Jaiman (Shadow World)
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Jaiman is a continent on Kulthea, a fictional planet that serves as the backdrop for Iron Crown Enterprises’ Rolemaster campaign setting called Shadow World. Located within the north central portion of the western hemisphere (it is just north of Emer), the continent of Jaiman is not particularly large but is central to Kulthea's history. It is a multifaceted land of vast natural resources, diverse ecology, a cool climate, and competing cultures. The main geopolitical regions of Jaiman include Rhakkhaan, U-Lyshak, Ly-Aran, Tanara, Remiriath, Zor, Wuliris, Saralis, Xa'ar, and Ulor.
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[edit] Geography
[edit] Ly-Aran
Ly-Aran is a mountainous arm of desolate land that pushes west out of the Jaiman mainland from U-Lyshak. Bending northward, it is the southern arm of the two land masses (the other being the Xa’ar peninsula) that create the Bay of Ulor. Its southeastern area also bounds the Bay of Elysea to the south. Once part of a larger realm formed by an alliance with U-Lyshak, it is today a ruined and uninhabited land controlled by Lorgalis. Caverns below the mountain chain that forms the main spine of Ly-Aran, known as the Red Hills, is home to uncountable Lugrôki.
[edit] Plasidar
Plasidar is fairly large island southwest of the Jaiman mainland and immediately west of the Melurian States. With the peninsula and island chain of Meluria, Plasidar forms the southern arm that encloses the Bay of Elysea. The island was once a duchy of U-Lyshak and its ruling office, the Duke of Plasidar, references that long-past time (though no political connection between the island realm and the fragmented U-Lyshak exists today). The current Duke is a powerful and immensely wealthy Elven merchant lord. The capital of Plasidar is the port city of Gûl, second only in size and wealth to Lethys.
[edit] Remiriath
Also known as the Elven Forest, Remiriath is bounded on the north and northwest by U-Lyshak, to the west by Ly-Aran, and by the Bay of Elysea on the south. The forest as a whole is considered an Elven realm, ruled by the wizard-king Liraas Alinar, which is generally unwelcoming to foreigners. Many rumors abound concerning the elves and their king, and as a result of this, elves are generally mistrusted throughout Jaiman. Within the forest itself are the prized Miran trees as well as a number of more mundane species.
[edit] Rhakhaan
Rhakhaan occupies the southern middle portion of Jaiman. To the north are the Zori wastes and to the east, separated by the Gray Mountains, lies Tanara. Rhakhaan is the home of an empire that bears the same name and basically covers the entirety of the region. The geopolitical capital of Rhakhaan is the ancient Haalkitaine, a grim and somber place. Made of local granite, the city is set into the broken foothills of western Gray Mountains. The weather in Haalkitaine is particularly depressing, as the sun rarely breaks through the nearly continuously overcast skies. Snow lasts throughout the winter, and during the spring and fall it seems to always be drizzling. The summers are pleasant but short.
The largest city in Rhakhaan, however, is not Haalkitaine, but Lethys. This large seaport, with its population of 50,000, is located off to the south on the Nea Bay. It not only has the largest harbor complex on Jaiman, but is also the leading ship-builder, making it a vital economic hub. In contrast to the grim and gray architecture of Haalkitaine, Lethys is a bustling renaissance city, full of color and flamboyant dress. Commerce is the main business of Lethys, though much of cities not-inconsiderable wealth can be attributed to its powerful banking sector.
[edit] Ulor
The Isle of Ulor is located in the center of the Bay of Ulor. The fractured island is relatively small, features many peninsulas, and is very rocky. Its central mountain rises to nearly 10,000 feet above the water. Many of the island’s edges are sheer cliffs that rise from the Bay’s waters. As a result, it is easily defendable and well fortified.
Lorgalis the White (also known as the White Mage) rules over Ulor, a kingdom of men and lugrôki. His powerful armada dominates and controls the bay, and he has conquered the peninsulas of Ly-Aran and Xa’ar (who, together, enclose the Bay of Ulor on the south and north, respectively) and subjugated the people in those lands. Lorgalis rules from his palace on top of the central mountain, and underneath the island’s surface are countless miles of caverns and tunnels that house his lugrôk army.
[edit] U-Lyshak
While U-Lyshak is one of the most fertile regions in Jaiman, it is also an area of constant conflict. It is located in the western portion of the continent sandwiched between Saralis to the north and Remiriath to the south. U-Lyshak’s west coast is formed by the Bay of Ulor.
The region is divided into a number of small states whose leaders aggressively compete with one another. One of these, Helyssa, maintains its capital at the old city of Cynar (which, during the Second Era, was capital of a unified U-Lyshak). Cynar is a respectably sized seaport on the Bay of Ulor, and its brisk trade makes Helyssa the most prosperous of U-Lyshak’s competing states.
[edit] Xa’ar
The Xa’ar peninsula forms the northern arm of the Bay of Ulor, extending west and southwestward from the northwestern fringes of Saralis. Once part of the realm known as Saralis, it became independent following the fragmentation of Saralis. Xa’ar was conquered by Lorgalis during the Second Era after a 3 year campaign that saw the near-total destruction of civilized life on the peninsula and the enslavement and/or slaughter of the population. The barren and desolate land was incorporated into Lorgalis’ empire, and is today inhabited by only his men or the lugrôki that are loyal to him.
