Broken Plains

Strange geography creates a harsh environment and a rugged people. With three Golden Paths, trade roads crisscross the steppe where horseback tribes vie for control. Shaped by the columnar basalt, its cliffs, mountains, and valleys are sheer walls. When viewed from other spheres, the geography gives the impression of a hand and face pushing up from the seas.

Regions

Altaimin Steppe

Stretching the length of the continent is the Altaimin Steppe, a generally flat grasslands are controlled by tribes of horse-riding herders. While dotted with granite spires and column wells, the majority of this land is flat grassland with a layer of topsoil. Its topology only broken up by the Grand Canyons.

Grand Canyons

Cutting across the Altaimin Steppe from the mountains to the south to north to the ocean through the Fjords of the Fingers, the Grand Canyons carve through the columns creating sheer cliffs. Home to birdfolk and other climbing people, the thicker columns are hollowed out and the thinner ones have wooden buildings mounted against them.

Fjords of the Fingers

North of the Broken Plains, the Grand Canyons cut the border into steep Fjords that lead to the open Sea of Ice. Clusters of pillars dot the coastline making for treacherous waters that only the bravest sailors ply.

The Palm Mountains

A line of cliffs run along the southern border of the Altaimin Steppe. Nearly impassable, the mountains are covered with jungle that creep over them from the south. While there are societies south of the Palm Mountains they have little to no contact with the High Steppe.

History

The Isolation

One of the few plains without any Dragon Tyrants, the survivors of the Godswar had to survive on their own, carving out territory from monstrous creatures. During the Isolation, the Golden Paths to Thousand Seas and Val'a were discovered, but without clear resources to trade and the fractured nomadic nature of the High Steppe societies there was only some cultural influence traded between the Spheres. Certain Sultanate leaders would hire the High Steppe nomads as mercenaries and some of them rose high in Sultanate society, but that was about it. On Val'a the elves hadn't expanded south enough to encounter the Golden Path, so the nomads who passed through the Pathway found the other side to be an icy forest land, poor for horses and not worth developing agriculture on. And the Golden Path to Nexus was in the middle of a small desert so was avoided by the nomadic societies.

Nexus Contact

While the Duranti explorers discovered the Golden Path from Nexus was surrounded by a desert, they didn't let that dissuade them. The excitement around the promise of exploring new Spheres drove them onward. While there was some initial trade with the steppe nomads, discovery of the Golden Paths to Thousand Seas and Va'la supercharged it. Shorter travel times for Sultanate controlled resources and smuggling access to Val'a made the Broken Plains a trade highway.

The Trade Struggles

As trade increased, the Steppe Nomads began to fight over territory in ways they hadn't before. Each group wants to attract as much trade through their territory and to hinder the trade through their neighbors territory. With the influx of Nexus weapons the conflicts have amplified. On top of that Nexus Consortiums are expanding their territorial claims on the Broken Plains. While this does walk the line of violating the Nexus Accords, because they are non-governmental and in partnership with Nomad tribes.

Government

Most groups of Nomads are based around an extended family unit, with charismatic member of the bloodline leading it called a Horselord. Multiple families will group together into a band led by a council of Horselords. Bands can group together through mutual agreement to use and protect territory in a variety of structures: from Confederacies of allied bands to the rare Horde led by a singular charismatic leader.

Contact with Nexus has added Nexus Consortiums into the mix. Generally they will ally with groups of Nomads, but recently they are including those groups as partners and investors.

Religion

The faiths of the Steppe are mediated between the people and the Spirits through Pactmages. While many of these Spirits are ascended Ancestors, there are Genius Loci, and darker Outsiders who are willing to lend their power to the desperate in the barren corners of the High Plains.