The Dhaoshee Region (dʰɑoʃɛ:)
Dhaoshee is one of the Seven Regions of Gruthe, situated on the southwestern arm bordering Qh’énnshaiyn on the north and Ys on the east.
Like its neighbours Qh'énnshaiyn and Ys, Dhaoshee is both the region and the country that occupies the region in its entirety. However, unlike Qh'énnish baronies or Yssian Satrapies, the Nation of Dhaoshee is essentially a magocracy, loosely governed by individual fiefs ruled by magic-users, religious and magical academies. Its cities are ruled by oligarchs who govern as the de facto leaders of the country. Considered “unconquerable” given that it holds the largest population of magic-using people in the known world and any nation with magic has some of its people trained there. Politically it is a mess: each fief operates as a localized absolute monarch.
The Nation of Dhaoshee was founded after the Dwarven States Era, from the fall out of the Eun Wars and the Eun Plague, and the collapse of the Svoréin nation, daoSvor. Wealthy and powerful leaders in the post-collapse cities took over from the dwarves and purged those whom had survived the catastrophic end of their states.
Independent city-states arose ruled by the families of those who filled the power vacuums for hundreds of years. Meanwhile, religious and mystically inclined people sought out the secret places in the realm and academies were developed. Other seekers came. The influx of people began to change the demographics for the region.
Geography
Dhaoshee is on a higher elevation than the neighbouring Ys, although like Ys, for the majority of the land is dead flat. Most of the land is a broad flat plain. Farmland and fields carve up the plains and are tied to a central tower, castle, or palace, ruled by a user of magic of some rank and power.
As one travels westward, the plains giveway to rolling hills, then foothills and then the sheer heights of the southermost tail of the Dragonspine Mountains. There are many active volcanoes in the range and earthquakes and eruptions are not uncommon.
The most important region in the west is the collection of peaks called Solvyod. It is sacred to numerous religious traditions and permeated by thinnies and spacial tears leading to other realms within the shifting Rift.
Ecosystem
Fertile volcanic soil makes the plains of Dhaoshee productive. They have been farmed for centuries since the nation of daoSvor, possibly before. The hills and mountains of the western quarter of Dhaoshee have suffered from deforestation; few forests remain at lower altitudes. Mines and quarries at the Dragonspire mountain foothills have provided obsidian, cinnabar, marble, and numerous metals (baukire, gold, silver, copper). Although the western mountains protect its coast, the flatness of the plains and the few settlements spread broadly added with the resource-rich lands would make Dhaoshee a tempting prize to invade, but for the power of its citizenry prevents this: each settlement is governed by a user of magics. Together, any threat brought to bear on the realm of Dhaoshee would immediately have to contend with defenders, thousands strong, of the most magically inclined people in the known world.
Thus, few Dhaoshee settlements have walls. Dhaoshee cities have no real standing army.
Localized Phenomena
There are countless myriad shrines, holy sites, temples, and sacred sites throughout the mountains. The largest number of such places are located in Solvyod due to its intrinsic mystical auras. Despite the volcanic and seismic activity, thousands of pilgrims, petitioners, seekers, madmen, and students of the magic arts are always traveling up and down the huge roads carved into the mountain passes.
Raw, untempered magic charges the rocks, magma, standing stones, sacred groves, and mountain peaks. Almost weekly, a petitioner wanders off and disappears. No searches are made: it is assumed they have ascended or passed on to a higher realm.
Climate
The plains of Dhaoshee are temperate to warm. Mild summers and mild winters.
The foothills are wet and—due to centuries of deforestation—prone to mudslides in spring and occasionally into the summer. Summers are cool; winters are dank and cold.
In the mountains of the Dragonspine range, winters are harsh—which deters no one—and the summers are very cool. Many a city oligarch from Ebb-Ta and Slôenn have summer homes in the mountains to avoid the heat of late summer.
Mountain born rivers plunge into springs that then travel under the plains: most Dhaoshee settlements rely on wellwater. Major rivers are populated by settlements, although there are few of these.
Alternative Name(s)
The Kingdoms of the Wise; the Academy
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