The Bularian Plain
The Bularian Plain is a large, dry plain found south of The Dragonpeaks between The Rift to the west and the Hornpeaks and Great Swamp to the east. In the south the terrain gradually becomes more rugged and forms into a series of low hills that fade into The Endless Sands. These hills are known as The Last Hills, as the grass ceases to grow before their southern edge.
The Aegion River flows through the plain, and much of the population lives along it's shores, within the kingdom of Bularia. To the north of Bularia, along the southern edge of the Dragonpeaks, is the Kingdom of Eutoria, a former province of the Aurean Empire that was severed by the fall of the Southern Passes in 4835 AY. The easternmost portion is notably wetter and is controlled by the kingdom of Shakara, a nominal monarchy run by a group of oligarchs and known as a refuge for emigres, criminals, and runaway slaves.
The rest of the plain is populated primarily by nomadic herders who travel the plains on horseback. Called Bularian Riders, or simply Riders, to distinguish them from the sedentary river dwellers, they primarily heard sheep, cattle, and horses. They often trade with settled people living nearby, and great numbers of their tents are often seen outside the region's towns. Many also are known to attack travelers and raid villages, though they rarely gather in large enough numbers to attack larger settlements.
Geography
The Bularian Plain is incredibly flat, with few hills being present except at its edges, and is wetter in the east and dryer in the west. The Dragonpeaks sit along the northern edge of the plain, with the kingdom of Eutoria located at its edge. Further east, the Great Swamp fades into the wettest portion of the plain. South of that, the Hornpeaks tower over the eastern end of the plain, with a large pass known as the Iron Gap seperating it from the Highsong Mountains that continue further south. Along the southern of the plain are The Last Hills, a low but rugged set of hills beyond which stretches the massive dessert known as The Endless Sands. Another desert, The Rift, borders the plain to the west.
The massive Aegion River bisects the plain flowing east to west. Two forks start in the Great Swamp and the Hornpeaks, meeting in Pakator, the capital of Shakara. Downstream of here the river is incredibly wide, and no bridges are found west of Pakator until well beyond the Bularian Plain, and the river here forms a clear barrier. In the west, the Aegion flows into the Rift, from where it continues west to the sea.
History
In the Age of the Dragon Emperors, the Aurean Empire held loose control over much of the area, ruling settlements along the Aegion, controlling the movement of nomads through the Iron Gap, and keeping the Riders in check, though even with dragons they were never able to bring them fully under control. Starting in 1536 AY, the empire tried to expand south more firmly, encouraging settlers to move out into the plains from the Dragonpeaks, but by the end of dragon rule only a small area had been settled, becoming the province of Eutoria Inferior. After the collapse of dragon rule the settled areas along the Aegion, including whats now the kingdoms of Bularia and Shakara, were formed into an ancient kingdom today known as Old Bularia. After it's breakup in 2659 AY the empire attempted to annex the area, but attacks by Riders on their supply lines made this near impossible, and the area was simply turned into a network of tributaries.
Conflict in the region continued, with the Aurean Empire happy to take tribute any from the many warlords that sprung up, no longer interfering. Eventually the last two claimants, Bularia and Shakara, made peace in 3802 AY and settled into a fairly stable status quo, with the kingdoms controlling roughly the same area they do today. Occasional wars between them have changed the borders little. Both kingdoms continued to pay tribute until the collapse, when it became clear that it would no longer be enforced.
Maps
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The Bularian Plain
Type
Plain
Related Ethnicities
