The Boarder Kingdoms (South East Region)

Between the lorded lands within the realm of Asropa and the harsh sands of the Land of Sands, brigands and would-be rulers carve out hordes of territory within this disparate and chaotic land.

On the South Eastern edge of the Lands of Sand are the lands of the Boarder Kingdoms.  So known due to the independence of each city-state, and a large independence of its land owners.  Living in harsh lands the Freemen, as they call themselves, only pay serverence to the land in the form of blood, sweat, and tears.  Cities exist only to provide trade, and are kept going via taxes on sales and commissions.

Geography

Temperature in the Border Kingdoms is generally hot and humid, with long summers and short, mild winters. Most of the north - except for the higher elevations and areas near the west, southern and some northern fringes - fall in the humid subtropical climate zone. Crops grow easily in the rich soil of coastal plain; its climate consistently provides growing seasons of at least six months before the first frost. Landscapes are characterized by live oaks, magnolia trees, and flowering dogwoods. Another common environment is the bayous, wetlands, and swamplands of the coast.  In this region its wetness gives rise to forests of Swamp Cypress, with many cypress knees.  Some swamps have bayroot in the slow-moving fresh waters.

A plateau region located in the west area of the Border Kingdoms is mostly relatively low, rolling hills. The fall line marks its eastern boundary with the Coastal Plain.  The plateau is generally clay-like and only moderately fertile for farming.  A main stay in these lands is tobacco, and other more hardy plants. The wooded area is host to many animals, including bears, Wild boar, turkey, and white tailed dear.  To the west, the plateau is mostly bounded by the Tower Haze Mountains, noted for their bluish color when seen from a distance.

The Tower Haze Mountains have oak and hickory forests. While the Tower Haze includes high summits, the climate is nevertheless too warm to support an alpine zone, and thus the range lacks the tree line found at lower elevations found in the Heartlands and Mardaluze. The highest parts of the Tower Haze are generally coated in a dense spruce-fir stand, with forest floors that are often littered with blow downs due to high winds from the east.  The spruce-fir trees grow fast and tall in the warm and wet weather.

In the north-west the Tower Haze mountains meet the Dawn Shadow mountains. On its west side range where the morning dawn is slow to reach it, ruins jut from these scarred lands, the broken bones of a long-dead civilization. Ominous shadows fall upon these ruins keeping only the fool hearty from exploiting its contents.  Deep within the canyons and upon the mountainsides reports of bandit armies toil alongside sorcerers among the shells of decayed settlements, pulling ancient relics from the earth and hoarding them for purposes unknown to all others.


Noted cities and locations:
Port Dagobert
Founded by a Gomish explorer, Joen Velou Cartieer, it is the oldest colony/city in the boarder kingdoms.  Situated at the most northern portion of the Border Kingdoms where La Foudre River meets the open sea.  Its location and size make it the 2nd largest City in the region with a population of up to a 600 people.  Still held as a colony of Goh its expansion is well funded and under the protection of The Dutcy of Chilperic, and Lord Dagobert; 2nd cousin to the King of Goh.  Its a Port town that is fashioned after Gnomish design and while the influx of human and elvish traders have been accepted its common to find some of the older places that have second set of small doors for its gnomish creators.

The area is seated in the wide plain that moves into the Lands of Sand, while not overly fertile grasslands, the seasonal flooding allow for a bountiful but short harvest.  Port Dagobert survives as a traders hub.  Trading good from the lands of sands, and Asropa, along with being the only sanctioned trading port of exports out of Goh.