Kahraman
Overview
The mountains of Kahraman rise from the great grasslands of Soroche to the south and the Mournwold to the north. It's a treacherous land of broken rock and barren mountainside. Fast-flowing streams spill down deep jagged-edged valleys. There's precious little in the way of vegetation, only scrub that clings to the slopes. However, there are riches in the mountains; here the Freeborn find precious bametals and minerals, often as sediment lying in the streambeds. Scattered settlements shelter in the valleys, with the remains of stone fortresses and watchtowers decaying on the heights above, remnants from the days before Empire when the Freeborn warred with the Marches.
To the south of the mountains of Kahraman lie sweeping grass plains, a seemingly desolate landscape dotted with strange rock formations shaped by the wind. Here the Freeborn graze the bulk of their herds of goats and sheep. The wind from the west, the Delés, is constant and bitingly cold at night. As a result, for shelter, Freeborn communities settle in bowl-shaped depressions cut from the earth, their tents sunk below the plains surface.
The families of Kahraman have a somewhat undeserved reputation for being quarrelsome; as a response, the Freeborn established the post of Dhomiro of the Cinnabar Hills to help mediate their disputes and to encourage trade between the sometimes quite isolated settlements here. The Dhomiro is an Imperial title that is appointed each Autumn by Freeborn citizens who control fleet personal resources.
Recent History
Since Liathaven and the Mournwold fell into the hands of the Jotun barbarians, there has been an increase in raids by orcs from the north. The Freeborn maintain vital trade routes and communications with the Navarr holdouts in Beacon Point.
Major Features
The Gilded Peak
The mountain that separates the valley of Briante and the ancient stronghold of Fort Braydon bears a most peculiar summit, which at sunset or dawn gleams as if the rock is made of gold. The mountain is treacherous, and no-one has yet achieved it, although many have tried. “Climbing the Gilded Peak” has passed into local parlance as a phrase meaning “a fool’s dream”.
The Northern Peaks
The mountains along the northern borders of Kahraman are the home of several vicious clans of orc barbarians. Descended from mine working slaves who revolted during the orc rebellion, they refused all overtures from the Empire and expressed no interest in becoming Imperial orcs. Rather they created out-of-the-way strongholds for themselves and proceeded to prey on travelers and poorly defended caravans. Most of their spite was reserved for traders trying to cross the mountains to Liathaven, but in the years since they went rogue they have launched more than one concerted attack on a mining camp or northern village. The Empire would very much like to deal with them permanently, but they are like weeds - when one group is put down, another springs up a few years later to claim it's territory.
The Great Mine of Briante
At the heart of the mining settlement of Briante is the great mine that shares it's name. Perhaps the deepest mine in the Empire, it has been dug deeper and deeper over the centuries to excavate the precious mithril that is found deep underground.
This is an Imperial Bourse position. It is allocated to any Imperial citizen by open auction. It produces 22 Imperial wains of mithril every season.
The Damation Cliffs
The Cliffs are located near Damata and are well protected with a sequence of fortifications to guard the approach. Damation granite is flecked with silver marks although these are purely cosmetic and do not lessen its value.
The Damation Cliffs are an Imperial Bourse position. It is allocated to any Imperial citizen by open auction. It produces 27 Imperial wains of white granite every season.
Regions
Braydon's Jasse
The valeys of Braydon's Jasse are home to many small mining villages and the isolated homes of Freeborn families who value their privacy. The most famous feature of the Jasse is Fort Braydon, an old fortress dating from the days before the Marchers, when the Brass Coast kept watch against the barbarians and the Feni. The recent barbarian incursions have led to the the rebuilding of its walls and strengthening of its defenses. (OOC Note: Fort Braydon is a rank 1 fortification).
Gambit
Wide, arid plains characterise Gambit - named because every venture begun there is said to run a little extra risk but offer a little extra profit. Sunk into a natural depression in the rock-slopes that mark the southern limits of the Kahraman mountains is Rojota. Surrounded by goat-farming land, it is a hard place to scratch a living. Its fame is for a peculiar method of foretelling the future. Precious - for the Brass Coast - scraps of wood are left to weather in dust blown by the Delés and interpreted by sutannir skilled in such matters.
Jade Range
The Jade Range takes its names both from the rich deposits of tempest jade in the hills, and from the dark, rich colouration of it's grassy plains, kept lush by great underground aquifers. The grazing here is good, nearly a match for that of the Great Grasses in Madruga or the Sorbal Grasses of Segura. The plains are spotted with settlements, the largest of which is probably Nestor’s Bounty, named for a scrivener who made a vast fortune writing contracts for the sale of rich claims found in the hills. As with Briante, this town is well-known for its mines, particularly precious stones and tempest jade.
Serra Briante
This hilly region is named for the Briante valley and the town that shares the same name. Surrounded by rich open-cast mines, Briante is now home for a number of displaced Navarr steadings, pushed out of Liathaven by the Jotun incursions. The town still maintains the Navarr beacons that once allowed the inhabitants of southern Liathaven to maintain simple communication with their northern neighbours - as well as provide early warnings of potential attacks from western lands outside the Empire. The Briante lies at the heart of the valley.
Keywords: Hilly
Serra Damata
One of the most important settlements in the Serra Damata is the town from which the region takes it's name - Damata. A trading centre for the surrounding peaks, where rich deposits of orichalcum are still found, Damata is famed for its walls, every metre of which is covered in finely calligraphed script, recording stories that have been told amongst the Freeborn for generations. One day, they say, there will be no more room for writing, and then the town will perish, its life written. In the meantime, Dawnish troubadors and Winterfolk scops alike travel for some distance to learn the stories on the walls of Damata. The Damation Cliffs, a valuable Imperial Bourse seat, are found near Damatia.
Keywords: Rugged
OOC Notes
- All the regions of Kahraman are in the hands of the Brass Coast (and by extension the Empire).
- Fort Braydon is a rank 1 fortification.