Murandesh

Geography

Nestled between the Tempest Ocean and the Eternal Range lies a land full of dense, tropical forest and murky swamps known by the indigenous people as Murandesh. This region is roughly 200,000 square miles in size, kept fed and lush by the many rivers and deltas produced by runoffs from the imposing mountains. The 3,000 miles of coastal territory that is plagued by many ships brought to ruin by the unwavering storms and hurricanes of that given credence to the Tempest Ocean’s namesake.

Due to the hostile environment brought on from the Tempest Ocean, and the lowland climate of Murandesh, the only true season within the Western Province is hot seasons and hurricane season, forcing many of its native inhabitants to reside on the Eastern side of the Amawrak River.

History

The Murandai is a name given to the indigenous people of Murandesh by themselves as a whole, and the only translation Decusian scholars can assert it to is simply: “The People”. These people, although slightly different from one another in their sub-cultural ways, hold very similar appearances anatomically, and also see themselves as children of a single set of gods; due to this they trade openly with one another, at least until recent times. Due to the invasion of the Venerated Republic, the relationships between the various cultural groups that make up the whole body of the Murandai have been in a hard place, due to each group having their own political views on the encroachment of Republic on their long held lands.

As a collective whole, the Venerated Republic view the inhabitants of Murandesh as primitive sacrilegious creatures, due to their lack of developed city infrastructure, primitive beliefs in paganistic entities, the lack of written lore, and finally the open practice of cannibalism as a societal right. Many people from the lands East of Prodai and the Eternal Range view the indigenous people from Murandesh as just above the status of animals, useful for nothing more than manual labor.

However, upon closer review, these people have a rich culture that is unique to its people and not experienced elsewhere in Vitaveus, or in Watanga, the turtle whom we live on the back of, according to the Murandai.

Torment

The Murandai simply view the torment as an “outlanders curse”, a boon of their false man god and his conquerors to bring the true people to their knees, as they are forced to harken the calls of the grand witch, Decus.  Due to their cultural views on magic, they see no difference in the Resolve and the Republic, to them, they are one in the same, both figuratively and even culturally.  As many in Murandesh only speak local obscure languages and dialects that vary between tribal bands, they have no true grasp of the “common tongue”, therefore, Republic and Resolve even lexically sound the same, therefore are in context, the same.  This is further supported in their eyes as members of the Consortium, bearing numbered robes and the Venerated banners of the Republic utilize the evil of magic at their very whims, against the indigenous people of Murandesh.

The VIC have made numerous attempts to seize the region and to purge the more nomadic bands, however, due to the harsh environment, weapons and armor made of iron are highly susceptible to rust, along with the difficult terrain in which the Republic has struggled with topographically mapping and developing a sound large scale assault on such a mobile, reclusive and minimalistic group.  As the VIC struggle with these indigenous people, they also have to battle the efforts of the Torment; the Du’Mela and Lani tribes view this as the Republic is losing its control over its magics, and the Mother Goddess turning their physical embodiments of witchery and sin, against their creators.

Points of Interest

Amawrak Rainforest

The Amawrak Rainforest, named after the great river which runs through it, covers most of the Amawrak Basin in Muradesh. This tropical rainforest holds the most-varied species of plants, animals, and insects found within Vitaveus. It is so verdant with undiscovered life, that explorers may easily walk from their expeditions with a new creature or plant named after them.

The dense foliage of this rainforest hides many secrets, and it is unwilling to give them up. Ruins of ancient civilizations lay buried beneath silt and tangled vines. Great deposits of precious minerals hide beneath the trees. This rainforest also holds the highest number of unindoctrinated tribes throughout Vitaveus; a number estimated to be about 67. Many Decusians have attempted to bring our faith to these heretics, but none have ever returned.

Amawrak River

The Amawrak River is the greatest river of Muradesh and the largest drainage system, by volume of its flow, of Vitaveus. The total length of the river, measured by its headwaters in Sulastas to the Tempest Ocean, is at least 4,000 miles. The vast basin it runs though holds the most tributaries and widest floodplains of Vitaveus.

According to heretical tribes of the Murandai, Murdadesh was once as dry and arid as its neighbor Prodai. During a particularly dry season, these ancient people prayed to whom they believed to be their great creator, known as Whakikoero, for relief. Their prayers were answered by the appearance of the great serpent Amawrak. The serpent burrowed into the earth, causing great tremors, and created passageways to channel rainwater from the raging storms of Sulastas. From these crevices sprung a deluge of freshwater, which gave rise to the fertile marshes and forests of Muradesh.

Inspirations and Influences

The Amazon Rainforest. Purutu, Taruca, and Amaru are common for those hailing from Murandesh