One to two weeks travel from Sobra, a church stands at the border between the farmed and inhabited hill country and the desert beyond. Some soldiers garrison here, keeping the seasonal bandits and reptile folk raiders from the nearby gold mines and farmlands. Being the last outpost before the desert, merchants stop here frequently and it’s a nice stop for caravans traveling overland between Sobra and anywhere else. Priests of Ferali and Pyrrhus both cohabit the structure, as it stands on the edge of a baked desert and ocean coastline, sacred locations for each faith.
The place doesn’t really have a name, just being referred to as “the church on the coast” by most people in the area. As the only sacred building shared by the clerics of these two gods, it’s unique enough that everyone knows what and where it is.
Hunting and farming here are less than subsidence levels so most of the food comes from the sea. Since the Church isn’t a trade center and port, the fishing is done in small boats and they never go far from the shore. There is a small industry in herb and plant gathering here in both spring and fall, as several desert plants are valued by inhabitants of Kynafir for both medicinal resources and cooking.
Residents discourage travelers from trying to navigate the desert alone as bandits and raiders are common hazards in addition to the usual dangers of desert travel.
Inspiration
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University article on Desert Plants
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All the languages in and near Kyanfir developed from the old empire of Mano-Ade where the main language was Iuze. Influenced by distance and various nomadic tribes, each country eventually developed its own form and dialect. The Church of the Thirteen Gods uses classical Iuze in both written and spoken liturgy, providing a common language for translation and trade.
Most in Kyanfir speak a dialect known as Hezrei, influenced by the pirate nomads that raid the middle of the country each winter and the coastal cities each summer who speak a gutteral tongue called Dzek. Those near Nuray may be fluent in Ibuil and Jannasberre has a considerable number of Ihreun speakers from Kai-Alti. Only scholars speak Ierae, the most common language of the elven barbarians, and Enel of the nomadic Reptile Folk.
Physical Description: This large lizard has long, lithe legs legs with a long, muscular tail. Hanthurin have a brownish gray body with bumpy skin. They stand 6 feet at the withers and are almost 12 feet long, including the tail. Omnivorous, they have sharp canines like cats as well as molars.
Ecology: Hanthurin are found in and around all the great deserts of Valiant. Their habitat has open plains, little tree cover and very hot long dry spells where the ground temperature can be up to 150 degrees. Hanthurin will sometimes Read More »
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“Slightly taller than Humans, Reptile Folk prefer scrubland on the edges of deserts. Their nomadic lifestyle and natural armor has made them terrific hunters and trackers. This innate protection also supports their belief that they are superior to all other life in the world.” - Excerpt D6 Fantasy
The People, as they call themselves, are nomadic pastoralists who herd animals on the edges of the great deserts of Valiant all over the world, and a large part of their material and social culture is related to the needs of these animals. They rely on the management of herd animals for their primary products of meat and skin, and for their secondary products such as wool or hair, milk, blood, dung, traction, and transport.
The People are ogranized into Read More »
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Valiant has about 400 million intelligent beings altogether and is currently in a period of expansion. The current worldwide growth rate is about 0.48%. Humans make up the majority of this at 60% of the total population with a 0.67% growth rate, dwarves 13% and 0.43%, elves 12% and 0.23%, reptile folk 9% and 0.52% and beastmen 7% and 0.50%. There are a thin scattering of other intelligent races but they are so widespread and thinly populated that numbers aren’t available.
By far the majority live on the central landmasses close to the equator where it’s possible to grow food all year around. These populations account for Read More »
Hunting and farming here are less than subsidence levels so most of the food comes from the sea. Since the Church isn’t a trade center and port, the fishing is done in small boats and they never go far from the shore. There is a small industry in herb and plant gathering here in both spring and fall, as several desert plants are valued by inhabitants of Kynafir for both medicinal resources and cooking.
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