Urgun Plateau

The arid land located between the Witchelves and the Gökmavi is called the **Urgun Plateau**. Bordered in the north by the Central Ridge, the plateau is formed of ancient basalt rock covered by the sediment of shallow seas and alluvial deposits.

The Handprint mountains to its south fees several rivers like the Tchelif and Tooil, which inevitably start drying out as they descend lower into Urgun towards lake Yashikul, forming wadis - riverbeds that contains water and reach the lake only during brief wet periods. The Urgun marks the north-western edge of the Great Northern Desert. The Central Ridge sees some rainfall that feeds Yashikul lake and is better suited to agriculture than the plateau region to the south.

Most of the region's population is concentrated in the twin cities of Ghülam and Bashur'ut that lie on the trade route between the two great empires of the Witchelves and Gökmavi. The area around the lake is sprinkled with smaller farming settlements where dryland barley and the ubiquitous desert bananas are grown. The two cities are home to many exiles and dissidents from both empires, with many small exile courts of disgraced dynasties plotting their revenge from the twin cities. The two empires allow this as they prefer keeping a buffer area between their two spheres of influence.

The inhospitable desert plateau is home to a few tribes of desert dwellers as well as a few hermits and criminals hiding from society. Rumours abound of secret alcoves in the desert used by all manners of deviant cults. Another reason for caravans to pass through this region quickly and in force is the famous white spider, a species of giant white spiders that dwell in the desert and prey on isolated travellers.

Tribes of local nomads had long lived along the white spiders in a sort of mutual arrangement but it wasn't until the Red Banner Horde settled the area about half a millennia ago that they were truly domesticated. These fearsome beasts and their riders now constitute an important part of the banner host and have helped the Red Khans many times in their bickering with the neighbouring clans. The art of spider-riding has since spread from this region to many other places around the world such as the Drow and the human Free Cities of the west.

## The Urgun Plateau

Most of the lands of Central Giantstep are remarkably dry, something caused by the lack of rainfall that can reach areas so far away from the sea. And yet, there is a strip of land full of greenery and life. This area, known as the Urgun Plateau, is the closest point between the Suritas Range and the Giant Handprint Mountains. These tall mountains accumulate great amounts of snow during the winters, enough so that they can feed the great rivers and lakes within. The grey basalts and dolerites that form the plateau have been carved by the rivers over millions of years, and one can see the old river courses and wadi that have been carved by the water and then clogged by sediment. In between the rivers and around them, the erosion and sedimentation have created extensive alluvial plains, which have the potential to overflow during the summer. Once flooded, many areas become marshes, with the black waters covering the vegetation, and creating massive pools where mosquitoes and flies reproduce in great numbers. The local population work tirelessly to build canals to drain all this excess water, expanding the amount of arable land.

The flora of the region mostly consists of reed beds, palm trees, wild millets, ryes and aromatic plants. Most of this vegetation occupies the areas near the riverbeds and lakebeds, and they have developed a great resistance to flooding, since most of them can be drowned during the summer. Many of these plants are collected by the locals to make medicine and perfume, which can be so abundant even the poorest families use some form of cologne. Many areas have been cleaned up of local vegetation, draining them from excess water and planting great swathes of cereals, legumes, barley and wheat. Another of the typical crops is the desert banana, a highly nutritious fruit that only grows during certain months of the year, coinciding with the periods of flood. Outside of the riverbed, the land quickly dries up, acquiring a look more typical of the rest of the central continent. Most of these areas are populated by desert bushes, cacti and desert flowers, all quite able to survive the dryness.

The region concentrates a great deal of fauna. The most important beast there is the wild water buffalo, multiplying in great numbers around the rivers. These **Urgun Buffaloes** have an above average tendency to suffer from albinism, and these white buffaloes help their bodies deal with the sunlight by staying most of the time either under the shade or under the water. The people in the region consider the white buffaloes as sacred, feeding them and bringing them to great stables within the cities. These stables are under the protection of the priests, the only ones allowed to own the water buffaloes and to wear the white leathers made out of them once they die. The buffaloes are accompanied by wild goats, horses and giant turkeys, greatly appreciated for their feathers. These animals move in great packs, and are hunted down by wild dogs and terror birds, flightless birds the size of a tall man and with beaks capable of breaking bones. The rivers are populated by gavials, which feed of fish and carcasses, since their delicate mouths cannot take down a buffalo without risking damage.

Outside of the riverbeds, hiding in the desert, one can find many holes in the land, unnatural dunes and mounds of sand and rock. Locals recommend to avoid them at all costs, since they hold a great danger: the **Great White Spiders**. These gigantic arachnids are the size of a horse, and feed of the mammals of the rivers. During the day, these creatures need to protect themselves from the sunlight, so they will dig their burrows and stay underground for as long as possible. During the night, though, they will come out and hunt down whatever they can find, whether it is a buffalo or a human traveler. Their silk is not strong enough to trap or immobilize their prey, so they instead use it to create traps for their prey. Taking many fruits from the trees, they will glue them together in big mountains of food, attracting many animals that would feast on them, only for the spiders to ambush them in turn. This shows a greater degree of intelligence, and has made the spiders a big target for domestication by the different tribes of the region. Spider-riding has become an important tradition, but due to the spiders’ distaste for sunlight, it can only be done during the night.

## The Two Cities

Within the Urgun Plateau, there lies two great cities: **Ghülam** and **Bashur**. These two cities control most of the economy and production of the region. They have traditionally fought for control over the rivers, and their enormous influence in the plateau means that they periodically stop any attempt to create another city in the area. This has been done either by diplomatic means or by force, and as such, they have managed to concentrate great amounts of power. The rest of the region is populated by small towns, living off seasonal agriculture and husbandry, changing their loyalties from one city to the other depending on how the winds of fate blow.

The city of **Ghülam** is located in the convergence of the Tchelif and Tooil rivers, forming the Yashikul River. This allows them to control the trade between the upper areas. They are a matriarchal, martial society, focused on training the men and women into excellent warrior poets. Their society is divided into three great estates: the “manamas”, the “panapas”, and the “chained”. The “manamas” are free women in charge of the highest echelons of the city, from the army to the priesthood to the administration, and compose around 1/4th of the population. They are trained from birth to excel at their roles, which are chosen at birth, roles which are not allowed to ever abandon, least they lose their privileges. They rule over the city through the “Council of Manamas”, where the 600 most important manamas get together and decide about the politics at the time. To become a member of the council, one must have proven their excellence at whatever post they are in, and also pass a series of physical and mental trials to demonstrate their loyalty to the city. The council cannot ever have more than 600 members, due to the number being sacred to the inhabitants of Ghülam. The “panapas” are the middle class, free men and women that compose around half of the population. They compose the great majority of the population of Ghülam, more than half of it, and include from soldiers to artisans to traders. While they are free to choose their path in life, they are not allowed to participate in politics, being the sole purview of the “manamas”. The “chained” are the slave population, in charge of the maintenance of the city. These slaves are not under servitude by birth, but are instead captured from the many towns and settlements all along the rivers. Their military training is considered a sacred duty, and to keep themselves alert and in top shape, they frequently raid some of the towns, bringing the captured men and women to Ghülam as slaves. However, they are not allowed to kill them in these raids, since that would considered improper and less of a challenge for the trainees.

The city of **Bashur** is located in the river mouth of the Yashikul River into the Yashikul Lake (known elsewhere by the name of the Angelis Smile Lake). Its position near the lakes not only allows Bashur to control great swathes of fertile land, but also the natural resources of the lakes themselves. They are ruled by a dual monarchy, in which two dynasties have the simultaneous control over the city, needing to take decisions together to take strong action. However, since the rules of power are slow due to the need of a complete agreement between the monarchs to act, the citizens of Bashur are allowed a great deal of independence and freedom under the law, which has translated into a more open and free society, with the one exception of most people not able to participate in politics. Slavery is outlawed, instead temporarily using criminals and outlaws to work in some of the most unsavory areas of the city, like the sewers. The bashurites highly appreciate education and arts, preferring to debate about sciences and sports rather than fight, though they aren’t slouches in that regard either. They have proven to be quite skilled fighters, especially in regards to their light cavalry, inspired by the Gökmavi raiders from the Red Land Steppes.

## History

The history of these two cities can be tracked back to ancient times. The archaeological remnants all throughout the rivers indicate that the population of the area can be tracked to the decades following the fall of Qadash, and thus many assume they are descendants of the Men of Bronze, although they themselves have very little lore from the ancient periods. The Urgun Plateau used to be filled with more cities, some of which were founded by runaways from the Khenomeric Empire during the persecution of wizards, but nearly all were destroyed during the Wars of the Blind Hawk. The War of the Blind Hawk is a poorly understood conflict that affected all lands near what is now the Gökmavi Khaganate, but we do know that it greatly affected the region. During the long period of on and off wars that raged from 701 ABE to 822 ABE, most of these cities were either destroyed by the Gökmavi or abandoned in fear of the eastern raiders. After the Gökmavi tribes fell into infighting and the peoples from the Urgun Plateau managed to expel the invaders, only the cities of Ghülam and Bashur remained.

These two cities took the chance to try to conquer the rest of the region for themselves, something that has lasted for centuries, and has kept the different population centers under the influence of the two great cities, unable to really grow any further beyond small rural centers. After many centuries, the cities made a tacit deal to each of them staying in their area of influence, something that has allowed the cities to flourish. This doesn’t mean they don’t wage war from time to time, both to release tensions within the cities, both to keep the rural population outside of the cities in check, so that they never become a power that rivals the cities.

During the expansion of the Witchelven Empire, Ghülam and Bashur had to settle their differences aside to fight the witchelven, something that they managed to do after it became too bothersome for them to cross the desert lands in search for slaves. The eventual opening of the Lustrus Succubus Breach created an area where otherworldly entities appear, surrounding the area with dangerous succubae and other demonic monstrosities. The wizards from Ghülam and Bashur have managed to create strong wards against the expansion of the breach towards the south and the east, managing to keep the threat of the breach to a minimum. However, the presence of the Witchelven Empire has blocked the only way the Urgun cities had to contact the rest of the world. This has led them to become considerably isolated, making trade with the outside world a rarity, with the only real lifeline to the outside world being the routes around the mountains to avoid Gökmavi raiders or the dreaded witchelven.

## The Urgundian Pantheon and the Great Temples

The entire Urgun region share the same faith, and that includes Ghülam and Bashur. They believe in the Urgundian Pantheon, a series of elemental gods that represent human emotions as well. However, the Urgundians have a special predilection for water. Since they live in a very harsh and desert region, water is absolutely essential, being part of the essence of the gods themselves. The city of Gülam favors **Arashianan**, Goddess of the Mountain and Mother of Rivers, whereas Bashur favors **Zususthar**, God of the Lakes. These two gods have the biggest influence in their respective cities, and they reign over the rest of the pantheon. While the two cities are in a state of constant tension, the gods themselves are represented to be very harmonious with each other, letting petty squabbles to the puny mortals. The myth about the birth of the rivers and lakes of Urgun says that the gods saw the plight of the mortal humans dying of hunger and thirst. Empathizing with them, Arashianan cried, creating the rivers Tchelif and Tooil. To help her, the god Zususthar joined the rivers together and carved a great hole in the land, which quickly filled with the tears of Arashianan. This would eventually become the Yashikul Lake and its nearby smaller lakes.

Within the Urgun Plateau, the ruins of dozens of different cities cover the landscape. During the heyday of these cities, they invested great amounts of time and resources to build their central temples, trying to show their strength and devotion to their pantheon. However, over the decades, the destruction of most of the cities in the region meant that their temples were damaged and pillaged, and their priests had to seek refuge somewhere else. The priests dismantles what could from their holy places and moved them to the other cities, with the end result of this being the Great Temples of Ghülam and Bashur. These are colossal structures, both in height and in size, formed by the saved pieces of the rest of the cities’ temples. This creates a strange aesthetic, where sometimes some parts fit together flawlessly and sometimes the later addition is striking obvious. Ghülam and Bashur, because of their competition with each other, also funded the expansion of many of the wings of the temple. Their dimensions are so big that they occupy around 1/5th of the cities’ surface and growing, and the cities of Ghülam and Bashur are quite expansive as they are, being the only two urban centers in the Urgun Plateau.

The priests of the Great Temples follow a great pantheon of gods. Each of them belonged to a different city, with a particular deity as the protector of their original city, but after having to seek refuge, they just became one of many. To try to keep their worship active, they frequently partake in great processions and public sermons, searching for offerings and tributes from the population. These public displays generate a lot of friction between the different priesthoods, which becomes even worse when taking into account they all live in the great temple or near it. It is not rare to see brawls between the holy men of the city, which many times have to end up stopped by the armed forces.

The population from the nearby rural areas go to pilgrimage once in their lifetimes to the temples, seeing it as a show of respect to the gods. They do not like that the great cities of Ghülam and Bashur have monopolized the religious powers in the area, especially since most of those farmers and herders used to be part of the destroyed cities. Many of them still practice their cults in the ruins of their old home, but are not allowed to rebuild the sites by Ghülam and Bashur, in fear of creating another city that could rival their power. This has created a lot of tension between the rural population and the great cities, but the sheer imbalance of power means there is little they could do about it.

## The Eye of Ilahi

The Eye of Ilahi is a mysterious magical construct that lies at the entrance of the rarely used Derinvadi pass that connects lake Yashikul to the Kinga Badlands. The eye is thought to be of Khenomeric origin as most mages reckon it is animated by some long forgotten spell of the School of Light. Since times immemorial the eye has observed the various travelers passing through Derinvadi, it's vast stone oculus moving, impassibly following each passer-by until they exit its field of vision. No one knows exactly if the eye is self aware or merely an instrument for some third party or if the eye is even seeing anything at all.

Many lesser kingdoms that have existed in the area have tried to either destroy or subdue the eye, but none have succeeded, as its guarded by extremely powerful astromantic enchantments of the Long Past.
Even though nothing indicates that the eye is evil in any capacity, locals all do well to steer clear of it, as this eldritch presence is considered best left dormant. There exists an order of monks that dwell in the mountains further east that incorporate Ilahi into their religious and initiation practices. During their initiation young candidates are brought into the pass before the eye. There they must meditate for 9 days and 9 nights in total immobility such as the stone cold gaze of the eye does not move for even an inch during the trial period.