Costageal Plains

The Costageal Plains (also commonly referred to as simply Duilintinn’s Coastal Plains) is the region of Duilintinn located west of the Eastern Sea, east of the Beinnfaire Ridge, south of the Guardian River, and north of the Airceann River, including the subregion of the Domhainn Peninsula. Together, the Costageal Plains and Iolla Cliffs make up the entirety of House Schneeplestein.

## Name Origin

The Costageal Plains is one of the few place names in Duilintinn that is referred to with its common tongue name as much, if not more often, than its name in the Feadhainn Language. Moreover, unlike the Guardian River, which is a direct translation from its original name of Gléidhidh, the Costageal translates to “white coast,” not just coastal. The name is most likely a reference to the white limestone and chalk that defines most of the stone, cliffs, and rare beaches of the coastline.

## Geography

The Costageal Plains is a lowland coastal plain that largely consists of sparse, flat grasslands and small, open chalk hills, known as “downlands” in geographic terms. Closer to the ocean, exposed pale limestone and chalk formations break up the thin grassy landscape with spots of pale white and grey.

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. To this day, only stubby grasses and herbs are able to thrive in the chalky clay soil that remains, discouraging most attempts at cultivating the land for agriculture.

As Waldren discovered, the chalky clay soil of this region 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.

## Climate

Along the coast (eastern House Brody and most of House Schneeplestein) the climate is mild in the winter and hot in the summer. House Schneeplestein gets little precipitation during the summer and very harsh coastal winds and storms that stir up without warning during the winter, coating the region in layers of ice or snow. This period of harsh weather usually starts around late November and lasts until early March.

## Ecology

There’s not a ton of agriculture in the region except for local gardens; the cities and suburbs of House Schneeplestein have been trading for food grown in House Brody since long before they were called that. However, some wild flora and fauna (especially magical ones, which are better adapted to the region overall) have adapted to the deforestation and have taken advantage of the open sky, allowing a lot of the same herbs that are domesticated in House Brody to grow in wild patches beyond the borders of the crowded towns. At times, it’s more convenient to go hunting for herbs here instead of waiting for official harvested batches to come in from the north, especially if you’re already en route to Fionport for other errands.

Wild animals are still common despite the urbanization of the region. There’s still enough countryside between towns and cities for animals to thrive in their usual way. In addition, some animals have adapted to the high urbanization levels by trying to take advantage of the unique sort of food opportunities that come from a place where lots of people are.

## Settlements

The Costageal Plains are by far the most urbanized part of Duilintinn, especially on the roads leading to or from Cordoire and the port city of Fionport. As a result, the roads are well maintained, with lots of bustling towns along the road and/or within the range of a short detour.

## Trivia

The South Downs of the United Kingdom are one of the most significant real-world geographical references for the natural landmarks of eastern Duilintinn, from the Beinnfaire Ridge, to the Coastal Plains, to the Iolla Cliffs. In this case, the escarpment from the inland towards the coast looks very similar to the Beinnfaire ridge west of the Costageal Plains, while the white cliffs of rising out over the coast, complete with a lighthouse and sea inlets, is exactly how I imagine the Iolla Cliffs and Duilintinn’s eastern coast.

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 how the sheer cliffs and rocky coast of Duilintinn would shift into the grassy inland plains, with what few scattered trees remain or have returned to the plains after the region’s deforestation. It’s a great example of how the exposed white stone that defines Duilintinn’s coast would still feature throughout the Costageal Plains and what the region would look like when viewed atop the Beinnfaire Ridge