Map B.01 - Lofoten
Sub-arctic region reaching from 77.22°N south to 62.96°N, including the upper peninsula of Scandinavia, a region shared by many races. The upper peninsula is formed of an elevated plateau which rises steeply from the Atlantic. The irregular outline of the has been caused by the same agent, a glacier or river of ice. The sides of the fjords are steep and often rise to heights of 4,000 ft. At the head of each fjord is a meadowland surrouding a stream descending from the mountains. Arranged along the coast is the skerry-guard, hundreds of small, rocky islands that act as a protection from the Atlantic storms. There is a near continuous quiet water route through the lee of these islands. These islands allowed the Norse to learn their sailing trade.
Hexes are 20 miles in diameter. Total area depicted equals 403,095 sq.m.
Contents
Features
Norwegian Sea
A marginal sea in the Atlantic, between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea, the latter boundary marked by the island of Jan Mayen. The Norwegian Sea has a great depth and for that reason has never been associated with a subterranean culture. The coastal zones are rich in fish, with Norway has long exploited. The North Atlantic Current ensures stable temperatures the year round, so that unlike the Greenland Sea, the Norwegian is ice-free.
The Scandes form a backbone that forms a rigid boundary between the western Norse provinces and the Baltic provinces of the east. The mountains are not very high but are very steep in places; their shape has enabled the formation of many ice fields and glaciers. The northern range is collectively known as the Kjølen, where the mountains are narrower north of Trondelag. Most of these mountains lack alpine ranges, as their steep sides and rocky peaks give little purchase for flora or fauna of that type. In the upper valleys, however, tundra ranges predominate.
Norwegian Provinces
The most populated and significant entity on the map, the Norwegian Provinces show a part of the human Kingdom of Denmark & Norway. The western borders are fixed by the Kjølen Mountains, whereas those with friendly Nanbrun and Moreland were settled after some political strife centuries ago. Those entities to the east of the mountains are viewed with antipathy. There are four provinces, with a combined area of 80.6 hexes and a population of 88,053.
Nordland
The County of Nordland is a mountainous region in the northwest, indented with many fjords, valleys and narrow lowland areas along the sea. The county includes the Lofoten Islands. Fishing is the more important activity and the sole economy of many small hamlets. South of the Saltfjorden, the region is called Helgeland; coniferous forests mixed with open meadows predominate here; north of the Saltfjorden, tundra and alpine ranges dominate. Narvik, in the north, is a market town with a population above 4,000; it is an important link with the Vastenjaur and the interior. The county is 35.9 hexes in area, with a population of 32,049.
Nor-Trondelag
The County of Nor-Trondelag is a farmland province that follows the upper Trondheimsfjord. The battle of Stiklestad was fought here in 1030, when Olaf Haraldsson failed to overcome the combined gnomish army of Vastanjaur, consolidating the Kingdom of Norway. Thereafter, a pact was made with those gnomes who dwelt west of the mountains (Nanbrun); no such pact exists with the gnomes who dwelt in the east (Fieldlan & Knollslan). Nor-Trondelag is a mixture of rolling grainlands and mixed forest. Levanger and Stjordalshalen are mere villages. The area is 8.4 hexes and the population 11,963.
Sor-Trondelag (partial)
The County of Sor-Trondelag consists primarily of well-civilised land around the city of Trondheim; lands in the east are forested and wild. Trondheim is an important market that trades directly with Scotland; most ships travelling to the far north make a stop there. The city was founded in 862, three years before serving as a coronation place for King Harald Fairhair of the Norse in 865. Iron ore is mined at the village of Roros; shipbuilding and tools are important manufactures in Trondheim. The region has an area of 15 hexes and a population of 32,700.
Troms
The County of Troms is the northernmost land of the Kingdom of Denmark & Norway, settled by the Norse in the late 10th century. Troms has a very rugged and indented coastline facing the Norwegian Sea, though the large and mountainous islands along the coast shelter the important sea-route between Europe and the Barents Sea. Several large fjords stretch quite far inland. Vegetation is arctic, with only dwarfed birches and low grasses & shrubs. The county is remote and lacks any market; goods are transshipped through the largest settlement and town, Tromso, 140 miles south to Narvik. The county is 21.3 hexes in size, with a population of 11,314.
Vastenjaur Provinces
The gnomish kingdom of Vastenjaur is a frigid land of exposed rock and forests. Gnomes have occupied these lands for five thousand years, though their culture was quite primitive up until the 6th century. Legend says the kingdom was an outer march of the great Vepses Empire, but this has never been confirmed, as all records are lost. Mining, fur trading and herding of reindeer are important activities.
The Earldom of Fieldlan (partial) occupies the northern half of the kingdom, reaching from the Gulf of Bothnia to the Kjølen Mountains. Almost two thirds of the population lives in towns and villages, noted for their isolation. The settlements of Gallivern and Magern produce vast amounts of iron ore, which are hauled to the trading village of Randparn (not shown) for trading. Life is hard and the people have developed a rigorous, dour nature; in war, they are known for their endurance. Fieldlan is 95.5 hexes in area, with a population of 22,857.
The Earldom of Knollslan (partial) likewise stretches from Bothnia to the Kjølen; the weather is marginally better and the forests offer greater shelter and materials for building. The largest town of Vastenjaur, Uminhome, has the King's residence. Some local agriculture is practiced, but there is little export except for timber. The gnomes of Knollslan are friendlier than their northern cousins; decoration and woodcarving is commonly seen. A population of 27,440 are settled upon 52.5 hexes, allowing much more infrastructure and communication between the residents.
