Soil Types

I generalized a few soil types based on the geography and likely paleogeology of the Duchy. I assumed that, at some time, the Nyr Dyv was a larger lake (perhaps during some ancient ice age). This would have made the central core of the Duchy an arm of the Nyr Dyv. Since the lake receded, it left behind a flat plain of clay soil. This soil retains water, so many small marshes can be found in this area, especially close to the central river. I do not have a name for this river, but we could call it the Lukala (some ancient relation to Leukish.)

The rivers and streams in the Duchy bring larger sediments down from the hills and mountains that ring the Duchy. Nearer the hills, the sediments are larger, but farther down, the sediments are finer, from sand to silt. These sediments make for excellent soil for agriculture. The Vale is also characterized by rich, sandy soil because of the higher rainfall in the region.

Higher up, the soils are poorer and thinner, while lower, towards the core of the Duchy, the soils are finer and richer. This divides the duchy into two rings around the clay soils of the core. The rich, sandy soil ringing the central core has a normal pH and much organic matter. It is deep and very good for growing. This ring extends up river valleys some way, especially, up the Lukala River.

Ringing this zone of rich sandy soil is a ring of thinner, sandy soil, which extends up to the Cairn Hills and Abbor Alz. This region can support agriculture, but it not as well as the inner zone.

There are two areas of rocky soil in the north. Each is found in the higher elevations. These two zones were not underwater when the Nyr Dyv was larger, nor are they fed sand and silt from the encircling hills. The soil is poor here and is good mainly for forage, but even that is marginal.

The soil in the hills is also rocky and not very good for agriculture. There are pockets of good soil in the Cairn Hills which are used for small farms, but no widespread agriculture can be found. The Abbor Alz also has pockets of good soil, but due to a lack of adequater rainfall, farming is rare. Also, the Abbor Alz's soils are mainly alkaline, which makes for poor crops.

Another pocket is in the area around Nellix. Presumably, the Celadon forest was larger and stretched farther downriver from where it now stands. Forests usually provide a rich layer of organic matter as well as increase the acidity of soil. For this reason, the area around Nellix is characterized by rich, acidic, sandy soil.

Geology

There are three main mining regions in the Duchy, corresponding mainly to the Cairn Hills, the mountains, and the hills of the Abbor Alz to the south. In addition, there are placer deposits in many of the rivers and streams that flow off the hills and mountains.

1. Cairn Hills. Coal, Amber, flint, agates, opals, quartz
2. Mountains. This is the riches area geologically. Gold, silver, copper, ruby, sapphire, emerald, aquamarine, morganite, malachite, quartz (clear, rose, smoky, amethyst), turquoise
3. Abbor Alz. Iron, copper, turquoise, malachite
4. Upper Lukala. Gold nuggets, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, aquamarine, malachite
5. Lower Lukala (to Selataren). Gold sand & dust, small rubies, small sapphires, small emeralds
6. Upper Soltara River(Southern Tributary of Lukala). Gold nuggets, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, aquamarine, malachite, turquoise.
7. Lower Soltara. Gold dust, turquoise, malachite, small rubies, emeralds and sapphires
8. Other streams flowing off Cairn Hills. Amber, opals, flint, agate
9. Grayson Flow (river flowing through Nellix). Turquoise, Malachite.