Vasrim
Vasrim is in the middle of Alzhrin, to the south of Tsien. It is inhabited solely by the Vasrimr, although visitors are welcome.
Vasrim has a temperate climate. It sits in a small valley amongst the hills of the eastern Balai forest. Though there are several Vasrimr towns, the nation is not large enough to have distinct regions. The six largest towns are Koldar, Fjen, Agrist, Molosh, Bialt, and Hengrjr. These towns provide the chiefs that sit on the Honourable Council.
One of the most important positions in Vasrimr society is to be stationed at the Westerwatch Keeps. These four towers sit along the western edge of Vasrim to guard the nation from the west. The western Balai forest is considerably more dangerous than the eastern portion. While many of these hazards, such as carnivorous plants and elemental sinkholes, are stationary, many more come in the form of roaming monsters. The source of these dangers is debated, but two of the more popular theories are elemental eddies from the laussalfar and svartalfar and wandering creatures from the lands west of Alzhrin. In the northeast of Vasrim, near Tsien, lies a large settlement known simply as the Kwoon. This settlement is based around martial training and friendly competition between the Shutein and Vasrimr. At least once a month the Kwoon holds a fighting tournament which is open to anybody in the Kwoon at the time. Warriors from all races and cultures tend to come at varying intervals to test their skills and compete for the prizes, though the majority of the participants in any given tournament are either Shutein or Vasrimr.

Balsteinn
Balsteinn lies in the northwest of Alzhrin. It is bordered by Tsien on the east and Vasrim on the south. The large caverns below Balsteinn are occupied by the svartalfar.
Balsteinn is mountainous, and though many believe the svartalfar control the entire mountain range this is not correct. In fact, the svartalfar only claim the underground regions, making only a few settlements on the surface for trade with other races. Balsteinn is warm, like the neighbouring Balai forest. The caverns below are much warmer, often described as uncomfortable and stifling by visitors.
Balsteinn is divided into three layers by the svartalfar. The lowest set of caverns, near the world’s core where the stone begins losing its stability, is called the Hellfurnace. This is where most of the smelting and the most important smithing happens. A series of stairways that serves as a clever planar shortcut connects the Hellfurnace to the main cavern area. The larger caves are called Bellan, a Svarten word meaning “home”. Smaller tunnels and outlying caverns are called the frontier. Frontier regions are frequently patrolled by elemental knights to ward against incursions from the Underweb. The final layer is on and near the surface. There are scattered settlements up here, most frequently near the mountain range’s border, for interacting with other people. Several towns lie in Balsteinn’s interior as well, largely for trading with the skyborn island of Pennet.
One of the most important svartalfar sites on Zindu is the Grand Forge. This squat obsidian building sits deep in the centre of the Hellfurnace. Amidst a sea of magma, the Grand Forge serves as the primary temple to the Lord of Fire. It is said to contain a portal to the nearest of the otherworldly realms of fire, from which a pious (and strong) svartalfar may embark on a pilgrimage to meet the Lord of Fire himself. The most well-known svartalfar settlement to most outsiders is Gormu, which I am told is based on a derogatory Svarten word meaning “the mouths of others”. This town is right on the southern edge of Balsteinn. It is the most prosperous of the trade towns that do not have a dock for Pennet. Although it brings a lot of wealth into the nation, svartalfar who live here are considered quaint and provincial.

Sky Archipelago
This is a series of islands that patrols the skies above Alzhrin. They roam above the entire continent. Technically the islands are not neighbours to any other nation, though some of the smaller ones do sometimes dock in Issheim and Balsteinn. These islands are inhabited entirely by the skyborn. Visitors are rare, but generally tolerated except for the Hikarr.
It is generally about five degrees colder on an island than on the land far below. Wind is common. Sometimes it rains or snows, depending on the climate below. Each island is entirely urban. They do not have space for wild lands or farms. Food is produced in basement laboratories. The largest island, Thyrskala, serves as the capitol of the skyborn’s aerial empire. This is where the Gearmind, mechanical leader of the skyborn, resides. There are six other major islands, though there are also “satellite” islands that are reminiscent of large stone airships. These are, in order of largest to smallest, Faljer, Mossik, Thanbjr, Ovikla, Pennet, and Skaib.
Thyrskala is accepted as the hub of research in skyborn society. Its proximity to the Gearmind means that the best clockwork developments are made here, the ones most likely to benefit the skyborn as a whole. Thyrskala is also the least mobile island. Although it has the same flight capabilities as any of the large islands, it tends to remain near the centre of Alzhrin.
Faljer is primarily devoted to manufacturing. They have facilities for smelting ore, shaping wood, and crafting mechanical parts. Clockwork engineers are frequently seen here ordering custom gears, pistons, or other components for their work.
Mossik is largely responsible for the satellite islands. It is often seen hovering low over one of the many quarries that lie around Alzhrin for this purpose, levitating large stone blocks into the island’s underbelly for processing.
Thanbjr is a skatic word meaning “lightning”. This island spends much of its time higher than the other islands, harvesting electricity from the clouds. Most of this is sent to the other islands in electric jars, though rumour has it Thanbjr stores a quantity of the electricity in case it needs to combat threats to the skyborn nation.
Ovikla is one of the three docking islands. Unlike the other two, this one never nears the ground. Ovikla docks with the other skyborn islands, transporting items too large or numerous to effectively convey on satellite islands.
Pennet is the second docking island. It makes a circuit between ports in Balsteinn and the middle of Alzhrin, near Thyrskala. Skyborn from Pennet are frequently seen among the svartalfar, trading with them to acquire metals and gems.
Skaib is the third of the skyborn docking islands. It moves between the laussalfar city of Ghidetta in the south and the central regions of Alzhrin near Thyrskala. Skaib skyborn trade with the laussalfar for exotic woods and elemental ice.

Issheim
Issheim lies in the southwest of Alzhrin. Though there is more land to the west, few travellers that press beyond the laussalfar’s borders return and the lands beyond are not considered part of Alzhrin. Issheim is bordered by the Runic Kingdoms on the east and Vasrim on the north. The land to the west of Issheim is referred to as Fazil. Issheim is populated entirely by laussalfar. While some other races are sometimes allowed in for trade, Hervardr and svartalfar are generally viewed with hostility. Jotunkin are allowed to travel freely.
Issheim is noticeably colder than the Runic Kingdoms. It lies entirely within a massive alpine forest. The parts of the forest that lie within Alzhrin are also called Issheim – the forest and the nation of the laussalfar are considered identical. The southern shore, still technically considered a part of the Frost Shores, is entirely steep cliffs. It is said the terrain was altered by powerful Jösvar altered the coastline to protect Issheim from kraken and dvergar. In the north there is a line where the temperature and the variety of trees increases. Shortly thereafter the land becomes hilly. This makes a rather sudden demarcation to the edge of Issheim.
The capitol of Issheim is Ghidetta, called the home city by laussalfar. This is said to be the one place on Zindu where the Lord of Ice travelled, before agreements with the Lord of Fire prevented him from manifesting here any further. The oldest buildings in Ghidetta are made from ice. They are believed to have been made by the Lord of Ice and are maintained by the Jösvar. Jösvar are elite elemental knights in service to Issheim’s queen. Most other buildings, in Ghidetta and elsewhere, are made from wood. Laussalfar rarely work in stone and never in metal. The placement of other settlements in Issheim seems random at first, but conversations with elemental knights revealed that they are chosen for a combination of defensibility and favourable elemental currents.
On the cliffs near the town of Hjilsa, about two hundred metres above the sea, is a curious hole. This hole is an opening into the Underweb. Due to extraplanar energies the gravity around this hole is altered, with down being towards the cliff face instead of the sea. The interior of the hole is supernaturally darkened. Laussalfar aren’t sure what lies inside – nothing has emerged so far, but elemental knights stand guard in Hjilsa for the day that whatever lurks under that dark decides to come forth. Laussalfar legend speaks of a site hidden in the forest they call the Lattice. The Lattice is said to be a portal to the Lord of Ice’s palace. Accounts vary as to whether the portal is active or not. Some say the portal is used to create Issheim’s favourable climate and empower the Jösvar. Others say it is under construction and will be used to call forth the Lord of Ice into Zindu once more.

The Ten Runic Kingdoms of Kjolheim
The Runic Kingdoms occupy the southeast corner of Alzhrin. To the north is the Rivermarch and the western border abuts Issheim. The Runic Kingdoms are primarily inhabited by the Hervardr, though the jotunkin also travel heavily through these lands. Most other races are welcome, though in the majority of the kingdoms laussalfar are met with derision at best.
The entirety of Kjolheim is cold. Most of the southern kingdoms are covered in snow for the majority of the year. Most of the Runic Kingdoms are plains, with the western region rising into hills. Kjolheim is divided into four major geographical regions. The south, along the coastline of the Radiant Sea, is called the Frost Shores. This barren, wind-swept plain perpetually has at least a thin coating of snow. The western hills are most commonly called Issbane as a reference to their abutment to the territory of the historically standoffish laussalfar. Hervardr from Zükinn instead refer to them as the White Hills, in honour of their neighbours. The north, near the border with the Rivermarch, is stony tundra. The rest of Kjolheim, from the White Hills to the Sunsea, is open plains.
Politically, Kjolheim is divided into ten Runic Kingdoms. In the west, taking up most of the White Hills, is Zükinn. Most of the northern tundra is split between the three Bandit Kings, ruling kingdoms largely-ignored by the rest of the Hervardr: Ojos, Valheir, and Gubenshev. The Frost Shores are occupied by Heimell in the west and Westhenn in the east. The shores of the Sunsea, along the eastern border of Kjolheim, are ruled by the seafaring kingdom of Jelthune. The central plains are divided rather unevenly and arbitrarily by the kingdoms of Pollut, Thornzev, and Kordr.
Zükinn is the largest of the Runic Kingdoms, spread across the majority of the White Hills. This is the only kingdom to be on good terms with the laussalfar, due in large part to the efforts of Zükinn’s king, Zerick Jandol. Zükinn’s capitol city of Reiklin sits in a valley just to the west of the kingdom’s centre. Reiklin has the highest concentration of farming in the Runic Kingdoms – likely a factor in Zükinn’s size and importance. Other towns in Zükinn do not have large stretches of farmland, though innumerable small farms dot the countryside. Most of the towns are found along slow-moving rivers that wind their way between the hills. Food is most commonly acquired through fishing and hunting. Trappers catch fox and rabbit, as larger animals are rare in the White Hills.
Ojos, Valheir, and Gubenshev are fighting for the poor land in Kjolheim’s north. They are little more than city-states in the middle of the tundra, with natives of each “kingdom” greatly exaggerating its size. These kingdoms are ruled by the Bandit Kings Martev, Lisser, and Volthume, respectively. Most food is found by hunting moose and other large tundra-dwellers. Farms are less common in these kingdoms than elsewhere in Kjolheim, as the rule of law is weak and banditry is common.
Heimell sits in the southwest, abutting the Radiant Sea. Few cities are near the coast, though many lie along the kingdom’s rivers. The capitol, Walsheimr, sits in between the rivers Westfimn and Eastfimn just after they split. Heimell’s king is Korgen Vasthustr, a small man renowned for his prowess in battle against larger opponents. Fishing and hunting are common, with only a small number of farms across the land.
Westhenn stretches from Heimell to the Sunsea. It’s population is sparse, due to much of the region being rocky coastline. Few rivers run through Westhenn, so due to most Hervardr’s strange phobia of the sea few fishermen work in this kingdom. There are also fewer farms than is typical for Kjolheim due to the poor terrain. Westhenn’s king, Masres Ithorr, has been sending young warriors out to slay monstrous beasts to provide food with varying degrees of success. The capitol city of Karjen lies entirely on the western shores of Eastfimn.
Jelthune lies along the eastern shore next to the Sunsea. Its residents are unusual among the Hervardr in that they show no aversion to the ocean. They have several cities along the coast and frequently send ships out for fishing or colonisation of some of the nearby islands. Several prominent warriors have been known to dive into the Sunsea and battle aquatic monsters. The Sea-King Gabfirn rules Jelthune from his flagship Kessminr, coming to port only when an emergency demands his attention.
Pollut is a small kingdom between Zükinn and Kordr. Pollut’s king is Lesthem Vadsignr. Due to an uncontrolled reaction that is believed to have been caused by a linking of incompatible runes, the old capitol, Teryel, was vaporised. New Teryel sits a mile south of the old city’s location. As a result of the disaster, runesmiths are distrusted and may be attacked.
Kordr sits near Kjolheim’s geographic centre. Lying in the plains between Zükinn and Thornzev, Kordr is more violent and expansionist than is typical for Hervardr. While Zükinn and Thornzev are largely able to to defend themselves militarily, Kordr’s king, Theven Hasrisr, has been slowly taking territory from Pollut for the past seven years. The capitol recently was moved to Pellgavr, a fortress that used to sit within Pollut’s territory.
Thornzev lies between Kordr and Jelthune. Lacking Zükinn’s natural defences, the kingdom must spend much of its resources warding off aggression from Kordr. Combined with the beasts that roam the land, Thornzev’s citizens are tough and accustomed to battle. Barik Motos, king of Thornzev, manages the defence of his land quite proficiently. Thornzev’s capitol is Mellthon, a small city surrounded by earthen ramparts.
The castle of Thigsevr has recently seceded from the kingdom of Thornzev. Its ruler, Brennol Kathjos, is attempting to declare it an eleventh Runic Kingdom. So far, none of the other kings recognise it as a sovereign entity. A large region of the tundra between Ojos and Valheir is filled with shallow lakes. These lakes range from one to six metres deep. The lakes are very close together, only navigable by small, winding paths that meander between them. This area is called Böehm’s Footsteps, after the demigod that is said to live there. Though they don’t like to talk about it, the former site of the city Teryel is haunted by something. Theories range from spirits of the dead to runes that gained sentience, but whatever the case may be the entities are not able to leave the several-kilometre-diameter circle where the city used to be. A few hundred metres off the southern coast, near the centre of Westhenn, lies a strange sculpture known as the Black Knight. Seemingly carved from black ice, this gigantic idol rises out of the ocean, the Radiant Sea only coming up to the Knight’s knees. Local legend states that the Black Knight comes from a frozen land far to the south, slowly walking across the sea for the past thousand years.

Shamanism
Shamanism comes in two forms: those who draw magic from the Green and those who draw it from the Black.
Shamanism is practised in all cultures and doesn’t have any stylistic markings of any one in particular. Practitioners call themselves shamans, though there are some differences in the specific terms. Some refer to themselves as shamans of the green (or black), while others prefer to be black (or green) shamans.
Green shamans draw their power from Zindu’s natural energy. They have spells that relate to the naturally-occurring flora and fauna of the world, as well as spells relating to weather and natural elemental phenomena. The strength of the Green waxes and wanes across Alzhrin, and thus so does a green shaman’s powers. Black shamans draw power from the dark spaces between the worlds. They employ spells using cold and darkness, invoking terror and, in some cases, summoning beasts from the void between worlds. The strength of the Black is nearly constant across the world, though there are some dreadful locations where the Black gains better influence.

Divine Lensing
Divine lensing allows a particularly devout person to act as a “divine lens”, a focus for the mighty power of this Age’s gods.
Divine lensing is found among all Alzhrin’s cultures. Practitioners are called priests, although there are also priests in the world who do not channel divine power.
Priests who channel divine lenses must have a single deity they are devoted to. Each god only grants certain types of powers, based on his own capabilities. An individual priest can generally not handle more than two or three lenses at a time, though which lenses they are out of a god’s selection can be changed with a period of meditative communion. Additionally, I am told that the strength of a god’s lenses varies based on proximity. A priest is at the most powerful when on the same plane as her god, and there is said to be a planar distance which makes the god’s power completely unreachable.

Yatil
Yatil is a specialised art of sand manipulation.

Yatil was developed by the dji over a thousand years ago when they emigrated into Alzhrin. Using their talents at subtlety the dji were able to calm the raging spell fragments of Khanos and form them into yatil. Practitioners of yatil are called sandmaidens. Male dji who use yatil are only referred to obliquely, so I’m not sure what they call themselves. Though it is not exclusive to the dji, it is of limited use outside the desert and so has seen little growth among other cultures.

Yatil is a Fyx word meaning “to trick the sand”. All of its spells involve manipulating and transmuting sand. Yatil is how the great dji cities of Khanos are formed and maintained. It is also how dji fight their rivals and Hikarr raiders. While dji commonly craft temporary humanoid constructs with yatil, imbuing them with any degree of sentience is forbidden. It is believed that doing so always allows a daemonic spirit to enter the construct, forming a monstrous kilesthar.

Magnetics
Magnetics is an art of magnetic spellcasting.

Magnetics is practised primarily by the Hikarr, who were granted knowledge of it by the nascent demiurge they serve. Users of this magic are called inductors. While most inductors are Hikarr, it is not a secret art and magnetics practitioners are slowly spreading around Alzhrin.

Inductors only know how to do one thing, magically: control magnetism. This is most commonly used to telekinetically control metal, but powerful inductors have found they can invoke a small amount of electrical discharge as well. For reasons that are not clear, inductors are also able to use clockworks more effectively than other non-engineers.

Psychic
Psychics are a mental form of magic theorised to be granted by minor otherworldly spirits.

Psychics exist only among Yaoren heroes. It is unable to be taught to or learned by anyone not of that human subrace, including other human types raised in Yaoren culture. A psychic’s gifts are supposed to vary based on whether she aligns more with her deva or rakshasa spirit, leading to the idea that these spirits are granting the power.

Psychics manifest powers commonly associated with the mental arts, such as telepathy, telekinesis, and viewing the past or remote locations. Most commonly a psychic will manifest a few powers and not develop any more through her life, simply making them more powerful with practice. Psychic powers are taxing to the user, but again with practice the endurance required for performing more powerful tasks for longer periods can be increased.