Geography & Cultures

The Cradle of Aruru


The Cradle of Aruru is the human term for the dry plains located between the Presett Sea and the Ter-mith Bay, and the high peaks of Az-Korethi and the jungles of Ar-Qereth. It lies in the rain shadow of the western mountains, but is nonetheless a fertile valley, watered by the multiple rivers and streams emanating from the northern glacier meltwater.

Here, the humans managed to eke out a nomadic existence, until they managed to harness the power of the rivers to irrigate plots of land. Resulting agriculture led to centers of civilization and the establishment of east-west trade routes. Eventually, these towns and cities would join into nation-states, strong enough to compete with the older races and their neighbors to the north.

Kassithe
The Dominion of Kassithe is geographically the largest of the human nations in the area. It has a significant population of halflings as well, sharing equally in the governance of the land. The terrain is largely arid grassland and low hills, although it does stretch into the foothills of Black Mountains to the north, and into the southwestern swamplands at the convergence of the two great rivers: the Tith-Ronta (“north river”), and the Zath-Ronta  (“south river”). A largely agrarian society, its patrons are Nissaba, the goddess of agriculture, and (of course) Aruru, the High Matriarch and Patron of Justice.

More detail on Kassithe can be found here.

Free Cities of Kutesh
Kutesh is a free city at the deltas of the two great rivers. Its sister city, Bushehr, and a few outlying villages are under the purview of the Prince of Kutesh. These cities were founded by the estranged youngest son of a High Matriarch many generations ago. The current Prince (a hereditary title, the city is now on its fourth prince) is on friendly terms with Kassithe but swears no fealty. Kutesh is a geteway to the traders plying the Presett Sea and points south. Ishkur, goddess of the sea, is the primary benefactor of Kutesh.

Hurrethe
Hurrethe is Kassithe’s eastern neighbor and largest trading partner and competitor. It is almost exclusively a human nation, the majority of the population residing along the Ter-mith Bay. Its citizens descend from the same ancestry as the humans of Kassithe, and the nation reveres the same pantheon. Hurrethe is more of an oligarchy, however, being marginally ruled by the major merchant houses. These merchant houses have ships of their own, plying their wares on ports of the Ter-mith Bay; and will also pay tolls to use Kassithe's roadways in order to trade with the seafaring merchants of Kutesh. Hurrethe merchants are known as scoundrels and tricksters: let the buyer beware, and make sure everything is in writing.

More detail on Hurrethe can be found here.

Jow-Hadan
Jow-Hadan is a small, human nation on the shores of the Ter-mith. Also descended from the same bloodlines as Kassithe and Hurrethe, they are known for their zealotry to Ea, the goddess of wisdom, arts & crafts. Great libraries exist in Jow-Hadan, as well as several academies of magic and powerful artisan’s guilds. Its capital, and location of its greatest library, is Selihm.

More detail on Jow-Hadan can be found here.

Ar-Qereth Jungle
This massive jungle is very dangerous and is avoided by all the neighboring nations. Fortunately, the creatures within have no apparent need to raid into the neighboring nations; and even if they did, the layout of the rivers keeps most settlements a good many leagues from the edges of the jungle.

Perskebeth
The Pharesy of Perskebeth is another human kingdom on the southern shores of the Ter-mith and down the valley of the River Nith-pa. Perskebeth is from a different lineage of humans than the other nations, and have a pantheon to themselves. Perskebeth is a very wealthy civilization, with many riches in the hills to the south, but also practices slavery, making it a pariah state in many eyes. Only the Hurrethe and the High Orcs of Ak-Azkobaq trade with Perskebeth, and very carefully at that.

More detail on Perskebeth can be found here.

Chokrati
Chokrati is the homeland of the minotaurs. The minotaurs are seafarers, acting both as traders and as pirates on the Ter-Mith Bay. They are very professional in their dealings, making no friends and keeping their society and culture very private. Woe comes to any creature of any other species who dares set foot on their island!

The Rocks
The Rocks are a chain of islands off the eastern coast of Ak-Azkobaq. These islands do have small settlements of humans, high orcs, and even elves; but are mostly under the control of various monsters and, of course, pirates.

Rhovannia
Distant Rhovannia is the elven homeland. Little is known of their ancient society, but elves can be seen throughout the Cradle of Aruru in every land but Ak-Azkobaq (where they are most decidedly unwelcome). Elven travelers are occasionally traders & merchants but are more likely to be researchers, traveling the countryside in order to study the habits of the younger cultures.

Ak-Azkobaq
The Hegemony of Ak-Azkobaq is the realm of the High Orcs. Bold and cunning, they are a major power in the region due to their aggressiveness in negotiations and their mastery of the seas. They are seen as both merchants and pirates on the Ter-mith, are the only race with boats on the dark & dangerous waters of the Dohmgrest, and have been prone to violent outburst at the slightest provocation. Even so, they are a major power, sly and tricksy, and do send and receive ambassadors from the other nations in the region.

Dwallerdelve and the Dhogari Highlands
The city of Dwallerdelve and the surrounding Dhogari Highlands are the domain of the dwarves. Another of the "old races", the dwarves of the Dhogari are the most skilled craftsmen of entire region. For centuries, they resided solely in their own dominion, working their mines, building their citadels, engaging in petty conflicts with the Ak-Azkobaq orcs, and watchful for incursions by the giant-kin of the Az-Korethi. They’ve found a new kinship with the humans of Hurrethe and Kassithe, however, forming strategic partnerships with the artisans and merchants in order to improve their craft.

The steel of the dwarves is finer than that of the human kingdoms. They've only just started to export it from their own kingdoms.

Az-Korethi
The Black Mountains are a range of volcanoes and massive, glaciered peaks on the northern border of Kassithe. It is both a terror (due to the giantkind who dwell within) and a blessing (it is the waters springing from the Az-Korethi that give Kassithe its life-giving rivers). Travelers seldom adventure in the Az-Korethi, and the city of Mastelekh is always on the lookout for incursions, the last of which was the terrible Giant War twenty years ago. To the west of the Az-Korethi lies the Barren Lands and the Ashen Sea: the frequent eruptions of Az-Korethi volcanoes have scarred the land and poisoned the water, none travel there and live.

Khazakh Plains
Little is known about the Khazkak Plains. It is thought to contain everything from roving human nomads to herds of centaurs to flights of dragons.

Dashte-Kair
Dashte-Kair is a land beyond the ridge-line forming the western border of the Cradle of Aruru. At one time, Kassithe had relations with that nation, but it has been at least a century since the two had contact. The humans of that land (of a different bloodline than Kassithe) simply withdrew beyond the ridge to their plateau, and never came back. Many rumors of great evil are spread about Dashte-Kair; Kassithe keeps watch from many frontier forts; but there hasn’t been anyone spotted traveling in or out of that land in years, and the rumors appear to be unfounded. Perhaps the rough terrain simply proved too difficult for that civilizaton to survive.