Dovelands
Dovelands is one of eight regional territories of the Realm of Talevir.
The territory is administered out of Dovetail Point, along the southernmost tip in the southeast of Talevir.
The territory lays claim to and controls the southeast of Talevir, bounded to the north by the territory of Ranger's Reach at the Cave River and to west by the territory of Deer Valley at the ridge of The Spine mountain range and Ramshaven Wash.
The grassland comprising the northern expanse of Dovelands seems an inviting stretch for farmers, but the soil is thin and rocky and little surface water persists for irrigation. Limestone and Dolomite form the base bedrock, and much of the surface water across the plain drains into caves and fissures that eventually run east to the Crosswind Sea underground. Digging wells in the northern Dovelands always comes with the risk of breaking into a cavern and creating a sinkhole instead. The plains are good rangeland, though. Sheep, cattle, and ponies are valued livestock from the region, and some cereal grains like oats and barley are staples.
The southern point of Dovelands, the Southwood Downs, is made up of low, rolling hills covered in a dense mixed broadleaf forest. Maples, elm, plane trees, some pine, and above all oaks fill the many gullies and slopes of the hills, with scrub and annual grasses crowning the hills and covering the south-facing slopes. Hogs are plentiful here, and a major specialty export for Dovetail Point is cured pork and boar. Highly valued specialty mushrooms and truffles are found through the hills, as well as wild strawberries, sage, and various herbs. Sweeter and more heavily fortified wines (many of them spiced) come from the warm hillsides. Add to the bounty of local foods the position of Dovetail Point as the first point of arrival for peoples arriving to Talevir and its position for importing spices, and the region has naturally become a showcase for a multitude of different cuisines and a hotbed for melding and fusing food cultures.
The territory is administered out of Dovetail Point, along the southernmost tip in the southeast of Talevir.
The territory lays claim to and controls the southeast of Talevir, bounded to the north by the territory of Ranger's Reach at the Cave River and to west by the territory of Deer Valley at the ridge of The Spine mountain range and Ramshaven Wash.
The grassland comprising the northern expanse of Dovelands seems an inviting stretch for farmers, but the soil is thin and rocky and little surface water persists for irrigation. Limestone and Dolomite form the base bedrock, and much of the surface water across the plain drains into caves and fissures that eventually run east to the Crosswind Sea underground. Digging wells in the northern Dovelands always comes with the risk of breaking into a cavern and creating a sinkhole instead. The plains are good rangeland, though. Sheep, cattle, and ponies are valued livestock from the region, and some cereal grains like oats and barley are staples.
The southern point of Dovelands, the Southwood Downs, is made up of low, rolling hills covered in a dense mixed broadleaf forest. Maples, elm, plane trees, some pine, and above all oaks fill the many gullies and slopes of the hills, with scrub and annual grasses crowning the hills and covering the south-facing slopes. Hogs are plentiful here, and a major specialty export for Dovetail Point is cured pork and boar. Highly valued specialty mushrooms and truffles are found through the hills, as well as wild strawberries, sage, and various herbs. Sweeter and more heavily fortified wines (many of them spiced) come from the warm hillsides. Add to the bounty of local foods the position of Dovetail Point as the first point of arrival for peoples arriving to Talevir and its position for importing spices, and the region has naturally become a showcase for a multitude of different cuisines and a hotbed for melding and fusing food cultures.
by Thomas Smith
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