Salvar

Salvar, known for its wastes and blizzard covered climate, is the Northern most region of Althanas. After a terrible civil war between the Church and the State, the lands of Salvar have been torn apart and sent into an unstable feudal system of government. The differences between the Northern and Southern portions of Salvar are diverse, extremely differing in climate, and allow for limitless possibilities.

Salvar
Capital	Knife’s Edge
Form of Government	Feudal
Ruler(s)	None
Legal System	Feudal Law
Official Language(s)	Tradespeak (Common)
Population	Approximately 800,000
Religious Type	No organized religion
Literacy	23%
Technology level	Early Medieval
Major Imports	Luxury goods, grain
Major Exports	Skins, furs, ore, lumber
Natural Resources	Forests, Minerals, whales and fish

Geography

The infamous tundra that Salvar has become known for all over Althanas, Skavia covers the country's northern and central lands. The landscape is composed of frozen wastelands, vast forests, and rugged mountains that are harrowed by the elements and harsh climate. Skavia is constantly slammed with blizzards, brutal winds that could strip the flesh off of a man, and avalanches that could bury an entire city in an unmarked grave. But, fret not. Skavia is not completely inhospitable-- The wasteland is peopled by the proud, hardened tribes of barbarians and throwbacks to previous eras of Salvar who fight both Nature and the ferocious beasts and creatures who call Skavia their home. The Northwest is known as the Kalev Highlands, a plateau resting on the highest point in the country. The highlands rest atop the remains of one of Salvar's mountains, Modhgar, which borders the Gorum Mountains and the western coast. One of the few places in Salvar to have cyclical, balanced seasons, the Kalev Highlands is often the brunt of harsh winds and terrible storms which seem to be Nature's way of making up the difference. The highlands are composed mostly of grasslands and hills with a few patches of forests wherever the landscape might allow. It is populated by the nation of Andvall, a people who are direct descendants of the knights and nobles who separated themselves from Salvar's monarchy in the pursuit of religious freedom. Though benevolent and often passive, the people of Andvall are considered traitors and deserters to the Salvarian kingdom that do not recognize the nation's sovereignty. Despite its political misgivings and often bloody history, the Kalev Highlands are a place of wonder and the stuff of legends. It is home to most of Salvar's giants and a plethora of other fantastic creatures that were often thought to be only in folktales.

The only pass from Salvar to Berevar is known as Sulgoran’s Axe. A narrow pass within the jagged Gorum Mountains between Salvar and Berevar. Serving as the only entrance into Berevar, it is fiercely protected by tribes of barbarians seeking to hold Berevar's orcs at bay. Located in the most desolate part of Salvar, Sulgoran's Axe is exposed to the harshest of elements making it a common place for blizzards and avalanches. Between savage barbarians, Nature's wrath, and terrible monsters it's a coin toss between what will be your undoing.

Towards the southwest corner of the country lies Uroda, thousands of miles of sprawling plains and farmlands that sits well within a milder climate. Near the Ahyark Mountains that border Alerar, the steppes serves as the country's belt of agriculture and home to most of Salvar's people. Also host to the fiefdoms and the noble class, this part of the country is desired by many for its rich soil and the offer for a place to live that is less exposed to the elements. Because of this, there is often much strife and war in order to hold control of as much of Uroda as possible. When the civil war between the Ethereal Sway and the Salvarian monarchy began it was not uncommon to see the fields run red with blood. Knife's Edge, Salvar's capital, is also located within these steppes.

Places of Interest

• Knife’s Edge

Racial Structure

The breakdown for the structure of the races that exist within Salvar is rather straightforward. There are roughly 80% humans that reside within what is known as Salvar, 3% trolls, 10% dwarves, 2% Orc, 1% dark elf, and 4% other races. This diversity is not the same as something like Corone, where there is little animosity felt between the races. Differences and divergent cultures have created a place where there are many people, but not one wishes to coexist with another. As a result, many places are segregated between the races, where certain races rule and others simply exist. Northern Salvar is known for its barbaric human populations, with a scattering of trolls and orcs that have leaked through from Berevar. The mountain ranges of Ahyark and parts of the former mountain of Modhgar are scattered with dwarven settlements ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand.

Further explanation of each race on an individual basis can be found in the Bestiary of Salvar