The Natural World

Natural formations

The island of Kalderesh is roughly 8-shaped, with a low-lying central “waist” about 200 km across. Two central highlands (Krethes Mountains in the south and the Barobur Range in the north) dominate the land mass. These central uplifts are surrounded by comparatively narrow plains and coastal flat-lands.

The tallest peaks of the Krethes Mountains lie on the eastern edge of the range and are snow-covered year-round. To their west, the comparatively low Endless Mountains spread out for over 200 km towards the lowlands of Krethes. About half of the duchy’s area is mountainous.

In the far south, the impressive Kirnengo Mountains rises up abruptly near the coast. A unique system of high-altitude lakes is located in the central part of the range.

In the south-east the Black Saw Mountains partially surrounds the broad fertile plains of the Big Valley, famous as a region for growing excellent grapes and olives.

The tallest waterfall in Kalderesh is the 850 m high Parnipico Falls, meaning “silvery water spear”, in the central Krethes Mountains.

The largest lake in Kalderesh is Lake Pai, a 50 km long body of fresh water in the west, fed by rivers from Krethes. The lake in turn feeds the Pai Wetlands, the largest fresh-water marsh in Kalderesh, itself dotted with smaller lakes.

The largest swamp in Kalderesh is the Swamp of Azaar west of Azerel. Several hostile species inhabit the swamp, and although a system of Royal watch towers is in place, the swamp is to be avoided at all costs.

Federic’s Land is a large island complex, covering an area of 100 x 90 km, off the south-eastern coast of Kalderesh. It lies about 20 km from the mainland, separated from it by the Strait of Tellinon, an area rich in sealife.

The Shallows is a coastal region between Cape Cloud and Tor Bay where the sea is very shallow and changes dramatically with the tides. It is extremely hazardous to shipping.

Forests

A significant portion of Kalderesh was originally forested; in the olden days you could walk from one end of the land to the other and be under forest canopy the entire way. As the land was settled, forests were cleared for timber and to make way for agricultural land. Eventually over 60% of the forests were cut down until the Kalderani druids intervened.

Today, nine ancient forests thrive and are curated by the druids. Duskwood and the Harl are the largest, and Hemden Forest and Maidenwood are the smallest. The largest non-druidic forests are the Grey Forest and the Forest of Kova, both near Camfor.

Because of the abundance of moisture and a nearly year-round period of growth, forests are extensive and lush. Broadleaf evergreens prevail with occasional understories of other growth thickets. Dense forests of hardwoods, including cypress and red gum, thrive in the poorly drained river bottoms. More open hardwood stands occupy the better-drained low-land sites. Hickory, chestnut, oak and poplar form the cover in the rougher uplands. Towards the drier margins the forests are gradually replaced by grasses, with trees restricted to the river banks.

Shrubs and other plants

Plants commonly found throughout Kalderesh include alether, dog rose, larkurn, thyme, periwinkle, bite apple, pinroyal, burdoch, strawberry, wormwood, rewk, fennoil, red mullein, yarrow, elecampane, milkworte, lungwort, shrue, adgana, anise, tamarisc, healwell, footleaf, mugwort, masterwort, basil, black rose, gallowbrush, barberry, peony, cinquefoil, chamomile, adder’s tongue, bishop’s weed, blackroot, grode, marigold, ribwort plantain, prince’s feather, chickbane, blackberry, alkaneet, and spanweed.

In the open plains and grasslands, one finds shepherd’s purse, atigax, harrisweed, arnuminas, harfy, cow-wheat, saddilia, yaran, kilmakur, vallis, valerian, vinuk, attanar, gaint’s bane, dagmather, anubis, camwort, marjerome, horseweed, and urvine.

In forests the common shrubs are golden lungwort, willow-herb, rampalt, belramba, cat’s tail, laumspur, deadly-nightshade, agrimony, asarabacca, saffron, athelas, colewort, thurl, athelwort, fetherfew, sanicle, delrean, orach, speckled nut, sweet trefoile, chervil, ash, hart’s tongue, cow parsnip, borage, tempin, goat’s rue, winclamit, rose campion, all-heale, throw-waxe, kelventari, pattran, white bryony, mayweed, mandrake, darnell, bilberry, whitecandle, and garden flax.

In mountainous and rough terrain grow birthknot, ironhard, wolfsbane, angelica, ashline, coltsfoot, hare’s ears, mountain setwall, silverthorn, arnica, lesser centaury, mountain garlick, and juniper.

Swamp plants include archangelica, calamus, bull-rush, falsifal, pallast and the dwarf mallow. Along the coast one finds snakespike, eldaas, ebur, marsh mallow, felmather, yavethalion, gylvir, bloodkeep, and horehound, while riverbanks are home to woodrose, dainaberry, dittany, olus veritis, and amrans.

Animals and critters

Commonly found wild animals include game birds, sabre deer, fox, squirrel, opossum, racoon, mink, otter, muskrat, water birds (heron, crane, ibis, egret), crocodiles, turtles, snakes, antelope, mountain lions, and hyena.

Less commonly encountered are giant beetles, giant rats, giant spiders, giant bats, leeches, vultures and monstrous worms.

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  The Stony River south of Sikafor

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  Sunrise in Camnevy Sound, Barban

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  View from Gold Island across the Strait of Serpents to the Ghudari Mountains on the horizon

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  The rocky Hills of Burin in north-central Kirvan is the hunting grounds of groks and other beasts.

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  Unusual cloud formation over the coastal plain near Sandy Head.

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  Federic’s Land is the largest island system in Kalderesh, separated from the mainland by the Strait of Tellinon. The view above is from the northern limit of the system looking east.

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  The Shallows is a 130 km stretch of beautiful coastline that is treacherous to navigate. One of the many Islands of Gerbaut is in the foreground. Princess Coanix Island can be seen in the distance

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  The Parnipico Falls in the Krethes Mountains is the tallest waterfall in Kalderesh, plunging over 850 m down a cliffside. The falls are about 40 km west of Coldbridge in Kirvan

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  Extensive farming in a valley at the foot of the Black Saw Mountains near Londesh

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  The rocky badlands near Stonemoor in summer, with the Barobur Mountains in the distance

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  The Black Saw Mountains in late spring, looking south-east from Greywynne. The city of Keserel is located just to the left of the dome-shaped peak

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  Looking across the Endless Mountains to the peaks of the Krethes on the horizon

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  An ancient sink hole near Cape Hexaron. It is said to be the scar of a battle between two mages hundreds of years ago

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  The Pai Wetlands is a freshwater marsh which is home to a diverse population of animals and plants

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  The outskirts of the Swamp of Azaar is pleasant, alive with birdsong and coloured by glittering butterflies. But this beauty is only skin deep and danger lurks within

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  A peaceful stream in Duskwood

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  The well-travelled road between Cerosfor and Clearford winds through the Forest of Kova in the Barban Uplands

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  A rare view of the Hidden Hills deep within Michaelwood. The northern extent of the Barobur Mountains is visible in the distance

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  Logging in the Greater Kascht, under druidic supervision

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  A section of the path through Hemden Forest near the entrance to the Grove

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  This track through Michaelwood appears safe

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  It is easy to get lost in the Forest of Kreth

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  One Qidra Flower blooms per year somewhere in Kalderesh