Tin Ris

Language
 Currency
 Form of Government

Tin'Ris is a country located in the middle section of Nakti, bordering on the countries of Deldra, Rishdel, Zoniza, Issad and to the Verui Sea. It is home to the native species of the Funin.

## **Geography**

Tin’Ris features several geographical phenomena worth mentioning. First one being the presence of the seond largest mountain range on Nakti, Ranging from the borders of Rishdel through the whole of the east of the country and into the North-Eastern part of Issad. These mountains dominate the region with high steep peaks, deep valleys and the occasional volcano spread throughout.

Tin’Ris also hosts one of the hottest and driest deserts on Nakti, with annual levels of average precipitation often falling in the single digits. Temperatures in the desert in summer can reach as high as 54°C during the day in summer and as low as -5°C at night in winter with a change in temperature in one day averaging between 15 and 20°C, with extremes reaching 30 degrees change in the space of 24 hours.

Going further towards the coast, temperatures mellow down and changes are less extreme, creating an environment more hospitable to flora and fauna. Tin’Ris’s only river flows from the western edge of the mountainrange through the planes down to the coast. Highly seasonal, the river is fed by rare rainfall in the mountains and melting ice and snow from the higher peaks after winter. As such, the river is at its strongest late in spring and early summer with being nearly completely dry later in summer and during most of autumn.

### **Mountains**

The second largest mountain range on Nakti has been a source of fear, dread and great wealth and success since early history. Rockslides, avalanches and earthquakes are common and many travellers find routes through the mountains previously thought safe suddenly blocked off or completely disappeared. Of the few bridges ever built, even fewer remain and those that do suffer from wear and old age.

The presence of large ruins in the mountains suggests that at one point the mountains themselves were home to some creatures long gone, some of the rubble covered in ash, rockslides or engulfed by hardened streams of lava. Little remains of whatever civilisation once lived there though some roads still exist and are still in use by whoever dares to traverse the mountains.

### **Subterranean caverns**

Tin'Ris also plays host to large caverns, typically located in the desert and close to the mountains. These caverns are generally created by underground water systems, rivers flowing through the ground and underground lakes. These caverns form a great source of water in the desert and the rivers associated with them are the source of all water used by the Funin settlements in the desert. Most of these caverns are hidden and remain hidden. The ones that are found however are usually found when Funin settle in the desert and start digging down for a water well. This can lead to fatalities as the caverns can be very large and deep indeed, or without a way of getting out the family members are stuck inside until they either find another way out or die.

Several times a year, usually following the rains in the mountains, flash floods occur in most of these caverns, catching visitors and natives by surprise. For this reason most Funin do not enter the caverns unless absolutely necessary, and use a bucket and rope mechanism to get their water.

## **The Funin**

Tin’Ris is the home of the Funin, who as cold-blooded creatures thrive in the heat of the desert. Settlements are few and far between, growing denser the closer to the coast and closer to the mountains, with the second largest being [insert town name 1] sitting on the river delta close to the coast. The city features basic docks, markets and guest facilities to house visitors and traders on business.

The largest city in Tin’Ris is Drakin, located on the slopes on the edge of the mountains. Many living in and near the city focus on mining of two of the more common materials in the mountains: iron and coal. Lucky miners can find themselves occasionally digging up pockets of salt, silver, diamonds and gold, bringing them great wealth at great risk. Blacksmiths are common in Drakin owing due to the large availability of iron, specializing in the creation of utensils, hammers, swords and basic armour. A lot of the greatest master smiths, including the most well-known of the Funin, make their home in Drakin, practising their art and teaching new pupils while enjoying great wealth from international trade.

Many of the settlements in the desert are collections of houses belonging to a single family of Funin, hunting local animals for food and harvesting the local flora for everything else required for survival. Extremely deep wells offer access to ground water that provides the family with all water required for drinking, cooking and washing.

The largest settlement in the desert is owned by one particular family that fell on good fortune after discovering a large underground set of caverns, reaching several kilometres in all directions, giving direct access to clean drinking water in abundance as well as offering chances for explorers to practice their profession. The settlement has grown to nearly 3 times the size of regular desert settlements due to this reason and is a known destination for tourists. For its small size, it also hosts the highest death rate for its population, mostly from explorers going missing, falling to their deaths on the steep decline into the caverns or drowning in one of the flash floods occurring in early summer. Death by starvation is a unusually common cause of death. Due to the scarcity of food in the region, the master family of the settlement keeps most of the food for itself, expecting visiting travellers to bring their own food or pay a very steep price for their provisions.

### **Politics**

The Funin have a decentralized government system, following the mantra of ‘each to his/her own’. Governments are limited to the cities and areas directly surrounding them, including the mountains which the Funin consider their territory. While traders are accepted within most cities and villages, none should consider themselves safer within the walls of a
 city than outside. Skirmishes are frequent anywhere multiple Funin meet and are not limited just among themselves, any who come too close can fall victim. These skirmishes do not often harm the Funin but can be fatal to outsiders.

Even
 though the government is decentralized, there are some general points at which there is agreement between all city leaders, mainly based on old religious texts. Murder is not a capital offence (but is punishable), committing any crime against a single person leaves you open to retribution from that person AND his/her family, genders are treated equally (she will just as eagerly put a gash on your arm as he will) and the ruins in the mountains must not be touched by them or any outsiders.

### **Religion**

Much like with politics, religion within the Funin is divided and fragmented. However, many of the basic aspects of the [insert religion name] remain the same everywhere suggesting a single origin for the religion and the species as a whole.

The [insert religion name] speaks of a species of lizard that once inhabited the mountains. In their eyes they had to be cruel to be kind and subjugated the Funin and given them strict rules to follow or face divine punishment. Many stories are told within the book of [insert religion name], referring to acts of generosity and kindness as well as cruelty, bloody conflict and people being made example of.

The most famous of these stories is the story of [insert random person name], a common worker, who stole from his master in order to feed himself and his family. The acts of [insert same random name] displeased the masters and they had him and his family taken to a public location. Tied together to poles they were shown in shame and disgrace for upsetting their masters. One of the holy masters came forward and held a speech about pride and honour and that theft was an insult to all that
embodied the Funin. Finishing his speech he turned around with a grand motion and with a wave of his hand, set the man and his family in flames.

This story is intended to remind everyone what happens when the gods are displeased, urging them to remain obedient or face horrible death, even in the face of certain death by starvation. Oddly, this story has not inspired local leaders and governments to implement punishment against theft. No-one really knows why.