The World of Ardeen

Geographical Conditions
The only continent of this world has been divided into two halves by a spell since the Dragon Wars. Between these halves, there is a large region which lies hidden behind an impenetrable barrier.  Previously known as the Midland, this hidden area is now called Nimrod and has existed since it was placed under a spell about half a century earlier.

At the beginning of the story, the two kingdoms of Ysryn and Jarl lie to the north of the Nimrod. They are only accessible via two magic gates at the southern part of the world.

The land of Ardeen lies to the south of this impenetrable barrier. Its northernmost region is formed by a range of mountains which then run along the border of the Nimrod. Most of Ardeen, however, is characterized by gently rolling hills interspersed with a few areas of forest. The fertile soil and good climate are excellently suited to agriculture.

Ardeen enjoys friendly, peaceful relations with its neighbors Gelderon, Goren, Loreney, Norige and Valkar Dun. In the west of Ardeen soars Naganor, the Black Tower and home of Prince Raiden, brother of King Danian of Ardeen. Raiden himself is an outstanding mage and a member of the Brotherhood of Mages.

Special Terms
For the most part, the introduction of new and unfamiliar terms is avoided.
One exception, however, is the term ‘Unhaer’. Roughly translated, it stands for ‘unmagical’ region. The Unhaer has no influence on unmagical people and looks no different to other regions. However, it is impossible to perform magic in the Unhaer, which has still other, unpleasant side effects for a mage. The stronger his powers, the more drastic an effect it has on his health. Those who are highly gifted, such as Eryn or Master Raiden, can only survive for a few minutes in the Unhaer.

Naming Children
In Ardeen, too, there are traditions that are very different to those of our world, for example, naming children. At the birth of a child, the parents throw dice with letters on their sides. These dice have been determined in number and type in accordance with a complicated system of selection by the priests. Parents are responsible for composing a name for their child from the letters obtained from the dice. This is prescribed in the traditional way of naming children.

However, in more recent times, more and more people are departing from this tradition, and the child is simply given the name of a famous person or that of a closer relative. Names in the world of Ardeen tend to be kept short, which on the one hand can be attributed to the dice method. On the other hand, long names that are difficult to say are simply considered improper.

The Clocks in Ardeen tick differently
Time in Ardeen is the same as time in our world, although in the world of Ardeen, magical stones that change color in accordance with the 12 circles are used as clocks. There are so many of these that even after sealing the vein of gold, millions still exist. In order to spare the reader the need to learn the color nuances and their transitions, times are given in the units that we all know: seconds, minutes and hours.

Seasons
The world of Ardeen does not have any real seasons. There are neither cold winters nor blazing hot summers. Although temperature fluctuations do occur, these are not linked to a particular period. In the mountains, the climate is cooler, and on the highest peaks there is even a permanent covering of snow. You can also find drier regions and those that are damp and swampy, but on the whole, the temperature on the continent is largely moderate.

I'm sure the heroes of Ardeen are grateful to me for not making them rush nonstop through inhospitable climactic conditions that no normal person would even come close to surviving. When one considers that Prince Raiden has already expressed all sorts of grievances …

 Welcome to my world, where the sun always shines.