Hutaga Gulap

The Harsh Steppes

The transition from Scoriae's fertile farmlands to the barren, rocky terrain is stark. The land steadily rises in elevation, becoming increasingly inhospitable. The steppe people are nomadic, moving with their herds of hardy ponies and relying on raiding and trading to survive. The region is a vast, windswept expanse of dry grasslands and arid plains, occasionally interrupted by rugged hills and sparse clusters of vegetation. The Earth is rocky and brittle, unable to sustain crops or significant wildlife. Bitter winters and scorching summers make survival a constant battle, forcing the people to adopt a life of movement and adaptability. A few hidden streams and springs offer water to isolated settlements, but these are fiercely guarded as sacred lifelines. Rainfall is erratic, leaving only patches of thin grass for their small herds of hardy ponies, which are revered as both companions and tools of war. The true marvel of this rare Howlstalk tree towers over the plains like ancient sentinels, its roots reaching deep into the earth where most other life cannot thrive. These trees, scattered sparingly, form the nomadic people's spiritual and survival core.

Natural Resources

Howlstalk

After the battle, Fenra withdrew into the shadows, his grief transforming him into a silent, brooding god. The Wuwari believe that Fenra’s spirit resides within the Howlstalk trees, watching over them and guiding them through the whispers of the wind. The trees became sacred relics, their thorn-covered branches and mossy bark a testament to the price of survival.

History

The Battle of Sol, Luna, and Fenra

When the stars first aligned to create balance, Sol and Luna descended to shape order within the wilderness. Sol’s blazing light burned the densest parts of the forest to create space for fields and pastures, while Luna’s cool glow fostered pools of reflection among the foliage. Together, they believed their divine touch would bring harmony to the chaotic wilds of Fenra 's lands.

But Fenra saw their interference as destruction. He perceived Sol’s fire as unchecked ambition and Luna’s guidance as veiled dominance. Enraged, Fenra and his pack, the Eternals, rose against the celestial siblings. The heavens darkened as Sol and Luna combined their powers, creating the first eclipse—a blinding moment of unity—and the shadow it cast became a harbinger of the battle.

For days, Fenra’s howls echoed across the skies as his kin clashed with the celestial warriors. Sol’s light scorched the wolves’ coats, while Luna’s serenity turned their growls to mournful cries. The turning point came when Sol and Luna, in a desperate act of unity, directed their combined energy into the forest itself, transforming its dense trees into massive spires of unyielding wood bristling with wicked thorns.

The Eternals, caught in the blast, were impaled upon these monstrous creations. Their blood seeped into the roots, fortifying the trees, giving them strength and resilience that would defy the barren wasteland to come. Fenra, witnessing the slaughter of his kin, let out a howl so powerful it split the skies—a cry of rage, sorrow, and undying defiance.

This howl shaped the forsaken steppes of Wuw. The fertile land was cursed, the forests reduced to scattered remnants of what they had been. Only the mighty Howlstalk trees, imbued with the blood of the Eternals, remained, standing as monuments to Fenra’s loss and strength.