Zar

This article relates to both the book and the game.



Zar is a cold country to the north of Ehrian. It sports snowy wastes at its northernmost point and more temperate regions down towards the Arbour to the south-west. Its capital city and nearest to the biggest Zarian One Tree is Fjornik, ruled over by the High King of Zar, Iknis Thunderheart.

The population of Zar is mostly what one could consider to be dwarves;

certainly the men and women of Zar need to be hardy, and shorter bodies conserve heat and energy far more effectively than larger bodies.

Tall Zarians therefore come in at five feet five, with most men shorter than that. They favour large beards and warm clothing. Pipe-smoking is also a widely-spread hobby.

The Science and Industry College has its main academy in the capital. It benefits from the Northern Flow, a tidal channel which has been efficiently harnessed for its wave energy. It powers the various experiments that are run at the academy by students and teachers alike as well as providing input for heating and lighting in the capital.

For all that the academy draws the brightest - and the richest - students from across the continent, there is a stark polarisation of the population. Nearest to the academy and to the power source, the houses tend to be large, well-heated and well-furnished, lived in by perhaps a family and waited by several staff. A few miles south the city changes quite abruptly, becoming little better than a slum where a warehouse the same size might house a dozen families, each with their own small section of floor.

The Church is a small faction in Zar and its influence there is the least in the four countries of the Grand Concord. While many research parties favour it as a stopping-off point for dangerous expeditions into Gargorian territory, the Science and Industry College is, by definition, opposed to the Church’s teachings. Although from the SIC’s point of view this is an unfortunate situation, the Church views this as a flagrant disregard of their teachings.

The second-largest city in Zar is Loknir, ruled over by Low King Aknis Thunderheart, brother to the High King.

Geography
The general climate of Zar is cold; it is mainly mountainous, with freezing winds and snow a regular feature.