Northlands

The Northlands is the name of the continent and surrounding islands making up the north eastern part of the region of Umarald.

Description
The homeland of the dwarves and later the elves and the gnomes, the Northlands is a cultural melting pot from the Age of Steel and onwards. The region is commonly divided into the following provinces: Alvor, Damasa, Danea-Racasa, the Elven Homelands, Gothia, Kamos, Khiyaros, Murgos, Namora Agasta, Teghir and Wargoria. These are broadly civilized areas and beyond them lies the Northern Wilderness.

Geography
The Northlands has a very varied geography, with many mountain ranges and large rivers forming the landscape. In the south the Umo Mountains is the dominating range with the massive known as the Wargorian Peaks to the west and the Draketooth Mountains to the east defining the northern boundaries of civilization. The largest island, Damasa, is separated from the mainland by the Damasa strait and Lake Damasa. South of it lies Alvor and the islands of Gherin, Vagir and Sereth Cudor forming the border against the Aezhen Sea and the Lost Islands, which belongs to the Southlands. Further north on the western coast lies the homeland of the gnomes, the island of Usabia. East, across the Sea of Dusk, lies the Elven Homelands - lost during the Age of Steel but later reclaimed. East of the Northlands lies the Sea of Dawn.

With its temperate climate, mountains and large forests the Northlands has many large lakes and rivers. The most important are Khazar Lake, the Umo river and the Tala river.

History
The Northlands has been the home of the dwarven civilization since 5,000 years before the Age of Steel. They where lone masters of the mainland until orcs arrived from the south east some 2,000 years later, creating a large empire known as Orchiag which spanned from Damasa to Wargoria. They where barely resisted by the elves and the gnomes who both lacked the numbers to pose any real threat.

Humans of gothic decent arrived from the east 2,500 years before the Age of Steel and colonized parts of the land. Through they battled the orcs with some success on land they where unable to make any serious conquests. Their arrival did however prevent the orcs from focusing their forces against the elves and gnomes. This effect was further enhanced with settlers from the Kingdom of Zhengdi reaching Murgos and Teghir and beginning to settle there.

A century before the Age of Steel the Empire invaded the Northlands from the south. Aided by the elves they struck hard against the heartlands of the orcs and eventually gaining the support of the gothic tribes they crushed the armies of Orchiag. Establishing the Northern Empire they would continue to conquer lands from the orcs well into the Age of Steel. With the near-collapse of the Empire, much of its resources where pulled out of the Northlands. A civil war followed which shattered the Northern Empire into several bickering states.

Age of Steel
In the Age of Steel the Northlands is dominated by the ongoing conflict between the Damasa Empire and the Kingdom of Menlor, the latter aided by the Dwarven Cities of Umo and the Order of the Falcons. The conflict also involves the bordering Kingdom of Arbea and the Duchies of Tala which try to preserve the status quo by aiding whichever side is loosing as a complete victory would soon spell the end of their own existence.

Trying to stay out of the conflict is the Dukedom of Duiden along with the gnomish Kingdom of Usabia, the elven Kingdom of Alvor and the dwarven Republic of Danea.

Situated too far to the north, the Kingdom of Cenowar and the dwarven Kingdom of Thzud has no real part in the conflict, instead focusing on the survival and advancement of their own nations.

Age of Knowledge
In the Age of Knowledge the balance has shifted as the Kingdom of Arbea has been united with the Kingdom of Menlor to form the Kingdom of Gothia. With the two sides apparently equal in power the Duchies of Tala became a key player, but was torn apart in a civil war over power, creating the Republic of Tala and the Kingdom of Merdonia. Through their alliance with the Dwarven Cities of Umo the Kingdom of Gothia made significant advancements in technology while the Damasa Empire relied on their superior knowledge of magic.

Unable to gain the upper hand at home both Gothia and Damasa tried to expand their power overseas, launching a campaign of colonization. This increased pressure from the south prompted the Duchy of Duiden to merge with the Kingdom of Usabia into the Commonwealth, becoming a dominant power in Wargoria. The weakened state of the Southlands yielded more successful results, with Gothia establishing the colony of West Gothia and Damasa the colony of Javasia. However, the latter would come to rebel and, through aid from Gothia, gain freedom as the Republic of Javasia.

Age of Information
In the Age of Information the Northlands has been entirely integrated into the Union. This followed as a result of a series of invasions from the continent of Thessia to the west. Combined with an inner conflict with a rising of the orcs the three major powers of the Age of Knowledge, the Damasa Empire, the Kingdom of Gothia and the Commonwealth formed an alliance to combat these threats which became known as the Union. The other nations of the Northlands and Southlands soon joined as well to retain their influence and with time the Great Alliance came to evolve into the Union.

Source
The Northlands is meant to resemble Europe.