Jul 27, 2017 7:36 pm
Dark Woodlands and Impassible Mountains to the North West
The huge expanse of wooded area west of the Adharn Sea, west of Allenia, and west of the imposing Granite Mountains is a large stretch of ancient forests called The Tarlnyst. In ancient Nadrilian (language no longer spoken) that translates to "The Singing Forest." The edges of these woods have been cut back at places in the north, lumber harvesting by Allenia. A few rural and rugged townships are established within the edge, but no civilization reaches deep within.
Attempts to settle have never been successful, even after centuries. It seems that most often, sickness and disease befalls pioneer towns. Also, deeper within the forest near the transition to the Barrier Mountains dwell the Tombru, also called the Dog Men. They are a rough race of unknown origin, who have their own language not related to any other. The only history known of them is that they have always lived in The Tarlnyst and the foothills of the barren peaks. As their name suggests, they live and hunt with vicious breeds of giant dogs.
Though never settled the area has been very roughly mapped by a few explorers. The geography is fairly simple: hundreds of miles of thick old-growth forest stretching westward until the terrain changes swiftly to barren hills and then to the desolate, jagged, imposingly high Barrier Mountains.
The Endless Plans and the Lifeless Lands
The entire Yuoric population that permeates the "known world" along the coasts of the Mighty Moctura originate from a group of clans that emerged suddenly onto the scene in present-day Noric during the early second century DV. This group rolled in over a few decades coming from the west, from across the Endless Plains, a generally flat, sparsely vegetated, and uncivilized stretch of prairie.
The Endless Plains are not truly endless, as they do eventually transition to an even more uninviting land of hard packed stone and sand. These are the Lifeless Lands, rightly titled because of their complete vacancy of life. Though the true stories of their departure from their old lands and conquest of the new are not truly remembered, it is generally thought that the original Yuors departed from the far west because of an impending collapse of environmental resources. Namely water shortages that occurred rather rapidly (in the timeframe of ecological change at least).
This sharp depletion of water began to affect wildlife, especially the game animals hunted by the ancient western Yuors. Perhaps seeing the ecological writing on the wall by instinct, the animals gradually migrated eastward. Following the game, so too came the ancient tribal Yuors themselves. After a few long range Yuoric rangers discovered the fertile and abundant lands to the east, there was a concerted effort to spread the news, consolidate clans, and make a unified move eastward. And from the beginning, it was not just for survival, but truly for conquest.
Ever since the Coming of the Yuors in the early second century, the pathway from the far west to the "near west" (the Nadrilian coasts) was a type of one-way valve, and only operational for a short time at that. The pathway west to east through the Lifeless Lands and the Endless Plains was never sought out or maintained for return trips. As the ecologies of these land tracts continued to worsen, they quickly and decisively became unknown, undesirable, untraveled regions.
The Emergence of the Crab Claw Sail Fleet
Strong, persistent eastwardly winds south of the Endless Plains and Lifeless Lands have long prevented westward exploration of the Endless West Ocean. Throughout the eastward expansion of the Yours, the square masted longboat has dominated. Heading into the wind is accomplished by rowing, an untenable solution against the winds of the Endless West Ocean. Recent improvements by Yuoric-Gaeirmundi ship builders have established multi-hulled crab claw sail boats which can efficiently sail into the wind using tacking. While these boats have yet to supplant the dominate square masted long boats, explorers were quick to recognize the opportunity to sail west and explore the frontier there.
Discovery of the West March Region and Establishment of Saltpeak
On the other side of the Lifeless Lands lie the West March, a new beachhead of eastern culture that is permanently transplanted. Starting as a small camp established by Norecian explorers (Yuoric people from the old Nadrilian Kingdom of Noric), eventually converted to a wooden palisade fort, and now changing gradually into a remote woodland town sits a small island of civilization on the edge of a new passable, fertile, but unknown and untamed frontier. The town of Saltpeak is the first settlement in the return of Yuoric influence back to the lands of its most ancient origin.
Though initially led by the Norecians, the West March has also brought for the first time other cultures originating from the east. The fleet of ships have been built by Gaeirmundi ship builders with the help of Yuoric investors. Gaeirmundi and Dannein travelers are hired as expert hunters, trappers, and rangers to hunt and patrol the new western forests. Cheap Alijanian laborers from the Andra Penninsula and the Alornic Sea region have also been used to dig and expand salt mines. Korsians and Esosanians, some poor and desperate after many decades of war, have even begun to respond to the lure of a dream (founded or not) on discovering gold and ancient wealth of the West March.
The huge expanse of wooded area west of the Adharn Sea, west of Allenia, and west of the imposing Granite Mountains is a large stretch of ancient forests called The Tarlnyst. In ancient Nadrilian (language no longer spoken) that translates to "The Singing Forest." The edges of these woods have been cut back at places in the north, lumber harvesting by Allenia. A few rural and rugged townships are established within the edge, but no civilization reaches deep within.
Attempts to settle have never been successful, even after centuries. It seems that most often, sickness and disease befalls pioneer towns. Also, deeper within the forest near the transition to the Barrier Mountains dwell the Tombru, also called the Dog Men. They are a rough race of unknown origin, who have their own language not related to any other. The only history known of them is that they have always lived in The Tarlnyst and the foothills of the barren peaks. As their name suggests, they live and hunt with vicious breeds of giant dogs.
Though never settled the area has been very roughly mapped by a few explorers. The geography is fairly simple: hundreds of miles of thick old-growth forest stretching westward until the terrain changes swiftly to barren hills and then to the desolate, jagged, imposingly high Barrier Mountains.
The Endless Plans and the Lifeless Lands
The entire Yuoric population that permeates the "known world" along the coasts of the Mighty Moctura originate from a group of clans that emerged suddenly onto the scene in present-day Noric during the early second century DV. This group rolled in over a few decades coming from the west, from across the Endless Plains, a generally flat, sparsely vegetated, and uncivilized stretch of prairie.
The Endless Plains are not truly endless, as they do eventually transition to an even more uninviting land of hard packed stone and sand. These are the Lifeless Lands, rightly titled because of their complete vacancy of life. Though the true stories of their departure from their old lands and conquest of the new are not truly remembered, it is generally thought that the original Yuors departed from the far west because of an impending collapse of environmental resources. Namely water shortages that occurred rather rapidly (in the timeframe of ecological change at least).
This sharp depletion of water began to affect wildlife, especially the game animals hunted by the ancient western Yuors. Perhaps seeing the ecological writing on the wall by instinct, the animals gradually migrated eastward. Following the game, so too came the ancient tribal Yuors themselves. After a few long range Yuoric rangers discovered the fertile and abundant lands to the east, there was a concerted effort to spread the news, consolidate clans, and make a unified move eastward. And from the beginning, it was not just for survival, but truly for conquest.
Ever since the Coming of the Yuors in the early second century, the pathway from the far west to the "near west" (the Nadrilian coasts) was a type of one-way valve, and only operational for a short time at that. The pathway west to east through the Lifeless Lands and the Endless Plains was never sought out or maintained for return trips. As the ecologies of these land tracts continued to worsen, they quickly and decisively became unknown, undesirable, untraveled regions.
The Emergence of the Crab Claw Sail Fleet
Strong, persistent eastwardly winds south of the Endless Plains and Lifeless Lands have long prevented westward exploration of the Endless West Ocean. Throughout the eastward expansion of the Yours, the square masted longboat has dominated. Heading into the wind is accomplished by rowing, an untenable solution against the winds of the Endless West Ocean. Recent improvements by Yuoric-Gaeirmundi ship builders have established multi-hulled crab claw sail boats which can efficiently sail into the wind using tacking. While these boats have yet to supplant the dominate square masted long boats, explorers were quick to recognize the opportunity to sail west and explore the frontier there.
Discovery of the West March Region and Establishment of Saltpeak
On the other side of the Lifeless Lands lie the West March, a new beachhead of eastern culture that is permanently transplanted. Starting as a small camp established by Norecian explorers (Yuoric people from the old Nadrilian Kingdom of Noric), eventually converted to a wooden palisade fort, and now changing gradually into a remote woodland town sits a small island of civilization on the edge of a new passable, fertile, but unknown and untamed frontier. The town of Saltpeak is the first settlement in the return of Yuoric influence back to the lands of its most ancient origin.
Though initially led by the Norecians, the West March has also brought for the first time other cultures originating from the east. The fleet of ships have been built by Gaeirmundi ship builders with the help of Yuoric investors. Gaeirmundi and Dannein travelers are hired as expert hunters, trappers, and rangers to hunt and patrol the new western forests. Cheap Alijanian laborers from the Andra Penninsula and the Alornic Sea region have also been used to dig and expand salt mines. Korsians and Esosanians, some poor and desperate after many decades of war, have even begun to respond to the lure of a dream (founded or not) on discovering gold and ancient wealth of the West March.