The Heldannic Order - Vaults of Pandius

GEOGRAPHY
The Land
The Heldannic Territories are situated
on the Western Sea of Dawn, due north
of the Ethengar Steppes. Long an
afterthought of the Known World, the
Heldannic topography mirrors the unique
isolation of its natives. The cold rocky
hills that dominate Heldann are not part
of the Northern Reaches’ High Coastal
Plain, nor are they simply foothills to the
western mountains. Neither are the
lowlands an extension of Norwold’s
Coastal Plain.
Plains
There are three zones of relatively flat
terrain found in Heldann. Of these, two
are contiguous, but varying weather
patterns and historical conventions have
kept them as distinct regions.
The Low Coastal Plain (Heldannic
Littoral Plain) is a pair of annular swaths
about the Freiburg Hills and the
Ostbergen. Altendorf is at the Plain’s
western extent. It supports minimal
agriculture but is adequate for long-term
grazing. The weather is wet and chilly,
particularly south of the Ostbergen. The
Plain continues into the north beyond the
current borders before ending at the
Skaufskogr Hills near Landfall. This
latter sub-region is well-irrigated, with a
rich, bountiful soil.
West of Altendorf is the High Fluvial
Plain and the waters of the Elber, Isar,
and Pflanis. The soil here is deep and
loamy, and cottage farming is possible.
Tree stands can be seen along the river
banks. Altitude begins at 400 feet in the
east and climbs as one approaches the
hills. The highest point on the Plain is
2,000 feet, just east of Pflazen.
Finally, the Skolvik Plain is a flat
stretch in the middle of the Sudbergen. It
is 2,300 feet above sea level along the
Isar-Pflenzen Hills and averages 2,600
feet. The Skolvik reaches 3,000 feet in
the southwest before yielding to the
Schwarzberg Hills, which are part of the
Wendarian foothills. The soil is thicker
here, too, and there are breaks in the
underlying rock that reach a deep water
table. Wells are small, enough for a
household or two. Isolated freeholds are
rare in the north and extreme west, for
fear of the local trolls and Boldavian
undead, respectively.
Hills
The hilly territory that characterizes
Heldann’s southern half is collectively
termed the Heldannic Shield by
geologists. The Shield is a singular,
massive rocky formation of granite that
connects the Sea of Dawn with the
mountains at the western end of the
nation.
The coastal strips drop to sea level or
end in seaside cliffs (100-250 feet), but
inlands the hills begin at 1,000 feet and
quickly double that altitude. This
measure continues to increase in the
south and west, rising to between 3,000
and 4,100 feet.
The Sudbergen account for over half of
the Shield’s area. The topsoil is very thin
throughout the region. Agriculture is a
backbreaking labor, yet Heldanners have
been doing this for centuries. Sheep and
pig farming are the most fruitful
endeavors, yet even that is at a
subsistence level. Soil nutrients dry up
quickly, and freeholders are forced to
move about every 15 years.
Tree coverage increases towards the
east, leading to the well-treed
Schoenbergen. These hills are part of an
excellent river basin – the Blauchen –
that empties into the Sea of Dawn.
It should be noted that, outside of the
mountains, the steepest climb in Heldann
is achieved going from the shores south
of Blauendorf over 4,000 feet up to the
Ethengar Steppes. [Treat passage in this
direction as mountainous, but as hilly
parallel to the trail – Ed.]
The Freiburg Hills are a small cluster of
rocky hills similar in composition to the
Sudbergen. They only rise to a paltry
1,200 feet, and cliffs are only seen along
the Elber.
The coastal Freiburg Hills and
Ostbergen were originally an extension
of the Shield, but ancient tectonic and
weathering processes allowed the
insertion of the Low Coastal Plain.
The Mengul Foothills are not as
elevated as the Sudbergen. Southwest of
the Elber, hills are at 2,500 feet, while the
northern run averages only 1,500 feet.
9
Mountains
The Altar of Vanya is a staggering rock
formation on the coast of Heldann. Its
stones reach upwards of 8,000 feet, but
they do not form a single peak. Rather,
the massif forms a roughly level structure
in the interior. Little vegetation covers
the Altar’s slick surface. Even at lower
elevations, there is only moss, lichen, and
a few weeds. Unlike the lower
Ostbergen, the Altar is predominantly
hornblende.
The native Heldanners saw no need to
settle the rocky formation, which they
refer to as Hymirsheim. The Knights
also do not live here, but the Altar serves
as a navigational beacon for their
warbirds and naval vessels. Part of the
formation continues under the coastal
waters, and rock slides are not unheard
of. The coastal facing is sheer in many
places. The western slope is gentler, but
tapered. Unbeknownst to either the
Knights or the native Heldanners,
carvings in several ancient scripts adorn a
section of the northern face.
Freysfjall is a small granite mountain
west of Freiburg. Several minor ridge
lines divert spring water and snow melt
to the Isar and Blauchen. The mountain
holds religious significance to native
Heldanners, and the funerary pyre of
Heldann the Brave was held on its peak.
The Red Fangs are a pair of ancient
volcanic extrusions piercing the skyline
of the central Sudbergen. The ancient
magma chambers that produced these
mountains are no longer active. Glaciers
still cling to the eastern Fang, and ice
melt feeds a small river leading to Lake
Erid. The Knife Ridge is a trail leading
up the eastern Fang. Heldanners view the
Fangs with trepidation, knowing that
between them are things even worse than
the Heldannic Knights. For their part, the
Knights remain ignorant of the true
goings-on at Erid.
The Territories’ western border is
shaped by the imposing mountains of the
Final Range. The local Heldannic
population long considered the western
mountains as the end of the world. What
lay beyond was the dominion of elves or
giants and other fell beasts.
Archivists and cartographers for the
Heldannic Knights know that different