The Beastlands

History

The Beastlands span the entire breadth of Southern Galadria. Hundreds of miles of sprawling jungles and fertile ravines have earned these lands the moniker as 'the cradle of life.'
For most of recorded history, the many diverse tribes of the Beastlands have only ever maintained loose relations with one another. Kingdoms have risen and fallen over the centuries, but the dense wildlands always proved too untamable to sustain civilization on the scale Ellinia or Tiansha. Countless ruins dot the overgrown landscape, offering hints and insights into the land's long and magnificent history - and quiet testimony to its intractability.
In the last 150 years, everything has changed. From a tribe in the region's central mountain range, a powerful conqueror arose. Over the course of a campaign spanning seventeen years, the Leonin now known as the Beast King forcibly united the many disparate tribes and peoples of the southern peninsula. The series of conquests became known as the Unification Wars.
Now, the people of the Beastlands are united as a single nation - The Blessed Empire. Most major cities are diverse hubs of commerce, intentionally constructed to eradicate tribal lines. With the advent of this unification, technology has exploded, though it is guided heavily by the Empire's ruling and religious castes towards incredibly advancements in agriculture, medicine and civil engineering.
Of course, no empire can so fast without a dangerous amount of instability. The Beast King, who by this point has lived and ruled for nearly two centuries, has enacted no small measure of policies that many would consider ruthless or cruel. The citizens of the Empire are divided into a caste system, and it is all but impossible for pure-blooded Blessed to obtain Imperial Citizenship.
Outside The Blessed Empire, the Beastlands are home to two separate nations. To the northeast, along the Aeridon Sea, is a mountainous region of granite extrusion known as The Red Steppes. The Steppes are dominated by the nomadic orc clans that have lived in the region since prehistory. While there is no unified government, every clan can and does fight tooth and nail to protect their ancestral homelands. This has resulted in an eternal skirmish war along the Red Mountains, as the Empire's forces attempt to beat back Orc raids and drive into the Steppes in search of mineral wealth. The largest clan in the region is the Kar, which is ruled by the Kar Khan from his seat in their mobile Capitol of yurts - Kar'Qoruum.
To the southwest, off the coast of The Beastlands, there is a volcanic fire island chain called Waimaka Pele. The chain is said to be "adjacent" to the plane of fire, in much the same way that the Sylltia is "adjacent" to the Feywild. Because of this influence, many of the people that live on the islands are touched by planar forces and Fire Genasi dominate the demographic makeup. The island chain is controlled by a powerful monarchy: The Blazing Sovereignty - Kapua'i Pele. The nation has a tenuous peace agreement with The Blessed Empire, providing unique materials and resources to the Empire in exchange for guaranteed protection of trade ships travelling north to trade with greater Galadria.

Key Locations

Central Imperial Cities:
Joko Wura - The Imperial Capital and The Beast King's seat of power.
Techtka Kale - Once the religious center of the region, this caldera-city remains one of the most holy places in Galadria.
Apu Apu - Located along the southern edge of the Aeridon Sea, this wealthy port city also houses the largest contingent of the Imperial Navy.
Western Imperial Cities:
Olola, "Dragontail Supply Station #4" - A massively growing waystation situated at the western edge of the Dragonspine Mountains. This supply-stop turned city is the last stop for export and travel out of the Western Beastlands).
Utukuku - Core agricenter of the Empire, this city sits at along the coastline in the center of The Fertile Delta, and serves as a major shipping hub.
Eastern Imperial Cities:
Junta - Situated at the edge of the Red Mountains, Junta is a stoic city of stone. Culturally, it is very different to the rest of the Empire. It serves primarily as a military training and staging center, as well as a major mining and internment hub.
Lopolozula - Known as "The City of Water", this city is the easternmost major city in the Empire. It spans the width of the Lopolopo river, and acts as a centralizing collection point for the rich bounty of the Elewu rainforest.
The Red Steppes - A desolate region of red sand and craggy granite. Although some think of it as a hellscape, in truth the land is bountiful to those who know its ways. It is the motherland of Orcs and Goblins, and while there are no nations or settlements beyond the mobile tribal enclaves that roam across the land, it does have something akin to a capital in the mobile city of Kar'Qoruum.
Waimaka Pele & The Blazing Sovereignty - This volcanic region is rich with life, both on land and at sea. It is controlled by the Blazing Soveriegnty Kapua'i Pele and is home to the fire genasi.