Kalistan

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Spotlight on: Green County
The Rural Anantan County holds vast Natural Beauty
Bozo River, Grand Duchy of Ananto
November 20, 5664


Lighthouse at East Point in the Six Sisters Region of Ananto looks west to Meridian

As Princess Nicolette Ananto-Collins is entitled Countess of Green, new attention is brought to the most rural county on Ananto. Served by Interstate Highway 4, which runs the length of the county from Bozo River to Luxon in southern Ananto, as well as Ananto Highways 3 and 4, both of which connect the county to Eveari, and lastly by the National Rail Service between Bozo River and Eveari and then to Kaliburg, the county has a very sparse population, mostly of folks who want to settle outside of the major population centers: More than 9/10ths of Green County's 41,200 permanent population lives in Bozo River, and there are many places in Green County where nobody lives within a five mile radius of any given spot. If you want to "get away from it all" Green County is the place to be.

What makes Green County so special is its relatively moderate climate, its very laid back slow paced mentality, and its distinct culture which is a product of geographical and cultural apartness from the various capitals of Ananto over the years. Going to Green County is like going back in time, to an era when things were simpler and more rustic. The county has all modern conveniences: per capita, it is one of the most connected counties in the entire Empire, in terms of communications, travel, and infrastructure. But homes tend to be built from natural building materials, including cob and redwood, tend to attempt to fit better into the landscape, and tend to run off localized utilities. The people themselves prefer a hearty diet of local produce and meats, tend to eat less fish and more beef and lamb, and are widely known to tolerate venison. Despite the focus on local sourcing of necessities, prices can be expensive, especially for things that need to be brought in from other areas of the Empire, as there is no easy source of supply in the county outside of the Military supply infrastructure, which is not available to the civilian population.

As you leave either Dahriel or Bozo River behind and journey into the hinterland, you are immediately greeted with the earthy, pastoral sights of rolling hills, rushing rivers, mountain peaks in the distance, and thickets of volunteer forest dotting the landscape. The land slopes upward from east to west, as the broad meadows give way to foothills, which tend to be more wooded than grassy, deeper valleys with cataracts and waterfalls created as one of the Six Sisters rushes over capstone and falls sometimes 130 feet into a gorge below, and lower hills capped in fog and lower clouds. Finally, the border of the County runs along the crest of the Green Mountains which separate the County from Eveari County to the north. Here you will find canyons, v shaped river valleys caused by erosion, lots of trails for hiking and viewing nature, and dense forests fed by nearly constant precipitation from the Meridian air and ocean currents running south to north on the east side of the Island.

The winters are moderate, rainy, and keep the entire county lush and well watered, guaranteeing two full growing seasons for many crops per year. The summers have daily rains, often gentle from the uplift of the air over the land and its condensation as it rolls up the mountain faces, falling back to earth and creating the rushing torrents that are the headwaters of the Six Sisters Rivers. But there are clear, pleasant days as well during much of the year that add to the mystique and allure of the land. "I just love hiking in the Green Mountains," said avid hiker Kelly Jones, of Eveari. "There's this little B&B I always come to when I come out here, which is about 500 feet away from the trail head of one of the most beautiful hikes on this island, straight to the top of Lost Peak. The Lost Peak is an extinct volcano and it has a really pretty lake inside the crater--regardless of how much rain falls in it, it always stays the same level. I kid you not: 'Majestic' is a term that doesn't cover it."

The Middle Valley of the Michelle River, southern most of the Six Sisters in rural Green County

The low population and the high cost of maintenance also makes the county also rather more expensive to live in than some of the more populated counties. Life in Rural Green County is certainly not a privilege all can afford to enjoy. The county has long been the focus of Land Barons who have attempted to settle, only to eventually abandon their titles because it is in many ways difficult to live so far away from services more common to the west and south. But some Baronies have survived recapture, and have increased to often sprawling estates that provide a significant portion of the grapes for wine production in Kalistan, as well as the opium for production of various analgesics and narcotics in the Empire. There is also limited cattle ranching in the County, and much of the beef that is grazed here sells at a premium in Kaliburg, Eveari and Luxon, or exported to other nations, while dairy tends to be consumed mainly on the island.

Nearly the entire county outside of the mountains is suitable for grazing: You will more likely find a sheep here than a human, and many of the land baronies fund their estate operations through the sale of wool to Kalistani's textile makers, and lamb and mutton to the tables of the meat eaters in the Empire. Vast vineyards and great fields of opium poppies are common in the uplands, while in the south, toward Dah County, you will also see large plantations of cannabis operations. Within the past seventy five years, Southern Green County has also seen a major expansion of the oil bearing crop sector as well as cotton cultivation, though the weather is more appropriate for these crops further south in Dah County and in Odufaray. The produce of these and other agricultural operations is regularly regulated by the Ananto Growers' Syndicate, which all those who cultivate more than 250 acres annually are required to be active members of.

Most of the homes in rural Green County tend to be larger than homes you will find in more densely populated areas in Kalistan and Ananto. This is largely due to the fact that there are so few people nearby, so people have room to spread out a bit more. But home size also owes to the fact that most of the people in rural Green County are members of the land peerage. Much of the land, which has been agricultural land since time immemorial, was left fallow and vacant for centuries before the Empire began encouraging resettlement with the Rural Land Act, early last century. Following that act, hundreds of wealthy families arrived in Green County as well as other rural counties across the Empire to claim Baronies. Unfortunately, the land rush did not produce lasting change, as many of the Land Knights and Barons who took advantage of the law bought the land and constructed their home on the property but failed to meet the cultivation requirements, and most surrendered their titles to the land and the peerage within a few years.

Those who stayed on became an agriculture based Gentry in the land, each enjoying near complete dominion over their respective parcels of land, aggrandizing them as they can. Some of the largest land owners in the County own more than 20,000 acres, and often other smaller residences that sit on those acres. Large land owners will occasionally fund the construction of settlements and villages for the purpose of providing hired help with housing and basic amenities. Most landowners in the county, however, are small farmers who annually cultivate just under the 250 acres necessary for them to join the Growers' Syndicate, and just sell directly to the Syndicate without actually joining it. Most small farmers will operate local farmers markets where whatever local population there is can visit to purchase fresh, locally produced foods, beverages, textiles and fabrics, and even local honey: Apiaries are a very common sight in Green County, and Green County honey is widely available throughout the Empire.

"I enjoy living out here because it is just easy," said local land owner Tom Wright, who owns a small plot of land in the Southern Part of the county. "I've been a farmer all my life, but the best part about the arrangements I have all I need here on my land, and I don't have to worry about a lot of the competition that I would if I lived in a different part of the Island or the Empire. I grow my crops, I sell them in one fell swoop to the Growers' Syndicate, and then I plan for next season. Meanwhile, it is very easy to live here. I can run every single morning of the year if I like: even the rain in the wintertime isn't that bad. I get to be outside, I eat whole foods and drink cool water all day, and then when the work day is done, me and the wife and the kids decide how we want to spend our evenings. No stress, no problems."

One notable exception to this concept of the Landed Ag Gentry in the County is the Baronetcy of Ravens' Head, which is located along the Caroline River, or the northern most of the Six Sisters outside of Bozo River. This parcel is not a Land Barony. The estate is made of 1000 acres of granted land as a gift from the Empire of Ananto and Kalistan to the Sovereign of the Kingdom of Hutori. The Sovereign also holds a special rank of Knight/Lady Commander of the Order, which entitles them to familial prerogative under the Imperial House Law. A large, beautiful home sits on the property, and it has views of the Meridian Strait above Sea Cliffs, as well as views of the northern most spine of the foothills of the Green Mountains.

A visit to rural Green County is a feast for the senses. From the beautiful geography to the vast open spaces filled with clean air, pure water and lush vegetation, it truly is a garden spot on Ananto and in Kalistan as a whole. Here you can find plenty of game if you are a hunter, plenty of fish if you are an angler, miles upon miles of hiking, running and biking trails, to offer year round outdoor activity, a cozy and out of the way bed and breakfast here, a surprise poppy field there, and tends of thousands of acres of pure, pastoral natural solitude. If you get lost, you can always follow one of the rushing rivers to the sea and then follow the coast north to Bozo River, but not all those who are lost out here wish to be found.

Green County truly is a hidden gem in Ananto.

@TheRepublic