Setting

Mara is a large and geographically diverse island far off of the western coast of Tiponi. Perhaps its inhabitants are descended from ancient Syrullian colonists, seeking to expand out into the isles, but they've long since lost contact with the mainland; there are very few who are even aware of its existence, and those who are aren't keen to say anything about it.

The island itself is characterised by the Maiestas desert, which sprawls across the southern half of it. It is also home to the great city Aduro Aurum, pinnacle of Maran civilisation, and neighbour to a smaller, harsher region that none would care to settle in: Exaresco, also desert, but volcanic. The ruins of the ancient city Arcis are here, although just who used to live there and what caused them to settle in such a ridiculously inhospitable area has been lost to all but the most well-informed scholars.

Travelling further north, one will find dry scrubland — the region of Sitis, claimed by the fierce Aequitas — and eventually lush plains—the Exaequo region, where most of those not affiliated to Aduro Aurum eke out their living. It is much less settled, given that those so far from the city don't have ready access to magic, but it doesn't need to be. The climate here is much more favourable, and so it's easier to get by without the aid of valui. Forests are atypical with the somewhat arid climate, but there are a few small ones.

The northwestern tip of Mara contains the region of Ymber, which can be described in four words: bleak, mountainous, and rainy. The small mountain range perches on the coast, where it is buffeted with strong winds off the ocean in addition to being terribly wet. It isn't really fit for anyone to survive in; despite the immense amounts of rain that it receives, the steep slopes and sharp peaks are all stone, with very little plant growth. At the centre of the mountains lie the ruins of another city—Arx, sister city to Arcis. If Arcis is shrouded in mystery, Arx is even moreso; it's common knowledge that there are ruins near Aduro Aurum, but Arx is hidden from public eye, and on the other side of the island, to whit.

Mara is fed by three freshwater rivers: the River Madesco, the River Alveus, and the smaller River Tabernus. Exaequo contains the highest concentration of them, with all three passing through its borders; they are responsible for its rolling grasslands and shrubby trees. Sitis has stake to only one, Tabernus, and so too does Maiestas—Madesco runs through it, although by the time it reaches the desert it has dipped underground.

Aside from that, there is only saltwater on all sides. The Marans are completely isolated.

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