Old Irumi, Tansa Province: Geography and Climate

Through the fertile valleys covered with bracken and farmer's fields, to the sylvan slopes of the mountains that dominate the landscape with imperious mien, the whole of Tansa Province teems with untamed verdure. Though bountiful the life within these woods and glens can be hermetic, showing itself only rarely. Fauna and villages alike seem shrouded, appearing suddenly as if hidden by a spell until the moment of discovery. This enchanting and mysterious land has but one blemish -- the wounds of fire and war, pockmarking its visage with angry black scars. Many forests once brimming with wildlife now grow but one wood -- thousands of grave-markers of the fallen.

Geography

Tansa Province is part of a large, mountainous island on the western edge of the mainland, separated by a small sea. The ubiquitous forests are broken by large glacial plains and the pastures and fields cleared from generations past. Most of the forests are deciduous, and the upper mountains are covered with coniferous trees. It has a temperate climate, ranging from humid and mild on the seashore to cold and arid farther inland. There are seasonal typhoons that drop moisture during the hot months and bitter winter storms that cover the mountains with snow. Those who live in the mountains often have glaciers that provide water year round. The spring and summer have equal length, and autumn passes quickly to a long winter.

Fauna & Flora

The forests are populated mostly by arboreal mammals and birds, with a few species of ruminants and two top tier predators. The deer are plentiful but migratory, leaving the highlands during winter months to forage for food. Wild boars and bison are more common in the lowlands. Wolves keep these populations in check, as humans mostly raise their own livestock, with the Earthstalkers being the exception. Tawny Owls, a predator with a six-foot wingspan, hunt the smaller animals in the trees and in the air. Bracken and deciduous trees occupy the valleys, coniferous trees the upper mountains. A few marshes are nestled between mountains, and these are home to many medicinal herbs and giant toads (a number of harmless amphibian species, ranging from cat-sized in one terrestrial species to nearly human-sized in another strictly aquatic species of frog). Marshes are typically avoided or revered for their mystical air in an already mystical land.

Natural Resources

Wood and grain are the principle products of the Tansa Province, as well as fish and pork in the coastal regions. A few iron deposits have been mined extensively by the lord of the province, but most raw minerals are incidental or imported.

Alternative Name(s)

Taijo Mal -- "Green Mountains"

Type

Mountain Range