Stormbreak Hills

The Stormbreak Hills of northern Raziya form a transition zone between the Plain of Storms that lies close to the Adelantean coast and the Rassi Plateau that makes up the bulk of the province. The name of these hills derives from the fact that the storms rolling in from the sea tend to drop most of their rain here at the edge of the plateau, leaving the inland portions of the province extremely arid but creating in the foothills a relatively well-watered zone. The abundant precipitation of winter and early spring swiftly peters out with the onset of the month of Ashbat, but throughout the rest of the year good reserves of water remain in the region's many springs.

The Stormbreak supports a wide range of plant life, much of which is either ephemeral and linked to the rainy season, or capable of weathering the many hot dry months that follow. Groves of cork oak, olive, argan, and Adeleantean almond dot the stony hillsides, some of them wild and remote, others assiduously cultivated by local Sirdabi and Tessouare families. Crag pine, jujube, thuja, and starcedar may also be found in different parts of the hills. A variety of bunchgrasses cover the stony slopes, mixed with shrubs such as artemisia and sherbet bush. Although of little use for any cultivation besides orchards, the Stormbreak offers good grazing land for goats and excellent hunting both for sustenance and sport. However, one must always be alert for the elusive but dangerous leopards that also enjoy the hunt here, and do not mind adding the occasional meal of human flesh to spice up their diet.