Warlords of Mazvinga

The Warlords of Mazvinga are all terrifying individuals, each as bloodthirsty as the next. Travelling around the territories there, I realised the most terrifying thing of all. If they were to put aside their desire to conquer each other and unite, their combined might would be practically unrivalled.

— Hajar Stoutsong, famous adventurer

Location & History

Mazvinga is the southern country on the continent of Thrabad. It is separated from Djakoro to the north by the Mazalta Mountains, with only the Mazalta Pass as a sensible route through.
Mazvinga didn't use to be a fractured country, but internal conflict is all the 'country' as it is now has known for centuries, perhaps millennia. Records from other countries refer visits from the 'Sovereign of Mazvinga'. These references stop roughly 1500 years ago. The exact reason for the shift from Sovereignty to Warlord culture is sadly not recorded by any outsider nation and most scripture was seemingly destroyed during this upheaval.
Following The Fracturing (as scholars have termed it), five factions have fought and contested the land ever since. Occasionally a sixth appears but ultimately are either snuffed out or absorbed into one of the five factions: The Maztar Tribe, The Sand Children, The Crimson Covenant, The Iron Shield and The Lake Guardians.

Factions

The Maztar Tribe

The Maztar Tribe are mostly Orcs, although do include a significant number of monstrous races amongst their members. Maztar was the former Capital of Mazvinga. 'Tar' means home in the Orc tongue, so the fact that the former capital is named under Orcish convention indicates the Orcs may be the original founders of Mazvinga as a whole. References to the Sovereign of Mazvinga outside of Mazvinga do not provide much detail on their appearance but what there is suggests the Sovereign was not an Orc. They are almost always referred to as dark-skinned and dark-haired throughout the centuries, regardless of gender. One of the sovereigns is described as slender, a trait not normally associated with Orcs. However, it is what is absent that leads the outside world to believe the Sovereign was not Orc - the complete lack of any Orcish features, for instance, there are no mention of tusks. In fact, the complete lack of any racial features means the accepted belief is that the Sovereign was probably Human. There is a good chance The Fracturing was caused by Orckind trying to claim back what was theirs. If that is so, they succeeded.
After The Fracturing, Maztar is the seat of power for the self-titled Maztar Tribe. They hold the largest portion of land, roughly a third. Their land encompasses the north-west and includes the Mazvinga side of the Mazalta Pass.

The Sand Children

The central area is mostly desert. This is where the Sand Children reside. The Sand Children a mostly elven - of the Dust Elf variety, but do include individuals of most other races. They are viewed by the outside world as almost a refugee society, a collection of people who did not want to be a part of any of the other warring factions. They are also the least aggressive... in general. They live in the desert and they stick to the desert. The other factions care little for that kind of territory and largely leave them be. This does not stop the occasional attempt. The Sand Children may be more defensive than aggressive but they are still ferocious fighters and any attempt to claim their land is met with swift vengeance. They are masters of the sandy terrain and aggressors soon learn that lesson. They may occupy the centre and strictly speaking have enemies on all sides, but they know how to keep their territory.

The Crimson Covenant

In the northeast is the faction known as the Crimson Covenant. Born of bloodshed, fighting is all they know. They are in constant war with the Maztar Tribe in particular. The Crimson Covenant are mostly human in number.

The Iron Shield

The Dwarves and Gnomes of Mazvinga make up the Iron Shield. They reside in the arid plateaus and mountains of southeastern Mazvinga. For the most part, they seem to be content with their territory but they are builders by nature and builders require resources. For them, conquest is the only way to secure such resources that do not occur naturally within their borders and they will fight for it.

The Lake Guardians

The Lake Guardians are perhaps the most curious. They occupy the southwest, the greenest of all the territories. In fact, the area around the titular lake could be described as verdant, a term definitely not suited for any other location within Mazvinga. The lake itself houses an island several miles wide, the waters themselves at the shortest point from shore to island edge being five miles. It is a vast expanse of water. However, the Lake Guardians fear the water but it is their imperative to protect the island despite this. Like the Sand Children, in the conflicts, they are rarely the aggressor. Their way of life is akin to druids of other locations, if not for the constant warring.

Faction Leaders

The Maztar Tribe - Erut the Resounding (Orc)
The Sand Children - Harpira Enfir (Dust Elf)
The Crimson Covenant - Kaza Ikenna (Human)
The Iron Shield - Suudi Cragheart (Dwarf)
The Lake Guardians - Thoko (Goblin)