# Region: The Thornmark > [!info] Quick Facts > | | | > |---|---| > | **Type** | Nation | > | **Continent** | [[Continent - Auken\|Auken]] | > | **Capital** | [[City - Greater Terrisia\|Greater Terrisia]] | > | **Climate** | Harsh frost and wind | > | **Government** | Fractured feudal (Far-Danes under Cloch-tarns) | > | **Known For** | Horse lineages, purple heather moorlands | > [!map] View on Map > [Open Interactive Map →](https://hawksrepos.github.io/elvensong-map/?location=The%20Thornmark) **The Thornmark** is a sprawling, atmospheric expanse situated in the north-east of [[Continent - Auken]], defined by its rugged beauty and a climate of enduring frost and wind. ## Overview The landscape is a vast tapestry of low mountains and rolling hills, broken by immense, flat moorlands that are perpetually buffeted by harsh, biting winds. During the colder months, the region takes on a particularly grim character; dark grey clouds hang low over a prickly brushland of purple heather, lending the entire territory a slightly hostile and unforgiving air. This is a land of hardy stock and wide horizons, where the weather is as much a part of the inhabitants' identity as the stone beneath their feet. ## History & People The history of The Thornmark is deeply rooted in a distinct human migration that occurred over a millennium ago. While other settlers landed further south, these pioneers arrived from **Edaria**, carving out a difficult existence in a land that did not easily lend itself to traditional agriculture. Consequently, the people of The Thornmark evolved into a resilient society of: - **Sheep shearers** - **Cattle farmers** - **Skilled hunters** This rugged lifestyle is reflected in their mastery of **horsemanship**; the region boasts some of the finest horse lineages in [[World - Gryth|Gryth]], rivalled only by the legendary stocks found on the **Plains of Arran**. ## Government Governance in The Thornmark is a complex and often fractured affair: ### The Far-Danes Local rulers known as the **Far-Danes** govern their immediate territories from the security of ancient fortresses, keeps, or fortified towns scattered across the moors. ### The Cloch-tarns (Gold-men) The Far-Danes are themselves subject to the **Cloch-tarns**, an elite grouping also known as the **Gold-men**, who rule from the capital [[City - Greater Terrisia|Greater Terrisia]]. This unstable hierarchy leads to frequent friction between the rural keeps and the urban elite—a tension that has increasingly spurred the capital's desire to secede and establish itself as an independent city-state. ## The Wind Wanderers Central to the social order amidst this political instability are the **Wind Wanderers**. These rogue rangers are a common sight, moving silently through the tall grasses and rocky crags to act as a self-appointed regulatory police force. They are as much protectors of the local environment as they are of the people, ensuring that the law of the land is respected in areas too remote for the Far-Danes' reach. ## Notable Locations ### [[City - Greater Terrisia]] The crown jewel of The Thornmark is its capital, **Greater Terrisia**. This formidable ocean city is perched precariously atop a towering, thousand-foot cliff on the eastern coast of [[Continent - Auken]]. ### The Devouring Mouth > [!abstract] The Devouring Mouth > Below Greater Terrisia's foundations lies one of the great magical wonders of the world: **The Devouring Mouth**. This terrifying, 400-foot-wide vortex swirls endlessly in the sea, leading down into a dark, bottomless pit. ### [[City - Whiteharbour]] To the north, The Thornmark meets the frigid waters of the **Frozen Sea** at **Whiteharbour**, a town that secures the region's claim as one of the "Cold Countries" that fish and battle for dominance in those treacherous northern reaches. ## Connections - Located in north-east [[Continent - Auken]] - Part of [[World - Gryth]] - Settlers originated from **Edaria** - Shares the **Frozen Sea** with [[Region - Eldvale]] and [[Region - Glaszar]] ![[image 12.png]] ![[image 13.png]] ![[image 14.png]] ![[image 15.png]] ![[image 16.png]]