The Old Empire
Geography
The Old Empire is a region of Taiga west of the Dragon Spines. It rests along the north coast and includes The Ring Sea, the Boreal Expanse and the lands between. The Southern boundary is the Rhys River and east of the Blue Spire mountains an east/west line even with the north most peak of the Blue Spire range
Landforms
The notable features of the Old Empire include the Ring Sea, and the Boreal Expanse. The Ring Sea is a portion of the Western Ocean enclosed by a roughly circular archipelago. It's approximately 500 miles in diameter. The islands that make up the ring vary in size from points a few yards across which disappear each high tide to the largest which is almost 100 miles in length. The tallest of these islands stands nearly 700 feet above the mean high tide line. At least one of the islands is inhabited, the Sea Elf city of KelBran sits on a natural harbor on the first island of the northern arm.
The Boreal Expanse is a large old growth forest of monumental proportions. Covering nearly half a million square acres, the Expanse is home to at least two races, the Wolflings and the Wood Elves. There are minor mountain ranges concealed entirely within its depths. The predominant tree comprising the forest is a type of giant evergreen reminiscent of Giant Sequoia. On the southern and western edges of the woods there are a mix of deciduous trees including aspen, birch, cedar, and evergreen oak.
Waterways
There are several notable rivers and lakes in the Old Empire. The Ardale River exits the Boreal Expanse in the vicinity of the Wood Elf city of High Branch. The Ardale flows westward through Lake Ardale and into Lake Barlow. The Kamad River exits Lake Barlow and continues west through Glad Water Lake before finally emptying into the Western Sea.
Kiri's Tears is a large lake fed by numerous small rivers and streams. Kiri's Trail flows out of the Tears and drains into the Sea of Storms.
Rabbit River exits the base of the Dragon Spines and is joined by Wolf Creek on its way to Lake Lupine. It's believed that the Wolflings named these particular water ways. As the saying goes, "The rabbit left the rocks to get a drink. The wolf joined him on the way and by the time they reached the lake only the wolf remained."
Pelcini is unique in that it is the only large lake in the Old Empire which has neither in flow nor out flow above ground. There is conjecture that the feed and out flow are below ground as the lake stays quite cold even in the hottest of weather and is always fresh due to currents within the lake. Occasionally, odd turbulence is spotted on the surface of the lake far from shore, this is thought to be caused by disruptions in the incoming currents.
Roads
There are roads in the Old Empire although these are few and generally not as well maintained as the roads in the Midlands. There is in addition to the currently maintained roads, the older Waystone Pathways. Theses take the form of packed dirt roads about two carts wide, They're usually gently sloped, avoiding steep rises and drops. Each segment terminates in the vicinity of a Waystone. The Pathways are always clear of grass and weeds, fallen leaves and debris seem to blow off them quickly and they dry remarkably quickly after a rain. Some study of the Pathways has been done and it was inconclusive if the Pathways were created by the Stones or if the Stones are merely markers. No examination has ever been able to detect Magic at work keeping the Pathways and their attendant Stones so unchanging. There are other Pathways and Stones in the Midlands, Central Uplands and Southern Marches although they are rarely in locations convenient to current civilization.
Civilization
There are four races calling the Old Empire their home. Sea Elves, Wood Elves, Humans and Wolflings.
The Sea Elves have six cities, four along the shores of the Ring Sea and two on the shores of the Storm Sea.
The Wood Elves have five cities in the Boreal Expanse.
Humans have two cities in the Old Empire, one on Lake Ardale and one on the shore of the Western Sea, where the Kamad River flows into the sea.
Wolflings are harder to quantify as they have no established cities. There are semi permanent trading sites where packs and tribes may set up for a season or two. There are four of these "Meets" established around the perimeter of the Boreal Expanse.
A pack is usually four to six related family groups. A tribe ranges between three packs and two dozen packs. A nation is an alliance between two or more tribes. Packs and Tribes are based on blood relations and are permanent. Nations are based on negotiation and treaty and are subject to change. Due to the nomadic nature of Wolfling culture no real consensus of numbers is available.
Commerce
Trade is essential to the people of the Old Empire. The cities of the Ring Sea have a very prominent fishing community. There are is a strong lumber industry based on harvesting the Boreal Expanse trees. In the vicinity of the Wood Elf cities lumbering is tightly regulated and replacement tree planting is mandated at a rate of 30:1. In addition to lumber and fish there is a strong mining presence in the hills north of Ardale Keep. Trade between the Old Empire and Midlands is strong. The Sea Elf cities on the Sea of Storms are also the contact point between Taiga and Gofstad.
Government
There is no unified government in the Old Empire.
Cities
The cities in the Old Empire operate as city states. Each of the cities are autonomous entities. Most of the cities have satellite towns and villages. These smaller settlements are under the rule of their local city state and in return they get law enforcement and military protection. There are usually treaties between the cities sharing a common race. Some cities, although starting with one race exclusively have become more cosmopolitan in their make up.
The Old Empire is home to several races and countless ruins.
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