Climate and Geography

Cordhan is a small continent close to the equator, defined by a wet and dry season and strong seasonal winds.

Reproduced here is a simplified map of Cordhan during the early wet season, produced by the Slagport chapter of the cartographer’s guild. The map is imperfect; rivers may dry up or shift course during the dry season, while the southern and western parts of Cordhan were unfamiliar to these artists. In particular, the coastline beyond the mountains was entirely unknown to the guild.

Eastern Cordhan is dominated by the great foggy mountain range, which separates the eastern coast from the rest of the continent. While not without its inhabitants, most mages consider the range to be not only deadly but haunted. And beyond the mountains are the pale woods, a place few have reached and even fewer have returned from. The abundance of minerals and relative quiet has made the east coast a haven of Bugkin industry.

Because the mountains prevent damp ocean air from reaching the interior, they amplify the dry season for central and southern Cordhan. The northern peninsula lacks these mountains, and thus the climate remains mild even in the dry season. This has given rise to a unique ecosystem, one prone to heavy storms yet prized for farming. Despite frequent flooding and dense rainforests, the mage population is high, and towns can be found in even the harshest swamps.

Central Cordhan contains a mix of plains, swamps, and forests scattered across rolling hills. While prone to drought in the dry season, the fast-flowing rivers are reliable, providing water and transport to numerous city-states and kingdoms. Meanwhile, the gulf remains a hub of fishing and trade year-round, providing food and work for many. Most mages live by the rivers and coast, but several major dwarven cities can be found in the lower mountains, overlooking the valley and coast.

The western isle are a scattered collection of volcanic islands, accessible only by several days of boat travel or by flying across from southern Cordhan. The islands are geologically young and feature scattered woods and plains inhabited by a number of unique species, most of them birds or insects. Like the north, the western islands are relatively insulated from drought, but the rocky terrain and steep mountains discourages most kinds of farming. But the rolling hills and lack of predators makes for good herding while the nearby reefs support fishing, allowing the locals to live comfortably despite their distance from the mainland.

Southern Cordhan is relatively flat and dry, with several winding rivers that frequently flood and change course at unpredictable times. While a few cities along the coast frequently trade with their northern neighbors, the region is otherwise isolated by the wide plains and difficult-to-navigate rivers. The few mages who do live here rely on subsistence farming, fishing, and hunting to get by, but the harsh seasons make life unpredictable. Bugkin outposts are present, but like their mage neighbors these communities are small and isolated.

And all of these areas, even the northern peninsula, transform as the seasons shift. Green plains turn golden as forests go dormant, and animals shift their patterns to avoid floods or seek out water. Mages travel to seek work or hunt game, and bugkin reinforce their cities to endure the storms. The world continues to shift, in ways familiar and new.

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