History Continued…
At the very west of Atla’s heartland rests the valley of Gent and the city of FreePort, the port authority of Atla. The cliffs of Gent drop a precise 1112 meters around the entire rim. These are perhaps the most astounding and bemusing natural wonder in the world which, ironically, attract very few tourists. The land at the base and top of the cliffs is barren for about a kilometer out and has a distinct smell of rotting meat and flora. Nothing has been found to explain such an odd phenomenon beyond what local legends state. At the north and south ends of the cliffs of Gent the land drops quickly to the sea level, creating somewhat of a hump around the outside of the cliffs.
Atla, the feet and limbs of a changing land: The Kahn mountain range runs east to west and is connected to the bottom of the Alpine mountain range. Below the mountain range is the nearly endless Desert of Kahn found within the Kahn province. This is a land of burning temperatures, blasting winds and few forms of life. Even today scientists and researchers can’t explain the strange and most un-natural climate. Many believe it to be the work of the Gods as described in many religious traditions and texts, though science has yet to prove (or disprove) it.
Once the desert ends near the many dangling feet of Atla, the Tru Dahn area is actually a pleasant sub-tropical to tropical environment. Here, in the province of Tru Dahn, Atla’s military and government headquarters are located. This is where the Grand Provincial Councilor (known as the GPC) and the Grand Provincial Council (GC) reside. From Tru Dahn east the land of Atla is made up of many peninsulas, gulfs, islands and other landmasses that give the continent the look of a fat centipede. And south beyond the city of Tru Dahn is the city of Lands End which sits on the largest ‘limb’ of the continent. This aptly named city is the southernmost city on Atla and is approximately 40 kilometers south of the equator. The climate here is a very pleasant and moderate tropical environment which, just north of the city, receives the highest annual rainfall of anywhere on Atla.
Atla, beyond the borders: Atla is diverse and much of the lands diversity comes from its size. However, large though it may be, Atla is by no means the only landmass on Velwythe. There are two major landmasses other than Atla, the continent of Feron and the archipelago.
Straight out to the west from the city of Tru Dahn is the continent of Feron. Feron’s total population is approximately 450,000,000. It is considered by its inhabitants and Atlans alike to be the old country. The people of the once fertile lands of Kahn back on Atla had to have come from somewhere many thousands of years ago, and Feron, it is believed, is where they came from. Natives of Feron are known as Ferosians
The Archipelago too might be home to the earliest humans on Velwythe, however the once frequent eruptions from the many volcanoes make living on some islands impossible today, and even more so years ago. In fact, eruption records and evidence show that they were so frequent, an early evolving life form not adapted to the area would have had little chance. This is in sharp contrast to the religious idea that life began on the archipelago, however science continues to dismiss things of that nature. And so, Feron is considered the birthplace of humankind outside of specific religious beliefs.
Feron is a land with a generally warm climate and a very large desert at the continent’s heart. About 60% the size of Atla, it is actually more densely populated for its size. Despite the numbers it is still considered to be more ‘old fashioned’ and ‘left behind’ when it comes to Magi-Tech. The entire western coast of the kidney shaped continent is home to a native people that still live in small tribes and bands much like the province of Sed back on Atla.
Feron is a major economic factor on Velwythe and shares equal imports and exports with the countries of the archipelago. Between Feron and the archipelago, they match the trade volume of Atla forming a triad of trade. The trade between the three areas is monitored carefully by representatives from each land. Formed a decade after the provinces in Atla, the Trinity Trade Council (TTC) creates and enforces intercontinental regulations. The TTC’s headquarters are located on a small island to the north east of Feron.
Like any large continent, Feron has a diverse climate and many cultures. On Feron’s southernmost tip, which hangs well below Velwythe’s equator, is the farthest south you can go and still be on land. Just out to sea from the southern peninsula (Feron’s tail) the sea is impossibly rough, with tropical storms and hurricanes pounding the area relentlessly. Though it is farther south than Lands End on Atla, few expeditions to explore the rest of the lower half of Velwythe have ever started from the area due to the lands remote location.
On the few clear days the south tail of Feron experiences, there is no sign of land to the south, or south east. And the western side of Feron does not look any better for exploration, the seas there are just as rough as those on the east side of Atla.
Between the archipelago and Feron is a small chain of volcanic, tropical islands that are now home to major tourism centers and are considered world class travel destinations. Since colonization by Atlans from Tru Dahn and FreePort 1400 years ago, the culture has become something of a novelty for the rest of the world as the natives have taken on roles within the colonizing corporations. Preserving the rituals of the natives (which involve many forms of dance, music and other performances), the corporations have turned those sacred acts into part of the resorts attraction. Instead of performing sacred acts on the beaches to their gods during holy times, the natives now are forced to do the rituals at scheduled times within the resorts for the viewing pleasure of the visitors and guests. This issue has caused significant contention throughout Velwythe for many years now. Many people wish to see the near enslavement of the people abolished, but for those who actually have witnessed the spectacular rituals they find it hard to agree.
To Atla’s northwest is a massive archipelago about 1000 kilometers from the continents western most tip. The group of islands start just below the north pole and reach down as far south as Tru Dahn. The entire population of the archipelago is roughly equal to that of Feron. Though the archipelago covers a vast section of the ocean, the largest and most populated islands known as the archipelago’s heart, rest in the latitudes between FreePort and the Morrid Sound, and cover about the same area as the province of Arodil.