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Carlinshire

Carlinshire is the largest of the three shires that owe allegiance to the Earl of the Mostreve, and is contains the upper stretches of the Umber, the higher elevations of Torvaine Forest, and the northern part of the Westcliff. It is bordered by the Maseau Gap on the west and northwest, Bramshire to the northeast, the Aure valley to the east, and Weskershire to the south.

This area saw heavy fighting during the war against the Dominion of Avatus, and was the only region of Addermarch to be partially occupied by Avatus. It is now a somewhat poor region, and rather neglected.

The most significant settlement in Carlinshire is Valcroix, at the confluence of the Umber and Velan. Smaller settlements, mostly villages, ruined castles, and the occasional toll-fort, dot the hills to the west.

Geography

Carlinshire includes three major geographic regions: the river valleys along the lower Umber and the Velan; the upland forests, most notably Torvaine Forest, and the highlands.

Most of the population lives along the rivers, particularly in the fertile lands at the confluence of the Umber and the Velan. This is a land of open woods, gentle hills, and rushing brooks, dotted with villages and the occasional market town. The rivers here are only navigable in short stretches, with many rapids and minor waterfalls, so most traffic goes along the roads, which are impassable for several months during the snowmelt and mud of the spring rains.

The Torvaine Forest is a mixed hardwood forest; the Umber cuts through its heart and is the locus of settlement for charcoal-makers, foresters, and hunters. Settlement density drops steeply to the west, away from the Umber; one road passes through the forest to the uplands, protected by Torvaine Watch, but is often impassible in the winter and early spring due to heavy snow or mud.

On the higher slopes of Carlinshire is the highland moors, divided in the lower rolling hills of the Stonewolds to the west, and the steeper, wind-swept plains of the Highmoor to the east and north on the edges of the highest peaks of the Mostreve Hills. This land is lightly settled, with only one significant town (Roscombe), though numerous tiny villages dot the moors, sustained by hardy crops, sheep, and hearty highland cattle.