Playable?: Yes

Basic Information

Etymology of Name

Other Names

Dune Sea
Empty Land
The Raj
Burning Lands

At a Glance

Millenia ago, Draavos was a land of plenty, filled with verdant tropical forests and teeming with animals. But the climate changed. Some say that the Dark One found a way to drain life from the land in order to power his vile schemes and give birth to his shadowy servants.

Others say that the winds changed in accordance with some poorly understood natural cycle, and so rains ceased falling upon the countryside. For whatever reason, the tropics became a vast, dry desert filled with shifting sands, dotted by a few precious Oases.

Geography & Geology

Size

Land Area: TBD
Coastline: TBD

Location & Borders

Borders

North: Sask (northwest corner), Falcor, Helheim (northeast corner)
South: Velatian Sea
East: Great Rift (due east), Rán's Lament (northeast strait)
West: Kingdom of Brydd and Blackrock Mountains

Climate

Arid Desert: Draavos is located in the rain-shadow of several high mountain ranges which has left the land dry and mostly barren.
Yearly Rainfall: 0.39 inches
Average Temperatures: 100.4° F to 116° F, the temperature can drop drastically at night during the cooler months of the year.

Terrain

In the west, as you descend from the Vasshire Reach, the foothills are steep, rocky, and barren dotted here and there with scrub brush and cactus. As you travel east, the scrub lands become a sandy desert with massive, high dunes and little to no signs of plant-life.

Throughout the sandy desert region are outcrops of circular or semi-circular rocks or low stony ridges. These are the remnants of long extinct, collapsed volcanic craters that harken back to the regions geographically active past. These stony outcrops usually surround areas where natural aquifers bubble to the surface creating oases.

Geology

Draavos is mostly geologically stable, especially in the west and northern regions. In the northeast, near the Great Rift, there is an area of active seismology due to the rifting of the two landmasses (Cailleach and Vaalbara). This takes place as mild to medium earthquakes with the rare major quake (7.5 magnitude or higher).

Due to the many extinct volcanic fissures and ancient craters that now lay far underground, fresh water has managed to percolate upwards creating a vast underground aquifer.

Water

In Draavos, water is wealth and water is life. The only easily accessible sources of water are the Oases. These are guarded and where human settlements have formed. Draavosi do not have to drill very deep to find healthy supplies of fresh, cold water due to the massive underlying aquifer. However, drilling through the hard bedrock that lies beneath the sands is a major feat especially in the constantly shifting sands.

Culture & Population

Governance

Independent City Kingdoms, each ruled by a king (Raj)
Some Nomadic Tribes: Bedu

Population Centers

Al-Ador
Others: TBD

Common Races/Species

Race Name: Draavosi, Bedu (Nomadic Traders)
Other Race Names: Dune Bandits (Brydd's term)
Estimated Total Population: <500K
95%: Humans (Murians - indigenous Aereth humans)
5%: Other (Sídhe, Drakeri)

Overview

The simple tribal people who once occupied Draavos were forced to adapt in order to survive in the new, harsh conditions. It is said that some went West, either crossing the mountains or using simple boats to go West along the coast. It may be that such people became the Bryddians we know today.

Others congregated among the Oases in order to survive. They built communities there, and eventually vast cities. Each city is ruled by its own King, or Raj, and each operates according to its own rules and customs. The resources and industry of each city vary, with each using whatever is available to them in order to survive. Even the smallest of these cities have tens of thousands of residents. The largest hold hundreds of thousands, and are among the most populous cities in the world. Most of these cities are older than the oldest dwellings of Brydd, some having survived multiple conquests, revolutions, and natural disasters. The cities of Draavos are monuments of life embedded in a landscape of death.

A few hunter-gatherers eschewed the cities and became wandering traders. These nomadic tribes, called the Bedu, operate in Draavos to this day. Their camel caravans are the cultural link between the city-states of Draavos, exchanging the products of the various cities for the coin of the various cities, and even trading beyond the edge of the Dune Sea with foreign nations. The Bedu are more than merchants. They are the Rangers of the Sands, and must contend with not only the harsh climate but also the strange beasts who have learned to thrive in the deep desert. Beasts who will savagely attack you merely to obtain the moisture of your body.

With a resource as precious as water, the Oases are highly coveted positions, and a long history of war exists in the Draavosi lands between the various city-states. The only time in living memory that the Draavosi set aside their distrust and animosity towards each other was when a nobleman from Brydd came across to the city of Al-Ador and stole away the Raj’s daughter. This act so offended the Draavosi that they united in war against Brydd. A war that ultimately failed.

In Draavos, no tool or advantage can be eschewed in the quest for survival and domination. Hence, magic is embraced and treasured, with various cities and sacred orders rising up around the promise that magic brings. This has been especially prominent since the war with Brydd, as the people of Draavos realized that they could not defeat such an enemy with traditional arms alone. These past several decades, various magicians, gifted soldiers, and mystic assassins have risen up to give the dwellers of these poor lands a wealth of power they have never known before. The only question is whether these magical operatives will grant the Draavosi victory over their enemies, or only empower them to destroy each other and further deteriorate their lot in life.

The martial traditions of the Draavosi bend to the practical needs of the climate and the limited resources of the desert. Silkworms grown in special gardens are among the treasured possessions of the Draavosi. The husbandry of these insects has been preserved from the time when the area was a tropical paradise. Multi-layered silk robes and silk-encased leather vests have thus become some of the primary protections of the wealthy and the warriors. They are said to prevent arrows from piercing deeply into the body, or swords from biting far into flesh. Cloth wrappings on the head act as cushioned helmets, and small buckler shields are sometimes employed for protection. Arrowheads cost dearly in steel, and so slingers are more often employed. Swords and large fighting knives are more dear here than in the West, and are less casually constructed. They tend to be of exceptional quality, and held over multiple generations before being reforged with small additions of metal to replace what has been worn away through use. A single sword may be the most prized possession of an entire common family. Camel riding is as common here as horse riding in the west. Complex martial arts styles have developed to compensate for the regional lack of heavy metal armors, stressing dexterous movements and techniques to evade harm rather than crash boldly into it.

Draavosi exports include glass objects, which are made from Draavosi sand and shaped by expert Draavosi glassworkers. Various gems can be mined in the desert in certain regions, and are often exported to jewelers in other nations. And of course the Draavosi trade their fine silks, which are manufactured in most of the major cities. Colored stones found in the desert are often crushed and used to create vibrant dyes, and both the colorful cloth and dyes themselves are coveted by other nations.

Things to Know

Historic Events

1200 CE: The only time in living memory that the Draavosi set aside their distrust and animosity towards each other was when a nobleman from Brydd came across to the city of Al-Ador and stole away the Raj’s daughter. This act so offended the Draavosi that they united in war against Brydd. A war that ultimately failed.

How to Play

Glossary

Chronicles of Aereth Draavos