Bad Slopes
by hughpierre
Geography
An area of the northern slopes prone to earthquakes that have curious effects on the human body. In addition to causing rock rubble to fall and form into some of the jagged hills below which has made scaling the slopes incredibly difficult for invaders.
The Bad Slopes have a few scatterings of trees, but the plant life tends to be bush and brush. These types of vegetation are taken as evidence of stable soil and upon which most small settlements are built.
Fauna & Flora
Eo: Named after the sound it makes; Eos possess a stout three-toed, an elongated head, slim forelimbs, and longer hind legs, all of which are characteristics of a good jumper.
Eo Weed: Eo weed has a stout, bright green stem that is frequently spotted with dark red and hollow red-spotted leaf stalks that produce sturdy bristles. The stems grow to more than 6.5 feet high. The hollow stems vary in diameter, occasionally up half a finger nail. Each dark red spot on the stem surrounds a hair, and large, coarse white hairs occur at the base of the leaf stalk. The plant has deeply incised compound leaves which grow hugely in width.
Eoweed is a biennial plant and usually begin dying after they have cast their seeds. It usually flowers in its second year during a dry season, with numerous white flowers clustered in an umbrella-shaped head that is up to 2 feet in diameter across its flat top.
The plant produces thousands of flattened, long, oval, dry seeds that have a broadly rounded base and broad marginal ridges. Tall dead stems may mark its locations during winter.
The sap of the plant; when the contacted with skin exposed to sunlight, causes severe skin inflammations. Initially, the skin colours red and starts itching. Blisters form as it burns within two days. They form black or purplish scars that can last several years.
Wind Sickle: Thin, vine-like, non-flowering plant that can only grow by grasping around larger plant matter or man made structures. Although their stems are thin and spindly; it can grow as thick as a bear's coat.
One feature unique to Sickle leaves is that they are capable of carrying single seeds great distances in sufficient wind.
Shrike: A territorial medium size bird with grey, brown, black or white feathers; depending upon the environment. Their calls are strident, have hooked beaks and make regular use of exposed perches to watch for prey and advertise to rivals. They catch insects and small vertebrates and impale their bodies on the thorns of plants or on any nearby sharp point serving as a cache that might last for two days.
Although territorial, they also have a migratory season where (just before the rainy season) they fly from one mountainous area across the valley and lakes to another mountainous area on the other side. Whereby they begin the process of fighting for territory again. The first clutch of chicks of a mated pair serve the parents in raring the next clutch. And when that clutch matures, complicated roles begin to be assigned to the offspring with the parents continuously being the only ones allowed to mate. A definite hierarchy is established, reminiscent of ant colonies, and aerial fights or border skirmishes regularly being a staple of neighbouring bird families. This will continue on until the next migratory season where the family breaks apart and each surviving member searches for their own mates.
Tourism
Mytenii Short Step
The cavern city of Mytenii on the Step is the richest of all cities on the Step. Their residence takes charge of over half of the terrace farms on the Slopes and their Sinks are the most productive on the north end of the Cold Swamp.Birac
A forest on slopes nearest to Ebenezer and home to the Bira.Hajjinis Short Step
The cavern city of Hajjinis is the most religiously minded and traditionally leaning of the Step's cities. Many of its resident take pride in farming molds for food and crops to sell. Its most devote attend yearly pilgrimages to Tuskin ruins and preach to fellow traveler and locals alike.Tuskin Stone Spheres
There are assortments of ancient, perfectly smooth spheres dotting the landscapeValley Steps
Long steps and inclining paths made of gravel and wood, or carved from bedrock to ease the trek are built into the lower slopes. Not to be confused with the Valley Slopes, which are the middle portion of the Bad Step's Slopes. The valley steps are the culmination of the Short Step's efforts to increase trade with the valley basin. However, the steps lead into the Otoerm Coil which Sangsalgu has a long established trade embargo with. Because Long Step is a member of the Triple Alignment, they are bound to obey this declaration. This scenario has lead to a thriving industry of smugglers, administrative bribery and Slope Step corruption. It is heavily believed by everyone, that elements Mytenii's government (if not its entirety) aid in fascinating clandestine transactions for personal wealth; or for the wealth of the city.
Type
Highlands
Location under
Owning Organization
Related Ethnicities
Contested By
Related Traditions
Related Myths
Related Professions
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