Svalskogenheim

Winter's wind through pine trees blow,
Across icy lakes, and powdered snow,
Where the sun meekly shines,
This land we call Svalskogenheim.

— Anon

Svalskogenheim [lit. "land of the cold forest" in Krovast] is the largest of the known continents and is located entirely in the northern hemisphere of Heimval. It is bordered by the Tulik Sea to the north, the Mihkilhi Ocean to the west, and the Sturbla Ocean to the south and east. It is separated from Danistlund to the south by the Rakstourm Straits.

Geography

Svalskogenheim, in terms of shape, is rougly elliptical with many peninsulas jutting off from the main landmass, as well as a numbers of islands nearby. It is divided by the Titan's Back mountains that run two-thirds of the length of the main landmass creating two distinct climate areas; the colder northern side and more temperate southern side. Much of the continent is heavily forested, the northern third being taiga forest, giving way to coniferous forests the more southerly you move, with only the rolling hills of the southern west region, and the lowland plains of south having small areas of deciduous forests.

Climate

Overall the climate in Svalskogenheim is cool temperate oceanic climate in the south, and subarctic to arctic in the north. The southern half of the continent is likely to see four full seasons each year, though this is sometimes not the case in particularly cold years. The continental mountain division does mean that the average temperate however is several degrees lower year round on the northern side contributing to a colder, harsher yearly climate of usually just two seasons - a long cold winter and a weak mild summer.

Natural Resources

Svalskogenheim has an abundance of lumber, mineral ores, a vast variety of stone types as well as food animals such as deer, boar, and fish. The southern side climate is good enough for most pastoral animals to be raised and bred sucessfully, and even the northern side can support hardier breeds such as sheep, upland cattle and bison. Though short in season, fruit trees (such as apples and pears) can be cultivated in some areas, with hardier fruit bush growing seen more often. Arable farming land is restricted almost exclusively to the southern side of the Titan's Back, and with a short growing season, farmers often risk not raising a crop.

Maps

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  The Continent of Svalskogenheim

Type

Continent