Kindreth

On Kindreth – a geographical and cultural summary by Malune Corrinder

The great continent known as Kindreth lies in the west of Solitude. It is the second-largest of Solitude’s known landmasses and is home to many nations, races and cultures. Human communities dominate the majority of the continent but amongst them live eyra, siska, elfkin and even thirapsi. Also of note are the many celebrith aeries and dragons holds in the continent’s two great mountain ranges. Kobolds, of course, are present throughout the land.

Kindreth is bounded in the west by the Reaching Ocean and the Shattered Sea. In the north, it is divided from Mistlorn by the wide and treacherous Halet’s Channel. In the east, Kindreth is separated from Torin by Chasm Lake and the western tip of the Cloudpiercer Mountains. In the south the continent reaches its extent at the Sea of Sails and the Perspian border.

Kindreth’s climate ranges from boreal in the north to arid in the south, with temperate and tropical regions in between. Kindreth is famous for its many spectacular nature features. In the center of the continent are the Cadian Plains, vast reaches of grassland in which grow the crops that feed almost a fifth of the continent’s population. Arvair, Tranth, and Costavil in particular are reliant on the region’s bounty of fruit, grains, vegetables, and livestock. In the highlands of Arvair are the Redwoods, a vast and towering forest of ancient trees and great beasts. The Redwoods are a significant economic boon to Varrus, the Arvairian province that encircles it. Though local druids are extremely protective of the massive firs, when one is felled it yields timbers that are valued the world over. In Kindreth lie the glassy waters of the Silver Lakes, treasured for their abundant fish and spectacular scenery. Many Arvairian nobles own summer home on the Silver Lakes, prompting small communities to spring up around their estates. Each spring, the region is visited by an annual pilgrimage of siska, who prize the massive sturgeon that swim the rivers to spawn. On the border of Arvair and Tranth is the hauntingly beautiful Lake of Clouds, the largest lake in Kindreth. It is well known for its cool mists and deep waters that hide vast numbers of trout and perch. The lake is also an important trade route – one can take a boat all the way from Sora’s Crossing to Brengar and hardly ever touch land. In the south of Kindreth lie the lush Faidmiiri Jungle and the dry expanse of the Akuulian Desert, both of which are spectacular to behold in their own right.

However, in the current age, Kindreth is best known as the home of the Arvairian Empire. Every sovereign nation on the continent (save one) has, as of 10540 NE, been absorbed into Imperial rule. The Imperial provinces that lie within Kindreth include Arvair, Lumas, Kantle, Tranth, Costavil, Akuul and Faidmiir. Most of these nations joined the Empire willingly. Costavil and Faidmiir sought protection from aggressive neighbors. Akuul saw the value of increased trade and a strong military alliance. Kantle saw in the Empire the greatest hope for world peace. Lumas and Tranth were more reluctant to surrender their independence and only submitted after years of negotiation and military posturing. However, all these nations now have one thing in common: they all thrive under the protection and guidance of the Empire. As a result of a half-century of Arvairian expansion, roads, sea routes and other modes of transportation throughout Kindreth have been expanded and placed under a watchful guard. Trade profits have doubles in many regions as more and more foreign merchants make their way to previously hard to reach markets. Attacks by roving kobolds, rogue dragons and even common bandits have all but ceased in many areas. And perhaps most encouraging of all, nobles of all Imperial provinces – now bound by the rule of Arvairian law – are doing more to protect and support their common citizens.

Kindreth stands today as, perhaps, the most travelled and extensively settled continent on Solitude. And though the recent civil war has spread cracks throughout its peace and unity, the Arvairian Empire will undoubtedly maintain a solid grip on its treasured homeland far into the future.

-          Malune Corrinder, Scholar of the Arvairian Academy