Geography
Elondor is a small continent in the world of the Last Age, home to various human societies and languages and the main setting of this world.
Etymology and Names
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By the end of the Imperial Era, the Olgish name Elondor has come in use with the majority of societies on the continent, propagated along the official channels of the Empire. It first appears in the narrative concerning Nardin and the First Battle of Mortim-Arnim as Olg Olgish ...elondor cún grálí srónath 'the all-boundary, where men dwell', presumably denoting not only the continent but the wider domain of humans, into which the Nathari have ventured, implying their origin in a para-human, mythological plain, possibly the Underworld. The legend was included in the (6th century E.B.) Lonsorigi but probably dates from at least the 8th century B.E.B., with certain passages possibly even older. Originally pronounced as [ɛ.ˈlɔn.dɔɾ], with regular stress on the heavy second syllable, its frequent use by the itinerant preacher Dúrmin, who in his sermons warned against a return of 'those that dwell beyond the all-boundary' (grálá dess' elondor), popularized an alternative stress pattern in the mid-3rd century B.E.B., following the strict initial stress of his native Ébrinine dialect as [ˈɛ.lɔn.dɔɾ] or [ˈe.lɔn.dɔɾ].
The name was applied to the continent in particular no later than the 4th century E.B., when the Edict of Corbin uses it explicitly in contrast to Nokim. It was later adopted by the Olgish Church as their predestined domain of reach and prominently used by Beldárin Fadhérún in his campaign to gain dominion over 'all those devout to the true faith of Ortûlék and Shéa'voch to dwell in Elondor'. With its common usage in imperial parlance, it came to be adopted in most provinces.
The Iiles of old referred to the continent as Dínerima 'the white dryes', but the term has mostly fallen out of use in favour of the Olgish-derived Erùndar. Even throughout Imperial times, the Lerewe have kept their ancient term Ğewodun' Esneğiwi 'the great earth of fire', contrasting with Ğewoduna Syōwe 'the great earth of the wind', Nokim.
Geography and Climate
Elondor is located immediately north of the continent of Nokim, mostly separated by the Sea of Timesthe, but at their closest point, the Seligonian Trident, only about 7.5 Olgish Leagues apart. It spans just under 80 Olgish Leagues east to west between the seas of Avalia and Runion and just over 50 Olgish Leagues north to south, giving it an upper-central position, entirely in the northern hemisphere, between the continents of Eren and Nokim. The continent has a vaguely triangular shape between its corner points at Tár-Noldorin, the Allalond, and the Seligonian Trident, with the Erendál peninsula emerging in its northeast and forming a fourth tip of land. An S-shaped mountain chain comprised of the Míbar-Hûrind, the Reknayan Mountains, and the Seven Rivers, and extended by the Erendál Mountains, the highlands of Belkondíl, and the mountains of Seligon, cuts Elondor in half, separating the northeastern, Avalian from the southwestern, Runian part. It has three major inland sees, the Kalparian Sea in the northwest and the White Sea and the Bight of Loskilón on its southern shores.
Traditionally, the continent is divided into eight regions:
- Belkondíl, the heartland of Lécaron, located on both banks of the rivers Cëlac and Brethan in the southwestern corner of Elondor. The homeland of the Olgs and Western Sosks, it is a vast area of heath and moorland, mostly looking upon the brash waters of Runion, but with warmer strands toward the Timesthe to the south.
- Old Seligon, the homeland of Iilish culture, east of Belkondíl, comprising Moreth east of the Seven Rivers, the fields of Amasia, and the islands of the Gulf of Seligon. Served considerably milder climate by the warm streams of the Timesthe, it consists of mostly swampy plains and humid highlands, notable the Seven Rivers, and with the Lakes of Amasia Elondor's largest inland bodies of water.
- Seligon, the southeastern tip of the continent.
- The Reknayan Mountains
- Celsond
- Aribel, the homeland of the Aribelians, located in the utmost northwest
- Geran
This position between the longitudes of 38° and 60° north allows for the mostly temperate climate in Elondor. The southwestern corner of the continent, effectively the southern coast of Seligon, experiences the warmest climate with mild winters and dry summers, propagated by the warm water carried north by the eastern half of the Timesthian stream. Its warmest sub-region is the plain of Iliatar, which experiences hot subtropical and in exceptional years even tropical climate.
Human History
It is located Human populations have settled the continent in two main waves before the last Ice Age.
| Explore by Region | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Belkondíl | Geran | Old Seligon | Seligon |
| Aribel | Celsond | Reknaya | Other Continents |