The Bitter North
The lands north of the Yatil Mountains, from the Dramidj coast to the Fellreev Forest and Bluff Hills, make up the Bitter North. The climate in this region of steppes and coniferous forests varies from cool to frigid, making this a sparsely settled area home mostly to barbarian nomads, euroz, and jebli; except in Perrenland.
This region is grouped more for geography than similarities between it’s inhabitants. The Baklunish Chakyik and Wegwiur, the Flannae Rovers of the Barrens, Blackmoor and Perrenland do not share many cultural connections. The Bitter North is largely wilderness dotted with ruined human towns and active euroz lairs.
Two main factors have shaped this disparate region. The first was the arrival of the Relentless Horde. Sparked by Zeif’s misguided employment of Suhfeng horse nomads from the western Dry Steppes in an attempt to check the power of the local Paynim tribes. Although many Paynim tribes were initially displaced and forced out of their traditional ranges these refugees migrated north, looting through Zeif, Ekbir and Tusmit whose forces pursued them doggedly before finally they finally emerged on the great northern steppe between the Burneal Forest and the Yatils in defeat and disarray.
Yet, within a few years, they grew strong enough for their ilkhan to command the whole of the western steppes as the great Kha-Khan Ogobanuk of the Relentless Horde (c. 320 CY). The Horde were the terror of the north, from the Dramidj coast to the Griff Mountains displacing and absorbing more than one Flannae Rover band on the northern Barrens.
After Ogobanuk was laid to rest in the Howling Hills, the Wolf and Tiger Nomads became separate nations, though still bound by language and tradition. Both the ilkhan and tarkhan have followed the kha-khan’s decree and studied the art of beguilement, for “any ruler who cannot deceive his enemies is not clever enough to lead a free people.”
The second event to impact the Bitter North was the rise of the evil demigod: Iuz. As of 479 CY, what would become known as the Land of Iuz was only a collection of petty fiefs, with chiefs of minor bandit warbands and clans fighting each other for control of small swathes of barren land. One of these minor despots died in that year and his “son,” Iuz, took control of a few hundred chaotic, vicious bandits. That was just the beginning, but then Iuz was no ordinary bandit’s “son.”
Iuz was born of a human mother, the necromancer Iggwilv (aka Tasha, aka Hura, etc.), and a great demon lord, Graz’zt, ruler of several Abyssal planes. The young cambion soon used his powers to great effect. Realizing that his warriors could not hope to triumph by simple force, Iuz began to ally his men with other minor clan leaders to beat off stronger enemies. Of course, those allies always ended up suffering most of the casualties and their leaders died in battle with astonishing predictability. Slowly, the size of Iuz’s warband increased. Celbit, jebli and eruoz of the Vesve margins began to join. The human scum serving Iuz didn’t like the humanoids overmuch, but they soon saw how their enemies liked them even less. And of course, there was Iuz’s magic. Many cambions wield magic, but that of Iuz, aided by his mother, was far more powerful than anything the competing hordes could muster. Iuz had control of the entire Land of Iuz in little over a decade.
This region is grouped more for geography than similarities between it’s inhabitants. The Baklunish Chakyik and Wegwiur, the Flannae Rovers of the Barrens, Blackmoor and Perrenland do not share many cultural connections. The Bitter North is largely wilderness dotted with ruined human towns and active euroz lairs.
Two main factors have shaped this disparate region. The first was the arrival of the Relentless Horde. Sparked by Zeif’s misguided employment of Suhfeng horse nomads from the western Dry Steppes in an attempt to check the power of the local Paynim tribes. Although many Paynim tribes were initially displaced and forced out of their traditional ranges these refugees migrated north, looting through Zeif, Ekbir and Tusmit whose forces pursued them doggedly before finally they finally emerged on the great northern steppe between the Burneal Forest and the Yatils in defeat and disarray.
Yet, within a few years, they grew strong enough for their ilkhan to command the whole of the western steppes as the great Kha-Khan Ogobanuk of the Relentless Horde (c. 320 CY). The Horde were the terror of the north, from the Dramidj coast to the Griff Mountains displacing and absorbing more than one Flannae Rover band on the northern Barrens.
After Ogobanuk was laid to rest in the Howling Hills, the Wolf and Tiger Nomads became separate nations, though still bound by language and tradition. Both the ilkhan and tarkhan have followed the kha-khan’s decree and studied the art of beguilement, for “any ruler who cannot deceive his enemies is not clever enough to lead a free people.”
The second event to impact the Bitter North was the rise of the evil demigod: Iuz. As of 479 CY, what would become known as the Land of Iuz was only a collection of petty fiefs, with chiefs of minor bandit warbands and clans fighting each other for control of small swathes of barren land. One of these minor despots died in that year and his “son,” Iuz, took control of a few hundred chaotic, vicious bandits. That was just the beginning, but then Iuz was no ordinary bandit’s “son.”
Iuz was born of a human mother, the necromancer Iggwilv (aka Tasha, aka Hura, etc.), and a great demon lord, Graz’zt, ruler of several Abyssal planes. The young cambion soon used his powers to great effect. Realizing that his warriors could not hope to triumph by simple force, Iuz began to ally his men with other minor clan leaders to beat off stronger enemies. Of course, those allies always ended up suffering most of the casualties and their leaders died in battle with astonishing predictability. Slowly, the size of Iuz’s warband increased. Celbit, jebli and eruoz of the Vesve margins began to join. The human scum serving Iuz didn’t like the humanoids overmuch, but they soon saw how their enemies liked them even less. And of course, there was Iuz’s magic. Many cambions wield magic, but that of Iuz, aided by his mother, was far more powerful than anything the competing hordes could muster. Iuz had control of the entire Land of Iuz in little over a decade.
Type
Region
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