Skepimos

**O Phuv le Skepimasko** (The Land of Survivors), or **Skepimos**, more colloquially known as **Erkin Ýerler** (The Free Lands) by the Ofieris, **Ard Ganoob** (The Southern Lands) by the Hannuans, and **Ardhi Kati** (The Lands in Between) by the Zangvebarians, is a region composed of a set of kingdoms, independent nations, and city-states located in the Far South of the Old Continent, between the north of Ofir and the south of Hannu. It is inhabited mostly by the human group known as Doma. Although this classification is somewhat incorrect, as they do not refer to themselves in this way, this name was given by the people of Ofir during the time of the Oshan Empire. While the Doma share common ancestors, they are so diverse that they cannot be classified within a single human group.

They have a long tradition of trade with neighbouring countries outside their region, as well as with territories such as Melukka and as far, as south Bia Thin. They have even come to trade with territories of the Northern Kingdoms, such as Cidaris or Kerack, with some of them venturing into the interior of the Northern Kingdoms and becoming traveling merchants or entertainment caravan companies.

The knowledge of the Skepimos region for the Nordlings, until the mid-16th century, would remain in a state similar to that of sites like Ofir, Zangvebar, or Barsa in the 13th century and earlier. In other words, it was quite unknown to the Nordlings, with information limited to accounts told by traders from the region, tales from the nomadic Malaki (although these became distorted over time), second-hand stories from other Far South traders, or tales from individuals like the witcher Putnam Pitch and the bard Jezkier, as they passed through the region to reach Ofir shortly before embarking on the rescue of the kidnapped princess Nurshah in 1278.

The most reliable source of information for the Nordlings until the mentioned century came from the mage and explorer Finn Thordvison, a friend of the scholar Markus Hohlenberg. Finn visited the kingdom of Karaciya and, for a time, served as an advisor to its king, learning a great deal about its culture and history, as well as insights into the region. This allowed Markus, upon Finn's return, to develop the theory that Nilfgaard and the Far South were one landmass joined due to an isthmus made up of deserts and savannas.

## Origins

Like many other human groups in the world, such as the Tuyotukians, the origins of the people who would become inhabitants of Skepimos are lost in the distant past and shrouded by legends. According to the limited truths found in the foundational myths shared by the various groups in the region, along with some ancient records from Ofieris and Hannuans, it is believed that they originated from Melukka, more specifically, from Eastern Melukka and what would later become the Parth Empire. They were expelled by their then-king, who used them as scapegoats during a time of hardship.

Subsequently, they attempted to settle in other places in Melukka, but the misplaced notoriety they had gained spread, leading to their expulsion from every place they went, almost as if under a curse. Eventually, they became nomads with various trades until they crossed the sea and arrived in what would later become Ofir by then, mostly dominated by the Oshan Empire. They managed to settle and prosper for a longer time than during their journey through different countries in the Melukka region. However, they were eventually expelled for reasons similar to their expulsion from Parth, compelling them to march north as punishment to the frontier with Hannu, with many perishing in the process, and where the Oshan emperors believed they would meet their end.

Nevertheless, it eventually became their home, where they thrived and, over time, gave rise to numerous kingdoms, nation-states, and city-states, forming the region of Skepimos. Its name, "O Phuv le Skepimasko" (The Land of Survivors), later shortened to Skepimos,it is said to honor those who survived the arduous journey. On the other hand, the name by which all these human groups would be grouped, Dorma, is believed to come from Oshantwi and was incorporated into Ofieri, and it would originally referring to a type of musicians belonging to these groups that existed in the Oshan Empire and were highly renowned before their expulsion.

For its part, the name Erkin Ýerler (The Free Lands) would arise because, during the various wars that occurred in Ofir, many people sought refuge in this region to ensure their safety, calling it a land "free of war." Meanwhile, the names Ard Ganoob (The Southern Lands) given by the Hannuans and Ardhi Kati (The Lands in Between) given by the Zangvebarians would be derived from its geographical position.

## Known territories

### City-states

* Gajugi
* Obaxtan
* Trasnevia

### Confederations

* Olashonar
* Onarkorko
* Xasarnar

### Kingdoms

* Emashkar
* Imajshukar
* Karaciya

### Republics

* Bulaya
* Mallaka
* Moriya
* Onarar

## Some Human Groups Erroneously Classified as Doma

*For the full list of every human group present in Skepimos, see Category:Human Groups in Skepimos.*

* Cambazi: It refers to a human group known in Ofir and Hannu for their mastery of horses and as followers of Alkhamsa, the Ofieri goddess of horses. Probably influenced because their territory borders the north of Ofir.
* Dermici: Refers to the human group that came into contact with the Northern Kingdoms. This name originated from the first commercial communications, due to a translation error. In the language of this group, *dermici* means trader.
	+ Malaki: A subgroup of the Dermici, its name is a word adopted from the Standard Ofieri, meaning *Messenger* or *My Messenger*. Probably adopted since they often tell tales from the region of Skepimos, or that they collected during their travels, almost always with a moral or message, being "messengers" of that morals. They are the group present in the Northern Kingdoms, dedicated to itinerant entertainment.

* Gurbeti: One of the main groups inhabiting Skepimos, with some populations settling in the north and east of Ofir. Its name comes from Standard Ofieri and means 'local,' as over time, they mixed with the people from that area and integrated.
* Jugi: Refers to the human group that came into contact with lands as distant as Zerrikania and southern Bia Thin.

* Karaci: Refers to the human group within the Skepimos region that practices the same religion as the runewrighters, possibly influenced by the proximity of the Gurbeti territory.
* Zinti: Refers to the group of people who, with the onset of the Nordling colonial era in the late 14th century, began trading with Fabiola and the Silk Islands, with some settling in those territories.

## Trivia

* The region of Skepimos, as already said in the Far South article, is inspired by the diverse Romani people with some touchs of the Jewish people.
* Ard Ganoob means "Southern Lands" in Egyptian Arabic.
* Ardhi Kati means "The Lands in Between" in Swahili.
* Bulaya, Mallaka and Moriya are a reference to three of the earliest republics that existed in history.
* Emashkar comes from the phrase **E phuv mashkar** meaning *"The Land in Between"* in Standard Romani.
* **Erkin Ýerler** means "The Free Lands" in Turkmen.
* Gajugi comes from the phrase **Gae le Jugi** meaning *"Home of the Jugi"* in Standard Romani.
* Imajshukar comes from the phrase **I maj shukar**, meaning *"The most beautiful"* in Standard Romani.
* Karaciya comes from the phrase **E podarka le Karacieski** meaning *"The gift for the Karaci*" in Standard Romani.
* Obaxtan comes from the phrase **O kher le baxtantonge** meaning *"The Home of the Seagulls"* in Standard Romani.
* Olashonar comes from the phrase **O lasho narodo** meaning *"The good people"* in Standard Romani.
* Onarar comes from the phrase **O narodo le artenge** meaning "People of the arts in Standard Romani.
* Trasnevia comes from the phras**e Tras nevia** meaning *"New home"* in Standard Romani.
* Xasarnar comes from the phrase **O xasardo narodo** meaning *"The lost people"* in Standard Romani.