Threshold of Sands, Stone, and Shifting Power

The Southern Frontier marks the harsh and storied boundary between the fertile heartlands of Faenas and the sun-scorched expanse of Zareem. Here, the green fields and river-fed farms begin to thin, giving way to dry winds, rocky soil, and the towering backbone of Namék’s Ridge—the mountain wall that defines the divide between the two regions.

This frontier has long been a land of tension and exchange. Caravans move north with spices and desert glass; grain and crafted goods flow south toward the deep sands. Faenian settlers, Zareemi nomads, and dune-clan traders cross paths in towns that feel neither wholly Faenian nor wholly desert-born.

It is a place where travelers prepare for danger, where soldiers watch the passes, and where ancient trails whisper the memories of empires, exiles, and wanderers.

Geography

The Southern Frontier stretches from the base of the Dragonteeth Mountains in the east to the coastal approaches near Nulbarak in the west. The landscape is defined by:

• scrub plains dotted with hardy brush
• low, rocky mesas
• dry riverbeds that awaken only after storms
• foothills leading into Namék’s Ridge
• fertile oases near Medo-Zogan
• dust-churned caravan routes

Faenas' gentle climate begins to fade here: summers are hotter, rain is sparse, and winds from Zareem carry fine, choking sand that settles into every crevice.

Major Natural Features

Namék’s Ridge — The Desert Wall

A massive mountain range stretching east to west. Its cliffs and ridges form a natural barrier that historically protected Faenas from desert incursions and shaped the frontier’s identity.

Features include:

• jagged limestone formations
• deep-cut canyons
• ancient mineral quarries
• hidden caves used by bandits, hermits, and smugglers
• rare mountain springs guarded fiercely by locals

The Ridge is both protector and prison—a land of beauty and violence.

Harko’s Pass — The Gateway to Zareem

The most significant passage through Namék’s Ridge. Broad enough for caravans, defensible enough for soldiers, and dangerous enough to earn its own legends.

Harko’s Pass is:

• narrow and shadowed
• flanked by high cliffs that echo with desert winds
• home to old imperial watchtowers (many now unmanned)
• the primary route for trade into the Zareemi Confederation

Rumors speak of a spirit that walks the pass at night, guiding or misleading travelers depending on the moon’s phase.

Settlements and Cities

Quam-Pherish — The Flame-Border City

A once-mighty imperial garrison town that has transformed into a rough-and-ready frontier settlement. Built on a plateau overlooking Harko’s Pass.

Characteristics:

• dusty streets lined with mercenary hostels
• caravanserais hosting traders from Faenas, Zareem, and Tilçanhu
• large horse and camel markets
• ancient fortifications crumbling under time and heat
• a culture that values strength, cunning, and grit

Quam-Pherish is often the last Faenian outpost travelers visit before descending into the deep desert.

Medo-Zogan — Threshold of the Sands

Situated just north of Zareem’s true desert, Medo-Zogan is a vibrant melting pot where Faenian farmers, Zareemi nomads, desert mystics, and wandering merchants mingle.

Medo-Zogan features:

• broad bazaars filled with spices, pottery, and exotic fabrics
• desert priests offering omens and guidance
• oasis gardens fed by underground channels
• wayhouses that supply caravans heading south
• a reputation for hospitality mixed with opportunistic bargaining

It is said that no one arrives in Medo-Zogan unchanged.

Southern Farms and Outlying Villages

Scattered across the region are hardy communities that cling to life on the frontier:

• Dustmere (wind-worn farming hamlet)
• Redwater Fields (irrigation-fed barley fields reddened by mineral-rich soil)
• Lanther’s Drop (a village built around a rare freshwater spring emerging from the Ridge)

These settlements often serve as rest stops or supply points for traders and travelers.

Culture of the Frontier

The Southern Frontier blends Faenian customs with Zareemi influences, forming a unique hybrid identity.

Frontier Hardiness

Locals value endurance, directness, and adaptability. Life here is not gentle, and softness is often seen as a luxury.

Desert Wisdom

Proverbs, rituals, weather-reading techniques, and spiritual practices drift north from Zareem and merge with local Faenian traditions.

Caravan Brotherhoods

Long-distance trade has formed tight-knit networks of caravan families who look after one another regardless of nationality.

Imperial Ghosts

Old fortifications and relics remind inhabitants of a time when the Empire tried—and failed—to fully control the frontier.

Music and Food

Expect lutes, drums, spiced stews, dried fruits, and strong teas.

Economy and Trade

This region thrives on exchange.

Exports

• grain and wine from Faenas
• metalwork crafted in northern Faenas
• barley, millet, and goat products
• stonework from Namék’s Ridge quarries

Imports from Zareem

• spices
• desert glass
• rare manuscripts
• caravans of medicinal herbs
• finely woven fabrics

Caravan Routes

The main artery:

Ambervale → Quam-Pherish → Harko’s Pass → Medo-Zogan → Zareem

Smaller threads spread to Nulbarak in the west and Idrisburgh in the east.

Political Influence

The Southern Frontier is a tug-of-war between powers.

High Faenas

Maintains forts and tax outposts but struggles to exert full authority.

Zareemi Confederation

Culturally influential and economically critical; viewed as a “friendly rival.”

Sapphire Dominion

Seeks access to southern quarries and desert trade but has limited reach.

Local Clan-Lords

Unaligned families who control wells, passes, and riverbeds—practical rulers of the frontier.

Mercenary Companies

A constant presence, hired by towns and caravans alike.

History

Before the Empire

The frontier was a patchwork of nomadic bands and independent villages.
Trade with early Zareemi tribes shaped its earliest settlements.

Imperial Age

Quam-Pherish and Harko’s Pass became military strongholds.
Medo-Zogan grew into the region’s trade capital.

Kurai Era

Kurai scouts often trained in the frontier’s harsh climate.
Several outposts here resisted the Coup longer than inland towns.

War of Sundering

The frontier fractured; desert tribes advanced north while Faenian forces retreated. Many forts were abandoned or destroyed.

Fifth Age

The region stabilized through caravan wealth and shared necessity between Faenas and Zareem.