Karathar - The Great Plains

 

Massive, flat and quiet, the Great Plains have for millennia been ruled, fought in and governed by nomadic tribes of free riders. Here no person is born greater than any others, titles and prowess are earned by skill and talents. The varying tribes rarely directly war with one another instead electing a local hero or tribute to face the opposing side in ritualistic combat to settle any differences. Horses here are plentiful and are the great pride of the nomadic tribes, they provide a swift and easy way of covering the vast distances of the great plains and are treated with great reverence. Do not think though that these are uneducated barbarians for the practice of farming, craft of fine leather armour and the breeding of horses are all great skills of The Great Plains that bring them money and trade. Whilst the ground is tough and dry for the most part there are two great lakes within these vast swathes of lands providing pasture for the great herds of cattle which are farmed here which are regularly traded with other continents. The Great Plains are kept safe and isolated by the grand mountains and pillars of stone that border the entire area making invasion nigh on impossible. Those who do venture into this great expanse find themselves quickly ill-equipped and lacking the skills passed down through ancestors required to live in such a place. 

 

The perils of the great plains come from other darker sources. The djinn whispers in the ears of those who stray, luring them to their deaths, roaming bands of orcs on direwolves harass, murder and eat the ill-prepared with no consideration for children, elderly or the infirm and most deadly of all are the painted ones. These people are descended of the nomadic tribes who ventured into the disputed lands and returned worshiping dark twisted God’s who have blessed them with foulness and strength, their name comes from their delightful practice of painting themselves in the ashes of those whom they’ve sacrificed.

For the last ten years the Great Plains have fallen onto hard times, they barely produce enough meat for their own populace which has caused disarray and conflict as opposing tribes remember age old conflicts and the tradition of ritualistic combat has been replaced with bullying and theft. In this desperation nomadic elders called a grand meeting in the ancient sprawl of land known as The Muster where they sat down with leaders of the warring tribes and discussed the request from The Citadel for folks willing to venture into the disputed lands in order to resolve the issues being faced in these lands. Seemingly the last hope for these people is within the disputed lands. 

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Named locations:

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Tavar - The ancient capital of Karathar was once a beautiful sprawling paradise, great sandstone towers with the waters of an oasis provide fresh and clean water for the entirety of the city, citrus fruits grew readily on the streets and it was a place of plenty for all. Since the withdrawal Tavar has struggled as all others have and is mostly populated with the elderly, the infirm, the young and the vulnerable as the heat of the plains is deadly to those of a healthy position. This has made the capital quiet and uneventful as those within the vast walls do what they can to keep the city alive but rely heavily on charity of passing tribesfolk giving food in exchange for shelter and fresh water, it is not a life of plenty within Tavar but it is at least peaceful which is all that could be wanted in these most tumultuous times. 

 

Hear her cry - A temple in dedication to The Hollow this once holy place has become a hot spot of radicalism and religious extremism. The current residents are regularly performing sickening practices on living souls, sacrificing them in cruel and devious ways to their interpretation of The Hollow known as The Quiet Mercy. They believe that death is a release and the longer and more painful the process the higher the recipient will be held in the eyes of The Hollow. These persons are referred to as The Painted Ones. These people are descended from the nomadic tribes who ventured into the disputed lands and returned worshiping dark twisted Gods who have blessed them with foulness and strength, their name comes from their delightful practice of painting themselves in the ashes of those whom they’ve sacrificed.

 

The Muster - At the tip of the continent is a peninsular upon which sits a large pavilion. An aged and weathered tarp with hundred and thousands of patches from repairs over time have made it a tent of a million colours that tricks the eyes as it waves in the wind. Here convene the acclaimed and highly respected Kanaraja the elders of the plains who when the speak it is as good as a God speaking. All from different areas of the plains and of different origins they all have one thing in common which is they’re a true master or expert of their field, they may have been a leader of a war party in a time of great trouble, a healer of great skill or stopped plague or mass infection or a teacher who devoted their life in the education of the people of the plains they all have one thing in common which is that they’ve put the needs of the people before their own and thusly are elected to this position. They reside here year round offering advice, counsel and warnings for all those who seek them out. 

 

Lake Endless - The great lake of Karathar which is thought to have no bottom (It’s actually just very deep) is considered sacred to the the nomads of the great plains, it is the source of life and has provided water to the north of the continent for as long as record or memory recalls. To take fish away from the lake is considered a grave sin and will be punished to the greatest extent, swimming in the lake however it is considered equal to baptism, the water is icy cold due to its depths and most can only last a few minutes in it but it does provide a shocking cleansing of the mind and gives persons clarity whilst within it.