Tersten County

Tersten County is a geopolitical region in north central region of Tersten. It is a federal province of Tersten, which grants it semi-autonomy, including its own regional government. Formerly named Pinascimate, the region was given its modern name after the death of Jonathan Tersten. It contains the planetary capital, Tersten City, and stretches ranges from the mountainous region of Quincy in the west, to the eastern Samuel Moore Rift Valley, the geographic border between the continents of Calian and Mora. Its southern border is the Pinascimate Mountains, where the Takiwerk River flows through and out into the White Ocean.
The region is known for its fertile soils, lush green grass, and dense woodlands. It is considered some of the most robust soil on the planet, second only to the Lawless Frontier. It is comprised of many nameless creeks, valleys, hills, and plains. Much of the land around urban settlements has been developed, with a significant urban population as compared to the rest of the planet.

Geography

Tersten County effectively covers the entirety of North Central Tersten. It is divided into eight distinct geographic areas, each with many different peoples and cultures calling it their home. These are:

Calian

Calian is the geographic heartland of Tersten and the center of its economic development. Tersten City is located here, on the banks of the Takiwerk River, and the smaller Takiwerk Lakes that have largely been incorporated into the city itself. The plains of Calian are extremely lush and fertile, with some of the most arable land on the planet located to the east of Tersten City, with much of the land between the eastern edges of the city and the western edges of the Pinascimate Mountains being reserved for farming industries.
North Calian is constrained by the edges of the North Tersten Ocean, which wraps around the northern polar region of the planet, akin to Earth's Arctic Ocean. The Harnonstead Mountains serve as a geographic blockade against the cold northern winds, protecting the rest of Calian while leaving the northernmost coast a mostly frigid tundra. Little Xutong is located on the southern side of the mountains. Little Xutong, named after the larger city of Xutong on Lordania, is built along the banks of the Wangjia Lake, and is a considered one of Tersten's finest 'Spa Cities', claiming to have the "freshest, cleanest mountain water on the planet".
North-east of Little Xutong is the city of Northstream, which is located on the south coast of the North Tersten Ocean. This part of Calian is largely forested hills, with little in the way of development outside of towns and cities. What little development has taken place has been focused on mining efforts in the far north, including arctic oil drilling.
The Harelstone Plains are located to the west of Tersten City, and is the location of Harelstone, the first and largest penal colony settled on the planet. The plains run into the eastern edges of the Dowerbridge region.

Dowerbridge

Dowerbridge is the name given to the central lakes region of Tersten County. Named after the historic Dowerbridge Estate, the area is centered around the large Peckham Lake area. Historically, the Dowerbridge family has lived in the area since the days of the Penal Colony, giving name to the large city of Dowerbridge that developed a few miles from the estate. The region is full of small hills and large forests, with the exception of the Harelstone Plains, which connects Calian and Dowerbridge.
At the heart of Dowerbridge is Peckham Lake, with both the cities of Dowerbridge and New Peckham built on its shores. The Derwent River flows out from Peckham Lake and makes its way north past the Dowerbridge Estate, up through the city of Acton, and then makes its way to the North Tersten Ocean, where it serves as the border between Calian, Dowerbridge, and the Rift Valley.
Further west of New Peckham is the Greenvalley Hollows, a small valley leading to Riggs Lake and the city of Greenvalley, which is considered the westernmost point of the Dowerbridge area. Greenvalley and Riggs Lake also make up the eastern edge of the Finatawa National Park, which is considered its own geographic sub-region.

Priceless

Priceless is one of the smallest areas in Tersten County, focused around the easternly Pinascimate Mountains. It is a land of sweeping canyons and large mountains. The Takiwerk River Valley runs through the region, carving a steep canyon known as the Eleven Bend Canyon, flowing into the Priceless Dam. It is here that Tersten's tallest mountain, Priceless Peak, is located. The city of Courtsend is located here, where two smaller rivers merge into one on its way into the Takiwerk. The densely forested hills to the east of Courtsend mark one of the many ways eastwards into the rest of Tersten. This region was first travelled by escaped penal colonists searching for a new home, with many of their journeys being documented at the Courtsend Museum of Trailblazers.

Concórdia

Concórdia is located to the east of Priceless and Calian, and is considered not technically a part of the geographic region, but has close historic ties to the region. Much of Concórdia is taken up by the Quincy Mountains, a large mountain range that plays a similar role as the Harnonstead Mountains further west. It is here that the city of Quincy is located, another of Tersten's Spa Cities. South of Quincy, and bordering the Courtsend Pass is the city of Concórdia itself, located on the banks of the Yuela Lake. Concórdia is considered to be one of Tersten's most popular up-and-coming cities, with a lot of development being invested into the region.

Uludere

Uludere is a small geographic area in Tersten County. It is often known by its exonym White Ocean County, though that name often causes confusion with the unrelated White Ocean City. As such, its local name of Uludere has become more commonly used. Uludere itself is an elevated plateau with notable tableland formations. The city of Mehmet's Cove is settled here, just south of the plateau in a wooded region by the coast. South-West of the Uludere Plateau are the marshlands of north Mediolama, where the Takiwerk River flows out from the Pinascimate Mountains, becoming mostly bogland, where the river and the land merge to become nearly impassable deltas and marshes. The city of Marshfield is located at the northernmost edges of this area, in a patch of dry land between the marshes and the plateau.

Rift Valley

The Rift Valley is the westernmost part of Tersten County. It contains the eastern half of the Samuel Moore Rift Valley, with its political border being defined by Pale Rob's River, which flows out from Carver Lake, which is located outside the valley, and down through the lowlands into Smith's Lake, and then further down into the Samaritan Sea, which makes up the regions south-western border.
In the North, the city of Harlotsville, which marks the westernly edges of the Rift Valley, where it borders the Derwent River as it makes its way into the North Tersten Ocean. Much of this northernly land is a former marshland, drained of water during the mid 60s. The Derwent Estuary is a major shipping route, with the Harlotsville Seaport located within it.
Further south, the Rift Valley begins as a series of small hills, but swiftly deepens into a sizable trench, with Pale Rob's River flowing into the valley via the White Wash Falls. The city of Beaumont marks the northernmost point of the valley. Much of this land is wooded, with only a few primary roads linking settlements. Most cities, such as Overland and Smith, are built on the banks of the river.
At the southern edge of the Rift Valley, Pale Rob's River flows out into the Samaritan. Much of the Samaritan's east coast is comprised of white chalk cliffs, taking their name from the nearby city of Ross. The White Rocks of Ross are considered a popular local landmark.

Pinascimate Mountains

The Pinascimate Mountains run from the eastern edge of the Samaritan Sea, all the way westward to the border between Tersten County and Saralost. The mountains stretch in a roughly straight line east-to-west, with smaller passes and cuts through the mountains. Some of the most developed roads in the area take advantage of these mountain passes, and it is in these highly defendable places that many of the settlements in this area are located. The mountain range connects with Priceless Peak and its local area, though the eastern and western mountains are considered separate, divided by the Takiwerk River.
Starting in the west, the Pinascimate Mountains begin to rise up out of the land several miles from the coast and from the city of Ross. Much of the land around here is cool but humid, leading to the growth of vast fur and pine needles across the entire lengths of the mountain ranges, until the mountains grow too high for trees and gives way to alpine tundra. This pattern of rolling forests giving way to mountainous plains continues until the mountains open up into the first of several major passes through the mountain, known as the Limes Pass.
The Limes is half-city, half-wall. Originally constructed (and named) as an outpost and defensive wall preventing escaped penal colonists from escaping over the Pinascimate Mountains and south towards Nevada. As a defensive structure, The Limes were capable of preventing penal caravans and larger groups from crossing the mountains. However, following the end of the Penal Authority, its use as a defensive structure declined almost overnight. While the city portion of the Limes was maintained, many of the defences in the area were abandoned, leaving behind many abandoned structures and ruins across the entire Limes Pass. The city was used during the Revolution against the People's Republic, as a staging ground by the Resistance for funneling manpower and resources into north Tersten. In the modern day, the city's loyalty during the Revolution has paid off, with it becoming an important transport link on the route between north and south Tersten.
Continuing eastwards, the city of Calom has become the de-facto capital of the eastern West Pinascimate Mountain area, and was settled as another important transport town, being close to the Treyan Gap, a pass smaller than the Limes, but a mostly smooth gradiant from one side to the other, allowing for the construction of roads and mountain villages, with this area being compared to the Italian-side of the Alps on Earth.
The Takiwerk River Valley is the dividing line between the eastern and western Pinascimate Mountains. Everything east of this region is considered to be part of Priceless, with Priceless Peak looming over the area. The river valley is also known locally as the Eleven Bend Canyon, as it contains eleven twisting bends within the river. The furthest-east of the two bends has become the Eleven Bend Reservoir, an artificial lake and reservoir which flows into the Priceless Dam, considered Tersten's tallest dam. Before the construction of the dam in 2275, many canyons and caves in the area were used as mining sites, before being abandoned and eventually submerged in the newly formed Eleven Bend Reservoir. Residents, who collect their local water from the reservoir, have expressed a serious concern of potential water contamination, as many of these abandoned mines were ran locally, and with insufficient safety procedures. However, government and independent surveys have claimed that the potential for contamination remains low.

Finatawa National Park

While not technically a geographic region in its own right, the Finatawa National Park is a small area to the west of Dowerbridge, and east of the Rift Valley. The area takes its name from the city of Finatawa, which is located roughly in the middle of the park. The Adona River flows out from Riggs Lake through the park, giving the eastern edges of the park its famous dips, bends, valleys, and forks. The mountainous western edge of the Finatawa National Park are popular climbing and hiking trails. Much of the land is home to an extremely diverse ecosystem, with significant parallels to the formerly untouched beauty of Earth.

Type

Region

Location under

Tersten

Included Locations

• Dowerbridge Estate
• Harelstone
• Priceless Peak
• Tersten City

Included Organizations

• Pinascimate Penal Authority

Owning Organization

Republic of Tersten

Capital
Tersten City

Government

Governor
Philip Jordan