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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Eosin the Red" data-source="post: 1275697" data-attributes="member: 168">The Cape of SojenThe campaign will begin in the year 1075, play will primarily take place on the Cape of Sojen. The Cape is an ideal garden unprepared for the violence about to be unleashed on its shores. The land is comprised of pleasant valleys, undulating hills, dales, woodlands, and extensive meadows with a great abundance of water forming rivers, springs and lakes everywhere. It is truly one of the richest regions of the world. A good portion of the land is uncultivated and covered by forest or light woodlands. Sheep, horses, and cattle roam much of the cultivated land, while large herds of deer dwell in the wooded lands.Much of the land has fallen into disuse and decay. Many sheltered glades hide the ruins of villages, churches, and older fortresses, these stand as testimony to the hard times endured by the people. Many villages were destroyed during the incessant wars with Lorain, Internal strife between the triple crowns, and during the legendary troll-fogs that occur with alarming regularity. Perhaps most costly in terms of life lost was the dual plagues that struck the area within a decade of each other, Yellow Eye Fever claimed nearly one fifth of the population in 1014, then Demonfever swept the area in 1020 claiming nearly a third of the survivors. During the dual plagues entire village populations simply disappeared, making an accurate estimation of the death toll impossible.  There are nearly 8,000 townships on the cape, but few have populations of more than a thousand. Chandra is the only metropolis on the cape and it boasts an impressive population of 65,000 souls. Ridderkirk, Starkwall, and Seacliff are the only other towns of considerable size; the largest is Seacliff with a population of 12,000. Few other towns even approached a population of 6,000. Most towns spring from within the confines of walls or palisades, while the immediate lands are cultivated for crops or livestock. There is a network of roads linking many of the towns, but few minor roads. Many of the small villages are accessible only by forested trail. The upkeep of the major roadways is the responsibility of the lords whose land they cross, but few spare the coin to keep the roads in good repair.  Visitors on the cape find that to do any traveling they must hire a guide.  When Sojen first conquered the triple kingdoms scholars estimated the population to be between 4 and 5 million, during the ensuing centuries instead of growing, as one would expect in such a bountiful land the population has been steadily declining; current estimates place the population between 1 and 2 million. A large percentage of those live in the townships and cities, so many in fact that the countryside often seems uninhabited. ClimateThe cape is blessed with mild temperature extremes year round. Summers tend to be long warm seasons with large amounts of rainfall. Temperatures peak during the 7th and 8th months of the year with an average in the mid 80’s. A light morning fog and afternoon cloud cover are routine during the warmer weather. If the summer experiences generous precipitation then the winters are drenched affairs. Volcanic activity in the Hearthstone Mountains causes a down-slope dump of snow and rain during the winter. Rare fogs that roll off of the high peaks are called Troll-fogs for the monsters they invariably bring. Although snow is plentiful the temperature is mild, rarely falling below zero.  While the temperature is benign, this region can experience violent storms year round. Great squalls occasionally hem in naval travel during the summer, while inland storms cause many of the bridges and fords to become impassable. The cape rarely sees flash floods due to its overly wet nature. Winter blizzards can halt all traffic in the northern lands. While the various storms are plentiful they usually blow over quickly and life resumes as normal.PopulationThe people of the cape are often described as earthy, but possessing a volatile temper. In fact one scholar suggests the warlike inclinations of the region is one of the chief causes of its shrinking population. After being chased from Middea by an angry lynch mob he was quoted as saying ‘if these people could not fight Lorain, or Vindell, or Severn, or the inhuman monsters in the mountains, they would probably kill each other’. Many are impressed by the standard of living; everyone has stout clothes, eats huge meals, and consumes vast amounts of alcohol.  There are several regions on the cape that defy borders; the northerners tend to think of the southerners as treacherous, cowardly, educated snobs. While the southerners tends to view the northerners as brash, rapacious, violent barbarians. Related and interrelated races populate the cape but difference in dress and dialect often lead to other prejudices. The men of Edain are loud, violent, love strong drink, and tend to boast outrageously, which often sets them at odds with the Middians, who value honesty. Neither the Middians nor the Edain can remain long in the presence of a Vindell without a fight occurring. The Vindell have a long memory for the wrongs done to their people by both countries. This disunity among the various areas on the cape leaves folk from one region either fearing or resenting those from another; foreigners have a much rougher lot. The people of the cape tend to be fair skinned with a full range of hair and eye color. Many travelers comment on the legendary alabaster beauty possessed by the noble women, and are even more amazed by their forwardness. The capes history of conquest by foreign invaders has added to the diversity of races, the invaders include (from earliest to most recent) The Vanyian Empire, the Glacians, Ramanthian mercenaries, and most recently the Numerians.</blockquote>

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