Sonnelind

The fertile soil, sheltered site, and central location made Sonnelind overtake Nolien as the center of the realm centuries ago. Aside from the city itself most of the settlements in the province are small farming villages surrounded by woods, a few roads connect Sonnelind to outlying provinces but otherwise despite the relatively large population much of the province is still wild.

Sonnelind

The only settlement to be called a city in all Dhoesone, Sonnelind is the core of the Baroness's power, such as it is, being the capital city of Dhoesone. Sonnelind is noted for its fine architecture – many of its stone buildings were built ages ago by the empire to display its skills to the Rjurik, though these buildings tend to have been rebuilt over the centuries the city has always sought to exemplify the best of Anuirean architecture to awe the neighboring Rjurik.

Although the Baroness’s castle is the greatest building in the city, the great merchants hall which once oversaw all trade between Anuire and the Rjurik highlands is not far from it in size. The hall is currently the centre of the feud between Mheallie Bireon and Adaere Doneim, the only thing that the two guilders seem to agree on is that the ancient tradition that the guilds maintained order in the great hall is retained and so openly little outward sign of their strife is apparent. On one occasion where the bloodshed drew attention last spring Storm Holtson had two score of unwashed linens publicly aired from the roof of the great hall – few viewers missed the symbolism and even the Baroness was said to be amused by the mockery.

The Warrens is the name given to a sprawling series of farming villages to the west of Sonnelind. The farms are noted for breeding both rabbits and great mastiffs. The rabbits are farmed for meat and fur by farmers loyal to Bannier Andien while Mheallie Bireon lays claim to the loyalty of the dog breeders.

Currently the guilders are said to be at each others throats in this once sleepy village for many of the villages prized giant rabbits have vanished of late, while several of the famously loyal mastiffs have shown a feral streak that has caused the value of their puppies to plummet.

This infamous hill in the north of the province is topped by an ancient druidic grove pledged to Reynir. The druids of Erik have avoided re-consecrating this circle which has stood empty since the Hjalsone massacre – for this is where Lars sacrificed the son of the Andu governor Garth Andu in an attempt to try to contact his silent god. Over the years since the Massacre travelers have reported seeing the ghost of Lars atop the Tor at night.

The skald Dana Kayssdottar once dared to sleep on the Tor, she awoke at dawn clutching a dagger of bronze while kneeling over an altar of white stone which bore the body of a fawn. To her dying day she wondered how the altar, knife, and even sacrifice could vanish without a trace before she could return with companions.