Vatan

Geography

Vatan is separated into three regions defined by both population and culture. The Knives are the largest and least populated area within the peninsula, almost completely barren and serving as a natural barrier to would-be invaders, save for the corridor between it. This valley, a more populated section of the region, is known simply as The Pass of Akyuz, which itself is defended by a large fort built into the very stone of the mountainsides. 

The second-most populated region of Vatan is known as Southshore. Sparse villages and port-towns are all that this region has to show for. Occupied by those who cannot afford to live within the greater cities of Vatan’s more populated region often reside here. While plenty of coin and commodities pass through the hands of Southshore merchantry, it remains insignificant when compared to Inner Vatan. Interestingly, it’s been said that the residents of Vatan’s southern shore live on the sides of the mountains due to the region's sheer verticality.

Inner Vatan is said to be the largest and most populous region of Vatan proper, though it may not be immediately apparent. Along its coast, a windswept, violent gulf of the Eganian Sea to the north of the Bay of Bronze lay barren ruins. At the outset, it appears as if it's an abandoned land.

The cities of Inner Vatan are not built upwards, but rather, downwards. The Vatani converted forgotten mines into settlements, carving out impressive stone halls and cavernous expanses. Cave systems of this region are extensive and large, to the point that they often contain their own flora, fauna, and environmental quirks, many of which are unlike anything found on the surface of the Keleva's.