The World Of Twilight
March 28, 2024, 06:26:56 pm *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
News: Welcome to the World of Twilight forum!
Automatic registration has been disabled, but if you are new and wish to register then just send me an email (m.thorp@talk21.com) and I'll sort it out. Don't forget to say what username you would like!
 
Pages: [1]
  Print  
Author Topic: The Donrehleh  (Read 6887 times)
GregX999
Donrehleh Mercenary
Jenta
*
Posts: 27



« on: May 04, 2011, 10:42:11 pm »

Ok, so here's "my" clan so far. The overall "feel" should, I hope, remind one of Scottland or Scandinavia (a bit).

Please let me know if you see anything that doesn't make sense.

And Mike, please feel to let me know if anything is "wrong", or may clash with any other ideas you have for the area.

Introduction

In the northern reaches of the Empire live the fubarnii of Clan Donrehleh, a tough and independent group of fubarnii, loyal to the Empire, yet fond of doing things their own way. The cold winters and harsh terrain, along with very low population density, has encouraged the Donrehleh to become practical and individually self-sufficient, yet has also developed in them a keen appreciation for tight social bonds and large social gatherings – even more so than their southern brethren.

Geography


(Donrehleh shown with blue tint)

The south-western border of the lands of Clan Donrehleh is defined by the River Min Gulnii. The majority of the territory consists of a wide, high valley between the Ibarites, the mountains to the west, the Ugaraks, the mountains to the north-east and the Gethlon Sea to the south-east.

The overall landscape is quite rocky. Even in the great valley (which is actually as high as 2000 feet above sea level) most farming activities are severely hampered due to the rocky soil having very little organic matter to feed on. It is, however, quite green due to the amount of lichen and short grasses that seem to survive.
The coastline to the south is mostly cliff-face, rising as high as 300 feet in some places. Near the mouth of the Min Gulnii the cliffs are far less imposing, or even absent, but the shoreline is still rocky and jagged.

The River Min Gulnii

The River Min Gulnii is formed by two large tributaries to the north. These tributaries are the Upper Gulnii (to the north) and the Poolni (to the west). The point at which the two tributaries join is known as “the fork”. The river is very swift as it heads south from the fork, with many cataracts and areas of rapids cutting a gorge through the rocky landscape. At the point where the river makes a sharp turn to the west, a large plateau, still in the shadow of the Ibarites, overlooks both the river and the valley to the east. (This is where the city of Donreh rests – see “Cities and Roads” below.)

After turning west, the river cuts the Ibarites in two, the Upper Ibarites to the north, the Lower Ibirites to the south. The river is calmer and wider as it sweeps in an arc around the Lower Ibarites (a section known as “the big bend”) and heads toward the last three cataracts and the bridge at Donkaa (see “Cities and Roads” below). After passing under the bridge, it flows at a much gentler pace south into the Gethlon Sea.

The bridge at Donkaa is the only bridge over the river. The only other way across is by small boat in the relatively calm section of the big bend, or south of Donkaa.

The Ibirites

Sliced in two by the Min Gulnii, into the Upper and Lower Ibarites, this mountain range forms an imposing barrier. Countless wild Ugarot trails crisscross the slopes, but the only reliable way to cross these mountains is on the road over the Donkaa Pass. One could also go around to the south over the much lower, and gentler, foothills. But that would take 3 to 4 times as long.

The Ugaraks

Rising like a sheer wall to the north-west, the tops of Ugaraks are often obscured by mist and clouds. At the southern end, on the coast, an immense peak is visible for hundreds of miles around (on a clear day). It is known locally as Gar Ugarak Enak (roughly: “Great Ugarak the All Seeing“).

Most of the Ugaraks are completely unexplored. There have been a couple expeditions to try to reach Majorn Anis, but no way around Gar Ugarak Enak has been found (it drops straight into the sea, a cliff face almost 1000 feet tall).

Climate

Being so far north, and at quite an altitude, the lands of the Donrehleh are known for mild summers and cold winters. Due to the influence of the mountains and the proximity of the Gethlon Sea, the entire area stays quite moist year-round, with frequent stretches of misty and/or foggy days, especially during the occasional mild spells during the winter.
During the winter, snow blankets the mountains and the Donkaa pass can often be closed for weeks at a time.

Cities and Roads

The only overland route into Donrehleh is over the Min Gulnii river and into the village of Donkaa. A large stone bridge spans the river here, just south of a series of three large cataracts. Donkaa is mostly a small trading post, it’s summer population of 3000-3500 shrinking to a mere 500 in the winter when the pass over the Lower Ibrities often becomes snowed in, closing down all trade.

The main road continues north-east over the mountains, and then north as it heads towards the city of Donreh, the capitol. Donreh is not a large city by Imperial standards, being home to approximately 10,000 fubarnii. It sits at the base of the Lower Ibrities, yet on a large, lightly forested plateau. The city is only a short distance from the where the river, coming from the north, turns west and heads into the mountains.

The majority of the buildings in Donreh are built with stone, as it is so abundant. The woodlands to the north are harvested for timber as well, but the [name of tree], being slow growing due to the high altitude and rocky soil, can’t grow back quick enough to provide enough timber for more than the most important of buildings.

Also different from most other fubarnii towns and cities, Donreh has a very meager underground. The loose rocky soil and numerous huge boulders make excavation just too difficult.

A small village named Etri sits at the mouth of the Min Gulnii. It is home to about 500, mostly living off sea. The large tides of the area, combined with the rocky beaches, provide ample shellfish and seaweed. Artisans in the town produce various decorations, jewelry and other trinkets with the large variety of shellfish shells. The road to Etri is from Donreh is not often traveled, and therefore often in bad shape. The preferred route is a ferry across the river to [town across the river].

Many small settlements are scattered throughout the valley. These range from a small cluster of homes for 20-30, up to small villages of up to 100. The infertile soil makes anything larger unsustainable.

Culture

[To come…]

Military

Donreh and Donkaa maintain standing militias which are used to escort caravans, provide a police force, and generally keep pressure on any devanu in the area. Etri has a small garrison that gets relieved every couple of months from Donreh. Small outposts dot the valley as well. Since the militia is small (relatively), competition to join is fierce and being accepted is a source of great pride for the immediate family.

Being the capitol of the region, Donreh has a small garrison of Imperial Knights.

Since the local militia is not very large, and since the martial tradition is strong in the north (many Donreleh fubarnii see military service as an important rite of passage), those not accepted into the militia join one of the many mercenary bands from the area. These bands are often employed by various nobles throughout the Empire when local squabbles escalate or devanu raids increase. (Donrehleh mercenaries are regarded as the best in the Empire due to their professionalism.)

Threats

Devanu
Being so far north in such a cool climate has limited the impact of the Devanu. During the fubarnii enslavement, the few Devanu that lived in the valley never truly thrived. And now, after being hunted for so long, the remaining packs have learned to stay well hidden. Of course, errant livestock might occasionally go missing. Attacks on caravans or small villages are quite rare.

Delgon
Although they are quite close to the land of the Delgon, there is no easy way for the priests and their minions to get into Donrehleh. They do slip in from time to time however, and the Donrehleh chieftains do their best to remove the troublemakers.

Logged
Lost Egg
Lord of Engu
Administrator
Distinguished Engineer
*****
Posts: 989



« Reply #1 on: May 05, 2011, 08:25:29 am »

Sounds good, you've really painted a picture of the area and clan.

I expect that the most affluent Fubarnii might have some underground dwelling as the high cost & effort involved could be something to boast about, perhaps.

HN
Logged
Megatron0
Merchant of Enipel
Distinguished Engineer
*****
Posts: 621



« Reply #2 on: May 05, 2011, 01:00:54 pm »

Mercs! Mercs! Mercs!
very technical description! I like!
Logged

GregX999
Donrehleh Mercenary
Jenta
*
Posts: 27



« Reply #3 on: May 05, 2011, 06:11:01 pm »

Thanks for the feedback.

Yes, the few underground dwellings would be for the wealthy and/or powerful. I have an idea for a large, mostly secret, underground system under the main government or religious (not sure yet) building in Donreh. Something only a select few know about, although there are rumors...

I was also contemplating a tunnel system under the mountains (as an alternative to using the main pass), but I wasn't sure the fubarnii would be up for something quite on that scale.

For the mercs, I'd like to go into a bit more detail with profiles and maybe the fluff for a few different merc bands. But haven't had the time yet.
Logged
Megatron0
Merchant of Enipel
Distinguished Engineer
*****
Posts: 621



« Reply #4 on: May 05, 2011, 09:56:38 pm »

Ah Enipel Merchant lords only hire the finest warriors! so make them good Cheesy
Logged

Jubal
Engineer of Larigal
Qualified Engineer
****
Posts: 331



WWW
« Reply #5 on: May 05, 2011, 10:24:18 pm »

But are the boulders and pebbles interesting?  Tongue

(My clan are absent-minded engineer specialists)
Logged

WoT Reporter and editor of A Call To Arms.

GregX999
Donrehleh Mercenary
Jenta
*
Posts: 27



« Reply #6 on: May 11, 2011, 03:09:22 pm »

Sorry to not update my clan for a bit - I'm moving next week and have been super-busy packing and what-not. Then I'll be totally gone for another week as I drive across the country (from New York to California). I've got some ideas for my clan leader too (for the other thread).
Logged
Megatron0
Merchant of Enipel
Distinguished Engineer
*****
Posts: 621



« Reply #7 on: May 11, 2011, 05:01:16 pm »

Look forward to reading your clan leader stuff! Good luck on the drive!
Logged

Pages: [1]
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.11 | SMF © 2006-2009, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!