Jumira

 

After Golanicja, Ayodesh and Tulosz, Jumira is the fourth largest continental land mass on Tear. It has an inverted 'y' shaped topography, extending some 7000km along the long axis from the city of Silk Point in the northeast at 3S x 42W, to the city of Bhotpur in the southwest at 40S x 106W. The shorter axis extends some 5000km between uninhabited sections of coastline at 40S x 47W near the city of Guhara in the southeast, to 15S x 96W near the city of Kudali in the northwest.

The largest city on Jumira is Mudinak, located at 15S x 89W on Khushboo Bay, near the mouth of the Indigo River where the critical port is sheltered from the treacherous currents of the Great Spiral Sea that have carved the Orchid Isles off of the coast of the Continent.

Along with Tulosz on the opposite side of the world, Jumira is situated such that approximately half of the continent sees Vehira in the sky at all times, while the other half does not. For many centuries, prior to the globalization that began with the Orcish Conquests, this meant a religious divide between Vehirists to the west of the continent and Azanists to the east, however it also meant that existential questions about Vehira could be more easily refuted by direct experience, and led to an earlier reconciliation of the two major religious doctrines. With the occupation of Eastreach from Golanicja prior to the Orcish Conquests the religious divide became even more extreme, but also, ultimately led to the 'theological reverse colonization' of Golanicja and the establishment of Unionist thought in the worlds largest continent.

Because of the fragmented geography of Jumira, the continent exhibits enormous cultural diversity. Historical political differences between the peoples of Eastreach and the rest of the continent aside, there remain massive cultural differences between the peoples of the many different regions of Jumira. The scattered and isolated communities in the Jade River Valley have little in common with their neighbours who dwell in the mountainous foothills of the White Tusk Range. The ordinary farming communities of the Sweet Woods region could not be more different from the peoples of the Blood Jungle or the Black Desert whose ways of life would be unrecognizable to anyone else on Tear. While this diversity has led to many conflicts, these have typically been small, and for thousands of years, Jumira as a continent has never been fully engulfed by war.

Generally, the cultural diversity of the continent is held as a strength by most of the people of Jumira, which many scholars claim is made easier because Jumira's difficult terrain prevents these diverse cultures from being forced to confront one another - allowing diversity as a concept to remain an abstraction for most. That said, Mudinak is where the many cultures of Jumira collide in what is probably the most diverse city in the world. Here Vehirist pilgrims heading for the Jade River Valley meet Azanist philosophers from Eastreach, or share a voyage with traders from the Black Desert selling sectile workers into voluntary indentured servitude. Here adventures from around the world look to hire guides to lead them across the White Tusk Range or down into the Blood Jungle or the Black Desert in hopes of hunting an ice dragon, a jungle dragon or a desert dragon, or perhaps locating a long lost ancient ruin and unlocking its priceless treasures. All of this diversity and energy is encouraged and cleverly harnessed by the nobles of the great houses of Mudinak and the many powerful organizations that have slowly gained control of this complex and beautiful land... even if that control has always been tenuous at best.

The Black Desert

The Black Desert is a large inhospitable region in the southeast of Jumira which is named for the sweeping fields of black volcanic sand that dominate the inland areas to the east of the Gaturan and Ubanamok rivers. While the sands of the interior give way to rich volcanic soils and lush green jungle along the coast, particularly between the cities of Namdu and Guhara, once you are more than 20km from the sea, you'll find nothing but black sand desert in every direction.

But the Black Desert is far from being an uninhabited wasteland, and it is probably the strangest and most alien region on all of Tear. The Black Desert is home to the largest concentration of sectile hives anywhere on Tear. There are hundreds of them here, and with them are dozens of small nomadic tribes that farm them, trade with them or live in an almost symbiotic relationship with them. There are also dangerous predators; giant spiders, snakes, scorpions, basilisks, desert dragons, and even hives of iron ants that seek to overrun sectile hives and devour their inhabitants.

In the center of the Black Desert is the city of Anthill, where nomads and sectile drones come to trade in many rare and valuable commodities that can only be acquired here; eggs and larva, royal jelly, exotic pollens, honeys, honeycombs and waxes, spider silk, and bull chitin. Here also, many thousands of sectile drones willingly indenture themselves into service and labour contracts with large organizations who take them to Ubanamok or Gaturan and ship them all around the world, presumably enabling them - once their contracts are finished - to fulfill their ingrained need to seek out other sectile hives.

The Blood Jungle

The Blood Jungle is the region separating the White Tusk Range to the northwest from the Black Desert to the southeast. Here the melt waters flowing down from the mountains activate rich volcanic soils in a humid, tropical basin, nourishing a dense and treacherous jungle renown for its countless varieties of carnivorous plants (and even more carnivorous animals, reptiles, birds and insects). Traversing this region over land is extremely dangerous, and aside from river passage from Bhanji Pass to Taipundalan there are no maintained and patrolled roads that are considered consistently safe. Travellers and merchants interested in reaching any of the remote towns or villages in these regions need to hire guides at great expense, and bring heavily armed escorts. Despite the extreme danger, many brave or foolhardy nobles seek to hunt here for the prestige of bringing down an exotic prize, such as a jungle dragon or a manticore, and many adventurers are drawn by rumours of ancient ruins filled with vast treasure hordes.

Dhallikar Bay

Dhallikar Bay is the region surrounding the body of water on the central east coast of Jumira, running from Sarim to Gaturan, and named for the city and river of Dhallikar that share the name. Not easily accessible by land, being bordered by the Blood Jungle, the White Tusk Range and the Black Desert, this coastal region serves as a coastal retreat for the wealthy and powerful; particularly nobles and important faction leaders from Mudinak, Sathirajan, Ivory Road and Bikudangar. South of Dhallikar, the smaller city of Port Dhalli is a paradise and playground for the ultrarich and powerful. Dozens of estates and castles dot the verdant tropical hillsides, and hundreds of exquisitely appointed sailing ships fill its harbours and inlets.

Eastreach

Eastreach is the region of Jumira to the north and east of the city of Bikudangar. The interior of the region is largely a hot, dry plain where grasses are grown for food and fibre, and grazing herds are raised. The region has been politically volatile for centuries, with the city of Port Cevic - formerly known as Choparjee - having been captured by privateers from Marcosta and Golanicja following a trade dispute in 153. Eastreach fell under the influence of powerful foreign families and organizations until much of the region was occupied during the orcish conquests. When it was liberated again by combined forces from Jumira, Golanicja and Marcosta, these groups fell into intermittent conflict, and Eastreach was considered a Protectorate of the Kingdom of Golanicja until the end of the Imperial Era. Following the collapse of the Golanicjan Kingdom, combined efforts from the Guild of Jumira and many other organizations and great families in Jumira helped stablize Eastreach, enabling the cities there to charter themselves.

Jade River Valley

Running the length of southwestern Jumira is a low inland range of small mountains that stretch 3000 km down from the foothills of the the White Tusk range starting near Ivory Road, all the way to the city of Mango in southwestern Jumira. Running the entire length of this range, from the cities of Indigo to Mango, is the mighty Jade River, which is fed by hundreds of twisting tributaries.

The region of the Jade River Valley is an enormous tropical rainforest and jungle with hundreds of small towns and villages connected by trading posts running the entire length of the Jade River itself. Beginning with the establishment of the Southwestern Jumira Bargee Company beginning in 607, the wealth of resources brought out of the region - including everything from exotic food, plants, ingredients and creatures, to rare minerals, metals and gems - has been the source of much of the wealth of the entire continent.

The Jade River itself is treacherous and difficult to navigate, and travelling its length means contracting transport for each leg of the journey individually with local merchants and traders who work the waterways. Many of the small villages and towns here cannot be reached by road, and are only connected by water to the larger cities of the region. Additionally, many of the groups living in the rainforests of the Jade River Valley are nomadic tribes who establish only temporary settlements for a short period each year to conduct trade.

Because Vehira is visible rising over the western horizon along every part of this valley, the Jade River itself is considered a holy place by many Vehirists around Tear. A journey down the Jade River Valley is held to symbolically represent Vehira's passage through the birth canal, and the last leg of the journey from Mango to a magnificent Vehiran temple on a hilltop about 100km west of the city where one can see Vehira risen entirely above the horizon of Tear is considered to be a pilgrimage to 'witness the birth of Vehira'.

The Orchid Isles

The Orchid Isles are a long stretch of thousands of coastal islands, running along the entire western coastline of Jumira from Sathirajan in the north to Bhotpur at the southwestern extent of the continent. The turbulent waters and dominant currents of the Great Spiral Sea have pummeled the Jumiran coastline for millenia, carving these thousands of islands off from the mainland and leaving a complicated network of straits, passages and island chains. Navigating the waters in and among the Orchid Isles is unpredictable and hazardous, and the few major ports along the Jumiran coast, at Windbreak, Jaralanga, Ipuri, Mudinak and Sathirajan are established only because the coastal geography in these location allows for relative safe access. The same is true for the ports of Nanat and Kudali on the larger islands of the chain.

Of the uncounted islands in this great chain, most are uninhabited, or play intermittent home to small, isolated waterborne nomadic tribes, or communities of merfolk. Those that are inhabited typically have only small fishing villages on them, though a very few are home to large castles, citadels or extensive private manors belonging to some of Jumira's wealthiest families, and the heads of the continent's most powerful organizations.

The Sweet Woods

While much of Jumira features challenging terrain, the tropical region situated between Eastreach to the northeast, and the Sathi River and the White Tusk Range to the southwest is a large topical plain formed of rolling grasslands, scrublands and savannas known for its stunning diversity of plant and animal life. Despite the proximity to the equator, winds that sweep the region keep it pleasant most of the year round, and it is never oppressively hot here - unlike the Blood Jungle, the Black Desert or even the jade River Valley - despite each of those regions being significantly further south.

White Tusk Range

The White Tusk Range is a midsized mountain range that separates southwestern Jumira and the Dhallikar Bay region from the rest of the continent. Land transit over the White Tusk Range is all but impossible except by a high mountain pass through the city of Bhanji Pass, which is difficult at the best of times and impossible in inclement weather.

The White Tusk Range is so-called for the large number of tusked creatures that live in these rocky hills - from the elephants and boars that wander the forests of the foothills near Ivory Road, to the mammoths that stride in the higher, colder plateaus and the sabre cats and yeti who hunt them. The tusks, teeth and horns (and other parts) of all these exotic and dangerous creatures are prized in Jumira and across Tear for their magical or medicinal purposes, or simply as trophies, but hunting in the White Tusk Range is very dangerous. The lower parts of the range are home to hill giants who sometimes wander into developed areas looking for food. Higher up, frost giants are said to wander the lonely peaks, devouring anyone foolish enough to hunt above the tree line or to attempt a crossing in inclement weather. On the highest peaks - always hidden by storm and cloud - ice dragons and storm giants are said to sit on their thrones, lording it over the lesser giants and creatures from whom they demand tribute in exchange for clear skies and calm weather.