Siarvald (see-AR-vahld, or see-AR-vold)

The continent of Siarvald has a warm, temperate climate which favorizes both vast wooded areas and grassy plains. The continent is split in two by a chain of mountains, called the Spine, although there are many passages within it that can be traversed on foot (though it is dangerous to do so because of the monsters that claim the Spine as their home). There are a few lakes interspersed throughout the continent, and all major cities are built close to either a lake or one of their rivers.   The seat of power for the Kingdom of Vah'kan, the city of Virtue, stands at the middle of the Thoracic Region, protected on all sides by the mountains of the Spine. An artificial lake, Lake Virtue, was created nearby to provide the city with a source of potable water. From this easily defensible position, King Vah'dis makes sure that the gears of his Kingdom keep turning.   Siarvald is affected by two supernatural phenomenons. First is the Betrayer's Fog, also called the Fog, which causes monsters to behave more aggressively. The second is that the entirety of the continent sometimes rumbles gently. Those "earthquakes" are never strong enough to cause any damage to mortal constructions; sometimes, however, they do cause avalanches on the mountains. A similar effect has been observed in Yasamaq.   Because of the association of the underground with the Betrayer, Siarvaldan live on the surface almost exclusively, with only a few brave races daring to venture below. Even then, most of them advise that this is a bad idea, and dare not dig too deep; according to them, many things lie under Siarvald that are best left sleeping.

Flora

The flora of Siarvald is particularly bountiful, owing to a very temperate, Mediterranean-like climate all throughout the continent.   First, let us mention the most common flora on the continent. To make a long story short, the most common flora in Siarvald is very European in nature. So, for instance:

• The most common flowers are hydrangeas, poppies, tulips, daisies, lavender, sunflowers, and so on. Sunflowers are prized by worshippers of the Lightbringer; some churches take great pride in growing, and maintaining, fields of these particular flowers.
• The most common types of wood are beech, oak, maple, redwood, and walnut.
• The most common plants are junipers, nettles, and peppermint.
• The most common fruits are apples, oranges, peaches, apricots, lemons, nectarines, tangerines, grapes, cherries, pears, strawberries, blueberries, a variety of nuts, and blackberries.
• The most common vegetables are potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, radishes, and sweet peppers.
• The most common grains are wheat, corn, barley, oats, and rye.

There are a few factors that influence the flora of Siarvald. Some of these factors are natural; some are social; and some are supernatural.  

Natural factors

The temperate climate of Siarvald is particularly appropriate for growing plants and fruits all throughout the year. The cold months of Frost and Winter are the notable exception, though measures have been taken to counteract their typically low temperatures (see "Social factors"). This ensures a steady production of plants - especially fruit - throughout the year.  

Social factors

Early on in his reign (some historians state this happened after the Unification Wars, while others state it was before), Vah'dis took the necessary steps to ensure that his Kingdom would always have a prosperous flora, no matter any adverse weather conditions that may arise. Furthermore, he wished to protect plantations from outbreaks of the Fog. Therefore:

• Druids are highly prized, and their services often contracted by the Crown itself.
• Gardening and irrigation techniques are fairly advanced in Siarvald. This encourages a lot of people to maintain their own, personal gardens.
• Proto-greenhouses exist in most Siarvaldan villages and cities.
• There are extremely strict laws that protect rare plant species, as well as regulating the trade of flowers and fruits within the Kingdom.
• While there exists many different varieties for each fruit type, the editcts and practices of the Kingdom of Vah'kan have ensured that only the largest and juiciest species remain.

Supernatural factors

These factors cannot be conventionally be explained through science; instead, one must look towards magic or specific mutations in order to explain their existence. There supernatural factors tend to pop up in the named forests of the continent: the Abundance Forest, the Foxwoods, and the Forest of Many Scars.

• Abundance Forest: The fauna that grows in this forest is typically larger and thicker than their average specimen, making the Abundance Forest the main source of common (and luxury) woods and plants for the entire continent. Furthermore, the elves there have been able to grow fruits and vegetables that do not exist anywhere else. This is due to their use of druidic magic and, according to them, "the help of the spirits". These fruits include pineapples, bananas, mangoes, pumpkins, bamboo shoots, and cucumber. These goods are typically too pricy for any commoner, but the nobility enjoy them greatly.
• Foxwoods: While most of the goods that come out of the Foxwoods are perfectly normal, they are still examined particularly carefully by specifically-trained agents of the Crown. This is because there have been strange incidents before. Wood, despite being cut, suddenly re-growing into a full tree; fruits twice the size of their normal specimen yet deflate like balloons once cut; vegetables that grow roots once exposed to smoke, and those roots then seeking to strangle the nearest creature... plenty of strange yet unexplained phenomenons have happened in the past.
• Forest of Many Scars: The damage that this Forest sustained in the Unification wars has caused a strange mutations in its trees. Ever since those days, the only trees that grow in this forest are entirely black, extremely tough, and supernaturally resistant to both axe and fire. These trees have been categorised as a type of hardwood, and are often called scar trees, from which scarwood can be harvested. Scarwood has long been considered unsightly, due to its color, but it is extremely prized, even internationally, for its supernatural resistance. In Siarvald, it is most often used when building fundations, and almost never for the "outside" of a construction. Some druids find this type of wood abhorrent; indeed, according to them, it is little more than dead wood that has been forced into a role it was never meant to occupy.

Fauna

Natural

The natural fauna of Siarvald is typical to its climate. Bears, deers, and wolves are amongst the largest natural animals that can be found there. Otherwise, one may be able to find a variety of lagomorphs, insects, rodents, and birds within the lush plains of Siarvald. Typically, animals that can subsist on berries are more commonly found in the Foxwoods and the Abundance Forest, while predators more often roam the vast plains in search of deer or rabbits.   There are no dinosaurs on Siarvald.

Supernatural

Siarvald is roamed by a variety of monsters, who (luckily for its inhabitants) have quickly learned that going too close to any village is likely to get them cut down by the King's Guards. Therefore, most stick to the edges of the continent, unless provoked by an outbreak of the Fog.   The monsters listed below are unique to this setting. This is not a full list of the monsters on Siarvald.

• Bark-Faced Moose, strange monsters with a flat piece of bark for a face;
• Heralds of the Lightbringer, angels come to bear the message of the Sun God to his devotees;
• Heretical Angels, the nightmarish warning of the Gods to heretics;
• Scaled Displacer Beasts, displacer beasts who have mutated to avoid extinction;
• Shrub Spirits, diminutive protectors of the forest;
• Siarvaldan Great Harpies, massive birds of prey that hide themselves well in the night;
• Venomous Gnawers, animals corrupted permanently by the Fog;
• Wandering Souls, the unfortunate result of innocents dying in a war.