Western Plains

**The Western Plains** is the collective name for a vast swathe of land that spans almost the entire western portion of the unnamed continent that dominates much of the world. The Western Plains are bordered to the east by a thick chain of mountains and beyond that, by the city-nation-district of West Hundsted. The Western Plains does not have a designated capital or centralized government, due to being predominantly "governed" - ie. controlled largely - by Black Market traffickers, slavers, and other individuals or groups.

## History:

0 AKD - 4 AKD - The Killing Days, a period during which series of mass sacrifice killings of thousands of people by varying religious groups took place, and from which the period gets it's name.

15 AKD - Discovery of Cripple's Canyon (the landform), Supposed "founding" of the Western Plains, though the exact date is uncertain.

## Notable Locations:

#### Cripple's Canyon (Landform)

Cripple's Canyon, as it's name states, is a large river canyon, known for it's immensely steep cliffs, and narrow drop-offs. According to local legend, it was initially discovered by a group of travelers who had ventured over the mountains and into the plains in an attempt to get away from all of the noise and busyness. One of the members was a disabled veteran who was killed when the group was attacked by a large coyote-like creature. The group tossed the bodies of both the veteran and the creature into the canyon, and it is from that incident that the canyon was named. Cripple's Canyon is home to several species of fish, as well as the Great Canyon Eagles.

#### Cripple's Canyon (Town)

The town of Cripple's Canyon, named after the landform of the same name, is located just north of it's namesake, on the border of the plains and the desert, where the two bleed into one another. It is considered to be the unnofficial "capital" of the few sparse towns that the Western Plains and the desert plays host to, and is built on the backs and the bones of it's slaves. The town's main form of economic revenue comes in the form of the extensive network of slave trading and Black Market trafficking between itself, the other towns in the region, and the underground trafficking networks of Hundsted and beyond.

#### The Desert

Located to the southwest of the plains, the desert is comprised mainly of vast dunes of sand, with sparse patches of plant growth and rocky outcrops scattered around the landscape. While the land isn't suited for farming, it does play host to numerous plant species, including the *agyn* plant, *rakar* plant, several species of nuts and flowers, the *balenka* tree, the *parchi* bush, the *amee* berry bush, the *dal* plant, the *ansar* plant, and the *fyel* plant. The desert also plays host to several different native animal species, including Sand Serpents, Dune-wolves, and the Canyon Eagles. The Desert is revered as a deity by the *Ebrurth'Gennech*, the nomadic people of the region, most of whom are former slaves.

## Society and Culture:

#### General Society and Culture in the Towns of the Western Plains

The society and culture of the towns of the Western Plains is dominated largely by slavery and trafficking, with slaves, indentured servants, and prisoners making up the largest population group by far. The upper and middle classes are largely made up of merchants and traders, while the lower classes are made up of Black Market traffickers, slavers, and free farmers. Due to slavery and other such practices making up such a large part of the Western Plains' economy, and due to the sheer number of slaves that there are at any given moment, a master may have anywhere from 1 to 20 slaves if they are in the middle class, and anywhere from 1 to 300 if they are part of the upper classes. Those in the upper classes hold the primary government positions, and frequently look down on those in the social classes below them.

Slaves are viewed as property of their masters, subject to their whims and will at all times. When a slave is bought, they are oftentimes given numbers in place of their names, and their master may either refer to them by their number, or rename them as they see fit. Slaves are not allowed to read, write, or go anywhere without their master's express permission (which is rarely given), are not allowed to get married, are not allowed to loiter in large groups, and must be subservient to their master's whims at all times. There are several types of slaves, the most common being house slaves, who are also occasionally allowed to take care of their master's businesses if they prove themselves to be trustworthy in the master's eyes. The second most common group are yard slaves, who work a variety of jobs, including farming, mining, and building construction. A rare few are virtually kept as pets by their masters, allowed to live in their master's houses and shown off as trophies or novelties of sorts.

Slaves who are headstrong, resistant, or otherwise disobedient are subject to beatings, having their bones forcibly broken, and being outfitted with shock collars in order to curb their unwanted behavior. If the unwanted behavior continues even after a shock collar has been outfitted, then slaves may be outfitted with metal muzzles that do not allow them to speak or eat properly, and that is similar in appearance to a scold's bridle. If that still doesn't curb the behavior, then the slaves may be thrown into "the Pit", which is a deep hole in the ground with a rough gravel or sandy bottom and smooth rock walls that harshly reflect the light of the sun and the moon. The top of the hole is barred over to prevent escape, and there is no place for shade or relief from the heat or the light. Those thrown in are given no food or water, are not allowed to sleep, and may be left there for up to a week if the slave's master approves. Slaves have been known to die frequently after being subjected to time in the Pit, or otherwise be driven almost incurably mad due to being left out in the elements with no way to shield themselves, no sustenance, and no rest. As such, being thrown into the Pit is viewed by both slaves and free people alike to be a virtual death sentence.

#### Society and Culture of the Slaves of the Western Plains

Slaves in the Western Plains have created a deep sense of culture beneath the noses of their masters, a sense of community that thrives in secrets and shadows and darkness, where the masters don't go. The culture of slaves, commonly referred to as that of the *Ebrurth'Gennech* in the slave language of *Ebrurth'Unin*, values secrecy and the notion of freedom highly. There are two different words in *Ebrurth'Unin* for "freedom" - *Vikann* and *Triysteyn. Vikann* translates both to "freedom" and "death", and is considered to be the ideal of freedom, the version that each slave searches for and hopes to eventually gain. *Triysteyn* often refers to the act of being free, and is used in the context of freedom that an individual or group is in the process is gaining, or that they are born with in the event that they are born free.

Slaves have tightly knit family units within the slave quarters, usually made up of biological relatives, though sometimes a family may be made up of unrelated individuals who have essentially adopted each other in secret. The slave quarters are usually led by a designated individual, known as the *Gran'Eskire*, or "Grandmother/father/parent". The *Gran'Eskires* are usually older individuals, and are knowledgeable in regards to the language and stories of the culture, as well as ways of survival in the desert. The *Gran'Eskire* of a given slave community knows the stories of the culture by heart and is regarded as highly valuable and is highly respected among the members of the community. Occasionally, a *Gran'eskire* may be someone as young as their teens, but that is usually because the community lacks older individuals because they have all either died or been sold off to other masters.

Gender is not a strict concept within the culture of slaves, as gender is viewed as a fluid, abstract concept, and not very connected to who an individual is. Slaves have a concept of at least three genders, if not more, the most common descriptor for them being "male-leaning", "female-leaning", or "neuter-leaning", though these categories are not strict, and may overlap depending on the individual. Slaves do not have an official set cultural dress, as clothes vary from slave to slave and different masters may dress their slaves differently as they see fit. The most common elements of slave dress are a loose fitting gray or tan knee or ankle sleeveless tunic of some sort, a woven belt tied around the waist, and open-toed leather sandals that tie behind the ankles. Occasionally, female-leaning slaves may wear a shawl or cardigan-type wrap around their shoulders. If a slave is continually rebellious, then they may be seen wearing a thick iron collar around their neck that curbs their tendencies to rebel.

The culture is restricted mainly to those who are enslaved or who have been abused in some form or another. Masters and free outsiders are prohibited from joining the culture or from learning the language, as it is reserved exclusively for those of the culture, and is considered a closely guarded secret among the members of the communities. There is also a secret network of freedom trails that lead to the *Ebrurth'Gennech* clans, presided over by "Shadow-Walkers" - anonymous individuals who work to free slaves at great risk to themselves and those they are helping.