Maddrak

Maddrak, or "Land of Forests" in the Gnomish tongue, is a region of Onthukhan home to Nova Bibshmibbia, the Kingdom of Anglunia, the Kingdom of Irisnia, the Diarchy of Vespera, and the Zamotz Union. It is alternatively called "Phoenix" by its inhabitants, after the late Phoenia's motto, "The Phoenix always Rises". Maddrak also neighbors the peninsulas of Mirau and Wolfswood.

Pre-History
According to Gnomish lore, Maddrak was the primary host for the Eldhamite colonies of imperial Leytha, the fallen empire which spread gnomes across the world. History from before the gnomes is altogether indiscernible*, but efforts have been made which reveal Goblins and their relatives to have inhabited Maddrak prior to the land’s colonization. The colonies also spilled out into neighboring Mirau and Wolfswood, and across the Culify Channel to Phoros, another Sub-continent of Eldham.

After the fall of Leytha, Gnomish colonies outside of Maddrak universally disappeared, and the majority of those lands were reclaimed by the Lemurfolk in the east and the Yirsi in the west. In addition, the Gnomes only managed to retain onto their core lands inside Maddrak due to frequent incursions from their neighbors, who remembered the cruelty of imperial Leytha.

Geography
Maddrak is both a large and bulky landmass by Eldhamite standards, and due to this it is quite diverse and houses several sub-regions. The biomes present in Maddrak are Deserts, Extreme Hills, Forests, Jungles, Mesa, Plains, Savannahs, Snowy Tundras, Swamps, Taigas, and even a Mushroom Island.

Flora and Fauna
Due to the unique conditions in the region, there are many unique and diverse animals. Many of these are due by the river that runs throughout the region, who's unique mixture of brackish water and small traces of amethyst and sulfur, morphs plants and animals drastically, creating new species in just a few generations.

Sparberry Bush
The strange and poisonous sparberry bush is found only along the banks of river. The bush parts of these plants are soft and harry, with these fibers often being used for cloth by the Farani people. The berries of these bushes, are where they get truly interesting. They are powerful narcoleptics, causing those who eat them to almost immediately become weak and tired. Despite this, they are completely harmless to the touch, and produce a rich purple dye.

Brackish Spruce
This spruce historically dominated the northernmost parts of Northern Maddrack. With it's strong roots, and sturdy wood it thrived in the area, being quite useful in construction due to this quality. Sadly, due to this, it is endangered, having been all but wiped out by early Luxensteiner and Skjoldish settlers. The precious few of these trees left lie in between the city of Faxeholm and the village of Everchill, and are heavily protected.

Republic of New Phoenia
For years, the Republic of New Phoenia was the dominant power in Maddrak. It controlled the entire south of Maddrak, and nearly the west as well. It hosted several thriving towns, from Dol Guldur to Soliana. Unfortunately, during the Phoenix Crisis, the Republic collapsed under pressure from the Ashtrokan-Wandenreich Empire and the Zamotz Union.

The Zamotz Union
Following the crisis, the Zamotz Union brought the majority of Phoenia under its control and preceded to exert the most influence in the region for years during its golden era. After its initial expansion into Maddrak, however, it failed to integrate any other states, and the northern provinces thence became majorly stagnant for many years.

Diarchy of Vespera
Vespera was formed from a merger between Lutum and Visio, and it has since preceded to effectively develop internally. So far, the diarchy has unified the majority of the region under its oligarchical rule and proved exceptionally stable due to a lack of any existential threats, but ineffective at expanding it's borders.