Western Realms

The Western Realms, more commonly simply called the Realms, is one of four geographical regions the comprise the Miran continent. This region is dominated by the Caragan Sea for both weather and travel.

The region is sub-divided into four smaller regions, each one based upon which shoreline of the Caragan Sea is borders. The Mountain Region is the rugged land of the north and shadowed by the Stoneheart Mountains. The Plains Region is east of the Caragan Sea and sees the least amount of rainfall and the most difficult soil to work. The Greenbelt is the area west of the Caragan Sea and runs along the Isaurus Ocean shoreline. The Wetlands are those area south of the Caragan Sea and has shorelines with both the Isaurus Ocean and Serpente Sea with many low-lying areas and large amounts of rainfall.

The weather in this region is heavily influenced by the Isaurus Ocean, Caragan Sea, and the cold polar winds that come over the Stoneheart Mountains during the winter. This area has four distinct weather zones divided by the Caragan Sea. North of the sea is marked by colder winters and a higher amount of rainfall during the spring and fall. East of the Caragan Sea the land is more moderate and temperatures vary the least, but sees rainfall more than half of the year. The eastern zone has more moderate winters and has the least amount of rainfall except within a few miles of the eastern shore of the Caragan Sea. South of the Caragan Sea and west of the Black River is a land warmed by the Serpente Sea. This land has the most rainfall with some measure of rain just about every day and has more freezing rain rather than snowfall during the winter.

The land changes from the heavy wetlands and marsh of the south to the rugged topography of the north near the Stoneheart Mountains. Most of the region is comprised of low, flat to rolling terrain that gradually rises in a northeastern line. The land has rich soil that is good for agriculture allowing the nations to produce more food that is needed for their people.

The southern topology is bordered by the Black River delta on the east and the Garam Paya (Great Salt Swamp) in the central-west. The area between is dominated by relatively flat lowlands and thousands of small lakes. The elevations range from 3 meters at the coastline to 152 meters at Tenebrae Mountains which cut northwest to southeast at the the southern border of Selcaria.

West of the Caragan Sea the land is comprised of large rolling hills, plenty of rainfall, and temperatures moderated by the two seas it borders. Until the Xianese clear-cut their land, the area was dominated by large hardwood forests and rich in native species. The elevations of the land continue to rise to the north but stays below 400 meters above sea level.

East of the Caragan Sea the topology is mostly gentle rolling hills and vast prairies. Rainfall decreases dramatically from west to east resulting in different types of prairie, with tallgrass prarie in the wetter west eventually giving way to mixed-grass prairie in the east. The land is well-suited to many different grain crops from corn/soybean in the west to wheat/rye in the east. Like the land west of the Caragan Sea the elevation of the land rises slowly, never reaching above 500 meters, from south to north until reaching the Druyen Highlands Ridge which rises sharply and divides Irill from Krandryia.

The northern region is marked by cold winters and dry summers. The topology is comprised of sharply rising hills and deep valleys in the south to southeast and becomes more mountainous as it goes north. The land is dominated by the Stoneheart Mountains to the north and the three large rivers that originate there, the Zun River, Blüt River, and Lech River. The western area is the Druyen Highlands has the highest elevation and the least amount of rainfall of anywhere in the realms. It is generally described as cold even during the summer and hammered by bitterly cold winds during the winter.