Zhan-Ur

On the central branch of Teviin, near where branch meets trunk, rests the mountains of Zhan-Ur. Claimed by the Kiln of the Birthing Flame to be the birthplace of all zhani, this ring of volcanoes holds a city bearing the same name, the magma of the mountains kept dormant by the Great Zhani Houses. Farms and tributary neighborhoods stretch out in all directions around the ring. As a position of power settled upon land made fertile by volcanic soil and close to new trade routes opened by the gravity barges, Zhan-Ur has become a melting pot of cultures and people from across Vasahldey seeking new opportunities.

Geography

A ring of long dormant volcanoes kept in slumber by the Arch-magi of the Great Zhani Houses, though members of the Grand Arcanum have begun to take over in many aspects of this duty. The lands inside and outside the circle are kept extremely fertile by regular streams of lava granted by the city to all farmers who pay their taxes in a timely manner. Many roads lead in and out of the city leading across Teviin and several gravity port cities at the branch's junction point.

Fauna & Flora

Galmyn: Docile creatures that roam in herds. These bull sized herbivores would seem the perfect pack animals if not for one thing. The weeds the graze upon, and the bulbs from which they sprout that the galmyn scoop out with their low hanging heads and boar-like tusks, are highly poisonous to most creatures. This poison is collected in a galmyn's body and, when the beast is threatened, released as a noxious and corrosive gas sure to drive away most any predator. This and their shy nature makes them nearly impossible to tame and far from most settlements, much to the chagrin of farmers that have to pluck the weeds from their fields by hand. During deidesheg migrations, galmyn will sometimes supplement their diet with the slime trails left behind, though this has no effect on their gas production or potency.
Nudu: A weed which, although poisonous to most, constitutes the main diet of the galmyn. The nudu plant is easily identifiable by the six purple petals on its flowers and bristly stem. For a time, dye made from the petals was used to make purple cloth until it was discovered that the dye, while not as potent as the weed itself, could still cause terrible sickness and even temporary madness if in contact with skin for too long.
Deidesheg: Giant, snail-like creatures which go on migrations every decade to their spawning caves near the tip of the branch. Exceptionally long lived, deidesheg are known to have three stages of growth throughout their century long lives. The youngest deidesheg are roughly as big as a medium-sized dog and stay at this size until reaching twenty years old at which point they will wrap themselves up into a cocoon of hardened slime and begin their metamorphosis into their adult form. The adult form can reach as big as an ox and lasts until the deidesheg is sixty years old when they go through metamorphosis one last time. The adult form is the only time that a deidesheg is mature enough to reproduce and will only do so at the place where it was born. The final form of the deidesheg is it's ancient stage in which it will live until it dies at approximately one hundred years old. Ancient deidesheg are the size of a good farmhouse and act as stalwart defenders of the migration and the spawning caves. It is due to the ancient deidesheg and the corrosive acid which all deidesheg can spit that no successful expedition has been made into the spawning caves. Dead deidesheg shells were once used as armor, but now mostly serve as prized material for art pieces or luxury items. It is not uncommon for a rich person to eat from the shell of a young deidesheg. Because of this, hunting the creatures has become a profitable trade.
Delezhma: Little is known of these "leech-men" other than their general humanoid appearance and use of ambush hunting. Covered in oily black skin, delezhma possess five mouths (one on its head, one on each hand, and one on each foot) filled with rows of teeth made for puncturing a victim and draining it of all bodily fluids. They are generally solitary hunters, lurking in the dark corners of swamps, waiting for some unsuspecting creature to wander past so that they may pounce.
Valviozho: Cyclopian, flying predators, valviozho will mate for life and hunt in packs with their partner unless the female is pregnant. Using their indigo scales, they hide in the cover of forest canopies at night and draw their prey closer with the strange melody produced by the single, ivory horn at the top of their head. It is believed, though not yet confirmed, that each valviozho produces a unique tune from its horn. Once the prey is within striking distance, the pair lash out from either side, latching onto the throat of their victim and bringing it down with their combined strength. Their favorite prey are the galmyn, which they can take down before it has a chance to secrete it's gas.
All these beast lurk in the lands and forests beyond the city's outer limits, sometimes finding their way onto farmsteads or, even more rarely, into the core of the city itself.

Natural Resources

The volcanic mountains are rich in metals and stone, both precious and useful. With it's regular rainfall and steady cycle of four seasons, a wide variety of crops and livestock can be raised in it's fields. Most precious of all though are the outcroppings of soul stone crystals found randomly in the heart of the volcanoes which allow mages to practice their arcane arts.

Alternative Name(s)

Heart of the Kiln, Home of the Zhani, Hearth of Civilization

Type

Mountain Range

Location under

Teviin

Included Locations

• City of Zhan-Ur

Owning Organization

City Council of Guilds