Kingdom of Longpine

Life and Society:

Life in the Kingdom of Longpine is fairly diverse. The people of Pinewoods Keep have widely different lives than the traders who make the Longrun River their home, or the craftspeople and farmers of Thoslo, all of whom are quite separated from the dwarves of Grimplegrin and the surrounding dwarven settlements. What all of these people have in common is their lives are deeply shaped by the terrain they are settled in. Longpine has the most diverse geography of any of the five kingdoms. The close relationship between the elves, dwarves, halflings, and humans all of whom make their homes in Longpine gives the kingdom a rich trading culture.
The people of Longpine rely on the rugged and diverse terrain to protect them, more than keeps and castles. That doesn't mean that when needed they can't take up arms and should the dwarves of Grimplegrin be moved to mobilize they are truly a force to be reckoned with. They are the least warlike of the Five kingdoms and most of the clans prefer to trade rather than raid. Half and mixed species peoples are much more common in Longpine than anywhere else, and yet due to its harsh terrain and far northern location, it has remained the most unchanged of the kingdoms as more and more trade and exploration outside of Jotunar has become common.
The settled villagers in the small hamlets live like rural folk in other lands, although they take great pains to take only what they need from the land. They live by hunting small game, farming small spaces of open prairie, and collecting dead wood from the forest. When enemies approach, the commoners (all of whom have some skill at wilderness lore) disappear into the woods, protected by the rangers and druids who mercilessly slay anyone who causes deliberate harm to the forest. The rangers and druids tend to the plants and animals of their land, train students in the ways of nature, make fine wooden items, acquire rare herbs, and create things of magic and alchemy for trade. Open-minded youths are trained and then sent into the other kingdoms to speak with other druids and rangers. Some of these travelers are given a treant seedling to plant in a deserving forest or are told to slay followers of Loki.

Major Geographical Features:

Great Pine Forest:

The wide, dense, and tangled Great Pine Forest separates Longpine from both Nornall in the south and the Kingdom of Jornur to the East. While it is called the Great Pine Forest it is home, in abundance, to all seven of the sacred trees: Oak, Ash, Pine, Yew, Hawthorne, Holly, and Blackthorne. The trees here grow taller and thicker than anywhere else in Jotunar, perhaps anywhere on Arnareth. Due to this height and density, the forest floor is in a perpetual state of shadow and twilight. The Great Pine Forest hides many ancient secrets, and it is carefully maintained and protected by the elves that call it home. A large number of druids, elven, and half elven patrol the forest keeping it safe for those who call it home and free of invaders.

Longrun River: 

The Longrun River flows south from the Bay of Ice down the western side of the island and empties into the head of Seal Bay. Its waters are swift and cold while in Longpine and it is difficult to cross with only a few places suitable for ferries. Few human clans make their trade along the northern stretches of the rivers, though there are many fish in its waters. Several Halfling clans including the WaveSplitter and Lorelie clans make their livelihoods trading from Thoslo down to Seaborne.

GlitterPeaks: 

These mountains are ancient and rich in both valuable gems and monsters. There are at least four ancient dragons and several giant clans that make their home in the peaks. The dwarves that live in and below the peaks make regular trips to either Thoslo or Pinewoods Keep to trade their tools, works of art, and weapons for other goods. The highest peaks are home to Goliaths, Stone Giants, and Great Eagles.

Bay of Ice: 

The Bay of Ice is filled with treacherous icebergs that move, seemingly on the whims of the gods. White Dragons and Frost Giants make their homes amongst the giant blocks of freezing ice. It is a truly brave or bold humanoid who travels deep into the bay, Its shallower waters are fished and hunted for whale, seal, and fish by humans, halflings, and sea elves. The northernmost entrance to the Longrun River is known as Whitewater Bay due to the roughness of the current as it flows into the river. Many clans along the shores of the Bay of Ice involve Whitewater Bay in their coming-of-age ceremonies.

Important Sites:

Pinewoods Keep:

Pinewoods Keep is what many cities aspire to be: a quiet, peaceful realm, where many species live together for common knowledge, celebration, and defense. The city is peopled primarily by the "goodly" races (humans, dwarves, gnomes, elves, halflings, and half-elves), but no being is turned away from Pinewoods Keep because of its species- though a drow or an orc proving true to one's blood is sure to be punished in full for transgressing against the peace of the city. Pinewoods Keep is a beautiful place. No two buildings are alike, but all are overgrown by vines and hung with plants until they blend back into the forest. The city is a gardener's de­light. Beautifully tended plants are everywhere—in houses, on roofs, every patch of ground, and the roadways. The streets are planted in tanglemoss. Streets wind and curve, me­andering to take the best view or an interesting way, match­ing the city's peace.

The city's easy natural defenses, as well as its diverse population, have made it a city of artisans and scholars more than a city of raiders and warriors. It is the melting pot version of Srelldendia, full of many different species and ideas, as opposed to being predominantly elven. The Current ruler, Queen Rathla Leafdancer of the Green Seeker clan is herself half elven. Her mother is an elven scholar in Srelldendia who studies lost herb lore. This familial connection has strengthened the already strong bonds between the two cities. The defenses of the city are still imposing, and it is rumored the Green Seeker clan have a vast collection of forest beasts at their call, should the city find itself in danger.

Thoslo:

Given its status as the port that feeds the goods from farther south to all of Longpine and offers the only convenient crossing of the Longrun River for many miles, Thoslo makes considerable coin as a crossroads. Merchants wishing to avoid Thoslo can choose to use the Blackford Crossing, some thirty miles downstream, eventually connecting with the Blackford Road on the northern bank, but the savvy know that Thoslo’s Jarl's control the cable-guided ferries at the crossing, and demand tolls based on the size and contents of the goods being ferried across.
The city is split in half on either side of the Longrun River with the Hreslav Bridge in the center of each side of the city. Both sides of the city are well fortified both on land and along the river bank. Many of the fortifications are ancient and of old dwarven make, like the great bridge linking the two sides of the city. The west side of the city, known as West Bank, is devoted almost entirely to warehouses, caravan yards, and workspace. It includes the WaveSplitter Shield, the fortified longhouse that represents Halfling’s trading interest in Thoslo. The main city stands on the eastern side of the Longrun River, where most of the homes and smaller businesses are located.

Srelldendia:

The Gem of the North is a stunning place of sweeping curves, soaring towers, and structures built into the living trees. To many elves, the city is a reminder of the ancient elven cities of old, even where stone is employed in construction, ivy and other living plants grow through, over, or around most structural elements, giving most of the city a green cast. Despite its arboreal architecture, Srelldendia is very much civilized, boasting schools of music and magic, a great library, bardic instruction, and temples or shrines to Braggi, Freya, Freyr, Jord, and Gefjun as well as many others. Knowledge, both the acquisition of it and the wisdom that comes from diligent study, is the real treasure of Srelldendia, as much as magic or wealth could ever be.

Given its beauty, a visit to Srelldendia is among the most memorable experiences most non-elves might have. Even among those who regularly fight monsters or handle magic, Srelldendia is a place of quiet, contemplative beauty, splendid opportunities for learning, and respite from the harsher realities of Arnareth. Folk seeking knowledge that has been lost or hidden often come to Srelldendia seeking a means to find it, whether by studying in the Vault of the Sages or perusing the Map House for the location of a lost city or grove. These are but two of the many buildings and houses of learning in the Conclave of Srelldendia, the great center of knowledge and wisdom that forms much of the city's southern part. It is an easy thing to come to Srelldendia seeking knowledge of one subject and find oneself so enraptured by the study that it takes a lifetime to accomplish - or to realize that it was the study, rather than the sought-after fact, that one truly desired. Although tutors and sages in every field can be found In Srelldendia, rarely is interaction with one so simple as to ask a question and be provided an answer. Learning to cast a particular spell, to find an ancient ruin, or to understand a specific secret might involve undergoing months of instruction to prove to a teacher that the knowledge imparted is being entrusted to a deserving person.

Grimplegrin:

The dwarves who populate this militarily powerful fortress live underground in miles of twisting dwarf-sized corridors Grimplegrin's above-ground citadel may be the mightiest fortress north of Brekt, having withstood countless attacks over the ages. Reaching Grimplegrin is difficult with much of the travel and trade being done underground between the dwarven clans. Caravans do come from the surface, to supply the dwarves with fruits and surface-grown vegetables and return with metals and fine dwarven craftworks.
Humans and elves find Grimplegrin a difficult place to be. Its streets and buildings are small and narrow compared to the cities of the larger folk. The city is cold and always ringing with the sound of metalworking, making it a difficult place to relax for those not born into it.

Hreslav Bridge:

This massive stone arch, a mile long and one hundred feet wide, reaches a height of one hundred fifty feet as it arches over the Longrun River. The massive stone statues of four dwarves, two at either end, stand fifty feet tall. Dwarves built the bridge ages ago to give themselves a walkway over the river no matter how high it flooded. Something in the magic of the bridge pinned the Longrun in place: No matter how the river has snaked and changed its course, it always flows directly under Hreslav Bridge. the dwarves say that the reason the bridge has survived the ages of strife and calamity is because it is sacred to Odin.