Southern Terrinoth
Southern Terrinoth is marked most notably by a great mountain chain aptly named the Mountains of Despair. Storms roll off these imposing peaks in roiling waves, often accompanied by creatures awoken during the turmoil. These natural and unnatural dangers have harried the residents of Southern Terrinoth for generations, molding a vigilant and resilient people. The inhabitants are always vigilant against the dangers of the wild places, yet they also admire the natural beauty of the Velvet Plains and the Gardens of Tarn.
Several Free Cities lie within the commonly accepted bounds of Southern Terrinoth, including Riverwatch, Tamalir, Vynelvale, and Dawnsmoor. Of course, strict cartography means little for the governance of those cities; alliances and cooperation between the cities and the baronies are not uncommon, but the citizens of the Free Cities are as proud of their independence as of their heritage as part of Terrinoth.
Despite the nearby military presence of Riverwatch and its famed riders, the Smokeblue Hills and Mountains of Despair have long served as a gathering place for sorcerous cults, dragon-worshippers, and other servants of darkness. In recent years, the disturbing accounts of strange happenings in the mountains have grown in frequency. Scouts report dragon hybrids lurking in the scattered ruins, in greater numbers than have been seen since the end of the Dragon Wars, while small villages in the foothills and shadow of the mountains suffer from strange maladies and disappearances.
Peace mostly reigns in the other areas of Southern Terrinoth, in large part due to its strong internal policing. Blackthorn Grove, though, stands out as a particularly lawless, dangerous place for Humans. Ostensibly a part of the Aymhelin, it is said to be haven for all manner of outcasts and fugitives. Witches and bandits often make their homes amongst the many knotty glades of Blackthorn, and strange, shambling monstrosities patrol the lower forest levels in search of easy prey. Some claim to have caught glimpses of a pair of mighty Elven towers breaking up the foliage, but attempts to study them further are always met with a warning volley of arrows.
Despite the threats lurking in the wilderness, the region has been a hub of trade for centuries, and this continues even in these increasingly troubled times—in no small part due to the presence of the Free Cities. These great settlements draw traders, nobles, artists, and travelers of all stripes from across Terrinoth and beyond, bringing with them a seemingly endless array of rare and exotic goods, and no shortage of coin. The people of Southern Terrinoth have long accepted coins of near any origin, so long as the metal is true. Far to the southeast, the grandest cathedral to Kellos in all of Mennara can be found in the Free City of Vynelvale. This great center of worship draws pilgrims from across Southern Terrinoth and beyond, and is the source of no little envy on the part of the neighboring barons.
Beyond the forest, multiple fortresses, from Skydown on to Sundergard, and even further down to Wreathcut provide a network of relatively well-kept roads that provide a degree of safety and security for travelers on their way to one of the other southern trade cities. Of course, the riders and watchmen of the Daqan Lords and the Free Cities are too few to safeguard the dozens of leagues of roadways and wilderness stretching between bastions of civilization; those nobles and merchants who can afford it generally provide their own protection.
To the West, Southern Terrinoth borders the empire of Lorimor. Migrants and traders from Lorimor or the Torue Albes arrive in Dawnsmoor by boat before traveling overland to their destination. The Lorim’s Gate Mountains and the badlands of the Traitor’s Wastes—perhaps in combination with some lasting memories of Lorimor’s founders—prevent much in the way of overland trade. Scattered communities along the coast often fall prey to pirates and longboat raiders in search of slaves and supplies, while the interior is largely uninhabited badlands.
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