Northern Long Geography

Aves Mountains

North of Long stand the Aves Mountains (or simply "the Aves"). This is a high mountain range containing steep slopes, numerous glacial peaks and very few routes which are passable during warmer months.

North of the Aves lies the Ji plateau a vast, high elevation plain of which little is known in the Two Kingdoms.

Pteron Highlands

Below the Aves are the Pteron Highlands (sometimes call the "Long Highlands") which include the foothills of the mountain range and a large elevated regions comprised of both flatlands and rugged terrain.

Lake Nerod

The Pteron Highlands are also home to Lake Nerod, the largest and deepest freshwater lake in the two kingdoms. Much of the rainwater accumulated in the Aves and other high elevations south of the divide flows into Nerod which empties into the Eastern Sea.

Sphenodonia

On the northeastern Long mainland, north of the island of Eft, several long fjords extend into the eastern sea. This area is often called Sphenodonia and it is home to the Ittiosauri people. The Ittiosauri are semi-nomadic ranchers and they speak a distinct language unrelated to Long. The Ittiosauri also possess an independent spirit and are known to be bellicose and ferocious. Over the course of Long history there have been several attempts (meeting with varying degrees of success) to subdue the Ittiosauri "barbarians," constrain Ittiosauri tribes to pay tribute to the King of Long and to extend control over territory in the region. When the independent Duchy of Eft was at its great extent, it controlled mainland territory in Sphenodonia. Today part of Sphenodonia is controlled by the Duke of Xenoshire. A number of small-scale wars were fought between Eft, Xenoshire and Anguis (the duchy to the south) and between Eft and the Long crown, in some of the latter conflicts Hu supported Eft.

Monodon

The tip of the fjord in mid Sphenodonia (the fjord closest to Eft) is home to Monodon, an isolated Sirenian trading post/colony. With support from the Merchants league, the people of Monodon were able to purchase the land from the Ittiosauri. Monodon came to be a powerful economic force in the northeast: it served as a space where Ittiosauri and (Long and Hu) outsiders interact and at its height it dominated trade in the area including the Lotos trade. For the most part, Monodon remained neutral in the struggles for power but it maintained a healthy relationship with Eft. In recent years, Monodon has been on the decline but this trend may be reversing.

Ecology In the highlands north of Nerod one can find fertile plains north of the timberline which are dominated by unusual flora such as the Giant Aster. The eastern highlands are also famous for the cultivation of Lotos, a plant which yields a powerful narcotic substance. Lotos is used as an analgesic and in spiritual ceremonies by local tribes. It is also consumed recreationally. Extended use of Lotos for either analgesic or recreational purposes can result in powerful addiction and dependency, and ingestion of large amounts can lead to a fatal hypotension, respiratory and cardiac depression.