Relyah

A majority of Reylah consists of tundra. There are smatterings of coniferous forests, mountains, and hills across the region,typically frozen and covered in snow. There are small bodies of water, including a river that runs from the bay north into the tundra. Additionally, the west coast of Relyah comes in contact with the sea where massive cold-resistant coral reefs can be spotted. Generally, central and southern Reylah are flat, with the more north one travels the more elevated the terrain becomes.

Many of the creatures that reside in Reylah are adapted for the cold by sporting thick furs, layers of fat, or unique adaptations that allow them to control their temperature. This region is known for particularly large creatures both aggressive and passive so much so that many of Reylah's oldest settlements and buildings still have foundations and structures built out of creature bones. For herbivorous creatures, most have features adapted for some kind of digging behavior as most vegetation that has any semblance of nutrition lies under a thick layer of permafrost. Carnivores and predators tend to have a white coloration, and either have behaviors specialized for remaining silent or moving swiftly across thick layers of snow.

Plants in Reylah are either small cold-tolerant grasses, shrubs, and coniferous trees. Foliage is generally fairly sparse outside of summer. This is due to the many plants that lie dormant beneath the layers of frozen soil across the tundra, waiting for the eventual thawing in summer before sprouting and growing at an extremely rapid pace. At this point, Reylah in certain places looks more akin to a tropical jungle than a northern forest due to the massive surge of tropical plant life.

Near the coast, seafaring and migratory birds are usually found here along with cold water-dwelling porpoises and fish. Of note, however, are the massive reefs of cold-resistant coral called Styral along Reylah's west coast. Not only do these reefs act as habitats for a multitude of aquatic organisms, but their ability to grow above the water causes a unique phenomenon in this winter biome. Styral reefs, through their ability to absorb heat and the vastness of their structures, are able to allow warm western winds to pass through onto land while deflecting or absorbing cold winds, causing the eventual thawing of the entire region come summer.

Reylah has a unique phenomenon that occurs every summer. As spring in northern Kerine comes to a close, warm winds from the west begin to usher in summer. However, in the north, cool winds coming from icebergs off the west coast of Kerine blow onto land, keeping Reylah as a tundra landscape. However, due to the presence of the cold-tolerant Styral reefs, this does not occur. The microorganisms that reside within the reefs are able to, in response to severe cold temperature, break down nutrients more efficiently and produce heat. Additionally, this heat that is produced is 'stored' and acts like potential energy, reaching its limit during the summer. At this time, Styral reefs begin to emit heat, warming the winds that blow into Reylah. At the peak of summer, the warm air thaws the entire region, allowing for a vibrant plant-dominated ecosystem to take form. Creatures native to the region either shed their coats or migrate further north into the mountains during this time. The people of this region have also adapted around it, building structures that allow for proper insulation and circulation depending on the circumstances. Furthermore, practices of forging special kinds of equipment occurs during this time, as the sudden temperature shift forms extremely durable and heat-immune ice that can be forged into some of the most rare weapons and armor across all of Kerine.

Due to the large creature population in Relyah, meat, pelts, bone, and ivory are all popular exports from this region. Along the coast, 'oil' is harvested from large scorpion-like crabs called Scolipods and large migratory sea-birds called Kessawoks, as well as fish from the cold water-port. Darifrost is a rare form of ice that can be made into durable weapons and armor that can only be found in Relyah, as well as a frozen fruit called a Yakot that bears a tremendous amount of sweetness.

Much of Reylah's history is filled with warring and conflict. Like the southern deserts of Kerine, Reylah was filled with tribes of differing cultures that often came to violent conflict over regions, resources, and general disagreements. The fighting continued since Reylah's settling up until 35 AAL when the Valhyrr built a city in the snow made of bone and frost, then later of wood and stone called Bas'Aral.

The other tribes wanted the city, and were prepared to unite against the Valhyrr to lay siege to the city and claim it. While the warmongering tribes were preparing for a siege, the Valhyrr approached the leaders with a proposition. While they could fight over the city, losing many lives and maybe even losing, perhaps a better way of succession might be developed. A competition of blood and glory was suggested, with the people that provide the best champions and representatives given ownership of the city without a fight. The leadership would change, but the population would not as all citizens of each tribe were allowed to settle within the city's walls. Thus formed the Valherrim Games, a bloody match between different cultures for the ownership of the capitol of the region, Bas'Aral.