Fauna of Aedeland

This article is a work in progress.

The fauna of Aedeland refers to the diversity of various types of animals, often endemic, which populated the defined ground or water areas in Aedeland, its surrounding areas, and islands. Lying within the northern limits of the temperate zone, the wildlife was rich and diverse due to the unique moderating effect of the Thuaid Sea Vestsjøen current.

Zoographic Regions

Four significant geographical influences created divergent zoographical regions in Aedeland. The southern and western regions had a climate closer to what was found in central Anaria than the rest of Stoldavia due to the warm waters of the Anarian Sea, home to a great diversity of wildlife. The central regions were mostly alpine, with many areas covered by snow year-round. The northern region had the most severe weather.

Nordsjøen Dlreukv Sea

The Nordsjøen was a marginal sea of the Stolvic Ocean. It had long been the site of important North Anarian shipping lanes as well as a major fishery. Air temperatures in January ranged on average between 0 to 4 °C (32 to 39 °F) and in July between 13 to 18 °C (55 to 64 °F). The winter months saw frequent gales and storms. The main pattern to the flow of water in the North Sea was an anti-clockwise rotation along the edges. This brought frigid, nutrient-rich Arctic water to the Aedelant coast, which were remarkably fertile, murky green, and filled with fish.

The jagged Aedelant coastline was formed by glaciers during the ice ages. The Auðigrhál mountains plunged into the sea, creating deep fjords and archipelagos along the northwestern coast. Because it was so rugged, the Aedelant coastline, broken by huge fjords and thousands of islands, remained a wild, scenic, and generally unspoiled area.

The Nordsjøen served as a feeding ground for various whale species. Significant numbers of breaching whales migrated to the Nordsjøen every summer, while several other whale species, such as the razorback, could be observed year-round. The high concentration of whales made whaling in the Nordsjøen highly productive.

The jagged cliffs of North Aedeland were home to notable populations of round seals that congregated, gave birth, and sought refuge along the rough sea cliffs of the region. Many gave birth inside sea caves that were only accessible from underwater. Due to the unique cool northern currents, several animal species were found here that could not be found in any other regions of the same latitude. This included large kelp forests that supported large populations of North Stoldavian sea otter, notably smaller than other species of sea otter that were common to the deep fjords of the region.

Copepods and other zooplankton were plentiful in the Nordsjøen. These tiny organisms were crucial elements of the food chain, supporting many species of fish. Over 230 species of fish lived in the Nordsjøen. Cod, haddock, whiting, saithe, plaice, sole, mackerel, herring, pouting, sprat, and sandeel were all very common and were fished commercially. Due to the various depths of the Nordsjøen trenches and differences in salinity, temperature, and water movement, some fish, such as blue-mouth redfish and rabbitfish, resided only in small areas of the Nordsjøen.

The massive blue lobster, endemic to the cool waters of the Nordsjøen, rivaled many northern lobster varieties in popularity among seafood lovers. In addition to lobster, several species of crab enjoyed the cool, rocky coast of northwestern Aedeland.

The Aedelant sea cliffs provided ideal nesting habitats for many species of seabirds such as black-legged kittiwakes, Stolvic puffins, northern fulmars, and species of petrels, gannets, seaducks, loons, divers, cormorants, gulls, auks, and terns. Many formed large, dense nesting colonies that stretched across the face of the cliff, taking advantage of every inch of available rock. The Aedleant albatross, one of many megafauna found in Aedeland, as well as several species of sea-eagle, were common to this region.

Stoldavian sea lions bred from May to June on the sandy beaches of the Yngre Isles, located where the Nordsjøen met the warm waters of the Thuaid Sea Vestsjøen. Thousands swarmed the beaches of major breeding sites on the outer islands of Blodige and Whittle. During the breeding season, large populations of Abecean white sharks, arguably the world's largest known predatory fish, convened to feed on the sea lions. After the breeding season, female sea lions normally stayed in southern waters while the adult males and juveniles generally remained.

Northern Temperate Coniferous Forest

The northern forests included the Sigyn, the Åstillevatn basin, and the northern half of the Skjold Peninsula. The Sigyn was a particularly difficult terrain that created a natural ecological barrier between western and central Stoldavia. As a result, the famous trunkbull of Vittmark could not be found in neighboring Aedeland. However, Aedeland possessed a distinct species of dwarf forest mammoth, which was more closely related to the much larger steppe mammoth of Cykeria than the trunkbull.

The North Stoldavic wolf and the Aedelant dire wolf could be found throughout the northern forests and were dominant predators. The remote Sigyn was home to the rare black Aedelant cave lion, which once could be found throughout the northern half of western Stoldavia. The western Stoldavic great bear and the hyena-like haeckel hound, once found throughout the northern forests, could now be found only in the deepest forests of the Åstillevatn basin and the Skjold Peninsula.

Prey species included several varieties of deer found throughout northern Aedeland, including the massive northern Stoldavic hart and Stoldavic great elk (moose). The Sigyn mountain sheep could be found climbing the impossible Sigyn Karsk formations. The large gullinbursti and smaller calydonian boar could be found throughout Aedeland but were particularly numerous in the high forests surrounding the Åstillevatn basin. The gullinbursti boar was the largest extant species of wild suid, often exceeding 275 kg (610 lb). The dwarf blue dall, found in the sub-alpine region at the base of the Neðarfallkjede, were exceptionally agile and fine-featured sheep that often weighed less than 20 kg (44 lb).

Forests around the world tend to be more species-rich than those in Stoldavia because major mountain chains in Stoldavia were oriented east-west, which blocked species migration.

Central Alpine Forest

The Neðarfallkjede was a habitat for 30,000 species of wildlife, many of which made adaptations to the harsh cold conditions and high altitudes to the point that some only survived in specific micro-climates either directly above or below the snow line. Chamois, ibex, and mountain goats were found throughout the Neðarfallkjede. The Neðarfallkjede was home to the stripeless white Ånds tiger and the western Stoldavic great bear.

Domesticated Species

Aedeland had three indigenous horse breeds. The Dyner was a large northern-type originally developed in northern Aedeland. The largest recorded Dyner horse stood 21.2½ hands high, and his peak weight was estimated at 3,360 lb (1,520 kg). The Aedelish boar hound, the Skoldic mastiff, and the Alsaelandic deer hound were all well-known native dog breeds.