Essukur

Essukur

Overview

Essukur, or Essuktal, is a region in southern Nirann dominated by deserts and bordered by seas and mountains. It was one home to the great Lammia race, who enslaved their neighbors prior to their defeat and exile during ancient times by the Emsahiric Niranni, the Azeran Marin, and the Beastfolk. It was once Imperial territory, prior to the invasions of the Utumi who now dominate the realm.

Etymology

Essuktal as a name means "Desert," deriving from the Ataarad word for the region, which is where the Essukad get their name. In the native felinefolk languages, the place is called Annyara, which comes from "Anya" meaning warmth, in reference to the climate. The Emsahiric name for the region is Kajamai, which means "Golden Sands."

Geography

Climate

The region of Essukur is very dry, being home to one of the largest deserts in the world. The region receives very little rainfall. This is not the case for everything however as the southern coast is rather green and receives a bit of rainfall.

Geography

The southern coast has a mountain range dividing the wet southern coast from the northern dunes. The highest mountain in Essuktal is here, and it is known as Rozden Oriret, the great divine crown.
On the west coast, river valleys and dunes dominate the lands of the Ningulad and the catfolk. Off the coast, there are many atolls and shallow seas.
On the east coast, the sands are flat and have occasional oases. The coasts are dotted by cities.

Weather

The region is particularly tumultuous as the region is hit frequently by severe sandstorms conjured up by the dragons in the northern delta. Besides sandstorms, the region also faces earthquakes; Earthquakes have been such a great threat to the Soramari as Tsunamis and the shifting land have caused a few cities to sink beneath the sands or waves. There exists also the volcanism that defines much of Nirann, especially in the sea where new islands pop up.
A few notable disasters include the earthquake of 1432, which destroyed most of the cities of Urannu and Arrak; this was a boon as it allowed the city to be reconstructed in a planned manner. There was also the earthquake of 1512, which caused a tsunami that went up the great southern river, causing destruction in cities and crops to be swept away and a a subsequent famine. The sandstorms are typically well adapted for, but in 1244, a great one lasted for days that caused another famine as crops died or were swept away by the winds; it is said this one was caused by a great disturbance of the dragons in the north due to a witherance.

History

The Essuktal region was once much nicer in the last ice age. In this time, murals tell of strange people ruling the area in the ancient age, a people with tails and dark magic called now the Lammia. These people ruled the region from their homes built into the mountains and caves. North of them, they warred frequently the great ancient inhabitants of the isles of the Soramari. Eventually the Lammia peoples would battle with the migrating catfolk who came from the west. This put them at a disadvantage, they began to lose ground until in the Imperial period there were none left.
The Ningulad Utumi would arrive running from their cousins, followed by the main migrations of Utumi that caused the whole region to fall under the Ataarad and Essukad peoples. This has been the situation since the shattering of 966.