Thera (Nation)

Thera (continent) (The Wake of the War)
''This article describes the geography, history, biogeography, and demography of Thera during the age of The Wake of the War. For information on Thera in the other ages, see Thera (continent) (When We Were One) and Thera (continent) (The Age of Man) .''

''Note: This page describes only non-sentient species. For descriptions of the sentient species of Thera, see their respective pages. ''

Thera is a continent compromising of the mainland of the ocean planet Id, though not its neighboring island Home. It is the largest landmass on Id, and the only one which supports conscious, sentient life. It exists on its own tectonic plate undoubtedly the result of divine intervention, and is the oldest landmass on the planet.

Geography
Thera has a total land area of approximately 9 million square kilometers (5 million square mi). It is seperated from Home via Heaven's Barrier and Home's Strait to the Northwest. The nation is surrounded on all sides by deep faults which dispense methane and occasionally erupt with great plumes of magma. They are the border between Thera and the other tectonic plates of the planet, meaning that all of the coastal civilizations will occasionally experience earthquakes. The tallest mountains are Mount Roahn (3,355 metres) and Mount Zimine (3,780 metres).

Thera's size gives it a wide variety of landscapes, with large mountain ranges along the Eastern coast, rolling, grassy hills to the south, and forests in the north and north-west. At the landmass' center, the arid Plains of Glass' pure, white-diamond sands make it incredibly hot, dangerous, and difficult to map. It is surrounded by the Outlying Forests, which is nearly as hard to trek through. The migrant trees of the Valenwyrd Forest spend the warmer third of the year on the northern coast, migrate around the Plains of Glass to the West, and spend the final third of the year on the southern coast.

Eastern Thera is marked by the Noran Mountain Range to the north and east, and the Kerrek Mountain Cluster to the South. A sheer rock wall lines the entirety of the coast, creating a 40 metre drop to the ocean. South, a mesa leads into rolling hills and grasslands closer to sea level. The Western coast, though mostly deforested by its inhabitants, is dotted with trees and occasional tornados.

Biodiversity
See also: Fauna of Thera, Flora of Thera, Fungi of Thera, and Machines

The non-migrant Therian forests are made from trees which remain green throughout the year, but are small for the nation's size and due to widespread industrialization by High Elves. Many species, like the rodent Nokun, are struggling due to dwindling habitats. Movements by Druids have begun to mobilize to spread regenerative magics.

The mountains are home to many cliff-dwelling birds which build nests in the rocky outcroppings, marking the high treeline of the mountains. Below the surface, some mountains are host to rock-eating Junkwirms which carve tunnels through the mountains in search of Gems.

The Plains of Glass host the pseudo-living Machines and the Crucibles which create them under the sharp diamond sand. Most of the Machines exist in a symbiotic relationship with one another, with Seekers guarding hoards of Symians and the dominant, apex predator Imps existing even deeper into the herds. Rare Machines often called Zoku travel the deserts, and exhibit a variety of different defenses, and relationships with the other Machines.