Altumbel
To most people, all of the Aglarondan peninsula is one land, but not to those who live in Altumbel. When Aglarond was formed many centuries ago, after long years of war, humans and half-elves agreed to share power in the form of a council of locally appointed leaders led by a king. A number of humans were too bitter from the wars to lay aside their animosity. Rather than become part of this new nation, they set out for the far western end of the peninsula, claiming it as their own.
In addition to the narrow cape at the end of the Aglarondan peninsula, Altumbel includes the mazelike archipelago of the Thousand Swords. Most of these islets are desolate and rocky, covered with low scrub and lichen, but some are fairly large. Ghevden, the largest, is more than thirty miles wide and is home to several populous villages of fishers, herders, and merchants. One-third of Altumbel’s people live scattered over the barren Swords. Pirates harry the islands, but many hail from the Swords themselves—raiding one’s neighbors is something of a local tradition.
Altumbel and its archipelago are almost entirely devoid of woods. The people here don’t care for trees, which remind them of the Yuirwood’s half-elves. Most make their living from the sea, either netting fish or trapping shellfish. The land is rocky and unforgiving, not much good for farming, although some sheltered dells are suitable for gardening. These sun-warmed and wind-protected valleys usually have springs and the occasional cave.
Altumbel boasts a history of harboring pirates, daring (or foolhardy) characters who knew the lay of the reefs beneath the sea and used them to confound less knowledgeable pursuers. In fact, Spandeliyon, the capital of the region, is still
known as the City of Pirates. These days, however, the Simbul’s harsh punishment of pirates has put the lie to that name. Few dare to brave the lady’s wrath, even in a city so far from her home in Velprintalar.
Beyond the rocky, fog-cloaked northern shores of Altumbel—and all Aglarond, in fact—the sea quickly drops off into a deep trench. The seasonal upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich waters make this place a fisher’s paradise.
