Nosgorov Province
Nosgorov contains some of highest locales in Nïr Morred, and it extends from the Pontic Sea in the north, to the mighty River Rhune in the south. The treacherous western coastline serves to protect the province on one side, with the Sîdan Silvolk and Silver Mountain Ranges offering protection from eastern threats.
Although Nosgorov has long been assimilated into a unified Alabast, it still maintains a veritable identity, both in terms of its hardy peoples and its rugged landscape. It is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, and it's sapient denizens range from the Humans and Demi-Humans in their cities, towns, and villages, to Ogres and their kin in the mountain caves peppered throughout the province. There are also sizable numbers of Elven and Delnnish populations to be found spread across Nosgorov's taiga regions.
Table of Contents
Geography
Nosgorov Province is split up into five distinct geographic zones: Taiga, Steppes, Mountains, River, and Coastlines. Each of these zones boast a unique geographic structure, as well as their own important features and points of interests. Though its exact borders have been contested throughout the long histories of its settlers, Nosgorov's currently accepted borders have been in place since the closing days of the first era. Considered by modern scholars to be officially defined by a number of natural borders, these borders are namely: the River Rhune, the Sîdan Silvolk Range, the Silver Mountains, and the Savage Sea.
Taiga
Though not far enough north to count as a 'true' taiga, the highlands of Nosgorov are so high above sea level that the conditions of this northern boreal forestland mimic the typical taiga almost perfectly. This region makes up roughly half of the entire province, stretching from the Silver Mountains in the east, to the coastal Cliffs of Nosgorov to the north and west. It bordered by the Nosogovian Steppe to the south. Though this region does feature a small human population, it is predominantly inhabited by Centaurs, Elves, Ogres, and the Delnnish.Geographical Features
- Ryggevyd Forest, the widest, and most famous, of the three great forests that make up the the region's taiga, called "Ridgewood Forest" by many travelers in recent years.
- Shadow Pine Forest, a dense boreal forest stretching westward from the foothills of the Silver Mountains, said to be home to a number of fearsome beasts and malevolent unseelie folk.
- Forest Aschenvvald, a supposedly haunted evergreen forest that sits in northwest Nosgorov, sometimes called "The Greywood" or "The Ashwood".
Steppes
The Nosgorovian Steppe is the the largest of Nosgorov's ecoregions, bordered by the boreal taiga realm to the north. The high Sîdan Silvolk mountain range borders eastern Nosgorov, while a long rocky coast borders the west. Further south, the steppes make up much of the landscape before finally meeting with the River Rhune. The steppe region displays a broad range of treeless, grassy plains punctuated by foothills and tiny mixed forest woodlands; the Nosgorovian Steppes also provide the best conditions for human settlement. While most of Nosgorov's human population can be found in this region, they begrudgingly share it with the likes of Goblins, Fauns, Hobgoblins, and Mountain Trolls.Geographical Features
- The Bastion Valley, a flat floored valley that runs east from Skiros Pass and into the northern steppes, serves as Nosgorov's lowest point, as well as to mark the southernmost reaches of region's taiga.
- Lake Salzig, a small salt lake that sits within the The Bastion Valley, Nosgorov's only closed lake.
- Ryggevyd Steppe, the smaller of two regional plains that make up the greater Nosgorovian steppe, it is bordered by The Bastion Valley in the east and the Savage Sea in the west, and it stretches north from the Yolka Steppe to the Ryggevyd Forest, with which it shares its name.
- Yolka Steppe, the vast steppeland plain that makes up a majority of the southern province, it is bounded on the north and east by The Bastion Valley, Ryggevyd Steppe, and the Sîdan Silvolk Range, and it is bounded on the south and west by the River Rhune and the Savage Sea.
- Ironwood, a small mixed woodland, so-named due to its proximity to the Iron City, in the southeast steppelands.
Mountains
The mountains of Nosgorov are made up of two different ranges, the northernmost being the Silver Mountains. Further south, running along the eastern edge of the province is a range known as Sîdan Silvolk, Dark Elvish for 'Star Scraper'. Below this mountain range, foothills ascend into an expanse of ridges, which eventually give way to massive mountain summits that can reach heights of 30,000 feet or more. The ledges and shoulders across both ranges are inhabited by a mixture of Dark Elves, Mountain Trolls, and Órtinóri or Birdfolk.Geographical Features
- Silver Mountains, a grouping of mountains situated to the northeast, home to many fearsome creatures that terrorize the northlands, like wurms and thorn beasts.
- Sîdan Silvolk Range, a long range of mountains that runs south along eastern Nosgorov, considered a smaller portion of the greater Peaks Of Euracles.
- Skiros Pass, a narrow mountain gap that serves to separate Nosgorov's two dominant ranges, as well as to connect Alabast with neighboring Tiberoa.
- Lake Aurdal, a large mountain lake cloistered amongst the Sîdan Silvolk Range, a vital asset for many of the regions dark elf settlements.
Rivers
Most of Nosgorov's rivers are bedrock rivers; the largest of these being the River Rhune, which also serves as the province's southernmost border. As the River Rhune carves through Northern Alabast, it splits off into an array of creeks, streams, and brooks. Many such creeks and streams ultimately link back up with the River Rhune but this is not always the case. In fact, some of these errant streams feed into humble woodland ponds or steppeland lakes, while others serve to feed a number salt marshes as they near the coast. The river is a boon to many of Nosgorov's settlements, but the life giving waters attract creatures of all types, for better or for worse.Geographical Features
- River Rhune, a great river that acts as Nosgorov's southernmost border whose many downstream distributaries are vital for commerce in the region, serving as a trade route between dozens of varying settlements for centuries.
- Silver River, a long, permanent, riverway that marks its source somewhere in the silver mountains, it flows great distances through the tiaga region, varying seasonally, and eventually splits off into a number of waterfalls at the edge of the Ryggevyd Forest.
- Lake Randelva, fed by the River Nes and drained by the Oter River, this mid-sized lake has supported life in the steppes for untold thousands of years. A popular gathering spot for many of the region's herd animals.
Coastlines
Running far north from the mouth of the River Rhune and curving eastward, where it eventually meets with the Silver Mountains, the Nosgorovian coastline is made up of a collection of rocky beaches and sheer cliffsides, all of which serve as the province's longest border. Where there are breaks in the tall cliff faces, giving way to proper shoreline, seaside settlements, such as Moskgorod, can be found making their living off the unique bounties that the sea surrounding Nosgorov provides.Geographical Features
- Strait of Teeth, a stretch of water that makes up Nosgorov's northwest coast, named for its collections of sharp, difficult to navigate rock spires, purported by some sailors to be home to a menagerie of sea monsters.
- Savage Sea, the coastal waters that act as Nosgorov's western border are named for their often rough conditions and occasionally calamitous sea storms.
by Susan Browne
Ecosystem
Nosgorov's continentally unique ecosystems largely coincide with its geographic regions, and what variation exists usually presents itself as a conglomeration of two or more of its ecoregions. The borders of province's rugged landscapes are in constant ebb and flow, thanks, in part, to human and demi-human pursuits as well as the, somewhat unpredictable, activity of both its varied wildlife and its flippant weather patterns.
Nosgorov's settlers push back the woodlands in some regions, others are evicted from their towns and villages by great beasts. Others, still, see their settlements reclaimed by the raw forces of nature that govern the province once the process is complete, wilderness sewn anew. It has been said by those who live here that Nosgorov's ecosystems seem to maintain their own relative balance, a cycle that has existed for time immemorial.
This cycle is owed to the region's resilient nature. The entire province makes up the northern hemisphere's southernmost subpolar ecoregion, despite being located firmly within the planet's northen temperate zone. Its great beasts and harsh climes are found nowhere else on the continent, and these conditions overlap to create an environment that proves invariably difficult to keep at bay forever. Some of Nosgorov's greatest human settlements have become forfeit to its wildlands over the region's long, aged history.
Ecosystem Cycles
Perhaps the regions most famous season is its winter. While many of Nosgorov's creatures enter a long periods of hibernation and brumation, including even the fearsome yutyrannus, other parts of the region spring to life. The birds in the sky migrate to warmer locales, as some of the river's fish and invertebrate populations enter a state of diapause. Sabre cats reign supreme, as they ever do, but pack hunters, wolves especially, thrive in the absence of most other large predators; all the while animals like deer and wisents begin herding in far greater numbers to improve their chances of survival. During this time, the smaller settlements of the land also brace themselves, hoping that their foodstores will ferry them through the frost and that the bitter frost shows them mercy.
In spite of its stubborness, winter's chill eventually begins to shake itself from the land of Nosgorov. When the region's lakes finally thaw out, and its rivers begin to flow once more, its slumbering denizens shake off the frigid chill. Beavers, bears, badgers and frogs all awaken to the newborn spring, full of renewed life as the mating season begins for a plethora of animals, and many carnivores of the province make the most of their time before the likes of thorn beasts and yutyrannus reclaim their positions at the top of the food chain. Many human settlements, too, make the most of this time, using the pause between the storms of winter and the awakening of the region's large predators to hunt deep in the woods and gather forest mushrooms in great volume.
As the weather becomes warmer during the mid-spring to later summer months, and the last of the province's creatures have rejoined the waking world, the final groupings of Nosgorov's migratory birds return from their winter journey. Conversely, the walruses of Nosgorov vacate the province's shores during the summer month, embarking on a journey north that is shrouded in mystery. They leave the shore in droves every year, heading towards the misty waters of the north, not to be seen again until mid-fall. Many animal populations swell in mid-to-late summer, able to flourish thanks to efforts of the preceding springtime. Humans and demi-humans also thrive during this season, celebrating great hunts and harvests, in spite of the dangers that the summer months bring.
When the summer draws to a close, the broadleaf trees of the steppes change color and begin to lose their leaves, while creatures like squirrels, bears, and more begin eating and foraging in large quantities in order to stockpile food and fat for the coming winter. Some of the region's fish species, like salmon and char begin swimming upstream to begin their spawning season. During the same period, Nosgorov's most temperature sensitive bird species fly south to Aramvir, or even parts of Estril where they will remain until late spring. The last of the provinces berries and fungi generally also fruit by the mid-fall, allowing for one last harvest before the frost of winter finally returns. The final weeks of the season are apparent once the last leaf has fallen, and the occasional snow has begun to fall, leaving the taiga's tracts of conifers, and other evergreen plants, as the region's only remaining signs of greenery.
Localized Phenomena
Given its geographic layout, Nosgorov is home to a number of phenomena found nowhere else on the continent. Snowfall, however occasional, can be experienced year-round in its northernmost reaches, and the northern region's deep winter snowstorms can rage for weeks at a time during particularly bitter years. During this time, snow can still fall in great accumulations without welling into a blizzard as well, and with such seasonal change also comes a change in the lifestyles of many northerners. Many of Nosgorov's northern waterways additionally freeze over completely during the winter, sometimes for several months at a time, leaving but a handful of the Silver River's branches as the only flowing water north of the steppes.
The Sîdan Foothills of the eastern steppes are, meanwhile, home to a number of geysers and hot springs that grow in number as one approaches the mountains. The movement of water since ancient times has dug and worn many caves and caverns into the ground. Many of which are now home to, among other creatures, all manner of goblin and ogre communities. In some places, however, the hot springs are also a boon to human and delnnish settlements, providing villages with both a way to improve health and daily life as well as with a source of tourism. Further west, the region is well known for its summertime blackbird swarms. Blackbirds from all across the steppe gather in great numbers during the warmer months and into the cool fall, creating huge, cloud-like murmurations for warmth and protection. Some of central Nosgorov's inhabitants believe that the large, threatening looking swarms serve to ward off other, larger, flying creatures.
Climate
Due to Nosgorov's unique geography, as well as it's exceptionally unusual local ocean currents, its climate is uncharactaristically cold compared to neighboring regions. The province's general elevation allows for much lower air pressure than any other point on the Nïr Morred, outside of its mountain ranges. Because of this, not only does the region experience less percipitation than any other point on the north end of continent, but the percipitation it does experience is usually limited to occasional sleeting and heavy snowstorms in the north, with weather systems breaking into lighter snowfalls and colder rains over the steppes and southern river networks.
In addition, the little researched "Nosgorov Deep Ocean Current" works in tandem with a number of steep underwater ridges and trenches, between Tiberoa and the Silver Mountains, to keep the waters surrounding much of Nosgorov frigid and wintery. A powerful underwater gyre carries the cold, polar waters of the north down to the Nosgorovian coast before curving off to the west, likely somewhere north of the province's border with Détreaux. High underwater ridges interspersed with deep ocean floor trenches, as well as the raised Pontic Sea Shelf, serve to buffer this cold water flow, largely preventing it from dispersing into the neighboring Pontic Sea. Warm water currents that circulate from the south run along the coastlines of southern Alabast further keeping these colder temperatures contained to Nosgorov waters. These factors all overlap quite succinctly, causing the region to experience subpolar climate effects deeper into the temperate zone than nearly anywhere else on the planet.
Fauna & Flora
—Flora—
-Taiga-
The taiga of northern Nosgorov is a mighty sprawling woodland with almost no break in tree cover, save for few hidden glades and a single solitary gap. The dominant denizens of the taiga are a wide array of coniferous evergreens. From spruces, firs, and pines, to larches, hemlocks, and yews, these conifers are numerous, though further north the thick closed canopy forest fades into lichen woodland as the general tree cover becomes sparse.
The floor of this great boreal woodland is covered indiscriminately by a plethora of fern, plume, peat, and reindeer mosses as well as plentiful scatterings of podzols and fungi. These mosses may seem rather unassuming, but they can provide a much needed lifeline to some the taiga's smallest herbivores. What it makes up for in mosses, it severely lacks in most grasses, however.
A number of bushes and shrubs can also be found lost within the grandeur of the forest here. Some of the more notable fruit bearing shrubs grow raspberries, cloudberries, and lingonberries, while common berry bushes include cranberries, holly berries, and junipers. Other common shrubs are labrador tea plants, sage, ferns, and even some carnivorous trumpet pitchers while most of the taiga's bushes are comprised of varying dwarf conifers and cycads.
Amongst all of this, the taiga is home to a unique group of lichens like the foliose shield and tree lungwort lichens, as well as the fruticose wolf lichen and several varieties of strap lichens. Other types of fungi, however, are rather few and far between with the only notable ones being chaga mushrooms, fire fungus, and a few types of honey fungus.
-Steppes-
The steppes are host to small clusters of temperate broadleaf and mixed coniferous woodlands whose floors and trunks are spotted with silky forklet mosses. The taiga's evergreens are largely absent here, however, there are still a number of common yews and grey pines to be found among the populations of oaks, maples, birches and beech trees. The steppe is also home to apple and apricot trees, which can sometimes be found domesticated in some of the more developed areas.
Where there are no trees, the steppe is dominated by a range of short grasses such as blue grama, sheep's fescue, and lyme grass. These grasses cover most of the unsettled areas of the steppe, and while numerous, they rarely grow taller than two feet. Nonetheless, these high producing grasses are vital to the herbivores that call the Nosgorovian Steppe their home.
Scattered throughout the grassland and woodland alike, are an impressive range of shrubs and bushes both barren and fruitbearing. Aronia shrubs are host to chokeberries, coveted for the delicious jams. While elderberry plants and hurtleberry bushes provide food for native bird and rodent populations, as well a lucrative source of income for Nosgorovian bakers. Other small shrubs range from bitterbrush to sagebrush, while bigger bushes are commonly comprised of hydrangeas, lilac bushes, and witch hazel.
Hiding amongst all of this foliage, and even upon some of the rocks in the open steppe, one can find tons of species of lichen. Foliose lichens like cladonia and apothecia can be found on trees both dead or alive, while crustose lichens such as peltula can be found coating various rock and boulder faces. Aside from lichens, other fungi can also be found in abundance near the woodland, most notably chicken of the woods and true morels for their edibility. Other notable fungi include the highly toxic webcap mushroom, as well as the hallucinogenic fly amanita.
-Mountains-
The mountains of Nosgorov are home to few plants, but those that do grow here are hardy, and adaptable. The king among mountain trees is the Nosgorovian larch, while the prince is the mountain hemlock. Apart from these, the Silver Mountains in the north bear host to clusters of secluded black cherry trees, while apple trees provide life giving fruit in the western Sîdan Silvolk mountain range.
Mountain brome is the only grass that lives above the treeline. A favored delicacy for some high altitude herbivores as well as any insects that may call this place home, mountain brome also helps to slow erosion where present. Ground cover is elsewise sparse here, void of even the hardiest mosses.
Though most bushes are absent here, even the high elevations can't stop some of the hardier shrubs from growing. In the western ranges, boulder raspberries are quite common amongst the scatterings of wild rose while the northern ranges commonly contain bearberry which grows high and low in the Silver Mountains. Both ranges also commonly support many rhododendron and tea plant populations.
Only two species of mushroom calls the mountains of Nosgorov home, and they are the Nosgorov bolete and the Polka'Alumdun. The former being a sustainable source of protein, and the latter sought by poisoners the continent over. Polka'Alumdun is Dark Elvish for Dark Heart Shelf, due to the fungi's tendency to cause arrhythmia and the eventual shutdown of the victim's heart. Aside from this, various lichens thrive at this elevation as well, like peltula, orchil and orange lichens. Not surprisingly, the mountains are also home to the highly toxic goblinsbane lichen, a favorite of goblin hunters.
-Rivers-
The rivers of Nosgorov are home to many large populations of tree life that are also found in its other biomes, though chestnut trees are far a more common type to be found sipping at the river's edge. Overlooking their smaller kin are several prestigious families of firs and spruces, who tower above many nosgorovian banks. More rarely though, dwarf hackberry trees can be spotted by their orange and red berries. Though the berries are edible, the dwarf hackberry is more useful to local bird and rodent populations; regrettably though, these trees are also rather endangered.
Submergent grasses like eelgrass, common waterweed, and hornwort can be found throughout the rivers of Nosgorov, while emergent plants such as cattails and flat sedge grow intermittently along slower moving banks. These slower moving areas can also be home to water hyacinth which, while invasive, are highly sought after by alchemists for their somewhat medicinal properties. Many Delnnish folk incorporate them into their diet to supplement carotene intake as well. Further downstream, where river deltas meet with the sea, shorter emergent species like smooth cordgrass can also be found in abundance, typically intermingling with many of the same plants found upstream. Aside from this, the river is home to hundreds of types of mosses from the common mountain fir-moss and knight's plume to rarer types like hart's tongue and walking fern moss.
Shrubs and bushes aplenty can be found on the banks of rivers and streams all throughout the province. Where there is little tree cover, this type of foliage thrives, and typically consists of witchhazel, blackhaw, and ninebark, whose pink and white flowers give way to rose-red fruit as summer ebbs to fall's embrace. Some smaller shrubs like northern arrowwood, nosgorov buttonbush, and even the occasional honey suckles also dot the riverside landscape with their wide array of color and verdancy.
The fungi present along Nosgorov's rivers are not unique to the biome, but they can be more plentiful here, if one knows where to look. Black morels and honey mushrooms grow in abundance, especially in late spring. Some early Delnnish traditions and festivals even trace their roots to the yearly fly aminata blooms that crop up across the nosgorovian river basin, and groups will sometimes travel for weeks at a time hunting what they call 'Wood Rubies'. Lichens, too, grow in great yield here, it's quite common to find dog-pelt or rock tripe in addition to many types of algae reliant specimens. Beyond this, one lichen in particular is favored by river boatmen the province over, spectre's hand lichen. Spectre's hand glows a faint, almost ghostly, silver when it is able to take in the light of the moon for an hour or two, making it a boon to those who otherwise could not see on the rivers at night.
-Coastlines-
—Fauna—
-Taiga-
The sprawling boreal forest that makes up northern Nosgorov is home to an impressive collection of creatures, most notably large herbivores. Herds of red deer and sounders of boar can be found in plenty and they frequently travel the vast woodland in search of appetizing seeds, leaves, and mushrooms to eat. Herds of wisent, or bison, can also be found traversing the forest, grazing upon ferns or grasses where available, and can often share habitats with local moose populations without much issue. Moose, in general, can typically be found across the entire region, feeding on anything from fruits to fir bark, and are known to frequent ponds, lakes, and streams in search of aquatic plants. Perhaps most unique to the region is the existance of one of Nïr Morred's only known populations of ceratopsians. In the more undisturbed depths of the taiga, small family groups of pachyrhinosaurs can be found scouring the forest floor for cycads.
While hunters in the region rely heavily on these large herbivores for survival, it should be noted that they are not the only ones. For every large herbivore in the forest, there is a predator that calls it prey. Deer and boar often fall prey to packs of hungry grey wolves or lone lynx that wander into the woodland on the hunt for food, while nosgorovian dire wolves are keen to hunting wisents as well. And though local brown bear and owlbear populations quite enjoy berries, grubs, and salmon, they are more than capable of felling even the hardiest moose if it meant a worthwhile meal. The wild also consists of those who make no distinction between their chosen prey, usually beastfolk such as galtirs and lizardfolk or therianthropes such as werewolves and werebears. Even further atop the food chain sits the likes of yutyrannus, various wurms, and thorn beasts-- Fearsome creatures who usually have no consistant predators of their own.
In addition to the larger creatures, though, the weald is home to a plethora of small ones as well, such as snowy, tawny, and long-eared owls, which feed on other, smaller mammals like mice, porcupines, beavers, hares, and red squirrels which all permeate the landscape feeding on all manner of seeds, berries, some types of small plants, and even some species of insects and fungi. Incidentally, the woodlands of Nosgorov are home to a plethora of insect life as well. Notably, the nosgorovian tiaga is the only place on the continent where the wavy velvet hawkmoth and the hermit beetle can be found. In addition to such rarities, all manner of other common insects can be found here as well-- From legions of ants, mosquitoes, and honey bees to scores of bush crickets, hawker dragonflies, and lycaenid butterflies-- Nosgorovian forests boast an abundance of arthropod life, and other tiny denizens, which support all manner of functions throughout their ecosystems.
-Steppes-
Across the steppes further south, signs of animal life tend to be slightly more sparse, though not at all uncommon. Though the deer and wisents from the woodland often make their way to the steppes to graze from time to time, the main herbivorous inhabitants are wide-ranging families of wild horses, onagers, and goats. These massive herds usually dominate the dry plains of central and southern Nosgorov, and they offer much competition for the region's other large herbivores, like the rare pareasaurus. That being the case, even larger creatures, like steppe mammoths and woolly rhinoceros, make due as they are able and are known to travel great distances in search of food, water, and safety from predators. Survive as they might, though, megafauna numbers throughout the steppes have begun to dwindle over the last century, owed to both the apparent overpopulation of small hooved herbivores, and overhunting due to increased demand for their horns, tusks, furs, and hides. Even so, each of the steppe's herbivores play an integral part of supporting local settlements as a source of food, a source of raw materials, and as beasts of burden.
Not unlike the taiga, the herbivores of the plains also have their predators. Most iconic is, perhaps, the sabertoothed cat. Weighing in at nearly one half-ton, these apex predators compete only with larger carnivores that stray too far from the forests and mountains. Amongst other natural predators native to this nosgorovian biome, sabercats reign supreme, capable of bringing down even the mighty steppe mammoth, and they have been known to be capable of inflicting grevious injuries to the fearsome wurms and thorn beasts that might encroach upon their territories. Beneath them exists a number of other carnivores who must resort to preying on the likes of horses and goats, or outright scavenging, for survival. Among them are the typical grey wolves and brown bears of the forests, but the steppes are home to an additional pair of unique hunters as well. Found only in Nosgorov, the steppe wolverine, or giant wolverine, travels in small family groups, sometimes also acting as pack leaders to groups of their diminutive cousins. They have even been known to engage in territorial disputes with wolves and other large carnivores, and sometimes even prey upon wolves and bears that have grown too old or sick to defend themselves. The other predator distinct to the region is the wolf-like gorynychus, a near-mammalian therocephalian which sports set of strongly developed, and rather prominent, canine teeth. Lesser gorynychus usually exhibit a single set of cuspids and grow to be wolf-sized, while greater gorynychus have two sets of prominent canines and are comparable to a black bear in size. Regardless of type, gorynychus favor hunting pareasarus, though they are never picky hunters and are just as likely to hunt other carnivores that wander into their territory. Many folks contend that gorynychus seem to have all the temperment of a sabrecat mixed with all the coordination of a wolf pack.
Though the steppes are home to the same hares and mice of the nosgorovian woodlands, they feature a plethora of small creatures as well. One such creature, a favorite prey of golden eagles, and Nosgorovian gyrfalcons, is the willow ptarmigan. Other members that occupy this niche of the ecosystem are steppe pikas, long-tailed weasels, striped skunks, and the occasional burrow of alpine marmots, all favorable prey for steppe foxes. In addition, the Nïr Morredean badger, an elusive creature unique to this nosgorovian biome, is highly sought after for its pelt, which is used in the creation of shaving and painting brushes. These creatures diets vary, feeding mostly on the same or similar berries, seeds, high producing forage plants, insects, and fungi that their taiga neighbors do. The only notable difference being the abundance of carabid beetles, ants, keelback slugs, and grasshoppers (as well as their enlarged cousins, the nosgorovian giant grasshopper).
-Mountains-
The mountains that shield Nosgorov, and act as its eastern border, run south from province's northernmost coast, extending past it southern reaches, into the neighboring province of Détreaux. A single mountain gap, Skiros Pass, separates the two ranges. Separate though they may be, they tend share many overlapping inhabitants. Common herbivores between the two ranges include creatures well adapted for the cold and elevation, such as muskox, bighorn mountain goats, and argali antelope. And these common creatures can be found throughout the region, from some of its lowest foothills to some of its highest summits. The vast geography of the Nosgorov's mountains, however, does allow for some additional biodiversity. The silver mountains, for example, are the only range on the continent that the silver mountain ibex calls home, while the Sîdan Silvolk range is home to the Nosgorovian great-claw sloth, a bear-sized ground sloth unique to the northern parts of the range.
Unsurprisingly, the Nosgorovian mountains are home to same wolves and bears that inhabit the neighboring taigas and steppes, and many of the lands eagles, ravens, and other birds can be found roosting here as well, but the mountains also boasts a handful of other predators shared between both ranges. Beasts like wargs prowl the ridges and shoulders between mountains, dominating and superceding wolf packs that draw too far into their territory, while large the mountains conceal many caves that act as shelter to massive cave bears or cave lynx, almost twice the size of their lowland cousins. In addition, as do the mountains' herbivores vary based on their latitude, so too do their carnivores. The foothills of the Sîdan Silvolk are a common home for bulettes, which act as the biome's largest terrestrial predator, while the high caves of the Silver Mountains are the exclusive home of some of Nosgorov's deadliest wurms, braskelwurms and lindwurms. Due to the somewhat common nature of mountain predators, travel through the region can be particularly dangerous, even through the well traversed Skiros Pass.
As the elevation increases, the abundance of hares quickly gives way to an abundance of common chipmunks, a particular favorite of griffon vultures, while the populations of weasels and beavers give way to populations of sables, alpine marmots, which tend to be the common prey to other small carnivores such as foxes or coyotes. Seeds, fruits, berries, forage plants, and fungi support these creatures across much of the ranges, but where they are absent, the region's insect life can fill the gap for many. Larger insects like cicadas, and the split-eyed owl fly can be found as far as mid-way up the mountains, while apollo butterfly (RENAME) is especially sought after by foothill predators who know how to consume them. Many cave dwelling creatures, like bears and bats, rely on the plentiful populations of salamanders, snails, springtails, cave crickets and cave beetles, especially during the winter months.
-Rivers-
Nosgorov's life-giving rivers and their surrounding biomes are home to a near-immeasurable amount of biodiverse life. Handfuls of herbivorous and omnivorous land dwellers, like sables, weasels, muskoxen, moose, and red deer, to name a few, share these freshwater biomes with scores of aquatic and semi-aquatic herbivores and omnivores, such as ducks, mergansers, mallards, geese, beavers, sizable ranges of turtles, sockeye salmon, broad whitefish, river catfish, pontic shads, as well as numerous other kinds of fish. In addition to the draw of fresh drinking water, these creatures all rely on the plethora of food that the river provides as well, from algaes, river grasses, and other aquatic plants to mollusks like freshwater mussels and snails, or even small crustaceans, like freshwater crabs and crayfish. Perhaps most notable, is the exceedingly rare, and quite possibly endangered, herbivore atopodentatus which can be found only within the River Rhune and its tributaries. Atopodentatus are strange aquatic reptiles, growing up to nine feet in length and bearing bizarre hammer-shaped heads and shovel-like jaws.
Like the herbivores that frequent the river banks and tributaries of the region for clean water, carnivores are frequent visitors as well, making the likes of gorynychus, wolves, bears, or big cats a potentially common sight. Great predators like thorn beasts or yutyrannus can even be spotted drinking fresh water, or else hunting unsuspecting prey that is. Even so, carnivores like the great crested grebe, the giant toad, the grey heron, and the Nosgorovian water snake can be found in plenty all along the rivers of the province. The waters themselves are home to at least two kinds of carnivorous river eel, river pikes, "river monsters", or pholiderpeton, and even the rare group of seals that have made their way upriver from the coast. While most river carnivores don't pose much danger to travelers unless threatened, groups of river eels as well as lone pholiderpeton are no strangers to attempting to prey upon larger creatures. In the case of river eels, they use their great number to overwhelm herons or giant toads, while the nearly twelve-foot pholiderpeton can rely on its size and ferocity to drag prey like wolves and deer to a watery grave.
Of the smaller terrestrial and semi-terrestrial life to be found here, river otters aplenty can be spotted playing and hunting all throughout the rivers of the land; beavers and muskrats dam up streams and river branches and build burrows at their banks, all the while, frogs like the brown river frog and the moor frog compete with carnivorous banded newts and insectivorous hucho trout for their fill of insects, slugs, and any manner of juvenile aquatic life. Nosgorovian sturgeons are a rare sight, benthically feeding upon the riverbed for shellfish, small fish, and fisheggs. Rarest of all, though, is a creature unlike any other to be found in the wilds of Nosgorov outside of some magical or supernatural meddling. The mysterious rusalka is a humanoid creature, about which little is known. Taking the form of a beautiful woman, they are thought by some to be one of the unseelie folk from some twilight realm and by others to be simple water spirits, given vengeful purpose due to the traumatic death of a maiden within the river or upon its banks. Whatever the case, what little else is known is that these creatures use beguiling songs to lure animal and adventurer alike to the water's edge, whereupon they are said to attack, drown, and feast upon their prey. Due to the rusalka's near-folkloric status, however, there are many who question whether they even exist at all, often equating accounts of them to old wives tales and stories to frighten children away from particularly dangerous stretches of Nosgorov's river.
-Coastlines-
Natural Resources
The vast expanse of boreal tree growth is not only the Nosgorovian tiaga's most prominent feature, but also its most valuable natural resource. Though timber is quite often extracted elsewhere in the province as well, the taiga's firs, spruces, pines, and other soft conifers, serve as a common source of softwood for the Nosgorov's evergrowing timber needs. Certain larches and hemlocks, on the other hand, serve as a brilliant source for hardwood in the region. Yew, in particular, is highly prized throughout Alabast due to its somewhat hybrid property, giving it incredible versatility in almost every application. The steppeland broadleaves are sought for use in defensive structures, or otherwise sturdy construction, such as keeps, or great halls. And, though Nosgorov's steppes support a lower tree density than its mountainous or taiga zones, its many grasses and fescues provide a plethora of both wild and domesticated animals with vital food supply. They are additionally used by weavers and crafters the region over in applications ranging from from clothing items to home goods to roofing.
Nosgorov's other raw materials often come from below the ground, most usually in its mountainous regions. Rocks like kyanite, coal, shungite, and limestone have been mined by the region's populace, for use in construction and industry, for many centuries. Base metals like tin and copper are mined at verying points throughout the steppes, while manganese and iron mines dot the foothills. The Silver Mountains in northeastern Nosgorov are home to a majority of provinces silver mines, for which the mountains are named, and the presence of such rich silver deposits has served Nosgorov quite well. Its abundance means that even the poorest of settlements tend to use silver as their main method of commerce, an effect that extends even into many regions of Détreaux. Other precious metal mines, like osmium and gold mines, are be periodically constructed, and occasionally contested, throughout the Sîdan Silvolk range. Though, perhaps most prized of all, are Nosgorov's gemstone mines, handfuls of which can be found across the province. Such mines are heavily protected and produce everything from emeralds, garnets, and alexandrite, to malachite, thulite, and nosgorite, a type of gem sought after for its applications in divination magicks.
The Nosgorovian wilderness, far and wide, also serves to support populations of equally valuable animal life. All manner of small game are relied upon for survival by the region's many rustic settlements and hearty travelers; foxes, beavers, hares, muskrats, and squirrels of all kinds are hunted throughout the year. Herd animals like cows, goats, and sheep are domesticated as livestock, while horses are tamed for use in trade, industry, and war, should the need arise. Wild creatures like deer, boar, bears and wisents are hunted year-round for their meat and hides, while the likes of walrus and woolly mammoths are invaluable to Nosgorov's ivory trade. Direwolves, sabre cats, and other predators are often hunted for varying cultural reasons; some times as coming of age ceremonies and other times so that their parts may be used ritually. One such tradition, long ago held by Nosgorov's settlers, involved a social ritual that one would undergo in order to become eligible to challenge a ruling king. The challenger would be required to track and hunt either a powerful wurm, or a mighty yutyrannus, two of Nosgorov's most fearsome land predators, and return with their teeth and hide. Should the challenger be successful, a set of champion's armor was made for them, and the challenged king would be held by honor to face their challenger on a field chosen by the champion, elsewise they could simply yield their crown to the challenger as well.
Apart from the rugged mines and untamed wilds, a number of fecund farms can be found throughout the Nosgorovian province. In the north, root vegetables like beets, turnips, potatoes, and rutabagas (or kålrabi), are farmed in abundance, even by cattle farmers. These vegetables are often traded in markets, or with other farmers, further south, where oat, barley, and wheat farms are much more common. Lettuce and cabbage are especially common throughout Nosgorov's central expanses, while its foothills are home to a small handful of notable apple orchards. Nearer to the provinces river systems, it is not at all uncommon to happen upon carrot, garlic, and onion farms, all favored for their use across a wide range of Nosgorovian cuisine. Perhaps most notably, is the so-called "sunflower belt" that extends from southern Nosgorov into northern Détreaux, split in half by the River Rhune. Farmlands across the southern reaches of the provinces all grow sunflowers and, with the help of their neighbors south of the river, they serve to cement Alabast as the continent's largest producer of sunflower seeds year-over-year.
Several other natural resources can be found in great plenty throughout the region as well. For instance, berries of all kinds are gathered all through the year, and for a variety of purposes, used locally in everything from food and drink to dyes and medicine. Nosgorov's steppes, especially, are valued for their unique range of berries, which Nosgorovian bakers use to humble even the proudest cooks from neighboring Détreaux. The region's mountains and foothills are famous for their abundance of apples, while its woodland is commonly foraged for resources like tea plants, pinecones, and fiddleheads, for use in the crafting of teas, syrups, and other foodstuffs. Many of Nosgorov's varied mosses, fungi, flowers, and lichens are also sought for their apothecary applications as well as their alchemical uses. The province's diverse fungal and plant life is so integral, in fact, that druids, witches, and mages alike rely on it variety to further their research pursuits, complete their offering rituals, and perfect their veritable arrays of potions and poultices. Famously, subjects like lungwort and fire fungus, which are used in a number of healing brews and volatile fire starting concoctions, respectively.
Tourism
Nosgorov's major cities and towns are generally open to travelers of all sorts, but one should take note that this hospitality is not often shared by many of the northern province's smaller settlements. Where lodging and trade is aplenty within the bustle of civilization, the hardier villages and towns found further off the trail will likely be much more reluctant to offer such conveniences. Mistrust among these Nosgorovian settlements is due in large part to banditry, as well as the menagerie of rogue mages who occasionally flee into the wilderness to avoid persecution at the hands of The Circle of Alabast.
While adventurers in Nosgorov can expect to find plenty of work at the behest of local lords or guilds, the average traveler will find a countless number of inns and taverns featuring unique folk foods accompanied by no shortage of sagas and bardsong. Scholarly individuals might seek out one of Nosgorov's many Mage's Guilds in the pursuit of alchemic potions, magical trinkets, or other arcane knowledge. Merchants, Traders, and other fiscally savvy folk would do well to seek out one of the province's larger trading hubs, such as Outlook, Moskgorod, or even The Iron City, should they find themselves up for the trek. Some mountain savvy travelers might seek to trade for the native andradite that is common to the northern Sîdan Silvolk range.
For those seeking to experience Nosgorov's cultural offerings, human settlements offer an array of authentic cuisines such as pirozhkis and vezëhash dhe brat, while their brewers produce some of the finest stouts and porters in all of Alabast. Goblin food-craft is also highly regarded in some of the more remote regions; The Malted Goblin in Northern Nosgorov, for example, is praised for its casu marsu. Those with a finer taste may covet something far more refined, however. Rare, Dark Elven tea. Travelers often risk life and limb to visit the Dark Elves in their lofty mountain villages, just for a taste of what some would consider to be "An artform perfected." Settlements all throughout the "sunflower belt" hold sunflower festivals every summer, which largely fall between festivals held to honor gods both new and old. It's not uncommon for some towns and villages throughout the southern regions to celebrate for weeks at a time, especially during years where harvests have yielded bumper crops.
Even simple sightseers can find a plethora of man-made and natural wonders across the region-- From the great, misty mountain waterfalls and deep rocky gorges of the eastern foothills to the snow blanketed vistas of the northern boreal forests and high cliffs of the highland coast. Even the vast expanse of the steppes themselves contain wonders found nowhere else if one knows where to look. Man-made platinum mines and ancient kurgans, or cairns, sparsely dot the landscape. The occasional runic monument can also be found still standing amongst the grasslands, marking old gathering areas or tribal centers. Most notably, however, is likely Nïr Morred's largest dragon graveyard. Though none of these fearsome beasts are known to exist today, the reminder of their once great might is enough to draw many travelers who wish to see such legendary remnants for themselves.
Inhabitants
Historically, one of the first civilized inhabitants of greater Alabast, Nosrgorov included, are agreed to have been its varied delnnish populations, while the land's long-storied dark elves are thought to have lived amongst the lofty ridges and shoulders of the Sîdan Silvolk Range since time immemorial. The delns, or halflings, shared, or disputed, much of their settled lands with a number of gnomish communities and hill giant clans, and their northernmost frontier towns were contested to have reached somewhere near The Bastion Valley. For much of their history, there were few, other than Wildheart delns, who dared explore further, as many were content with the breadth of their holdings or were forced to focus their efforts elsewhere due to their proximity to the hill giant clans. By contrast, the dark elves largely remained in their high mountain villages for untold millenia, only ever leaving to construct a number of famous mines in the Nosgorovian foothills. In modern times, both societies have largely chosen to remain untethered from the conflicts and politics of the contient, prefering instead to preserve the culture and status quo of their smaller, close-knit communities. The likes of ogres and goblins have also made their homes throughout Alabast, and Nosgorov in particular, since before the days of the great Delnnish kingdoms. And, in fact, many regions of modern day Nosgorov were dubbed "The Goblin Lands" during ancient times. Goblins have coexisted with ogres since the dawn of age of mystery, surviving on the rugged outskirts of what most historians deemed "civilized lands". Though most goblin communities seldom came into conflict with the early Delns, at least until until they began to push north into the steppelands, their existance was equated with savagery for centuries- A notion due, in part, to their sacraficial religious and shamanistic customs, as well as their somewhat chaotic social structure- And this rhetoric served to to fuel much xenophobic and expansionist propaganda, even as recently as pre-modern times. Ogre populations, on the other hand, have antagonized nearly all of the region's inhabitants over the course of their long history, and have always been regarded as an enemy to almost all who would encounter them. Waging wars with goblins, razing dark elven villages, assailing delnnish towns, even being so bold as to raid the hill giant clans of old. These dynamics have shifted somewhat over the last era and, while ogres are still viewed as a dangerous non-society of cruel giant-kin, goblins have largely been accepted into many facets of modern Nosgorovian society, especially among larger cities and towns. Sometime during the beginning of the first era, humans of unknown origins began to appear in the Sîdan Silvolk mountain range. By dark elven reckoning, they arrived in such droves that there was no choice for them other than to spill down into the lowlands of Nosgorov. Though largely willing to leave eachother to their devices, this aparent exodus was not without its abrasivness towards the elves, a habit that seems to follow humanity into the modern day. Over the course of only a few centuries, pockets of humanity had settled far and wide across Alabast, and even neighboring Tiberoa. As their communities developed, they made war with nearly every civilization and society that crossed their paths, and sometimes even their own, but even this near-constant warfare was not enough to halt their expansion. The rise in human numbers quickly transformed the delns into a regional minority, and their propensity for conflict eventually drove the hill giants to extinction sometime near the end of the bronze age. It is widely accepted that, although humanity is the region's youngest society, humans have had the largest impact on Nosgorov, having irreversibly changed the social dynamic of the region, having caused much deforestation, and having endangered several once plentiful species. As of the second era, the ripples of failed wars, and reorganization of government have largely pacified the human need for expansion, causing many of the province's modern humans to turn their interests towards science, magic, industry.Organizations
In addition to its local and overarching bodies of government, Nosgorov is also home to a number of competing and cooperating organizations such as guilds, cults, militaristic orders, secret societies and more. Perhaps most notable are the peacekeeping and generically-named Nosgorovian Guard, the generally good-intentioned Heroes' Guild, the coin-driven mercenaries and sellswords of the Iron Company, the network of ancestral stablemasters known as the Horseman's Guild, the brave beast slayers that make up the Guild of Monster Hunters, the secret society of information dealers referred to has the Hromada, the ecclesiastic and sometimes-zealous Brotherhood of St. Olkenheim, the pious and community-serving Brotherhoods of St. Garth and St. Andorra, and the enigmatic Cult of Zhet, whose influence seems to have spread from the Province of Détreaux. By that same notion, Nosgorov has attracted many other mercenary outfits and adventuring companies. The monster-slaying Hunter's Conclave is perhaps one of the more famous examples, though committed to protecting Nosgorov's people from the fearsome beasts of its wilds, the ideals and methodologies of the conclave are diametrically opposed to those of the Guild of Monster Hunters. Other mercenary companies from beyond Nosgorov's borders also operate within the region despite not being headquartered there. Notable among them are the Tiberoan Doric Company, the Order of Heroes and the Twin River Society of Détreaux, as well as the Red Hand of Gnod from Aramvir. Some more storied adventuring companies include the TBDNotable Inhabitants
Government
When Nosgorov was first unified as an imperial province, it was ruled as a vassal state to The Old Alabastian Empire and was headed by an imperial governer. The position of governer was second only to that of the emperor, but was increasingly considered insufficient as time went on. In order to help sway the hearts and minds of the inhabitants of Nosgorov, the provincial government was expanded, and many of the regions former tribal chieftans were restored to seats of power and installed as dukes, in exchange for their fealty and imperial oversight. Even still, this proved less than fruitful in tempering the flames of rebellion, and it was not until the Concord of Barons and Boyars was signed into law, ceding more power to local families and landowners, that the province entered a long period of general peace and stability. After the collapse of the empire, in the early days of the second era, Nosgorov's power structure remained largely unchanged by the hands of The Circle of Alabast. The most major change was to the title of governer, which was formally changed to the culturally relevant title of tsar, having its responsibilities now split amongs two individuals in an effort to keep Nosgorov's power decentralized. The only other changes were the further expansion of local political autonomy and the addition of landowning knights and bogatyrs into the province's political hierarchy. By 2E 47, and continuing into the modern day, Nosgorov's general structure of power was as follows:- The Pillars of Alabast/The Circle of Alabast
- The Tsars/Tsarinas
- The Dukes/Duchesses
- The Boyars/Boyaresses
- The Barons/Baronesses
- The Knights/Bogatyrs
by Viktor Vasnetsov
Religion
Since the collapse of the old empire, Nosgorov has had no state religion and nearly any religious practice is tolerated, provided it does not interfere with the administration and governance of the Circle of Alabast or its client rulers. Most of Nosgorov's human populations worship a deity known as the "All-One", generally argued to be the humanized analog of Juturna, and observe a set of lesser gods or saints from either the new Alabastian Pantheon, the old Nosgorovian Pantheon, or sometimes even motley assortments of other spirits and deities; most of the province's other communities tend to worship deities with particular cultural relevance and alignment, though worship of the All-One has spread amongst many Delnnish settlements since the start of the second era. Across all of the region's pantheons, some saints and lesser deities are more favored than others due to the concerns of their specific portfolios in relation to daily life in the region. Some notable examples include:
by Vasily Vereshchagin
- All-One: The prime deity amongst a majority of human and delnnish populations, sometimes "The Maker" or just "God", argued by some to be of elven origin.
- St. Andorra: The Alabastian patron saint of the sun, temple services to St. Andorra are the most traditional, comprising largely of sermons, blessings, and weekly worship.
- St. Olkenheim: One of the Alabastian pantheon's Nosgorovian analogs, worshiped by warriors and weaponsmiths the province over.
- St. Garth: Likely adopted from the Delnnish pantheon, St. Garth's popularity has increased among the likes of farmers since the start of the second era.
- St. Ixis: Because St. Ixis is the patron saint of lost hunters, his worship has been a staple in Nosgorovian culture since his incorporation into the Alabastian pantheon.
- St. Dimitri: The patron saint of reformed criminals, as well as the sick and infirmed, St. Dimitri is worshiped by many who seek a second chance in life, especially amongst those who have come to Nosgorov to escape their old lives.
Mythology
Nosgorov is a long storied land, and its varied history is subject to many different myths and legends sourced from all of its cultures. While the myths and legends of the region could be studied for several lifetimes, the information below comprises some of its most well known mythology, organized by culture.Human Myth
Though they make up Nosgorov's youngest culture, their mythology has endured a far more transformative existance than that of other regional inhabitants, owed mostly to their comparatively shorter lifespans. Nosgorov's common human myths have spread thoroughly amongst the hearts and minds of the region's populace, to the point that even elves, delns, and other folk humor them on occasion. Some recount the origins of the great wurms and thornbeasts of the north, others tell of ancient curses in the northern reaches of the land. Others, still, contend that creatures of the night stalk Nosgorov's mountains and forests, or that the undead sometimes roam the steppes on certain holidays, such as Tallows Eve. One particularly popular human myth describes that the first Nosgorovians, and in some versions the first of all modern day Alabastians, were simply placed atop the mountains of the Sîdan Silvolk Range by the hand of whatever god is most convenient to the tale, usually the All-One; though sometimes an ancient or obscure human god. There are scholars who disagree with this notion, however, and in the book "The Dark Elven Account" author and philosopher Pyotr Badayev points to several sources and accounts that seemingly disprove the myth, held in dark elven monasteries and libraries deep in the mountains. Even so, as most of Nosgorov's human population generally steers clear of the lofty villages of the dark elves, where they might confirm such claims, dissenters like Badayev are seldom taken seriously outside of their philosophical circles. Most myths held by the humans of Nosgorov revolve around things like folk legends, superstitions, holidays, and festivals. Some legends spin tales of great weapons wielded and made magical by valorous heroes of old, or tell of times of great tragedy and suffering that had defined generations. Myth and superstition have evolved to shed light upon all manner of things that might otherwise go unexplained, from things as mundane as brownies causing milk to sour to the belief that whistling on a ship risks conjuring a storm; they have also evolved to encompass things of grandeur like the reason the dragons vanished from the world, or the origin of the planet's three moons. In fact, most every festival or holiday on the Nosgorovian calendar can trace their roots to some old myth. These myths have done much to define the early Nosgorovian identity, and their long-reaching effects on the culture are still felt to this day.Delnnish Myth
Delnnish mythologies are generally filled to the brim with faerytales and sagas of old. Great hero kings who had succumbed to evil, larger-than-life delns who protected their shires from ferocious beasts, even simple farmers who had successfuly gambled with the slyness of seelie folk, are some such subjects of these tales. Famously, is the legend of Beow The Brave, who slew three great hill giants in the defense of his home in the time before humans wiped them from the land. The alleged anniversary of which is celebrated with a feast at the end of spring. Another famous tale is that of the brave delns who made the original crossing of the vicious River Rhune in order to settle parts of modern day Nosgorov, such accounts still vaguely inscribed upon many groups of standing stones. Some less common myths, on the other hand, tell about how the delns were given the gift of speech by the fey folk, or how they came to understand the working of stone and lumber. And one lesser-known myth, in particular, describes the formation of the pantheon of their gods; how, when the world was new, they discovered the once dwarvish land of Nïr Morred and created the first delns by growing them from a hillside farm field, watered with a magical gourd. There even exists an obscure myth that the delns of Nosgorov are, in some way, descended from the dwarves themselves, though there are few who give this credence in modern times. Though usually fond of their own myths, many delns in the region have also taken to adopting a number of human myths over the ages, for one reason or another, and it is not uncommon for many such myths to take on a delnnish slant where this is the case.
by Siggy Nowak
Dark Elven Myth
The dark elves of the mountain contend that Nosgorov, and more generally the continent, was formed during a great struggle between gods, sometime during the Age of Formation. Oral traditions tell of two great forces who struggled for supremacy, long before even the gods of the elves are said to have walked the planet. And it is passed down that the land was created when one of the entities was nearly stricken down by the other. The impact of the attack is said to have driven up land and rock from beneath the waves, forming the great crater that became Nïr Morred. The wounded entity drove its back up against the wall of the crater with great force and energy, and another blow was struck. This force is said to have fractured the land beneath the entity, driving more craggy ranges up from beneath the ground. Though the result of the battle beyond this has been lost, and the story has been subject to much change over its lengthy verbal history, all dark elven accounts contend that Nïr Morred was created by some great cataclysm that befell this landmass in more primordial times. There are also stories within dark elven theology that describe a rare few demi-god heroes, dark elves who seemingly unlocked higher states of being through heavy meditation and harsh challenge. To this day, there exist a number of cloudy monasteries that vigorously pursue these beliefs, through lifetimes of strict training and studious discipline, hoping to attain such abilities so that they might further aid the dark elven people. Conversely, there are a number of villanous figures or ambiguous anti-heroic figures throughout their theology as well, owed to the long-held dark elven practice, and worship, of shadow magic. Legends tell of many powerful dark elves whose tails tell of either triumph or tragedy at the hands of their ancestral magicks, those who lost control and threatened ruin as well as those who learned to control the darkness to fell far greater evils. A great many temples and shrines litter the Sîdan Silvolk Range, devoted to the practice of shadow magic and the worship of shadow. A fact which causes the unenlightened to somewhat readily misjudge the dark elves of Nosgorov. In truth, one of the prime tenants of dark elven shadow worship is to overcome the darkness within oneself and without. However, this notion can often be lost on many outsiders. Amongst their mountaintop communities, there are additionally all manner of significant and insignificant myths and superstitions that play a part of everyday life. Some beliefs might be as innocuous as believing that brownies can cause quinoa weevil infestations, or that certain ancestral gods have specific summoning days on which they are in the best mood. As well as things that are more remarkable, like the prayer ceremonies they undergo when breaking ground on a new mine shaft, or the notion that ash and soot hold holy or mystical powers. Some beliefs can be even more bizarre— Such as the belief that one must never pass up a dance if one's foot catches aflame— And some dark elves have purported that their kind shared a mental connection with creatures like the gorynychus during ancient times.Gnomish Myth
Given that gnomish tradition is passed down in an almost entirely oral fashion, one would be hard pressed to learn much about them from anyone other than the gnomes themselves. One commonly accepted myth, however, is that gnomes are believed to be descended from feyfolk who were once plentiful in the region in the time before the Delns. Some gnomish scholars have said, and it has long been believed by the gnomes, that when other folk began to push the fey back to their secret realms and domains during the Age of Mystery, the gnomes were mistakenly left behind by the fey folk, simply to hermetic and minuit to have been remembered. Innocently, gnomes also famously adhere to a superstition that one should drink their tea with only their left hand before embarking on a journey, lest one's luck run afoul. Another, perhaps more significant, common myth attributed to the gnomes is the belief that every woodland is embodied by a particular energy or spirit, and that, like individuals, they can become the subject of divine blessings and evil curses. Indeed, in many legends that parallel human and centaur folklore, much of Nosgorov's northern woodlands have long been considered to be home to ancient evils and dark powers. These evil energies and spirits are held by gnomish belief to be the source of the fearsome and dangerous creatures that now inhabit such forests; a form of vengeance at the hands of the land itself, caused by its misuse by the regions other inhabitants.Faun & Centaur Myth
The ancient mythologies of the faun and centaur populations of Nosgorov coincide with one another to such a degree, many argue that they are one and the same. Like the gnomes of the land, though, their traditions are passed down orally, and much of what is written about them is largely secondhand. In truth, The Old Alabastian Empire and The Circle of Alabast have generally long ignored the fauns and centaurs of Nosgorov, a fact that the denizens of the wilds didn't at all mind, the governing bodies of the land seeing little benefit it waging a war with those they considered to be one and the same with the wilderness itself. Although faun and centaur communities began interacting with established settlements in the wake of the Time of Vexation, much of their myth and folklore is generally shrouded in mystery. Even so, one particularly famous legend, that many centaurs seem to share openly, describes an ancient circle of centaur druids who once protected all the land, from the River Rhune to the northern coast. It is said that these centaurs were so connected with the land, that they could look, feel, and travel through it, as if they were one. One day, however, a dark entity appeared deep within the forest and began to corrupt the land, twisting its creatures into horrible beasts. The centaurs rose up to meet this evil, and ultimately locked it away, deep within a far off forest chasm, but it cost them greatly in the end. There are many different versions of the story, generally with key elements changed, such as how many survived, or how they they loved this evil way. But a few particular details remain consistent, particularly that the survivors scattered to the corners of Alabast seeking suitable successors of their craft. That nature of this consistency leads many to maintain that Nosgorov's ancient centaurs brought the practices of druidcraft and druidry to the likes of the gnomes, delns, and eventually even humans. While other, lesser known centaur myths are attested, faun myth and folklore are harder to source records of. Fauns are usually clandestine, and some argue whether they are, in fact, denizens of the material plane at all. Even so, a number of small forest settlements do exist, and some have even become occasionaly traveled in recent years. Philosophers, scholars, and bards alike, however, are left consistently confused by the nature of faunic myth. They often cite the abstract and rather conceptual myths and tales that fauns tell, such as the idea that every tree has a name, or the original meaning of the color green. Despite this, there are a small number of little known myths that appear to be slightly more traditional compared to those held by other cultures. Faunsong, for example, is an alledgely attested bicentennial event in which many of the land's satyrs will gather for a night of revelry, playing a musical tune that is said to send even the foulest of woodlands into a deep, peaceful slumber.Órtinóri Myth
The birdfolk of the mountains are known to have come from the elemental planes and, as such, their mythology is perhaps the most disconnected from the land of Nosgorov. Much of that is known about their theology on the material plane revolves around ancestor worship, with the commonly held belief that the spirits of family members can bestow fortunes and blessings from beyond the veil. This belief is so deep-rooted, in fact, that their ancestors are even cited as the source of an órtinóri's ability to fly. The "flightless", or descendants of órtinóri who are unable to fly, are odten considered to have lost the favor of their ancestors at some point in their lineage, though this is a notion apparently only carried by those órtinóri living on the material plane. Other beliefs held by these birdfolk deal with things such as the origin of the winds, which they contend travels directly from the plane of air itself. They are also comprised of myths and tales revolving around the elemental planes, the purpose of flight, and their kinship with most all forms of avian life. Perhaps most popular among these, at least amongst bards and scops, is the tale of The Deft Wing, Miirricco, who purportedly flew so fast that they broke through the barrier between realms. Apparently the first being to have crossed from the plane of air to the prime material realm, Miirricco is sometimes called the "fifth wind". This particular story, dripping with tales of exotic cities in an endless sky and great winged wonders of magnificent diversity, has enraptured the taverns of Nosgorov for decades. Further, it is not unheard of for the órtinóri to sometimes consider Miirricco a mortal-god as well, with many religious scrolls and sermons describe him as either as a demi-god or some other form of divine exemplar.Goblin & Hobgoblin Myth
Perhaps least recognized, due in no small part to long held negative perceptions of goblinkind, are the myths and legends of Nosgorovian goblins and their kin. Like Nosgorov's other cultures, things like gods are known to some, and fewer still can cite a miniscule handful of holidays and chaotic ceremonies. Their theology tends to be a mixture of animistic shamanism and ancestral veneration, however, there also exists a very loose pantheon of major gods as well; namely Gurm, the patron god of goblins, Magazzan, the goblinoid "hag mother of witchcraft", and Dokkoric, the ogre-god of war. An additional, peculiar, entity worshipped especially amongst hobgoblin communities is a deity known as Akkan, sometimes attributed to the demon Asukkan. Subsequently, only small numbers of goblins appear to participate in any form of religious practice, often relegated strictly to shamans and fervently pious communities. Instead, many goblins, hobgoblins included, tend to live by sets of strong ideals inspired by old folk heroes who appear to have since become near-mythic figures across their seldom recorded sagas. They also live by a set of long held superstitions— For example, the belief that dwarves are ancient evils, now long-gone, that exist only within the nightmares of goblins— They also tend to believe that rats, as well as insect wings, are tokens of good luck, and that sneezing is a sign that a spirit is attempting to possess ones body.
by Dzheneev Ivan Alekseevich
by Nicholas Drake
Alternative Name(s)
Northern Alabast
Type
Territory
Location under
Owning Organization
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