Geography of Arathria
The world of Arathria is composed of two Pangaea like continents named Arath and Ria — imaginative huh. The two continents are far enough apart that no non technological species can cross from one to another. Because of this the two continents have vastly different species; while Ria’s intelligent species are mainly humanoid, Arath’s main intelligent species range from non humanoid to vaguely humanoid. The continents also have very different geography and weather and this contributes to the difference in species.
Ria is a fairly fertile land with a large central desert surrounded by a nearly impassable mountain range. The mountains are not the tallest landforms in the world, but they have an extremely frigid environment combined with frequent volcanic activity. Along the coast the land ranges from rain forest in the north to marshlands in the south. However between the coast and the desert the land is perfect for agriculture. Because of this the center lands have been contested for generations, however only on a local basis. In general the land of Ria is at peace because of its bountiful and varied lands allowing it to progress culturally more than militarily.
In contrast Arath is a land much farther south that ranges in climate from grasslands to steppes to a large arctic Ice field that covers the bottom half of the continent. To the north of the continent plateaus soar into the air and are the largest land masses on the planet. The plateaus are so large that civilizations on nearby plateaus are completely oblivious of each other. Because of this the Plateau natives tend to be isolationist in nature and have conducted many bloody wars upon contact with another plateau. Because the land is cold and dry what few resources a group has must be guarded or risk extinction. Constant wars and fighting by neighboring groups has fueled the development of military technologies and stagnated the cultural improvements.