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The
southern Arwondel Plains contain the kingdoms
of Gotanvir and Narinhur, with their coastal capitals
Gullport, and Krowngard. The coast of Gotanvir
is typified by soaring white cliffs, famous among
sailors as a visual landmark, and with many a
popular nesting site for seabirds. However, the
city of Gullport itself lies in a wide sweeping
bay of calm water, allowing it to act as a thriving
harbor town. Further south down the coast, the
chalky downs fade into a clay-covered plain, giving
flat but muddy shorelines. Just reaching solid
land from the sea is often an arduous task, and
most boats run a significant danger of becoming
stuck on submerged banks if they venture too near
the coast. Because of this, Krowngard, built upon
a small rise of more consolidated rock overlooking
a deeper passage of water, is a rare and welcome
port for the mariners of this area.
Inland,
the chalky rolling slopes that cover much of Gotanvir
sustain rich grasslands, and the warm climate
gives a long growing season, so that the area
has become known for its success in pasturing
cows and sheep. Milk from Gotanvir herds is held
in high regard, and the area enjoys a profitable
business in the export of its many cheeses. Wool
is also a healthy trade item for many landowners.
Such
activities are still viable across the clay plains
further south, but the area is less fertile. Water
management in both the dry and wet seasons can
be problematic. During the winter, heavy rains
can cause surface flooding, so farmers must employ
drainage ditches to protect their crops, though
the loss of soil in the runoff can be considerable.
Additionally, if the summer brings a drought,
the dusty soil can be stripped away by wind erosion.
Many areas have prepared for the worst droughts
by sinking wells through the clay into the water-holding
chalk, at least providing them with a lime-rich
supply of drinking water when the need arises.
Despite these occasional difficulties, most years
are not unkind to the area, and Narinhur is able
to grow a wide variety of crops less well suited
to many other areas. Its fruit orchards and grape
vines are particularly recognized, leading to
an important industry in wine and beer making
as well as for food. Also, such plants as date
palms and olive trees cannot be grown further
north at all, giving them a reputation of being
exotic delicacies.
Most
of the buildings across the southern Arwondel
Plains are made of imported materials –
many from the popular limestone quarried in the
northern Plains. However, bricks made from the
local clay are also an option, though it tends
to be only the wealthy that can afford to construct
large brick buildings, as the labor inherent in
shaping and firing them is considerable. A few
small woodland areas exist in Narinhur, though
most have been long since cleared for agriculture.
Therefore, timber-framed constructions are sometimes
seen in localized areas.
Arwondel
Humans are by far the most numerous inhabitants
across the region, and some communities on the
inland plains have scarcely dealt with other races
at all. In contrast though, coastal areas are
considerably more cosmopolitan in their makeup,
most notably with Kvyr elves and Emerald Bay humans
co-existing along with the Arwondel human population.
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