Hodasia, Beyond the Canyon

Temanea is divided into two main provinces. The western province is known as Hodasia. Like most of mid-Central, it has been inhabited for a very long time. It's believed that humans have been in Hodasia since as early as 12,880BD. Hodasia is similar to Litaia and Meloe in that it is primarily ideal farming lands; open forests and thicker woods with protective mountains to the north.

Most importantly, Temanea is separated from Tasif by the Filce Canyon. This canyon also marks the western border of Hodasia. Filce Canyon is so wide that a ship can be sailed safely through, though this has not been done in a very long time, since the northern end of the canyon began to crumble and break away unpredictably. The drop is incredibly sheer and high. The mountain range in Hodasia are the Gardia Mountains, and behind them is a giant crater known as Gardia Cove. It was some time before humans managed to find a way through the mountains to reach the cove, and the dangerous path means that the cove is a somewhat remote place. As such, it is often the hiding place of sea-faring outlaws. Hoda Forest, in Hodasia's north, supplies most of Temanea with excellent quality wood, and the forest is its own sub-province known as Forosen. The rest of Hodasia is hills and open forest.

Though Hodasia has all of its borders at the edge of some river or body of water, it has very few port towns, as most of the water is impractical to gain or have access to. The main road from Xuben Pass goes north or east. The eastern road follows the coast, passing through the capital of Temanea -- Runin -- and the northern road passes through most of the farmlands, joining the eastern road near Lind Farms and making a cyclic road. The road crosses over rivers such as Eserren River and it also encircles Eserren Lake. Hoda River and Lesser Hoda are rivers found in Hoda Forest, far to the north. Hodasia is divided from Eserren to the northeast by the river known as Gardia Springs.

Runin

Positioned on Hodasia's southern shore, Runin is the biggest city in Temanea. Because most of the early humans in Temanea were only farmers, Runin wasn't founded until significantly later than the people first inhabited the area, at around 6014BD. It is a city rich with culture and markets, and it is the biggest port in Riiga to have direct access to the Epignoria Ocean by boat, making it a very busy port city. Almost all trading in and out of Temanea goes through Runin, with Elcheane being the next largest port in the country. The city prides itself in looking impressive, a strong trading system, and markets with a massive range of goods.

Shaudar

Shaudar is a city thickly surrounded by farmlands. Its soils have been producing food of high quality since approximately 8479BD. Consequently, it's also known for being a city in which one may dine in any number of meal parlors popular with Temanea, where people can sit near the street and be served exquisite food while watching business in the street.

Ashi

Ashi is an old mining city near the Gardia Mountains. It is the northern-most town or city in Hodasia and it has long been the source of much of the province's metals and rare minerals. The caves are called Heteri Caves, where heteri refers to the old-fashioned Temanean swords which were once forged in bulk thanks to the seemingly endless supply of iron ore found underground.

Caladeur

Caladeur is sometimes referred to as cattle city, but not in a derogatory way. Caladeur, situated east of Shaudar and north of Runin, is famous for its high quality cattle products, such as milk, meat, and hide. Such is the quality of Caladeur cows that many say it is the best in all of Riiga. The surrounding grazing lands and abundance of space and food makes an ideal environment for raising such farm animals. Farmers have known to complain after purchasing live cows from Caladeur, because the cows are so used to perfect standards of living that they literally cannot survive outside the farmlands of Caladeur.

Xuben Pass

Xuben Pass is the oldest city in Hodasia. It has been recorded that humans settled here in 12,883BD, when they first managed to construct the Tasberilian Bridge across the massive Filce Canyon. It wasn't until 9585 that it was considered to be an actual city, though. Xuben Pass is an odd city in that, to The Guard, it is considered to be abandoned and a mere ruin as of 1170AL, but it is without doubt that many still dwell beneath the old stone walls and roofs. This is despite its utter destruction in 8553BD, by the hands of Karomaroc, because the White Order (the leaders at the time) funded the rebuilding of the city, whereas The Guard refused to fund such a thing. Of course, the city now lacks any governing powers, and it is mostly inhabited by those who have run away from home, those deemed to be mad, those chased by the law, and a large number of swindlers and con artists. So Xuben Pass is considered to be somewhat mysterious in character. But to the ordinary traveller passing through, the people of Xuben Pass can disappear into the ruins, and the whole city will seem to be only an ancient remnant of battles long passed.

Xuben's bridge was once known as Tasberilian but it is now Tasif Bridge. In the year 1170AL monsters came from Hoda Forest and swept south, destroying all villages in their path. Once word reached The Guards, Gideon left with his fellow soldiers to hold the monsters back at this bridge. Xuben was mostly burnt, and Gideon never returned from the battle and was announced to have fallen in combat.

Ethenem City

Perhaps more mysterious than Xuben Pass and Tasberilian is Ethenem City. Just southeast of Runin, overlooking the Bay of Ethenem, is a cliff which overlooks the sea. For thousands of years, the cliff has been the place of lighthouses which somehow inspired stories of lost ships and lost souls at sea. It wasn't until 4991BD that a child digging on the hill broke through a thin layer of stone and stumbled into an extensive cavern. A group of men prepared to explore after hearing about it from the child, and as they pushed through the dark depths, it became clear that the cavern was manmade and very old. They found signs of life: ceramic pots and crockery, wooden supports, creates and barrels, and even hundreds of homes carved into the stone and reinforced with wood. The cavern was an extensive underground city which had been somehow concealed for some number of years. There is no historical record of who lived there, where they went -- no bones had been found -- or how they got in and out of the city. Some religious folk claimed that they had foolishly broken into some aspect of the afterlife; a labyrinth of empty and broken homes, where no light would ever reach and no scream would ever be heard. With this perspective in mind, the men left the city and nobody returned there for several generations.

The next people to explore Ethenem City were a group of brave, young adventurers from South Tasif. These young men actually dared to venture into every corner of the city, mapping it out on parchments over the course of several months. The city's layout was very extensive, because it had at least three layers of buildings, and each layer was quite different to the one above or below it. And eventually they encountered signs of actual culture: heads of spears made from lead were found in an especially deep room. It was this that lead the young men to conclude that the city was actually a Folang city and that it was a place of evil. And so, even though it appeared that the city was abandoned, they covered the entrance they made and enforced fines for anybody who ventured down there.