Continent of Durol
"What does one say about the lands of Durol, the continent to the north to do them proper justice. This cool, temperate and sub-arctic continent has a strong, stark beauty to it. The oceans, chilled, but teeming with life, the rivers clean and crystaline. The southernmost expanses dominated by a temperate plain, great farmland ready to be utilized, and the people whom call this land home do so with vigor. The mighty Depen, a massive veritable garden forest, known for its great abundance of food bearing flora. The mystery and strangeness of its swamps, marshes, moors and fens, these misty regions the source of a great many local legend and interesting story or custom. The peaks of its many mountain ranges, rising from the soil and earth defiant, daring and dangerous, yet with a tantalizing invitation all their own, with hearty woodland filled river valleys, the peaks themselves almost taunting, teasing at the many treasures and secrets those regions may contain. Along with the tundra lands to the far north, the glacial plains, peaks and boreal woodlands, invitations to life where one might expect a lack of it.
Its mighty shores in the north, where admist its great cliffs, where natural bays and harbors occur, port cities within the nation of Suranth reside, oft seemingly carved into the very shoreline itself, as if by the greatest of grandmaster stonemasons. Etched out of the tundra landscape, like some monumental sign of defiance. Or those amazing and marvelous cities of the Depen, woven as they are right into the canopies of mighty Heartwoods, groves of special trees that grow to truly monumental proportions, aided by Magisters of the Emerald, where civilization and nature live in a matter of harmony, woven together as if a tapestry. Or the cultural melting pot that is the cities and communities amongst the Raechin Highlands, where trade and commerce flow, and one can expect to find people from all about the world, bits and pieces of every culture of the nine nations mixing in a beautiful and somewhat chaotic mess. Durol is a wonderful place to visit, its lands full of people and cultures worth experiencing, and many sites and landmarks worth visiting. Also, a tip for any traveler landing upon Durol's shores for the first time, in any settlement you wish to stop in. Sample the morning bitters of the most highly recommended local eateries wherever you go. You will find that this unique cultural experience is different in every settlement, and will give you surprising insight to the region you are in and its people."
Mar'elin Du'ristic
Geography
The continent of Durol is one of a heavily temperate and sub-temperate nature and climate. In the southwestern regions there are areas of windswept plains, some of the only arible farmland, by conventional farming methods. The rest of the southern half of the continent is predominantly the thick forests of the Depen, and large areas of hilly fens, moors and marshlands. Many rivers and lakes fill the landscape of these regions, freshwater access is never really a problem here. The Fell Crags divide this continent more or less in half, and north of this mountain range the terrain shifts into wind and snowswept tundra lands of Suranth. Many large mountain ranges highlight the landscape, with thick boreal forests all about them. The regions between these ranges are for the most part windswept and snowy tundra lowlands, with glacial rivers carving throughout the region.
Ecosystem
When discussing the ecosystems and environments of Durol, one is generally well served to approach that discussion in two 'zones'. Northeast of the Fell Crags and Southwest of the Fell Crags.
Northeast of the Fell Crags: This windswept tundra region, the Tundra Realms, many might at first assume a stark lack of life, but this is simply not true. The reality is though a harsh land, it supports much in the way of life, though one will not find leafy trees like oak or birch this far north, the amount of available sunlight is simply to small to support such things. Freshwater, the glacial runoffs and river systems, and the deep lakes, the lush (relatively for the environment around) lands around these bodies of water are really the places where life is found. Similarly the coastal regions are as well, the coastal waters of the oceans a major part in supporting the peoples whom call this land home. A lot of how any living thing interacts with its environment here is dictated by the deep instinctual drive that acknowledges, even if not truly understanding in the sense of sapience, the reality of the harsh and long seven months of winter that they must endure each year.
Southwest of the Fell Crags: The boreal regions here, opening to plains about the southwester coasts, have a milder climate than the tundra lands of Suranth. The winters here are not quite as bitterly cold, though admittedly snowfall in the winter is a larger amount by volume, the yearly melt and its runoff being a key reason the Depen exists, granting a much needed flood of nutrients to kick start the plant life of the massive woodlands each and every spring. The soil here is thicker before hitting bedrock, allowing deeper roots and more variety of plant life, as does the less harsh seasonal variance in temperature. The winters are still admittedly long, but not quite as brutal as those northeast of the Fell Crags, and can be more easily endured by a wider variety of flora and fauna.
Northeast of the Fell Crags: This windswept tundra region, the Tundra Realms, many might at first assume a stark lack of life, but this is simply not true. The reality is though a harsh land, it supports much in the way of life, though one will not find leafy trees like oak or birch this far north, the amount of available sunlight is simply to small to support such things. Freshwater, the glacial runoffs and river systems, and the deep lakes, the lush (relatively for the environment around) lands around these bodies of water are really the places where life is found. Similarly the coastal regions are as well, the coastal waters of the oceans a major part in supporting the peoples whom call this land home. A lot of how any living thing interacts with its environment here is dictated by the deep instinctual drive that acknowledges, even if not truly understanding in the sense of sapience, the reality of the harsh and long seven months of winter that they must endure each year.
Southwest of the Fell Crags: The boreal regions here, opening to plains about the southwester coasts, have a milder climate than the tundra lands of Suranth. The winters here are not quite as bitterly cold, though admittedly snowfall in the winter is a larger amount by volume, the yearly melt and its runoff being a key reason the Depen exists, granting a much needed flood of nutrients to kick start the plant life of the massive woodlands each and every spring. The soil here is thicker before hitting bedrock, allowing deeper roots and more variety of plant life, as does the less harsh seasonal variance in temperature. The winters are still admittedly long, but not quite as brutal as those northeast of the Fell Crags, and can be more easily endured by a wider variety of flora and fauna.
Ecosystem Cycles
Spring: The season of mating, as it is typically viewed, also one of migration north for many species of game birds, and large herd species. The return of this wider variety of prey species to more northern climates, along with the mating seasons of the likes of seals and walruses in the northlands, or the salmon runs up various river systems from the sea to their spawning waters, coincides perfectly with the hybernation cycle of the lands largest predators. Black Bears, Brown Bears, along with the tundra dominating Great White Bears wake having burned their fat reserves through the winter months hibernating, and need to feed extensively. A few weeks into spring marks mating season for these apex predators, and as such, springtime travel has an added natural danger, and one is suggested to keep their wits about them. Though they do not hibernate, other predators such as wolves and sword-tooth cats are also in a position to seek to eat extensively during this season, to replenish lost fat reserves from the long winter.
Summer: A season of plentiful resources, the short summers are highlighted by plentiful resources and a relative comfort, the warm sun pleasant and enjoyable. Though also raiding season, the season where greenskins, bestials, and joten are most active and causing the most trouble.
Autumn: This season is heralded much like spring but for different reasons. Not trying to replenish lost fat reserves, but build up enough to survive the long winter's sleep, bears of all species again become very active and one of the largest natural dangers to any living here to be aware of. The salmon run works opposite here, the spawn of the year previous now instinctually making their journeys to the ocean, which is where many brown bears take in a glut of their meat and fat. Seal and walrus pups are a favorite target of Great White bears, as are calves of musk oxen, caribou and moose, if opportunity presents itself. Bears are not the only predators being extremely active at this time, wolves and hunting cats follow suit, though they do not hibernate, instinctually driven to pack on weight to prepare for the rough winter of very limited prey availability. Some wolf packs do migrate, following the caribou herds, but not all. Later in the season, after taking in a glut of ripened plant life, cranberries, blackberries, blueberries and more, about halfway through the season the various migratory species of game bird leave as well. Some merely fly over the Fell Crags into the forested lands southwest of them. Others still cross the Sea of Sails to various regions on the continent of Gavis-Lune for the long winter months.
Winter: The winters on Durol are long and harsh, with frigid temperatures, a lot of snow, ice and more than its fair share of snowstorms. Many animal species hibernate or migrate to avoid this, but there are a notable number that do not and still find success. It is a violent season however, one that constantly pushes every living thing on the continent, challenging them, for their very survival. Those whom choose to live here have always been hardy and tough, because their environment kind of forces them to be.
Summer: A season of plentiful resources, the short summers are highlighted by plentiful resources and a relative comfort, the warm sun pleasant and enjoyable. Though also raiding season, the season where greenskins, bestials, and joten are most active and causing the most trouble.
Autumn: This season is heralded much like spring but for different reasons. Not trying to replenish lost fat reserves, but build up enough to survive the long winter's sleep, bears of all species again become very active and one of the largest natural dangers to any living here to be aware of. The salmon run works opposite here, the spawn of the year previous now instinctually making their journeys to the ocean, which is where many brown bears take in a glut of their meat and fat. Seal and walrus pups are a favorite target of Great White bears, as are calves of musk oxen, caribou and moose, if opportunity presents itself. Bears are not the only predators being extremely active at this time, wolves and hunting cats follow suit, though they do not hibernate, instinctually driven to pack on weight to prepare for the rough winter of very limited prey availability. Some wolf packs do migrate, following the caribou herds, but not all. Later in the season, after taking in a glut of ripened plant life, cranberries, blackberries, blueberries and more, about halfway through the season the various migratory species of game bird leave as well. Some merely fly over the Fell Crags into the forested lands southwest of them. Others still cross the Sea of Sails to various regions on the continent of Gavis-Lune for the long winter months.
Winter: The winters on Durol are long and harsh, with frigid temperatures, a lot of snow, ice and more than its fair share of snowstorms. Many animal species hibernate or migrate to avoid this, but there are a notable number that do not and still find success. It is a violent season however, one that constantly pushes every living thing on the continent, challenging them, for their very survival. Those whom choose to live here have always been hardy and tough, because their environment kind of forces them to be.
Localized Phenomena
Nor'Westor Storms: These brutal storms for which an ocean is named thankfully only occur about a half dozen times in a year, normally in early spring or late autumn. They are not long lasting, generally dissipating in but a few hours, yet in that time they can reap a massive amount of devastation in areas they are effecting, and they can effect a large area, as they travel extremely fast. They are utterly devastating however, with exceedingly fast and forceful winds, often well in excess of 150 kilometers an hour in speed. Massive waves whipping up in every which direction at sea, creating the most hazordous and vicious conditions for any vessel unfortunate enough to be caught within such a storm, dumping sleet and snow so fiercely that visibility becomes pretty much zero. If caught at sea in a Nor'Westor, really the only thing to be done is to pray to whichever of the Ascended you think will be listening. On land, the winds are absolutely ferocious, bringing with them a bitter, bone cracking cold, temperatures so frigid that mere moments of exposure will see swiftly developing and severe frostbite. They can dump upwards of four feet of snow in an hour as they tear through a region. The sheer force and volume of the winds have been known to cause avalanches in mountainous areas. Cities and towns often experience a large amount of roof damage, some structures even being toppled or otherwise heavily damaged. Such a storm can shut down a settlement for two to three days, whilst the city streets are dug out. Building codes and legislation in all three nations does dictate that structures must include a route of exit and entrance that can be utilized as a secondary 'door' that starts at five feet high, and extends upwards, just because of these storms. For a single floored structure, this may be a roof hatch, for structures with more than one storey, this will likely be a sheltered balcony (so as to avoid being buried) with a ladder or set of stairs that stand upright against the building itself, but have a mechanical nature and can be allowed to fold out from the building, again to avoid being buried as well. Notably though such rules and regulations do exist, the peoples of Suranth, in particular, take this far more seriously than their southwestern neighbors, as they are the ones whom suffer the brunt of these storms, seeing 4-6 of them a year. Of those storms, perhaps 2-3 of them may also hit some of the northern and eastern parts of Raechin and 1-2 of them may, just, hit the northern most regions of Depenwood on their last legs.
Type
Continent
Included Locations
Inhabiting Species
- Ashwing Falcons
- Bear Family
- Bison Family
- Deer and Elk Family
- Emerald Wyvern
- Eshilen Viper
- Faerrels
- Forest Hag
- Goblin
- Hobgoblin
- Hull-Breaker Crab
- Ironspine Spider
- Irontusk Boar
- Leopard Family
- Manticore
- Moose
- Owlbear
- Rock-Stepper Sheep Family
- Shambler
- Spine-saw Vines
- Strangler Vine
- Sword-Tooth
- Topaz Wyvern
- Ungals
- Wild Boar Family
- Woadstrider Jotens
- Wolf
- Wolverine
- Worg
Comments