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In earlier day part of the Kingdom of Skaunsric, Isatèr is now a quiet region that has not lost its southern Naglani flair. With the light forest of Skaunsric in the south, the coast of the Worldsea in the west, the Gouden Velden in the north and the Black Mountains in the east, Isatèr has almost every kind of landscape nearby. Isauls, former capital of Skaunsric, is a popular place for the rich who have seen enough of the busy cities they made earned their money in or with. They move into Isauls or - better- into the hills north of the city. Huge mansions have been build here, or the wine farms have been improved to live a luxurious life in. The vineyards are still there, although some have been converted into shady gardens. The climate is "nice" as the Isaulians will tell. The summer is long and hot, but with quite a lot of rain. The autumn and spring are also pretty long, and gives even more rain, including thunderstorms and hard wind coming straight from the sea. The short winter might give snow and hail, but is not really cold. In the hills a touch of frost is common in clear winter nights. The hills of Isatèr have a crusty, rocky soil of eroded chalk stone. Rain that falls on the hills, is quickly sucked up by the soil, and will end up in the sources of the Is River (flowing to Nieuw-Gamoor) and the Uzèj Stream (to Uzda). For centuries, it had been a desolated region, poor, because the soil had not enough nutrition for any plants but the dry soil loving ones, which now common in Wythviz. In the 13th century AFO, the first agricultural terraces were build. Walls and improved ground should keep the rain water longer in place, so the plants could use it. The ground itself was more nutritious and became home to small animals who improved the ground even more by digging in it - a natural, miniature plough. The southern sloped proved to be an excellent place for vineyards, with the vines that had been imported from Overveer. In the next centuries, the wine business was the core business of Isatèr. The grapes were grown here, and made into wine. The forest of Skaunsric provided wood for the casks; vinologists claim the special Skaunsric wood of the cask gives the Isatèr wine a very special taste. The casks were exported to the rest of Daleth on the so called wine roads of which the most important ran over Hveitsvar, Donvar and Wymar to Ildritz. The wine business returned the wealth Isatèr had at the time Isauls was the capital of Skaunsric. The architecture became richly decorated with influences from traditional Naglani design, yet modern and suited to the taste of the Poorterian upper class. Most houses have rather flat roofs, and an abundance of balconies, galleries, verandahs, loggias, terraces and columns. Decorations are plenty, with the grape as popular theme. The windows that are not under a balcony are small and placed deep in the wall to keep the sun out, the doors are large, usually opened during daytime and provide access to a inner court, where a fountain can be found. Sometimes the inner court is in the house, like a large and cool hall. The walls of the houses are plastered white. The wine farms are build in a more sober, practical style, with the production buildings surrounding them. Related topics: |