Overview
Central Valrindor is the mainland region around Kaldaryn, Hengvaris, Shaoying, Linsothar, Shroudvale, Maraveth, and Cyndarel. It forms the interior corridor between Kaldaryn's mountain capital, the nations facing Shroudvale, the ruined Malverand heartland around Maraveth, and the later Cyndarel front.
Armies, refugees, traders, scouts, and supply trains cross Kaldaryn, Hengzhou, Shroudvale's approaches, Maraveth's ruined outskirts, and Cyndarel's lake country during the Great Shaper War, Maraveth War, Siege of Omberion, and Battle for Cyndarel.
Geography
Central Valrindor is a green inland landscape of forests, rolling hills, plains, mountains, lakes, cities, villages, strongholds, and fortified roads. A flight from Kaldaryn toward Maraveth passes over hills, forests, plains, occasional mountains, and lakes before reaching the harsher land near Shroudvale and the old Malverand ruins.
Kaldaryn City stands near a mountain range, with Hengzhou northwest of it and Maraveth beyond Hengzhou. Hengzhou is surrounded by forests and hills. The route closer to Maraveth turns darker, brittle, and cracked from the old destruction of the Malverand capital. Cyndarel lies elsewhere in central Valrindor among hills, a lake, a river, highlands, forests, and open country broad enough for armies and skyship combat.
The former Valdrenor occupied the land later known as Kaldaryn. Under Garrik, Kaldaryn uses roads, watchtowers, mountain defenses, supply routes, and the settlement outside Maraveth to move armies and supplies across mainland Valrindor.
History
In the Malverand age, Maraveth dominated the heartland. Its destruction leaves cracked ground, dead trees, and desolate country near the old city. The later Valdrenor Empire rises in the area that eventually becomes Kaldaryn, then disappears and leaves its land corrupted for generations.
After Shroudvale's shapers threaten the surrounding nations, Hengvaris, Shaoying, and Linsothar help hold the defensive ring around Shroudvale's walls. The shaper attack on Hengzhou sends survivors east with Khoradyn, Garrik, Zhang, Kren, and their army, feeding the movement that builds Kaldaryn.
Kaldaryn's armies later move through Linsothar and Shaoying, restore territory ravaged by Shroudvale's later breakout, build and guard routes from Hengzhou toward Maraveth, and gather forces from central and western Valrindor for the Maraveth War.
During Raphael's return, Cyndarel becomes Rahmavir's forward position against central Valrindor. The Battle for Cyndarel damages the city and surrounding country, and Azarion's uncontrolled hurricane devastates much of central Valrindor afterward. Survivors regroup through Kaldaryn, whose mountain shelters and earth mages protect its people from the storm.