World in progress: Teluron (PEACH)

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teluron map
http://fc07.deviantart.com/fs36/f/2008/257/5/d/teluron_world_map_1_0_by_talse.jpg

Teluron

Teluron is a world on the Ringworld, consisting of 2 large continents separated by a shallow sea and several archipelagos.

The prevailing winds are from the east, due to the fact the ring spins from towards the east.

Notable features on the two continents are opposing mountains. These mountains along with the prevailing winds shape much of the ecology of the continents.

Stel and Nuron

The two continents, Stel in the south and Nuron in the north are surprisingly different in biome nature, this leads to cultural differences and on occasion, protracted conflict.

Nuron

Then northern continent with it’s largest mountain on the west side of the continent, this has prevailing winds drop moisture on the foothills which produce vast rivers. These rivers go on to feed vast plains and several notable lakes. The continent’s wild life is vibrant and on average more abundant than that found on Stel. Agriculture is common, and with periodic storms coming in from the great ocean few city centers get very large.

The diversity of life on Nuron leads most sapient creatures to be at least open minded to outsiders and strange critters. This does not necessarily mean that it is safe far beyond towns. Lush plant life leads to robust ecologies with fearsome predators and predator-resistant prey at the top. Traveling between communities can be dangerous during certain times of the year.

Many cultures learned to wield and work with the power of the prevalent plant species. Druids and Ecomancers tend to be the primary magical users. It would also seem negligent to not mention the Metal Elves when discussing plant life of Nuron. As the only culture to understand how to grow Iron Wood Trees they benefit from a small but steady export of timber.

Stel

With its large mountain on the east side of the continent, a considerable rain shadow extends across much of the mainland of Stel. This makes the central region inhospitable to life and keeps most civilizations coastal and dense.

With the harsh environment an attitude of caution and wariness come naturally to it’s occupants, most communities form around the same race, trusting what they know proves a stable way to live.

What Stel lacks in organic richness it makes up in mineral wealth, metals and volatile chemicals being more abundant than in Nuron many opportunities exist there that aren’t available to the northern continent. Most food supplies are derived from fisheries on the coasts.

Occasionally storms from the great ocean roll north along Stel, breathing life into the great desert. When this happens creatures and plant of all manner and size rouse from their parched hibernations to reproduce and feed.

Notable residents are the Dwarves of Depth. While both mountains have some Dwarven occupants, the bulk of Dwarf society lives beneath the bottom of the sea in a vast network of tunnels and excavated caverns. While both continents have entrances, the larger is on Stel, as fitting the mineral wealth.

Archipelagoes

4 noted archipelagoes exist in Teluron, 2 between the Stel and Nuron and one west of Nuron and the fourth to the east of Stel. The equatorial islands are known as Wandris and Erbily, the western chain is known as the Frigid Climes and to the east of Stel are The Barren crags.

Wandris and Erbily

The equatorial archipelagoes lying in between the two continents have a troubled history. While large enough to develop a civilization in the own right they are too valuable to as staging points in times of war and mid way stops in times of peace to be left too themselves. Often ownership is in dispute between factions of Nuron and Stel and amidst all this are islanders who would like very much their own autonomy, and would do anything to attain it.

The Frigid Climes

The Western most Archipelago is the most ecologically diverse area in Teluron, with tropical weather at it’s beaches and snow capped mountains on most of it’s larger islands.

This combination along with it’s distance from the coast of Stel and Nuron’s mountain blocking direct access insulating it allows The Frigid Climes to be a fully autonomous civilization, one that has lasted much longer than many of the continental ones.

The Barren Crags

East of Stel’s great mountain, lies an island chain unprotected from the massive storms that build up rolling across the Great Ocean. These storms that wipe away villages on the unsheltered coast of Nuron make the Crags uninhabited by anything. They are shear rock faces with only the occasional black dragon known to visit. The Barren Crags are effectively a blank spot on the map because few powers have the wherewithal to explore these wretched islands.

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Metal Elves

While most elven cultures are insular in nature, none more so than the metal elves. Established millennia ago by The Founder, the metal elves are very conservative in their world view and outlook. This fact has contributed in their kingdom lasting as long as it has.

Founding

The Founder was no different from the other elves of the time except that she had discovered how to cultivate iron wood trees. Some say that a god visited upon her with a vision of enlightenment when she realized that iron trees took root in places were only their hardy natures could survive and other faster and weaker plants could not.

This is what led her to begin a grove with several other elves on the eastern coast of Nuron. Since the creation of the world it had been battered by storms, eroded and was generally inhospitable to life. With little other competition and dedicated tenders the Iron wood forest took hold and made gradual but consistent progress. Now it stretches along the entire coast, forming what is known as the Shield Kingdom. It is called this because the Metal Elves believe their forests prevent all of Nuron from being washed into the sea, and they’re kingdom amounts to a wall of solid iron miles thick, they may have some justification.

Culture

A central role of the Metal Elven culture is the bond between the elf and their pair tree. Each elf has a mother and a father like all creatures, but there is also a tree planted when the mother is discovered pregnant, and this is called the pair tree. The pair tree is only cut down when the elf dies. The pairing however makes an elf very protective and sedentary.

Metal Elve communities also plant one tree for the community every 4 years to symbolize the growth of the village and maintain the knowledge of tree hearding.

The Metal elves operate under a monarchy with an undying ruler. The current king is in fact the grandson of The Founder. One of the early actions of the Metal Elves was to enchant The Founders Pair tree. The enchantment allowed the one bound to The Mother Tree to effectively halt aging. And when a ruler steps out of power or they are challenged by the public a new elf is bound to The Mother Tree. This tree is the largest known living thing in Teluron.

Politics

Due to the mind set that comes with pair trees the Metal Elves almost never travel from their forest, and tend to be close to their tree. Most nations of the world think this is for the best. Iron wood when properly crafter is among the strongest materials available on Nuron and given the size of the shield kingdom, far more common then adamantine and mithral found on Stel.

No large hostile force has gotten more than a kilometer into the forests before meeting a grisly end at the hands of the Metal Elven guard. It is sometimes suggested that their capacity would be much diminished outside their familiar woods, however it is thought best not to risk agitating them.

There are a few documented cases of squads or even platoons being sent out to the aide of other Elven nations long ago, but as few kingdoms still exist from the days of the founding of the shield kingdom they don’t feel much loyalty to any sovereign body in this age.

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Dwarves

Master cavers, carvers and craftsmen, the dwarves live under the ground. Finding an outpost under some hill or near a mountain is not unheard of, however the vast majority of dwarven society lives underneath the middling sea.

Kordmunt

The great underground kingdom of kordmunt is one long, interconnected series of tunnels. The most notable and oldest being a direct shot from one side of the middling sea to the other. This was a project that was attempted initially by the legendary Urst Dworf single handidly. As creatures of notably earthy disposition dwarves hate boats, but to engage in trade with the opposing continent had no choice. So as the worlds best diggers Urst Dworf had the idea that going under the sea would be much more pleasant method.

Initially the dwarven people were less centralized and spread across both continents with a larger populace on Stel, but as word of Urst Dworf mad project spread some realized that it would be much better to walk than to float. As the making of the great tunnel progressed, more and more dwarves assisted, and over time just carved out their own nook in the tunnel as a residence. Once finished, large tower fortresses were erected at both ends named Sak Grond and Nak Grond.

Culture

Culturally dwarves have no priority greater than preserving the tunnel. A significant breach anywhere would sink the entire system. Aside from that, they actually don’t have much organization. As a largely mercantile structure the dwarves are subdivided into groups that look after they’re own system of tunnels and each group sends a representative to the overall tunnel committee that governs use of dwarven territory by other races.

As there is no centralized stewartship over the Kordmunt tunnels, some regions are in notably shabbier state. Some locations have very hostile loose purchases in the deeper tunnels. The dwarven mercantile spirit gone awry has even doomed some cities, leaving them to be recaptured by more diligent neighbors.

Politics

Dwarves don’t compete for surface dwellers for much in the way of resources, and they exist as more of a trade entity than anything else. They’ll let just about anyone travel through the main tunnel if the price is right and they follow the rules while they’re at it, and on more than one occasion an entire army has traveled through to the opponents surprise.

Dwarven expeditions have been known to go out, usually small groups looking for some new resource to exploit, or technology from a lost age.