The F'Zyr

This is a land shaped by Zetzwarian. His fleets of ice broke granite from the Bezantheram range and pushed it into the north with unquestionable might. After the Great Thaw it left a ridge of boulders stacked into a slope a tenth of a mile high. Two thousand years of natural growth and decay has blanketed the ridge in boreal forestry. Winter meltwater from the Headstone has torn rivers through the rock both above and below ground. As a result black pools and brackish lakes appear in pockets, some without any visible source. The F'zyr remains a wild place where bears and wolves are not the scariest predators you will come across. To the west the ridge is dominated by demons, spirits and other ancient things but they do not stay exclusively to the west. Bodies of water hide bodies of drowners and drowned alike. Stranglers hide in the rotting eaves. Those might be regular crows or they might be a reaper biding his time. The growls that echoes through the trees might be dancing bears or they might be raging trolls, only a trained Shaman can tell. Fully half of the year it is covered in ice and snow, and the sun rarely reaches the ground. During the short summers the air is dry and sweltering as the sun never sets at all but circles like a bird of prey. Spring is prone to rainstorms and flooding, while autumn is perhaps the only tolerable season with dry thunderstorms and a sudden onset of frost the only menace. The people who choose to live here are hardy and independent folk. As descendants of ancient Zyria they come in powerful builds with narrow, dark eyes and often black hair; large noses; heavy brows. Their skin come with a coppery or bronzed tint. They craft their clothes from coarse flax and leather but often dye and decorate them with stringent reds, blues and yellows. Many know them as demon-tamers or barbarians for their outdated traditions of spirit worship, demon rituals and shamanism.

Geography

Terrain

The F'zyr is a province of the country of Rhyd. It is bordered by Yekanar to the south; Notandari to the east; and demon territory to the west. It has no established western or northern borders and is therefore the largest province of Rhyd. It is 300 miles deep from Yekanar to the Headstone as the crow flies, and over 500 miles long from Notandari to the western-most village of Reinyk . It is composed mainly of uprooted bedrock and hard, well-drained turf. As far as humans can tell it is completely covered in boreal forest unless you count the Headstone which is bare, unpopulated tundra. It has recorded 10 lakes, 6 major rivers and numerous pools and streams (many which exist underground). The most integral bodies of water include the Zijver, Tilver and Zár rivers which are large enough to facilitate transport and trade as well as great fishing. Rye Lake has the most densely settled shores with rich, reddish bracken water where crayfish and mussels are fished in masses.

Climate

Being a northern highland, the F'zyr sees heavy snowfall and freezing during the winter and well into spring. The first frost is expected in Late Harvest Cycle with snowfall beginning in Frost Cycle and has been reported to last as long as until Free Winds Cycle. The most rainfall is seen in spring during Fasting and Free Winds Cycles. Rainstorms are common around this time as well as flooding from the additional melt water as the Headstone thaws. The summers can get overbearingly hot as the sun does not set but can be seen skirting the northern horizon at would-be night. The rocky earth and the dense foliage traps heat like a barn. Lakes and rivers tend to fall by several spans during this time which may cause serious issues for transport and trade. Forest fires do occur but they are often small in scale and their effects on the population seem surprisingly minor. Autumn begins at Full Moon Harvest and sees cooling very rapidly over two cycles.

Judicial Body

As per the Fedheran Unity Accords, the F’zyr is ruled by the Rhyddan governor at Kaerup, but no barrack or fortress was ever established in the F'zyr, therefore there has been little to no enforcement. Each village and hamlet is run by a shaman or shamanka who are in charge of the safety and prosperity of their community. They are relied upon as mediators and negotiators in human as well as demonic conflicts.

Population

Estimated population (as of 210 FU): 8,206

The People

The Zyrian peoples do not look very different from other Rhyddans. Darker hair and complexions are more common but not exclusive as recent bouts of Notandari, Gomeian and Kaeruppian merchants and explorers have found their way west and enthusiastically intermingled. They are more recognisable by their clothes: tan or bleached yellow leather over red or blue tunics with toggles of wood or horn. Red and yellow are popular colours and are often incorporated in their clothing through striped weaves and embroidery. Horn and bone jewellery are symbols of status in hunting communities with copper and malachite found in the more civilized areas.

Settlements

Rohundra is the closest thing to a main town, having well-travelled trading routes, paved roads, a bridge, and the largest sawmills. It is the main hub of trade between the outlying settlements with a daily open market. It is here that one can find the finest furs, leathers, salt, fish and carpentry work. Their free-working Shamen offer healing, as well as the raw ingredients and the cures they employ. Tygar is built around the largest salt mine in the F'zyr. Salt is shipped down Tilver River on barges. Kogarye's riches come in the form of reed baskets, flax, fur and leather. It is situated on the northern-most shore of Rye Lake where the waters are too deep and flowing for mussels and crayfish. Smaller settlements trade down their fine leather and fur in exchange for salt, flax linen and baskets.

Fauna & Flora

Flora
Pine, Fir, Spruce, Hazel, Oak, Birch, Willow, Mosses, Ivies, Lichens, Blueberry, Blackberry, Holly, Sage, Parsley, Rosemary, Sourclover, Lover's lip, Wintergreen, Worts, Yarrows, Nettles, Algae, Reeds,

Fauna
Reindeer, Elk, Moose, Bear, Lynx, Wolf, Wolverine, Squirrel, Fox, Mink, Sable, Black fowl, Owls, Falcon, Eagle, Wood pigeon, Crows, Blackbird, Tits, Frogs, Mushrooms, Pike, Carp, Mosquito, Flies, Beetles

Natural Resources

Fur: mink, sable, wolf, elk, reindeer, bear, squirrel, and beaver. Leather: reindeer, elk, moose, and bear. Timber: pine, fir and oak. Minerals: salt, lead, copper, and malachite. Miscellaneous: dyes, herbs, medicines.