Ikele: The Unconquered Lands

"This place enjoys playing tricks on the mind: a single step can take you ten-thousand miles, and a forced march of an army can take you to a few feet; this is the playground of the gods, and only the most cunning survive here..." Muwindo, Ranger of the Grasslands. The Axalan Kingdom tried to march north through the Fae Grasslands of Ikele... Even with their magic, they were lost, and those that found their way back, came back mad. While not recorded, Crusaders of the The Crimson Lands marched south, and the same thing happened to them. Even the Kannathi Empire tried to conquer the Lands with force and failed. The Unconquered Lands are rife with magic, the Fae Grasslands shift and move to their own accord, and even those few cities that have been established, either have been anchored with strong spells, or hug the Wiitskaal Mountains, to the exception is Umbra, the Unmapped City, which seems to shift and move in random places in the Grasslands. Some of the most important cities of the Unconquered Lands are:

Simbaskaal, The Free City; This large city hosts several Wizards Guilds, and markets, and is considered to be a port in the storm of Fae Magic of the Grasslands. Anchored to the Prime Material with powerful wards, this is a place where wizards, warlocks and druids gather.

Shield's Chink; called this way because of The Chink, a under mountain pass that was carved though the Turtle's Shield Mountains, this city connects The River Kingdom and the Unconquered Lands, and is a great place for trading goods of both regions.

Aratzaal; A port-city that once was part of the Axalan Empire in its heyday, now it is an independent City-State that has taken advantage of the large quantities of Jade that is found in the mountains.

Geography

The main feature of the Unconquered Lands and, quite possible the reason they remain unconquered, are the Fae Grasslands; this long stretch of steppes are haunted by all sorts of creatures that seem to appear and disappear without a trace, due to the nature of the magic that is instilled in the steppes. And, at night, strange lights and fires can be seen in a distance, which lure unlucky travelers into their doom. At the West, there is the thundering Mistfae Coast, where ghost ships and sirens lure unlucky sailors into rocky cliffs. That being said, the mountainous regions that surround the Unconquered Lands are stable enough for people to settle in; In fact, there are several communities that vary in size all along the Wiitskaal Mountains; these communities were made by the natives of Ikele, and began to grow thanks to trading with them and the natives of Axalan, as well as the wandering tribes of Tabaxi began to move alongside the Axalan explorers (this same Tabaxi would then settle in Ikele, later becoming the Sembai Tabaxi) and small settlements are being made along the Wall of the Dwarves, though a Hill giant population is proving to be a problem.

Fauna & Flora

The most prominent species in Ikele is the several Elephants, Giraffes, and many other creatures of the grasslands live here in relative order, but also several Behemoth-Like creatures such as the Velociraptor and Triceraptos; the grasslands also offer some small forest-like shelter in the shape of the savannah woodlands, but travelers must be wary if they find bushland that is shaped like a ring, for these can be entrances to the Feywild, and their inhabitants are not fond of uninvited guests. Beyond the Witskaal Mountains, the jungles of Ikele are rife with creatures such as monkeys, Jaguars, and all kinds of birds, and several Dragonborn clans have set up shop there for years.

Natural Resources

One might think that there is nothing in this land that could benefit the other peoples outside The Unconquered Lands, but in the Witskaal Mountains, there is plenty of gold to be mined, and rumors abound that there are more gold veins somewhere in the grasslands, but according to these rumors, these are Fae Mountains, so many travelers have been lost in the quest of such riches.

Alternative Name(s)

The Unconquered Grasslands, The Unconquered Steppes