The Cracked Lands

While one of the youngest continents to our known maps, The Cracked Lands are bathed in political and species history that would scare most common adventurers away. While not a continent for beginners or those freshly starting out, The Cracked Lands can make a great place for your mid adventure downtime and travel. With The Gloom territories being quite dangerous and deadly to most, the wilds are also known to be filled with Apex Monsters just waiting to enslave you to their will. King Endriks court can be a life saver for gaining some of the strongest crafted equipment in the world, or the samag lands where one can gain the rare mana technique of mana infused tattooing. Is it truly a wonder the adventurers guilds call this land the “Wild Badlands”.
 

Geography

Split into nearly eight or nine sections depending on how you look at the map throughout the age. Many of the established nations of The Cracked Lands preferred to use the massive rivers or mountain ranges as their natural borders. Thus making the lands quite difficult to traverse with wild rivers that have no bridge in sight. To vast mountains that are filled with desert cats the size of Landerkins that would devour you in a single bite. The land is harsh, cold, and unforgiving to most, thus only the most experienced adventurers and merchants dare to traverse its many forested lands.
 

Notable Mountains

While not an immensely mountainous land, The Cracked Lands are known to have vast ranges all throughout the Samag lands though few worth speaking to. Beyond that singular range only two others can be found on the entirety of the continent, the massive Sinan Mountain and The Forgers Range. Both intricate or bathed in bloody history, and both considered some of the most unique sights in the world an adventurer can see.
 

Sinan Mountain

Said to be a holy site for the gloom peoples only god, the mountain stands as one of the most protected places in all the continent. With much of the mountain remaining untouched except for the small shrine at the top. The city that had been built around it lay only at its base with a singular treacherous path to climb all the way to the shrine. The mountain itself is said to stand as tall as Dragon’s Crown however much of it remains unexplored. Even those forced to climb to the top rarely diverge from the constructed path out of fear of what lies within its shadows. For Sinan is known by another name in the ancient days of The Clouded Age, “Shadow’s Last” as it translates into common from the bufoni-folk. Said to have caged a powerful spirit of the realm of shadows once, now most gloom believe its descendants haunt the halls while the stone jotuns god is the shadow in disguise.
 

The Forgers Range

The vast mountain range of the southern peninsula where many of the Stone Jotun call home. The range was quite unique not only having The Great Furnace within it, but also a massive chasm already carved out. With a large spine-like appearance from the surface, just below about fifty or so feet of solid stone and minerals is nothing but a hollow shell. With this discovery it is said that King Endrik and his people had no issue setting up a settlement within Endrik’s Last Hold or digging tunnels to other cities such as Firey Heel or Stone Port.
 

The Last Light Mountain

The smallest mountain in recorded history, The Last Light is the center structure of Last Light city. As the last bastion of the far northern territories of the Samag, the mountain is heavily fortified with the top having been turned into a battle mage school. It is said that the beacon at the top of the school when lit can be seen all the way from Mana’s Grove and even in some rare cases Beast Fallen port.
 

Star’s Falling

A mountain within the far east of the Samag Clan territory that is said to be made of solid star metal. With the old tales speaking of an ancient member of the clan who now inhabits Starhold having cast a spell on the mountain to attract stars to it. Whatever the case may be, it is confirmed that the mountain does attract falling stars towards it as seen with the massive craters dotting the landscape around the town.
 

Notable Rivers

With five vast rivers acting as merchant and pirate causeways, The Cracked Lands find themselves as one of the most traversed lands by sea in the world. With all of its major rivers acting
 

Gates of Sfant

Named after the powerful house that rules the entirety of its eastern edge, the Gates of Sfant are said to be a common causeway for many mages to traverse. As the river is said to house multiple schools of mana techniques that are “illegal” in most nations for commoners or merchants to learn. Thus House Sfant rules the river with little to fear from those on either side for worry of losing their access to the great library. It should be noted that the House Sfant refuse to allow members of the Collective of Pyrus within their territory and typically cause them to get lost or wander back from whence they came.
 

Kllozin’s Warning

A river that splits between The Gloom Order and House Kllozin’s territory, it is said it was created to keep the gloom out. While the river is commonly traversed by the Kllozin fleet, multiple bridges can be found crossing it throughout its winding ways. Thus beyond the many small fortresses that line the bridges on both sizeds, nothing else can truly be said about the river overall. As few are allowed to traverse it that are not either licensed as merchants of House Kllozin or one of their vassals. Thus it is common, as unfortunate as it may be, for adventurers and merchants alike to pay hefty sums to the sailors of Beast Fallen and Bloody Point in order to sell their goods at the capital Xengahra Tomb faster.
 

Endrik’s Fury

A river separating The Gloom Order and Endriks own people, as well as Endrik and the Apex Monster “His Highness” territory. It is said that when Endrik Grunaga settled the lands of Endrik’s Last Hold, the war against his people had yet to end. In a fury caused from the apex monster refusing to battle him and the gloom attacking his people at night. King Endrik Grunaga would raise his weapon and throw it so hard at the ground that it split the land into three chunks creating a massive river. The apex monster that had once called the area home found itself fully split in half by the weapon and buried at the bottom of the crater turned wetlands. While the gloom found themselves repelled by a strange mana ritual that forced them to retreat for the time. The river still stands as one of the most traversed in the world by merchants, soldiers and pirates alike due to the many small settlements along its edges.
 

The Righteous Channel

It is said that this calm river is the only place one can hear the nymphs' beautiful singing. It is also guarded by an unknown order of knights that wear bright white plate and protect the edges of the river with their lives. Thus, the river would gain its name as only those who could manage to stay in the center of the river would be permitted to use it. Any pirates or would-be settlers that have tried breaching the edges have found themselves quite quickly chopped away and fed to the venomous snakes within the waters depths.
 

The Rough Honey River

A river at the far south western tip of the continent that separates the territories of two apex monsters. This river is said to be quite mellow, often traversed by many pirates and merchant crews who know better than to stay too long. While the river during the day is quite tame and relaxed, the evening once the sun goes down can be quite terrifying. Firstly noting the many “Honey Sharks” who glimmer under the moonlight and have a craving for fiendish bee honey. Then you begin to see the fiendish bees coming out to the rivers edge to drink or bring back water for their queen. And if the bees don’t scare you, one should note it is around midnight that at all areas of the river Rough Tooth himself can be heard singing his enslaving tune. Like a siren's song, it will be the last thing you hear before the honey sharks devour you whole.
 

Notable Forests

Covered in six vast forests with two smaller ones, The Cracked Lands is considered the most forested territory in the known world. Though each forest is considered quite deadly and difficult to traverse, it is only recommended that the most capable or brave merchants and adventurers attempt such a task. The Cracked Lands though do reward the successful as Blentwood, White Wood, Drake Scale, Mors, Bleeding and Stone trees all fetch high prices on the other continents due to their scarcity.
 

The Nymph Kingdom

Believed to be filled with ancient plant species from the Age of Fae that have been preserved by the Nymphs themselves. The forest sports a powerful mana infusion on its outskirts that tends to cause wanders to get lost or turned around. However, for the few druid or nature casters that ignore such powerful mana techniques, the forest opens up to show its rare and ancient trees. The innermost forest is rumored to have a rare species of tree called “Lesna” that mixes the Lesmium flower with the Blent wood tree to create the ultimate magicum potion. These trees are said to have been the key to the powerful Four Seasons Courts that once ruled all of Silencia. However, to get this deep, one must not only fight their way through a mysterious order of knights, but also the many female nymph guards that are best described as “Amazonian” in appearance. Thus few maps or routes have been made or discovered about the forest and the majority remains untouched to civilization.
 

Apex’s Trial

A forest ruled by Sir Righteous himself, it is surprising to find out that many of the Apex Monsters we know today can draw their lineage back to this forest. While at first appearing as nothing more than a normal Blent Wood and White Wood forest. As you go deeper one will find vast amounts of lesmium flowers and colorium buried beneath. Our current hypothesis is something about the combination of the two and the interaction of either a Jotun or Draconic nature caster seems to cause many to awaken something within them. As many beasts within find themselves quite larger than the average of their species, with some sporting intelligence and wisdom that could rival nation leaders.
 

The Gloomy Forest

Known to be filled with The Gloom Order’s many monstrous experiments and creations. The Gloomy forest is mostly Blent Wood which is a good sense of how the forest itself operates. As nothing within it isn't attempting to either take advantage, eat you, or devour your soul or will power. The forest itself seems to have an unnatural shadow constantly looming within it that makes seeing more than ten or so feet in front of you impossible. With voices near muted while within the area it can feel as if the entire forest was silent as a graveyard only for a moment to pass and for you to find yourself in an intense ambush. Yet while you fight some ancient gloomy dragon that's been lobotomized, less than fifty feet from you another passes by without knowing you even exist.
 

Mor’s Passageway

Named this after the amount of Mor’s trees within the forest itself. The Mor’s Passageway is rumored to have an undiscovered gateway to the Fae Realm and thus has attracted many new druid and nature caster groves. With nearly a hundred claiming small amounts of the forest as their own, they seem to constantly find themselves at war with one another when not fighting the Kllozin patrols. The forest itself is nearly a constant battlefield of mana techniques and the sounds of warfare. As both sides attempt to overthrow and claim the forest for their own gains.
 

The Bleeding Forest

A dark forest filled with poisonous Bleeding trees as they are called. The forest gets its nickname from the poisonous red smog that the trees themselves emit when they begin to decay. While at the same time, their crimson blood colored sap continues to pour from every hole in the tree. Giving even the few healthy trees in the area a sickly look as many find themselves splashed with the “blood” sap to the horror of most druids and nature casters.
 

Holt Jotun Perish

The forest to the far east separating The Gloom Order from The Samag Clans.Once it was home to the Holt Jotun or as we knew them to be the Tree Jotuns, one of the ancient twelve jotun clans. Now stands the home of House Sfant and there many minor vassals that dot the forest itself. With ancient draconic creatures having been buried beneath the grounds, much of the forest is mixed with Drake Scale and White Wood trees.
 

Notable Desert

While the desert is as old as the continent itself, we are actually fully unsure of the reasoning behind what created it. While we know of the house of Sfant and the plans they had. The end goal is something that many of the researchers at the Collective of Pyrus are still looking into.
 

Sfant’s Gift

A massive desert in the eastern reaches of the continent, Sfant’s Gift would gain its nickname from a ritual performed by the house of Sfant. Once believed to have been the ritual that gave the Krumps their power, now it is confirmed that the house Sfant was far more sinister in their designs. As the land is enriched with death ore within its sand causing much of it to enhance or empower mana infused items or mana techniques. This was discovered by the researchers in Mana’s Grove under the supervision of Vitra “The Ash Mother”. As they found the many spires of death ore that grew throughout Mana’s Grove could be found just beneath the sands own surface. With this it is also confirmed that strange sightings, wild effects, and other such mesna phenomena are possible within the untamed desert.
 

Political History

While one of the youngest known continents in the world, The Cracked Lands sport some of the longest wars to have occurred. With The Gloom having unified only to declare war on The Kllozin for a few decades now. The Samag Clans immediately declaring their lycanthrope cousins to be inferior beings in need of purging, until eventually bedding them into an empire. And the stone jotuns seeing multiple apex monsters slain to keep their home within the Forgers Range. While one would expect the history to end there, you would be mistaken, as now we see more species popping out of the ground each day. With the rise of the Chorizon, literally from The Deep Dark, and having declared their own border wars on all who dare to stand in their way. The continent has yet to see peace in what is now believed to be most of its recorded history.
 

Ecology

The Cracked Lands seem to have developed a middle stage of what Crakec has gone through with gigantism. To the idea that predators and prey alike attempt to get as big as possible to avoid being eaten by others. As the entirety of the continent's biodiversity is seemingly designed to be a full circle. In which we mean there is no “Top of the food chain” but rather the strongest prey and predators eating anything and everything they want. At least until they themselves are later eaten, thus giving rise to a few unique apex monsters who rose following this mindset.
 

Foundational Flora

Home to the widest range of trees on any continent, The Cracked Lands flora seems to follow a similar view to the fauna. To which we mean, the bigger the plant the stronger and more successful it will be in surviving. Thus many trees seem to dominate the landscape, choking out bushes and deep rooted plants. Thus few are the spots where anything beyond trees and grass can grow.
 

Foundational Fauna

While the known fauna of the lands are quite unique each individually, there are a few similarities we can note. While The Cracked Lands seems to share a simple design, it should not go without warning that the simplicity of nature here is in itself a deadly tool. As those predators that are the most capable tend to be on the larger size, and the prey creatures seem to follow the same perspective.
  With examples that Stonehide Bison who dominate much of the contents planes tend to be the largest prey creatures on the continent. While creatures such as the wishful rabbits who are quite small and numerous find themselves often hunted to near extinction annually in their territory.
  On the predator side, we see the large cat and snakes seem to dominate much of the land with their ability to adapt to temperature changes with ease. As well as take on creatures of massive size such as the Stone Jotun or Stonehide Bison.
 

Temperature

Averaging through spring to summer from 50f to 85f, the temperature of The Cracked Lands is quite cool with little to no humidity. However the downside to this is the deserts see a dry heat of near 125f every single day. And the winters can get down to below -32f at their harshest, while the deserts only see a drop to 80f to 95f change. Thus it is not uncommon for many adventurers to spend their winters in the samag lands of the east and there summers exploring the wild lands of the west.
 

Seasonal Variations

While finding itself on a 10 day variation of Crakecs own eastern most point for weather. Much of The Cracked Lands finds itself quite cool throughout the year, thus wild winters within the lower valley can be quite harsh. One can head to the samag lands with ease and enjoy a pleasant spring-like heat during even the harshest winters of the west. However, one can expect the summers of the desert to be some of the hottest and driest in the world. It should be noted that The Cracked Lands do see all four seasons, and typically find themselves in quite a cold fall earlier than other lands.