ThirdLand- Great Ridge

[MoonHunter]

Overview

This is a huge mountain range that runs along the top (East/West) of the seven that is ThirdLand. It is six chains of mountains practically stacked on top of each other. It serves as a buffer between the GreenZone and the rest of ThirdLand. Over these 14 mountanous biomes are a The Dwarventi Clans, Gargoyles, Two small Kern settlements, a city of WingFolks, and a smattering of Orcenti hives and Goblenti looking Goods.  There is no great organization to the region.  The region is nominally part of the City State of Antioch, but functions independently. It can be divided into four areas  Sunset, High, Sunrise, and Lowlands. Each has three biomes, except for Lowlands which have five.  

There are only two passes between the Northern Green and the rest of Thirdland.  Both occur at the extreme western and eastern edges. It is unfortunate for the Goblinenti that the Kern have settled in both. There are trails that might be used, but they are complicated and slow going.  

The Imperium attempted to put Imperial roads in the mountains to some of the larger Dwarventi Keeps. The task proved fruitless, so there are Imperial roadways infront of every major Keep and along all three of the Dwarventi longest tunnel roads.  There are roads between the Dwarventi keeps of the Lowlands.  


Species Overview
Dwarventi: Dwarventi are a subterrestrial species.  They are known for their mining, metalsmithing, and arguing with the Elventi. Three of the expected five elemental types of Dwarventi are found in ThirdLand.  Dwarves do not live in cities, they live in Holds (subterrainean long houses) which are "towns" and "villages" of one to four clans.

Gargoyles: Gargoyles are highly territorial flying creatures of an odd metabolism.  They appear almost to be of stone.  They are nearly immortal and have a patience that makes a follower of the Elventi TheGracefulflowofDays seem like a hyper caffinated child with ADHD. They have a somewhat symbiotic relationship with the wet races (i.e. those with flesh) who cohabitate with them.  The Gargoyles may or may not be a created species. Hence their lack of the -enti suffix.

Orcenti: Orcenti are the only senti-species that give birth to litters.  They mature quickly and are born with a pre-knowledge of their parents.  They are a pest species in the mountain and plains region.  

Kern: These Humanoids of canid descent are "strangers". In the west, a temple "crashed" into a mountain in the Pass.  In the east, half a small city found its way to Arth.  Because they are "beast like" most people lump them in with the other created peoples.  

WingFolk: These are human looking humanoids with large chests, tiny waists, and huge feathered wings.  They are a created race, but do not care.  


Region Overview

Sunset
Tthe West region.
The coastal biome has near sheer cliffs bordering the rolling blue waters bordering the entire Great Ridge distance between the Green and the Avalon biome. Inside this biome is a narrow and tretcherous river valley, the sunset pass. Inside this pass is The Temple of the Advancing Soul, a temple of Kern Priests. In the upper ranges of the biome, there are Dwarven Holds.  The Other two biomes are filled with Dwarven Holds of a Earth type.

High
This is the heart of the Region, with four HUGE biomes filled with the tallest and more jagged mountains in the Known World. Dwarventi Holds and Orcenti Nests are found here.  The Dwarventi are allied with the Gargoyles here, the Gargoyles allowing the presence of Dwarves within their territory for certain concessions which the even Dwarves are unsure of what they are.

The Dwaventi Holds are mostly of Earth and Water types.  

Sunrise
These mountains are lower and least severe than most of the other mountains of the great ridge.  However, the north east most biome has an active volcano.  There are a variety of Dwarventi Holds. While most are Earth type, there are a few Fire Type holds.  The source of all the rivers into the Lowlands and the Villages are in the Sunrise region.

Lowlands
The Lowlands are a crescent shaped region, hugging the sunrise region.  The mountains flow into a land of rolling hills and dells, as well as a few river valleys. The north most biome is nearly mountanous, with severe deep cliff river valleys.  This is the Home of the Winged Folk.  (They actually live along the severe cliffs of eastern ThirdLand.) The next biome in the crescent is Gerarrr, the Kern Home City. It is a large rambling city. The remaining three biomes are filled with Fire Type holds.  These holds are actually (mostly) above ground, with a central lodge like construction.


Interesting History Bits
The Elventi discovered the Dwarventi when they were gate prospecting for Star Stones. StarStones are holy items for the Dwarventi, so they will not mine them on purpose. The Elventi were delighted to find a new species that did not need much Uplifting.  They asked them to be part of the Imperium. The high council of the Dwarventi refused. Since the Imperium does not allow "aliens" within its borders (which it defines as anyplace Elventi can go), they needed to be either wiped out or pacified and brought into the Imperium. A war ensued, if you can call it that. It took 12 High Elventi soldier (and a few hundred Elventi conscripts) six months to conquer the 170,000 Dwarventi of the time (with a minimum of deaths). The Dwarventi are still bitter about being conquered so casually.

Note: This occured about the time Antioch was a mining camp

GM Notes: The conquest is one of the reasons why Dwarventi culture is so militant, so that the next time the Elventi come, it will take a hundred of them many years.

There are frequenty issues with the Dwarventi and the Imperium. Many clan holdings have "disappeared" over the last few centuries, as they rebelled against the leinent rules of the Imperium.

[MoonHunter]

The Coastal Biome runs the entire length of the Great Ridge section of the ThirdLand coastline.  gainst the various ocean biomes on the norther coast of ThirdLand, the land rises up huge sheer cliffs. On top of those cliff surge mountains. Nestled between the various mountain ranges inside the biome is a narrow and treacherous river valley. The river runs to the North, ranging from 2 to 15 imperial strides in width. The rocky land on either side of it, runs about the same distances. It is this rockey valley that forms the Goblin Pass, the pass between the Green and the Avalon biome.

Every generation or so, a Goblin Warlord would rise up and force march his army through this tiny narrow pass to strike against the Humanti for Goods. This stopped a few hundred years ago when Strangers arrived.

These Strangers were a Kern Temple and surrounding village. This temple and village were in the mountains not far from their civilization. When the blue fog cleared, they found themselves "elsewhere".  The peasants being pragmatic and the priests being above worldly concerns simple continued on their lives in this new place. (The Peasants are sheparders and practice terraced agriculture).  

The Temple is called "The Temple of the Advancing Soul". The religion called Karrran-ro venerates the Myrid Spirits of the World, while pushing towards spiritual perfection... oneness with the spirit world. (Their philosophies dovetail nicely with the Arth cosmology). Long ago, one of their "Great Thinkers" realized that a life of contemplation left a body weak.  He developed a regime of physical exercises that enhanced the body, gave mediatation a focus, taught anatomy and healing skills, and gave the monks martial skills to defend themselves (especially since they were prohibited weapons... so all they had was fist, foot, claw and bite).  This "Way" or Fu-Ro was so successful that soon all monks in all the various temples around the land were practicing it in some form or another.  Of course, the techniques filtered out of the temples... first as retired monks left the service, then as failed monks mustered out, and a few monks who left service attempting to make a living teaching Fu-Ro

Since Monks do not need to be celebrate, some have families near each temple. The villages near temples do business with the temple, providing things it needs and can not make itself.  Priests of the religion are "mostly" celebrate.

The Kern adapted to this new place successfully. They interacted with the Dwarventi of the mountains.  Once the Dwarventi found that the Kern were no threat to their needed resources, and could be useful trading partners, a loose alliance was formed.

A few years later, an Goblin army came down the valley.  They were suprised to find a location to so close to home.  Of course, they attacked.  The Kern defended themselves.  The Goblins were crushed under the disciplined monks and their exotic fighting style.  

In traditional Goblin style, the beat a hasty retreat.  A few years later, a warlord mustered a force and tried again... with predictable results. Such the pattern has continued for the last 276 years.

Very few Kern leave the valley.  If they do, they do not talk about it.  The Dwarventi passed on their distrust of the Imperium, Elventi and Humanti to the Kern.  So the temple is being very cautious.  

Currently there is one Priest who has left the temple and is practicing his art among the Kern and Putti in Antioch.  The furry people are very oppressed lacking much of a legal status. The religion of Karrran-ro and Fu-ro is doing wonders for the carters and furry folk there.


The People in Antioch are unaware of their benefactors. It is this group of monks that is keeping the Goblinenti from attacking Avalon, Antioch, and points south and east.

In process