Geography of the Known World – Solva

The land of Solva is raw, untamed, and unforgiving. No kingdoms, no ruins, no history—just an expanse of wilderness waiting to be conquered. It's not a place that welcomes settlers; it's a place that fights them every step of the way. The terrain is brutal, the weather shifts without warning, and survival means working with the land, not against it.

Right now, everything revolves around Ena Mine, where the only real foothold exists. Beyond that? Just endless jungle, swamps, rivers, and danger.

Ena Mine – The Mountain That Holds Everything

At the center of it all stands Ena Mine, a massive mountain range rich in Ruston, the single most important material in this world so far. The rock is hard, the air is thin at higher elevations, and the paths up and down are steep, narrow, and treacherous. It's not the kind of mountain anyone climbs for fun.

The mine itself is a carved-out network of tunnels, a mix of natural caverns and newly dug shafts. Ruston veins run deep, but breaking through the rock takes serious effort. Dust is constant, the air inside is thick, and without proper ventilation, the deeper sections feel like they could choke a man to death.

A few natural springs trickle through the cracks, feeding small streams that wind down toward the jungle below. These are the main water sources for anyone working here. Aside from that, the higher you go, the more barren things get. Sparse vegetation, cold winds, and plenty of places to fall and break your neck.

The mine is the only place on solid, elevated ground, making it the center of operations—but being boxed in by mountains and jungle? Not great for expansion.

The Jungle – A Green Hell

Everywhere outside the mine? Jungle. Thick, tangled, and full of life. But it's not the friendly kind. The trees are massive, their branches so high they block the sun, leaving the ground in a state of constant twilight. The air is humid, the heat sticks to your skin, and the moment someone clears a path, the jungle starts reclaiming it.

The floor is a mess of twisting roots, thorny vines, and hidden sinkholes. Nothing stays dry for long—rain comes fast, turns the dirt to mud, and makes every step a gamble. The moment you think you've found solid ground, the jungle reminds you who's in charge.

It's not just the terrain. The wildlife here is aggressive. No massive beasts, no dinosaurs, just fast, efficient killers that know the land better than any outsider. Things stalk from the shadows, strike fast, and drag prey off before anyone notices.

Despite all that, the jungle is full of resources. Strong timber, edible plants, medicinal herbs, and plenty of wild game. But there's a price to pay for every bit taken. Clearing land means fighting for it. And even if you win, the jungle never really loses.

The Eastern Front – The Nightmare Gate

To the east, the jungle starts to die. Not suddenly, not all at once, but enough to feel wrong. The trees thin out, their leaves turning gray, the ground cracking in places where it shouldn't. The deeper in you go, the worse it gets.

Then comes the real horror.

The Nightmare Gate sits somewhere in this direction. No one knows exactly where, just that it's there—and it's the reason things are getting worse. The land closest to it is twisted, unstable, almost like it's rejecting reality itself. The air feels heavy, like something's watching from every direction at once.

And the things that come out of it? They don't belong anywhere.

The Nightmare Beasts attack from the east, pushing into the jungle again and again. They don't act like normal animals. They don't hunt for food, they don't fight for territory—they only exist to spread and kill. They adapt to whatever is thrown at them, learning from every failed attack.

Right now, they're being held back, but it's a fight that never ends. There's no peace, no rest, just constant pressure from whatever horrors the Nightmare Gate keeps spewing out.

The Swamps – The Southern Death Trap

To the south, the jungle changes. The ground starts to sink, the trees get thinner, and before long, it turns into swampland. Pools of stagnant, murky water stretch out in every direction, covered in thick green sludge. The air is damp and suffocating, filled with the constant buzz of unseen insects.

There's no solid ground here, just sinking mud. One wrong step, and a man can disappear under the surface, never to be seen again. The water hides too much, and nobody likes venturing in deeper than necessary.

But the swamp has its uses. Some of the toughest plants grow here, the kind that can be used for medicine, poisons, or even crafting stronger materials. The creatures here are less aggressive but just as deadly—silent hunters waiting beneath the surface, perfectly still until the exact right moment to strike.

It's not an area anyone wants to settle in, but it's one that might be worth exploiting—if they can figure out how to not die in the process.

The Western Frontier – The Only Hope for Expansion

West of Ena Mine, the jungle starts to break apart, giving way to open plains and rolling hills. It's the only area where real expansion is possible, but the land is far from easy to tame.

There's no natural protection here. No towering trees, no mountains—just open ground where anything can be seen coming from miles away. That's both a blessing and a curse. It means enemies can't sneak up easily, but it also means there's nowhere to hide.

The ground is rich, good for farming if the right crops are found, but wild animals roam freely. Packs of predators, fast and efficient, make sure nothing grows without a fight.

Still, this is where most new settlements are being planned. If civilization is going to take root anywhere, it's going to be here. But that's assuming they can hold it.

The Northern River – A Natural Barrier

To the north, a massive river system cuts through the land. The water runs fast and deep, carving a natural border that no one has fully crossed yet.

The river is the main source of fresh water, but it's also a serious obstacle. The current is strong enough to pull a man under, and the creatures in the water? Not friendly.

Beyond the river? No one knows yet. Maybe more jungle, maybe something worse. But crossing it isn't going to be easy.

Final Overview

Ena Mine (Center): Mountainous, rich in Ruston, steep, hard to expand.

Jungle (Everywhere Else): Thick, overgrown, hostile, full of resources but fights back.

Nightmare Lands (East): Twisting, corrupted, full of Nightmare Beasts, ground unstable.

Swamplands (South): Murky, sinking death trap, dangerous but resource-rich.

Western Frontier (West): Hills and plains, best bet for expansion, but exposed.

Riverlands (North): Fast-moving river, fresh water but a deadly crossing.