Ark

Map of Ark

## Common Knowledge

There isn’t much known about the land known as Ark, just about every country has sent the obligatory expedition team. For those who inquire, none except a few lucky individuals survive and return. With their reports only telling of vast overgrown stretches of nature and innumerable hostile predators, Ark was deemed unprofitable and left alone. A strange thing is that the perimeter of Ark is laden with leylines, while it is an imperfect enclosure, Ark is largely surrounded by them. There are a few guesses as to why they exist, some believe they are artificial and made by the predecessors of the land, others believe they are natural and a result of some unique factors that caused their formation.

The closest people have gotten to learning of Ark is through the few that leave the bounds of the untamed lands. It is an unfortunate circumstance that most Arkans who leave Ark often are forced to leave alone and as such brave the dangers of Ark on their own as they travel to the borders. By the time they arrive at a neighboring land, most of their possessions are lost or in disrepair, they themselves are bloodied and traumatized. The number of times a fallen Arkan has been mistaken for a victim of banditry are uncountable. Those who survive are almost always in a state of shock or have taken on a form of PTSD, leading to erratic behavior and dogged pursuit of any possible lead to the Savants. Many of them are taken into custody for endangering or criminal instability. The few who come out sane and healthy enough to live beyond the night quietly assimilate into the world, eagerly forgetting the daily battles they had with death.

## Topography and Climate

The climate is rather mild, usually never too hot or cold, though there have been numerous exceptions at times or specific locales. While for most of the time Ark’s climate and weather seem to follow a relatively normal pattern, at random intervals and random locations, the climate and weather will drastically alter to an extreme, reshaping the landscape within range and often exterminating any life in the area.

Spread throughout the land there are small mountainous areas surrounded by overgrown forests and hills. There are three towering mountains, one to the North, South, and East respectively. There are three large lakes and they are to the West, Northeast, and Southeast. Three rivers connect the lakes and their tributaries spread throughout the land. Every biome conceivable has existed in the land of Ark, due to the random extreme changes in climate and weather that can happen, certain areas of Ark can be of one environment for a day and by nightfall be something else entirely. That being said, the majority of Ark can be described as heavy forest, mountainous hills, and grasslands.

## Population

Any of the races that can logically be found in Ark is there (ie: butterfly-folk would not be found there as their conception would not occur). However, they tend to congregate in small, semi-nomadic groups that often use heavily fortified but accessible shelters as hubs along their migratory routes. There are several “main” groups though. The Mountain Tribes, Lakeside Tribes, and the Wanderers.

Due to the overgrown nature of the land and the flora’s and fauna’s dominance, the population of the sapient species is in constant flux. The total population rapidly shifts within the range of one to five million, though the tendency is to remain within the lower half of the range. The only time the higher range is achieved is usually through strange and extreme fluctuations in Ark’s climate that suppress the flora and fauna to a certain extent, allowing the population to have a relative boom.

## Exports and Trades

Due to their obvious isolation, trade occurs solely between the various groups and communities that have formed within Ark. The main commodity used is food, with any goods that can bolster survival chances coming in at a close second. There is little no use for any encumbering possessions as every person is constantly on the move. The only things one needs in Ark are good weapons, strong armor, food and drink, and a bed. Smiths are highly valued for their ability to work with weapons, alchemists are valued for their versatile potions, and those who practice magic are coveted for their magical potency. Any other crafts are considered superfluous if they do not have practical value, though many practice non-commital ones as a past-time to escape the monotony of survival.

The only thing that supersedes the worth of food is knowledge of the legacy left in Ark. Every person raised in Ark was brought up with tales of the Savants, enlightened scholars whose knowledge granted dominion over any obstacle. There is no person in Ark that is not desperate to find the slightest hint of a lead to end the daily struggle for life, believing that the Savants have left some ancient method that would allow the people to tame the land and prosper.

## Government

The Mountain Holds consist of three primary groups, one at each of the three mountains, with their subsidiaries inhabiting the smaller mountainous regions spread throughout Ark. They are called Stone’s Fort, The South Watch, and The Solar Door.

The Lake Tribes are also divided into three and their subsidiaries follow the connecting rivers and their tributaries. The main three are named The Lunar Cradle, The Diving Bell, and The Lavender Scale.

The Wanderers are not truly a tribe perse, but they are a collective of people that associate with each other closely with a number of neutral territories that they congregate around periodically. Groups that travel together easily assemble and disperse, with members often switching from one to the next and leaders often being chosen by popular vote or merit.

There are three people of great renown, they use the monikers: Helgi, master arcanist; Hammersong, master smith; and Garden, master scholar. Helgi lives amongst the Lake Tribes, Hammersong dwells within the caves of the Mountain Holds, Garden travels side by side the Wanderers. These three hold great influence over the structure of their factions, often called upon to adjudicate and sway the direction of development.

There is a fourth unaffiliated person, one who travels alone: Red, master combatant. They do not associate with the three groups beyond necessity, often not being seen for months at a time only for them to come to a random camp to repair or replace their damaged gear before disappearing again. The main reason for the contention between Red and the three groups boils down to Red’s contempt for the factions still adhering to their value for knowledge and the Savants. Despite the heated debate over Red’s beliefs, an occult following has formed, a contingent of the Wanderers who share their contempt for The Savants and the supposed legacy have gathered in a collective. While at best considered a splinter faction, the collective has gained the name of Red Scars and has begun to rise in popularity, in the Wanderers as well as within the Mountain Holds and Lake Tribes.

## Social Hierarchy and Culture

The Mountain Holds constantly rotate between a number of caves they’ve secured as they respond to the movements of the flora and fauna around them. This had led to the many members to travel light, few have any extraneous belongings to their name. The necessities that are too large to carry such as anvils and other such large tools have long been redesigned for easy construction and repair while maintaining a relative level of quality. Every cave the Holds use have long since had these adapted necessities installed. Any damage dealt by passing flora or fauna can be repaired easily with materials on hand or those that can be acquired with no hassle.

The Lake tribes also rotate between a number of settlement areas in response to their environment. However, due to the lack of natural shelters by the lakeside, the main groups have developed shelters that can be built and deconstructed relatively quickly. This instigates a more communal group than the Mountain Holds as many members share the burden of carrying shelters as others carry supplies rather than every individual carrying their own possessions.

The Wanderers rarely have even quasi-permanent settling grounds, leading to an inability to craft goods requiring heavy equipment such as the Mountain Holds’ forges. However, every Wanderer has long mastered how to travel light. They easily prioritize which possessions to keep and which to discard if they find themselves encumbered, and when they move from one campsite to another, they can easily leave without a trace within the hour. In an ironic sense, this leads to a more destitute way of life than either the Mountain Holds or Lake Tribes, but they gain the boon of constantly encountering natural treasures that serve as alchemical ingredients or hold value in some other form.

Despite their differences, all the Arkans value merit the most. The members that can provide valuable services are of utmost priority, strong hunters, craftsmen, arcanists, and alchemists are of highest demand. The weaker members whose strengths aren’t apparent are put through rigorous training specific to each group for the purpose of improving performance, if they fail, they are forced to instead pursue a craft or eventually fall and be left behind. (This being one of the primary sources of lone Arkans that wander out of Ark’s borders.)

The Arkans have few holidays that extend beyond the personal celebrations of close-knit groups. However, there are two widespread holidays, one on the longest day, the other on the longest night. They are the Bi-Annual Savanti Reverence Ceremonies where all Arkans gather in the center of the vast land known as Ark. There, an ancient dais stands and Arkans hold feasts, scholarly debates, sparring matches, and share the knowledge they’ve gained since the last Ceremony. In addition, the Arkans perform a number of rituals, the mainstay being ceremonial dances in conjunction with melodic chants. Strangely enough, not only the Arkans gather toward the center, all the fauna and able flora come as well. A strange form of culling occurs, many believing it to be part of the rituals of the Ceremony. Flora and Fauna engage in deadly combat with each other as they crash into the perimeter of defenders the sapient Arkans established. Throughout the entire event, there are Arkans fighting the creatures that surround them, the only reprieve they have is when the next shift of fighters stands to take their place or when death comes to them.

## Cities, Towns, and Villages

While there are innumerable groups that exist outside of as well as under the larger groups, all practices can ultimately be seen to derive from the three groups of the Mountain Holds, Lake Tribes, and the Wanderers.

### Mountain Holds

The Mountain Holds are divided into three, Stone’s Fort, The South Watch, and The Solar Door.

#### Stone's Fort

Stone’s Fort consists of the most rugged terrain a mountain can provide. The members residing there have the smallest number of caves in their rotation when compared to the other Holds. However, each of their caves is heavily fortified and can be considered semi-permanent residences. Any heavy equipment (such as anvils, forges, etc) that they can’t easily move has long since been modified to be easily repairable with cheap and accessible materials while maintaining relatively good quality. This makes the Stone’s Fort one of the most defensible territories while also being the primary source of goods that require refining via heavy processing (forged goods and other such things).

#### The South Watch

The South Watch, on the other hand, is a large collection of towers and natural rock formations. While this lends little to the defense of their caves, the members make use of their high altitude and the terrain to spot threats they can’t handle early and easily migrate to a safer outpost. The members of the South Watch are the most mobile of the Holds and are reputed for being excellent scouts and marksmen.

#### The Solar Door

The Solar Door is probably the largest Mountain Hold, however, its strange shape provides its own set of unique challenges. The Solar Door does not have a peak in a true sense, where a peak should be is a massive crater or valley. In this valley, the soil is hyper-fertile, to an extent that plants that normally wouldn’t be able to grow in such an environment can survive with some difficulty. In response to this phenomenon, the Solar Door has gone through extreme lengths to tend to the valley, growing food and other flora that is of use. The formation of this valley also gives the entire mountain area a unique shape, no matter where you are in Ark, every day the Sun will appear to rise from the Solar Door, as though a gateway to the new day.

### Lake Tribes

The Lake Tribes, similarly to the Mountain Holds have three main substituents, The Diving Bell, The Lavender Scale, and The Lunar Cradle.

#### The Diving Bell

The Diving Bell is the largest and deepest lake of the entire territory of Ark. There are countless underwater caves. There are a large number of the caves occupied by the tribe members, both aquatic and non-aquatic. To accommodate the non-aquatics more easily, the use of diving bells at different depths allow the many members to access caves that non-aquatics would normally never be able to reach. In addition to the caves, the tribe has designed the bells to be of large enough size that each one could be used as temporary encampments. Due to their way of life, The Diving Bell Tribe largely subsists on the smaller, less dangerous, aquatic flora and fauna that live in the lake. Their unique situation leaves the tribe unconcerned with the threat of aerial or land-bound threats, however, they are constantly looking for the wandering threats that meander the waters. Though a large part of these threats tends to disregard the tribe as inconsequential due to their size, there is indeed a plethora or relatively smaller threats that are quick to take to the flesh of the Diving Bell Tribe.

#### The Lavender Scale

The Lavender Scale is the most mysterious of the tribe. While in small number, their members have discovered a method of taming small, lavender-scaled, aquatic creatures that appear akin to otter-sized wyrmlings. This leads to the members of the tribes becoming excellent hunter-gatherers as their tamed creatures lend keen, primal instinct. Regarded as valuable treasure unto themselves by the tribe, the scaled creatures have been dubbed Etröikos (though many have begun to use the term “Oiko”). Members of the Lavender Scale are proud to be almost equal to the rangers in the ranks of the Wanderers, often training to have equal expertise on the land and in the water of their territories.

#### The Lunar Cradle

The Lunar Cradle is the Solar Door’s mirror, located opposite to the Mountain Hold, the Lunar Cradle is shaped so that every dawn, the moon appears to sink below the lake waters. While the land and waters do not appear to be of exceptional quality, the Lunar Cradle boasts a unique host of flora and fauna that are alarmingly docile for beings of Ark. These creatures and plants only emerge in accordance with the many changes of the moon and often congregate into a strange, coordinated, ritual dance (they’ve come to call this “R’anu”) that follows the rise and setting of the moon. The tribe has learned ways to make offers to these lunar creatures and in return have begun to receive boons, supplies mysterious appearing in their storages, a lull in beast attacks, and other conveniences that make their lives easier, at least when compared to average Arkan.

### The Wanderers

Rather than have any permanent settlements or outposts, the Wanderers tend to pick and choose camping grounds as they come to suit their own needs. The only time there would be a larger gathering is when many come to an accord.

One reason for the Wanderers to gather is for the Day of Trade when people need to restock supplies they cannot acquire on their own. One group of Wanderers will hang a coded pennant at a sufficiently large area, from there, over the course of days to possibly a month, groups who also wish to hold a Day of Trade will mark similarly coded pennants. Once a sufficient number of pennants are placed, a signifier pennant is placed and the Day of Trade will occur on the third day after. The groups of Wanderers will congregate and form a perimeter before engaging in barter and socialization. The Day of Trade will last for a day to as long as several weeks at a time depending on the ebb and flow of incoming and leaving groups.

The Wanderers have a bevy of other pennants that they use to signal other groups of many things, from SOS’s, to warnings, to duels, to game trails, for just about anything, the Wanderers have a pennant code for them.

## Alliances

Due to the Arkans’ dogged pursuit in knowledge concerning the Savants, very few leave the bounds of Ark and those that do are often in a destitute state. This leaves Ark in a state of mystery to the other countries of Orelisle. Consequently, Ark has no allies beyond the small, temporary cooperations between tribes and wandering groups that form and disperse as whimsically as the wind.

## Founding and History

Long ago, since the Pionus, an association of hyper-intellectuals began to collect, document, and collate information and data of every branch of study. By leveraging their massive collections of knowledge, the members of this association rose in power quickly, mastering magics and crafts, in turn giving them much sway over the course of Orelisle. This collective of intellectuals became known as the Savanti, or as the current period would say, Savants.

However, with the formation of the Beast, the Savants were forced to quickly put into action procedures to preserve as much knowledge as possible. As a result, the Savants compiled a huge amount of knowledge and chose a territory to use as their legacy. They enchanted the borders, placed trials to test inheritors, and cast magics that would work to shield their knowledge from the decay of time. That land is now known as Ark, honoring the name of Arkinor, who founded the Savanti.

## Further Information

* Magic
* Old Binturia
* Pionus