Farside

Area

The Farside region of Alven is situated in the northeast of the country. The southern edges of the region borders the eastern shore of Loch Morgunt . The wide peninsula is mainly mountainous: The Farside Mountains are the tallest and largest mountain range in the whole of Alven. The rest of the region is made up of foothills and a narrow coastal plain.

There is also a large untamed taiga forest in the north. Central to the region is the Lang Loch. The huge loch is the second largest in the country after Loch Morgunt and collects the waters flowing from the mountains.
Four clans claim the habitable territories of this northern, wild region:

Clan Harestane - Killholm - Farside in the south whose keep, Killhom is situated south of the Lang Loch.

Clan Eaglesham - Thornhelm - Farside is mainly a mountain clan. The keep, Thornhelm, is nestled in one of the deep valleys of the Farside Mountains.

Clan Coorson - Fearnhelm - Farside was established on the coast. The keep, ,Fearnhelm is set against the dramatic cliffs of the Farside coast.

Beyond that stretches the wild frozen forests of The Lost Coast and the ruined cities of the Ancestors.

Not all the land in Farside has been claimed and 'colonised' by the clans. There are still much wilderness in this part of Alven.

Habitat and Natural Resources

- Southern Foothills and the Killhom Plain

This part of Farside is where the climate is the more lenient and the population the most dense. These lands belong exclusively to the very old and powerful clan of Harestane.

The rich and prosperous lands of the Hares are legendary. It is a land of gently rolling fertile fields and pastures. The oceanic influence ensures that the temperate climate is not too harsh but at the same time, helps to maintain a healthy humidity, and rainfalls are plentiful.
Agriculture and rearing of animals are the main industries in the territories. Because of the number of cattle herds in the area, leather and leatherworks is the other major source of revenues for the clan.

- Loch Side and the Farside Foothills

North of the Harestane's lands, lies the Lang Loch. The loch is ensconced between the Farden foothills to the norths and the Downs in the south. Around the hills surrounding the loch, you can find mainly fishing villages and crofts.

This area of Farside is not as wealthy as the coasts or the south of the region. It is often considered a bit of a backwater and the gateway to the wilderness that is most of Farside in the north.

- The Downs and the South-eastern Coast

Between the Lang Loch and the coast can be found a series of plateaux and hills called The Downs. The Downs and the southern coast of Farside constitutes the lands of Clan Coorson. The plateaux of the Downs stops abruptly before the eastern seas creating a long line of dramatic cliffs all the way to the north. It is in the water of the seas that Clan Coorson's fortune was made.
The cold quiet seas are home to a superlative quality of pearls. A percentage of all pearls recovered are given to the Chieftain of the clan and Fearnhelm Keep is reputed to have a 'jewel' room entirely decorated with pearls and mother of pearls.

- The Boarsden Uplands and Farside Valleys

The furthermost clan lands belong to the Boarsden clan. The clan territories stretch from north of the Long Loch to the start of the huge forest tundra of the peninsula. Swinhelm Keep is always described as the last bastion of civilization in the north. Most of the lands is mountainous as people from the clans have settled in the lower valleys of the Farside mountains.

The men and women of the clan are well known for their pioneer spirit. Making a living in the great Farside North is difficult and fraught with difficulties: severe weather, poor communication through precarious, harsh terrains etc.
The main revenue of the clan are the gold and mineral mines set deep in the mountains. Although mining in this difficult terrain is risky and no easy feat.
The area south of Swinhelm is also famous for its legendary oak wood. As the Alven navy developed over the last century, there has been a need for these resources to build war ships.
Clan Boarsden has doubled its revenues by selling the quality oak to the Thane and the Archive.
After a century of deforestation, this precious resource is now depleted in the southern territories, and the Boarsden clansmen have had to go deeper into the Farside mountains to feel more of the hundred-year old oaks needed for shipbuilding.

- The Lost Coast

The northern shores of Farside are sparsely populated by humans and are outside the control of the clans. A few communities of 'exiles' have settled in this harsh environment.
The population of small ports such as Lucknow and The Ghost Coast - LostPort are mainly made up of men and women shunned or disowned by their clans, adventurers and other misfits who find the quasi-deserted shores and inland forests one of the best places to hide from the Archive's sight.

The last human settlement on the north shores is the small fishing harbour Nedderhyve. Beyond that, nothings else exists but the remnant of a now extinct civilisation that the Alvenites called the 'Ancestors'.

- The Wild North

A large part of Farside has not been settled by humans. The high plateaux and lakes of the Farside mountains are rarely troubled by human presence. This is the realm of apex predators such as wolves, bears, eagles etc. A few adventurers and trappers venture in the icy valleys in the summer to hunt or explore. North of the mountains, is the vast and dangerous domain of the lost cities of the Ancestors.

Many legends are tied to these places half buried amidst the all ecompassing forests. Magical barriers and traps can easily kill the trespassers and unkown demons are said to have their lairs on the hilltop ruins of the ancient fortresses.

Included Locations

• Nedderhyve