Location

Gauld is the mid-central province in Elan. It shares borders with the provinces of Killock to the north, Peverin to the south, Huxley to the southwest, Wyllis to the west, and the Thorpe Territory to the west across the Girdle Mountains. Gauld’s capital city is Sootsnap, near the center of the province. 

Environment

Gauld is one of the only places in Elan that has extensive deserts. Though there are some farms and forests to the north and some grasslands to the south, most of the land is largely ill-favored for planting. As such, most human settlements can be found around the few rivers that come down from the western mountains. Sometimes, edible crops spring up, but the soil is often too rocky to allow much growth, despite the presence of water. There are more than a few people who have fully retreated into the mountains, living among the trees and wilderness.

Livelihood

Gauld is a hard place to live. The seasons are unforgiving, and the dust storms are harsh. Between the blistering sun and the nightly chill, the province breeds a tough group of people. Or, perhaps, only the tough are able to survive.

Though the soil is ill suited to sustaining life, there is richness beneath it. Great beds of stone lie in the earth, particularly granite and marble. Also in abundance are precious gems, especially rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and  diamonds. Most of the industry in Gauld is based in the numerous quarries and open mine pits. Towns and camps are made along them to house the workers and their families. In these places, the land is often owned by the companies that operate the mines and quarries. Housing, quality of life, and availability of goods all run through the company. As companies vary from place to place, so too does the care that they give to their workers. But, in every place, there is no question who runs these lives.

People toil in the heat and sand to work these resources from the earth. The companies often ignore safety precautions to meet rising needs. Production is king: workers have to labor as fast as possible to meet their ever increasing quotas, and companies that favor lean operations often try to keep as few workers as possible. In such fast and dangerous work, there are always accidents - there is a long history of death in every precious stone wrestled from the ground.

Despite its desolation and hard labor, there is beauty in Gauld. With such an ample supply of gemstones and materials, many artisans get their starts here. There are studios devoted to gem cutting and setting. With metals imported from Wyllis, fine jewelry is produced on a grand scale. Trade schools devoted to masonry and sculpture also have risen up in the desert. Artists create fine pieces for collectors, art museums, and the mansions of the wealthy. As a province, Gauld is exceptionally proud of this use of their resources. Even companies that own mines and quarries often pay fellowships to especially talented artists. Perhaps it is favoring the advertising of their products. Perhaps it is pure altruism. Regardless, it furthers the development of arts.

Strangely enough, there is also quite a bit of tourism to Gauld. The dry fresh air is thought to be a great soother of all kinds of maladies, chief of which is tuberculosis. As such, a great deal of health retreats and spa towns have blossomed in the province. In those places, it is all meant to cater to the customer. Grand hotels stand where there was only dust and tumbleweeds before. bathhouses flourish, and there is constant peddling of patent medicines and miracle cures. These fixes - these medicines, these treatments - are prominently advertised and widely sought after. After all, people ailing are often willing to spend anything they have to be cured, and the Gaulders are well aware of that unbending fact.

Specialties

As previously stated, Gauld specializes in gemstones and stone. It also has perhaps the largest availability of patent medicines and health centers in all of Elan. Yet, these health centers are often met with skepticism from some traditionalist doctors. Regardless, people still flock there for rare treatments. 

Key Cities

As the capital, Sootsnap enjoys the greatest population of cities in Gauld. It regularly hosts conventions for its “healers” and those involved in the health industry. In fact, it is has the largest collection of health spas and retreats in the province. With such traffic from the wealthy people of other provinces, it has quite a cosmopolitan feel to it and some of the busiest passenger trains in Elan. Some of this happens to be reflected in the politics of the capital - laws that boost tourism and favor the booming health industry often dominate the legislature. Unfortunately, they have not been so steadfast with regulation.

In great contrast is Ironstead. It is at the center of several major freight train rails and is renowned for its numerous factories and processing facilities. Where Sootsnap is exceedingly geared towards the sensibilities of the rich, Ironstead exists to employ and house thousands of laborers. It has seen numerous riots and struggles, thereby giving it the reputation of being a rough and dangerous city.

Views from Others

Based on the most common ways visitors from other provinces meet those who live in Gauld, it is generally believed that they are people of good health, extreme fitness, and devotion to a more natural healing. They do not see the hardship, the struggle, or the hard labor. What Gaulders offer to outsiders is the shiny veneer of an industry devoted to making people believe that they will be healthier while they are in Gauld. While that viewpoint flourishes, the poorer people of the province suffer, silenced by the pretty baubles of perceived wealth and health that few look beyond.