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Latest revision as of 19:02, 3 November 2024
This page was written for an earlier draft of the setting. It is no longer accurate or canon, but kept around to scavenge for ideas.
Mostegedda (pronounced moss-tuh-GEHD-dah) is a primarily catfolk region within the Taizzan Expanse, nestled into the Shields. Free-spirited yet communal, the catfolk here often set off to see the broader world as adventurers and explorers.
Geography, flora, and fauna
Located in the southeast Taizzan Expanse, Mostagedda is a dry, arid region of the world. Most of the landscape is rocky desert, habitable only to the hardy. Mostegedda is warm year-round, though with some variation based upon the month. Seasonal rains, carried by clouds that form over the Shields to the east, bring water to the harsh landscape, causing the desert flora to suddenly burst into colorful bloom.
Lake Hafir is the only major body of water within Mostagedda, though there are a number of small oases across the region. Both Lake Hafir and the Sai River that feeds it are quite low or completely dry for much of the year.
One of the more unique geographical features of Mostagedda are the hoodoos around Faras, Pedeme, and Mirgissa. Commonly referred to by locals as the Floodstacks, these formations serve as landmarks and spiritual sites for Mostegeddans that live nearby.
A variety of plants manage to survive within Mostagedda despite the dry conditions. Patchy grasses provide some sustenance for herbivores, as do small shrubs and cacti. Trees, including acacias, myrrh, and hanza, dot the landscape. Many plants, especially the grasses, die off entirely in the long dry season before coming back to life again with the rains.
Packs of hyenas wander the Taizzan Expanse, including within Mostagedda. Less widespread than the common hyena are dinocrocuta, their much larger and more dangerous cousins. Some gnoll tribes within and around Mostagedda tame these large creatures, using them as mounts and attack animals.
Antelopes, goats, and gazelles are some of the more common large animals of Mostagedda, including the scimitar oryx, markhor, and dama gazelle. Other animals that can be found in the desert and mountains include bats, hedgehogs, camels, jackals, peccaries, and jerboas.
Small numbers of karkadanns can be spotted within Mostagedda, though they generally avoid populated areas. The inhabitants of Mostagedda treat these creatures with respect, as they are capable of purging toxins from those afflicted - though often not without outlandish demands in return. Today, some adventurers hunt karkadanns for the medicinal properties of their horns, which has led to the magical creatures retreating farther into the Expanse.
Behirs are one of the most dangerous creatures of Mostagedda. Twelve-legged, blue-scaled reptiles, behirs are well suited for the desert highlands around the Shields. Behirs are somewhat intelligent, and some Mostageddan communities unlucky enough to be near a behir's home make arrangements with the creatures to prevent them from attacking.
Demographics
Catfolk make up the largest demographic within Mostagedda by quite a large margin. Humans, gnomes, ifrit, tieflings, and oreads account for much of the rest of the population. Mostagedda is also home to some of the southernmost communities of orcs who still maintain their traditional tribal structures. Mostageddan cities are quite small, with the largest, Mirgissa, home to around eight thousand inhabitants.
Nomadic gnoll tribes of the Taizzan Expanse often enter the region, but remain broadly separate from Mostageddan society.
A small number of jackalweres reside within Mostagedda as well, many of whom hide their second form and integrate into the cities and towns of the region.
Culture
Religion
The catfolk of Mostagedda do not, on the whole, give particular deference to major deities. Gods are sometimes prayed to pragmatically, if one believes doing so will provide an immediate advantage, but otherwise are seen as distant entities that are not very relevant to mortal life. Most Mostageddans practice a form of animism instead, giving deference to the spirits of ancestors, animals, plants, and natural phenomena. Small, austere shrines dot the arid landscape of Mostagedda, especially around the Floodstacks. Usually little more than small rocks stacked in aesthetically pleasing patterns, most of these shrines are personal to a particular individual, and dutifully maintained by them alone. Offerings are frequently left at these shrines in hopes that spirits will look favorably upon the individual.
Mostageddans that do feel the need to worship a deity usually choose to follow Qadesh or the other Khapeshan gods, or sometimes Marya of the Chaskan pantheon. Non-catfolk of Mostagedda generally worship the deities of the Chaskan pantheon as well.
Traditions
If one quality could sum up the population of Mostagedda, it would be their love for freedom. Catfolk families tend to allow their children to wander freely from a very young age, in order to let them explore the world on their own terms and learn from experience. If one gets into a dangerous situation, it is seen as a learning experience - at the very least, the catfolk child will know what not to do in the future.
A very disproportionate number of adventurers around the world are catfolk from Mostagedda. A desire to depart and see the broader world is the natural conclusion of the philosophy of freedom and whimsy that characterizes Mostageddan society, though most adventurers come and go from their desert homeland regularly.
Language
The predominant language in Mostagedda is Amurrun, the racial tongue of the catfolk. Even non-catfolk in the region frequently speak Amurrun as a first language. Common, Meroitic, and Telan are also widely understood, but generally only used when in conversation with outsiders to Mostagedda. Minority populations frequently use relevant racial languages as well.
Food and cuisine
Due to the relative lack of water and poor soil, Mostageddan agriculture centers around small, carefully maintained farms. Legumes are the staple crop of Mostagedda, alongside dates, apricots, hanza, prickly pears, and other crops that can grow well using inconsistent or low amounts of water. Underground reservoirs are used to store water from the seasonal rains, providing just enough irrigation for the rest of the year.
Animal agriculture is essentially nonexistent - meat is instead acquired from hunting. When herd animals approach watering holes in the rainy season, many Mostageddan hunters use that opportunity to acquire an excess that they then dry for use later in the year.
Magic
Mostageddan practitioners of magic are disproportionately druids. These druids are highly important to their communities in both spiritual and practical matters, as they are able to connect with, influence, and protect the natural world in ways that aid the nearby population. Shamans are likewise spiritually highly influential, giving advice and aid to those that seek their guidance. Many Mostageddans also train as bards, frequently bringing back new tales of their adventures.
Art
Rock gardens are common in Mostageddan towns, constructed both to be aesthetically pleasing and to serve as a meeting space. Rock cairns are frequently constructed, deconstructed, and reconstructed as part of these.
A small number of Mostageddan artists have devised a means of crafting statuary out of the local sandstone using only the natural force of water erosion. Some artists use directed, pressurized streams of water for this purpose, while others place their material in underground streams and let the flow of water do its work. Either way, this is an extremely time consuming process often spanning generations, and few works are completed in this manner.
In the westernmost parts of Mostagedda, where the seasonal rains do not reach, large geoglyphs can be found in the desert. Formed by overturning the soil to reveal the differently colored dirt underneath, these geoglyphs include both depictions of animals and abstract designs meant to evoke the spirits. Records indicate that Mostageddans have been building and maintaining these large artistic earthworks for millennia. While artistic in nature, these are religious in purpose first and foremost, meant to attract the favor of those they depict.
Architecture and urbanization
Homes and other buildings in Mostagedda are most commonly built of stone or mud brick, often around wooden frames for support. Buildings usually have flat roofs, and sometimes include linen or hide canopies to provide shade and cool the inhabitants. Windows are usually small and only face in the most common direction of wind flow. Thin cloth or hide are used to cover doors and windows, blocking direct sun but still allowing light and air to pass.
Mostageddan cities tend to be highly vertical, often built into hillsides or against cliffs. Streets in Mostageddan cities are typically very narrow and winding. Instead, ladders are used to provide roof access, with walkways between buildings used to navigate the community. In more vertically designed cities, entrances to many buildings are only reachable after going up multiple sets of ladders. Though roofs are considered effectively a common space, available to all for transit, many Mostageddan families also set up living, working, or sleeping spaces on top of their homes as well. These spaces become hubs of activity and light up at night once the sun has set and the air has cooled. Some but not all communities have exterior walls and tall, slanted watch towers.
Many larger buildings in Mostagedda include windcatchers as part of their design. These towers catch passing winds and divert them into the rest of the structure, cooling the interior. Some even direct air underground into subterranean streams, allowing the water to absorb the heat, before the air reemerges at a much more pleasant temperature.
Travel
There are very few defined roads between the communities of Mostagedda. Instead, markings or stacked rocks in the desert are used to mark frequently used routes. Travelers to Mostagedda who ask local residents for directions may expect to be given vague directions based on landmarks, instead of concrete instructions based on distance or location.
Caches of supplies are often left along longer or more dangerous routes between communities, placed there by previous travelers to assist those that may have need of extra provisions in the future. Traditionally, travelers should only take what they need from these and replenish them with whatever they can spare. These supply stashes are usually subtly marked, often with etchings carved into larger rocks. Caches most often contain not only dried food and sealed containers of water but also basic adventuring gear and sometimes even weapons. Young catfolk are trained how to spot these caches using similar markings and methods of hiding them within or near their hometowns. Unlike the caches in the desert, these don’t generally contain survival goods, but instead have small trinkets or treats to reward a job well done. There is still the expectation of replenishing these “training” caches.
Immigration
Catfolk come and go from Mostagedda quite regularly. The disproportionate number of adventurers from the region frequently return to share their discoveries and spoils with their families and communities before setting off once again. In general, there is little permanent immigration to Mostagedda, and the region's population has remained mostly stable for quite a long time.
Technology
Some towns within Mostagedda rely heavily upon extremely deep wells to provide water in the arid environment of the Taizzan expanse. These wells often use mechanical contraptions to greatly save labor in pulling the water up to the surface, or even to automate the process entirely. Individuals who understand the workings of these contraptions are referred to as well-tenders, and occupy a position of high status due to their central role in ensuring their communities can continue to thrive.
Education
There are few formal schools within Mostagedda. Most catfolk in the region learn from their families or from apprenticeships instead. It is not atypical to begin multiple apprenticeships before finding one's calling in life. Unlike in many other parts of their world in which apprenticeships are expected to last until completion, in Mostagedda this dabbling is fully expected and considered the correct way to determine a profession.
Occupations
Most Mostageddans are craftspeople of varying types, or even of multiple specializations at once. Mostageddan textiles and statuary in particular are quite renowned.
Fashion
Loose fitting garb using multiple light layers is the most common type of clothing in Mostagedda. Designed more for practicality than aesthetics, this clothing helps its wearer tolerate the arid desert conditions well, keeping the sun away while taking advantage of any wind. Everyday clothes tend to be rather drab, usually the colors of the desert, while formal clothing, or those intended for social occasions, are most often dyed bright, vibrant colors.
Sports
Especially among the young catfolk of Mostagedda, foot races are a popular form of entertainment and exercise. Usually charted across especially rough terrain, these races require participants to effectively navigate and use obstacles to their advantage. Children are encouraged to take part in this sport in order to build experience that could prove useful in evading dangers within the desert landscape.
Government
The region of Mostagedda is far more defined by a shared culture than by a government. The communities of Mostagedda do not have a formal structure of governance, instead relying on trusted figures appointed by consensus. These leaders are usually older women who posses some type of magical abilities, but any individual who has proven themselves wise and patient can find themselves nominated to these positions. These figures are relied upon to mediate disputes, serve as a representative of their community, and in general help ensure life goes smoothly and without unnecessary conflict. The catfolk of Mostagedda traditionally refer to these leaders as "queens", despite it not being in any sense a monarchy.
Especially among the catfolk of Mostagedda, it is not at all uncommon to simply leave and establish a new home elsewhere when in the face of danger or major disagreements.
Economy
Mostageddan communities are broadly self-sufficient, able to supply themselves with the majority of goods and resources they require. Trade with nearby cities, towns, and villages in the region helps account for anything that a community cannot produce on their own. Mostagedda does not have a great amount of discovered natural resources, and does not sit along major trade routes either. Due to these factors, the region is not well integrated into global trade networks. Luxury goods from elsewhere are mostly brought back to Mostagedda by returning adventurers.Template:CitiesMostagedda