From crystal peaks to ancient Chalcedon, ever shall I wander to find my Chalcepheran home.

Sangreal the Bard

Once regarded as holy and as the cradle of civilization, Chalcephera is a great and ponderous land. Stretching 2,438 miles north to south and 2,604 miles west to east - a landmass of roughly 6,348,552 square miles - it is home to several nations and to some of the most varied terrain on Nor'Ova.

Location Within Nor'Ova

Chalcephera sits in the northern and eastern hemispheres of Nor'Ova. It is bordered by the Andron Ocean to the east, the O'Lennon Ocean to the west, and the frozen Aech to the north. To the south lies the continent of Vega, which is double the size of Chalcephera but half as populated. The two continents are connected by the Miden Isthmus, home to the Kingdom of Miden which is a mainly dwarven kingdom.

Climate

Chalcephera's climate is as varied as its terrain. The northernmost reaches remain in permafrost year-round. Just south of the permafrost line, a temperate zone endures long winters and very short summers.

The Crystal Mountains, which cut the continent roughly in two, create markedly different climates on either side. To the west, ocean currents from the O'Lennon warm the Acadian Plains considerably. Between the Crystal Mountains and the Midden Mountains to the east lies the vast Paralax Desert - a place of legend as much as geography, for it is said that no compass functions within it, and those who attempt to cross it invariably find themselves lost.

East of the Crystal Mountains, the Auster Lands are wet and lush, while the Plains of Slumber to the north are uncharacteristically dry. The Miasmac Swamp covers the Neurothianian Peninsula, and the volcanic Vapid Vanuatu rise prominently from the Northern Auster Sea.

The southwest is home to the Kingdom of Auphera, which enjoys a warm temperate climate across most of its territory, shifting to subtropical along the Sea of Miden and the Shield Coast.

The Crystal Mountains themselves experience a climate that changes more with elevation than with latitude. Snow caps the highest peaks year-round - save for Precipitation Point, the tallest of them all, which exists in a permanent and strange state between ice and rain that no scholar has satisfactorily explained. 

The Miden Mountains run warmer and drier than the Crystal Mountains, reaching lower altitudes overall, though several peaks still see year-round snowfall. 

The high plains are dry and arid throughout - the Auster Highlands, sitting on the eastern slopes of the Crystal Mountains with the Auster Sea to its east, being the wettest of them, the Dormora High Plains nearly desert-like, residing between the Midden Mountains, Crystal Mountains, and bordering the Paralax Desert. The Miden Highlands are running at consistently above-average temperatures.

The Drakelowe Desert lies on the eastern side of the Miden Mountains, between the Drakelowe Highlands and the O'Lennon Ocean. The Miden Isthmus to the south receives enough rainfall to remain green, though its climate is steamy and tropical.

Nations Within Chalcephera

Chalcephera is home to several distinct nations, each shaped by its geography, its history, and the peoples who call it home. The three principal nations are the Kingdom of Auphera, the Kingdom of Miden, and the Kingdom of Chaladonia, though other polities and territories exist across the continent.

  • The Kingdom of Auphera - The largest and most politically prominent kingdom on Chalcephera, occupying the warm southwestern reaches of the continent. Auphera is a human-dominated monarchy with a long history, a complex parish system, and a coastline that has made it a center of trade and naval power.
  • The Kingdom of Miden - A primarily dwarven kingdom occupying the Miden Isthmus that connects Chalcephera to the continent of Vega. Miden's position makes it a critical trade corridor between the two continents, and its people are renowned as engineers and craftsmen.
  • The Kingdom of Chaladonia - The second largest nation in Chalcephera, Chaladonia lies in the North West of the continent. It is a nation dealing with limited farm-ready land and constant barbarian raids. In recent years Chaladonia has shut its borders to other nations and tensions are running high.