Ford Islands
| Ford Islands | |
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| Subdivision type: | Moorland |
| Capital: | Plantagenet |
| Population: | 5,932 |
| Largest Cities: | Plantagenet, Leffingwell, Jamestown |
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| Local Leadership Title: | Lord |
| Local Government: | Lordship |
| Current leader: | John Joseph |
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| Local language: | Nova English, Bosworthian, East Moorlandic |
| Local Religion: | Church of the Holy Lance |
The Ford Islands, also known as the Fordneys, are a pair of islands along the northwest coast of Keltia. The western island is known as the Isle of Questing (Norse: Nattøya; "night island"), while the eastern island is called the Isle of Genitsa (Norse: Gråheim; "grey world" or "grey home").
The islands were first claimed by the Celtic Kingdom of Syrah, which was shortly thereafter annexed by Attera. As a far-flung colony, the islands were not settled and were eventually abandoned for many years until claimed by the Kingdom of Bosworth. It was around 1550 AN that Ryan of the Fordneys was appointed Lord by King Wentworth and the area began to see significant settlement. Roads, churches and villages were constructed to assist the settlers in carving out a life in the far north. The harsh climate prevented any significant growth, but it did create a permanent population that survives to this day. The sturdy folk that inhabit the island are renowned as master storytellers, as told in their two most famous stories; the Chronicle of Questing and the Chronicle of Plantagenet. Around 1578, the islands were conquered by Normark and the native Bosworthians were sidelined by Norse colonizers. The present population is an admixture of both peoples.
In 1741, the Ford Islands Taskforce was formed by the Kingdom of Moorland in response to Bassaridian expansionism into the former lands of Normark via the Lower Jangsong Campaign. Following negotiations between the island lordship and King MacMartin, it was agreed that the islands would become an overseas territory of the kingdom in exchange for protections and major investments from Moorland. In 1742.2, a formal treaty of accession was signed and the Fordneys became a part of Moorland. Since then, Moorland has increased its exports to the islands and begun establishing formal military outposts. Working in conjunction with neighboring Mercury, efforts are underway to tie in the northern ferry system with the Trans-Keltian Express terminal at Å.
The Chronicle of Genitsa
The Chronicle of Genitsa was originally written in 1550 AN (2009) by Bosworthian chronicler Ryan of the Fordneys. It is a folkloric tale of the origins of the island
Northeast of Ambion lies the island of Genista, also known by the peasant moniker of Broomland. It is a place free of the perpetual ice its northern neighbor, the Isle of Questing, faces all the time. Yet it is nonetheless locked within the cold embrace of the Micran Arctic, giving this place a markedly northern atmosphere, akin to Iceland. Early Bosworthians forwent settling Genista in lieu of the more hospitable mainland to the south, which was more favorable to sheep and agriculture, and had large forests for timber.
Even so, the rolling green hills of Genista have been known for years. Count Orion of Rommenashire, a nobleman from New Britannia, is noted for having first sailed the coastline of the island. In his notes he observed the dominant plant life of the island, the common broom, known in Latin as planta genista. He called the place Insula Genista, or Island of the Broom Plant, and the name stuck. Even so, Genista remained uninhabited for many years until the foundation of Bosworth and the growth of its cities. The later, English-speaking New Britannians who settled the area, retained the latter Latin form of the name, and simply called the island Genista. As cities like Shrewsbury and Ambion grew, and the population of Wakefield Island reduced the availability of open land, settlers and the less-fortunate peasants who could not afford pricier locations began to settle Genista.
The first village to be settled was named in like honor of plant that dominates the flora here, yet tied in with the strong culture of the settlers. This village became known as Plantagenet and grew into a fine trading center, where sheep and peat were shipped to the mainland for trade in goods that could not be gotten here on the island. Although of noble name, Plantagenet was founded by the poor and destitute, and the homes thatched with the numerous broom plants led to the place being called "Thatchshire" by the locals. Likewise, the retention of the Latin name by those with only a vague education also led to the name of the island being known locally as "Broomland", since it often had to be explained what the name Genista meant. Although anyone sailing into Genista in the summer knows the reason the locals call it Broomland, since the plant dominates the scrub of the hills, and colors them yellow with millions of flowers each year.
Geography
The Fordneys are Arctic islands located along the northern ice belt. At least three-quarters of Questing is locked in permanent ice pack, while Genitsa is subject to seasonal thawing, allowing ships passage. With an Arctic climate, the islands are generally inhospitable to human life. The sparse population is spread over ten small villages whose survival is mostly by subsistence on fishing and hunting. This population has survived without significant change for many centuries. Questing is a hilly island with only one significant mountain; Mt Pendragon, the highest point in the islands. The Glatisant Peninsula dominates the north-central region of the island and is completely uninhabited by humans. It is known for its population of Questing Beasts. A small pine forest, planted in the 1600s, survives in the Derwont Hills, south of Derwont (village) and west of Leffingwell. The largest city on the island is Jamestown, which also serves as the island's ferry port and administrative seat. The Jamestown ferry conducts daily trips to Westbride Grove on Genitsa. Moorland maintains a military base in Nattsbyen, wherein most of the population there is military personnel and support staff. A circuit road serves most of the island but is, for the most part, unpaved dirt. North Lynford, the northernmost town in all of Moorland, is near the northern tip of Questing and home to around 300 people.
Genitsa is the southernmost island and has significantly less ice, allowing the coast to be more settled. The northeastern tip is where the largest town and capital of the Ford Islands sits; the village of Plantagenet. South of the capital the lowlands give way to rolling hills and the geologic feature known as the Cat's Eye, a tall mountain popular with climbers and skiers. The coast road connects to Westbride Grove and south to Great Lynford and Graheim. A second smaller military base in located at Graheim. Great Lynford and its small suburb of South Lynford are twinned towns that are all that remain of a larger earlier settlement from years past. The south and west of Genitsa are dominated by hills and craggy rocks with the far south a stretch of ancient volcanic lava flows known as The Fingers. Although uninhabited, it is a popular region for hiking and sightseeing.
