The Highlands of Mhirriah

The eastern region of The Provinces of Mhirriah, referred to as the Highlands, begins at its westernmost border as well as the northern border which is outlined by the Coille Cloiche Uaine, the green stone forest, and extend all the way to the frigid fjords in the east at the coast. The southern border is marked by Abhainn Dhearg, The Red River, Which is fed by the many lakes of the highlands.
The region was settled by three prominent tribes who found themselves closest to Empress Mhirriah at the time of her ascension to godhood. These tribes swore to defend the region, about 200 sq miles, and the ice spire built by the empress shortly before her departure which is said to be her grave.
The people of the region have known great difficulty, as the wildlife in the region tend to be feral and often incredibly hostile towards any living thing they encounter.

Many suspect mind-altering power emanating from the ice spire, but this theory can never be fully tested as the Church of Mhirriah forbids anyone from entering or even getting close enough to study it.

The tribes actively enforce this law and will kill any who attempt to break it with no questions asked. The ice Spire is known to have weather altering magic that causes low temperatures and dense snowfall year round for miles around it.

While these sights are beautiful, they are not all the Highlands have to offer. The highlands show so much more as you move away from the spire and the Grave of Spears, the eastern and western mountain range that travels all the way to Mhirriah's southern border.

Pine and Tundra

The area around the spire affected by its magic only reaches about 30 miles, growing less dense in snowfall the further you go and finally dissipating into the highland tundra, which is rocky and often has little in the way of vegetation as it is too cold and dry to support it. As such, most of this area is covered by ice fields but there are areas of rocky soil that support plant life. The flora in the highland tundra generally consists of algae, moss, and many species of grass that have learned to adapt to the bizarre climate. As one travels further and further away from these tundras they will begin to see more trees that will eventually grow denser into forests as the temperature increases in small amounts. These trees generally remain green year round similar to the pines and Juniper trees found in Estoyan forests.
Temperatures do remain somewhat favorable if a bit chilly in these particular regions for most of the year. This is not the case for winter, where the temperatures dramatically decrease and the radius of snowfall around the epicenter that is the ice spire expand to encompass most of the highlands.

The Highlanders

The Highlanders are a resilient people often scavenging just to meet basic needs. Winter tends to be the harshest time for these people, as the lack of farmland in the highlands leads to food shortages. Many small clans have fought over food and goods during winter leading to an increase in the frequency of raids and theft. Most Highlanders are more reclusive than the people of other regions, preferring their isolation as it paints a smaller target on their back for raiding parties and one or two thieves can be handled in a fight if they can even find you. These reclusive people build their homes from wood, clay, and ice depending on where they are and what they have around them. Some, however, are nomadic, living in insulated tents made from layering animal fur skin. The creatures tend to be the most dangerous thing for those who live alone. While even fierce predators tend to avoid fire and other signs of civilization, hunger can fill them with wondrous courage.

Those who do live in communities either live in the scattered settlements built on the hills or mountains sides, but keep those communities small for similar reasons to those who live alone. These small communities never have more than a dozen or so people while the larger villages tend to have 40 to 100 people.

There are three main cultures in the highlands.

These tribes are further broken down into smaller "families" which the Highlanders refer to as clans. These Clans are lead by those who are of a particular bloodline which, over the many years since the Mhirrian Exodus, expanded from members of Mhirriah's Entourage. Everyone else who claims to be part of a certain Clan is not actually related by blood but rather adopted in a sense after swearing fealty

Greenstone Forest

Coille Cloiche Uaine, or the green stone forest, is the border of the highlands and the other regions of Mhirriah. Named after the emerald and Malachite deposits that litter the forest, it is where most people can be found as it is furthest away from the harsh cold of the Ice Spire.

There are many examples of Flora and Fauna in the highlands, most of which come with biological traits such as dense fur, fat Reserves, and many have a tendency to hibernate in the winter. Like in other parts of the nation megaflora and megafauna exist in the highlands. Though there are numerous examples of megafauna and megaflora that live within this very forest most tend to wander the tundra along with the wintry landscape around the spire.

The Ice Spire

When the empress and her people arrived in the land of Mhirriah, she finished her many labors given to her by the gods who sacrificed themselves to ensure their arrival. One such labor was to construct a large Ozolithian Marker somewhere in the promised land. This marker would serve as her place of ascension and her grave. It is unclear why the various magical effects that seems to stem from the tower occur or even if they were part of the labor itself and therefore had to be part of the construction of the marker. Regardless in the present day very few are allowed inside and only those who are of the highest positions in the Mhirrian Church. What many do not know is that these holy men and women do not actually enter the spire as no one actually knows how to do so. It is assumed that in order to enter any Ozolithian Marker one would need possession as well as the ability to use Mhirriah's spear, an Enchanted weapon that serves as her Thoughtform Armory. What these people actually do is get close enough to see the various stories Mhirriah had inscribed onto the door of this marker which apparently tell of a secret the church does not want anyone else to know. What the secret is remains a mystery but theories claim it has to do with church law or quite possibly some ancient power only the highest members of the church can use. Others still are against the church and claim that it has a dark secret Mhirriah kept to herself until her ascension. these particular stories say that it could be anything from the name of the nameless king to the name of the demon that started it all and forced the people of Ozlith to make their exodus.

Type

National Territory

Population

the nation does not take a census of its population but there are likely anywhere from 10 to 20 thousand people living in the highlands in the present day.

Inhabitant Demonym

Highlanders