The Shrine of Hamaskis.
The Bronze Coast
The Shrine of Hamaskis.The Bronze Coast | |
The Bronze Coast is the name given to that portion of the coast of the Bay of Pearls in Eastern Allansia between the Analrith Wastes and the Shabak Peninsular. Ken Beuden has assembled the following information on this little known region and its history.
To the east of the mighty Plain of Bronze lies a stretch of highland, running from the river Nykosa in the north to the Sembian lowlands of far west Shabak in the south. These heights are the worn remnants of an ancient chain and in places still rise up to form imposing mountains to echo ancient glory. At the southern edge of the Kusmulia teeth, lie the still daunting Yggras Peaks but here also is an ancient road. Take this road east through the pass and it will rise so that soon you will see a plain before you beyond which lies the vast Sea of Pearls. Although the land is fertile, little is grown here and no civilisation flourishes. It is a part of Allansia that is now only known for its frequent storms and a beleaguered peasantry beset by marauding bandits who grandly call themselves warlords.
Yet were you to venture down from those hills and cross this land you might stumble across the ruins of some ancient town or city, long abandoned by civilisation. Listen closely to the wind as it whistles through those ruins for it carries with it the whispers of ghosts who would tell you of things past.
This is my land and I have learnt much of its ways over the years. I have visited the ruins of mighty Arxan and listened to the ghosts of Talesh. I have braved the attentions of the warlords and shared bread with the peoples of the plains. There is much to tell, for the history and culture of the civilisations that flourished here is rich and diverse in its tapestry. Yet knowledge of this history, beyond its borders, is confined to the great libraries of Titan and vague remembrances in tavern songs. My aim in these few short passages is not only to impart upon you an impression of the land and its history, but also to warn you of a danger from its past which may be growing once more.
Read on and impart what you learn to others so that the memories of this coastal realm do not fade.
Landor Shanzul,
Seeker of the Scabbard
The northern reaches are made up principally by the Kusmulia Teeth. They range from the delta of the river Nykosa to the Yggras Peaks forming the border of the Plain of Bronze until it reaches the Marazid Steppes. These are the worn remnants of the ancient mountain range that once existed here, although they are still imposing. Relatively fertile, they have small woods in their midst. They are sparsely populated but do host a number of tribes of orcs and Hill trolls inhabiting natural caves and in some cases, ancient dwarf dwellings.
Much of the Kusmulia lies in what was Bellisaria, upon which these passages do not focus. However, a great deal runs along the edge of what was Arxan's country. The ruins of Arxan are located near the sea on the shores of the river Sharok. The coastal plain here is narrow but well sheltered, and in fact the Kusmulia meet the sea just south of Arxan.
Further south lies the Anashim River, the southern border of what was the realm of Arxan. Although Arxan stretched its boundaries beyond this river they never contracted from it.
Beyond the Anashim lie the lush verdant fields of Pangara, so called because of the winds that circulate here and the tornadoes, which plague the inhabitants. These fields are where most of the inhabitants of the plains dwell, although there are very few of them. Midway across the fields the Great Dike cuts through like a giant scar. The ancient fortification was built during the Wars of Origin almost 800 years ago and appears to many as just a natural fissure in the land.
From Marenden in the west (the only remaining town on the coast) runs eastward the Maren Road along this dike, eventually into the pass which divides the Yggras Mountains from the Kusmulia Teeth. On the other side of the pass lie ancient ruins. These were used by the peoples of the coastal plains as guard posts to prevent unwelcome visitors from the Plain of Bronze entering the pass at this point. The ruins, however, like the road, predate the coastal civilisations of the humans and are of uncertain origin.
Squeezed between the Yggras Mountains, and the Scarthorns lie the Mid Marches. Like the Kusmulia Teeth they are the worn remnant of the ancient mountain chain. They are similar to the Kusmulia in terms of vegetation although the shelter of the two mountain ranges keeps them cooler. Although a seemingly easy path to the plains the traveller should beware this region for not only do orcs, goblins and trolls roam here but so do many others including giants. Some even claim to have seen Black Dragons here, although there has been no documented evidence of these great beasts in the region for over two centuries.
From the Mid-Marches at their eastern end spill the many tributaries of the mighty Taleshor River. The Taleshor runs down from the hills into the coastal plains and on to the sea where Talesh once stood. The river itself divides the plains of Pangara from the Gibrak plains to the south. This lush fertile tract stretches down to the Ahakbad River in the south. On its southeastern tip is the infamous Jinn Mire. Do not venture there. Powerful spirits of malicious intent dwell there forever trapped within its confines by powerful elven magic. Those who have ventured there have never returned and their fate is self-sealed for all have been warned!
The Ahakbad River runs out from the Brak. This is a canyon running east-west, its walls being made of the sheer mountains of the Scarthorns to the north and the Greyspires to the south. Within the Brak stands the mysterious, ancient and now seemingly deserted city of Angar-Ulak, built into the very rock of the mountains around it.
At its western end the Brak opens out once more onto the southern Marazid steppes and the northern edge of the vast Plain of Bones, running southwest for many, many days. South-east journeying will take you past the mysterious Tarnaladrim Wood, said to be a remnant of the One Forest, and into the Sembian Lowlands and the realm of Shabak.
| Climate and Weather | Physical Resources | Creatures and Vegitation |
|---|---|---|
|
The climate of this region in general varies on the lowlands from hot summers to mild wet winters. As you travel further into the interior towards the Plain of Bronze the heat becomes more extreme. From north to south there is some variation but what is consistent along the whole coast is the threat of storms coming in from the Sea of Pearls. The storms in this region are not quite on the same scale as those experienced in Shabak but are almost as regular. The combination of the heat and the stormy weather is a breeding ground for those most violent children of Pangara, the tornadoes, which have plagued the inhabitants of this area since their arrival. In the south the propensity for stormy weather is compounded by those storms which rumble down from the peaks of the Yggras and Scarthorn Mountains. The shelter from the heat of the Plain of Bronze provided by the hills and mountains to the west, combined with the plentiful rainfall, has made this whole stretch of coastline extremely fertile. The northern parts of this region are hilly and here the coastal plains are at their most narrow. |
The people of this area are now scattered among tiny villages and settlements across the fertile plain, trying to make their living as farmers or herdsman, whilst desperately trying to avoid the attentions of warlords or orcs. The people are scared and apprehensive. There is no government. Only the power of the warlords.
In the south the people tend to be similar to the Shabaki. Their skin is an olive brown, their hair usually a deep black, and their eyes brown. In some areas there are villages where the people still bear features reminiscent of ancestors from the Isles of the Dawn.
In the far north of the region there is a greater tendency for the people to have fairer hair and skin. For a person to have blue eyes is not uncommon enough to warrant surprise or special attention.
The warlords themselves attempt to adhere to wearing the traditional attire of the ancient warlords of the Rise who themselves were imitating the battledress of the Isles and Hachiman. They grow their hair, including facial hair, in the same style also. The warlords hold court in the ancient ruins of deserted cities.
| People and Powers | Work and Skills | Trade and Commerce |
|---|---|---|
|
On occasion there have been attempts to form co-operatives between the isolated farmers but the warlords have soon intervened to stop these. Some warlords claim noble descent from the kings of Talesh and Arxan to bolster their positions, but this is dubious. The fact that the ancient warlords themselves were of no relation to the kings of the land seems to hold little relevance to the present warlords. |
| Religion | Fashion | Daily Life |
|---|---|---|
|
Religion, once powerful in this region, has all but been abandoned by the warlords. The once great priesthoods of Sukh, Pangara and Hydana are all but forgotten, but the peasants still beseech them for their lenience. Galana's worship and that of the lesser agricultural deities is still practised to an extent by those trying to eke out their existence on the plains. In some remote villages where the blood of the Lost Isles still runs strong a strange god named Arn is worshipped by a few. |
Worrying news flies from the region on the wings of rumour. There are stories that the warlord hordes may be uniting, especially in north. Were this to happen then who can say what destruction they could bring?
We already know that some of the warlords have tried to expand their influence outside of the coastal plains. It was not chance that brought the eastern warlord to Sukumvit's Trial of the Champions a few years ago. It was the allure of the money to buy an army, have no doubt.
Some have said that they have seen orcs fighting within the bandit hordes, others even whisper of sightings by moonlight of elves.
More worrying still are stories that strange tattoos have been found on the bodies of fallen bandits, in the style of a sword within a circle. Could this mean that the Circle of the Sword has survived the centuries? Worst still does this mean that someone has found. No! Dare not even think it!
<---Back to the Allansia Atlas. | <---Back to the Titan Atlas. | <---Back to the Contents page.