Durzhal

OF HOPE AND SAVAGERY

The Mishnarok Mountains were the first mountains in which the Dwarves built their magnificent kingdom. The Kingdom of Mishnarok became the exemplar of Geinmarch and represented the strength of the entire Dwarven nation. Then, during a council between Elves and Dwarves, a catastrophic earthquake caused half of Mishnarok to crumble in an instant. From this cataclysm, hordes of Goblins and Orcs sprang forth from the ruins of the great mountain and attacked Elves and Dwarves alike.
Dwarves blamed Elves, and Elves blamed Dwarves. The unexplained devestation became a point of contention and the cause of the Great War. What was once part of a great kingdom became the barren wastes of a new land. And thus, Durzhal came to be, a land of dust and ruin, dominated by the might of the Orcs and Goblins who overran the remains of Mishnarok.

GEOGRAPHY

Durzhal is small, desolate landscape located between the Mishnarok Mountains and the Laftan Sea. The arid desert is scarce of any plants or water, and the Laftan coast is washed over by waters saturated with salt and dust. Besides the predominatly flat lands, sparse mesas and hills can be spotted in Durzhal, believed to be the lingering masses of what was once the rest of the Mishnarok Mountains.

NOTABLE LOCATIONS

The Gates of Remembrance - Large walls built by the Dwarves of Geinmarch on the eastern and western edges of Durzhal.

DEMOGRAPHIC

Durzhal is mostly comprised of Orcs, Goblins, and the like. These Greenskins have created communities of tribes that share similar traditions and languages, but mostly keep to themselves. Only by desperation do they interact with one another, either by means of mutual benefit or war.
Besides Greenskins, there are Entolian and Aldyssian missionaries who travel across Durzhal in hopes of reforming these inhabitants and allowing them stay in their own nations. There are also Dwarven guardians who watch over the borders to ensure that no hordes grow large enough to threaten the safety of Geinmarch.

NOTABLE FACTIONS

Apo'ahodez - A tribe of magic users that spend much of their time performing ritualistic ceremonies and offering guidance to the other tribes of Durzhal
Chahashi - A tribal clan whose specialty revolves around stealth, poisons, and the night
Dahi'gaji - One of the tribes of Durzhal which boasts a significant collective of capable fighters and tacticians
Daho'yani - A tribe that includes a number of wise sages who are said to be able to peer into another's soul
Hada'inoli - A secluded tribe in Durzhal, found upon the tops of the plateaus or hidden in the mountains
Illa'atsuni - A unique tribe in Durzhal whose smithing skills are comparable to the smiths of major cities
Jisha - One of the tribes of Durzhal whose specialty includes medicine and the healing arts
O'niyesha - A tribe in Durzhal that excels in agricultural understanding within the barren wastes

Mishnarok Protectors - Wathers who stand atop the Gates of Remembrance and stand against any creature that would leave Durzhal

RELIGION

Missionaries from Entolia have come to convert the tribes of Durzhal to follow the Elgatarian Pantheon, and many religious doctrines have made their way from Geinmarch to Durzhal, but the inhabitants of Durzhal do not have any explicit pantheon that they worship.
It should noted that all tribes in Durzhal seem to have a shared myth about an entity they commonly refer to as the Night Shroud. It is believed that this Night Shroud is not a deity, per se, but a spiritual figure that united the the tribes of Durzhal many years ago and provided them with knowledge and guidance.

NOTABLE SECTS

Morning Missionaries - Entolian missionaries who venture to Durzhal in search of Orcs and Goblins who would accept their salvation
Night Shroud Shamans - Mystic shamans among the tribes of Durzhal who study the history and knowledge passed down to them by the elusive entity known as the Night Shroud and offer counsel to the tribes