Southlands

### Geography

Rivers, forests, fertile plains, and some hills (usually rich with gold), temperate to Mediterranean

### Castles

Highshield
Lanfort
Stargarde
Highgrove
Shadowreach
Goldscar

### Cities

Arkridge
Hartlepool

### Towns

Thornscar
Brittlewell
Blackhall

### Places of note

The Sanctum of Shadowreach
The Adeptus of Sunderly

### Founded

1 AF
Integration into The Kingdom of Aqoris

**The Southlands** , often simply called **The South**, is one of the 6 constituent regions that form the Kingdom of Aqoris. It was formerly the Kingdom of Field and Grain under House Highhand of Sunderly prior to King Barden's unification war and the first region to join the Kingdom.

The Southlands are ruled from Sunderly by House Ross. Although they were formerly ruled by House Durham from Arkridge until they fell from Great House status. It is one of the largest regions in the Kingdom and is also the most wealthiest due to the vast fertile lands and the Southlands receive very minimal winters in comparison to the other regions. The hills are also rich in minerals and allows them to easily forge weapons and military equipment.

The people of the Southlands are referred to as **Southlanders** but they are the purest relatives to the ancient Aqorisi people who invaded north in the Age of Alba and the Age of Steel. The ancient Kingdom genocided the lands that would become the Southlands and repopulated it with their own people, hence why Southlanders consider themselves as the purest Aqorisi.

## Geography

The Southlands is in the very south of the Kingdom and are affected significantly less than the rest of the Kingdom to the North. The Southlands is primarily vast, open fertile grasslands with low hills. In the very west, on the The Gulf, is a large forest area, apart of the same Lakelands forests to the north west. To the central north is The North and in the lands where the two regions meet is a large array of hills, rich in minerals such as iron. To the north east is the Domainlands. To the North west is the Lakelands.

The most fertile and the most populated area of the Southlands is along the vast, Crop river which originates deep inside the Southlands and flows out into Sunderly Bay. All of the major population centres are based on the Crop as it is a lifeline for crop growth and fresh water.

### Settlements

* Sunderly, ancestral seat of House Ross (the ruling house of the Southlands). Also is the religious centre of The Faith of the Four.
	+ Arkridge, major city, formerly capital city, and seat of House Durham (the former ruling house of the Southlands).
	+ Southrock, major city and seat of House Tarbor, located on the south bank of the Sunderly river mouth.
	+ Highshield, the seat of House Rowen.
	+ Fieldrun, the seat of House Graen.
	+ Thornscar, the seat of House Rayne.
	+ Goldclaw, the seat of House Aerin and a major gold mine.
	+ Stargarde, the seat of House Daradon and principal fortification on The Southern Wall.
	+ Hayfort, the seat of House Hayard.
	+ Shadowreach, the seat of House Masterton and contains the second most important building of the Curators Guild, The Sanctum of Shadowreach.
	+ Highgrove, the seat of House Perle and major port on The Gulf of the Western Sea.

## Military Strength

The men-at-arms of the Southlands are very well-equipped and utilise heavy plate armour with helmets with collapsible visors to cover their face. As the Southlands are among the most powerful regions in the Kingdom, bordering on the most powerful, they can raise a significant military force, more than the Marshes, The North, Lakelands and Borderlands and a slightly more than the Domainlands. They could easily raise an army of at least 100,000 provided the region was united. During the War of the Bears, the Royalists were able to raise up an army of 50,000 men very quickly, although a lot were killed launching the Siege of Arkridge and defending in the Battle of Newcastle.

The Rosses are not the greatest warriors and fighters, due to their superior administrative abilities, but their wealth means they can finance their army much more than any other House in the Kingdom. Several Rosses have been among the most competent military commanders and they have led the Southlands to success in battle. Those that are not militarily inclined rely much more on their vassals and advisers.