Lawless Frontier
The Lawless Frontier is federal province of the Republic of Tersten, located in central Tersten. It is surrounded by the Sahamptha Desert to the west, south, and east, and by the Greenlime Mountains to the north. It borders Mora County to the North, and the Nevada Republic to the south.
The region is known as the great plains, with the Samheel River flowing through the into the Samaritan Sea, along the border with Mora and North Tersten. The cities of Coolridge and Littlewater make up its eastern edge, while the city of Nashville, on the Jeevan River, defines its western border. To the north, the city of Tersten Pass, and the valley it takes its name from, define the northern border with Moore, and a major stopping point on the rail lines between Lawless and Moore.
Geography
The Lawless Frontier is comprised of three distinct geographic areas; The Range, a fertile region of grasslands and dry forests, and one of the most fertile places to grow crops and graze animals; The Greenlimes, the foothills of the mighty Greenlime Mountains, which create a near impassible north-south divide; The Sahamptha Desert, the greatest of all deserts on Tersten, wrapping around much of central Tersten and providing a difficult barrier to land travel.The Range
The Range is Tersten's most iconic region. It is here that the way of the Rancher still thrives. The land is largely prairie, steppe, and grasslands, and is dominated by farms and cattle ranches. The Range is the quintessential 'wild-west' of the planet. The Lawless Frontier gets its name from the city of Lawless, which encompasses a large part of the arable land between the Greenlime Mountains and the Sahamptha Desert. The city is built on north shore of the Chattanooga Lake. The city of Lawless is considered the home of the Tersten Outlaw Country scene, with a large music industry being one of the region's most popular exports.- Lawless Flats The Lawless Flats are the most populous region of the Lawless Frontier. The flats are also part of the Chattanooga Basin, which feeds both the Chattanooga Lake and Samheel River. Many of the most influential ranches are located here, such as the Crenshaw Ranch. At the eastern end of the Flats is the Hope Valley, where the town of Hope is situated.
- Okton Oasis The Okton Oasis is located at the southern edge of the Lawless Frontier. Beyond this point lies nothing but dust and danger in the Sahamptha Desert. The Oasis supplies water to a large number of farms in this region, as well as the town of Okton which gives the oasis its name. Okton is a small town, notably only for being one of the last stops in civilization before the desert, and is a trading stop on the route between Lawless and Nevada coming through the Pearlstone Mountains.
- Tersten Pass and Robcove Tersten Pass is a temperate valley between the Greenlime Mountains and the Robcove Rock. It allows for easy passage between Mora County and the Lawless Frontier. It was named in 2258 after Jonathan Tersten, who passed through this way on his return to the Penal Authority. Robcove Rock is a monolithic mountain, similar to Earth's Rock of Gibraltar, at the edge of the Samaritan Sea, with a large city at its base. Robcove was fortified by the Penal Authority as a southern outpost from which to launch anti-convict operations. It was taken over by the People's Republic, who used the monolith as a military and naval base, until it was occupied by the Tersten Government-in-Exile in 2279. Since then, the Robcove Rock has largely been a tourist destination, with military operations being moved to the nearby Mora city of Samaritan.
- The Grazeland The Grazelands are a geographic area to the west of the city of Lawless. It is located at the foot of the Greenlime Mountains, and is under the influence of the Communalists, a group of Cowboys and Ranchers who established an anarcho-communist commune in the area during the Revolution. They were given the blessing to continue operating within the Republic of Tersten by Ronald Mayweather. Most of the Grazelands are communal grasslands grazed by livestock. Unlike other parts of Tersten, with individually owned Ranches and Patrons, this region is owned by all members of the commune, sharing the resources of the land. There are several towns in the Grazelands, the largest of these being Temple City, Love, and Holiday.
- The Steps The Steps is a geographic area located at the very south-west of The Range. The Steps are a series of rocky outcroppings and mountains through which the Samheel River carves a path. The Samheel has changed course several times throughout geologic history, and has left a series of dry channels and canyons throughout the region, extending as far south as the town of Nothing, which marks the boundary between The Range and the Eastern Sahamptha.
The Greenlimes
The Greenlimes are the vast mountain range that creates an impassible north-south border between the Sahamptha and Mora, Valian, and the Shank Valley. The Greenlimes officially end at the Tersten Pass and the Robcove Rock.- Eastern Greenlime Mountains The Eastern face of the Southern Greenlime Mountains is a dry, rocky landscape of hills, valleys, and canyons to the north of The Range. The region is largely impassable except via trails leading high into the mountains. The town of Hautch is located here, considered a satellite town of the city of Lawless. The most important settlements in this region are Valmora and Wheels, both settled in the mountains as small logging towns. Wheels is located near Shady Rock Pass, one of the few mountain passes that allow for travel over the Greenlimes into Mora County.
- Coolridge Expanse The Coolridge Expanse is located at the western edge of the Lawless Frontier. This side of the Greenlimes is exposed to the harsh desert winds of the Sahamptha, with very few towns or settlements established in this area. The Washoe River flows through the Expanse, snaking back and forth across the landscape, through the basin and range landscape of canyons and valleys. The region is mostly arid, with little rainfall. Glacial meltwater high in the Greenlimes fuels many flowing rivers and streams that make their way downstream into The Range and the Lawless Flats. The western edge of the Coolridge Expanse is made up of the Goron Oil Sands, a large deposits of extremely heavy crude oil. The Lordanian company Imperial Oil operates mining and drilling in the area, with the Goron Pipeline funneling black gold to the city of Lawless and the Tersten Gasworks. Naturally, this has been a point of protest and contention, with mass protests taking place against proposals for a mega-pipeline connecting Lawless and Tersten City. At the extreme north end of the Coolridge Expanse is the Las Gueras Pass, one of the few trails through the Greenlime Mountains. It connects up with the region of Manzavalos in Mora County.
Sahamptha Desert
The Sahamptha Desert is one of the largest deserts on Tersten. As the desert runs around much of Tersten's central interior, it is divided into two major parts, the Eastern and the Western. The Eastern Sahamptha is contained wholly in the Lawless Frontier. It contains five distinct areas that have been settled. The rest of the desert is largely impassable with the exception of the few trail that connect settlements with one another. Most transport into this region is either done on horseback, or from the air. Vehicles break down in the endless dust storms, or run aground on sand dunes. Only a skilled rider can expect to reach the interior of the desert. The desert is bordered by the Greenlime Mountains in the north, and the Pearlstone Mountains in the south, creating a sort-of funnel that channels wind and sand through the dry regions.- Mesa The Mesa is one of the desert's most iconic places. Containing the settlements of Citrana, Table Ridge, and Abo, it is a difficult to reach location, but contains countless respites and oasis safely hidden within deep canyons and trenches that run around the base of the mesas. The people of the Mesa are comprised of Hispanic, Martian, and Midwest United States traditions and cultures. Citrana is the largest settlement in the area, and serves as a general hub and trading post for people travelling from Bibisango or Harmony. Both Table Ridge and Ado were settled originally as housing communities for the nearby mining operations undertaken by the People's Republic expansion into the area in 2270. Following the collapse of the PRL, the mining operations were communalised and operates as worker-led cooperative, now known as The People of Ado Mining Corporation. Because mining can often have an adverse affect on communities and neighborhoods, all residents of Table Ridge and Ado are considered to be 'shareholders' of the Corporation, and thus have a say in its operations, but most importantly: a share of its profit. This made the residents of these towns surprisingly wealthy when Gold was discovered at the lower levels of the mines.
- North Pearlstone Expanse The North Pearlstone Expanse lies at the foothills of the Pearlstone Mountains, and serves almost as an opposite to the South Greenlimes. Unlike the Greenlimes, which enjoys easy access to Lawless and the Range, the North Pearlstone Expanse is divided by both the desert to the north and the mountains to the south. There is one passage through the Pearlstone Pass that leads into the República de Nevada, but it is a long journey through mountains and isolated deserts, many of which are inhospitable. The cold, dry region at the summit of the Pass has caused the death of countless travellers, leaving their mummified remains as a reminder of the harsh, untamed wilds of Tersten. There are several settlements at the western end of the Expanse, the major of these being the city of Hell Vale. The Vales that give this city its name are considered some of the hottest places on Tersten, with many comparing it to the Earthly Death Valley. At the southern end of the Hell Vale lies the settlement of Ascent. Ascent is a small town that largely serves as a base camp for those attempting to climb the Pearlstones. Due to both its altitude and isolation, most visitors arrive in Ascent via air. Unlike nearby Hell Vale, with a subtropical, hot desert climate, Ascent is considered a subarctic zone, with temperatures occasionally dropping below freezing even in summer.On the eastern side of the Expanse is the settlement of Sabina, named after Giovanni Sabina, an Italian-Terstener revolutionary who helped to establish the anti-fascist resistance movement against the People's Republic. Sabina would later become the Chief of the Defence Staff of Tersten, commanding the Tersten Armed Forces. It was from this settlement that Giovanni Sabina would found the Arditi del Popolo (The People's Daring Ones), named after a historical Italian anti-fascist organisation. The Arditi del Popolo eventually merged with the Tersten Government-in-Exile to become part of its armed forces, with Sabina at its head.
- Sahamptha Range The Sahamaptha Range is a small patch of grazelands located at the border between The Range and the Desert. The Sahamptha Range extends across several highland regions in the Sahamptha, including the Littlewater Massifs. They rise from the desert landscape and have created small islands of habitats where life may thrive. The highlands support shrublands capable of grazing livestock at its northern edges. By all accounts, it is a largely barren, but beautiful stretch of land.
- East Sahamptha
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The East Sahamptha Desert is largely made up of the Walsh Dam Reservoir, a body of water up from the Walsh Dam, which draws power from the Samheel River on its way down to Samaritan Sea. The largest settlement, Walsh's Gully, was built for the builders and operators of the dam.
- The Badland The Badland is a region of the Sahamptha that is extremely flat and barren. Located at the heart of the Eastern Sahamptha, it presents a significant challenge for anyone attempting to cross it. It is known for its extreme heat and harsh winds, preventing any vegetation from taking root. It has throughout Tersten history, proven to be one of the most inhospitable places on the planet. Populations of people have lived in the region for short periods of time, such as outlaws, prospectors, refugees, as well as the occasional Resistance camp or Unitarian outpost, but these were always temporary. The ruins of these settlements are often visited by salvagers and scrappers, as well as the occasional photographer.
- Jericho River Valley Main City: Nashville
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