Flora and Fauna of Ilien

flora and fauna

The flora and fauna of Ilien is typical of southern Avonlae. Most of Ilien, with the exception of the Erebannien, has been cleared for farmland. There are small copses of oak, maple, and hickory scattered across the land, with these and many other varieties of trees being found in the Erebannien as well.

The Ilienese farmer grows an assortment of crops—corn, wheat, rye, potatoes, cabbage, and other vegetables. The majority of these crops are taken to the Free City of Ilien and exported to other domains who do not have such rich farming resources.

But the pride of Ilien's farms are its cattle. Cattle from Ilien are the best quality in all of Avonlae, and Ilien's farmers are among the most wealthy. Citizens of Ilien often suffer derogatory remarks by travelers from other domains, calling them "dungslingers" or "cow-men" because much of their livelihood stems from cattle herding. Though their dignity is wounded by these remarks, most Ilienese make a comfortable living raising cattle and are happy to take the money of those who would ridicule them.

Most farmers raise both livestock and crops. A wide variety of small mammals roams the plains of Ilien. Rabbits, mice, deer, several species of birds, and other mundane creatures are typical. Predators such as wolves, large cats, and bears stay in or near the Erebannien and the Spider River. Gophers are the bane of Ilienese farming existence.

Valuable cattle often step into gopher holes and break legs, forcing farmers to kill the animals prematurely. This problem was on the rise until Moeran Aglondier imported small cats similar to the lynx, called tobix, to hunt the small rodents. The tobix have brought the gopher population under control of late, and killing one of these cats is punishable by a steep fine.

The rat population has also grown in abundance in the Free City of Ilien in the last decade. An outbreak of plague was traced to rats five years ago, but the disease was swiftly controlled by the followers of Haelyn. "Patrols specifically designed to hunt down and kill rats in the city were established, and still occur today.

Monsters and other fierce creatures are scarce in Ilien. There is legend of a unicorn that inhabits the western Erebannien, protecting good travelers it encounters. Another fantastic tale tells of a dragon that ravaged a small village in northern Ilien some 600 years ago. The village, called Dragon Roost, claims a dragon stopped there on its way south to feed on cattle.