Azuvah Prairie
Where the grass is endless
As the pale, gray grass waves back and forth in the intense winds of Azuvah, it appears unnatural. If you look really intently, it almost seems purple. Azuvah is desolate, almost uninhabitable. Life can only truly exist along the rivers that run from the mountains to the east down the ocean to the west. Despite how inhospitable the Prairie is, it's the home of the Shelitan Empire which is a surprisingly robust civilization that has done well for itself. The reason that they have been able to survive is that they're the masters of trade. They're the center of commerce on the south side of the continent and most luxury goods pass through the Empire's hands. They're the gatekeepers of a wilderness that can kill anyone who isn't careful.
Geography
Azuvah is remarkably large, dry, and flat. You can see for miles in all directions, but unless you're traveling along one of the main roads, you won't see anything but the unusual purple-gray tallgrass. The roads of Azuvah were constructed mainly as a trade network. They snake through the prairie like a large, convoluted spider web with thousands of unlabeled intersections that seem to lead to nowhere. Getting lost on the road is better than losing the road altogether, however, as most people who veer off the path never find their way back. Old wife's tales describe a curse as the explanation for why traveling through the prairie is so difficult.
Fauna & Flora
Trees don't grow here naturally, nor do bushes or weeds. There is only the Azuvan tallgrass. Some imported crops can survive such as oats and wheat, but even then, the areas where the grains grow are spotty and seemingly random. The further west that you travel, the easier growing crops become, so most infrastructure in the prairie is on the west side.
The monotonous landscape is pierced with color for a few weeks a year in the spring. During an average window of only about twenty-five days or so, a special flower called the Sigalit Rose starts to grow in large numbers. Within these flowers is a pigment that can be used to make violet paints or clothing, which is highly sought after. (the only other source are a special type of sea urchin along the sea) The catch is that the violet pigment will decay if it leaves Azuvah, leaving a sickly, translucent flower instead. Strangely, once the pigment has been diffused into a dye or paint, it will remain no matter where it goes, but the flowers themselves can't be transported out of the prairie.
Since the farms of Azuvah are unreliable, the people who live here mostly rely on animals for food instead. The most popular animals are mangals which is a wooled pig with long tusks. The wool is used for clothing, architecture, and blankets, while the tusks are used for some tools, as horns for communication over long distances (sound can travel far because nothing obstructs it on the flat geography of the prairie) and as a container for water.
Cervids are half human and half deer. They walk on two legs and have feet and hands like people, but their heads are that of a deer, and the males have antlers. Their entire bodies are covered in a dark gray fur that blends in with the Azuvan tallgrass. They're just as intelligent as humans are, but they've been marginalized and for the most part, quarantined in the deeper parts of the prairie. There's a lot of animosity between the Empire and the cervids.
Natural Resources
- Azuvan tallgrass is used for baskets and other similar goods
- Mengals have wide uses. Their wool is used for clothing and blankets. Their meat is for food. Their tusks are for containers and tools.
- The Sigalit Rose makes the Empire that lives here a lot of money because of its scarcity. It's used for dying clothing and making paints that are purple.
- There's an abundance of clay in the ground here that's used to build structures and create art pieces.
- Grains such as oats and wheat are grown here, especially in the western half of the prairie.
Alternative Name(s)
The Dry Wasteland
Type
Plain
Included Organizations
Owning Organization
Related Ethnicities
Contested By
Characters in Location
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