Stormbreak Prairie
Stormbreak Prairie is a name given to the interior region of the continent of Amara, bounded on its western side by the Coastwall Mountains and on its eastern side by the Green River basin. The plains are considered the breadbasket of the Kingdom of Aētheli, with the vast majority of the kingdom's agricultural industry in the south-central portion of the plains.
The prairie gets its name from the frequent occurrence of violent storms that rock the region, especially in the late spring and throughout the summer. Destructive hailstorms, high winds, wildfires, and vicious tornadoes are common hazards of the prairie.
Geography
The northern boundary of the prairie is agreed to be the Lunaris-Great Lakes Basin, while the southern boundary is drawn at the Sentinel Peaks, although grassland climates continue southward for several hundred more miles on the other side of this range. The western border of the prairie is the Coastwall Mountains, and the eastern boundary is drawn at the Green River. The region spans roughly 2,000 miles north to south and 500 miles east to west, with a total land area at a staggering 1,300,000 square miles.
The most obvious distinguishing feature of the Stormbreak Prairie is its nearly horizontal strata, which extends from beyond the eastern bank of the Green River to the foothills of the Coastwall Mountains. There is an extremely gradual rise in elevation over the course of the plains, from between 500 feet above sea level near the Green River to 4,000-5,000 feet near the mountains, but sharp rises in elevation are rare. In the southwestern portion of the prairie near the Sentinel Peaks, occasional escarpments are found as the foothills decline into the lower elevations of the river basin. In the northwestern portion near the Coastwall Mountains, occasional buttes occur. Near the Green River it is common to find river valleys of medium depth, however, for the most part the area within the commonly accepted boundaries of the Stormbreak Prarie is noticeably flat.
The prairie can properly be divided into multiple distinct sub-regions, each with their particular geographic features.
Highlands
The highlands are the region that includes the southern portion of the Lunaris-Great Lakes Basin, and is bordered to the north by the Great Stone and Great Glass Lakes. At the border of the Coastwall Mountains are the rolling hills that give the highlands its name, while in the stretch of land between the Great Stone and Great Glass Lake these hills decrease into flatter land, interrupted by occasional buttes. These buttes are often heavily eroded due to the drier climate in this portion of the prairie, which creates intense erosion during the infrequent rainfalls, as every dry crack in the rock is exposed to falling water, creating temporary rilles and streams down the sides.Central Plains
The main geographic sub-region of the prarie is the flat grassland of the central plains, a portion of low elevation that sees its interruptions in topography in the form of shallow or medium-depth river valleys carved by the distributaries of the Green River. The Green River Basin is the second largest watershed on the continent by encompassed land area, and more than half of the river basin lies in the central plains. The sharp changes in elevation flatten out as the prairie transitions from highlands into central plains, and a gradual decline in elevation continues to the Green River.Steppeland
The southern portion of the prairie features the step-down in elevation from the Sentinel Peaks that make up most of the southern border of the prairie. Erosion in this area from mountain landslides and subterranean watershed collapses formed long, gentle escarpments north of the Sentinel Peaks that rapidly flatten out into the central plains once again. In the far southern portion of the prairie's steppeland near the delta of the Green River, these elevated moisture from the bay causes the water table to rise and create marshy ground as the land transitions from the prairie into the coastal wetlands to the south.Climate
The level of precipitation varies across the region according to the rain shadow effect from the Coastwall Mountains. The highlands receive on average 10-12 inches of rainfall per year, while the lower latitudes of the central plains and the steppeland can receive up to 20 inches. Spring is particularly wet, with the majority of annual rainfall occuring in the spring months. Summers are hot and humid, and especially prone to the region's violent storms.
Stormbreak Prairie is named for its particular climate feature of frequent tornadoes in the summer months. The difference in precipitation between the western and eastern half of the prairie contributes to these environmental conditions. A high-pressure front of cold air from the arctic mountains in the north and Glacier Bay blows down across the plains, where it meets the warm, dry air blowing northeast from the Sea of Whales and the Drywind Desert. In addition, another wave of moist, hot air is added from the subtropical Serpent's Bay. These three air masses mingle together over the prairie and stir up massive thunderstorms. These thunderstorms usually feature only heavy rain and strong winds, but will occasionally spawn hail or tornadoes. Prairie fires from lightning strikes are not uncommon in the western, dryer half of the prairie.
Autumn in the prairie region is cool and dry, as the subtropical gulf cools closer to the equinox. There is little precipitation during this time of year, although occasional violent thunderstorms can continue throughout the season. Winters are harsh in all portions of the prairie, especially in the regions immediately south of the Lunaris-Great Lakes Basin hit by lake effect snows. The prairie is often extremely windy, but the conditions worsen in the winter when the typically mild coastal winds also become colder. Frigid arctic air passes over the Great Lakes, and dry air from the colder portions of the Sea of Whales passes over the snowy tops of the Coastwall Mountains. Wind chill in the northern regions can reach life-threatening temperatures.
The highlands can be subject to occasional drought, due to the Coastwall Mountains absorbing much of the precipitation. This has occasionally created dust storm conditions in the western portions of the prairie, where long periods without rainfall can loosen the topsoil and cause it to blow with the prairie's winds.
Fauna & Flora
Due to the flat elevation and accessibility of the Stormbreak Prairie, there is little in the way of endemism in this region - the majority of species found in the prairie are found in all regions, from the highlands to the steppelands. However, there are some notable exceptions, such as tree species that exist primarily along the Green River or in the highlands, or specialized species of native beast or animal shifter that prefer a specific region.
Flora
The most prolific species in the prairie are grasses of several types, including bluestem, blue grama, bisongrass, and goldfeather grass. These grasses are of varying heights and many of them are fire-adapted (such as the bluestem). Several of these grasses are cultivated intentionally across the plains by herbivorous animal shifters, leading to some artificially created single-species pastures, although these are rare and small in size. Throughout the majority of the prairie, these grass species mingle and coexist. Flowering species include coneflower, bluebell, bush clover, and phlox, which support prairie pollenators such as bumblebees and honeybees. Stands of woodland with tree species are typically found near streams or creeks, where the abundance of water can support their growth, but drought-tolerant trees can be found in copses throughout the prairie. Tree species common to the prairie are scrub oak, redbud, crabapple, sumac, mahogany, hackberry, cottonwood, and mesquite.Fauna
The prairie is home to many beast shifters in the Chewing-teeth group, including prairie-specific species like prairie dogs, ground squirrels, gophers, pocket mice, and harvest mice. It is also home to two prominent members of the Split-hoof group, the bison and the pronghorns. Other prominent denizens of the prairie include swift foxes, badgers, and prairie rattlesnakes. Most avian species found in the prairie are also found throughout the continent, with the notable exception of prairie chickens, which do not possess the Gift of shapeshifting and are often bred as a livestock animal. Non-shifting fauna also include the amphibian, fish, and insect species found on the prairie. Toads are more common than frogs, particularly the Coastwall Mountain toad which can be found near the southern shores of the Great Stone Lake and the central plains toad which is often found in muddy riverbanks. However, the prairie spotted frog is a common frog species in rivers and streams found throughout the prairie. Due to the relatively shallow nature of the majority of the distributaries throughout the western side of the Green River Basin, the majority of fish species are small, including darters, minnows, chubs, and shiners. The most infamous of insect species on the prairie is the mountain locust, which occurs on both sides of the Coastwall Mountains but primarily ranges across the Stormbreak Prairie. Although typically benign, feeding on the vegetation of the prairie, occasional population booms can lead to swarming behavior, where millions of locusts will denude an area of all vegetation. This can have an extreme detrimental effect on other native fauna and agriculture alike.Natural Resources
The greatest resource of the Stormbreak Prairie is its fertile soil, which supports both agriculture and animal husbandry. Grasses native to the prairies can be sectioned off and specifically cultivated to more robust, drought-resistant varieties. The most widespread grain cultivars are amaranth and maize, and groundnuts are rotated after these crops to rejuvinate the soil. Smaller farming operations cultivate foods known in the kingdom as flavor crops, which are seen as luxury items - pumpkin, sunflowers, chiles, onion, garlic, and a leafy green known by several names depending on the region (lamb's quarters, goosefoot, boarweed). Additional crops cultivated for fiber are cotton and flax, with the former being more prevalent in the southeastern portions close to the Green River, where irrigation can be maintained.
In addition to the agricultural resources, gold is sometimes found in the prairie. It can be washed down through the highlands from spring floods, or occasionally panned from the distributaries of the Green River. While richer deposits of gold have been searched for throughout the plains, no formal mining operations have been started due to the frequency of inclement weather and the relatively small size of the deposits compared to those found in the Coastwall Mountains themselves.
The harsh, windy conditions of the plains make large scale cultivation of wood for timber difficult or impossible, but wild occurrences of timber are often felled for specific uses - scrub oak or mahogany as building material, or mesquite for the distinctive flavor it imparts on smoked meat.
The highlands offer quarrying opportunities for limestone, sand, gravel, and other building stones. Quarrying operations are conducted during the summer and autumn months, when rainfall is less frequent, and are suspended in the winter and spring due to snowy or wet conditions.
History
Stormbreak Prairie was originally settled by the Horsefolk, particularly paint ponies and unicorns. These two species were extremely populous across the plains, ranging from the highlands to the steppeland for thousands of years. The earth magic of these horsefolk species are responsible for the enduring fertility of the prairie and the richness of the soil. The horsefolk are primarily nomadic, but several archaeological sites remain from their original settlement. Building in ways that harm the natural environment is contrary to the nature of horsefolk, so the majority of findings are artifacts made of clay or stone or carvings on stone formations throughout the region.
During the War of the Gift, little direct campaigning was done in and around the prairie regions. The flat grasslands provided little cover, and there was no strategic value in burning large swathes of fertile farmland that might be needed in the future. King (at the time Warlord) Llyn diverted the majority of his military attentions to conquering the Coastwall Mountains to the west, which proved difficult due to the terrain. However, horsefolk serving logistical roles in support of the gryphon armies became a strategic target, in order to disrupt the gryphons' communication and supply lines. To this end, the strategic displacement of the horsefolk began.
King Llyn placed one of his loyal generals, Garn Nightvenom, in charge of the removal. Horsefolk herds were rounded up and forcibly driven south, out of the prairie and into the coastal wetlands. At first, aerial patrols for horsefolk herds were effective in rooting out and rounding up the unicorns, but the camouflage abilities of the paint ponies led to those herds evading capture by the dragons until the late stages of the war, after the beast shifters were given the Gift. Once the bison and pronghorn shifters could be enlisted to follow, encircle, and track paint pony herds on the ground, the last of the horsefolk were forced out of the prairie.
The difficult terrain caused a large number of injuries to the horsefolk on the journey, even while shapeshifted to try and better manage the unsure footing. In addition, after crossing out of the wetlands, the displaced horsefolk entered contested territory, where King Llyn's allies among the other dragon warlords were asserting control over opposing factions within their traditional homelands, the Drywind Desert and Tangled Jungle. It is not known how many horsefolk perished during the displacement, but it is estimated that as much as thirty percent of the population could have been lost in the difficult journey to the other side of the River Rushing.
After the succesful displacement of the horsefolk and pacification of the majority of the continent's interior, King Llyn established the city of Dragonhearth on the southern shores of the Great Glass Lake. At this time, Garn Nightvenom petitioned for Clayten Earthshake to be elevated to a position of nobility for his assistance in rooting out the horsefolk spies that assisted the crown's enemies. As a result, House Earthshake of Northwatch Bastion was formed. The first vassal house they petitioned to elevate was House Bolthoof, Castellans of Swifthorn Lodge, for similar reasons. These two houses are the oldest established lines in Stormbreak Prairie, and have been closely allied since the days of the kingdom's founding.
Subsequent elevations were granted to other prominent families in the region following their service to the governing High Noble house. In the first decade of the kingdom's founding, demand for cultivated agriculture arose. The collaborative efforts of the badgers and prairie dogs in the region in devising more efficient irrigation and cultivation methods led to the elevation of House Denguard, Castellans of Clawsford Manor and House Stonewatch, Castellans of Burrowhearth, respectively. Once again, House Earthshake petitioned for their vassals to be granted noble status by the crown. The final noble house of the territory, House Goldshell, Castellans of Fort Steadfast, was elevated by royal decree in YK121 after escorting the divided treasure of the late King Llyn to each of his beneficiaries successfully. They were granted lands within the governance of House Earthshake, and therefore became vassals to this house.
Tourism
The majority of travel throughout the kingdom is for trade, but in the early spring and fall the Stormbreak Prairie sees its share of pleasure travelers. The most common destination for these types of ventures is the capital of Dragonhearth, where goods from across the kingdom converge in the streets of the open market. The courtyards and gardens of the royal palace are open to a select few at certain festivals throughout the year, and the highest numbers of travelers can be found in the city during this time, when inns overflow and encampments spring up along the lakeshore or the surrounding prairie.
Another popular spring destination is Clawsford Manor, the seat of House Denguard. Their ornamental gardens are famed throughout the kingdom, from hothouses cultivating exotic blooms to hedge mazes to carefully pruned and cultivated floral gardens. The most famous feature of these gardens are the cherry trees, which bloom enthusiastically during the spring. The badgers of House Denguard plan a lavish feast for their noble guests during the height of cherry blossom season, and host families from the far-flung corners of the kingdom to their perfectly shaped gardens.
Occasionally, adventurous souls may strike out into the wilderness of the highlands to discover the centuries-old stone carvings left behind by the horsefolk, which can be found around the bases of the buttes and pinnacles or in large boulders scattered along the hillsides. After centuries of propaganda and careful revision of history, many of the beast shifters of the kingdom believe the horsefolk to be a myth, and regard these carvings as the last evidence of a bygone people.
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