|
 |
|
|
|
Barr al-Fadi
Barr al-Fadi (lit. "The Empty
Land") is an arid region of central Vindarten, bounding to the
northeast by Kalishan, to the northwest by Amshir, to the west by
the Gates of Arjen (the eastern entrance to the Sindarin kingdom of
Ardenor), to the south by the Kahliopsis (the land of the dreaded
Yikaria), and to the southeast and east by the Pillars of the Sky
(a rugged range of mountains.)
The central portion of Barr al-Fadi is
al-Karag (also known as "the Pit of Karag",
"the Anvil" and a number of less complimentary names.) This
area is a desolate, inhospitable arid region, with varying terrain including
leagues of rolling sand dunes, rocky playas, broken plains covered with cactus
and creosote brush and interrupted by wadis. Average annual rainfall is less
than 5 inches. Summer temperatures range from the low 50's at night to over
110° F. during the heat of the day. However, in the winter, it is not
uncommon for the night time temperatures to drop below freezing.
While rain is rare, wind is not. Frequent,
suffocating sand and dust storms can spring up without warning and can be fatal
if shelter is not found quickly.
Shadazar
Shadazar (also known as "The City of
Power", "The City of Intrigue", and "The Dark
City") is the capital of Barr al-Fadi. Here, in an alabaster palace,
on an obsidian throne, resides Calipha Kaylia al Asadina, the Most
Wise, Pillar of the Land, True Defender of the Faithful,
Leopard of the Desert, Guardian of the Realm, Beloved of the
Gods, Wielder of the Ebony Scimitar, Sovereign of the Peoples of
Barr al-Fadi (although she is called many other names in hushed, fearful
voices.) She rules the land with an iron fist and a well-disciplined army. It
is whispered in the coffee houses and market stalls that she is also a powerful
sorceress and is over 100 years old, although she appears to be a raven-haired
beauty in her early thirties.
Tajjara
Tajjara (also known as "The City of
Sails", "The City of Trade", and "The White
City") is the largest coastal urban center near Barr al-Fadi. While it
is technically a part of the realm, Emir Karim 'Abd al-Aziz and his
populace pay only lip service to the rule of Shadazar. Privately, the Emir
thinks of Tajjara as his city and its people his subject to do with as he
wishes. His naval vessels do little to give lie to the name "the Wild
Coast" applied to this region. Indeed, those self-same ships are known to
exact "sea-lane taxes" from merchant ships that ply the southern
coastal waters.
Genosha
Genosha (also known as "The City of
Iron", "The City of Fire", and "The Red
City") is the undisputed hub of industry in Barr al-Fadi. It is also
the most oppressive and dark city on the continent. Thousands of slaves die in
the Genoshan iron mines every year, and the clouds of dust and smoke from the
smelters and forges of the city can be seen over a days travel away. Genosha is
governed by the masters of the Ikhwân al Lahîb Sahîh
("Brotherhood of the True Flame"), a council of seven
elemental fire mages. This council, known as the Crucible, is led by the
archmage Mash'al ibn Munir al-Khalid (aka "The Whirlwind of
Flame".)
Al Jarii
Al Jarii (also known as "The City of
Mists", "The City of the Wall", and "The Blue
City") is the western bastion of Barr al-Fadi. It is the center of
commerce in the west, build against the western Wall of the Karag (a rocky
cliff face towering hundreds of feet above the desert) and adjacent to the
Waq'a al-Raim (the "Waterfall of Clouds") where the
Naher al-Sharif thunders over a 300 foot drop. The ruler of Al Jarii,
Emir Rashid Zafar ibn Jinan al-Da'ud, is arguably the most benevolent
lord of all the major cities in the realm. He leaves his citizens to go about
their business largely undisturbed, maintains order with his troops, and exacts
(for the most part) reasonable taxes and tariffs. Beyond Waq'a al-Raim,
the Naher al-Sharif becomes the Tavonni River, as it flows west
past the City of Oudina and eventually reaches the Gulf of
Narsay.
Kalishan
Kalishan is a vast, savannah-covered region
northeast of the Karag, populated by numerous nomadic tribes, and with very few
settlements.
Amshir
Northwest of Barr al-Fadi, the desert gives way to
juniper breaks and thin pine forests, interspersed with an occasional grove of
aspen where water is available. Beyond, the shores of the lifeless Lake of
Amshir stretch northward to the Rigga Desert.
Ha'lil
Ha'lil is one of the two major "free
cities" in the region (Tindel being the other.) It is ruled by an elected
governor (currently Mistress Abia al-Hadeel, a swordswoman of some note)
and a council of six representatives (one from each ward in the
city.)
Tindel
Tindel is Ha'lil's sister city to the south. Due
to it's proximity to the eastern entrance of Ardenor, Tindel has a much higher
percentage population of elves than other cities in this region. Like Ha'lil,
Tindel is a center of trade. Unlike Ha'lil, Tindel is governed by a council of
guildmasters and businessmen. Their decisions frequently reflect what is best
for business, rather than what is best for the populace. In spite of this,
Tindel is a reasonably safe and comfortable place.
Ardenor
Ardenor is often referred to as "The
Thousand Mile Valley", and with good reason. The fortress land of the
Sindarin stretches from the Gates of Arjen in the east to the Sindarin
capitol of Elenassi Talabrintarion in the west, almost 1,500 miles. Home
and haven to most of the sylvan races and creatures, this is the most protected
realm in all of Vandhar. It is also the most difficult to visit, for the
Sindarin value their privacy above all else and only the very foolish would
attempt entry without an invitation.
The
Kahliopsis
A beautiful land of rolling grassy plains broken
by frequent copses of trees, the Kahliopsis would be a welcome region were it
not for the constant danger of the Yikaria, the diabolical Yak Men of
Ranthamboor. The Kahliopsis is broken into four roughly equal tracts by the
three branches of the mighty Nogaro River and the rugged canyons
containing them. To the south, the land falls away over The Edge of the
World, a sheer scarp dropping almost 5,000 feet to the land below.
Ranthamboor
Home of the Yikaria, this massive city of grey
stone and twisting shapes seems to defy the very laws of Euclidian geometry.
Home to many thousands of the Yak Men, it also houses five to six times as many
slaves, all of human, demihuman, or humanoid origin. To be a slave of the
Yikaria is to live under the constant threat of grisly death, for Yak Men live
for the acquisition of knowledge and might dissect a living subject merely to
observe the emotional response. To them, slave and laboratory animal are one in
the same.
Last updated on 7 November 2014.
|
