The Scourgelands are an almost uninhabited region on the southern coast of the Chaska Sea. Many have lived within the Scourgelands at one point or another. Once the domain of ancient elves, more recently settlers from the eastern and northern coasts of the Chaska Sea founded small cities and towns here. Today it is almost completely abandoned after the appearance of a strange type of insectoid creature.
Geography, flora, and fauna
Until about one and a half centuries ago, the Qutai Plains and surrounding forests were known as a bountiful land. The region teemed with wildlife, both magical and otherwise. It was this temperate and peaceful nature that initially led colonists from Hellea and the eastern coast of the Chaska Sea to these lands.
Today, much has changed. The settlements are depopulated ghost towns, and even many of the animals that used to live in the area are now gone. Aside from the noises of insects and other small creatures, the entire region is eerily quiet. Gone are the deer and other large mammals of the forests, and the bison herds of the grasslands.
The native wildlife of the region is still recovering from the emergence of the Scourge. Their origins are poorly understood, with the first recorded sighting of a swarm of giant insects near Nettle Hills in Y6822. Since then, sightings expanded outwards rapidly. Wherever these creatures were seen, they quickly devoured all other creatures they came across. Towns in the region soon dwindled and depopulated - sometimes from not evacuating in time, but more and more frequently out of fear. After sweeping over the land, the swarms of the Scourge disappeared as quickly as they arrived.
The land is as fertile as ever however. Despite the slight deforestation of the initial settlement of the area, the forests have more than recovered and have begun encroaching farther south, into what is now Nionegrast. The grasslands of the Qutai Plains are expansive - it was somewhat notorious for causing explorers to become lost, as the vastness of the tall grass and sunflowers provide few landmarks with which to navigate.
The coastlines were once known for the many schools of fish that could be found there. This has not changed, but few are brave enough to venture too close.
To the west, the grasslands and forests are separated from the Sangora Desolation and other arid regions by the Kheldezir Hills. Remote and dry, rumors of precious metals within still draw some that are particularly brave or foolish.
History
Timeline
- Pre-colonization - At some point in the distant past, these lands were home to an elven population of a fairly significant size. Though long gone, surprisingly well preserved remnants of their society remain, mostly concentrated in the forests south and west of the Rokola River. No modern elven population draws a connection between themselves and this ancient civilization - what happened to them is unknown.
- Y6744 - The first modern settlement in the area, Mellima, was founded at the mouth of the Rokola River by colonists out of the Tirione city of Tirzah. Mellima served as the first port of arrival for most new inhabitants, docking there before moving inland or along the coast.
- Y6744 - Y6829 - Colonization continues. By the middle of the 69th century, around 11,000 people lived in the area.
- 16 Gozran Y6829 - First sighting of the Scourge near Nettle Hills.
- 4 Erastus Y6830 - The population of Nettle Hills stops stops sending regular mail to nearby towns. Expeditions sent to investigate find bones stripped of all flesh, accounting for almost all of the roughly 550 humans and dwarves that lived there. Over the next month, smaller settlements around Nettle Hills suffer the same fate. Swarms of giant insects begin to appear throughout the region, devouring all they encountered.
- 16 Irorus Y6830 - New Chersion, home to 1,200 and the second largest city in the area, goes dark. Ships with only the remains of their crews drifted south down the coast, prompting more investigations. Those that are sent to explore are quickly driven away by lingering swarms of the Scourge creatures.
- 9 Rova Y6930 to 20 Pharast Y6831 - A mass migration out of the settlements began, aided by further rumors, some true and some not, of other disappearing towns. Mellima was the last to be fully abandoned, as the docks remained operational for long enough to assist the evacuation.
- Present - Few still remain in what is now termed the Scourgelands. A handful of individuals can be found in remote inland locations, some pirates make their bases on the coasts, and occasionally scavengers can be found within the coastal cities. Among pirate crews of the Chaska, a common punishment for serious crimes is to maroon the miscreant in a remote part of the coast.
Demographics
Almost no one lives within the Scourgelands today. Outside of a small number of hermits and druids inland, and small pirate outposts on the coast, the region is otherwise entirely depopulated. The few new inhabitants that do arrive tend to be desperate and fleeing something worse than the fates that might meet them here.
Culture
At one time, this area was a unique melting pot of peoples and cultures, primarily seafarers from the eastern Chaska and colonists from Hellea. Traditions, cultures, and religions mixed with the material realities of settling the area. Settlers were generally not well-off and valued their independence highly, as unlike the nearby Nionegrast and Argengrast this colonization was not a state-sponsored affair.
Many settlements had small shrines and altars, usually to the common pantheon of deities - worship of Desna in particular was quite widespread.
The structures that still stand in and around old settlements tend to be architecturally quite simple, usually made using simple techniques and materials like wood and stone. The area was not settled for long, and most towns kept a rustic appearance until their demise.
Government
The Scourgelands have no government.
Economy
The Scourgelands have no economy.
Relations
Nionegrast, and therefore Tirione as well, holds an interest in expanding into the Scourgelands. However, this has not progressed beyond talk and plans that have yet to go anywhere; the internal politics of Nionegrast have so far hampered any serious effort.
Aside from small independent expeditions that rarely return, nobody else has much to do with the Scourge - probably a wise choice.