Eratus

The large continent between Caldar and the Savage, was where the human race was initially placed. As other races were still being created, humans were given a headstart in the world of Arda. The first settlements were getting built before the world was even in its final form. From within those separated societies of humans, one grew large and started absorbing all others under its banners. They called themselves Eratus, and once they had absorbed every other human society, either through peaceful means or conflict, the whole continent was named after them. Now under a single ruler, the Eratus Empire was created and the first emperor was recorded in human history. The continent served as the homeland of the empire ever since.

The continent of Eratus is vast and facilitates many environments. It features a long mountain range that splits the continent roughly into four parts. The north part is covered in snow with a large pine forest taking most of its central space. Cold (and sometimes frozen) rivers run through the land and a large lake is located in its lower parts. The north part ends with the grey, barren mountains, separating it from the west and east parts of the continent. The eastern part is largely grassland and warm meadows with few forests and swamps. The best climate for civilization is spotted here, having neither extremely hot nor cold temperatures and good amounts of rain. A large gulf keeps ships safe from the harsh ocean reach. The western part is known for its dense forests, especially near the upper center. A smaller mountain range on the west coast protects the inner parts from harsh winds, creating an ideal location for a large city, near large bodies of fresh water. The southern part has most of the continents mining wealth and its highest temperatures. Red mountains and hills fill most of the image of its territory with only two rivers flowing into a beautiful lake. The southern part is known for housing most of the well-trained soldiers of the empire, due to its harsh conditions.

• Ruling Body: The Eratus Empire — ruled by a single emperor since the continent's unification.
• Authority Figures: The Emperor; Imperial governors manage regional territories. See the Eratus Empire entry for full detail.
• Enforcement: The Imperial military, one of the most powerful standing armies in Arda.
• Law Type: Imperial law — centralized, enforced by military garrisons throughout the continent.

• Major Peoples: Humans — the founding and dominant race of the continent.
• Minor Peoples: Other races absorbed into the empire over centuries of expansion.
• Social Notes: Human-centric society; non-human races exist but the empire was built on human supremacy ideals.

• Main Trades: Mining (south), agriculture (east), timber and craftsmanship (west), fishing (north coasts).
• What Locals Care About: Imperial loyalty, military service, and the prosperity of the empire.
• Who Holds the Coin: The Emperor and the Imperial Treasury; merchant guilds in major eastern cities.

• A great mountain range splits the continent into four climatically distinct regions.
• The southern region's harsh conditions produce the empire's toughest soldiers.
• The eastern gulf provides one of the safest natural harbors on the continent.

• Common: The empire never forgets a debt or a slight — sooner or later, it always collects.
• Spicy: The southern mines have broken into something ancient — something that predates the current era.
• Dark: The empire's expansion beyond Eratus has stretched its military so thin that the homeland itself is now poorly defended.

• [Place Name]: [1 line: what it is + why it matters]
• [Place Name]: [1 line]
• [Place Name]: [1 line]
• [Place Name]: [1 line]