Algan Settlements

The Algan Settlements are less a country and more a loose collection of semi-allied villages and towns. In pursuit of mythical fertile farmland and freedom past the swamps, for the past century, caravans have struck out towards the Algan Wilds in hope of finding a new life. The muddy terrain of the wilds proved difficult to cross for most regardless of navigation skill, however, and as a result, numerous villages and settlements began to crop up in the marshlands.
Despite their inhospitability to most humanoids, the wilds held swaths of unique flora and fauna, much of which proved useful in the construction of buildings designed to sit above the mud and water. Most buildings within the settlements are suspended in the trees or set upon the few patches of more solid ground, though larger settlements have begun small-scale terraforming as well. Walls around villages are rare; the only protection needed is against the occasionally monstrous denizens, and most swampdwellers are trained at least competently to hunt or fight back anyways in order to survive.
Due to the difficulty of survival in the swamps and the threat of their larger neighbors should any decide that the resources of the swamps were worth something, the villages of the Algan Wilds formed a loose coalition; the sight of another marshdweller means you've found a friend who shares your lived experiences. Culture formed around the unique lifestyle the wilds demanded as well as the plentiful resources it provided: you'd take from the wilds only what you needed, and you'd always make room at the table if a hungry traveler showed up at your door. The average marshlander is notably tanned (though skin color is more diverse here than in other parts of the world by far), often wearing a wide-brimmed hat and going barefoot. The only shoes that are worn are snowshoe-wide, flat, and woven to allow the wearer to stand on the surface of loose, wet ground, with edges that curve upwards to prevent muck from getting in and sinking the wearer.

Type

Geopolitical, Country