Northern Outskirts

The Northern Outskirts is a remote UuRan province on the northern side of the Western Sea. The Northern Outskirts' military presence is quite high considering the lack of military threat and is mostly used to get troublemaking officers out of the way in a war. The Northern Outskirts is known for it's mines that produce gold and silver, but has few other exports.

## History

The Northern Outskirts were the first region to be claimed by the budding UuRan empire, along with the Southern Outskirts. The UuRan immediately took notice of the mines in the Outskirts, and used the gold to fund all of their other campaigns by government scams on foreign nations. The Northern Outskirts was given to the Duke MaKhu after his brilliant defense of the Leviathan Cove during the Siege of LiAnDou. The Dukes MaKhu have had a long and relatively peaceful reign, showing a lack of interest in politics and content to manage their own affairs. The Northern Outskirts remained untouched by the plague of Blue Rot throughout the Western Sea sometime after that, and since the Golden Peak Mines kept working all throughout the plague, the UuRan Confederacy's economy plummeted as the Northern Outskirts' wealth shot up. The UuRan Confederacy was forced to buy a large supply of gold from the Mines and go on a scamming spree again to regain much of their money that was lost during the plague and also to fund their invasion of the Far West, giving the Northern Outskirts a large profit, which the Duke unwisely invested into land in Areikanar to farm trees. Since no UuRan ships came in or out of the Western Sea during the plague, the passage of the plague to Areikanar was delayed for some time until after the UuRan developed a resistance to the plague, and trade started again, spreading the plague to Areikanar. The effect was essentially that the workers the Duke hired to work his land died, and he was forced to sell the land for a fraction of what he bought it for. The Northern Outskirts did not majorly change after that until the modern day.

## Political Balance

The Admirals have complete and utter control over the Northern Outskirts. There is, of course, some Scriptor influence, but not enough to make any sort of difference.

## Cities and Fleets

### QaMin Expanse

The QaMin Expanse is a bay formed by a mountain range curved southwards. It contains all of the major cities in the Northern Outskirts, and should be the only target in the north for any invaders coming from the Areikanar coastline. The QaMin expanse is quite defensible. Some say that it was created by the sorcerer Khanesteo before the Rending, but others believe that the mountain range is natural.

### QaMin

QaMin is the seat of the Grand Admiral, and is the trade center of the QaMin expanse, being in a central location. QaMin is where most of the large businesses in the area are based, and it is the most heavily fortified city in the region. QaMin is the capitol of the Northern Outskirts.

### Golden Peak

Golden Peak is the location of the Golden Peak Mines, a collection of gold and silver mines that produce enough money to sustain the residents of Golden Peak. Most of the residents of Golden Peak are business owners or workers in the mines. Golden Peak also houses one of the biggest banks in the Western Sea, called the House VenTan after it's owner, who is the richest man in the Northern Outskirts.

### Three Peaks

Three Peaks is a relatively minor community in the QaMin expanse. It serves as a port for fishermen to trade in and as the home of CauZon, the last in a long line of brilliant architects, and perhaps the greatest. CauZon is known to be very eccentric and some think he is mad.

### HanDio

HanDio is was fortress built to resist raids from the coast during the hysteria of the Areikanar Militarization Crisis. However, due to the lack of raids, the garrison stationed there had mostly moved away after twenty years or so, leaving behind a town all but abandoned. Soon, rumors of a great and powerful sorcerer that lived there sprung up in the city, and the few residents left completely for the QaMin expanse, leaving HanDio a ruin for nature to reclaim.

### The Northern Watch

The Northern Watch is a fleet created to protect the Northern Outskirts from any Ghost or native military movements. It patrols the coastline and the QaMin basin, occasionally heading past HanDio to search for ships docked around it. The Northern Watch is led by General JeRac oq Jien, a once-ambitious young general who angered his commander by disobeying orders and was stationed at the Northern Outskirts, far away from combat. oq Jien is known for his honor, and has a good reputation among the people. The Watch is five ships strong.

### The Ghosts, Northern Outskirts Chapter

The Northern Ghosts are pretty much the only problem for the Northern Watch, and they are constantly at odds with each other. However, as the Northern Ghosts' goal is offensive, while the Watch is defensive, the Ghosts can pick off the occasional merchant ship at their leisure because the Watch can't be everywhere at once. However, the Ghosts aren't really that much of a problem, because the Watch is mostly successful in defending against them. Really, the Ghosts are only there just in case the main branch of the Ghosts decide to mount a massive offensive in the South, which will force the Watch to move south, leaving the north exposed for the Northern Ghosts to take. But as it is the Northern Ghosts are a minor nuisance. The Northern Ghosts are three ships strong, with their leader being LuQen oq KaLen, who has a sorcerer as a bodyguard. It is said that oq KaLen got his ship by boarding it himself from a rowboat, slaughtering the crew and taking the goods, then sailing it back to port and hiring a crew.