Aletheia is a heavily populated world by medieval standards, but not an evenly populated one. People cluster where food, water, and trade are reliable, thin out where they are not, and adapt their settlements to local conditions rather than forcing one universal pattern everywhere.
At a world scale, Aletheia covers roughly 15 million square kilometers and supports an estimated 250–320 million people, with ~300 million being a reasonable working figure. That averages out to around 15–20 people per km², which is not extreme — it simply reflects a world with many productive regions and relatively little true wasteland.
What follows explains how those people are distributed, and why settlements look the way they do.
Fertile and Temperate Regions (the “medieval France baseline”)
In temperate deciduous forests, grasslands, and well-watered plains, population density typically averages 25–35 people per km² across whole regions. Some especially fertile belts (river plains, loess soils, reclaimed lowlands) may reach 40–60 per km², but those are local highs, not the norm.
These regions form the classic medieval pattern:
- Villages every 2–4 km, usually 100–250 people each
- Towns every 20–35 km, typically 1,500–5,000 people
- Cities are rare but powerful, appearing where trade routes, rivers, ports, administration, or religion concentrate people
Higher population density here usually produces more towns and larger towns, not automatically more giant cities. Cities appear when connectivity and power align, not just when there is extra grain.
Savannah and Semi-Arid Regions
Savannahs and semi-arid lands are widely inhabited, just unevenly so. Regional averages usually fall around 6–15 people per km², with much higher densities near rivers, seasonal floodplains, and reliable wells.
Settlement tends to cluster:
- Villages are grouped around water, not evenly spaced
- Long stretches of land may appear empty, then suddenly busy
- Towns are fewer but more strategically important, often fortified
These regions often feel “open” on the map but are not empty in practice.
Jungles and Wetlands (Including the Fallen Empire)
Jungle regions in Aletheia are not nomadic frontiers. Dense vegetation, poor visibility, and limited grazing make classic nomadism impractical. Instead, jungle societies are usually sedentary or semi-sedentary, relying on mixed subsistence:
- river fishing
- floodplain farming
- forest gardening
- hunting and timber extraction
Because these regions are river-rich, rivers replace roads. Settlements line waterways like beads on a string.
Typical patterns include:
- many small river towns (1,000–5,000 people)
- villages clustered along navigable stretches
- fewer overland roads, but busy water traffic
The Ancient Evil Empire
In Aletheia’s jungles, this pattern is intensified by history.
The Ancient Evil Empire once ruled much of this biome. With extensive magic, slave labor, and centralized control, it:
- cleared large areas of jungle
- built roads, canals, and monumental cities
- maintained infrastructure for centuries
When the empire fell, human populations withdrew and the jungle reclaimed much of the land — but not completely. Stone roads, raised causeways, foundations, and ruined city cores endured.
Over the following centuries, orcs, goblins, and lizardfolk moved in. The region did not depopulate; it changed hands.
Today, jungle population density is likely similar to or only slightly lower than before, but:
- fewer open human cities
- more fortified settlements
- towns built into or atop ruins
- at least one major city actively occupying ancient imperial foundations
Urbanization exists here, but it is harsher, stranger, and more dangerous — which is exactly why the ruins are still there.
Northern Maritime Regions
Aletheia’s far north has cold climates but ice-free seas, strong fisheries, and long coastlines. These regions resemble a blend of Denmark and southern Sweden rather than the Arctic.
Population densities commonly sit around 18–30 per km², higher along coasts and river mouths.
Key features:
- fishing villages rival farming villages in size
- port towns every 15–25 km along hospitable coasts
- multiple medium cities rather than a single dominant capital
- strong maritime trade cultures
Reliable fisheries act as a population multiplier, supporting towns and cities that would otherwise struggle in colder conditions.
Deserts, Mountains, and Margins
True hot deserts, cold deserts, high mountains, and glacier zones together make up a small share of Aletheia.
Typical densities:
- Hot desert: 0.2–1.5 per km² (mostly oasis-based)
- Cold desert: under 1 per km²
- Mountains: 2–10 per km², depending on valleys and passes
- Glaciers: effectively uninhabited
These areas shape borders, travel routes, and politics far more than they contribute to total population.
Cities vs Towns: Aletheia’s Urban Shape
Across the world:
- Villages dominate numerically
- Towns are the backbone of trade and governance
- Cities are rare, heavy, and influential
Higher population density usually means:
- more towns
- closer town spacing
- larger “big towns” (5k–15k)
Cities emerge when food surplus combines with connectivity (ports, rivers, trade chokepoints) or power (capitals, temples, imperial centers).
The jungle ruin-city exists because history, magic, and infrastructure all lined up — not because jungles “should” have cities.
In Short
- Aletheia is populous but uneven
- Forests are cultivated mosaics, not untouched wilderness
- Jungles favor river towns and sedentary societies, not nomads
- The Ancient Evil Empire’s ruins make modern settlement denser, not emptier
- Towns multiply before cities do
- Coastlines, lakes, and rivers quietly drive population upward
If the map feels busy in the right places and empty in meaningful ones, it’s working as intended.