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Teramer

Teramer, Western Territories

“Land of Black Shores and Zealots”

Geography

Teramer lies against the Northwestern edge of Vitaveus, butted up against the cold and dreadful Caddoch Sea and the Tempest Ocean.  Its shores are an anomaly to many that first land upon them and gaze towards their ebony colored sands. The most devoted of Decusians believe that these sands are stained with the sins of Teramer’s inhabitants, of whom taint the very lands they walk upon.  The winds from the Caddoch Sea, coupled with the currents of the Tempest Ocean bring with forth a harsh and perpetual rain that turns to ice and snow from Warmwind to Dewfall. Trees are minimal in the lands of Teramer, and thus, wooden effects and trinkets are prized as gifts strictly for those who bear a higher status amongst Teramerian society.  Most of the settlements, cities and villages within Teramer are nestled within the Southern reaches of the province, pushed up against the Godspine Mountains. Teramer is a brutal, unforgiving land, and its’ spawn possess personalities much the same.

History

Historically speaking, the people of Teramer, known as Teramerians, are a stout and hearty people of light colored hair and very fair skin, with shorter limbs and stocky frames.  As a whole, their communities were nomadic with centralized settlements that they had gravitated towards during the harsher snow seasons. Their clans and tribes had taken to herding elk and reindeer, of which provided them with a vast quantity of hides and meats, and are the main resource they thrived off of alongside mining communities that exist along the southeastern borders and the Godspine Mountains. Teramer’s hills are still rich with iron deposits, and as such, most of their settlements were formed out of rock and iron, as the scarcity of wood is saved for more ceremonial effigies and for people in positions of power and recognition.  Trade in the past was conducted with the people of Kaduraas prior to the Reckoning, but now, post-Torment, the landscapes of Kaduraas are a ruin and its surviving people now despise those of Teramer for imagined betrayals.

Traditional Teramerians remain closely knit in modern times, with a singular cultural identity, no matter how far away its members may travel from the Southern settlements.  Be it of their own devices, or to simply lead the herds further north in the warmer months, Teramerians are still a part of the Clan no matter how far they may travel from Teramer’s black sands.  They are a matriarchal people, their clans structured around the All-Mother, the eldest woman in the clan who also bears the longest lineage of Teramerian offspring. A common Teramerian saying is “From the womb bears our lineage, and to it we give homage”. This simple phrase sheds light upon the Teramerian stance of the All-Mother and her importance to the Clan’s wellbeing; acting as both the giver of life and the rule of law for the clans as they interact with one another.

While largely independent in the years leading up to the Reckoning, Teramer fell for a time under the purview of Collatia, acting as one of many subjects that greased the cogs of the ancient Western power.  Due to their smaller population they were easily routed and brought into the heretical dominion by the larger and more imposing nation. Due to their limited natural resources, Collatia demanded exorbitant amounts of hides and pelts from the Teramer herds, along with working some of the Southern settlements into exhaustion for their iron deposits to fuel their city-state.  At times, Teramerian settlements would act as the scapegoats for the Collatians, of whom would reave and raid these settlements of their livestock, iron stores, and even of women if they felt their demands were not being met to fuel the already engorged bellies of the Dynasty. These acts, of which compiled over many generations, would leave a lasting impact upon the Teramerian people, of whom would ultimately look for any opportunity to see themselves one day looking down upon Collatia as it fell into the sea.

When the Reckoning began and the armies of the Decusian peoples descended upon the lands of the Collatian Dynasty, a better staging point for their naval forces was sorely needed. Traversing large cohorts and legions across the Godspine would have seen a vast number of their forces dwindled before setting down upon Collatia due to its hazardous peaks and harsh winters. Teramer offered a place for the Decusians to sweep down upon their heretical foes in the name of their God and Savior, and to do so from a staging point that offered little resistance to their efforts; for small bands of nomadic people such as the Teramerians would be easily quelled if they attempted to rise against the Republic.  What the Decusians had not been prepared for was that the fact that the Teramerians quickly, and almost fervently, warmed to the Decusians occupation and arrival of their massive armies.

For the Decusian invaders were not seen as enemies to Teramer, but as royalty blessed themselves by the Gods, for they sailed upon large ships far beyond anything the Teramerians could have ever imagined.  Instead of rebuking these conquerors, they instead opened their lands to them along with their mines, offering the Republic a means of supplying itself on the front-lines of its Holy War as well as providing a vital staging point that would play a pivotal role in striking down the Western Collatian serpents.  As the Western nations fell under the Legion’s and Templar’s swords, many of the Collatian Old Dynasty vowed to pay vengeance upon the Teramer people for their insolence and perceived betrayal.

In more modern history, the Venerated Republic would continue to maintain its outposts and over-watch of the province, taking full use of the mines and the deep reserves they offered in iron and precious minerals.  Due to the region being home to the Warbishop Naum Alexandrov himself, Teramer boasts a large Inquisition presence within the capital city of Aleksandrov, named after the Bishop himself. In fact, Teramer is responsible in providing to the Republic upwards of twenty-five percent of the Inquisition’s yearly recruits, whom are regarded to be some of the most physically conditioned and imposing men and women throughout the entire known continent of Vitaveus. Due to Alexandrov’s ascension to one of the highest stations in all of the Republic, Teramerians regard him as a figure of high regard (and at times, even legend). Because of this fanaticism, Teramerians are fiercely dedicated to serving the Church in whatever martial capacity they can, be it through the Inquisition, Templar, or even the Apothecary Corps. It is said that nearly all of Teramerian youth culture is fixated upon this facet of life, so much so that formal education in Teramerian is often neglected to favor that of physical conditioning, martial training and other related disciplines.

Becoming One with the Flame

The introduction of burning the dead is something new to most inhabitants of Vitaveus, however, its roots stem from Teramer culture long before the time of the Torment.  Due to the permafrost that takes to most of the soil in Teramer, bodies were ill suited to be buried, due to inevitably being summoned forth from the cold ground within a couple years of being interred.  This natural act of resurfacing the dead no doubt brought many contagion and disease upon the locals in Teramer. As such, no one is buried in the entirety of the territory, their bodies are burned en-mass when enough of the dead pile up within their honored walls to offset the cost and rarity of lumber; coal is often used to propel the flames where wood may be in short supply, or the dead number many lowborn or criminal folk.

As of late, this practice is now widely used to dispatch the dead in other parts of the Republic, and given a much more symbolic meaning as the fallen is said to be returning to the Flame from which man once came.

Torment

The Torment is a problem for all, and although it is not as prevalent within the settlements dotted about the landscape in Teramer, it has however seeped within the soil and the wildlife, where droves of reindeer herds and elk farms have been brought to disease and ruin.  Farming and the impact to the Teramerian wildlife has left an impact on the already small population of Teramer, and due to this rampant and deadly disease, many have taken to becoming refugees in other lands, daring to trek over the Godspine and the Republican ramparts that dot it to find safety within its embrace.  The people of Teramer believe the Torment is a curse placed upon them by the Old Dynasty of Collatia for their role in their ultimate demise at the hands of the Decusians, however, those Teramerians who leave their homelands to other parts of the world are quite shocked to see that this sentiment is also shared by others outside of Teramer’s lands, albeit somewhat rarely.

Logistically speaking, nearly 70% of Teramer is currently considered Blackland and lost to the blight of the Torment. Only the most southeastern villages of Teramer that line the foothills of the Galehorn mountains, along with the mega-city of Aleksandrov, remain “held” by the Republic, and only because of the fierce fanaticism of the zealot Teramerians that still serve the Republic. Venturing any farther than a day’s ride from the Galehorn is a fool’s errand, with those embarking on such a quest never being seen nor heard from again. The remaining holdouts of Republic power within Teramer suffer from nightmarish conditions, and are subjected to constant and harrowing battles against the afflicted and Tormented whom roam the Western Territories in great, unmitigated hordes. Not surprisingly, however, is the unbridled and near-psychotic lust that many Teramerians hold in regards to their current forsaken predicament.

Points of Interest

Muldr Mine

A large mine within the Galehorn Mountains, Muldr Mine was a major excavation site known for its mineral deposits that became a vital operation for the Republic post-reckoning.  The mine however became abandoned sometime after 1313, when the Torment began to ooze forth across Vitaveus, bringing death and suffering to all it touched.

 

Aleksandrov

The largest Municipality within Teramer, Aleksandrov is home to the largest Decusian Cathedral and subsequent Templar and Inquisition garrisons in the entire region. Due to being built into the face of the Galehorn peaks, it remains a vestige of power within the Western Territories and Blacklands of Teramer proper.  Of particular interest to those from both Teramer and tourists is that it is also the birthplace of Naum Alexandrov, Warbishop of the Venerated Republic, hence the origin of this impressive stone and iron city’s namesake.  His prestige is so well regarded in Teramer that many large wooden statues are erected in his honor and image along the rolling hills and in town squares.

Inspirations and Influences

Black Sand Beach – Iceland, Siberia, Russia. Traditional example names such as Artyom, Konstanin, Sasha and Nikita are common for those hailing from Teramer.