Gennesaret Basin
The most beautiful land in all Mashiq
The Gennesaret Basin is a large valley located in the northwestern portion of the Mashiq. It is one of the most fertile locations in all the Mashiq along with the Poppy River and supplies much of the food and wealth of the north east towns and kingdoms of the Mashiq. Surrounded by great bluffs of granite, it can be well fortified or surrounded by hungry eyes depending on the stability of the period. Its most prominent feature is Lake Gannet, the largest freshwater lake in the Mashiq and an important source of irrigation and food for the basin. It is currently ruled by Tybalt, the Lord of the Gannet and the Gennesaret and a vassal of Theodosia I, the Queen of Jeharoa.
Geography
The Gennesaret Basin is locate in the northwest portion of the Mashiq. It is surrounded by granite bluffs, and was supposedly created during the War of the Dawn. Some claim that Lake Gannet was formed from the sweat of the goddess Ezrahil, with the sweat of her foe, Valdra, forming the boiling Sulfur Sea to the south. These granite bluffs separate the Gennesaret Basin from the Poppy River Valley in the west and the Migdal Plain in the east. Locals refer to these two highland ranges as the Shamra Divide and the Harraken Range respectively. These regions consists of rocky terrain, at heights of between 500 and 700 m. Several high mountains are can be found in both the Shamra and the Harraken specifically Mount Kobold and Mount Rehbo. Each have relatively low temperatures and high rainfall. The streams and waterfalls, the latter mainly in the northwest uplands, along with vast fields of greenery and colorful wildflowers have caused many to consider the Gennesaret to be the most beautiful land in all the Mashiq.
Fauna & Flora
Because of the region's elevation, rainfall, and the abundance of freshwater from Lake Gannet, the Gennesaret region contains some distinctive flora and fauna: prickly juniper, Bashari cedar, cyclamens, paeonias, and rhododendrons all explode into bloom each fall (as the Mashiq is in the southern hemisphere, it is essentially the region's spring.)
Birds all the way from Auloa migrate to the fertile basin each summer (see above) to avoid the cold weather. Additionally, many wild beasts call the fringes of the basin home including wolves; deer; goats, and boars; leopards; lions; falcons; vultures; ducks; geese; markhors; caracals; porcupines; squirrels; marmots; rabbits; mice; rats; skeevers; hamsters; voles; hedgehogs; bats; crag cats; mongooses; hyenas; foxes; jackals; weasels; martens; donkeys; mules; gazelle; cormorants; gannets; petrels; pelicans; herons; ibises; storks; swans; sparrows; osprey; buzzards; eagles; quail; pheasant; grouse; cranes; gulls; doves; parakeets; owls; larks; swallows; martins; wrens; thrushes; crows; ravens; magpies; starlings; finches; lizards; chameleons; geckos; constrictor snakes; venomous snakes; turtles; tortoises; dire weasels; frogs; toads; giant vultures; giant hyenas; erymanthoi; giant spiders; blood hawks; wasps; bees; beetles; spiders; scorpions; ants; moths; butterflies; crickets;
However, because of the long occupation of mortals in the region, few monstrous creatures call the Gennesaret home, or at least few have populations large enough to be considered endemic. A few notable exceptions include: chamrosh (hybrid: fox/falcon cockatrice; imperial gryphon (golden eagle/lion hippogryffs; stirges; and the cedar pseudodragon.
Natural Resources
Inhabitants of the Gennesaret are blessed with bountiful harvests of wheat, barley, juniper, grapes, pine nuts, pomegranates, dates, and citrus fruits, particularly lemons. Many herbs are gathered in local gardens and exported from here as well: thyme, mint, parsley, basil, cardamom, fennel, and rosemary infuse the region's cuisine with its unique flavor. Fish from Lake Gannet such as tilapia is a staple among the middle and upper class of the region.
In the Palladian Era, tin, granite, marble, and even some gold was extracted from the outlying bluffs of the region. However, it is widely believed that the metals of area have been largely extracted or are too deep for any miners apart from dwarves to access.
Today, some timber is still carved from the woodlands on the edges of the basin, though they are quickly being depleted and most of the region's timber is not exported because of the relative proximity to Kanesh's Bashari Timberlands.
Alternative Name(s)
The Lyre Valley
Type
Valley
Location under
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Inhabiting Species
- Mercy Zahrel
- Tybalt
- Sir Crispin
- Littleclaw
- Theodosia I
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