The Crescent

	North of the Weald, another peculiar region gives many sleepless nights to diligent scholars trying to categorise everything and everyone. A crescent-shaped land stretches from the Weald in the south all the way to the edge of the Great Forest, to the foothills of Central Colovia and the great city of Chorrol. The people living here are somewhat of a peculiarity, considering themselves Heartlanders yet speaking a tongue of a decidedly Colovian character, albeit heavily influenced by the languages of the Heartlands.
Much of the region is impassable jungle – the Great Forest may not be as big as it was long ago when the floodlands of the western Heartlands were still heavily forested but it is just as wild as it always was. Most civilisation here is river-based, with sparse settlement inland; one may even find tribal societies there, speaking alien tongues and worshipping many different gods and spirits. In a stark contrast to its surrounding, the region’s greatest city of Delodiil rises from jungle in a colourful mess of towers, stilted river districts, rows of guild halls and barge-houses. It is one of the main stops for caravans heading east to Cyrod City, attracting wealth-seeking people from all over the wider region. Among them are the Bosmer; the proximity of the city to Valenwood and its climate made it the perfect destination for Elves in search of better prospects outside of their home province and today, their district is one of integral parts of the city. Delodiil is not the only connection between Colovia and the Heartlands, however. Several major rivers flow down from the Colovian highlands further to the north and although none of the cities there are as grand as Delodiil, they are nonetheless important stops on the many trade routes leading to Cyrod City.

	It is attested that the original tribes in the Crescent were subjugated by Colovians early on in the land’s history, marking the furthest extent of the latter’s expansion. It is not precisely known when the situation was reversed but a text on the topic was written sometime in early First era. The historical account by one Mirinus Catalpii describes the onslaught of “wodsmayne” (archaic term for boatsmen or woodsmen – the term for wood was once used interchangeably, the reasoning behind it becoming clear once one remembers that the main means of transport for the old Nedic societies was a simple single log boat) led by a warlord by the name of Thyrinal from the east, that led to all freemen of the region being taken hostage. Because it was difficult for the easterners to tell the Colovians and their subjects apart by tongue, the warlord would come up with an ingenious plan. As the famous quote states, he told his men that “[…] just as sweat runs from [the Colovians’] foreheads, so shall blood.” His warriors, then, had no trouble telling the sweating Colovians apart from the native population, for the westerners were not (and still are not) accustomed to the humid environment outside their homeland. It is not known to what extent the account holds water. What is known is that Thyrinal did lead several campaigns against Colovian tribes, one of which liberated the Crescent.
	From then on, Colovian influence would wane as Delodiil and the more civilised frontier would come in contact with the Heartlands. As some academics state, this domination of Heartland culture was a natural conclusion, as such was the fate of all river-based societies surrounding the Imperial Isles. Nevertheless, Delodiil and with it the whole Crescent would forever remain a peculiarity.

	There are no clear-cut borders when it comes to the delineation between the Crescent and its surrounding regions bar the unique spirit present in the land’s people. Most commonly, the inhabitants of the region identify with their region – that is, their immediate locale inside the Crescent. Nevertheless, it is recognised by the majority of the population that, despite the general lack of a common identity, there are certain characteristics shared by Crescent folk that differentiate them from their neighbours.