SPEYSIDE

STRATHCLYDE

STORNOWAY

HISTORY

  • "**Dreich**" \ drēk \ - meaning dull or gloomy. **Dreich** is said to be named by the two brothers who founded the country long ago. The word derives from Middle Common, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse drjūgr lasting. It is said that for the 27 days they sailed to **Dreich**, it rained the entire time. Once landing onshore, it wasn't until they found [[The Elder Trees]] that the sun finally revealed itself from behind the clouds.

  • It is said in times unwritten, two brothers, *Evander* and *Fergus*, sailed across [[The Gleaming Ocean]] from *[[Wheoton]]*, a small city in **[[Wheoton]]**, to the land of **Dreich**. One brother, *Fergus*, headed North, finding the tree spirit, *[[Alder - Fearn|Alder]]* , far out in the **[[White Waste]]** with the help of the natives of the white waste, off the coast of the [[Elgin Isles]]. The *[[Alder - Fearn|Alder tree]]* shared Wisdom with *Fergus*, giving him a sapling of his own, that wood would burn hotter than coals. The other brother, *Evander*, followed the shoreline until coming across a vast [[Thornielee|forrest]]. However, upon setting foot into the tree line, a group of native *[[Thornielee#Saytrs|Satyr]]* captured him and brought them to their God, an old Birch tree named *[[Birch - Beith|Beith]]*, who taught *Evander* the secret to everlasting life. With this newfound knowledge, the two brothers went out to build two cities: **[[Perth]]** at the heart of [[The Minch]] surrounded by *[[Loch Morar]]*, and **[[Ayr]]**, a city far north where only the burning of an *[[Alder - Fearn|Alder tree]]* wood could keep you warm.

  • The Beith Family is said to descend directly from *Evander* himself. With the first son born after his death being a reincarnation of *Evander*. Today, *[[Evander Beith XVI|King Evander Beith XVI]]* claims the title and familial name, as well as the newly appointed throne after the recent death of *King Alder* in 1300. After the death of *[[Ayr#Alder|King Finnean Alder]]*, *Evander XVI* brought in a small **[[Eskana|Eskanan]]** [[Peebles#Demographics|gnomish]] population to improve the [[Speyside#Whiskey|whiskey distilleries]] the Beith family bought from the [[Pittenween#Demographics|Locathah]] population in the **[[Speyside]]**. The Beith Family keeps *[[Albatross]]* as pets. The *[[Albatross]]* serves as a metaphor for their power and the bad luck an encounter with the family can bring. King *[[Evander Beith XVI]]* is married to *[[Emilia Beith]]*, with who he had four children: two sons and two daughters. *[[Ewan Beith]]*, *[[Skye beith]]*, *[[Ione Beith]]*, and *[[Ker Beith]]*, upon his death, the firstborn son will be crowned as the true incarnate of Evander and will begin his rule upon his coming of age ceremony. The Beith family makes a majority of their money from the distilling and export of [[Speyside#Whiskey|Speyside Whiskey.]] To supplement any drops in production, the Beith’s have also worked in lumber, fishing, and many other ventures. In 1300 when *[[Ayr#Alder|King Alder]]* Died, *[[Evander Beith XVI]]* hired an [[Fort Dornoch#Military|army and navy of nearly 1,500 Orcs]] to seize hold of **Dreich**. *[[Sir Henrey Fordgeberry|Captain Commander Sir Henrey Fordgeberry III]]* commands this army at **[[Fort Dornoch]]** in the southernmost tip of **Dreich**.

  • The Alder family is not as invested in maintaining a pure bloodline. *Fergus* himself had four wives in his time as king of **Dreich**, as well as multiple illegitimate children. Through various divorces, sieges, and adoptions, it is unclear if the last person to sit on the throne is even a direct descendant of *Fergus.* It is puzzling why there was such an uproar from the city when the wife of the last king, *[[Kathrine Alder]]*, took the throne twenty-nine years ago upon his death. *[[Kathrine Alder|Kathrine]]* bore no children with the late king; however, after his death, founded an orphanage. When *[[Kathrine Alder|Kathrine]]* took the throne in **[[Ayr]]** in 1300, the [[Ayr#Dwarves|Dwarves]] [[Ayr#Mithral Strike of 1301|unionized and stop mining]] [[Ayr#Exports|mithral]], harshly decreasing the income for the Alder family. Allowing *[[Evander Beith XVI]]* to take control of **Dreich** within only a couple of weeks, hiring an [[Fort Dornoch#Military|orc army and navy]] to create a blockade on [[Ayr]]’s ports and force *[[Kathrine Alder|Kathrine]]* to succeed the throne to him. **[[Ayr]]** was built in 1100 as a mining community after the discovery of [[Ayr#Exports|mithral]] deposits in the nearby mountains. A force of 1,500 [[Ayr#Dwarves|dwarves]] were granted citizenship from **[[Oflos]]** to come to mine the [[Ayr#Exports|mithral]] and refine it. In return, the Alder Family provided housing and 40% of the profits made from [[Ayr#Exports|mithral]] sales. Their numbers have risen to almost 4,000 upon the last census in 1325. After the *[[Ayr#Mithral Strike of 1301|Mithral Strike of 1301]]*, A large force of [[Ayr#Elves|elves]] from *Kathrine’s* homeland, **[[Estelthyr]]**, operating the mines for Iron, Bronze, Silver, and Coal and fishing along the **[[Misty Shores]].**

  • The cities of the **[[Speyside|Speyside region,]]** **[[Peebles]]** , **[[Pittenween]]**, and **[[Tobermory]]**, are small towns and villages with a combined population size of a little more than 4,000. The largest of the settlements and first of the [[Speyside]] region was **[[Pittenween]]**. Built-in 867 as a training camp for **[[Fort Dornoch]]**, the village was abandoned and then repopulated by a group of [[Pittenween#Demographics|2,000 refugee Locathah's]] in 1242. They started crafting whiskey using the moss that grew in the **[[Speyside|Speyside region]]**, giving their whiskey a unique taste. *[[Pittenween#Ghunnis the Guzzler|Ghunnis the Guzzler]]* refined the process into what became the standard for [[Speyside#Whiskey|Speyside Whiskey]] we know today, attracting the attention of the *[[Perth#Beith|Beith family]]* who sent a group of brewmasters from **[[Perth]]** to join the [[Pittenween#Demographics|Locathah's]] and upscale the production for export. However, due to diseases brought by the new residents, the [[Pittenween#Demographics|Locathah]] numbers dwindled, only recently rising to 1,805 in the last census of 1325.

    As the [[Speyside#Whiskey|Beith brewmasters]] upscaled their production, they started two new towns: **[[Peebles]]**, built in 1302, along the coast and **[[Tobermory]]**, built in 1243, in the south towards **[[Fort Dornoch]]** In 1234, the *[[Perth#Beith|Beith family]]* again sought to raise production to meet the international demand for the [[Speyside#Whiskey|Speyside whiskey]], granting citizenship to [[Peebles#Demographics|800 Eskanan gnomes.]] Hired to improve the distilling process in return for housing and a share of the profits earned. These [[Peebles#Demographics|gnomes]] would settle in the seaside town of **[[Peebles]]** to gain access to a new variant of moss found along the **[[Elgin Sea]]** coastline.

    In recent years, a newfound rivalry has risen between the three towns. Upon their ascension to rule in 1301, The *[[Perth#Beith|Beith family]]* started a new [[Speyside#Riversbend Festival|festival]]. Hosted in the **[[Speyside| Speyside Region]]** grasslands in the bend of the *[[River Spey]]* between the three villages, this [[Speyside#Riversbend Festival|festival]] attracts noblemen and drunks alike, bringing over 56% of **Dreich’s** residents and over 700,00¤ per year.

Geography

  • The climate of **Dreich** varies wildly from region to region. The southern tip of the island is temperate and oceanic and tends to be very changeable. Warmed by the Gulf Stream from the **[[Northern Bodies of Water]]**, it has much milder winters (cooler, wetter summers) than areas north of the plains. The total area of **Dreich** is an amassed 72,832 km² (28,120 sq mil) of Land coverage, and 4.07% water.

    - The areas stretching from **[[Fort Dornoch]]** to **[[Pittenween]]** mark the outer edges of the region known as **[[Speyside]]**. The **[[Speyside]]** has rocky beaches along its coast and vast plains in its center. Once a dense marsh, the area and trees were cleared for their lumber.

    - As **[[Strathclyde]]** has forested areas ranging from **[[Perth]]** to north of **[[Pittenween]]** (north to south). From the **[[Thornielee|Thornielee Forrest]]** to the **[[Drumalban Mountains]]** (west to east) is subarctic. Despite its proximity to the Arctic, **[[Achnabreac National Forrest]]** only sees light snow from mid-fall to late spring. The warm water that evaporates off **[[Loch Morar]]** results in an almost constant state of rain during the summer.

    - The **[[Stornoway]]** region is the coldest part of the country. The low-lying inland area known as the **[[White Waste]]** in the northwest is the aridest. Snowfall in winter is more common in the west than in the east as the **[[Drumalban Mountains]]** rise high enough to force the clouds in the area to dump all of their precipitation on their west face. The highest air temperature recorded was 30.5 °C (86.9 °F) in the summer of 1239 at the **[[Ayr]]** docks on the Northwest coast. The lowest was −51.8 °C (−61.2 °F) in mid-winter in 1218 in the **[[White Waste]]** in the northwest.

  • **Dreich's** wildlife is typical of the north-west, although several of the larger mammals such as the *[[Giant Beaver]]*, *[[Brown Bear]]*, *[[Dire Wolf]]*, *[[Mammoth]]*, and *[[Walrus]]* were hunted to near extinction in historic times, their numbers remain low throughout the region. There are important populations of *[[Giant Fox]]* and internationally significant nesting grounds for a variety of seabirds such as *[[Gullion]]*. The *[[Albatross]]* is something of a national icon, especially to the family *[[Perth#Beith|Beith]]*.

    - On the high mountain tops, species including *ptarmigan*, *mountain [[Hare]]*, and *stoat* can be seen in their white color phase during winter months. Remnants of the native **[[Ayr]]** pine forest exist, within these areas, the *[[Giant Fox]]* can be found alongside *[[Giant Elk]]*, *[[Great Grey Owl]]*, *[[Badger]]* and *[[Characters/NPC/Monsters/Owlbear]]*. Various animals have been re-introduced, including the *[[Rothè]]* in 1275, the *[[Giant Catfish]]* in the 1280s, and experimental projects involving the *[[Giant Beaver]]* and *wild [[Boar]]*. Today, much of the remaining native **[[Thornielee|Thornielee Forest]]** lies within **[[Strathclyde]]**, and remnants of the forest remain at 6 locations across **Dreich**. Here *[[Deer]]*, *[[Fox|foxes]]*, *[[Boar]]*, *[[Skunk]]*, *[[Squirrel]]*, and the rare *[[Giant Tick]]* can be found. On the west coast, remnants of the ancient Fey population remain, such as the *[[Thornielee#Saytrs|Satyr population]]* in **[[Thornielee]]**. These *[[Thornielee#Saytrs|Satyrs]]* are particularly rare due to high rates of deforestation throughout **Dreich** history.

    - The [[Pittenween#Demographics|aquatic population]] of **Dreich** remains limited due to the sudden extreme weather patterns across regions. Along the **[[Misty Shores]]**, *[[Urchin Hunters]]*, *[[Mackerel]]*, *[[Valleurs' Fish]]*, and *[[Killer Whale|killer whales]]* can be found. Inland, *[[Trout]]* and *[[Salmon]]* populate the rivers. A population of *[[Giant Catfish]]* was brought to **[[Loch Morar]]** in the 1280s. Not much is known about **[[Moray Firth]]**. Found East of the **[[Drumalban Mountains]]**, *[[eels]]* and *[[beholderfish]]* have been rumored to be seen by ships off the coast.

    - The countries flora is varied, incorporating both deciduous and coniferous woodland, moorland, and tundra species. However, large-scale commercial tree planting and the management of **[[Strathclyde]]** cities such as **[[Perth]]** and **[[Ibhir Mhuinn]]** as well as the habitats for the grazing of *Rothé* and field sport activities like *[[Deer]]* stalking and driven *grouse* shooting **[[Ayr]]** in the **[[Stornoway]]** region impacts the distribution of indigenous plants and animals. The tallest trees are fabled to be a pair of [[The Elder Trees|elder spirits]]: One an *[[Alder - Fearn|Alder tree]]*, rumored to be deep in the **[[White Waste]]**. The other a *[[Birch - Beith|Birch tree]]* planted in **[[Thornielee]]**, *[[Thornielee#Saytrs|Satyr]]* say the pair could be more than 7,000 years old and are probably the oldest living things in **Dreich**. Although, no one outside the *[[Thornielee#Saytrs|Satyr]]* community has seen either [[The Elder Trees|tree]] since the founding of **Dreich**. Notably, the moss found in the **[[Speyside]]** Region is an essential ingredient in the making of *[[Pittenween#Demographics|Locathah]]* [[Speyside#Whiskey|whiskey]], which has become a trademark of **Dreich**, and the main export of the *[[Perth#Beith|Beith family]]* and the country.