"The cloud-wreathed peaks of Intersedra are home to the Thousandforms; the proud children of Lyrielle the Rainbow Serpent, who can boast of being the only people to successfully resist annexation by the Grannrormrlen at its height. The land in which they live is said to be situated entirely above the clouds, where no Pretheyan could ever hope to reach them."— Unknown
The region of Intersedra is the name given by the Pretheyan people to the westernmost part of
The Broken Continent, where the
Intersedran Thousandforms and their
empire reside. The name does not refer to a specific area with concrete geographical boundaries, and is rather used to describe the locations in which the Intersedran people live. The name 'Intersedra' is derived from the Intersedran people who live there.
The exact boundaries of the region are not known by the Pretheyan people, and similarly little is known of the specifics of its geography. It is said to be a land of many extremes, where one can find snowtopped mountains; dry plains; verdant jungles; and even true deserts.
Geography
The majority of the western Intersedran region is located at a very high altitude above sea level. The country's coast is relatively flat for around a mile at its edges, but then begins to incline steeply, until plateauing at around 2,000m. From here, elevation differs throughout the country, with other areas of flatland existing at up to around 3,500m. The tallest mountain peaks in the region can reach up to 6,000m in height; although there is no permanent habitation in the region beyond the 4,000m mark. This high mountain range is known as
Kunti or the Kuntis by the Intersedran people; meaning literally 'west' or 'western' in Lyrellin. It continues down the entirety of the country's southern coast and may go on far beyond it.
In the interior, however, the high mountains give way to a dense jungle at lower altitudes in the central and eastern parts of the region. The northern coast and the lands around it are said to be almost desert-like, with very little land there and terrain that is both difficult to live in and to pass through. The Intersedran coast is also dotted with innumerable small islands that can range from mountainous, to tropical, or desert-like.
Average Rainfall: Highly variable; anywhere from 80 to 200 days a year depending on region
Snow: Can range from none, to permanent snow year-round on certain mountain peaks
Temperatures: Varies significantly less by season than in most places; capital region experiences changes of only 1-4cm across the entire year.
The western tip of the Broken Continent, where Intersedra is located
A unique feature of the Intersedran region is its total lack of any holds created by the
Ormr. While the Three Races did terraform the Broken Continent in the years before and after the Law of Mortality as they did the rest of the world; none among them save for Lyrielle was ever intent on making their home there. As a result, they did not invest time in creating the usual mega-structural abodes that their races were known for living in.
Kuntis
The defining characteristic of the Kuntis, beyond their high elevation, is undoubtedly the unevenness of their geography. Flat surfaces are essentially unable to be found anywhere in the region that are of more than a quarter-mile in size; with towns, villages, and even cities being built on lop-sided terrain. The few places where exceptions to this rule exist have become the largest population centres in the region; with the capital of
Qurantiyu being situated in one such valley.
Despite their rocky appearance from the coast, the upper reaches of the Kuntis are neither barren nor desert-like. Despite lacking the rich soil found in places like Pretheya, there are a wide variety of crops which can be grown in the high altitude of the mountains. Chief among these are corn; tomatoes; and most prominently potatoes. These foods are all staples of the Intersedran diet, and are produced in a majority of farms.
Many of the mountain peaks are covered in snow year-round which does not ever fully melt. The slow trickle-off from them has resulted in the region being full of small rivers, streams, and brooks; which make acquiring water easy no matter where someone is. The uneven terrain has also given rise to many small lakes, ponds, and other bodies of water.
Weather
Individual areas of the Kuntis can receive either significant amounts of rainfall or none whatsoever; depending on their location relative to nearby mountain peaks. Generally speaking, valleys tend to receive moderate amounts of yearly rainfall; increasing in the west and decreasing slowly in the east.
Snow is common year-round, and is not tied to seasonal changes; but rather independent weather phenomena. A common hazard in the Kuntis is flash-freezing: Temperatures will drop to significantly below freezing over night, and people or animals caught out in the cold, or even indoors but without significant insulation, will freeze to death.
Temperature
One of the peculiarities of the Kuntis are their extremely stable temperatures. The central region of the mountains, where the capital of Qurantinyu is located, is known for the fact that it essentially does not have seasons. The temperature remains static at around 19-21c for the entire year, with the hottest and coldest days of the year pushing it one or at most two degrees out of this threshold.
This effect is present throughout the entirety of the mountains, and even the coast. It is strongest in the centre of the range, but diminishes only a small amount at the western tip; with temperatures there commonly varying around 15-28c in winter and summer respectively. A strange quirk of weather in the region is that areas that frequently receive very little sun - often due to being out of line of sight of the sun for either most of the day or permanently - can be jarringly cold compared to elsewhere. It is possible to move a mere few feet to the side and experience a temperature differential of as much as ten degrees in certain areas.
Even in summer, no part of the Kuntis ever truly becomes what Pretheyans would consider to be warm. The highest temperatures achieved with any regularity are 24c, and even this occurs only in extremely small, localised areas.
Difficulties for Foreigners
The high altitude that most settlements in the Kuntis are present at presents difficulties for non-native visitors to Intersedra. Pretheyans whose bodies have not adapted to breathing in less oxygen-rich air find themselves light-headed and dizzy upon climbing the mountains, and although it is supposedly possible to adapt if one stays there for long enough, breathing still remains difficult and uncomfortable.
Ecology
The mountains are home to a wide variety of diverse animal and plant life. The Kuntis have many unique varieties of plants, as well as mammals, birds, and insects, which are not found anywhere else. Fish are only found on the coast, however; owing to the rest of the mountains being too high of an altitude for them to survive.
Most of the creatures that inhabit the Kuntis have naturally evolved to be tolerant of high altitudes, and the limited options for food have also precluded the presence of many large predators the likes of which are commonly found in Pretheya. The region is also devoid of any of the megaflora or megafauna created by the Ormr; as the difficult conditions in the high mountains rendered them simply incapable of surviving there.
Mammals
Two of the largest animals in the Kuntis, and the most important to the Intersedran people living there, are alpacas and llamas. These creatures fill in the role served by the horse and giant transport spider in Pretheya, and are used by the Intersedran people to transport goods from place to place, as well as for their meat and fur. Both species are hardy creatures that cope well with the cold climes of the upper Kuntis, and can eat just about anything that grows there. They are very low maintenance animals, and for the most part can be safely left to their own devices. They also live peacefully in large herds, and are not known for fighting; unlike some farm animals such as cows and goats.
The two animals can appear similar at a glance, but are in fact different. The main differences are as follows: Alpacas are bred for their fleece, and their wool is of a significantly higher quality than llamas. They are also generally smaller than their cousins, possessed of a friendlier disposition, and are described by some as cuter than llamas as well. Llamas, on the other hand, are larger, scruffier looking, and have a tendency to spit at people when annoyed. Neither of these species are large enough to be ridden, and there exists no other animal in the Broken Continent that fills the personal transport niche of horses in Pretheya.
Birds
The Kuntis are home to an incredible variety of bird species, many of which are known among other bird species for their vibrant colours, peculiar or unusual feather shapes, and other unusual behaviour. It is thought that there are more species of birds in Intersedra as a whole than the entirety of Pretheya.
The most significant of these, the Rumipishku, is credited in local folklore with having been responsible for the development of the Intersedran peoples' advanced rock-cutting techniques. The bird's unusual nesting behaviour sees it pluck certain small plants from the ground near rock banks, and then rub them against the rock until they are turned into paste. This allegedly had the effect of softening the rock, allowing the Rumipishku to peck away a small portion of it. The bird would then repeat this process dozens of times until it had created a large enough hole to make a nest in. Allegedly, the Intersedrans saw the birds performing this process, and from it gained the idea of using the same technique to smooth the large stone blocks they now use in their fortifications.
Insects
The giant Makana beetle is the only Ormr-made species present in the Kuntis, and was made for the Intersedrans by Lyrielle the Rainbow Serpent during her initial time with the Thousandforms. This beetle, although unsuitable for long-distance travel, is used as a form of cavalry by the Intersedrans; with it being mounted and used as a short-distance flying shock attacker. The beetles have extremely particular needs and cannot survive in the wild, so the only surviving populations of them are maintained by the Intersedran people.
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