Yukur: Petty Wastes

Geography

Yukur makes up nearly the entire eastern border of the known lands of Wouraiya. It is desert, interrupted occasionally by various oases, remnants of the world that once was. Few people know where the oases even are, so harsh are the winds that protect them. Fewer still are those who come from beyond the desert. Those that do speak of proper kingdoms, one for each oasis, as well as exotic empires that Wouraiya could never reach. The edge of Yukur is a sea, across which stands Tuhra, Retrougo, and Unterritory.

Localized Phenomena

Large tornadoes roam the plains, their figures outlined by the sand they kick up. Occasionally, they reach the shores, but they always return to the desert in one piece. None have seen them dissipate; it is possible that they last for centuries.

History

Yukur was once a land of plenty; it was home to large-scale agriculture and great coastal empires. These empires traded with the Irewans and the Werai, and perhaps also eastern nations that are now buried in sand and lost to history. After a time, the winds became unfavorable and no longer carried water vapor through the countryside. Farms on the shoreline flourished, while those on the periphery yielded poor crops. The governments took pity on the inland farmers, purchasing their land and leaving it fallow. Without plants to hold the soil in place, the inner plots became havens for dust and sand. Storms pushed the empires to the shoreline, then tossed them into the sea. Those that survived wandered from place to place, looking for what little sustenance was left in this unforgiving land.

Yukur would remain a dismal, uneventful place for thousands of years. Few would traverse it, for there was no value in the land. The only remnants of civilization were petty city-states on the edge of the sea that squabbled endlessly amongst themselves for scraps. None had greater ambitions for more than the arid deserts of Yukur. Agricultural technologies would come from Welkwu that could make the land fertile again, and from it rose a new Yukuric state. After providing a small bout of technological advancement and economic growth, this nation would provoke Keyrit into an attack and be trampled underfoot.

Included Locations