Roesone
Roesone is not a very large country.
At about 7,000 square miles, it's slightly smaller than a typical Anuirean domain. But it would still take a person on foot about a week to walk from the shores of the Straits of Aerele to the County of Bellam, or two full days for a rider frequently changing mounts. In other words, it's a fair piece of territory for a player character regent to worry about.
Geography
Roesone lies in four distinct topographical zones or landforms. The province of Abbatuor is part of the
Erebannien, a range of heavily-forested hills along the coast of Aerenwe. The hills diminish in the
western reaches of the Erebannien, so Abbatuor is basically plain covered in heavy forest.
North of the Erebannien lies the Aerenwean Plain. This is not flat, featureless prairie; the terrain rises and falls gently, and a few scattered hills interspersed with light forest dot the area. Most of this area has been cleared and settled for many hundreds of years, so no oldgrowth forests remain here. Fairfield, Edlin, and the eastern portion of Duerlin are all part of this region.
The western border of Roesone is defined by the Spider River, a dark, slow-moving stream that sluggishly winds its way from unknown springs within the Spiderfell to the sea. The Spider floodplain includes much of Ghoried, Caercas, and the western portion of Duerlin and Abbatuor. This land is very flat when compared to the Aerenwean Plain, and prone to flooding during heavy rains.
Naturally, it is also the richest farmland of Roesone, and some of the most densely settled land of the entire barony.
The last region of Roesone is the Gray Hills, an extension of the highlands of central Ghoere and Elinie. These hills mark the northern edge of the Aerenwean Plain.
The province of Bellam is part of this range, and the most rugged terrain of the barony can be found here.
Fauna & Flora
Roesone's flora and fauna are fairly typical of the
southern Anuirean lands. Copses of oak, maple,
birch, and other hardwoods are common throughout
the land. Bellam features more coniferous forest
of spruce, fir, and hemlock in the higher
elevations, while Abbatuor's dense forests are
almost entirely deciduous. About half of Roesone is
under cultivation; grain, corn, potatoes, and various
greens are the mainstays of the crops.
A wide variety of normal small animals such as
mice, squirrels, rabbits, foxes, deer, birds of all
kinds, and other mundane creatures are common,
even in cultivated areas. The only natural creatures
dangerous to a human are wolves or bears, and
these have generally retreated into the Erebannien
or the Gray Hills.
Monsters aren't very common in Roesone. Several
types of spiders can be found in the Spiderfell
(naturally), and a number of goblins inhabit that
dark wood. Wandering bands of gnolls occasionally
pass through Roesone, but few stay long—there
are few places that can shelter a gnoll band
for long in the heart of Anuire, and the
local militia are often more
than capable of driving the
monsters away. Other
monsters that might be encountered in
Roesone include ankhegs, giant bats, giant
eagles or ravens, lycanthropes, and poisonous
snakes, toads, and insects.
Most monsters are found in the marshy banks of
the Spider River or the unsettled lands of northern
Roesone, but fantastic creatures such as griffons,
owlbears, and perytons have been reported in the
Erebannien. Trolls have been encountered in the
rocky gorges of Bellam's Gray Hills, as well as in
the depths of the Erebannien. No one's seen an
ogre or giant in Roesone in more than a hundred
years, and no one's seen a dragon in all of Anuire in
more than 500 years. Undead are more common—
in the dead of winter, when the Shadow World is
near, ghouls, ghosts, and wights haunt the lonely
places of the countryside.
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