Dracheim

The northern edge of the Mortal Realm, claimed by the city-state Dracheim. The frigid tundra makes life outside the city walls brutal and unforgiving. Much of the region is covered in layers of ice or snow, making settlements few and far between. The scarcity of settlements able to endure the tundra makes the city very protective of those that do last or are deemed necessary to the city's needs. Mortalkind are not alone in their struggles against the elements. Few other creatures exist on the tundra, but the creatures that do are extremely fearsome. Draconic threats remain reality to citizens outside the walls. Draconic creatures acustomed to the freezing north wander knowingly or unknowingly into Dracheim's lands with regularity and threaten the few pockets of civilization beyond the walls. Dracheim is estimated to have the fewest settlements existing outside of its city, but no exact numbers have ever been determined as the number fluctuates more than any of the other regions. What is unique to the area however is a significant nomad presence. A mix of people leaving the city or joining the tribes after being rescued by them on their treks to the city, a number of these tribes have found success living on the open plains. Lumber is a scarce resource with both forests of the region requiring fair distance of travel and also being thin of usable timber. Stone, minerals and ores are in far greater supply with sizable mountain ranges sandwiching the region.

Borders

Dracheim has only two major borders to the east and south, with the coast being the only thing to its north. Dracheim's borders are clearly distinguished and uncontested. Where the snowy tundra begins, the other city-states happily relinquish any claim. The southern border is unique as it is the only border to be shared by two other city-states. The primary neighbor to the south is Merkonus, lands transitioning between the two are easily accessible with the only obstacle being Icewind Grove and the grove itself is far less dense with trees than the forests to the south. The southern border with Deuria lies beyond Mundrin Ridge. Land south of the mountains form the actual border with Deuria. This area is comparatively more temperate than the rest of the tundra but the close proximity to the openly animus Deuria leaves the area a no man's land. The eastern border is shared with the Dragon Lands. Almost no physical geogrpahical barriers exist along the eastern border and allow for numerous draconic creatures to cross over into Dracheim's territory. These threats are almost always small draconic minions, but the ease of access remains a concerning threat.

Points of Interest

The land is a frigid and frozen, leaving little room for much development. Even still, several areas have developed significant importance to the people of the land:

• Deadwood, The : The Deadwood is a sparce forest along the eastern border. The forest was nothing but ash for centuries after terrible fires. Eventually, with no explanation, the trees began to return but many of them grew with barren limbs and brittle bark. By all measurements many of the trees were dead as sapling but continued to grow to full size. Over time, more and more of the forest became populated with these dead trees.
• Icewind Grove: The main forest within the tundra rests on the southwestern border. The frigid climate makes growth of any flora difficult but the pines endure here. The density is not comparable to the forests of the neighbors to the south so the lumber harvesting is handled with serious care and planning. Still home to various creatures, the dangers also pale in comparison to the forests of the south.
• Iron Crown Mountains: Located at the northern peak of the Mortal Realm lies Dracheim's saving grace. The mountains provide an enormous amount of stone to be used as the primary construction material in lieu of an abundant lumber supply. It additionally hosts expansive rich iron veins, enough to arm the city twice over and still have enough to export and support their economy.
• Mundrin Ridge: The second largest mountain range in the Mortal Realm forms the functional southern border. Extremely treacherous without Dracheim's weather, very few attempt to cross through them unless utterly desparate. With souring relations between Dracheim and Deuria over the past century, even fewer still find reason to resort to traveling this route.

Type

Tundra