Lands of the Wolf

Wolf lands shine as an example of the most common terrains one might encounter in the Sjonderwold. Their valleys may not be as rugged as those of the Bear, nor their plains as vast as the steppes of the Elk, nor their forests as majestic as those of the Owl; but there exists enough of the magic and wonder of each of those places for a Wolf to experience a tantalizing taste of the breadth of the Sjonderwold without ever leaving the comforts of their home.   These parallels highlight the relative isolation that the Wolf otherwise experience from the Sjonderwold. Their homeland is a massive peninsula connected to the rest of the continent by only a relatively thin land bridge, lined with imposing fortifications and barriers both natural and artificial. At the end of the land bridge is Castle Ambolt, a massive defensive structure that serves as a gateway to the Wolf lands, a bulwark against the terror of the giants, and a lens through which the might of the Wolf jarls can be magnified across the rest of the Sjonderwold.   Castle Ambolt is not the only means in and out of Wolf territory, but it is the safest. Wolf ship captains pride themselves on their knowledge of the jagged shoals that snake through the many fjords and islands which form the coastline and shallows of the sea around the Wolf homeland. More important to some is knowledge of the migrant routes of the "sea-devils", a catch-all term for both the bizarre and ramshackle ships of minotaur and gnome pirates as well as the massive floating citadels of the sea giants. It is by careful observation and much tragedy that the Wolf have worked out a fairly reliable method and calendar for navigating the seas around their home, and each captain's sea-almanac is almost more dear to them than even their ship.   All this means that a sea invasion is at best risky and at worst a forgone failure. Some merchants prefer the reliability of the land bridge, as the increased expenditure in time and taxes is judged to be a welcome alternative to trusting ship captains which may exaggerate the quality of their sea-almanacs or the trustworthiness of their intentions.   Wolf jarls attempt to encourage the increased speed and volume made available through shipping by investing in the Wolf navies, conscripting vessels from the Elk or Dragon Clan, or even offering letters of marque to ambitious and reliable privateers. These efforts have led to substantially increased adoption of sea trade as the preferred vehicle for commerce, but older and more cautious merchants still prefer the reliability of the long road through Castle Ambolt.