Hyrem-Chel

## **Location**

On the southern central coast with coastline on Jannen’s Bay. Borders Dakkor , Halgudar , the Veldren Ocean, Jannen’s Bay, and Quivera .

## **Land**

Hyrm-Chel is a quilt of overlapping swamps, salt water bogs, and moors. The country is often subject to monsoons and other extremes of weather.

## **Resources**

Bamboo and reeds are gathered by the Harborages (church hospices) to make rattan and wicker products, which are sold by the Church of the Mother to raise funds. Daring herbalists and trappers may venture into the swamplands to harvest the odd flora and fauna found there. They import food, medical supplies, clothing while exporting bamboo and rattan finished products.

## **Past**

Hyrm-Chel was formed when neighboring countries drew in their borders to exclude it. The name Hyrm-Chel, in fact, comes from a shortening of the ancient Xarian words that mean “No man’s land." A branch of the Church of the Mother based in Karandia has created a handful of Harborages along the coast. During the middle of the Beast Wars, the harsh terrain and climate provided protection from the constant onslaught and the appropriate environment to ease many ailments.

## **Present**

Hyrm-Chel is a sparsely populated swampland. For the most part it is hot, steamy, and plague-ridden. It is barely habitable in the best areas. Most of the population is organized into nomadic tribes: fishermen along the coast and barbarian hunter/gatherers along the moors that border other lands. Lizardmen, Newts, and Otters can be found throughout Hyrm-Chel in high frequency.

With a majority of the trade routes disrupted by war in central Xaria, more and more citizens find themselves being forced to trek through the southern swamps. Occasional fortified encampments are being built along the more popular (and drier) routes.

The Harborage known as Ambik, along the Quiveran/Dakkorian borders, was destroyed by marauders in 510. The Church of the Mother has been carefully rebuilding the facility to prevent this happening a second time. The Church sponsors a Hall of Travelers post there.

## **Government**

The individual tribes of Hyrm-Chel are for the most part patriarchal monarchies subject to coups. Most of the tribes of Hyrm-Chel can barely hold themselves together, let alone make alliances.

The Church of the Mother administrates the Harborages.

## **Military**

Many of tribes along the borders raid neighboring countries. This, however, rarely becomes more than a skirmish.

Some believe that the Harborages are actually bases for the Karandian Navy, to be used to launch attacks at some later date. Anyone, who actually saw the sanctuaries would find this absurd. Unarmed regular clergy staffs them. Any attacking force able to defeat the ward would find little resistance (unless you count painful disfiguring viruses).

## **Religion**

The nomadic tribes practice mystic religions and ancestor worship. Obviously, the staff of the Harborages worship the Mother .

## **Of Interest**

The Church of the Mother still maintains several Harborages for the seriously ill. These sanctuaries are widely thought of as leper colonies, but in reality, they treat and minister to a variety of chronically ill who can benefit from the humidity. The Harborages are protected with wards that seem to keep disease-spreading animals at bay. They receive supplies and personnel once per year. These Harborages are fully supported by the Church of the Mother throughout Xaria and are recognized by the Charter of Tronoth (the Veldron Order ).