Plateau of Toqamur
The Plateau of Toqamur is a massive landmark in the center of
Ëaqelun, running from north to south, beginning in the north at the Nittorian Mountains. The plateau acts as a natural barrier for anyone trying to cross the dry interior of Ëaqelun, forcing a way either south through the bleak wastes, where bandits roam, or north of the Nittorian Mountains, where weather and nature are harsh. Toqamur in itself is very inhospitable, with almost no vegitation expect for grassland, bushes and occasional trees. Elevation changes are common, with hills and whole mountain ranges atop of the already heightened terrain. The area is rich on natural resources, especially diamonds and silver. The first expeditions by the Empire of Carodin did find nothing of value however, calling the area "Toroc á Amur", "Land of Emptiness". The rich ore veins were discovered by coincidance in 887 PC, as one of the last planned expeditions found a surface silver vein after an earthquake. This discovery led to the Expeditions to Toroc á Amur, with many people wandering east from the nearby March Arandorion to become rich. Major settlements did not form for long however, with most settlers leaving the area after most of the valuable deposits were claimed by either the state or a few rich magnates. The harsh climate, hard living conditions and hostile fauna and flora did their part however: the last mining operators left the area after just 30 years. Those people who remained became isolated enough to slowly form their own cultural and ethnicity, the Toqati. Their isolated existence let them develop own cultural rules and a distinct "dialect", shown in the change of the plateaus name from Toroc á Amur to Toqamur.
Toqamur did become somewhat famous after the fall of the Empire of Carodin. The Exiles of Gnabanan converted the plateau into their last refugium, launching raids on Arandorion and even trying to conquer the fertile areas around the shores of Lake Oyurézar. Several incursions happened before the Exiles were finally defeated in 1483 PC and Toqamur fell silent once more. However, the area become even more dangerous since then, as magical experiments conducted by remnants of The Royal Society of Magic have unleashed dangerous creatures as well as unexplainable random events. The area is widely regarded as too dangerous to travel through, nobody knows who and what is living there.
Type
Plateau
Related Ethnicities
Comments