Aedenshyr

Geography

Sail the Pearl Sea long enough and your journey will eventually bring you to the Gulf of Solurien. Located on the southeastern coast of Vitaveus, the golden waters of the gulf are part of Aedenshyr, a proud territory of this Venerated Republic. The Pearl Sea makes up perhaps the most significant portion of Aedenshyr’s border, with the coast of the gulf alone covering over 650 miles. Mountainous regions make up much of Aedenshyr’s other boundaries, with the Glowing Range to the South and the Drifting Hills, which are the southernmost spur of the Eternal Range, to the West. The Drifting River serves as a Northern border until until it hits Aedenshyr’s northeast border, the vast expanse of Rustwood.

Due in large part to the presence of the gulf, most of Aedenshyr is warm temperate zone, enjoying humid summer months and very mild winters. However, the Southwestern region of the territory, specifically Corlais Canyon and the land surrounding the Riding River valley becomes more arid and desert-like the further West one travels. As a coastal region, most of the population in Aedenshyr is centered around the Gulf of Solurien. Various settlements and villages dot its shores, living happily off the bounty of the sea. The largest city is the aptly-named Greatport, which is home to nearly 100,000 citizens. Greatport is not only the most populated city in Aedenshyr but also the territorial capital for the entire region. Greatport is sometimes called the Floating City, a moniker bestowed upon it by sailors due to its extensive system of wharves and piers. Its often said you can dock in Greatport, restock on supplies, sell your goods in the market and spend the evening in the tavern without ever setting foot on dry land. The majority of the city, of course, is built upon the shore, but this fanciful anecdote always draws visitors to Greatport’s bustling harbor.

Greatport and all the other coastal cities truly highlight the importance of the Gulf of Solurien, but it would be naïve to discount the many prosperous inland cities and towns of Aedenshyr. There are two of particular note, both significant border towns. Nestled in the Northeastern corner of the region is Keluben. Travel through Rustwood is often impractical and sometimes dangerous, so it is no surprise that Keluben, which lies near the edge of the great forest, is a is a popular stopping point for travelers. Those making their way by foot or horse either into Aedenshyr or back to Redholme and Athaerûn often find themselves passing through the small city. Its residents are a proud folk and many will claim that they passed through so often that one trip they just decided to stay.

At the opposite end of Aedenshyr lies the second settlement of note, Corlais. Located in the Riding River valley and perched above Corlais Canyon, the Municipality takes its name from the Legion stronghold that lies at its heart; Corlais Castle. Corlais  is the last stop for those making the descent into the desert below. Due to its proximity to the Riding River one might think that Corlais Castle is also in a prime position to transport goods between Aedenshyr and Prodai, but the truth of the matter is that, plagued alternatively by flash floods and droughts, the river is too unpredictable for any type of reliable shipping.

History

Aedenshyr was an appealing region for pioneers even before it became widely settled by the Republic. Though Redholme was by far the more popular destination of the time for those who followed the coast South, people were already speaking of the land beyond the Rustwood. Eager to take advantage of this unsettled expanse, early Decusian citizens and prospectors led the push West before the Republic turned its official attention towards Aedenshyr. Due to the rather passive nature of the local tribes and peoples of the territory, expansion was rapid, easy and without any strife.

Many settlements, including Greatport, were established in this period of time. Trade was also established through Corlais Canyon with the natives of the desert beyond. However, despite the early successes of settlers within Aedenshyr, it was not until much later that the territory saw dedicated support from the Republic. Even this was regarded as something of a slight to the settlers, though; while peacekeeping forces were left in some of the larger towns, the sights of the Republic were set even further West. Led by a contingent of Templar, an army of the Legion and an equally sizable army of their engineers marched across Aedenshyr, barely stopping until it reached Corlais Canyon. Here they started the construction of Corlais Castle, lighting a spark that would eventually burst into flame some 20 years later with the completion of the stronghold and the initiation of conflict with the clans to the West.

Soon thereafter, Aedenshyr had resigned itself to being one side of a battlefront in a war that would last some 30 years. Still, save for several small incidents, all-out war never spilled past the Riding River valley and into the territory proper. The drain on resources and the constant recruiting efforts were the most the citizens of the fledgling territory had to deal with, and even those passed in time. Even if most had never even lifted a sword many settlers took pride that their home had played a small part in uniting the peoples of Eden. Due to the largely benign and passive nature of the original tribes and peoples of the territory, little is known about their cultures and traditional roots, for their assimilation into the Decusian culture was seamless. It is for this reason that Aedenshyr is the home of many of patriots and nationalists outside that of the First Province, as the heritage of the territory is nearly a blank slate.

Torment

In 1309, Aedenshyr had saw the realignment of Corlais Castle from a Legion stronghold to a civil enclave. Its days of battle were long behind it and its garrison had dwindled, yet instead of abandoning it entirely it was simply realigned to serve as the governing authority of the Riding River valley. It was at this time that it began to truly grow as a township, and a few years later the settlement was officially, and appropriately, given the name Corlais Castle. It had since became a popular place for retired Legion veterans to make a home. With the outbreak of the Torment and subsequent problems in the Western Territories, Corlais Castle was re-instituted as a Republic military focal-point in 1320. It has since served as the most high-profile entry-points into the West proper, with thousands of military personnel traveling through the stronghold and surrounding countryside on a weekly basis. Apart from this, Aedenshyr has only otherwise have had to deal with Afflicted incursions upon it’s borders with Prodai, as on occasion roving hordes of the mindless undead make their way across the inhospitable deserts in arduous exoduses that would otherwise kill the living.

Points of Interest

Church of Bones

Settlements are not the only thing that can be found along the coastline of the Gulf of Solurien. On the southern shore there is a stretch of beach perhaps a mile in length littered with the skeletons and carcasses of great sea creatures; the Church of Bones. It is from these remains that the area gets its name; half buried into the sand, rib-cages rise into the air like the arches or flying buttresses of a cathedral. The bones of perhaps hundreds of these creatures are littered along the strand, but perhaps the greatest concentration is around the bones of a leviathan locals and sailors have come to call Ahmael. Though only a portion of of the skeleton is visible from the shore, Ahmael is by far the largest specimen in the Church of Bones and was over 45 meters in length.

Though some of the skeletons are perhaps centuries old, every so often a fresh body will appear on the shoreline, left to rot and be picked apart by scavengers. Scholars have no explanation for why some of these creatures die in such a fashion, nor can they answer why this particular stretch of shore is the site they come to. The locals stay well away, not needing an explanation to know that the Church of Bones is a dark and unnatural place. That sentiment aside, it still draws many travelers throughout the year.

Stonewood Hills

Rustwood is perhaps the best known forest near Aedenshyr, but located in the hilly region perhaps 50 miles southwest of the wood there is a forest of another sort. This is Stonewood, a forest noted not for its trees but its rocks. A region perhaps 40 square miles in size, Stonewood is dotted with stranding stones. Varying from approximately 1 meter to 5 meters in height, the stones truly do resemble the trunks of trees. They are of the same rock as the surrounding hillside although they do not show any hint of masonry. Still, it seems unlikely that they are natural and many scholars have devoted their lives to studying the Stonewood.

Inspirations and Influences

Greece, Italy. Traditional example names such as Alexander, Deacon, Adelphie and Callista are common for those hailing from Aedenshyr.