Maralon Steppe (maːralɔːn)
Maralon Steppe1 or simply Maralon covers a large portion of western and midwestern Jælondis in northern Borgalor, bordering the Niþvú Sea to the west, Þargolid Sea to the south, the Lamþó Hills to the southeast, Qug Mountains to the east and the Fúmsis savanna to the north, with the lattermost forming a transitional zone between the steppe and Iðlía Forest in western and northwestern Jælondis.
Humans, particularly in the hinterlands, dominated the region for most of its history, with the coastal area being home to populations of mixed human, elven and dwarven ancestry. The former were initially nomadic tribes subsisting on some combination of hunting, gathering, pastoralism and raiding who variously traded or warred with the sedentary coastal states and cities, but gradually settled down themselves and founded kingdoms that often clashed with each other over livestock and grazelands.
However, much of the steppe -as well as western Fúmsis and southern Iðlía Forest- was devastated in the terrible Fell Wars some forty years ago, during which forces from all over Jælondis and beyond fought and eventually defeated a group of human monarchs who had become liches and created armies of undead beings. Amþax, as the region is now called, remains infested with the undead even though the liches are gone, and the process of reclaiming it has been difficult at best.
Humans, particularly in the hinterlands, dominated the region for most of its history, with the coastal area being home to populations of mixed human, elven and dwarven ancestry. The former were initially nomadic tribes subsisting on some combination of hunting, gathering, pastoralism and raiding who variously traded or warred with the sedentary coastal states and cities, but gradually settled down themselves and founded kingdoms that often clashed with each other over livestock and grazelands.
However, much of the steppe -as well as western Fúmsis and southern Iðlía Forest- was devastated in the terrible Fell Wars some forty years ago, during which forces from all over Jælondis and beyond fought and eventually defeated a group of human monarchs who had become liches and created armies of undead beings. Amþax, as the region is now called, remains infested with the undead even though the liches are gone, and the process of reclaiming it has been difficult at best.
Geography
Several major rivers flow through the Maralon Steppe, chief of which are Abþa, Ókor and Zúrta.
The main settlements in Maralon are Anifir, Eox-Úmas and Þrakan, capitals of Þagralía, East Jekralon and Hynra, respectively, with the former two being located on inland and the latter on the Þargolid coast.
The main settlements in Maralon are Anifir, Eox-Úmas and Þrakan, capitals of Þagralía, East Jekralon and Hynra, respectively, with the former two being located on inland and the latter on the Þargolid coast.
Localized Phenomena
Arcane energies, either seasonal or emanating from veins of magic crystals close to the surface, can cause strange effects on the weather and wildlife on the steppe as it does elsewhere in Borgalor. Some of these effects are relatively benign, such as wild apple trees producing fruits with a golden, metallic sheen or even almost completely transparent -the latter which are a traditional alchemical ingredient- while more dangerous phenomena include ball lightning and -fortunately rare- scalding rains.
Fauna & Flora
Outside of Amþax, where much of the wildlife has been eaten or withered away by the undead, the steppe remains home to a number of different plants and animals, including wild horses and aurochs, pegasi, plains gryphons, apple- and pear trees.
Some of these, particularly horses, gryphons and apples, are a recurring theme in the arts and religions of the humans inhabiting Maralon; the consumption of cider is an important part of certain rituals, for example.
Some of these, particularly horses, gryphons and apples, are a recurring theme in the arts and religions of the humans inhabiting Maralon; the consumption of cider is an important part of certain rituals, for example.
1Original icelandic: Maralonsteppa.
Comments