Arily Alpine-Steppe

Place

Place Name:

Arily Alpine-Steppe

Biome:

Alpine-Steppe

Size:

332 Km2

Continent:

Unknown

Subcontinent

Unknown

Geography

The Arily Steppe, set along the northern tundra line in the centre of the continent, is surrounded by mountain to the north and the west and the east. To the south is the temperate regions, whose borders are defined be the rocky rise in elevation and the drop in temperature. The region itself is a hilly rock and grass covered tundra that stretches past the horizon and seems repetitive to the untrained eye. Deep within the region lays the remains of a half built military base while scattered amongst the craggy hills are numerous caves and dens that once belonged to predatory animals.

But have been turned into resting areas for the nomadic clan if they get separated or if a storm hits. Due to the weather and the ravages of time, the region takes a three dimensional way of thinking to navigate. On the upper smooth almost barren plateaus is where the clan often makes camp and lets their horses run free. The plateaus are broken up by schisms and valleys that form a maze of passages and openings. This is where those unfamiliar with the area often end up because they don’t climb up and instead follow the path. It is on this level that the ruins of many failed attempts at settling the region can be found.

The walls of the schisms are full burrows and tunnels that animals reside in. In the northeast the land evens out into a grass covered field that can grow oat wheat plants and is the most common place to find the region’s herbivore population. Beyond this is the foothills and start of the passes through the mountains to the colder regions of the north. Heading west from the expansive field leads up to a section of the region that is nearly impossible to get to any other way. On the grassy plateau overlooking the rest of the territory, the clan has built what they call the children’s city.

This large village acts as a hub and permanent shelter for the clan to return to as needed as well as where a few of them stay to raise the zu'aan children until they grow up and have kids of their own. Beyond this overlook lies the passage to the peaks of the northern mountains and a cave system that leads to an underground river where the clan steals much of its water supplies. If a person leaves the overlook and continues west along the nature ravine walls, they would discover a massive cave entrance leadin beneath the western mountains.

This is called the door to the underworld because of the shear drops into the unknown depths of the cave system housed within the mountains. The only reason the Vlakia know it leads somewhere is because when the winters grow longer and colder, a ravenous clan from the northeastern glaciers are seen crawling out of the cave entrance and trying to make their way south. For this reason that area is watched carefully for the first signs of danger.

Plants

The alpine-steppe of Arily has a varied selection of weeds, shrubs, grasses, oats, and wheats on the plateaued sections. The rest of the area struggles to be able be to grow any vegetation because of the hard cold dry soil. Only the northwestern field and the overlook produce enough vegetation to sustain life that isn’t carnivorous. This is because they are fed by the underground river and are fertilised by the horses and other animals that feed on the vegetation in the area. The Vlakia clan helped this along even before they were turned into Kin’toni.

They took great care in cultivating what little growth was possible in the chilly climate and made sure to not harvest too much so that the ground doesn’t have a chance to harden. This is one of the reasons why the Vlakia clan was able to thrive where others had failed. One of the few plants that survive in the area is the mountain wheat. This strain of wheat grain is capable of withstanding freezing temperatures once it’s sprouted the main shaft and can produce several heads of its kernels. These kernels are used in the production of flours for bread and other such kneaded food.

The kernels are also used along with other such grains to feed and train the horses they domesticated for travel. They are able to trade the grain and its products for other supplies that they cannot get in their homeland. For this reason they are very protective of the wheat grain and monitor its growth and distribution carefully to prevent overgrazing and over harvesting. Another of the few plants to be able to grow in the region is the frosted grass. This particular variation of grass is only able to thrive in the near frozen temperatures of the tundra.

While the grass serves little purpose for the clan members, it is the main source of food for the herbivore population and thus is cultivated and allowed to flourish beyond the clan’s ability to control it. This grass is not able to survive the harsh winters however once the grass begins to grow in a spot, it will regrow as long as the roots remain in the ground. If the grass is plant in even a temperate climate, it will die out from the heat as soon as summer hits. The plateaus of the steppe is home to an interesting plant called the polar lichen.

This mossy fungal plant is identifiable by its light blue colour and its leafless bush appearance. The lichen grows out of small fractures in the soil of the plateaus and steadily creeps across the entire section. The clan has discovered that not only is it edible if absolutely necessary, but also is capable of producing a vibrant blue dye. This dye is very valuable in other regions and so it is harvested and cultivated to maximise the yield so they could sell it in bulk.

Animals

The frigid climate of the steppe does not allow for the survival of the weak or the unprepared. This is visible in the animals that inhabit the region and in the limited variety that can be found within. The majority of the population is made up of cave dwelling carnivores while the few species of herbivores mainly live in the passes beyond the field and overlook. With the arrival of the outcasts that formed the nomadic tribe, the wildlife began to shift in terms of population. The zu'aan tribe began hunting the carnivorous creatures while protecting and breeding the horses and other herbivores to aid in the survival of the tribe as a whole.

This evened the scales and gave the herbivores the chance to thrive. Even when the tribe was turned and began training for war against the remnants of the Xerea Empire, they continued hunting the carnivores and raising the herbivores to provide for the growing needs of the clan. The most recognised animal in the entire steppe for all who encounter the clan is the or more commonly known as the uyciiorda. These large pack animals are frosty white and grey in colour with silvered manes. They are quick and sure footed and is able to leap over many of the gaps caused by the ravines.

For this reason they are prized by the Vlakia clan and have been slightly domesticated to use as mounts. They have focused their tactics on mounted combat to allow them to close distances quickly as well as have a height advantage. For this reason a Vlakia clan member will sacrifice themselves to save their uyciiorda from death. This is also why they have built the children’s city on the overlook in front of the caves where the horses tend to rest. One of the carnivorous animals that are specific to the region is the rooyadla or more cautiously called the dyr.

These beetles range in size from that of a small mouse to that of a medium sized dog. Other than their giant size compared to other insects, the dyr are recognised by their heavily armoured exoskeleton and their grey and red colouring and yellow markings. They are usually scavengers and feed on the dead of those who fell in the ravines. However, the larger beetles will attack any creature that gets close to their territory. Being tunnellers, the beetles are capable of attacking their prey from below. Another one of the carnivores that live in the chilly environment is the nartikoa, otherwise known as the addarsil.

This smaller variation of sil is quick and agile and unlike other sil they will hunt in small packs to take on larger prey. Their fur is ice white with pale grey markings around the snout and tail. These mammals stay away from the ravine paths and instead roam the plateaus and sleep in shallow dens near the top of the ravine walls.

Historical Timeline of Ages

Age Name	Dates	Controller
Stone Age	Before 1E 0	Unknown
Copper Age	1E 1–1E 2200	Unknown
Bronze Age	1E 2200–1E 4400	Unknown
Iron Age	2E 0–2E 700	Unknown
Ancient Age	2E 700–2E 2200	Unknown
Middle Age	3E 0–3E 2050	Unknown
Early Modern Age	3E 2050–3E 2600	Unknown
Industrial Age	3E 2600–3E 2700	Unknown
Machine Age	3E 2700–3E 2800	Unknown
Atomic Age	3E 2800–3E 2850	Unknown
Space Age	3E 2850–3E 2875	Unknown
Information Age	3E 2875–3E 2900	Unknown
Genetic Age	3E 2950–3E 3000	Unknown
Awakening Age	3E 3000–3E 3415	Unknown
Twilight Age	4E 0–4E 500	Vlakia Kin'toni Clan

Place

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Arily Alpine-Steppe

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This article is written by xoishtar. Copyright 2026 xoishtar. All rights reserved.