Legends of Belariath

The Lands of the North East

Rolling hills and Mountainous regions with a weather of Four Seasons to greet but always are the Winters colder. Such is the life along Coastal lands. Grassy lands ripe for farming with hardy crops already quite used to a longer winter. The beaches certainly are a lovely sight with an avid trade of fishing and an endless food supply when the bigger ships are seen out to sea. Heavy forested areas lay more North and a just West of the Saraphan Duchy is set what the locals term an unnatural lake. Dubbed the largest lake seen around our areas at over 98 miles in length with a maximum 76 miles as last mapped and counted last some three years ago by an indigenous race that are more Nomad then city dwelling.

The lake is termed Hoathoma or in the language of those indigenous people into our common tongue The Lake of Dreams. It supports a depth of two hundred feet and generally freezes over during the colder months of winter and yet supports more then at the last count, some forty different species of fish to turtle and marsh snakes. Legend is told that the Lake of Dreams never existed until some one hundred years ago when a massive clash of Armies came to bear, whether this was the Barbarians and the Saraphan is still unknown although the stories do tell of Winged men and legendary weapons. But there was a great upheaval within the fourth month of battle that left few alive and a large hole that marred the earth and made the people of the land weep for weeks. Every year in the month of June, thousands come to the Lake of Dreams were flowers shaped into odd boats are laid and pushed to the surface with offerings of grains, daggers made or shaped from stone and small dolls made of straw.

This is a sign of mourning and of celebration to new life and heralds in their Spring when the weathers begin to turn the grass green again and the hardy wild life once more begins to thrive and breed. The Celebrations last three days.

Further North of the Lake we find both Mountains and heavy forested lands before the cold of the seas is once more upon the land and lapping. Several passes and untold numbers of caves that some say, go under the Mountains themselves have been dubbed Trechabal Region. Treacherous indeed unless one is of the many variety of mountain goats and hardy large Deer that come and go seemingly unscathed and also where one might find the first of the great mountain cats.

The Indigenous Nomadic tribes. The Mochoni.

Tan of skin and lean of build these people none the less are blessed with a keen sight and an unfettered knowledge of the lands. They are considered a tall race and more human like then any other race could be considered except for the Barbarians. Some even say, they were once Barbarians themselves and merely branched off and became less aggressive as their need to survive these colder lands sunk home. They began to learn the lands, to become one within its warmth in the Springs and Summers and where to set up their travelling huts when the colds began to infiltrate. Sharp features of high cheek bones and slim jaws to full lips, eyes that range from black to the darkest richest of chocolates and raven to honey toned hair. They walk upon the earth as if they know it, or as if it knows them. Mainly Shamans to Earth Mages and healers that know well what grows here and what herbs work best for what may ail you. They live within triangular huts called, Bohntils.

The Bohntils are merely slim logs cut fifteen feet in length and set to a clockwise interlinking twist that gives one a good sized room of thirty by thirty five. It holds only their sleeping rolls to their personal items and is oft triangular with a hole in the middle at the end of the interlinking logs that has an animal skin flap that can open and close with a single pull of a rope and an intricate design of twisting leather braids, its only opened for when the sun is shinning and for their campfires within these Bohntils to spill upwards their smoke. Decorated with the depictions of their warrior's deeds to that of their Shamans, they prize the Hunt and their celebrations highly.

Not considered aggressive they still are quite prized as Hunters and Warriors above all but mostly consist of Shamans since it seems the earth bears a pull to them all. They travel more South East as Winter comes upon the lands and back towards the far North when the snows begin to melt to find and hunt their more favored foods of apple trees to plums that grow more hardy then one might think along the borders of the Saraphan.

Land dwelling creatures.

Since the variety of such creatures is easy to spot once one sweeps further to the North east, it is the sizable deer that run to darker chocolates in hair upon bodies and far longer legs, the horns upon the males are wide and twisted and while they look fierce, such creatures do not charge unless cornered or its mating season. Standing almost as tall as a medium sized horse, their cloven hooves give them great leverage in the winter months and up in the lower parts of the mountains where they can feed on tufts of harsh weedy grass dug out from under the snows. They provide a great food source no doubt.

The wild hares are in abundance here as well and make a grand dinner for the few Dire wolves that manage to hunt this far North of Barbarian lands. From soft grays to the dappled colorations of white in winter, they tend to be larger and more hardy and burrow down quite well.

The Mazlin Horses. The wild horses of the valleys and hills are great in number and sport a shaggy coat starting in mid August that makes them valuable for the coming of winter months ahead. Larger then some of our own war horses, they also seem to hold a wild temper, perhaps because they are hunted mostly by the big cats of the regions. Their colorations however never vary from sandy to darker hues of brown. Black or white hair is a rarity as it would stand out most times and make them an easier target. Their strides are long and they are definitely quick but only in short bursts.

The Great Cats of the North. Some of these animals get to larger sizes and are usually seen traveling in prides of six or eight, no more or less. Also surprising they tend to let the males along to trail them for years after they reach adult hood, this could be because a larger number means a better hunt. They are called Wind Walkers in our common tongue and Pulmonin Cats, by the indigenous tribes. Weighing in at a startling four hundred pounds, its no wonder they travel in packs for they do need to bring down the larger game just to survive, they range from tan to sand in coloration and sport stripes upon their oversized heads and softly rounded ears, the tails aren't very long but nor are they overly short and while fast at the start they cannot go the distance. Large talons to large incisors, this makes them quite the deadly creatures to come across and if one can see into the tall grasses of the lazy summer days and spots these golden to light green eyes staring back, your life is likely already over.