Riddesgaard
From The CBG Wiki
|
|
This Memory Fading page is a stub. More information will be provided eventually. |
 |
|
| Riddesgaard The Frostmoors, Borderland |
|
|---|---|
| Political Information | |
| Capital | Illysigrimn |
| Government | Monarchy |
| Leader(s) | King Garoth Durnharl III |
| Population | 1.5 million |
| Imports | TBA |
| Exports | TBA |
| Societal Information | |
| Etymology | From "River's Guard" |
| Language(s) | Riddespaak, Tlek |
| Religion(s) | Daenism |
| Technology | Middle Ages |
| Magic | Low |
The first human civilization on Alsa Eru, Riddesgaard has faced wars, famine, natural disasters, and more.
Contents |
Geography
Relief
The Gaardan steppe consists of a square-shaped plateu. Its western flank meets the towering Thondrung Peaks, its northern border is the deadly Frosthorns, and its south and eastern borders are also small mountain ranges. A narrow corridor, where the Coldlyre River flows south off the plateau and into Alsa Eru's mainland separates Riddesgaard from Duarmenstor and Karsus. The steppe hides numerous small valleys and hills, but a valley more than ten feet deep is a rarity, and a Gaardan would consider a twenty-foot valley wall to be a cliff face.
Climate
Riddesgaard is the coldest realm on Alsa Eru south of the Frosthorns. The land is constantly swept by brisk, chilly winds throughout the year, and these gusts can reach hurricane forces in the highest altitudes of the land around Inweasua. Summers very rarely see temperatures over sixty degrees, and winters hardly ever exceed freezing temperatures. Snow and ice cover most of the land from Leafall to Firstbloom.
Flora and Fauna
Goats, sheep, and Gaardan-bred cattle graze on the meager steppe plants. Other animals of the steppe include wolves, mammoths, and small game like hares and wild pheasants. The steppe is situated at a fairly high altitude. it is arid and covered with hardy strains of various grasses and weeds. In the summer, the cold rains bring an astonishing variety of wildlife to the steppe, including skarots and partenias, while the grass stays dull and brown. Most trees and the few forests are entirely coniferous. They stay green throughout the year, and villages have grown amidst the small groves and forests, as they offer some meager protection from the harsh winds.
Skarots
This small, flying snakes live mostly in the low areas of the Gaardan steppe, though during the summer month, they migrate further north. They are very easy to see, as they have bright red and green coils, and their wings are a silvery-green color. They have a lethal bite, and their venom is often extracted by Gaardans to use as a poison to coat their weapons.
Partenias
These extraordinarily fragrant flowers can be found all through Riddesgaard at all times of the year. During spring and summer, they bloom orange leaves and small, purple berries that are eaten by much of the local wildlife. During the fall and winter, the leaves turn to brown and the berries fall to the ground, but the plants still live on. Gaardans harvest these flowers and create perfumes that are highly sought after in Khandia.
Mammoths
Huge, beasts with long, curving horns, and covered in fur, these elephant-like creatures graze on the grasses and plants throughout Riddesgaard. The mammoths are often captured and trained as war steeds and beasts of burden, but they are very well-treated, as the animal is the national symbol of Riddesgaard. The few large cities in the country usually have protected areas for the mammoths to be kept and fed, but still many more roam free throughout the realm. They are easily spooked, and have been known to crush and kill many people in their fright, so are thus usually avoided. Their ivory horns are sought after by poachers, but the Durnharl family has a no-tolerance policy on illegal hunting - poachers are killed on site in Riddesgaard.
Civilization
Important Cities and Towns
- Illysigrimn
- Named "For the Love of Illysia," by the first human settlers on Alsa Eru, this is the capital of Riddesgaard.
- Hardel Kan
- A small fort along the Coldlyre river, north of Illysigrimn. They have faced Urshael raids for hundreds of years.
- Kovhetnal
- Fort of Nails, this city has three rings of iron walls around it to protect from urshael.
- Dargon Del
- A large trading city, where people come from the southern lands, and trakloks come down the Shirven River from Duarmenstor, to trade with the Gaardans.
Crafts and Commerce
Riddesgaard provides very little to the rest of Alsa Eru. Very few agricultural goods will grow in the arid, cold lands. However, they have mastered the arts and crafts of ballistics, since they must be able to hurl spears and stones great distances through powerful winds, and their hardwood catapults and ballistae are well known. They harvest the fragrance of the partenias, and the venom of the skarots and trade the resulting perfumes and poisons for wheat and other agricultural goods they cannot cultivate on their own. In recent years, they have been using magical arts to create beautiful ice sculptures that never melt, and these have become quite the fad in Faeros and Khandia.
