Farden
Area
The region of Farden stretches from the northern icy forests of Clan Ramshead - Craigholm - Farden to the northern shores of Loch Morgunt in the south. Four clans have historically shared the territory. The clanlands frontiers have been drawn five hundred years ago during the last clan wars in Farden.
In the north is Clan Ramshead. The clan keep, Craigholm, is on the shore of Loch Glass. South of Clan Ramshead, is Clan Deerwolf - Denholm - Farden . The keep, Denholm is on the eastern shores of Loch Don, nestled at the foothills The Farden Mountains. Further south is Clan Ravenscraig - Kinholm - Farden, and the clan keep, Kinholm presides over the plains north of Loch Morgunt. Finally, the lands of Clan Hoersman - Benholm - Farden and its ancestral keep, Benholm, are situated in the south-east corner of Farden, tucked away between the Farden mountains and The Salty Tear.
Habitat and Natural Resources
- Mountain Habitats in the Farden Mountains
The Farden Mountains although not as high perhaps as The Farside Mountains are truly spectacular in their own rights. The highest peaks will have glaciers and everlasting snow. The high valleys of the Farden Mountains are dangerous and difficult of access. Mining silver and gold is the primary economy of the Farden valleys, as well as the rearing of long-hair goats and their much prized silken wool. Towns such as Ashden and Benfefall are synonymous with quality silver all over the lands of Alven. Both towns can boast of a very long line of gifted silversmiths whose secrets are passed on from one generation to another. A lively and lucrative high-end spinning and cloth-making industry has grown out of the goats' rearing. The cloth is exported south to be spun into high fashion clothes for the Highfort gents and ladies. The towns of Craigcoombe and Bendunoon are considered to be the centres of the trade. Both Clan Ramshead and Deerwolf and to a lesser measure Clan Hoersman rely heavily on the mountain industries for their income.- Forest Taigas of the North
A Taiga Forest covers most of the northern part of Farden. The immense pine forest starts north of the keep of the Ramshead clan and spreads in all directions north until it meets The Icy Ocean on all sides. The settlements who live in the forest or at its edges have developed an economy based on trapping, logging, and fishing. A lot of the pulp needed to make paper in Alven comes from the forested lands of the Ramshead clan. Animals are plentiful in the forest and trapping goes on throughout the autumn and winter months. Wild cats and bear furs, in particular, can fetch a pretty penny in the more clement southern regions of Alven.- Loch Side: Loch Morgunt
The southernmost regions of Farden borders on Alven's central loch: Loch Morgunt. The lakeshore region starts with a Marshy Carse that steadily rises and becomes drier as we go north. The steadings in the grassy, lush plains north of the loch are famed for its cattle and the quality of its meat. The fertile carse is presided over by Kinholm, the ancestral seat of Clan Ravenscraig.On the loch shore, many towns and villages have thrived from the continuous transport of goods to the rest of Alven. Kinlochdal and Kinlochmor harbours have thrived on the constant exchange of goods for centuries. It goes without saying that all the harbours will pay a tithe to their chieftain, and Clan Ravenscraig is one of the wealthiest clan in Alven, though they do not like to show it much.
- The Aftonwheen Valley
Ripping across the southern lands of Farden, The Aftonwheen river created a deep and large fertile valley. Benefiting from a milder, sheltered climate, The Aftonwheen Valley is prime land for fruit trees, hop and orchards. The summer seasons are not hot and dry enough to make good white wines. However, the Aftonwheen valley is where most of the Alven cider and beer production takes place. Most of the valley lands belong to either Clan Deerwolf or Clan Ravenscraig.- Rolling hills and Western Sea Shore
Most of the western seashore of Farden is made up of gently rolling green hills and well managed second-generation woods. The sleepy towns and fishing harbours lie in a land of mist, fog and rains. The pace of life on that side of Farden is usually slower than the busier than in the Aftonwheen valley and the Morgunt plain. The main industries are fishing, and rearing sheep on the hills. The sheep industry is particularly successful due to the lenient climate and oceanic influences. The constant humidity also encourages the grass to grow pretty much all year round. Flocks of sheep in the autumn are driven through the hills to the shores of Loch Morgunt to markets all over Alven. The hillside lambs are prized meat for the Eastern Farden population and feature heavily in the Samayne Celebrations . Another source of revenues for the hills is the high-quality woollen cloth that the local sheep provide. The wool is spun mainly by guilds of women organised in Spinning Guilds , who keep the traditional art secret. The woollen cloth is made of a fine, supple and near-waterproof yarn prized not only in Farden but also in the surrounding regions. It exports very well and is the source of as much revenue for the clans as lamb meat.- The Western Sea Coast and Islands
On the western side of Farden, buttressed against the mountains, is a narrow strip of land which allows for a few biggish human settlements to thrive. This strip of land widens out to a lush grassy plain in the south. Not too far from the shore, is the island of Benisle. The island is linked to the mainland by a short causeway. These territories are mainly the lands of Clan Hoersman. The people of the clan are named for their love of horses. Clansmen have been rearing horses on the clanlands for generations.Three well-known breeds of horses have been created by the clan ranchers and are synonymous with excellence throughout Alven and beyond:
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