THE NORTHERN FORESTS

By Hersius and Clawdia

INTRODUCTION

This Geography Department discusses the Gorean landscape in terms of geography and its underlying geologic structures. Areas are identified, described, showcased with a scenic description, and then discussed regarding some aspect in detail. General concepts, such as latitude, longitude, and plate tectonics, are likewise discussed and applied to the virtual landmass of the Gorean supercontinent. With an eye to accountability for my interpretations and to help you come to your own conclusions, book and page references are often given. As this series progresses, reference is made to archived TGV articles, not as some ego trip but as a shortcut for new TGV readers to find more background detail for statements made.

THE NORTHERN FORESTS

The Northern Forests represent an area of geologic uplifts. It is surmised that the forests belt the planet, but that remains conjecture. They begin at Thassa in the west and run east past the Thentis Mountains. They encompass hundreds of thousands of square pasangs and are like countries unto themselves. Book 5 Pages 293, 294, Book 7 Pages 81, 129. In these articles, the Northern Forests run from 68 N to 60 N in a solid band from 85 W to 60 E. The forests begin at a slightly higher latitude in the western longitudes, as shown by Ko-ro-ba being farther north than Thentis coupled with the fact that the forests start a bit north of Ko-ro-ba on the north side of the Laurius River. The southern edge of the forests appears abrupt, just as the northern edge of the forests seems to abruptly sweep down in elevation into the polar tundra plain. This suggests that the forests are a sort of significant bump in the planet spanning an entire tier of latitudes across the continent. The abrupt change in flora characterizing the northern forests appears to be due to elevation in the south, with the abrupt change at the northern edge being due to latitude.

The northern boundary of the Northern Forests is mostly formed by the polar plains. In the west near Thassa, the northern boundary is the southeast edge of the Hrimgar Mountains. West of the Hrimgar Mountains, the northern boundary is Torvaldsland. For most of their extent around the planet, the Northern Forests stop where the tundra and permafrost begin. The polar plains extend northward from the Northern Forests without buffer to the polar sea at the edge of the polar icecap. The only buffer from the polar plains lies in the west near the Thassa coast. There the Hrimgar Mountains form a climate barrier between the polar plains and Torvaldsland. One end of the Hrimgar Mountains is the Thassa coast, and the other is the Northern Forests. The mountains run northwest and southeast, with the higher latitudes being at the coast. Visually, this places Torvaldsland within a triangle composed of the Northern Forests, the Thassa coastline, and the Hrimgar Mountains. Contrary to some online interpretations, the Hrimgar Mountains do not form the northern boundary of the Northern Forests all the way east. The Hrimgar Mountains border the Northern Forests only enough for one herd of tabuk to have developed a migration pattern in which the herd leaves the Northern Forests, treks along the southwest side of the mountains east and then north of the populated area of Torvaldsland, and then crosses the mountains at Tancred Pass to reach the polar plains along the Thassa coast. Book 9 Page 139, Book 12 Pages 36, 37, 38, 138, 139, 152, 167, 190, 191, 192, 195, 196.

The northern plains form the southern boundary of the Northern Forests west of the Thentis Mountains. As mentioned above, the Northern Forests extend east of the Thentis Mountains and might extend to the eastern shoreline. The Barrens begin east of the Thentis Mountains, and their eastern extent is not known. Book 17 Page 65. This places the Barrens as the southern boundary of the Northern Forests east of the Thentis Mountains.

The rugged western coastline of the Northern Forests covers hundreds of pasangs. Book 8 Page 243. The forests extend all the way to the beaches. Book 8 Page 18. There are villages all along the Northern Forest coastline. Book 7 Page 60. Exchange points also appear along the coast. Book 8 Pages 18, 27. The Stream of Torvald apparently does not brush the coats at the Northern Forests. When Ivar Forkbeard left Kassau, he first rowed west until he reached the Stream, which then took him to Torvaldsland. The Stream is said to keep the Torvaldsland climate warmer than it otherwise would be, but it is not mentioned with respect to places farther south. See Book 9 Pages 55, 56, TGV June 2003.

The Northern Forests appear to be the origin place of the Laurius River. Contrary to some online interpretations, the Laurius does not flow through the Northern Forests to the coasts, nor is the source of the Laurius identified. Any Northern Forests mountain range or lake system remains conjecture. The Laurius exits the Northern Forests into the northern plains somewhere probably west of Ko-ro-ba. Laura is northwest of Ko-ro-ba, but the extent of the Laurius east of Laura is not known, so the actual place at which the river leaves the Northern Forests is not known. It is a broad river. The Laurius does not extend very far south from the Northern Forests before turning west and flowing to the southwest. The river winds, and villages with fields exist between the river and the start of the Northern Forests, but there is not much distance between the river and the Northern Forests. At Laura, the Northern Forests begin near the outskirts of the town. Book 7 Pages 59, 60, 84, 85, 86, 87, 122, 148, Book 8 Pages 39, 41.

The Northern Forests appear to be the origin place of two large Barrens rivers, the Kaiila and the Snake. The Kaiila River appears to exit the Northern Forests and flow over the western Barrens in a southwesterly direction. The Kaiila proper forks soon after entering the Barrens, and the resulting two rivers are known as the Northern Kaiila and the Southern Kaiila. The Snake appears to exit the Northern Forests west of the Kaiila, as it flows in an almost southerly direction to join the Northern Kaiila. The sources of these large rivers appear to not be very extensive. The rivers are shallow, narrow, and slow moving. Book 18 Pages 24, 35.

SCENIC DESCRIPTION

When you step into the forest, you know at once that you are in a place untamed by man. The size and height of the mighty Turs, rival even the Urthen Redwoods in their majestic stature. Their wide trunks rising higher then the Gorean eye can see. Turian branches intersect and cross to create a canopy of green and brown which blocks the normal light of day from penetrating it’s realm. The sun filtering thru this screen with shades of light and dark green. Ferns abound throughout the forest floor in various shapes and sizes. Some growing as tall as a man with fronds stretching high and across the base of the huge trees. Others growing too close and thick together to allow passage, the sharp cutting edges further discouraging entry. Ferns of bright yellow, growing low and flat to the ground can be found in the darker regions, spotting the forest with its color. Tem tree roots often break thru the dirt looping up to disappear back into the ground, often being mistaken for a hith. Fallen trees lie like litter in places. Time blanketing their horizontal trunks with springy lime green moss. Making a good home for the many species of mushrooms. The tiny poisonous ost also finds this a nice hiding place. A waterfall is usually heard before it can be seen. Gushing out of lush crevices of moldy lichen covered rock to fall into hidden pools below. Overflowing streams turning to creeks, often disappearing back beneath the ground to appear at another place deep in the forest. The snap of branches or the rustle the brush could be a sound of the giant sleen, or that of a hith. Or countless other hunters not hiding their approach or using stealth in their traveling. Perhaps catching the scent of a passing tabuk or human. Anything caught, being prey to them. When the tri-moons rise and the forest is pitched into deeper darkness, it comes alive. Nocturnal sounds of the night animals calling to one another, or the shattering roar of the larl can be heard, reminding you that you are in the wild realm. Shadows in the branches move and come to life in the shape of forest panthers, both the tawny four legged and those with two. All that moves here is watched by the wild.

BACKGROUND

The Northern Forests are named for the climate zone known as the boreal forests, with boreal meaning northern. The Northern Forests are also referred to as the High Forests.

The ocean offshore from the Northern Forests is dotted with skerries signaling the nearby edge of the continental tectonic plate. Book 8 Page 45, TGV June 2003. The Northern Forest coast is serviced by three significant settlements and is dotted with villages and with outlaw exchange points. It would therefore be both convenient and logical for exchange islands to exist off the Northern Forest shore, and since islands exist all the way to Torvaldsland, it is not only likely that islands are located opposite the Northern Forests, but it would be unexpected for the Northern Forests coastline to not have associated islands. A process of elimination can help determine which islands, if any, may be across from the Northern Forests coastline.

The islands of Tyros and Cos lie some 400 pasangs due west of Port Kar, with Cos being some 100 pasangs to the north of Tyros. Book 3 Page 45, Book 5 Page 282, Book 6 Page 139, Book 11 Page 322. A set of numerous small islands known simply as the Northern Islands extends in a scimitar shape toward the continent from just off the northeastern end of Cos. These appear to not be commercially very important, as they are not politically unified, they are governed by simple village councils, and they possess no true shipping. Book 6 Page 106. None of these extends far enough north to parallel the Northern Forests. Sets of islands known as exchange islands and as free islands are identified. These are administered by Merchants and are commercially important. Book 6 Page 137. One grouping is listed as being parallel to Torvaldsland. The islands of Hunjer and Skjern are west of Torvaldsland and north of the Northern Forests. Book 6 Page 137, Book 7 Page 198. The island of Scagnar is south of Hunjer and Skjern and west of Torvaldsland. Book 6 Page 137, Book 8 Page 43. None of these extends far enough south to parallel the Northern Forests.

There are two identified exchange island groupings between Torvaldsland and the small archipelago northeast of Cos. Teletus and Tabor are grouped together in text. Teletus is north of Tabor, which was named such because it is shaped like a drum. Farnacium, Hulneth and Asperiche are also grouped together in text. Book 6 Pages 137, 138, Book 8 Pages 42, 43. Asperiche is south of Teletus and Tabor. Book 20 Page 129. One interpretation can be that Farnacium, Hulneth and Asperiche are named in order from south to north, as Thassa islands seem to maintain an arc formation rather than a clump formation. Tabor and Asperiche are located simply as being across Thassa from the perspective of the Northern Forests as contrasted with the islands offshore from Torvaldsland. Book 8 Page 317. Given the groupings and since some of the islands are commercially related to the Ko-ro-ban market, it is likely that Farnacium, Hulneth and Asperiche are south of Lydius and west of the northern plains coast within the Ko-ro-ban market. The process of elimination leaves Teletus and Tabor as being the most likely candidates for being located within the Northern Forests coastal latitudes.

Helmutsport, Kassau, and Lydius are the settlements usually associated with the Northern Forests. They are all coastal. Helmutsport and Lydius are two of the four free ports. Book 6 Page 137, Book 8 Page 43. Although it is not a free port, the Kassau economy is based on the trade of Northern Forests lumber and fish in brokerage between Torvaldsland and places south. Book 9 Pages 27, 28.

Helmutsport is north of Kassau. The Skerry of Einar is taken as the southern boundary of Torvaldsland when approached from Thassa. TGV June 2003. The southern boundary of Torvaldsland when approached by land at the Thassa coast is not specified. Helmutsport is grouped with Ax Glacier, Torvaldsland, Hunjer, and Skjern, with Kassau placed lower on the map with the Northern Forests, and with the Laurius River with Lydius and Laura being grouped separately still. Book 10 Page 7. This may indicate that Helmutsport is at the border between Torvaldsland and the Northern Forests. Since Helmutsport is a free port, its location at the door to the Torvaldsland market would make sense. Free ports are administered by Merchants, which would suggest that Helmutsport is not a town of Torvaldslanders but is instead an outpost of Arian culture. Helmutsport is therefore more likely to be associated with the Northern Forests as a market niche for Merchants than as a Torvaldsland settlement.

Kassau and Lydius are both seats of High Initiates. The High Initiate at Kassau claims Torvaldsland and makes Kassau a spiritual center covering hundreds of pasangs. Book 9 Pages 25, 28.

Kassau is a town and has many associated nearby villages which effectively double its regional population. It is located at an inlet from Thassa. Book 9 Pages 27, 28.

Lydius is hundreds of pasangs south of Kassau. Book 9 Page 28. Lydius is a city. Book 8 Page 45. It is located where the Laurius River meets Thassa, on the northern bank of the river. Book 7 Page 59, Book 8 Pages 18, 68, 69, Book 12 Page 112, Book 20 Page 12. It is often mentioned with the small city of Laura. Laura is an inland distribution point for Lydius. Book 8 Page 44. Laura is located on the north shore of the Laurius River some 200 pasangs from Lydius. Book 7 Page 59, 80, Book 8 Page 24. Visually, this makes Laura nearly coastal itself.

Politically, the Northern Forests are unowned, although a number of cities claim areas relating to logging operations. Book 6 Page 141.

CALL FOR WRITERS AND RESEARCHERS

Future articles will highlight other areas. People who wish to work with me to provide Book research, heartfelt descriptions, and important background information relating to the area are encouraged to contact me at hersiusofthentis@yahoo.com.