Monaidh Plains

Location of the Monaidh Plains in Duilintinn by tumblr user @thewatchau

The Monaidh Plains are a semi-arid steppes grassland located in central Duilintinn. With the downward slopes of the Draoidh Valley to the west and the Beinnfaire Ridge to the east, the Monaidh Plains are the highest-elevation non-mountainous region of the Feadhainn Valley. Two rivers flow through the Monaidh Plains; the Agrona River to the east, and the Guardian River in the southwest.

Since the majority of the Monaidh Plains are under the political jurisdiction of House Jackie, most people associate these arid grasslands with this Noble House. However, the Monaidh Plains do technically expand beyond House Jackie’s borders and into House Brody, forming the latter’s southwestern agricultural region.

## Name Origin

Monaidh seems to have a variety of meanings, ranging from mountain to desert to heath to level hill-ground. However, most of these definitions taken together paint the picture of an elevated, relatively unfertile stretch of grassland.

## Geography

It’s difficult to define the boundaries of the Monaidh Plains. To the east and west, the plains end where the elevation begins to fall into the Beinnfaire Ridge and Draoidh Valley, respectively. However, while all agree that the foothills of the Southern Mountains form the southern border of the Monaidh Plains, it’s difficult to define where the plains end and the foothills begin. The northern edge of the plains faces a similar difficulty. While the Northern Mountains do not have extensive foothills, there is a significant shift in ecology (and by extension, agricultural practices) that would prevent the entire region of western House Brody from being considered part of the plains. Of the proposed northern boundaries for the Monaidh Plains, the Pa’Gille River is the furthest north, while most would say the plains end slightly south of the river.

During the Feadhainn Era, much of  the region was significantly forested thanks to a layer of fertile loam over the limestone below the surface. However, the Waldren Occupation caused significant deforestation and topsoil erosion as the trees were cut down and limestone exposed for the sake of Waldren’s building projects in the eastern half of the Feadhainn Valley. The true effects of this deforestation were not evident until after Waldren’s power in Tirónar began to wane in the early 1300s, which may have contributed to Waldren’s decision to leave the Feadhainn Valley to its own devices in the 1330s.

Today, the majority of the Monaidh Plains features the heavy, chalky clay soil common to the lowlands of the Feadhainn Valley. Only stubby grasses and herbs are able to thrive in the tough soil, discouraging most attempts at cultivating the land for agriculture. Farms bordering the Guardian or Agrona River can get by with intensive irrigation practices, but even so, the plains are far better suited for pastures and ranching than crop cultivation.

However, the northernmost portion of the Monaidh Plains located within House Brody is an exception to this rule. While this area still retains the primary characteristics of the Monaidh Plains’ geography and ecosystem, the looser acidic soil of the Northern Mountains mixed into the heavy alkaline soil of the plains makes the region far more workable for agriculture.

That being said, the chalky clay soil of the Monaidh Plains is fantastic for brickmaking. White bricks made from the chalky clay soil of the plains were a popular and affordable substitute for the cut limestone used in classical Waldren Occupation architecture, used both by the original Waldren colonizers and by modern architects to this day.

## Ecology

The Monaidh Plains are primarily home to scrub-like plantlife, grazing wildlife such as wild horses and deer, small mammals, and birds of prey. As described in the geography section, all but the northernmost areas of the plains have relatively little potential for agriculture without significant irrigation. What trees that have returned to the plains after Waldren’s deforestation are scrubby and isolated; there aren’t enough nutrients in the soil to support large groves of trees in close proximity.

## Climate

The climate of the Monaidh Plains is continental, with very cold winters and very hot summers. During the winter, these plains become covered in snow, with cold, harsh winds whipping unhindered across the flat landscape. On the other hand, the summer sun is blisteringly hot, with little natural shade to temper its rays.

Precipitation in the plains varies between the north and south. The Northern Mountains divert precipitation away from central Duilintinn, leaving the House Jackie portion of the Monaidh Plains extremely arid. On the other hand, the northernmost parts of the plains located in House Brody get slightly more precipitation during the summers, thanks to their proximity to the rainy Northern Mountains.

## Trivia

The look of the grassy, deforested flatland areas of central and eastern Duilintinn are largely inspired by the landscapes in the video game Shadow of the Colossus, which released in 2005 for the PS2 and is one of the all-time favorite games played by the AU’s inspiration and source material, Sean McLoughlin. The images below accurately portray the empty feeling of the deforested Monaidh Plains without making the region feel like a desert or featureless wasteland, even showing what the few trees in this landscape would look like. The only major difference is the mountains/cliffs that you can see in the distance (or foreground) in the landscapes of the plains; in Duilintinn, the southern mountains aren’t that sheer, and the Monaidh Plains are too vast for you to be able to see either mountain range from that distance. Instead, from the Monaidh Plains, you’re more likely to see a limitless horizon or perhaps the uneven foothills of the Southern Mountains. Once you get close enough to see the Northern Mountains, the landscape around you will look much different, with a more flourishing ecosystem, fewer rocks, and an abundance of farmland.
Landscape Inspo-Shadow of the Colossus