The Isles of Talingrad

The Isles of Talingrad are divided into 6 regions:
The Cambrian Ports: Synonymous with the heartland, the major cities of the region are so different from normal life found in the shires and communities outside of them that they are often considered their own seperate region. Others however will use the name "heartland" to refer to these great cities.

The Heartland: The majority of the population of Talingrad can be found here. While their cities lie within these areas, the bulk of the population comes from the farmlands that make up these areas.

The Borderlands: Separating the Heartland from the Savage North are the Borderlands. This loosely defined territory can be described as the farmlands and cities that lie within the reach of the Watchwall.

The Caer Bryr: This savage woodland is shrouded in secret and suspicion. Monsters roam the landscape here, and shamanistic tribes of gnomish or elvish descent maintain the area from outsiders.

The Savage North: An area north of the watchwall filled with monsters, savages and the frozen tundra. It is largely uninhabitable and constantly watched.

The Lands of the Yutak: A frozen tundra of large cliff faces and little strategic importance populated by the Yutake people.

Geography

The geography of Talingrad is divided between north and south east and west. Much of the forestland on the eastern side of the island has been cut down to make way for Talingrad's more industrial cities and farmlands. On the western side of the island, the great forest of the Caer Bryr lies undisturbed, a verdant bloom that has not been tamed in millennia. Mountains surround the Caer Bryr, making the range virtually unassailable. The two entrances to the great forest are maintained by two small cities in Farholde and Havelyn. While neither city is as industrious as their eastern neighbors, they serve vital strategic roles and served as ancient capitals in the days of the Quintarchy.
The mountains of Valtaerna dominate the eastern half of the island, dividing the borderlands from the heartland surrounding Cambrian bay. Within the mountain range are said to lie the origins of the dwarves of Talingrad, and their gnome cousins the svirfneblin. The monastery of sanctuary can also be found within the range, isolated from the modern day vices found in Ghastenhall. The mountain range has served as a strategic and military deterrent for much of Talingrad's history, and was a vital choke point during the first and second "Great Wars" for the island. They provided little defense against sea raiders however, and with the rise of Talingradi navel superiority and construction of the Watchwall, they are thought to be less vital militarily than in centuries past.
The Watchwall exists between lake Tarik and the Sea of Ghosts, and between Blacklake and Farholde. Fortresses line the region and they currently serve as the greatest military holdings in Talingrad. Lake Tarik is similarly defended by a small fleet, but it is designed to alert and prevent large transportation. Small bands of smugglers do occasionally bypass lake Tarik's defenses, but they are usually detained relatively quickly on the other side.
The northern half of the island is blocked beyond the Watchwall. Here lies the savage north. Though parts of the region are relatively fertile near lake Tarik the further north one goes, the more dangerous and frozen the region becomes. Thankfully Talingradi border patrols perform frequent raids on the territory, ensuring that no permanent settlements may be formed in sight of the Watchwalls fortifications.
Seal Island lies north of the Watchwall and is uninhabited, inhabited primarily by seals as the name implies. The area on the island is rocky, and attempts to establish a trade post in the past here have proven unsuccessful.
The Lands of the Yutak are the last major island found in Talingradi territory before the Crown of the World. Here lie the Yutak people, nomadic scavengers who thus far have shown very little interest in participating in Talingradi affairs. Their island is a cold tundra, filled with rocky cliffs, and is not fit for cultivation, and so Talingradi policy has been to leave the island undisturbed.

Fauna & Flora

Talingrad for the most part has an oceanic climate, which lacks extremes of heat or cold and provides plentiful rainfall making the country a rather 'green' environment and providing much food for small and grazing animals.
With its mild climate and varied soils, Talingrad has a diverse pattern of natural vegetation. Originally, oak forests probably covered the heartland, except for the Greenwood, while pine forests and patches of moors covered the higher or sandy ground. Over the centuries, much of the forest area, especially on the heartland, was cleared for cultivation.
Fairly extensive forests remain in west near the Caer Bryr. Oak, elm, ash, and beech are the most common trees in the nation. Pine and birch are most common trees one will find north of the Watchwall. Almost all the heartland outside the industrial centers is farmland, with a varied seminatural vegetation of grasses and flowering plants. Wild vegetation consists of the natural flora of woods, fens and marshes, cliffs, chalk downs, and mountain slopes, the most widespread being the heather, grasses, gorse, and bracken of the moors.
Fauna includes large mammals - wolfs, bears, boars, and reindeer are common sights within the borderlands. Red deer are often hunted for sport in the borderlands or the "kings forest" as well. Common mammals such as foxes, hares, hedgehogs, rabbits, weasels, stoats, shrews, rats and mice are common sights, and have even made some of their habitats in major cities like Ghastenhall.
There are few reptiles or amphibians, save for frogs which remain a constant nuisance. Roughly 100 species of birds make a home on the island, and dozens more species are migratory. Most numerous are the chaffinch, blackbird, sparrow, and starling. Game birds such as pheasant, partridge and red grouse are also common, especially in the Greenwood. Rivers abound in salmon, trout, perch pike, roach, dace and grayling, and provide major subsistence for the citizens in cities near the waterways. Thousands of species of insects round out most of the non-monstrous lifeforms.

Type

Island

Included Organizations

• Talingrad

Owner/Ruler

Queen Ericka I, Called the Ironbound

Owning Organization

Talingrad

Related Ethnicities

• Humans of Talingrad