Svear and the Arvanos

The far south reaches of the continent form into the Svear Peninsular.

Svear as a region is divided between a number of poorly defined subregions that are demarcated largely by historic political control. The length of the peninsular is mountainous, lush and covered in rainforests. The central mountainous areas are honeycombed with shrines, tunnels, mines and underground towns. The largest of the cities in the region is The Anvil, a partially underground city and can be found in the mountains of the subregion of Kossos.

To the south of the Svear Peninsular is the archipelago of Arvanos, the Arvan Islands. The great majority of the Arvanos are covered by rainforests and ringed by lagoons and coral reefs. The largest of these islands is Arva, the namesake and the largest settlement of the region. It was formerly covered by rainforests and completely ringed by a series of lagoons and coral reefs but has since had the entirely island stripped for industry and has built up to be one of the largest cities in the world. Other large islands such as Mylis, Ithos, the Quays (Tentos and Genos), Fios and Ankhos, form the basis for division into more easily governable island chains with innumerable smaller islands and atolls throughout the Arvanos.

On the southern coast of the Peninsular is the region of Thei, a coastland with very little forestation and lush valleys rich with fertile soils that produce high yields of crops year round. Regular monsoons help bring the fertile soils of the valleys down into the riverine coastal plains and replenish the farmlands each season. The largest city of the region rests upon the Eiven River, Istre, and is linked to the city of Svear by a bridge across the river.

The City of Svear holds the place as capital of the peoples of the peninsular and is considered its own region, being independent of any other due to political reasons. It consists of the third largest city of the region (after the Anvil and Arva) and a stretch of river and a small plain to the east of the city. It is completely surrounded by the region of Thei.

In the central areas of the region are the Svearic portion of the Goddess Spines Mountains. These are known as the Kossani Ranges and are thus part of the region of Kossos. It consists entirely of mountains, some valleys and a small portion of coastal rainforests cut off from other regions by cliffs and chasms. It is regularly blanketed by snowfall during the winter though very few remain snow-capped during the summer. Highways snake through the region connecting each of the major settlements of the Svear Peninsular. The two main settlements of the region are the Anvil and the Men’s District (an adjoining settlement attached to but distinct from the Anvil), though throughout the region there are smaller settlements - typically mines and outposts along the highway that cater to trade or protection from highwaymen. The Anvil itself is unique within the entire Svear Peninsular, a city that has its foundations surrounding forges and that is formed within an excavated mountain top. The buildings of the city are hewn whole from the stone of the mountain and it is partially submerged within caverns with only the large central plaza exposed to the sky. Around the walls is the sister city of the Men’s District, which is largely exposed to the elements being part tent city and part permanent settlement.

On the northern coast of the Peninsular is the region of Sive, a forested coastland both rich with wildlife and abundant in exotic fruits and fineries. Well known for its luxuries and high quality goods, Sive maintains smaller settlements that interweave into complex trade networks each feeding into a number of equally important ports. The largest settlement however is a trade hub city called Regat and through it all roads in the Sive region flow. The ports are divided between summer and winter ports due to semi-regular seasonal flooding (depending largely on the snow melt from the mountains). The entire region is much more temperate during the winter than the southern coast of the Peninsular, and sometimes enjoys cold winter weather.

In the north eastern portion of the Peninsular is the region of Veis, a large set of rift valleys where the Goddess Spines Mountains are bisected by several large valleys which effectively and somewhat cleanly mark the boundary of Svear and the rest of the continent. These valleys are grassy, some are forested and most adjoin one another around a central large mountain known as the Key. Around this mountain are towns which branch off across the valley. Highly fortified and well defended. The largest of these settlements are on the coastlines with a major port in the west and the east connected through the Key to one another. Rivers and streams follow the valleys but do not connect without the use of canals. It is seasonally hot or cold, but is largely more arid than the southerly subregions of Svear.

Next Chapter: The Geography: Stychia - Rohvana