Mighty River Valley
A broad river winds through golden-orange valleys, cradled by mountains colored a dusky purple by the fading light. This is the never-ending valley of the Oheanri, the Mighty River who runs the length and breadth of the world. Her tributaries flow from on high, each valley eventually joining their mother. This is a small plane, ringed by massive boundary mountains from which rise the Dome of the World upon which the stars are painted.
The plane joined the Council as one unit, the Mighty River Confederacy, the many political entities within agreeing to set aside their differences for the sake of their world. However, the barons currently control the Council seat, often using it to enrich themselves at the cost of their people.
The portals connect to the largest city in each of the major regions on the plane, of which there are few - Loshra in Shecha-eni (pop. 32,000), Vuhideka in Meubabu (pop. 23,000), Kimoa in Uhifiko (pop. 16,000), Darjani in Ighadieri (pop. 12,000), and Beremir in Jazhadir (pop. 8,000).
Geography
The plane is one massive series of river valleys, each feeding into the Mighty River herself. The Mighty River loops around the world - a boat in her main body will eventually return to its starting position, after a long journey throughout all the land. The Mountains of Night, an impossibly tall and steep range, fence in the plane, protecting the valleys from the Void Without. A clear, impassable dome rises from their peaks, arcing over the world to form the firmament. The stars, enormous insect-like creatures, move in their paths along the dome. There is no sun - instead the stars brighten and darken in a daily rhythm.
Most of the plane is forested, but rocky highlands, frozen tundras, and fertile mountain plains also exist.
Numerous caves and caverns open into the depths of the world, extending down into the bedrock. A few, it is rumored, open onto the Void Without itself, piercing through the Mountains' protections. These openings are usually short lived, the harshness of the Void quickly destroying the stone's integrity, but a few open long enough to let through creatures of unspeakable madness.
The total area of the plane is around 9.35 million square miles, with a population density averaging only 1.3 people per square mile, for a total of roughly 12.155 million people.
Fauna & Flora
With the notable exception of the White Beasts, most natural fauna in the Valley isn't particularly large, adapted for life among the trees.
The Valleys are home to a variety of sapient species, as well as numerous cultures among them, including the giant Urshindine, the various Beastfolk, the humans, and the fey.
The biome is largely deciduous forest, as few evergreens call the Valley their home. The forests are primarily mixed between numerous types of trees, but a few stands of pine or aspen exist in various areas. White river birches mark the numerous winding waterways. The most common trees are oaks and hickory.
Natural Resources
Wood, pelts, iron,various other metals, stone, a variety of gems, and increasingly coal all play a role in the economies of the valleys. The soil is frequently rocky and often clay-heavy, resulting in little large-scale agriculture. Raising livestock is common, especially in the plains, and most families have a personal garden, hard-won from the impoverished soil. Almost everyone supplements their diet with hunting and gathering.
Most edible fruits are berries, as few trees have been coaxed into growing larger fruit, but orchards of a crab-apple like fruit (with cultivars ranging from sweet to sour to faintly spicy) as well as the creamy pawpaw exist. Blueberries and huckleberries are valued highly, and often exported. Service berries, elderberries, and small plums are used in jam-making, seasoning dishes, and alchohol, but are rarely sold outside of local communities.
A Singular People
The people of the Valley are many and varied, with no two groups sharing quite the same songs, traditions, and customs. Many of the tributary valleys have their own language or dialect. Outsiders view the Valley peoples as simplistic, uneducated, and harsh, stereotyping them with a distorted melding of the worst parts of the more visible cultures. Trade with other planets has made a few barons very, very rich, but has done little to benefit the rural people of the Valley themselves, leading to continuous unrest in the valleys and mines. -
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