“No map can contain all of Thule’s mysteries, nor can any tome catalog all its splendors. The perils of the Lost City of Tentakron or the secrets of Kal-Zinan have obsessed scholars for ages.
But one thing is clear: Thule has enough dangers and treasures for several lifetimes of adventures. For that is one of Thule’s most curious aspects: those in the east know little of what lies to the west, and those in the north are ignorant of the south.
Only by crisscrossing this vast and awe-inspiring land, from the Claws of Imystrahl to the Thousand Teeth, from the Highlands of Nar to the Lands of the Long Shadow, can one begin to comprehend the enormity and strangeness of Thule.”
The primeval continent is a land of a thousand different moods. Its character changes drastically from one valley to the next, revealing new wonders or presenting the traveler with unexpected obstacles and dangers. Jungles, glaciers, mountains, volcanoes, sweltering swamps and inland seas... Thule offers a bewildering variety of terrain and climate. In a few dozen miles, adventurers might go from a noxious marsh where prehistoric beasts bellow and roar, to cool and lofty hills dotted with the ruins of forgotten kingdoms, and then press on to endless plains of windswept tundra where fierce barbarians roam.
While Thule as a whole is difficult to categorize, sages studying the maps drawn by Lemurian explorers generally divide the continent into six great regions: the Claws of Imystrahl, Dhar Mesh, Kalayan the Golden, the Lands of the Long Shadow, the Nar Highlands, and the Thousand Teeth. The nearby islands of Hellumar and Nimoth form a seventh region, because they are geologically and culturally similar to Thule, and they share Thule’s history. The borders between these regions are often hard to discern—for instance, is the city of Thran more properly included in Dhar Mesh or the Thousand Teeth? In which region does a nomadic tribe dwell? Still, diversity is the common characteristic of Thule, so it is not surprising that each region harbors within it many examples of the wondrous variety to be found in the continent as a whole.
Each region represents an area in which the people and the lands are more closely linked to each other than to neighboring lands. Barbarian tribes can be found all over Thule, but the Thuleans of Dhar Mesh are a distinct culture group when compared to the Thuleans of the Thousand Teeth. The Dhar Mesh barbarians are tangled up in complicated webs of feuds and friendships with each other, but naturally have little to do with tribes found in other lands. Thanks to the difficulty of travel in Thule, few individuals or events have the power to affect people in multiple regions.Means of Travel
The swiftest and easiest way to travel from one place to another in Thule is by ship. Thule has few good roads to speak of, but the seas, lakes, and rivers serve as the best highways. The Quosa River connects the Kalayan Sea with the waters ringing the island continent, linking dozens of isolated ports that otherwise would never trade with each other. It is only a couple of hundred miles overland from Ikath to Orech, and ten times that distance by sea—but most of the time, the traveler making that trip by sea will reach Orech days before the one who sets out overland, and probably enjoys a safer and easier journey in the process.
The drawbacks of traveling by ship or boat are obvious. First of all, there may not be a body of water that leads in the direction you want to go, or a place where you can land when you get there. Much of Thule’s outer coastline consists of extremely rugged mountains with no harbors to speak of. There simply is no place to land west of Katagia or south of Orech, so anyone who wishes to go deep into the Shields of Sunset is going to have to walk most of the way. Secondly, the coasts are poorly charted and subject to dangerous weather from time to time—the Thousand Teeth are littered with the wreckage of unlucky ships. Finally, corsairs are thick in the waters of Thule, and eagerly prey on any unprepared galley that comes their way.
If a sea or river won’t serve, the next best option is to join up with friendly nomads heading in the right direction and travel in their company. Many barbarian tribes wander endlessly across the territory they claim. Not only is it safer to travel with large numbers of fierce and well-armed friends, it is a lot more comfortable than foraging in the wilderness for yourself. A barbarian camp may not be quite the same as a fortified palace in Lomar, but it offers a tent over one's head, hot meals, entertainment of different sorts, and the simple pleasure of company. Many tribes can be quite generous to their friends, offering food and shelter without question for as long as needed. Of course, nomads tend to wander where they will, not necessarily where you want them to go... and winning the friendship of a barbarian tribe is often a difficult undertaking requiring years of fair trading, shared dangers, and the giving of rich gifts.
The last form of travel worth noting is to join a merchant caravan heading in the right direction. Land-bound trade in Thule is relatively rare, but the so-called “jungle traders” who link the richer and more advanced barbarian tribes to the markets of the great cities must venture regularly into the deep forests. If you have any delusions about an easy ride in a wagon full of pillows, set them aside now—the typical caravan consists of heavily laden oxen, horses, or mules, led by drovers on foot. In the warmer climates where most beasts of burden don’t do well, a traveler wishing to join a caravan might have to pay for the privilege by agreeing to serve as a porter, and carrying the trader’s wares.