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ARAM
Named after the valley in which it sits, the Aram is a bustling city-state. Home to two academies and a massive library, its citizens benefit from education, along with the wealth of being a central rest stop along one of the continent's most busy trade routes.
Like many cities, Aram finds itself split into multiple districts.
Sikka Kadra
Here lie the Academies, situated on either side of the Whaghti library. This sprawling district consists of manicured lawns, buildings of soaring architecture, and, of course, the learned themselves. Perhaps the most wealthy part of the wealthy part of the city, it is patrolled heavily by guards hired by both the city, and the individual academies. All are welcome to visit Whaghti, and the academies host basic education for even the lowest of citizens.
Vijprak College
This is a college of the world, both natural and artificial; the workings of it, how to maintain it. Here, architecture may be taught alongside veterinary pursuits; agricultural management is commonly offered to farmers.
The building is massive, with large amounts of land behind it taken up by the housing of animals (livestock and wild) and the growing of plant life; greenhouses dot the property closest the main building. Research facilities may also be found in dungeon-like basements.
Scholars often are housed within the upper levels of Vijprak.
Academy of Rajan
Here are housed artists, the children of the wealthy, those who seek the highest of learning in things concerning things of cultural significance. Politics, cultural studies, classes on multitudes of languages. The halls are rarely not filled with music, the walls decorated by graduates and on-site artists alike.
Many a political leader has come from these nourishing halls.
The Bazaar
Marked by the loud hawking of wares and the murmur of the crowd (and, of course, the 'ca-caUP!' of opportunistic Cicaup birds), the bazaar is made up of canopied walkways surrounded by dense buildings and stalls. During all times of the day and evening, this sector is hard to traverse, with personal space unheard of within the thick push of traders, merchants, shoppers, and paupers.
Many permanent establishments are marked by the elaborate relief decorating their storefronts, while directly beside might be a lean-to or even a cart. These much less permanent pop-ups fight to keep the same space occupied day in and day out, though it is not uncommon for shops to shift from one end of the market to the other, repeatedly.
Anything can be bought or bartered for here: animals common and exotic; fresh foods and imported spices; silks from the East and salts from the West. Weapons of any kind, armours of any make. Warm bodies and cold. The only trick is to find it.
Temple Dehavi
Aramians follow the regional religion of Datama, and the temple found near the city center is dedicated specifically to the goddess of fortune and fertility, Geet, while paying homage to the remaining pantheon of goddesses and gods throughout the sanctuary.
Quarters have been made for services of foreign religions, welcoming with open arms the weary and homesick.
Gharn
Unlike the previous two districts, this one is only a few city blocks long and wide; but, whereas the bazaar and colleges are open to the public, this area is fortified and private. High walls protect this place, patrolled by Majda and Duntra. Outsiders are not permitted within.
Inside, a miniature village seems to have popped up, separate wholly from the city in taking care of its needs. Its purpose is to protect the rift within.
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Along the outskirts of Aram, dotting the cleared lands, are farms of many types. Cash crops, subsistence, and the raising of domesticated animals for various purposes being the main sights. The occasional home of one eccentric noble or other can also be seen.
Further down and up the river are multiple small fishing villages. At the inlet to the ocean is a sizable town.
The ocean itself has a smattering of islands, mostly small in size, but some occupied with villages of their own, though the people living further out on the larger islands tend to be of a different cultural structure than commonly seen inland.
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The Valley of Aram is located along major trade routes, within a region known as the Mhatubas.
To the West is the ancient, well traveled Navak mountain range. Some compare these to hills, as they are short and weathered, with rounded tops not even high enough to accumulate snow. Beyond this range is a small desert.
To the North - following the great river Agara - are other, smaller settlements.
To the East, a vast plain that gradually flows into thick jungle and other major settlements.
To the South, the river Agara empties into the Vanama Sea some 16 kilometers away.
The valley itself is mainly man-made grassland, with copses of jungle still existing further upstream. This side of the mountains, the air is thick and humid, and rain is common; floods come on a regular, yearly basis.
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ENVIRONMENT
Ecology
The ecology of the region is delicate and temperamental and can be difficult to predict as the elevation changes, however, Aram typically plays host to five “seasons.” Spring generally has mild weather.
Summers start out warm and grow to a blistering heat as the year wears on, until the begin of the monsoon season, which entails heavy rains. It is also when the skills of the area’s farmers are put to the test, as the monsoon season can make or break a crop very easily.
The monsoon season also carries hazards to non-farmers in the form of rot. Dampness can ruin wood structures and warp houses and break foundations. Clothing that is soaked may be destroyed by mildew. Flash floods can devastate anything too close, and in the aftermath of severe accidents, the water may be made toxic by detritus or dead animals caught in the river’s wake. The monsoon season also heralds the start of the breeding season for many biting insects.
Autumn is a well-deserved relief from the life-giving chaos of the monsoons. Autumn is heralded by cooler temperatures, and the year closes out with a mild winter that typically sees no snow, though nighttime temperatures can rarely cause frost. Trees in the forested areas will lose their leaves during this season and gathering becomes more difficult.
The higher altitude regions tend to receive more intense weather patterns as the shape of the rocks and cliffs traps air and water and causes unique weather patterns. Wind and dust storms may overtake an unwary traveler in the hotter seasons, and an under-prepared climber may even fall prey to cold in winter nights.
Despite this, the animals of Aram generally do not hibernate and therefore can be hunted year-round. Though the change of the seasons can be dramatic, the weather is typically pleasant for most of the year, even during the winters, and much day to day living can be accomplished outside.
Flora
Wild FloraThick trunk trees in the jungles choke out sunlight from above, leading to a sparse forest floor covered in plants that do not need much light, such as ferns, moss and mushrooms. Most of the thick greenery comes from the canopy, which is choked with parasitic vines and large leaves. Jungle areas are home to many rare flowers, useful as reagents or as ingredients in perfumes, but they must be collected carefully during certain times of year, as their blooming periods are short.
Where the river runs slowly enough through the wetland, mangrove trees are predominant, and their labyrinthine roots twist and curl and cover entire banks on either side of it. The roots are treacherous and may house lurking predators, or a tripping hazard, for anyone not used to navigating them.
Tall elephant grass and bamboo is common in less-dense forests, as are scattered clumps of evergreen trees the closer one gets to rocky hillsides, where the tougher plants dominate. Cedar is a common tree, often cut down for its aromatic wood that is believed to have protective properties. On the mountains themselves, plant life is sparse except for tough, short grass and bristlecone pines that can live for thousands of years if undisturbed. The oldest and largest of these trees may factor into local legends, history or geography, with some trees mentioned by name on official maps as landmarks. Bamboo grows quickly and easily, and is a very common and inexpensive building material.
CropsThe most common native fruiting trees would include dates, olives, and pomegranates. Dates are plentiful enough that every level of society can afford them as a snack. Olives are a valuable crop for making oil, which has many culinary and industrial uses. Plums are also available seasonally. Wheat can be grown on open plains, but frequent flooding in lower-lying areas leave it vulnerable to rot. Coffee is a popular crop in the area, though delicate to grow and prone to destruction by animals.
The most common cash-crop is the opium poppy. The prices of bread tend to fluctuate because of this: farmers who are upset at losing their wheat investment may turn to opium to recoup their losses. In bad years for wheat, the poorest of Aram will suffer without bread as their staple.
Aram’s importance in commerce affords it a fair amount of imports, so rare fruits such as oranges may be imported or even grown by enterprising merchants. The very rich or the very enterprising may even flaunt such rare treats as coca leaves (cocaine), bananas, or chocolate, grown in private gardens from outrageously expensive imports.
Fauna
WildlifeWarm, wet climates like Aram are home to an incredible variety of insects. As flowers bloom very seldom in the jungles, most insects get their sustenance from sources other than nectar. Butterflies and moths tend to be short-lived species but very colorful. Ants are a very common jungle sight, and while sugar ants are harmless (and even edible), fire ants can pack a deadly punch to one unlucky enough to step in their nests. Those in the desert are advised to beware of scorpions.
Parasitic worms, leeches, mosquitoes, and ticks are very common from the jungles and out onto the floodplain. Honey bees do exist in the cedar forests and along the mountainsides, but it is deadly work collecting honey from the wild bees. Honey, therefore, is something of a rare treat, though strides are being made at keeping colonies domestically.
Brightly colored pheasants and fowl are common in sparse forests and may be hunted for sport or for meat. Swallows are common and flock in huge numbers. Buzzards, vultures, and eagles are common over the plains. Owls and ravens are very rare sights and could be considered bad omens.
Many larger mammals have been eradicated near settlements. Animals that people are most likely to encounter are small and shy, such as jackals, langur monkeys, civets, mongoose, fruit bats, jackrabbits, lizards or snakes. Most snakes are harmless though the area is home to cobras. ‘Cobra charming’ is a form of street entertainment performed by those skilled enough to catch and de-fang one.
Jackals, civets and monkeys are considered pests because of their opportunistic scavenging on people’s crops or livestock.
Larger species of animals that were not hunted down for being a danger to people include marsh deer (males have long, sweeping antlers with few tines) water buffalo, blackbuck antelope and wild pigs.
The seldom seen larger predators of the region include tigers, leopards, pariah dogs, brown hyenas, wolves or cheetahs. Rarely, forest rhinos also wander through the region but tend to be quickly hunted out due to superstition regarding their horns. Small forest elephants are native to the region but have been almost entirely wiped out, save for in private menageries. The wealthy may flaunt their status by riding them.
The rivers are host to many dangerous animals including snapping turtles, crocodiles, and giant catfish, as well as smaller animals, turtles, and salamanders.
Domestic AnimalsDomestic animals include goats, sheep, cattle, dogs, cats, tame mongoose, and horses for those who can afford them.
Local legend
There are also local legends involving cryptid beasts, which have never been able to be found or captured by even the most skilled hunters. Such beasts include giant fruit bats or birds (large enough to carry off a grown man).
Occasionally there have been claims of a strange pale ‘mermaid’ in the rivers (likely a river dolphin) or of giant snakes. The plains and mountains are home to tales of the “karkadann,” a strange hybrid being of an ass and an antelope with a single horn on its head. Rumor has it that no karkadann has ever been successfully proven to exist not because it cannot be found, but because it is too dangerous and fierce to be caught.
Unsuccessful attempts have been made at locating the “ghost tiger,” a tiger described as having a white pelt and blue eyes, as well as locating alleged “were-beasts” of the region. What kind of were beast depends on who you ask, were tigers and were hyenas being the most common culprits.
