North Tharxax¶
North Tharxax is a relatively small region in western Drehmal. It forms the northern part of the broader Tharxax Plains, whose name is derived from a Maelmari corruption of "Tharhan", the ancient name for the local land and people.
Geography¶
North Tharxax blends into the similar but larger South Tharxax region to the south. It also borders Nimahj Swamp to the west, across the River Salah, and the Ebony Veldt to the north. The Burnt Mountains separate the region from Capital Valley to the east.
North Tharxax has a temperate environment, and its landscape is dominated by grasslands and woods of oak and acacia, including a swampy strip of wooded land stretching across its southern border. The region is also characterized by its high plateaus with steep, brown-and-orange striped cliffs.
The line between North and South Tharxax is open to interpretation, but the swamp at approximately Z=2450 and the river at Z=2130 are candidates.
Environmental Sub-Regions:
- Oak woods with podzol in north
- Swampy acacia and oak woods in south
The castle-town of Fort Nimahj stands on a cliff edge overlooking the River Salah on the region's western border.
History¶
The fertile land along the River Salah was settled in the earliest days of Av2 by tribespeople who survived the Felling of the Primal Tree. Kingdoms emerged, and eventually the First Tharhan Empire formed. When it collapsed, yielding six kingdoms, North Tharxax came under the rule of the Kingdoms of Nimahj and possibly Loraga (depending on where one draws the line between North and South Tharxax).
Following the War of Unification between the Tharhan kingdoms, the Casain Empire, and Caer Adacia, the latter victoriously established the Second Tharhan Empire, which ruled the region for almost two centuries. Power was then handed to Avsohm, and North Tharxax was provincially governed by House Silar, based at Fort Nimahj. Under Avsohm's reign, local people did hard labor in the region's fields, but they also received new technology that improved quality of life.
After the empire's fall, Tharhan experienced a surge of anti-Avsohmic sentiment, and the land was seized by Maelihs during the Dune Wars. The land remained under his empire's control for most of the Third Avihm, up until the Battle for Drehmal, although Fort Nimahj itself never fell. The Maelmari were driven out by Insohmic forces. The Order of Insohm may have then allocated the territory to its own member states.
Insohm soon dissolved, and Maelihs's armies set out to reclaim their lands. Fort Nimahj has successfully resisted their attempts to capture it until the present day, and the struggle is most likely still ongoing, judging by the Maelmari camps in the area.
Regional Map¶
Regional Map (sold by Adventuring Merchant in Fort Nimahj):
Terminus Tower¶
The North Tharxax tower.
North Tharxax's Terminus tower is situated on elevated ground east-northeast of Fort Nimahj. It is located within the ruins of a small, square, stone castle, with the partially-intact keep sheltering the tower's bottom half. There are no hostile entities present.
Coordinates: (X: -1357, Y: 210, Z: 1772)
Points of Interest¶
Fort Nimahj¶
Fort Nimahj is a fortified settlement and market atop a cliff in the region's west. It was likely built as a military stronghold by the kingdom of Nimahj in the mid-Second Avihm. Over history, it changed hands between the Second Tharhan Empire, Avsohm (serving as House Silar's capital), Maelihs, and Insohm. Unlike the surrounding land, Fort Nimahj has so far managed to hold off Maelihs's invasions, and it appears that battles are still actively being fought. It is also the only center of Virtuo's faith in the West. Despite Fort Nimahj's independence, there is no clear central authority in the fort or surrounding land.
Coordinates: (X: -1676, Y: 157, Z: 1887)
Maelmari Encampment¶
A camp of Maelmari enemies is located south of Fort Nimahj and across a river, holding the Skullhammer artifact.
Coordinates: (X: -1660, Y: 66, Z: 2236)