High Country

The High Country was an area of land located on the eastern side of the Vast.

Description
The High Country was a large area of rocky moors and grassy plains and hills, bordered by the North Road on the west and the Earthspur Mountains, or Giantspike Mountains. There was a gap in the mountains where the High Country jutted east; rumors told of hidden passes through the mountains into neighboring Impiltur. Both the Fire River and the Vesper River ran down out of the High Country and into the Vast.

Being protected from human settlement and farmlands, the High Country was a fertile breeding area for game animals. These animals often came down into the farmlands looking for food in the crops, making hunting for food a common practice in the High Country and surrounding regions.

Inhabitants
The High Country was largely the home of shepherds and their flocks of sheep, and their trails traversed most of the region.

Legends dating back many centuries told of the so-called "Hidden People", a mysterious, hard-to-find, rarely seen race dwelling in the High Country. Guesses as to their nature included savage halflings, doppelgangers, treants, and varieties of fey, such as dryads, sprites, or some unknown fey race. The few alleged sightings from traveller's tales were contradictory.

Reputedly, reclusive mages of great power dwelled in the easternmost edges of the High Country, in a few, lone towers standing far apart. They apparently drove back orc bands that ventured down from the mountains, and thus the Hidden Folk left them alone.

Locations
The Hidden Folk apparently did not tolerate many buildings in the High Country, apart from the mage towers. The shepherds tended to dwell in only crude and temporary turf huts.

There were certain locations felt to be important to the Hidden People, such as sparkling pools, the rare standing stones, and small hidden dells thick with old, mossy trees. Wise and experienced shepherds avoided such places. If forced to enter by weather or misfortune, they made no fires and cut no trees, moved stealthily, and did their business quickly and left as soon as possible. They humbly and loudly apologized for the intrusion, and even left one or two sheep tied to stakes as payment. Those who did not take such precautions did not always return.