Gaz F10 The Kingdom of Kaarjala - Vaults of Pandius

GEOGRAPHYThe LandKaarjala is located north of the ArcticCircle, with much of its territory nestledin the Autuasmaa, a broad swampy riverplain between the Rivers Maanselkä(Landsplit) and Tukkijoki. The landslopes slightly from the northern spur ofthe Icereach Range in the west until itreaches the coast. A more distinct, flutedshape emerges along the north-southtransect, for the Autuasmaa sits slightlybelow both the Everwinter Lands and theViaskaland. West to east, the region hasan average height above sea level fallingfrom 600 feet to 200 feet.The Autuasmaa is still undergoingextensive post-glacial rebound, with acurrent average rise of two inches percentury around Kaarja and points west,and one inch per century at the coast.This process will accelerate in the nextfew centuries, and it is plausible that thecoastline will extend an additional four toeight miles after another 800 years.Kaarjala’s most abundant naturalresources are iron, peat, and wood; otherresource needs are generally met throughtrade with Littonia.Mountains and HillsAlthough Kaarjala is not significantlyelevated above sea level, there are anumber of hills and mountain ranges inthe wider region that merit description.The Raatovaarat Mountains areactually a line of steep hills rangingbetween 500 and 800 feet above the localbaseline. They run southwest from LakeHämäräjärvi beyond Kaarjala’s westernborders. The mountains are comprisedprimarily of sandstone that was foldedand uplifted millions of years ago, andthen subsequently battered by theelements. The recent glaciation period cutseveral steep valleys through them, whichwere then enlarged by explosivewatershed events and tremors followingthe destruction of the Alphatian Kingdomof Alinor.Although much of the resulting waterflows made their way to Hämäräjärvi, aconsiderable quantity was redirectedunderground, where they carved outnumerous caverns. Many of these caveshave since dried, but they have not beenextensively explored. Persistent rumorsstate that deposits of silver are abundantin the caverns’ lower levels, but that themetal recoils from the touch of men.Mercury hazards abound around lodes ofsilver and titanium.Also significant are the PallastunturiHills, which constitute the northernfoothills of the Icereach Range. Theyrange in height from 150 feet above thebaseline at their northernmost extent, tomore than 1,000 feet where they meet themountains proper. This region isexceedingly bleak, being fully exposed tothe prevailing arctic climate.The closest true mountains are theRaanivaara Mounts, or Winter Peaks,an isolated segment of the Icereach thatwas cut off by random aftershocks of theearthquake that destroyed Alinor. ThePeaks average 12,000 feet in height, andare igneous (granite) like much of theIcereach. Over the years a handful ofKaarjalans and others have visited themountains in search of precious metalsand other deposits, but those whoreturned did so empty-handed. The lessfortunate ran afoul of the localhumanoids that dwelled in a series ofcaves within the eastern foothills.Immediately south of the Winter Peaksare the Karelides, another semi-isolatedcluster of mountains within the Icereachsystem. All that is presently known ofthis large massif has come courtesy ofadventurers and explorers. There are twoprimary ridgelines that run north-south inthe Karelides, but much of the rest seemsunstructured. The dominant peak in thisgroup is the ice-covered peak of Halti(19,800 feet). The local granite containsuntapped veins of silver and iron.ForestRoughly half of Kaarjala’s territory iscovered by coniferous forests – primarilywhite pine and spruce – and a few standsof birch. The thin, acidic soil of theregion – mostly moraine or glacial tillcovered with a very thin layer of humus –prevent all but the hardiest undergrowthfrom growing. The most common shrubsand bushes are juniper, cranberry, anddwarf willow. Where there is no soil, theregion’s granite bedrock is clearlyvisible.Beyond the warming effects of theGreat Sampo, the prevailing arcticclimate descends with a vengeance, andthe only vegetation that manages tosurvive are varieties of lichens, mosses,sedge grasses, and low-lying floweringplants adapted to the arctic, such as arcticpoppies, purple saxifrage, and whitlowgrass. These are fairly widespread southand east of Kaarjala, but vegetation thinsout dramatically within forty miles ofKaarjala’s northern and western frontiers.This is especially true for the windsweptPallastunturi Hills, which are utterlydevoid of any vegetation, and thedesolate tundra of the Everwinter Lands.The PlainsThe central portion of Kaarjala isdominated by the Autuasmaa (Land ofBliss) Plain, a region that once lay at thebottom of a great glacial lake. Centuriesof sedimentation have given the plainsome of the richest soils in the far north,but the land would still be consideredmarginal by Known World standards.Tall grasses are the major vegetationwhere the land is not being tilled, withfrequent patches of natural wildflowers.Southwest of Kaarjala lies the Plain ofSkulls, so named because much of thefighting during the Battle of the Skullswas conducted here, leaving the bodies ofuntold numbers of humans andhumanoids intermixed with the skeletalremains dating to the Great Rain of Fire.This region was bleak to begin with; theaddition of the skeletal remains of morethan 10,000 humans, giants, andhumanoids made it more so. Few peopleventure here willingly; even the localhumanoid tribes give it a wide berth.WaterwaysTowards the end of the last ice age –when the destruction of Alinor shatteredthe northern ice shield – retreatingglaciers produced a great lake thatdominated what is now central Kaarjalafrom Lakes Isojärvi and Pohjanjärvi tothe confluence of the Kesäjoki River.Lake Hämäräjärvi was roughly doubleits current size, with a marshy peninsulacutting the lake in half where the modernnorthern lakeshore rests.10