South

Overview

Most of the land south of the source is desert scrubland. Life there is harsh and water is scarce.

Nomadic bands roam the desert following ancient trails from oasis to oasis to reach the salt flats in the northwest.

The coast has several towns organized around fishing and trading and one large city that is commonly known as Twin Ports elsewhere, but the locals still hold to their old rivalries based on which side of the river you call home.

Twisted Lands

To the northeast of the southlands the plants and animals become twisted and mutated, more deadly, poisonous, aggressive. The sand dragons live in the dunes here. Bands of Muts and Ferals roam the cold night shadows. The nomadic tribes of the south don’t dare to wander here.

Salt Flats

One of the main resources of the south. These salt flats stretch on for a hundred miles, acting as a buffer zone between the south and the west.

The nomadic tribes make the journey from the coastal trade towns and the salt flats every year to load up their wagons and carts with the precious substance.

There are also rare metals and minerals that can be found in canyons and fissures in the ground.

Spices and rare plants can also be harvested along the way making nomad trader quite a wealthy profession in the south.

The Trial Grounds

Every five years, the nomad bands of the south gather at the trial grounds, a giant meteor crater that has been repurposed into a natural arena. Smaller manmade arenas surround the crater as well.

For three months, the nomad bands camp around The Trial Grounds, trade, make deals and negotiate use of different migration rights, mineral claims, water claims. They settle disputes, and start new ones. Groups merge and split apart. All the while every game, sport, or display of prowess is on display. This is part political convention and part Olympic games. Bragging rights are a big thing in the nomad culture.

The nomads into games the way the people of the east are into books, everyone is looking for the next great game and has an idea for their own game they want to make.

Millead, Kroav, and Sherven

These three towns serve as trading posts and retirement communities for the nomad bands. Eventually, you just get to old to go on the road. When that happens, you retire to the beach. These are sleepy towns of leisure and relaxation, but with bustling trade with the exotic goods being brought in by the nomad bands.

Hermit’s Point

This is the best surf spot in the south. A small shanty town of surf shacks quickly popped up after the Sanove explorers discovered the spot fifteen years ago.

Originally, there was a hermit that lived on the point, but he has long since moved on when the droves of surfers started showing up and building their shacks.

The extent of industry is trading someone a grilled cheese sandwich to watch your stuff while you surf.

Aliage and Bosarin (Twin Ports)

The only city in the south to rival the size of the cities of the east.

There is a 1000 year rivalry between the two sides of the river. They are named for the twin sisters that founded the city. They were friendly rivals their whole lives. Supporting each other by challenging each other to be better. This spirit spread throughout their people. To outsiders the two sides can seem extremely hostile to each other, but the people here see it simply as driving each other to do better.

Trade wise, they are known for their berry farms. They produce jams, jelly, sweets, spirits, and color dyes from the raw fruit. Temporary tattoos with henna and berry juices are popular as are extreme hairstyles with bright colors.

The climate is so nice here, nobody wants to work in the middle of the day because really you should be out enjoying the perfect weather. So the work day is broken into two parts. The early morning shift from 7am to 10am, then a long break till 7pm – 10pm work resumes. Nightlife is nonexistant. But the midday is a party, usually ending with everyone taking a nap at about 5:30pm.

Silkhold: South Gate

Silkhold is a secretive walled city that nobody is allowed to enter. They do this to keep the secret of how silk is made for themselves. Nothing is known about how many people live here, or what the societal structure is like.

South Gate is the port town at the only entrance to Silkhold and is there only to sell silk and buy supplies Silkhold needs.