Darunggar

**Darunggar** (ダルングガル, *Darungugaru*) is a broken world covered in ruin and old battlefield, remnants of a war between Lumiaris and Skullhell so intense that it broke the world leaving it in a perpetual night, covered in ruins and old battlefields. Abandon by the gods, its inhabitants are now trying to rebuild civilization in a harsh deeply divided world.

While there is something resembling a day/night cycle in Darunggar, it never stops being dark, plus while the horizon does light up during the "day", there actually is no sun. Instead, something that Haruhiro describes flames rise up, slightly lighting up the world. Moreover, according to Lala the day in Darunggar are about one hour longer than in Grimgar, the flame rising for between 10 to 15 hours before setting for 10 to 15 hours.

Darrungar is connected to both Grimgar and the Dusk Realm but aside from Orcs it doesn't seem like any races has migrated from one world to another nor does it seems like any trade is taking place between them.

## History

### Genesis

Darunggar wasn't always known as Darunggar or "the land of despair" in a local language, long ago it was known as Fananggar or "Paradise" and ruled by Enos ("one god").

How long that lasted is unknown but at some point, Enos split in two becoming Lumiaris and Skullhell. As the 2 gods were ever conflicting, the world was divided in 2 between their followers and became Jidgar or "field of battle". Finally, at the end of a long and bloody conflict that left the whole world enveloped by despair, the gods abandoned Darunggar and departed for Grimgar leaving behind most of their followers.

However, most of the knowledge regarding that time has been forgotten. In fact, the result of the war is still unknown and most of what's described above is only known thanks to archeologists' work and legends.

### After the departure of the Gods

While it does seem like the gods' departure ultimately (mostly) put an end to the war, it didn't change the fact that the world was still deeply divided.

Because of that, according to historians, no durable kingdom was able to form as while some kings did manage to unite the 2 sides, their kingdom would shatter after their death.

## Politic

### Garafan, Jagma, and Skullhellg

The city of Herbesit, like most of Darunggar, is chaotic and mostly controlled by gangs the 3 biggest here being :

* The Garafan or "Sharp Claw" who control the Central Herbesit and, notably control the bell tower at its very center.
* The Jagma or "great storm" who control the Western side of the city.
* The Skullhellg or "the children of Skullhell" who control the Eastern side and, as their name implies, are followers of Skullhell.

However, that's only an approximation as the three organizations are in a constant war for control over the city and the frontiers between their territories aren't well defined. On the contrary, one well-defined frontier is between the surface and the underground, as while the 3 gangs mostly control the surface of Herbesit, the underground tunnels and old aqueduct are Zeran territory and even the 3 gangs don't dare attack them.

### Zeran

The Zeran or "The Scholars" is the faction controlling the underground aqueduct of Herbesit. Contrary to the surface gangs they tend to avoid violence but aren't against using it to keep the peace underground. While they don't completely reject outsiders, the Zeran tend to look down on others and won't allow others to fully settle down in the underground unless they undergo rigorous training and embrace their doctrine.

## Geography

### Adunyeg

Or "Moth Forest" is home to multiple creatures including small moth like creatures called Yegyorns [Mist Moths] and the weasel-like creatures called Getaguna. Because of the poisonous Yegyorns the residents of Well Village strictly avoid this forest. This is the first place the party, unknowingly, treks through as they make their way to Well Village from the mouth of the cave.

### Well Village

A village in a warped circle, surrounded by a moat and a river. There are fourteen single-floor buildings of varying sizes. There is a plaza in the center of the village with a well at its center. Five buildings face the center plaza: blacksmith, mask shop, clothing and bag shop, grocery store, and sage Oubu’s lab.

Across the plaza is a large building made of piled stones with glass windows. Inside it is overflowing with many unique and different things that do not belong in Darunggar. Most notably is the doll “Kinuko” who is worshiped, along with the other foreign objects, by the villagers because she came from another world. Presumably all these items come from the original world of the Crimson Moon Solders as they seem familiar to Haruhiro’s team.

The inhabitants of Well village are descendants of Lumiaris' followers. However, while they do pass down legends on how she will one day return and bring light to Darunggar, they've mostly lost belief in those and, instead, worship otherworldly objects like the Kinuko dolls..

### Charcoal Burner's Home

A lone house in an opening in the forest North West of Well Village, across the river. There's nothing really noticeable there, only a small mountain hut-like shack, a kiln with a roof, a staple, and a charcoal shed, as well as great amounts of cut wood from the surrounding forest. It seems like the place is only inhabited by one Charcoal Burner, likely a member of the same species as Well Village's Blacksmith, who makes a living by selling his coal to Well Village and most likely other villages as 2 well-worn roads lead to his shack.

According to Unjo the Charcoal burner is quite friendly and there are no places safer than his home in these woods.

Finally, the kiln and the road which lead to it are apparently really old and have been used for a very long time.

### Sleeping Corpse Swamp

A swamp south of Well Village, because of the large number of corpses found inside the water, the party chose to name it Sleeping Corpse Swamp, the real name of the swamp if it has one is unknown.

The swamp is fairly easy to move as the water is only about 5 cm deeps in most place, it can however be treacherous as some places are much deeper while some are relatively hard. However, the swamp is still a dangerous place, first, the water is quite cold but the real danger comes from the large 4-eyed beast roaming the place and the poisonous snake lying in wait below the water, fortunately, it seems like both won't leave the swamp.

### City of the Dead Ones

A ruined city downstream the Lukewarm River, while it's ruined, a lot of buildings are still in a fairly good state and could be used for shelter, that is, if the city was filled with Dead Ones.

The city of the dead ones is larger than Well village and Haruhiro theorizes that tens of thousands of people likely once lived there. At the center stand a large ruined castle composed of one central tower surrounded by eight other towers. However out of those eight only three still stand tall as two have partially collapsed and three are completely gone. That castle has three entrances (two of which are back entrances) connected to three cobblestone roads going north, south, and west; connected to three plazas. Bizarrely those roads and plazas are empty and Dead Ones rarely come close to them.

* North: The north of the city is in a rather bad shape, a lot of buildings are partially destroyed, and the closer to the Lukewarm river they are the most destroy they are.
* South: By contrast, the south of the city is still mostly intact. Some buildings, in the East, are even in good enough shape that they could still be used as housing, if they weren't infested with Dead Ones, that is.
* East: The eastern half of the city is rather dangerous as heavy fog from the Lukewarm river makes it incredibly hard to see, something some Dead Ones have caught on as they use the poor visibility to ambush preys.
* West: By comparison, the Western side of the city is rather safe, and the remains of what looks to have been warehouses or the marketplace in the Northwest make for great hunting grounds.

Similarly, the threat posed by the Dead Ones varies across the city, their number and skill following opposite trends. With: numerous but weak Dead Ones inhabiting the Northeast, slightly stronger and less numerous ones living in the Northwest, then Southeast, and finally a small number of strong Dead Ones live in the Southwest.

That repartition isn't due to any agreed accord or organized decision but is a natural consequence of the way Dead Ones hunt and feed off each other. The Dead Ones are able to realize when they can't win so weak ones move to the Northwest: an area rich with similarly weak preys. However, once they have grown in power, they move on to hunt better prey in the Northwest, then the Southeast, before maybe one day standing at the top of the food chain in the Southwest. Moreover, as they get more powerful, the Dead ones tend to become more on more crafty and use throwing weapons and ambushes, making the Southwest especially dangerous.

### Steep Mountains

A large mountain range northwest of Well village, it's close enough to be visible in the distance from the within the western forest.

### Herbesit

The town of Herbesit is a three-day trip west of Well Village. It is a very dangerous town where in the vast majority of Herbesit, the provocations, violence, and robbery go on without end. While the side streets are better, they are filled with the injured and the beggars. Haruhiro’s team is warned not to touch anything as deadly diseases are not uncommon.

Herbesit is divided up into territories controlled by gangs. Central Herbesit is Garafan’s (sharp claw) territory, Western Herbesit is Jagma’s (great storm), and Eastern Herbesit is Skullhellgs’ (the children of Skullhell). In the Old Town of Herbesit there are underground aqueducts and graveyards that are controlled by the Zeran (the scholars).

### Zetesidona

Past some farms just outside of Herbesit "The Field of Bones" was apparently an old battlefield where the forces of Lumiaris and Skullhell once waged an intense battle, and some great power had caused the death of tens of thousands.

### Alluja

A large ruined city, big enough that it takes a whole day to cross it. According to some theories Alluja was once a great city but was destroyed when the war between Lumiaris and Skullhell started.

### Waluandin

An Orc city near the Fire Dragon Mountain, because of its proximity to the volcano, river of lava run through the whole city. The city is in fact built around those lava rivers and uses them as a light source, a source of heat (notably for metalwork), and as a defensive measure since the whole city is surrounded by one of the rivers. Most houses are carved out of boulders and two-story-high with the first one partially underground plus, probably as a way to shield the inhabitants from the heat, houses are built facing away from the lava.

The city is surrounded by numerous farming villages providing food to the main city by raising pig-worm-like creatures. The city is also close to a mine which provides the ores used by the metal workshop.

From what was shown in Level. 7, it seems like Waluandin is one of the most prosperous and stable cities in Darunggar. Unlike most other places, the city is in a good state, the inhabitants aren't aggressive (between themselves that is), there are enough resources for a festival, and plenty of children can be seen around town. Moreover, it seems like the orcs don't worship Lumiaris nor Skullhell; as the conflict between their religions is one of the biggest sources of instability in that world, worshipping the Fire Dragon instead of one of the 2, is probably a big reason behind Waluandin's prosperity.

### Dendoro River

A reddish-brown river passing through Zetesidona ("the field of bones") and Alluja. Despite being not being a particularly large river at around 10 meters in width, it can't be easily crossed as it's quite deep with a swift current. Moreover, while there are bridges, they are few and far between, and some are in terrible shape. Like the one at the frontier between Zetesidona and Alluja, where all that remains are the piers and girders but none of the planks making it no better than a log bridge.

### Western Forest

A forest west of Well Village on the way to Herbesit. The western forest is home to numerous dangerous beasts many of them dangerously clever, fortunately, it's possible to keep them at bay using a special bell. The forest is also home to the Durzois, a tribe of proud and deadly hunters, however, if left alone they usually won't interact with travelers.

### Fire Dragon Mountain

A volcano situated between the or territory of Waluandin and the passage to Grimgar. As the name implies the mountain is home to at least one fire dragon, worshiped by the Orcs living nearby, and who attack most who venture into his territory. While the volcano is definitely active as it produces large amounts of magma, it doesn't seem prone to violent eruption as the cities nearby are prosperous.

## Inhabitants

### Orc

The orcs of darunggar are seemingly identical to the ones found in Grimgar, down to their name, in fact Unjo theorize that Darunggar could very well be their home world. Like in Grimgar, the orcs here are about at smart as human but bigger and a bit more aggressive. One difference between the orcs of the 2 worlds though, could be their sizes as Haruhiro notes that even the farmers seem bigger than the soldiers they had fought in Deadhead Watching Keep.

We only really known of one settlement: Waluandin, a city near the Fire Dragon Mountain and the passage to Grimgar. Probably because their city is built just next to its territory, the orcs of Waluandin worship a fire dragon. As such their culture, from architecture to craft, is filled with Dragon motifs. They also sometimes hold big festivals where dragon models on sticks are paraded around the city and the orcs offer one of their own as a sacrifice to the beast. However, from what was shown, it doesn't seem like the one chosen as the sacrifice is forced into that role, in fact, it seems to be an honor. Finally, the Orcs consider the Dragon's territory as sacred ground and won't trespass into it, except for one (maybe more) priest/monk who lives on the mountain.

### Durzoi

The Durzoi or "old ones" are a race of proud hunters living in autarky in the western forest. They look human-like but have four arms and are known to be great hunters, able to hide in the forest so well that finding them is almost impossible, and deadly with a bow.

While the Durzois are fairly territorial and will intimidate/test those who come into their forest, they won't attack if the intruders don't act aggressively or try to steal one of their prey. If they're displeased, however, they become vengeful and incredibly dangerous.

The Durzoi primarily hunt Vaguls, a large carnivorous beast from the western forest.

### Rubicia's race *(unnamed)*

A race of humanoid living in Draunggar, they look almost human but their skin is white to the point of being almost translucent (which could only be of Darunggar lack of light), their eyes have no white and look like glass balls, and they have 3 gill-like slits on each cheek. Those "gill" seem to be used to breathe as they are continuously slightly opening and closing.

### Giant Crabs *(unnamed)*

A race of intelligent man-sized crab, their appearance is left mostly undescribed but we do know that they're able to wear some form of mask leaving only his eyes stalks sticking out. From the fact that they're able to talk and have appendages mobile enough to cook, it's likely that many parts of their body aren't crab-like.

Based on the one individual that Team Haruhiro encounter (Well village's grocer), they seem to have a good temper and to be open to new people. To the point that, despite his strange appearance, Haruhiro comes to really like them and develops a good relationship with the Team.

### Other civilized races

Darunggar is home to numerous races, many of whom where only shown in passing:

- Lionmen

- Bullmen

- Bearmen

-Child-like slave

### Dead Ones

The dead ones are a diverse group of creatures living in the city of the dead ones, while they aren't really dead they do resemble undead or zombies in some way as they don't feel pain and need to be completely killed (by destroying their heart or head) to be stoped. However, they do need to eat and will sleep from time to time. Dead Ones come into a multitude of forms, most of them are at least somewhat humanoid, but not all. The only physical trait they all have in common being their white eyes which look like they are filled with some type of cloudy liquid.

While they do wear armor and carry weapons, they act more like animals than people and don't seem to have any form or culture. In fact, Dead Ones never work together and will actively attack other Dead Ones, prioritizing others of their kind over any other target. When 2 Dead Ones fight, the winner then eats the weaker one, consuming their flesh and taking for themselves any equipment or black coins.

However, despite that savage attitude, Dead Ones are still intelligent enough to avoid unwinnable fights, look for better hunting groups, and lay traps.

The Dead ones are actually the descendant of some of Skullhell's followers, they now eat and kill one another while praying for the destruction of everything. However, we don't know what made them Dead Ones nor how new Dead Ones appears.

## Fauna

### Pigworms-looking creatures *(unnamed)*

Larges caterpillars-like creatures raised by the Orcs of Waluandin, Haruhiro remarques that they look a bit like the pigworms he saw in the Cyrene Mines. Considering that Waluandin is right next to the passage to Grimgar (although there's a fire dragon between the 2) and that the Orcs can be found in both worlds, those unnamed beasts and the pigworms could actually be related.

### Vaguls

Vaguls are large carnivorous beasts inhabiting the Western Forest, like other species from the forest they can be kept at bay by ringing a special bell. Vaguls are the main prey of the Durzois, a humanoid species from the same forest.

### Siddas and Wepongs

Two undescribed species of beasts from the Western Forest, both are known to be fairly intelligent and dangerous as they use different but clever tactics to take advantage of their preys' openings. Fortunately, like most beasts from that forest they can be kept at bay using a special bell.

### Gaugais *(Inuzarus)*

Gaugais are a species of animals found all over Darunggar, they look like a mix between a dog and a monkey which is why Team Haruhiro originally called them "Inuzarus" or "dog-monkey". However, most of their body is monkey-like while only the head is dog-like, they're covered in brown/black fur and have a tail.

Gaugais live and hunt in groups using their speed and agility, both on the ground and in trees, to ambush their prey. Fortunately, they're rather small and not that powerful, moreover, they're quick to flee if they start to lose a fight.

Gaugais can be tamed and seem to be used similarly to dog by Darunggar inhabitants.

Gaugais' meat is edible but doesn't have much of a taste unless they're quickly bled and cook with a lot of strong herbs and salt. Gaugais themselves are omnivorous but their favorite food is a species of small weasel-like creatures called getagunas.

Wild Gaugais (at least the ones living in the Western Forest) can be kept at bay by ringing a special bell, it's unknown if that bell also affects tamed gaugais.

### Yegyorns

Yegyorns or "mist moths", are a species of poisonous moths living in Adunyeg (or "Moth Forest") and in the Western forest (but in smaller numbers). Yegyorns are the size of the tip of a baby finger making them almost impossible to see in the dark forests of Darunggar. Their poison isn't that powerful and most people could shrug off the bite of one, however, they live in large colonies, and when one bite, you can expect hundreds more to be nearby. Yegyorns hunt by swarming their prey and knocking them out with their venom at which point Getagunas, a species of small weasel-like beasts from the same forest, will finish off the prey and eat the innards while the moths drink the blood. Finally, the yegyorns lay eggs in what is left of the prey, the rotten flesh sustaining the larvas before they can emerge as moths.

Yegyorns are incredibly dangerous and most people will avoid their territory, in fact, they're so dangerous that even when only one or two yegyorns wander near Well village, the whole settlement panics. The one species they don't attack are the getagunas, who are immune to their venom anyways, and the two seem to have a mutualistic or at least commensalistic relationship.

Unlike many of the dangerous beasts living in Darunggar's forests, it seems like the Yegyorns can't be repelled using a special bell.

### Getagunas

Getagunas are little weasel-like predators. They're the only known species to be immune to Yegyorns' poisons, in fact, the moths don't even try to attack them and the two species hunt together: When a prey wander in the moths' hunting ground they will use their venom to paralyze it, after that the getagunas will kill it and devour the innards while the yegyorns drink the blood and use what's left of the corpse as a breeding ground for their larvas.

Getagunas are Gaugais' favorite meal, likely making them their main predator as most species know how dangerous Yegyorns are, on the other hand, getagunas' main prey seem to be Tobachi.

### Tobachi

Todachi, meaning "nasty" or "hard to deal with" in one of Darunggar's languages, is a collective name used to refer to a number of dangerous carnivorous beasts specializing in ambushes that live along the river near passing through Adunyeg and Well Village. As their name implies, they're part of the reason why locals avoid the area upstream, however, Tobachi aren't safer there than anyone else and regularly fall prey to Yegyorns and Getagunas.

### *Four-eyed beast* (unnamed)

Larges black beast with four shinning-yellow eyes inhabiting Sleeping Corpse Swamp, not much is known about them, not even their name, leading Team Haruhiro to refer to them as Four-eyed Beasts. They look somewhat like a wolf or a dog but are much bigger, their shoulders being 2 meters above the ground, their torso about 3 meters long, and they have a tail at least 2 meters long.

They're fairly dangerous, mainly because of how quick and agile they are despite their size, while also being powerful enough to send even Kuzaku flying. Moreover, they're really resistant as even 2 Lighting spells from Shihoru and a dagger in the neck from Haruhiro wasn't enough to kill one of them, despite the dagger acting as a lighting rode for the second spell.

That said while they do seem to attack those who wander into the swamp, even in fairly large groups, they aren't that aggressive and seem relatively quickly to flee if the fight isn't going well.

### *Swamp snakes* *(unnamed)*

A species of snake-like creatures living in large numbers in the waters of Corpse Swamps, that species' name is still unknown (if it has one).

They live in large number bellow the water surface (it's unknown if they breathe water or air) and attack preys which come too close by swarming and biting them. Their venom is fairly quick to take effects and was strong enough to make Ranta collapse and start to convulse in a matter of minutes. Thankfully it seems like the "snakes" will stop chasing preys who leave the swamp and their venom can be cured using light magic. However, it's possible that victims will still experience some after-effects even after having been cured as Ranta claimed to still have nausea, a headache, and a stomachache. That said, it's unclear if he was lying or just exaggerating symptoms which could have been stronger had he not been cured so quickly.

### *Western Forest Worms* (unnamed)

Worm/intestine-looking creatures living in a large group in the Western Forest (It's unknown if there's more than one group). They're probably somewhat rare as even Unjo had no idea what those were and the one time they appeared in volume 7 was at night and they are completely gone by morning.

The worms are long, about as thick as an arm, and live in a very large group (maybe more). While they don't seem to be dangerous alone, as a group they're able to pull prey who come close enough, engulfing them in their mass, and immobilized them by wrapping around their arms and legs with enough force to completely incapacitate even someone like Ranta.

### Fire Dragon

A dark red dragon leaving in the volcano near the passage between Darunggar and Grimgar, aptly named Fire Dragon Mountain, we know for sure that there's at least one of them but some characters theorize that they could be more. Probably because they live right next to his territory, the Orcs of Waluandin worship the Fire Dragon and offer it sacrifices during big festivals.

The Fire dragon looks like a gigantic lizard, but unlike those, while it moves on four legs the front ones seem dexterous enough to be used as hands. Its body is lean and covered by reddish lustrous scales with a long tail, a fairly long neck, and a small head, at least relative to its size, considering that the maw is still large enough to swallow a human whole. Despite its size, it doesn't look slow-witted and its muscular rear legs make it anything but slow. Its exact size is unknown, and while the fire Dragon is undeniably a huge creature, Haruhiro does say that unlike something like the Giant God of the Dusk Realm, it's still on a human scale.

However, the Fire Dragon's most noticeable characteristic isn't his size or even its fire breath, hot enough to melt rocks, it's his aura. Just viewing it was enough to put Team Haruhiro in a state of both terror and awe, shocking them to the point that they almost didn't react when it started to attack them. In fact, Haruhiro remark that even compared to something like the Giant god, the Dragon still felt special and that after seeing it he completely understood why the Orcs of Waluandin worship it.

Finally, the sacrifices performed by the Orcs must be working in some ways, as it doesn't seem like the Dragon is attacking their city (at least not recently) despite its relative proximity. Instead, the Dragon's main source of food seems to be the numerous Salamanders living alongside it in the volcano, that said, it does attack and eat, other species when they wander in its territory.

### Salamander

Salamander are lizard-like creatures living in large numbers in the lava of the volcano near the passage to Grimgar. They're described as "clumps of molten lava in the shape of lizards", making them almost indistinguishable from the lava they live in as long as they stay immobile.

While they're usually not aggressive, salamanders will still attack creatures that come too close to the lava and will feed on Orcs and Humans. In turn, Salamanders seems to be the main food source of the fire Dragon living in that volcano.

### Logoks

Logoks are tree people found in Alluja. They have a humanoid body with a stump-like torso and arms-and-legs-like branches. Logoks are incredibly resilient, quoting Unjo: "Logoks don't die" they need to be smashed into pieces small enough that they can't move anymore. Because of that, while Logoks are fairly awkward moving and overall not really dangerous, they're still annoying to deal with especially since they tend to live in larges groups (more than forty).

Thankfully there's an effective way to avoid having to deal with them: burning a dried Logok's branch, as the smell will repel other Logoks. However, that's far from being a perfect solution as the smell is pretty bad and, more importantly, it attracts Nivles who, while easier to deal with, are also way more dangerous.

Nivles seem to be Logoks main predators, at least Logoks are their main prey.

### Nivles

Nivles are dragons-like animals that can be found in Alluja. They look like giant lizards, or crocodiles, between 3 and 4 meters long but less than a meter tall, moreover males have a crest which seems to be linked to their attitude as males with a bigger and more flashy crest are more aggressive. Nivles mainly feed on Logoks but consider humans to be way more appetizing prey and will therefore hunt any they found for as long as it takes, making them really dangerous.

Nivles are great ambush and stalk predators, able to silently sneak on their prey before using their poison bite to kill them. Moreover, most nivles are quite clever and will wait for the perfect opportunity before attacking, on that aspect, females are more dangerous as males tend to rely on front-attacks more frequently especially the ones with bigger crests. Fortunately, they don't hunt in groups.

Finally, nivles' meat is edible and palatable, and their hides can be sold for a good price but are quite bulky.

### Skards

Skards are large almost flightless carrion birds living in Zetesidona ("the field of bones"), they resemble crows but have way more powerful legs which compensate for the fact that they're almost incapable to fly.

While they're first described as carrion birds, it does mean that Skards don't hunt. Quite the opposite as they're known to use their powerful legs to charge at prey with the goals of sending them flying into one of the numerous deep piles of bones covering the plain if they succeed they then pecked the immobilized prey to death.

Moreover, they're aggressive enough to attack groups of armed humans making them a serious hazard for travelers.

### Gujis

Gujis are creatures similar to baggers that look like a mix between a monkey and a bear. They dig dens (about a meter in diameter) in which they live in groups of up to 10 individuals. They're known to be very aggressive against those who intrude on their dens, attacking in group and defending it with their life.

Gujis are technically edible but muscly and their meat is particularly tough, however, if cooked long enough the meat softens and it's possible to make them into a pretty good stew.

## Trivia

* Divine magic works but only at 1/3 of its usual power and effectiveness.