Anarill was the first of my original fantasy worlds, and as such, has more than a few similarities to some of my favorite places on Earth. What can I say, I was all of about sixteen when I came up with the idea. In my defense, though, I didn't create the similarities intentionally. My purpose, then and now, was to create a realistic fantasy world, with people that live ordinary lives. Yes, there's magic, and dragons, and wild adventures. But there are also ordinary folks, who live ordinary lives, in fantastic surroundings. It's not all about the magic, which has earned me some criticism in the past about my world being too bland. I like it that way.
The world of Anarill has five major continents and assorted volcanic archipelagos. The southernmost continent, once the birthplace of humanity on Anarill, now lies under a great frozen sheet of ice. One expedition successfully reached the Lost Continent and returned to their home port, but whatever they found in that icy wasteland drove them all mad. Their accounts were deemed unreliable, and ignored by all but the least reputable scholars.
The main continent of Anarill also bears the name Anarill. Scholars believe that the continent received its name first, then it was expanded to include the entire world, and then, thousands of years later, some nomads far to the north settled down and formed a Kingdom which they also named Anarill. Conceited, perhaps, to name a kingdom after both continent and world, but they did so anyway.
Anarill is divided into many sharply distinct biomes. Rich farmland, arid and semi-arid plains, true desert, scrubland, mountains high and low, steppes, and tundra all contribute to geographic diversity, and all contribute to cultural differences as well. The continent is spanned by a vast network of magical roads, which remain clear no matter how terrible the weather is, and is dotted with ruins left behind by the Ancients.