Solmaranta
Pronunciation: soul-MARE-an-ta
Map Index: E-2, E-3
Location:Beorlan, North of Aurum Mountains
Location: Northwest Beorlan, west of the Aurum Mountains.
Geography: The land of Solmaranta lies between the Aurum Mountains and the Great Western Sea. The land here remains mostly wilderness except in the fertile valleys that the Solmari halflings call home. While most of the hills are gently rounded, the violent faulting that occurred during the Great Cataclysm left visible scars that can still be seen today in the form of small steep bedrock escarpments near the coastal areas.
Primary Population: Solmari halflings
Secondary Population: None
Minor Population: Garuun gnomes
Climate: The temperate climate of Solmaranta brings mostly mild winters with cool days and cold nights, accompanied by generous seasonal rains that nourish the land. The warm ocean current that passes by offshore moderates the weather in winter and allows for the cultivation of vegetables year-round. In summer, the long sunny days bring heat and drier weather. Precipitation falls primarily as thunderstorms that can sometimes be severe with high winds
Wildlife: The land is covered by tall native grasses mixed with trees of moderate size. Species common to Solmaranta include elk, black-tailed deer, black bear, panther, river otter, beaver, bobcat, bald eagle, raccoon, and gray squirrel.
Humanoids: The Solmari halflings have created settlements and villages throughout the western valleys. They form an agrarian society devoted to their farms. While a peaceful people, they have little tolerance for other humanoid species like the bugbears who periodically raid their settlements in search of plunder. As a result, the halflings maintain scouts called bounders to keep constant watch over their lands, ready to sound the alarm to raise the militia. While small, the Solmari halflings are masters of short bows and crossbows and compensate for their lack of size with deadly marksmanship.
Tribes of bugbears live in the eastern hills. They think of themselves as the masters of Solmaranta and view the Solmari halflings as usurpers who stole their land. While this is partly true in that the halflings settled after the bugbears, the valleys the halflings live in were mostly empty at the time. The bugbear tribes quarrel with each other constantly and raid each other more than they do the halflings.
Monsters: The hills contain a few small tribes of hill giants that remain a threat to anyone who approaches their territory high in the Solmaranta hills. Sightings of griffons are common in the hills and the Solmari keep a careful watch for them to prevent any loss of their sheep and goats. The far northernmost portion of the peninsula along the coast remains unpopulated due to the threat of attack by ferocious wyverns.
History: Other than earthquakes and faulting, the land of Solmaranta suffered little lasting damage from the Great Cataclysm. The Chaos Storms that brought such tragedy to so many did not track this far west.
Today: Solmaranta exists as a land of great beauty. Yet danger awaits those who fail to keep watch for danger. Native bugbears and hill giants love to attack intruders and are only kept in check by the Solmari halfings. The Solmari have transformed many of the coastal valleys into picturesque agricultural landscapes.
Map Index: E-2, E-3
Location:Beorlan, North of Aurum Mountains
Location: Northwest Beorlan, west of the Aurum Mountains.
Geography: The land of Solmaranta lies between the Aurum Mountains and the Great Western Sea. The land here remains mostly wilderness except in the fertile valleys that the Solmari halflings call home. While most of the hills are gently rounded, the violent faulting that occurred during the Great Cataclysm left visible scars that can still be seen today in the form of small steep bedrock escarpments near the coastal areas.
Primary Population: Solmari halflings
Secondary Population: None
Minor Population: Garuun gnomes
Climate: The temperate climate of Solmaranta brings mostly mild winters with cool days and cold nights, accompanied by generous seasonal rains that nourish the land. The warm ocean current that passes by offshore moderates the weather in winter and allows for the cultivation of vegetables year-round. In summer, the long sunny days bring heat and drier weather. Precipitation falls primarily as thunderstorms that can sometimes be severe with high winds
Wildlife: The land is covered by tall native grasses mixed with trees of moderate size. Species common to Solmaranta include elk, black-tailed deer, black bear, panther, river otter, beaver, bobcat, bald eagle, raccoon, and gray squirrel.
Humanoids: The Solmari halflings have created settlements and villages throughout the western valleys. They form an agrarian society devoted to their farms. While a peaceful people, they have little tolerance for other humanoid species like the bugbears who periodically raid their settlements in search of plunder. As a result, the halflings maintain scouts called bounders to keep constant watch over their lands, ready to sound the alarm to raise the militia. While small, the Solmari halflings are masters of short bows and crossbows and compensate for their lack of size with deadly marksmanship.
Tribes of bugbears live in the eastern hills. They think of themselves as the masters of Solmaranta and view the Solmari halflings as usurpers who stole their land. While this is partly true in that the halflings settled after the bugbears, the valleys the halflings live in were mostly empty at the time. The bugbear tribes quarrel with each other constantly and raid each other more than they do the halflings.
Monsters: The hills contain a few small tribes of hill giants that remain a threat to anyone who approaches their territory high in the Solmaranta hills. Sightings of griffons are common in the hills and the Solmari keep a careful watch for them to prevent any loss of their sheep and goats. The far northernmost portion of the peninsula along the coast remains unpopulated due to the threat of attack by ferocious wyverns.
History: Other than earthquakes and faulting, the land of Solmaranta suffered little lasting damage from the Great Cataclysm. The Chaos Storms that brought such tragedy to so many did not track this far west.
Today: Solmaranta exists as a land of great beauty. Yet danger awaits those who fail to keep watch for danger. Native bugbears and hill giants love to attack intruders and are only kept in check by the Solmari halfings. The Solmari have transformed many of the coastal valleys into picturesque agricultural landscapes.