Cities of Ovce
Eigen – ‘beginning of hills’. Throughout Ovce, long flat-topped barrows dominate the skyline. These mounds, along with the moats that encircle them, are relics from the days of constant defence, when Marčovȉkian invaders prowled the southern coastline. The three cities of Ovce are built on the largest knowls (naturally occurring high points of land), each extending over many miles.
Eigen sits at the mouth of the River Tus, and its importance as a river port was at its greatest during the troubled period towards the end of the First House, when it bore the brunt of Marčovȉk attacks. It suffered further ravages during the dying days of the Fourth House, when its people supported the unfortunate Queen Maebh.
Some two hundred years on, Eigen is still a busy port. Aside from the ubiquitous wool production that the rest of Ovce depends on, it is also famous for its rainbow trout – a fish that fares particularly well in the iron-rich River Tus.
Eugen – ‘beginning of light’. Starting at Eugen, the Longmynd Hills gradually erupt from the land, spilling into East Kwiat at the other end of the range. This is the land of sheep; ironically, it is also where the Royal House of Wolves established their first capital. As in Eigen, the mounds and barrows add height to the relatively gentle Longmynds, commanding sea views for hundreds of miles.
The green grassy slopes that surround Eugen, dotted with sheep as far as the eye can see, sit atop sheer white cliffs that jut in and out in the most fantastic fashion. One particular section of rocks is called the Fool’s Dance, due to the chalk spires being only a few feet apart. It is possible to ‘dance’ from peak to peak; however, only a fool would attempt to do so in the strong southerly gusts that blow in from the sea.
Lonlutt – ‘little land’. County town of Ovce. Spilling down from the top of an ancient mound, Lonlutt has mainly been shaped by its vast harbour, festooned with numerous inlets and islands. The sea pours into this natural waterfront, and the town ‘climbs’ up the hill behind it. Due to it having double the number of high tides, the sand is of an unusually high quality, rarely silting up into mud.
As Ovce’s major city, Lonlutt sits at the centre of the wool export market, and has done since the kings of the First House fortified the site against the Marčovȉkians. It was here in 176 that the eighteen-year-old King Auwode, later known as the Unfortunate, was murdered by his stepmother so that her own son, Widwulf the Unwise, could claim the throne.