Editing Journey of the Strange (section)

==The Kirklands and the North.==
Beyond the Middle Sea to the North lies the various mountain chains that form the worlds spine. Where this meets the Great Ocean are the Kirklands...a series of valley and highland based holdings that stretch along the coasts until they meet the vast graasy plains and bogs that define the North.
Although there are currently over a dozen monarchies or free alliances amongst the Kirklands (and there have been far more in times past), some of whom have been there for hundreds of years (such as Gotz and Utter Gotz in the North, Or the Kingdom of Three Rivers on the south coast), the area has acquired it's common Name because of the similarity of its settlement styles, one that has been followed through the ages.

The northern plains have always been home to nomadic people, and the Chariot riding, cattle herding ancestors of the kirklanders came from there originally, driven out by an ancient foe. When they fled to the coastal and mountain valleys that became the kirklands, they would settle, one clan to a valley and build their Kirk or winterplace. Over time these settlements became permanent and the Kirklanders adapted to farming and permanent houses...although they still herd more than is strictly needed.

Over the centuries, other peoples have come and gone in the Kirklands, but this pattern of a Kirk (or central town) dominating one valley has remained, and created a basic community unit. A kingdom or allinace in the kirklands is measured by the number and quality of its Kirks.

[What if the Celtic ancestors settled earlier, and the Romans, etc didn't get to kick the crap out of them? Plus, the pattern mimics what high level adventurers would do if they were settling an area...]

The Northern plains these days are divided into a dozen petty "young Kingdoms", all vying with each other in endless cattle wars.