Qinhei
Description
South of the Lu'qua Tropics and south-west of the desert continent of Sabara lies the continent of Qinhei. It is a large, spread-out landmass that borders on different climate zones and thus has great physical diversity, with biomes ranging from desert to (sub-)tropical forest to (white) grassland plains to chilly taiga. The land is filled with snow-capped mountains, deep river valleys, broad basins, high plateaus, rolling plains and terraced hills.
The many rivers coming from the mountains and hills to the west form a large stretch of alluvial plains in the central part of the region. It is richly arable land with long stretches of plain home to the indigenous willowgrass, and naturally densely populated. It is also very flat and home to only very few mountains. Especially the foot of the basin where the largest rivers come together is extremely densely populated and ringed by many terrace farms where willowgrass paddies are cultivated. While they were home to many different peoples and tribes in the past, the central plains are now largely controlled by the three Zhushen Kingdoms.
The southern parts of the region are far more rugged, with pockets of lowland and mountainous interior. The many hills and mountain passes in the southwest are home to coniferous forests with little precipitation and relatively lower temperatures. This area is home to many snow and winter spirits as well as the Rashi Gota, the remains of a nomadic people who fled here rather than be conquered by the Zhushen God-Kings. The southeast on the other hand is far higher in elevation and brings snow-capped mountains and hills with sparse vegetation save for lichen.
And the far northeast is far more tropical, being nearer to the environment of the Mangrove Coast in the Lu'qua Tropics. It is not as densely populated as certain other areas but still very well farmed considering the climate allows for two crops of willowgrass to be grown each year. The people of Donghae originate from here and their capital lies on the northeastern coast here.
Unique Landmarks
Aside from the general geographic features listed above, there are several areas of unique geography or flora that have become the subject of stories and myths, or simply popular spots to visit.The Ashheart
The central plains dominate the land of Qinhei and are often called the Ashplains for the fields upon fields of white willowgrass.Geographical Features
At the center of these arable lands lies a large lake with a single central island. On this island is a single, white-rocked mountain with a stone altar resting on its peak. It is said that this is where the Heavenly Compact was originally signed, carved into the altar and the mountainside itself. But no one has been able to find any traces of carving, so the myth has never been able to be confirmed.Flora and Fauna
The central island and its mountain are strangely uninhabited, and animals grow strangely calm around it, unwilling to move towards it. The fields upon fields of willowgrass around it are of course inhabited by the Palemen, much like on the rest of the continent. These pale and faceless humanoid aberrations stalk and hunt their prey during the day, camouflaged by the stalks of willowgrass around them.Chongji Vinelands
When the Dragons first started to rampage through the lands, the Tortle Archdruid Chongji sought to create an escape for both his circle and to preserve the creatures of the land. This river valley and the villages surrounding it are named after him.Geographical Features
Massive vines animated by primal magic form bridges here between the mountains and over the Bunyo River. Nowadays there is a small Tortle port city suspended on one of the largest of these vine branches, the population of which acts as guides for the people of Donghae who want to cross the river into the southlands. But the vines also lead to a small, hidden trail where one can still see the scars on the land from when the Dragons chased Chongji and his followers. But if you were to follow this trail entirely you would end up in reserve of forest sealed away by Chongji's circle, where animals and spirits of nature can roam freely, unbound by worldly politics and planar influence alike.Flora and Fauna
The suspended vines are home to a couple of Tortle tribes, some of which descended from Chongji's followers, who were native to this region to begin with. The grove itself is home to an immense variety in wild-life, some of which has been presumed extinct by the rest of the world, as they can no longer be found elsewhere.Graytomb
When the Giants that would later become the Zhushen God-Kings fought the Dragons in what would later be called the Dominion Wars, the Dragons fled to the mountain range in the south known as the Eun Mountains. It was a region of beauty and latent magical power. Here they fought their last stand, a war of annihilation, and they lost.Geographical Features
The mountains are still there, but it is now a magical wasteland, caused by the overuse of magic and Dragon breath. In some places it is irreversibly scorched black by the draconic flames, while other parts are weak and malleable or have formed into twisted shapes. The sky is constantly changing and home to panic-inducing shifts of color that drive most men mad and otherwise make it nigh impossible to navigate properly. Some people who have ventured into the area have reported seeing buildings, trees and mountains that on closer inspection were not actually there.Flora and Fauna
Unfortunately, many creatures lived in these mountains, both before and during the war. Many died, but those who lived were mutated, changed and twisted. The Tomb Horrors as they are often nicknamed are horribly mutated beasts descended from the creatures that used to live here, and often an amalgamation of multiple of them.Hirotan Desert
The far northwest of Qinhei consists of an arid rain-shadow desert. Aside from the coast, and its southern part closer to the mountain ranges and rivers that spring from it, it is a barren wasteland where few things live. The only city worth mentioning in these lands is that of Hirohita, built in recent times by the Hirohitan tribes that live here. They used to be nomadic, but the land was poor and so were they. Instead they decided to profiteer off the riches from Zhushen by becoming ruthless mercenaries who will fight for the highest bidder. They will even fight for both sides at once if it comes down to it and they have cultivated a fearsome reputation thanks to their highly effective camel archers. They have also come into conflict with the Dragon-Star Rebellion because they have tried on numerous occasions to capture their people and sell them back as slaves to the Zhushen Kingdoms from which they fled.Flora and Fauna
As mentioned, few things live here, and most life is centered around the few river estuaries near Hirohita or the coastline. The creatures that do live here often require little water anyway such as camels, tortoises or kangaroo rats. Most of the plant-life consists of shrubbery or cacti. Because of its general emptiness, the Zhushen God-Kings considered this a perfect place to drop off many of their exiles. After tattooing them with their crime so they cannot return to Zhushen society, they would drop them a bit further into the desert where they would be left to fend for themselves. Usually they will be either killed or assimilated by the Hirohitans.Willowgrass
Legends tell of how Sabara was scorched when Alessar dislocated the sun for a while, but this event also had a marked effect on the neighboring continent of Qinhei. The land wasn't quite scorched, but due to the excessive light conditions, the plant-life adapted by reflecting the visible light and only absorbing the less plentiful ultraviolet light. This resulted in a tall, white grass cultivated for its grain similar to wheat that is called willowgrass or snowgrass or xueliu in the native Zhushen tongue. Even today this grass still exists and is indeed plentiful since the atmosphere of Levantis was irreversibly changed and lets through a decent amount of ultraviolet light (which coincidentally is also responsible for the significant number of mutations and thus high variety in species on Levantis). The energy from UV photons is of course quite high, but the willowgrass has adapted to this quite well by having stomata with additional guard cells that allow them to open further and more reactively. This and the very effective carbon-fixing molecule it possesses, allow for increased transpiration rates that reduce the heat problem, although it does require a large intake of water. Which is another reason why the grass is found almost exclusively in Qinhei, because nowhere else in the world are there this many rivers and so much water available. The grasses have become semi-aquatic and can also grow quite tall to survive the semi-frequent floodings in the area, and they are often cultivated in flooded paddy fields. Other plant-life has adapted somewhat similarly, with many tree types in Qinhei possessing white bark and pale to faintly golden-yellow leaves. This is also why the central plains of Qinhei are often called the Snowlands or the Ashlands, as the fields of white willowgrass can give an impression of a land covered in snow or ash.
Included Organizations
Inhabiting Species
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