Retzayk

Retzayk is a long, narrow continent approximately 4500 km east of Anásthiasplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigAnásthias

Anásthias [a-NAS-thee-ass / ænæsθiːæs], or [an-ass-THEE-as] is an equatorial island continent, heart of the Civilised World. The north straddles the equator and is hot and humid, while most of the equatorial centre is an upland plateau with fertile river valleys, and stretches of arid plains and desert in the shadow of the mountains. The south is temperate but more wild, separated from the civilisations of the north by the almost impassable Harthera, separated from it by the Redeeming Ocean. It extends from the North Pole, crossing the equator and deep into the southern hemisphere.

According to contemporary geography, Retzayk is believed to be one of the Edge Lands on the eastern edge of the Civilised World, beyond which is a solid landmass covering the whole Obverse hemisphere. Retzayk is in fact the eastern peninsula of the Zahkdarret-Retzayk supercontinent, which extends across the North Pole into the southern hemisphere. The boundary between Retzayk and Zahkdarret is the polar ice.

The name Retzayk, in Miyarrain, means “the New Lands”. It was popularised by the explorer Aego Gastrinimer in his great map of the world. Due to the great distances and dangers, the Edge Lands have so far been little visited by humanity, being thick with viridplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigVirid

Referring to the Virid Kingdom of flora and fauna, toxic to human life. forests and very far from civilised lands. Gastrinimer's term Retzayk in fact referred to the entire circle of land thought to enclose the Civilised Worldplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigCivilised World

The Civilised World refers to the known regions of human civilisation, notably the continent of Anásthias, the Natorn Archipelago and surrounding islands.

Gastrinimer's 3rd century BME Map of the World, showing Anásthias and the Natorn Isles. Note: old maps place north to the right.AnásthiasAnásthiasAnásthiasAnásthias, though today it refers only to the lands east of Anásthias.

Being a long, narrow continent, the climate of Retzayk extends from virid tundra in the north, through temperate virid weed and scrublands to thick jungle towards the equator. During the Jade Epoch the northern temperate peninsula was settled by humans who founded the so-called Ice Realm of Orodien. According to the legends of the Helevosien, Orodien prospered during the first half of the epochplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigWorld History

Helevos has eight thousand years of recorded history, with archeology, artefacts and myth stretching back much further. There are two dominant views of human history: the theological view that the whole world and humanity were created some thousands of years ago in one instant of creation; the second, that all humanity descends from a race of fallen demigods called the viridEmerald EpochBMEgreenBMEAnásthiasAnásthiasBMEAnásthiasfolkloreMiyarrisGodmenBMEMEOrorrHartheraMEviridAnásthi… but collapsed into famine and anarchy, their lands consumed by virid forest.

Twenty years ago a Hartheran expedition reached the coast due east of the Eastern Isles, but was forced to return west after being unable to find a safe harbour. Elements of Hartheranplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigHarthera

The Hartheran Union, commonly named Harthera, is an imperialist maritime nation state dominating the northeast of Anásthias. It is one of the two great powers of the modern epoch, arguably the most technologically and militarily powerful nation in the world, only matched by the vast size and wealth of its neighbour, viridOrorrMEOrorrOrorrOrorrOrorr Admiralty have lobbied the central command to continue exploration of the Retzayk coast, with an eye to future colonisation and exploitation.