The Land of Arden
The land of Arden is vast, absolutely filled to the brim with ancient secrets, extensive histories, and rich cultures. The size, atmosphere, and climate of the world itself is comparable to Earth with some minor differences, especially in geography and ‘physics,’ though that’s a topic for another time, perhaps.
A wandering knight stands upon a hill, overlooking Drenn Bridge and the town of Greenhill in the far distance. What adventures await this lone trader?
ARDEN
Inspired by European cultures and peoples, Arden is one of the largest and most populated continents in the world, being slightly larger than the continent of Australia, and like Australia, is referred to both as a continent and a country.
Arden is a cultural melting pot of cultures from all around the globe, with the most frequently-seen foreigners being those from ‘the North’ (Julfe), ‘the South’ (Taiso), and ‘the West’ (Sienna).
The land of Arden is both civilized and wild; heavily populated kingdoms dot the landscape and are often surrounded and separated by vast stretches of wilderness between them. Small towns and villages can also be found aplenty, and are most commonly seen near hillsides, plains, rivers, and forests.
Arden is split into 4 distinct regions, each containing its own unique sub-regions as well. The Southern Region is the largest of the three, stretching from the southern tip of the rocky shores, to the mountains crossing the continent horizontally upon its midpoint. This vast range of mountains makes up of the Central Region of the country, and the Northern Region is made up of all lands north of these mountains.
The land of Arden, mapped in glorious color.
The Southern Region:
The Southern Region is home to most of the land’s valleys, forests, lakes, and rives, and becomes more hilly as you approach the mountains. To the southeast lays the Twistroot Swamp, a unique sub-region known for its murky woods, curses, and secluded nature.
To the southwest of the mountains lays the Western Hills, known for its prosperous kingdoms, towns, and villages. This sub-region is the most ‘ideal’ area to live in, featuring vibrant green hills and fertile soils, with the town of Greenhill being the prime example of Western Hills’ beauty. To the south of the Western Hills and just north of Lake Drenn lay the Forest of Spirits, a large and misty forest where people often lose their way, as well as a multitude of ancient Ruins from a long-lost civilization (known as Pai) that spread across the land.
On the opposite side of the Western Hills and to the southeast of the mountains lays the Golden Hills sub-region, a less-populated, but no-less beautiful collection of golden-grass hills. Here, you can find a myriad of famous locations, including the Goldenwood Bridge, the largest bridge in Arden that stands tall above the Seven-Hills River (also the largest river in the land), also known as the Great River. The river runs south, winding through the Wandering Woods, the densely-packed forested sub-region found just south of the Golden Hills.
Between the Western and Golden Hills rests the Mountain’s View Plains, the largest of the Southern Region’s sub-regions. The Plains are home to less-prosperous, but more numerous towns and kingdoms, with the kingdom of Marwen claiming rule above all others. The Plains region is also home to the Road of Arden, the Academy of the Arts, and many other notable locations.
The Central Region:
The Central Region is made up almost entirely of the Mountains of Arden (also known as the Arden Range or the Arden Mountains), a vast mountain range separating the Southern and Northern Regions. Most mountains in the range grow tall, but there is one that towers above the rest, looking out over the entire country: Mount Arwen.
The mountains are home to countless winding cave systems, pine tree forests, and beautiful spring flowers. Lining the southern edge of the central region of the range rests the Mistwood, a sub-region coated in a heavy fog and home to many strange creatures. In fact, the mountains themselves are home to some of Arden’s wildest creatures, and most people never dare wander off the beaten paths of the range.
There are some small towns and villages spread across the range, though, where people live happy, secluded mountain lives.
Far below the Arden Mountains, an incredible deep and impossibly large cave system—known as Deeproot—hides from the public knowledge of most in the land. Deeproot is not only home to some of the land’s most fearsome monsters, but also to the lost civilization of Pai, which sits half-abandoned in the dark, a shell of its former glory. Those that remain of the kingdom have diverted from the sky-viewing people they once were, and have reverted to a more barbaric way of life, fighting in coliseums.
From the tallest peaks of the range, the stars of the night sky shine the brightest, making the mountains the perfect spot for many of Arden’s most accomplished observatories. Among these, the Starbound Observatory reigns supreme in its size and population, being a hot spot for mystics and scientists the world over.
The Northern Region:
The Northern Region encompasses all lands found north of the Arden Range, and is far less populated than the Southern Region. The Northern Region, also known simply as ‘the North’ or ‘North Arden,’ is a region largely covered in year-long snow. The northernmost shores of Arden, often called the Frozen Wastes, are littered with icy waters and drifting glaciers. The Wastes are hilly, though lessened so by the dunes of endless snow. The Wastes aren’t completely empty, however, and many locations can be found all across the North, from the massive Castle of Stonecold, to the 2nd largest lake in Arden, Lake Issen. The lake is surrounded by a forest, as well as the largest civilized settlement of the North, named Narwen. Narwen is a massive collection of cabins and towns, and is defined by its complete lack of a monarchy. Instead, the people of Narwen hold votes in a semi-democratic way of life, with chosen ambassadors from each village making up the Council of Narwen.
Just south of Lake Issen lay the Ironhill Mines, a vast underground network of mining caves once used long ago in the Age of the Mountain. Now, they sit abandoned in the cold, save for any devious creatures who may have made their home within the caves in the meantime.
The Teren Region:
The Teren Region, often simply referred to as its own country, ‘Teren,’ encompasses the entirety of the island located to the east of Arden’s main land mass. This island was once connected to the mainland and features the same geographical pattern—with grassland to the south, mountains in the middle, and snowy tundra to the north—but on a much smaller scale. Though it has never been understood how, the island somehow broke off from the mainland sometime in the ancient past.
Teren’s mountain range is named the Wailing Peaks for their strong winds and harsh living conditions, with the Silent Mountain being the tallest of the range, so tall that the winds grow ‘silent’ the higher you climb (though still not as tall as Mount Arden). Not many people live north of the peaks, save for a scattering of settlements and frontiersman looking to make new lives for themselves. The south of Teren, however, has several large towns among its grasslands and especially along its coasts, among which the port town of Leto reigns supreme, being one of, if not the largest port town in Arden. Leto is responsible for much of the global trade between continents, and takes great pride in bringing the people of Arden goods from all across the world.
Other notable locations found within the grasslands of southern Teren include the Twin Rivers, Westor and Waylin, Conwell Lake, the Maru foothills, the Weeping Woods, filled with hauntingly beautiful weeping willow trees.
Within the peaks themselves, the town of Hetra sits undisturbed from most of the outside world, a town of monks and shamans trained in the mystic arts of healing magics. Only the most brave, or perhaps the most desperate, people travel to Hetra in search of aid.
