabited by nearly a hundred different druid groves who all protect and guide wandering Pakob. The forest itself is said to be gifted with living trees who willingly offer themselves to the Pakob people once they reach an old age. Gifting their life and experiences in order to preserve the natural order of the forest itself. It is said to be fully protected by Queen Primorial herself and the main home of her daughters when they are not protecting Vang Vad.
 

Notable Deserts

While much of the continent is lush and filled with life, there are two massive deserts that stand out on Crakec. Both are places that suffered spell-like destruction and are believed to be caused by a large deposit of death ore beneath them enhancing the spells used. They both act as scars on the landscape rather than natural phenomena that most attempt to avoid. But where there is land, life will attempt to make a home.
 

Conwyn’s Crossing

The massive desert that serves as the center of the Fire Giant Clan lands, it is said to be one of the few places in Crakec known to have Rok-Heap. The desert would gain its name from the infamous battle that happened in the Age of Fae. In which one of the members of the Conwyn Court would use a spell that destroyed the landscape around it as it was unleashed. Creating a “blasting cone” from its point of origin to destroy an ancient apex monster that was described as a “demonic dragon” who had terrorized the Four Season Courts for nearly a decade. The spell itself was said to be so devastating that it permanently scarred the ground into a desert where once a luscious large lake stood.
 

Bloods Beginning

A recent desert that was only created in the last thousand years, as evidence from the many dead trees still scattered about. Once a vast forest and filled with many small lakes, the desert itself was said to form the day Lhaah or Bloods End would be born. As a great heat washed over the area, the mountains would begin to melt only on the side where the desert formed. It is still said to be nearly lifeless except for what little the druids of the niwarves or dwarven clans could preserve underground.
 

Political History

While Crakec has seen the most bloodshed of all the continents, it has also seen the most unification of its many lands. With first the hags under The Painted Queen until she would later secede land to the demon-folk of house Mor’in and House Zonde. From there while turmoil would continue, the continent would see another unification under the first Dragon Lord, who then would rule for a few thousand years with his clan during the end of The Clouded Age. Eventually the lands would be unified again under an icy dragon clan who ruled through family land appointments. Though as other dragon clans would be pushed out and the Jotuns would begin to invade, the dragons would once again fall and reunify under King Mov’asi. Though technically ruling the smallest empire of those who unified the continent before him, none have ruled as long individually as King Mov’asi. Though even now the continent finds itself scarred with civil wars within King Mov’asi’s Empire and the other Lesser Species waiting to take advantage of the chaos.
 

Ecology

With much of Crakec being a tropical continent filled with rain and humidity, the flora and fauna have had to adapt accordingly. Many have bright colors and are quite large due to the strange gigantism that seems common on the continent even though most beasts have natural predators. Thus simply put, the easy way to stay alive on Crakec when it comes to plants and animals is by following one rule. If it's bigger than you, it's probably better at killing than you.
 

Foundational Flora

With much of the continent being on the hotter side and typically more humid, much of the plants that grow tend to have a higher heat tolerance than the others. With trees finding themselves growing especially tall and wide due to the lack of natural disasters. It should be noted that many of the plants have evolved to gain a resistance to rotting and poison as much of the land would be harder to survive without them. Thus much of the flora of Crakec is actually poisonous to eat outside of the few plants we have managed to produce in mass. Such as Einkorn, Coffee, and the four kinds of flowers.
 

Foundational Fauna

Where much of the flora is poisonous or dangerous to eat, the exact opposite is true for many of the fauna or beasts of the land. With many having a natural resistance to the plants it is actually safer to feed the plants to your beasts and eat them then eat the plants themselves. However due to an increase in hunting much of the beasts we know have grown to have natural defenses in the physical matter. Toughening up their hides, or growing unique abilities to counter young dragons and jotuns who hunt them. Thus we get beasts of burden such as Landerkin or Drak that are commonly found across the country having evolved from drakes and thus having all the draconic features to survive. As well as the many heat based creatures as they tend to be found all across the tropical continent. Gigantism is seemingly common for many species as they grow larger the stronger they get and more terrain they claim as their hunting grounds or territory.
 

Temperature

While much of Crakec is known to be somewhat “muggy” due to the high amount of rain it gets. Coupled with the constant heat of the deserts and you get a higher humidity then most of the other continents. Much of Crakec stays between 75f to 90f degrees year round with more rain in the spring and fall, however the winters can drop as low as 60f degrees and get especially brutal for travel. As much of the land becomes colder, the humidity does not go away, thus you are left with a cold sweat for much of the winter.
 

Seasonal Variations

Thankfully much of Crakec stays in a spring to summer to fall to cold spring styled weather throughout the year. While other continents may see a slightly colder variation, much of Crakec is kept warm from the two deserts that seem to radiate heat year round. Thus, winters are typically tamer the closer you are to the desert lands, and harsher the further away. With the langlebig lands in the far west suffering the worst from the cold winters. However, the continent itself typically sees its seasons within one to two days of the predicted period, and only a slight variation of a few days can be found traveling east to west or vice versa.