Ceroc Autumn Taiga Hills

History

Geography

With rolling hills and rocky terrain, Ceroc Autumn Taiga Hills is a tricky terrain, although a forgiving one for those who were able to overcome it. The hills were tall, but to an animal with hooves and incredible balance, the hills were amazing, and held hidden treasures that no one could find if they weren't looking. Between truffles buried under the dirt and rocks, to fruit bearing trees that could only be accessed by climbing the steep inclines, the herbivores there had more than enough to eat, they only had to adapt to the terrain in order to be able to access them. Between the tall, rolling hills were twisting rivers, small lakes, and tree-covered plains that were the perfect spot for the predators of the land to make their homes.

While there were some places in between the hills that were almost completely inaccessible, there were still some animals that were able to access them and turn them into safe places where they could hide from the predators. It took a careful hoof to be able to descend and ascend the hills in Ceroc, which was why the prey animals would use the small pockets valleys and rivers to their advantage. In certain parts of the terrain, there were groves of trees that were so thick and pressed together that they were inhabitable, given that there was less than an inch of space between the trees in the thicker parts of the grove. There were some animals that came to like how close the trees were together, as they were able to create their homes in the top of the trees, turning them into a treehouse type situation, of which only they were able to benefit.

These animals were typically birds, as well as smaller rodents that were able to climb up and into the trees so they could use them for their homes. Around a lot of the trees, there were piles of rocks that rose from the ground and added another level of difficulty to the terrain. These rocks were massive, and hard to move, so they lent a certain amount of skill to the animals that were able to traverse over them. Some of these piles of rocks were arranged in such a fashion that caused them to create caves, which allowed animals to inhabit them, as well as cliffs overhanging the sides of the hills. The rocks were typically darker in colour, and covered in moss, as rain was typical in the Taiga, allowing for more plants to grow around the terrain and lend more colour.

Of course, not every single animal was eager to overcome the harder parts of the terrain, but for the ones that were able to make these parts their home, they were rewarded with beautiful views and safe spaces to live. There was a certain beauty that the terrain brought, especially when it came to sunrise and sunset, with the sun rising over the hills in the morning and dipping behind them at night, allowing at least one part of the Taiga to be bathed in shadow at all times, creating cool pockets in the hotter areas.

Plants

Within Ceroc Autumn Taiga Hills, there were many plants that were native to the terrain, allowing a unique view of the landscape. There were some plants and foliage that existed all over the Taiga, spreading anywhere they could and providing food for the animals there. As well, there were some plants that only existed in very specific conditions, only flourishing within the conditions they had grown used to. In the colder climates, there were less plants, as they weren't able to grow in the harsher conditions, thus the dotting of colour was much less frequent across the chilly terrain. What plants there were in the colder terrain consisted of tall trees and thick grass, both of which were tough against the cold and persisted to grow, allowing there to be vegetation.

One plant, a taller, grass-like plant grew thickly across the more open parts of the terrain, sprouting tall and proud everywhere it could grow. This grass was the main source of food for any animals that roamed there, as it was sweet and dense, allowing the animals to eat small quantities of it in return for longer lasting full stomachs. Any flowers that blossomed in the colder parts of the terrain were small, bushy flowers that really only lent small pops of colour to the landscape. Most of them served no purpose other than to be beautiful, although there was one, the Echrite flower that bloomed in bushes and was highly toxic to anyone that could breathe in its fumes.

The Echrite flower was one that released a plume of pollen each day, allowing its seed to be sown farther across the country. It didn’t discriminate on the terrain where it was sown, nor the temperature of the climate, as it was able to flourish in every climate. The only problem with this beautiful flower was that any animal that breathed in the plume, or even got it on their skin, would perish. It was a highly deadly flower. In the warmer parts of the climate, there were more plants and foliage that was able to grow on the terrain there. One of the plants there, a berry bearing plant known as the Istrus, was the most popular food source in the entire Ceroc Autumn Taiga Hills.

The berries were large, and oddly pyramid shaped, although given the odd vortex in the Taiga, as well as the temperature, there wasn’t much surprise that the fruits were odd shaped and full of protein. These berries were one of the foods that the prey animals liked, as eating them allowed them to have a higher rate of energy, and it seemed that the more energy they had to create more babies. In the deeper parts of the Taiga, between the hills in the valleys, along the riverbank, were various wildflowers that dotted the banks and lent a keen beauty to the landscape. Of course, there was nothing nutritional about the flowers, but they allowed the landscape to attract more birds and insects, and allow the flowers to continue growing.

Animals

The animals within Ceroc Autumn Taiga Hills were specific to the climates within the Taiga. While there were more animals native to the warmer parts, there was still one that inhabited the colder parts, and because of the ice sheets that moved in, they were able to adapt to the climate and continue living there. These animals, known as Bisaros, were armoured deer, essentially made of leather with down under it, which lent a certain warmth to them when they were perusing around the ice sheets in search of food. To get their food, and to make their homes, the Bisaros would dig pits in the earth, using sharpened hooves to do so, and they would roll in the fresh dirt, using it to strengthen their hide and continue to keep themselves warm.

As well, they would use their hooves to dig up the roots of the thick, sweet grass that grew there, as the roots held more moisture and protein. These animals didn’t populate much, as the cold made it harder for them to carry pregnancies to term and produce healthy children. In the warmer parts of the climate, while there were small rodents and birds that were a part of the biome, the two animals that stood out within the warmer climates were the Antaros, and the Porecta. The Antaros were cat-like animals that were lazy when it came to the heat. They didn’t like to hunt when they were hungry, and instead, they would wait for the Porecta’s to grow lame or lazy, and then they would hunt them down.

The other animal that lived there, the Porecta, was an animal that didn’t like to be much bothered. They were deer-like, akin to the Bisaros, although much less armoured and much more agile. They loved to run and to jump, and they liked to play as much as they could. Because of this energy, the Porecta found it easier to evade the Antaros when they were being hunted, as all they had to do was scale the hills and rocks or make sharper turns to get away from the Antaros. They had long legs and slim bodies, allowing them to move as quickly as they could, which dealt them the upper hand when it came to evading the predators or scaling the hills to get to the Istrus bushes to eat.

The fruit that was born of the Istrus bush was their only food source, as this fruit gave them more than enough protein and energy. The Porecta animals were the mained to swim in the rivers, allowing the rushing water to cool them down after they would lay in the hot sun. Their muscles loved the water's resistance, so they would continuously swim in the water to keep fit, as it was easier for them to do that than to run around in the heat and burn themselves out. They were the reason for the population crisis in Ceroc Autumn Taiga Hills, as they were always reproducing, but with the Antaros not hunting them as frequently, there was nothing stopping them from taking over the terrain.

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	Ingdelem City Zu'aan