Aochen
Summary
Long ago, Aochen was a much smaller region confined to the dense jungles and mist-covered mountains in Nerzin's heartlands. A veritable wall, it served as a natural barrier to anyone coming from Aerthen and seeking to reach Tomu or the rest of Nerzin. It would be the explosion of the World Gate that shook the world and saw Aochen's role changed. When the Barrier Sea formed, the border lands there were annihilated outright, along with most of the ruling powers. Sacrificed by Hau-Joren, the sudden violent change meant Aochen's reclusive rulers had no opposition to expand westward. So they did, swallowing up what remained of the flat plains and rolling hills that remained eastward of the Barrier Sea. This boon saw Aochen rise to the prominence of a great land, and quickly became the face that most met when coming to Nerzin. Having supped on such easy conquest, Aochen has ever remained restless since. In-fighting has seen its ruling powers change hands a number of times until a particular wokma family finally arose to power some centuries ago. Solidifying their stranglehold, an outsider might think Aochen a unified force, but it is closer to a tyrannical government. Few are those who can threaten the Aochen family (as the wokma called themselves now), and their eyes are ever set on expanding their power. To this end they have made overtures to push across the Barrier Sea, potentially invading Aerthen itself. Ever greedy, they have also eyed Tomu and its recent turmoil as an ideal opportunity.Geography
Aochen is two distinct geographical territories swallowed up into one political entity. From the Barrier Sea and heading eastward, there are many wide open plains, rolling hills, and flowing rivers. Essentially flood plains, the time of year greatly changes it from a wet if manageable place to a downright muggy, humid suffering. As one goes further beyond, they rapidly meet the dense jungles and sudden, vertical hike in mountainous and rugged terrain. Not quite tall enough to kill off plant life, the terrain is exceptionally treacherous with its endless hazards.
If one did not live there, navigating it might seem impossible outright. Still, persistent and determined, civilization tamed some of the wilds, creating clear trade routes that made the impossible, possible. These routes led to fortress-after-fortress, and so if one thinks to avoid them, then any number of cliffs, gnarled overgrowth, and deadly predators await. On top of it all, Aochen's famous moniker as the 'Land of Mists' is not without merit.
Perpetually covered in a hazy, humid fog, Aochen is a veritable sea of mist flowing in and out of its jagged terrain. Rising with the sun and falling with the moons, the time of year and local weather greatly change the flow of the mist. On some days they might swallow the highest points in Aochen, and others vanish to the lowest of depths. These sudden, day-by-day changes further complicate anyone trying to move through the area. In many ways, it is the historical defense that the people of Aochen exploited best. Few have ever met their mistressful understanding of the mists, and so few have left the scars of invasion upon their home.
Natural Resources
The western territory offers much in the ways of food and construction opportunities, ideal for the growth of cities. Serving as a security buffer for foreign trade, a number of ports and trade routes see much of Nerzin's total trade capacity. In turn enrichening the Aochen family greatly, it has long been treated as its own isolated world from the rest of Aochen proper.
The material wealth of its jungles and mountains is most considerable. Not quite matching Tomu in the realm of animal-sourced ingredients, they've long made up for it in mineral processing. If it can exist as a metal, there is a mine for it in Aochen. Thus, their exporting to Tomu and toward Aerthen is one of their strongest economic tools. They suffer greatly in food production, however--there is simply not enough space to dedicate to farms. In this, their western territory is a terrible necessity to their already oversized mountainous populations. Were it to be lost, famine may destroy all of Aochen in less than a year.
Alternative Name(s)
The Land of Mists, Moons' Peak
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Region
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