The Drylands
"Don't go into The Drylands traveler, if the desert heat doesn't kill you, the tokage will."
Structure
In this anarchic world of merchants, tomb raiders, pirates, smugglers, and slavers the one with the power is often whoever proves to be the most ruthless. Countless groups have ruled for short periods of time in one way or another. Often this is a group of opportunistic marauders or cunning political figures finding a wedge of power in the extensive underworld. Whatever the case may be, they often never hold power for long before another group takes over.
Culture
The tokage denizens of the Drylands have inherited and lost a rich cultural history from an ancient time long before the Sundering. Despite the savagery and ever shifting power structures tokage have a deep respect for their ancient lineage. Of course no ancient hierloom is without it's price, and much of the riches and treasures to be found here flow out as easily as they flow in through trade and smuggling.
Two primary groups make up the tokage cultural identity, one's clan and one's cult. Not all tokage are cultists, but they do provide the religious backbone of their cultural idenity, declaring fealty to the ancient god of destruction, Dragarn and the different aspects of his rage. Clans are loosely knit family lineages, though they lack familiar bonds like brother or sisterhood, but instead consider all of their species as different cousins, and will often refer to each other as such.
Public Agenda
The Drylands is also the source of many gold deposits which flows into commerce of the rest of Ardras. Lack of other natural resources and the general indigenous population of the Drylands makes the entire region generally undesirable to live in. This makes the Drylands a prime target for outside interest groups to take advantage of the constant fighting.
Assets
History
This region was given its name by Aristolian travelers for it's general lack of habitability, though this term only came into popular usage with the turn of the Era of Twilight. With the complete annihilation of the warlords of Vulkra Shumar by the kingdoms of Arrisdra and Sengokka in 8615, this marked the disappearance of the widespread influence of the Cults of Dragarn and forced them into hiding.
The resulting societal collapse began the loss of cultural identity for many Tokage until a new one was forged in the chaos.
Demography and Population
The majority of the Drylands are inhabited by Tokage but there are plenty of Human and Fervorian travelers who make their way through the desolate landscape as well. As of the Era of Twilight, the Drylands are the only remaining place where slavery is not outlawed. Slaves make up for approximately 20% of the total population.
Primarily the Drylands are made up of Tokage from various clan lines:
Erenede Persaia - 33%
Nebia Mesr - 13%
Shihyr Malkron - 13%
Vulkra Shuman - 11%
Niven Assyr - 8%
Other assorted races - 8%
Ubaid Scyth - 7%
Byblosi Archaeum - 1%
Territories
The arid regions of The Golden Dunes, Cragwork Badlands, and Firestone Pass make up the northern desert of the Drylands. To the south is the massive sand sea known as The Maw of Dragarn where the desert sinks into the sea in a surreal semi-liquid form which allows for sea vessels to travel through it with ease. Amongst these shifting sands the Stand Stone Islands host several small villages.
Military
Tokage clan lords have personal guards, an army of thugs, and various mercenaries at their beck and call, each clan lord can direct these forces at their will. Though it has no formal military of its own, it is not uncommon for one or two clans to overcome their differences to fend of a foreign invader.
Religion
Though not officiated by any party or state, the Cults of Dragarn seem to be the primary unifying sense through which the tokage organize themselves or hold as a shared belief. During the Era of Dusk, these cults went into hiding and were practiced quietly amongst the caves and ancient ruins, and they still hold subtle influence throughout the Drylands and even in some political spheres beyond the desert sands.
Foreign Relations
The Drylands carries no solid sovereign power and so most foreign relations are spotty at best. Often the official stance on how to deal with outside forces rests in the hands of whichever group seems to have the most influence over the area at the given time.
Agriculture & Industry
The denizens of the Drylands have little in the ways of irrigation and agriculture, though some small temporary settlements do often crop up along the Golden River, the single source of water throughout the desert. Much of their diet is meat based, they prefer to hunt in groups mostly with kin of their own clan or cult. They make sure to utilize every piece of the prey they capture and not let a single part go to waste. They fashion these into fine weaponry with an assortment of savage stylizations. Leather skins and bony parts are fashioned into a wide array of leatherworks and fine tools.
In addition to hunting, the tokage have domesticated a wide variety of desert animals to assist in tasks like cart pulling, transport, and mounts. The Megatortoise is a well known Dryland export.
Trade & Transport
The Tokage are the iconic merchant race, and it is not uncommon to see iconography across different cultures which represent them in some way. The cult god Helot is represented by the iconic tokage riding a megatortoise. The concept has become so popular all across Ardras that tokage craftsmen sell all sorts of depictions of the adored icon.
Though they are fond to try new mounts from far away lands, the most trusted steed is a good megatortoise, a species native to the Drylands. They also train megascorpions for riding into battle against each other or outside forces. The roads that once connected the different regions of the Byblosi Archaeum dynast-kingdoms are lost to the sands of time and conflict.
Education
Tokage have no formal education system other than the fight for survival. Tokage are incredibly keen when it comes to sensing danger, having been shaped by the intensity of their desert home. They are best known for their adaptability and a well traveled tokage knows how to blend into different cultures and places. A skilled tokage fighter knows when to act and when to retreat, likely taught by a mentor fighter in the ancient sword arts of their rich ancestral past.
Survival of the fittest, outlander!
The Drylands have long been considered a chaotic and violent environment, power struggles here are common and no one group holds power for long.
Founding Date
Unknown
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Capital
Predecessor Organizations
Demonym
Drylanders
Government System
Anarchy
Power Structure
Semi-autonomous area
Economic System
Barter system
Currency
Gold Piece, Silver Piece, Copper Piece
Major Exports
Ancient artifacts, gold, salt, sugar
Major Imports
Lumber, exotic fruit, exotic pets, slaves
Legislative Body
None
Judicial Body
None
Executive Body
None
Official State Religion
Location
Official Languages
Notable Members
Related Ethnicities
Friendly
Years of overseas trading has developed into a strong bond between the more adventurous of these individuals, leading to much trade and cultural exchange.
Non-Aggression Pact
The Drylands are largely considered as a badlands with little economic gain, it maintains its sovereignty through bribery and merchantocracy.
Unfriendly
Drylanders have little patience for the arrogance of Fervorians, and Fervorians consider the humble tokage as earth beneath their feet.
Unfriendly
Lithosians have an ill attitude towards the lizard folk of the southern deserts, and make it well known to them. There is a history of animosity between these two groups.