The Southern Wildlands

While the influence of The Eternal Empire reaches across most of Alwaus, there are corners of the map where even the grasp of Alvantes falls short. One such location, the vast forested wilderness in the south-east most peninsula of Alwaus that lies on the southside of the Kaldross Mountain Range. One of the few remaining areas untouched by human settlement and agriculture, the both the land and species in the area are harsh and resistant to being tamed.

Approaching The Southern Wildlands

A treacherous area to approach, the Southern Wildlands are protected from Kaldari influence by the Kaldross Mountain Range at it's northmost point. The tall mountains are some of the highest in Alwaus, and while there are paths able to navigate through the mountains, the paths are treacherous and narrow enough to dissuade anyone attempting to bring wagons or carriages through the mountains.
Those who do wish to enter the Southern Wildlands are recommend to approach by sea instead, provided they can persuade a skilled or daring enough captain to press his luck against the jagged underrocks that make the cliffs of the Southern Wildlands so impervious to landing. Most instead prefer to set anchor at least a league out form the shoreline and approach on longboat, but should the longboat be pressed against the shoreline it's passengers are left with the choice of drowning or being stranded in one of the least hospitable lands in Alwaus.

The Terrain & Climate of The Southern Wildlands

Like much of Eastern Alwaus, the Wildlands are covered in heavy wooded forests. The trees here are of a similiar varietal to those found in The Kaldari Highlands however the trees here are notably less flexible and tend towards brittleness compared to their cousin-flora on the north side of the Kaldross Mountain Range. Beneath the canopy of trees is a rolling terrain of heavy hills and cliffs that make navigating the forests nearly impossible. Travelers can travel days up and down a varietal of rolling hills only to be forced to twist and backtrack when encountered with unexpected walls and drops sheer cliffs that are impossible to anticipate through the dense foliage.
Freshwater is thankfully plentiful, with fgacier runoff from the nearby mountains trickling across most of the wilds through stream and minor rivers before they too get lost in the maze of cliffs and hills to pool in lakes or lakes, ponds, and wetlands. A large nameless river cuts through the west-central section of the wilds, with a deceptively strong current that a human explorer once claimed dragged a full grown Bear beneath it's surface. Navigation across the river is possible however, provided the crossing is done with care and in the wider shallows of the twisting waters.
Rainfall is some of the heaviest recorded in Alwaus, with at least one rain shower being common nearly every day during the Spring and Summer months. Snowfall comes early and heavy, with most of tree canopy being covered by early Autumn and entire cliff passes and valleys seen buried in snows by Winter. Those who venture into the Southern Wilds in late Spring or Autumn risk being cutoff from the passes in Kaldross Mountain Range and forced to spend a long inhospitable Winter in the wildnerness, with only the wildcats and worse beasts to keep them company.

Alternative Name(s)

The South Wilds, The Wildlands

Type

Peninsula

Location under

Alwaus, The Known World

Owner/Ruler

The Bandit King

Related Ethnicities

• Southwild Lycean

Contested By

• The Eternal Empire (Organization)

Inhabiting Species

• Lycean
• Southwild Ridge-Cat