Lore:Weirlands

From Weirlands
Revision as of 16:59, 12 April 2017 by Weirfish (talk | contribs) (Created page with "The Weirlands is a collective term for the primary landmass in the plane of the same name. It consists of 7 primary regions, from west to east. ==...")
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to: navigation, search

The Weirlands is a collective term for the primary landmass in the plane of the same name. It consists of 7 primary regions, from west to east.

Geography

The geography of the Weirlands is unusual amongst the multiverse. This is attributed to it having been intelligently constructed in the distant past. The regions of the Weirlands are of variable width, but are approximately 20,000km in longitudinal length. It is also longitudinally self-contained; travelling north for 15,000km will result in being 5,000km south of the original location. However, the latitudinal axis does not appear to be self-contained; the Lore:Vitiation and the Lore:Kystan Ocean appear to be infinite in width.

Regions

The Vitiation

 Main article: The Vitiation

The Vitiation is a seemingly infinite expanse of arid desert climate. While the eastern edge is well defined, the western edge is as of yet unfound. Given the inhospitable climate, exploration is infrequent and often results in death for the explorers. A small amount of run-off from the Lore:Crestfall falls west of the Lore:Crest, resulting in pockets of moisture and small oases around which life can be found. However, these quickly disappear as one travels westwards.

There is evidence of previous civilisation close to the Crest. Ruins have been found clustered around the larger oases, but there are not any current permanent inhabitants within the Vitiation proper.

The Crest

 Main article: The Crest

The Crest is a monumental chain of mountains that transverses the Weirlands north-to-south. While not uniform, the individual mountains are each sufficiently large to prohibit travel. The lowest travelled pass is over 16,000ft above sea level, and the highest peak is over 40,000ft in height. In addition to this, the hydrology of the Weirlands leads to a large amount of solid water at the peaks, which creates a number of avalanche risks and snow-covered ice pools.

While travel atop these mountains is perilous, they are inhabited by various earth-related races. Communities of Dwarves, Gnomes, Goblins, and appropriately adapted Kinfolk live underground, while Giants, Trolls, and the like subsist amongst the lower peaks.

The Crest acts as an aquetard, preventing both the flow of groundwater from the east to the west and the precipitated waters of the Lore:Kystan Ocean falling further to the west; this flow of water is known as the Lore:Crestfall. Avalanches are common amongst the peaks during the winter, though less frequent in the lower regions. As the snow melts during the spring, subsidence-related landslides may occur in valleys and passes. Summers tend to bring heavy rainfall, but bring little risk of further surface activity; the vast majority of unstable surfaces are cleared by the spring's snowmelt.

Nappe

 Main article: Nappe

Nappe is the forested region directly east of the Lore:Crest. Varying by season, the exact climate at the time can be anywhere from subtropical to subarctic. The typical elevation of the Nappe region is between 10,000ft and 1,500ft. Lore:Crestfallen rivers are common, wide, and deep, and can be very dangerous.

Routes through Nappe are maintained by the natural denizens: Elves, Gnomes, Treants and a vast array of Kinfolk. These communities maintain villages and towns in clearings, around (and occasionally on) lakes, and in large treehouse-like constructions.

Industry in Nappe is centered around the plants and animals that thrive in the environment, and the bountiful lumber. Trappers, hunters, and herbalists are common in the villages and towns, and logging camps are often found towards the eastern edge, carefully monitored by the Elves and Treants.

Glebe

 Main article: Glebe

Glebe is the primary agricultural region of the Weirlands. The aquifer here is relatively shallow and easily accessible, allowing proper irrigation of fields. As such, the farms and ranches located in Glebe supply much of the food and animal products for larger population centers, from meat and dairy, to leather and wool. Glebe also has a number of mining operations, where surface veins of iron, copper, tin, and other easily accessible ores can be found, as well as the refining complexes built by the larger merchant companies.

However, for all of its fertility and industry, Glebe suffers the most from malcontents and thieves, who find it easy to poach and steal enough to get by. Where the environment is potentially the biggest risk in more westerly regions, intelligent and knowing theft and highway robbery is much more likely to cost a person's life here.

Glebe is also the most westerly region with a truly diverse demographic. Almost all races can be found at work, though some are certainly more likely than others. The more enterprising races tend to manage farms, ranches, and centers of industry; sometimes to the benefit of their employees, sometimes to the detriment of their indentured slaves.

Alluve

 Main article: Alluve

Alluve refers to a large band of grasslands towards the east of the Weirlands. Alluve is the location of most of the large population centers of the Weirlands, as the deeper aquifer allows for large buildings in large settlements without much fear of subsidence or structural settlement.

In certain places, Alluve stretches all the way to the coast. When it does, it almost invariably meets the water at a cliff, where harder igneous rock has survived the constant fluvial erosion. These cliffs often have reasonably-sized fishing communities atop them, and tend to develop into trading centers.

Alluve is easily the most cosmopolitan area, though towns and cities themselves tend to develop semi-segregated wards of like-minded races. Very rarely, these become militarised ghettos or protected gated communities, and these arrangements tend not to last long.

The Sump

 Main article: The Sump

The Sump is a stretch of barely-inhabited wetlands adjacent to the coast. The Lore:Crestfall terminates here, its deltas spreading into a blanket of moisture that feeds marshes, swamps and fens. Inhabitants of the Sump largely subsist on amphibians, waterfowl, fish, small leaf vegetables, and fungus, and the farming of such is a large portion of the industry in the area. Fuels for alchemical processes and steam engines are also often sourced from the Sump's peat bogs and fens.

The vast majority of the inhabitants of the Sump are Kinfolk who prefer to live in accordance to their kin, though some Treants communities exist within it. The Sump is also home to a number of exiles who are no longer welcome in Alluvian society and can find nowhere else. As such, it is considered to be a rough area, though the public perception of it is worse than the reality.

The Kystan Ocean

 Main article: The Kystan Ocean

The Kystan Ocean forms the eastern bound of the Weirlands. In mirror opposition of the Crest, the western edge is very well defined, but the eastern edge is unknown. The unique solar patterns of the Weirlands lead to a great number of sea-bound storms and a tide that can rise 60ft over 3 hours, travelling upwards of a mile inland.

Some communities do exist on the water, in places either above the high tide mark, or where the geography allows a natural bay. These communities fish both fresh and salt water fish, depending on the time of day; the border between the two water systems follows the tide, and is known to bring its wildlife with it. Most of the communities consist of races who are comfortable in the water; Kinfolk, Mer, and Humans most commonly.

Climate

All wind within the Weirlands blows towards Lore:Crest. The result of this is that moisture from [[|Lore:Kystan Ocean|The Kystan Ocean]] is trapped on the eastern side of the mountain range. This is considered to be the primary contributing factor towards the creation of the Viliation, and the fertility of the eastern regions.

The hydrological cycle of the plane is relatively simple. Water flowing from the Crest continues east, hydrating the forests of the Nappe, the fields and farms of the Glebe, and the large population centers of the Alluve. This water, now relatively polluted by the various by-products of life, is filtered by the Sump, which drains into the [[Lore:|Kystan OceanKystan Ocean]]. This processes is known as the Crestfall.

The sun-equivalent celestial objects in the plane are the Helii. Their unusual orbit results in a year of 432 days length, divided into 4 seasons of 3 months of 36 days. While it takes them one day to transverse the longitude of the Weirlands, they slowly rotate latitudinally. This results in a pattern of weather that slowly progresses in a northerly direction. It takes two years for the Helii to complete a latitudinal orbit.

Culture and Sociology

The Weirlands is, on the whole, a diverse land, with many races inhabiting it. However, it is understood by all that certain races are able to perform better in certain locations; Treants do not do well in cities, it's rare to find a Dwarf in a tree, and many a gentleman's club will refuse entry to the vast majority of Orcs and Kinfolk.

This isn't to say that these things are an impossibility; after all, individuals are individual. However, all people have preconceptions of others based on stereotypes that can be both deserved and unfounded. Dwarves and Orcs are often stronger than they are smart, and Elves, Halflings, and Gnomes are known to be tricksy at times. There are those who know these stereotypes to be true and are unwilling to budge, there are those who assume for the whole, and there are the rare few who do not assume at all.

Talking of culture and sociology on the scale of the entire Weirlands is largely an exercise in oversimplification. See specific race and region pages for more information.