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The Land of Kalerre

This Land is shaped like an upside-down tear or candle flame. It is just over 1,400 miles long north to south, and its climate ranges from tropical to temperate. It is home to a wide array of creatures known no where else. And it is home to both Wemics and Humans.

Geography and Climate
Since Kalerre is south of the equator, it is warmest in the north, and gets cooler in the south. It is wettest on its west coast, where warm prevailing air and water currents bring great quantities of rain. A chain of high hills keep much of that rain from reaching the interior plateau, which is hot and dry. In the east, high mountains gather rain and snow that feed north-flowing rivers. The north is wettest of all, with a huge shallow inland lake that feeds a vast swamp between the lake and the northern coast. Between the mountains and the eastern coast is a narrow strip of dry land. Barrier islands and reef systems parallel the western shore; atolls and keys sprinkle the sea north of the Land.

Flora and Fauna
There are many species on Kalerre that are not found elsewhere in the world. A few of the most notable include:

• great swamp lizards
• addictive direfruit, also known as paradise, found only in the northern swamp
• cannibals of the northern swamp
• wild aurochs of the central plains
• carnivorous reef-walkers
• flying frogs
• sky trees

These and many more make Kalerre both unique and dangerous.

Weather
In the south there are four seasons, as in the temperate zones of earth, and in the winter snow falls in the southernmost regions. In the north, there is a dry season and a wet season; in the latter there are torrential downpours daily along the coast. Each year, monsoons from the west sculpt the barrier islands, knock down large swaths of forest, and spill over the hills to dump rain on the dry interior.

Tectonics
A line of dormant and active volcanos run along the mountainous backbone of the Land, spewing ash over much of Kalerre, which helps create rich soils. Earthquakes are not uncommon, and occaisional tsunamis splash over the barrier islands and wash salt water miles inland.

Places in Kalerre

Wemics have lived in Kalerre for 1,000 years, but civilized human people only began to arrive in the last hundred. The numbered locations below correspond to places on the map.

1) Cove
The first humans to arrive in Kalerre were privateers and pirates searching for safe harborage and hidden sanctuary. They found it about 80 years ago among the great barrier island chains along the north coast of Kalerre. These rough brigands established a port, began trade with the cannibals of the swamp, and set up a small town. Captives kidnapped from other ships were forced to work as builders, dockhands, servants, and fishers. Eventually, relatively legitimate merchants and traders arrived, and the town grew. Cove is now a bustling town with about 2,000 residents, but it is still a lawless and dangerous place. The Lord High Captain rules as a dictator, advised by a council of the wealthy and powerful.

2) Freetown
This is a village of a couple hundred farmers, founded by folk who escaped from Cove. The town was later discovered by Cove pirates, but the pirates let it survive in exchange for a large annual tribute of foodstuffs (considered luxuries in sea-swept Cove). Life is hard for Freetown folk, what with cannibal raids and the struggle to produce enough food, but liberty makes it worthwhile.

3) Merx
In order to exploit the riches of the interior, the pirates of Cove set up a trading station at Merx. There are a few farmsteads here, but most notable is the Inn and Post, where trappers bring furs, fortune-seekers swap tall tales, and Wemics trade gold and ivory for metal tools and weapons. The Governor, who is appointed by the Lord High Captain of Cove, rules with a light hand, so long as trade continues to produce profits.

4) A Secret Colony
There are rumors in Cove of a secret colony in the far south, but if it exists, little or nothing is known about it. Rumors say it is a settlement by religions fanatics, or an outpost of another Land, but no one can really say.

5) Mivak and the Land of Wemics
The entire savannah that fills the heart of Kalerre is inhabited by Wemics, and the lone Wemic city is located at Mivak. The few reports that have reached human ears say that Mivak is a vast tent city that the Wemics move from place to place. Reports also say that it is centered on a great Plinth, a natural obelisk that rises strangely from the plain. The Wemics are herders and nomads, for the most part. They are of two kindreds -- the noble Wemics who direct their herds on the fertile plains and who are loyal to Clan and King; and the wild Wemics who live in the badlands and who bow to no one.