Geography of Balúrail
The geography of Balúrail is dominated by peat bogs, swamps and lakes in the west and by forested foothills rising to the Mazissage Mountains in the east. Balúrail lies at the southwestern end of the continent of Méniail. It is bordered by Gosterra to the north and Khamria to the east, separated from both by the Mazissage Mountains, and by the sea to the west and south. It covers 230,687 mi² (597,477 km²), measuring about 453 miles (729 km) from east to west and 506 miles (814 km) from north to south, and is the coldest region of Méniail.
Overview
Balúrail took its present shape during the Great Erosion. When Aahi forced her way into Dalel, the low ground of the region was flooded. Yairan hardened the earth to halt the erosion, leaving the water no path to escape, and the lowlands became a vast mudflat that in time divided into the swamps, bogs and lakes that cover them today. Tahami, the Ascendant Spirit of bogs and swamps, arose from this trapped water.
The region divides into two parts. The Western Lowlands, 136,720 mi² (354,103 km²), are low, wet and largely peat bog. The Eastern Highlands, 93,967 mi² (243,373 km²), are rocky foothills and boreal forest rising toward the mountains. The Diate River and its tributaries form the boundary between them. Most of Balúrail's 2.0 million people live in the lowlands, on dry ground and along the coast.
Physical geography
Western Lowlands
The Western Lowlands stretch from the coast east to the Diate River. They are largely peat bog, broken by patches of dry ground, lakes and light forest, including the Fewe'yo Forest in Ezinco and the Ubirato Forest west of the Diate. The Donal Hills rise in the interior of the Ivaiê peninsula. The drier ground is fertile and supports most of Balúrail's farming.
Eastern Highlands
The Eastern Highlands are the foothills of the Mazissage Mountains, covered by large, unbroken forests. The largest is the Doye Forest, which spans much of Eimbuver in the north; others include the Emera Forest and the Itanha Forest. The Tozinhis Hills cross the highlands from west to east, between Eimbuver and Gurverde. The highlands are bounded in the south by the Sirilquito Hills, where iron is mined, and Lake Arrerem lies at their southern edge.
Mazissage Mountains
The Mazissage Mountains form the eastern edge of Balúrail and run to the sea, separating it from Khamria and Gosterra. Their named peaks include Mount Burite, Mount Aléu and Mount Sabem. Most of Balúrail's rivers rise on their western slopes.
Swamps and bogs
The swamps of the Western Lowlands are vast and often impassable. Most are made of peat, which is cut and dried for fuel. The major swamps are:
- Ganze Swamp, the largest, around the city of Ivaiê.
- Belargae Swamp, between Ivaiê and Arrêr.
- Ginquil Swamp, between the states of Ivaiê and Ezinco.
- Onzirro Swamp, in Ezinco.
- Egoaldigo Swamp, in southern Gostiria.
- The swamp around the House of Tahami, on the Mifajene Reservation, which bears Tahami's name.
Rivers and lakes
The Diate River is the largest river in Balúrail. It flows from Lake Diate in the highlands southwest past Figo, where it is joined by the Cumaro, to a delta on the south coast at Têr. Most other rivers rise in the highlands and flow west across the lowlands to the sea, among them the Goim River, which flows from Lake Ante to Arrêr; the Gal River, which flows from Lake Donal; and the Onzirro River and Minope River in Ezinco. The rivers of Gostiria flow south: the Irila River reaches the sea at Tabe, the Ipendra at Marilão, the Sovoia at Preto, the Mino, which flows from Lake Arrerem through Lake Urdim, at Bedebó, and the Pezir at Larne.
Ezinco holds three large lakes, Lake Arco, Lake Onzirro and Lake Lebolur. In Ivaiê are Lake Tatube, Lake Donal, Lake Ante and Lake Muira. Lake Marcoê, Lake Pedrim and Lake Urdim lie in Gostiria, Urdim northwest of Lusbá; Lake Bata lies on the border of Gostiria and Gurverde at Mau; and Lake Layemshemwo lies on the Mifajene Reservation. In the highlands, Lake Diate, Lake Beltara, Lake Arrerem and Lake Matago are the largest. Many smaller lakes are scattered across both the lowlands and the highlands.
Coast
The west coast is deeply indented, with dozens of small bays, among them Tirrico Bay in Ezinco and Rebe Bay and Castas Bay near Arrêr. Off the northwest coast lie the Puiro, Teje and Jak'i Islands. The south coast is lower and more open. Its largest bays are Ivaiê Bay and Vota Bay. East of the Diate the coast of Gostiria is lined with bays, among them Canea, Sorso, Vero, Ipram, Gurupe, Vota and Serim Bay, and the islands of the Diate delta, among them Sorre, Soro, Alo, Pedo and Arim, lie off Têr. Farther out lie Natalo, Aco, Nipaco, Boasper, Crave and Ango, and Tapura lies off the southeast coast. Balúrail's ports, among them Têr, Lusbá, Ivaiê and Ezinco, lie on these coasts.
Climate
Balúrail lies in the cold outer rings of the plane of Dalel and is the coldest region of Méniail. Its days are short, and the length of the day does not change through the year. The region has four seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter.
The climate falls into four zones:
- Coastal lowland: the west and south coasts. Winters are long and cold but slightly milder than inland, with frequent fog and heavy rain; Ezinco, on the west coast, is the wettest part of Balúrail.
- Interior lowland and swamp: the interior of the Western Lowlands. Winters are long, with extended freezing periods, and summers short and warm. Mist is frequent.
- Highland forest: the Eastern Highlands. Slightly milder than the lowlands, but the difference is largely offset by elevation, and the foothills grow colder toward the mountains. The highlands are drier than the coast.
- Mountain: the Mazissage Mountains, with long, snowy winters and bare ground above the tree line.
Climate data
| Season | Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 46 (8) |
68 (20) |
48 (9) |
28 (−2) |
47.5 (9) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 33 (1) |
54 (12) |
38 (3) |
19 (−7) |
36 (2) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.7 (119) |
7.5 (190) |
8.3 (211) |
6.3 (160) |
26.8 (681) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 6 (15) |
0 (0) |
3 (8) |
22 (56) |
31 (79) |
| Average precipitation days | 24 | 26 | 31 | 30 | 111 |
| Average snowy days | 6 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 31 |
| Season | Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 43 (6) |
64 (18) |
45 (7) |
25 (−4) |
44.2 (7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 30 (−1) |
50 (10) |
35 (2) |
14 (−10) |
32.2 (0) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 6.4 (163) |
9.1 (231) |
11 (279) |
8.5 (216) |
35 (889) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 10 (25) |
0 (0) |
6 (15) |
34 (86) |
50 (127) |
| Average precipitation days | 28 | 30 | 36 | 35 | 129 |
| Average snowy days | 9 | 0 | 5 | 28 | 42 |
| Season | Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 45 (7) |
70 (21) |
46 (8) |
24 (−4) |
46.2 (8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 28 (−2) |
49 (9) |
31 (−1) |
10 (−12) |
29.5 (−1) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.5 (89) |
6.1 (155) |
4.8 (122) |
3.9 (99) |
18.3 (465) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 9 (23) |
0 (0) |
5 (13) |
30 (76) |
44 (112) |
| Average precipitation days | 21 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 94 |
| Average snowy days | 8 | 0 | 4 | 24 | 36 |
Flora and Fauna
The plants and animals of Balúrail are adapted to its long, cold winters and waterlogged ground. The swamps are made mostly of Sejene, a peat moss, and are home to reeds, saw grass, edible and poisonous berries, and the carnivorous Ledel. Balúrail Pine grows throughout the region, and spruce and fir form the forests of the highlands. Among the animals are the one-horned Aerbicar, the predatory Urinsue of the lakes and rivers, and the Inderso of the highland forests.
Administration
Balúrail is governed by the League of Balúrail. Its divisions largely follow the land.
| Division | Type | Terrain | Capital | Size | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Têr | Federal district | South coast, at the mouth of the Diate River | Têr | 33 mi² (85 km²) | 320,000 |
| Gostiria | State | South coast and the Egoaldigo Swamp; many ports | Lusbá | 68,207 mi² (176,655 km²) | 620,000 |
| Ivaiê | State | Southwestern peninsula; the Ganze and Belargae swamps and the Donal Hills | Ivaiê | 52,768 mi² (136,668 km²) | 580,000 |
| Ezinco | State | West coast; the lakes of Ezinco | Ezinco | 17,919 mi² (46,410 km²) | 113,000 |
| Gurverde | State | Eastern Highlands, from Lake Beltara and the Diate River to the mountains | Arremíria | 40,650 mi² (105,283 km²) | 300,000 |
| Eimbuver | Territory | Northern Eastern Highlands and the Doye Forest | — | 43,558 mi² (112,815 km²) | 7,000 |
| Mifajene Reservation | Semi-sovereign | Northwestern swamps | — | 7,552 mi² (19,560 km²) | 60,000 |
Nearly two-thirds of the people of Balúrail live in towns and cities, most of them on the coast or on dry ground.