The Midlands of the Kingdom of Men

Between the uplands of the Western mountains and the lowlands of the coast, the rolling plains of the Midlands support abundant production of crops.

Geography

The region is divided into five sub-regions west-to-east, based on which river is nearest. The rivers are very significant in the lives of the farmers - they are the main means for crops to be exported. The western two rivers lead out to the open coast, while the eastern three rivers lead to the Greater Firth (a large inlet, much more protected from adverse weather).

Fauna & Flora

Where the land hasn't been turned to crops, it is mostly lightly wooded patches or grasslands. Rabbits are preyed on by hawks. Deer graze the grasslands and occasionally bother the farmers. Many small birds make their home in the trees that dot the landscape.

Natural Resources

Human farmers work the fields of the Midlands, planting and growing many different crops. From corn and wheat to sugarcane and cabbage, radish and cotton to maize and potatoes. The foods harvested here make up the bulk of "normal" food, in contrast to the more unusual crops harvested in other parts of the continent.

Political Significance

The people of the Midlands form one of the three major groups that any ruler of the Kingdom of Men must balance. They are bound by a common experience distinct from the coast dwellers to their south and the Uplanders to their north. They sit in the middle economically as well as geographically. The food they produce can be grown across much of the continent, but only here can it be grown in such abundance. Dealing in bulk though, means that taxes and transport fees bite harder than for the more specialised crops grown to the south. The lavish styles that the coastal folk display seems inappropriate to the Midlanders. But production is easier for them than for the herders to their north. They can live a more relaxed lifestyle, and find the Uplanders to be uptight and disturbingly aggressive.

Type

Plain