Avar — Geography
activeGeography of Avar
Map reference:
Avar.jpg(stored separately) Last updated: 2026-04-11
The Landmasses
| Region | Controller | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Valecar | Salt Crown | Large western continent. Castle seat in the north. Saltspine mountains along the west coast. Broken Coast (east-facing, lighthouse). Salt Marshes in the south. Salt Barrens at the southwest tip — dark, volcanic, hostile. |
| Drask | Free Brotherhood | Eastern landmass. Ironbound Coast along the west face. Two settlements: Redmull (north port) and Postkull (central city). Rocky, defensible. |
| Saltmere | Free Brotherhood (loose) | Southern extension of Drask, separated by the Iron Channel. Mackrow Bay on the southeast. Less fortified than Drask proper. |
The Waters
| Body of Water | Character | Strategic Value |
|---|---|---|
| Central Sea | Main navigable body between Valecar and Drask | Everything moves through here |
| Shardbelt | Scattered rocky islands cutting across the Central Sea | Dangerous without a guide; the Brotherhood knows every rock |
| Chainwake Passage | Named lane through the Shardbelt | The only reliable route — whoever controls it, controls trade |
| Keelgrove | Isolated island cluster mid-sea | Neutral ground? Contested? TBD |
| Loose Links | Scattered small islands south of the Shardbelt | Brotherhood hiding grounds, resupply points |
| Southern Living Sea | Southern waters, warmer, less mapped | Greenwake islands here — significance TBD |
| Greenwake | Two green southern islands | Significance TBD |
| Deathsea | Northern waters — storm spirals visible on map | Effectively impassable; natural northern border |
| Frostfall | Far north, frozen | Impassable. Edge of the known world. |
Strategic Chokepoint: Chainwake Passage
The Chainwake Passage through the Shardbelt is the axis on which all of Avar turns.
- The Salt Crown needs it to project military and economic power east
- The Brotherhood needs it kept chaotic enough that the Crown can’t flow through reliably
- The Compact takes its name from it — and controls every ship that uses it
If the Crown takes the Passage cleanly, the Brotherhood’s days are numbered. If the Brotherhood closes it entirely, the whole economy of Avar seizes. The Compact’s entire strategy is ensuring neither outcome ever fully arrives.
Open Questions
- What is the significance of Keelgrove — neutral ground, Brotherhood outpost, something stranger?
- What is the significance of Greenwake and the Southern Living Sea?
- What happened in the Salt Barrens — why is it dark and volcanic?
- Is there anything in the Deathsea — or is it just impassable weather?