Cazodma Hills

Place

Place Name:

Cazodma Hills

Biome:

Hills

Size:

Unknown

Continent:

Unknown

Subcontinent

Unknown

History

Historical Overview

Cazodma Hills is a misty region in the northern hemisphere of Taerel. It was colonized near the beggining of the second era, according to written and archeological records, and was surprisingly completely inhabited until then. At least, no living records suggest that the region had any sort of zu'aan permanent residence until the second era, though nomadic tribes might have transversed it. This lack of zu'aan presence is likely due to the extreme level of aggression present in the local fauna and flora. Although the second era brought zu'aan the necessary resources to survive and create permanenent residence in Cazodma, this by no means mean they thrived in the area.

On the contrary, they suffered a great deal of challenges and many tribes collapsed and moved away from Cazdoma during this period. Only small to medium communities remained, who could withstand the harsh conditions of the area. As time grew, however, they became more capable of managing themselves and fighting off their natural challenges, and their communities finally grew. The zu'aan from this area were known to be aggressive and capable in combat. In the modern eras, interest in the region shifted, however. Cazodma is home to a very hostile and competitive system, both in relation to animals and plants, and this sparked a great deal interest in biologists of the coming centuries.

Studying these animals and their relations, territorial disputes, geneology, biology, evolutional adaptations, etc. became a highly regarded sub-field of study in practical research, and a number of natural parks, research centers and preservation offices were built in the region. This advance in scientific interest, along with the gradual influx of zu'aan from the outside which had no ancestors in the region, and therefore did not possess their aggressive, natural sense of survival, caused the native population to decrease. Furthermore, pushes were made for their hunting and violent practices to cease, for purposes of preserving the ambient and local eco-system. This caused them to further decrease.

Though the protested at first, there was little to do was more proggressive policies came into place at the later ages of the zu'aan. This was not very beneficial for the local enviromnent. The tense atmosphere within Cazodma, turns out, had been perpetuated to such an extent that the local fauna and even the flora had adapted their instinctual behavior to live side by side with the zu'aan. They recognized them as ferocious predators and as the top of the food chain (in most cases) but they also adapted themselves in such a way that the both could inhabit the same region. When these zu'aan practically disappeared from the region, this caused a small uproar in the enviromnent, as the cycles and behavior patterns created specially for existing with the hunter zu'aan went fruitless and the wild life became confused.

What followed was a slight decrease of aggression and territorial dispute in the system, though researches predicted things would go back to normal soon enough. And they did. When the Awakening Age came and the zu'aan of Cazodma were forced to once become vicious and terrifying hunters, the wild life followed suit. An unimaginable surge in aggression followed, due to the repression they had suffered in the previous ages, and it quickly became apparent that the main challenge the zu'aan of Cazodma were going to face was not just the kin'toni. The wild life, however, does not discriminate. A series of bloody conflicts between zu'aan, kin'toni, and an out of control wild life would mark the Awakening Age.

As of the Shattering, things have calmed down, as some species navigate south and the kin'toni attack less and less.

Geography

Cazodma Hills is an arid region in the north of Taerel, situated in a barren landmark southwest of the Agever Lush Swampy Grove. Agever is technically a part of Cazodma Hills. However, since it pocesses a unique ecosystem and is placed semi-underground relative to the rest of the biome, and also exists on the border, it is considered a different location. The Cazodma Hills, which have little plant life and a treacherous landscape, are spread unevenly around 204,123 square kilometers. Most of these is made up of completely dry soil, which is expected to turn into a desert over the coming ages. A small part of this land is occupied by plant life, which dwindles slowly each year.

No rivers pass through this location and there are only isolated lakes as bodies of water. The northeastern region, which borders the Ageve Grove, sustains very high amount of rainfalls, and the terrain is generally lusher around the region, though still very dry. The climate is considered arid. Is is considerably hot during the day, and very cold, though temperature always stays above the negative degrees, during the night. It remains this way for the entire year, though there are slight variations (hot nights during the hot months, temperate hot days during winter). There is no rainfall almost whatsoever, except for the region in the northwestern border. There are a few ponds around, though none of them are of any significant size.

The area is susceptible to sand storms, dry thunder storms, strong winds, and tornados. The chance for other natural disasters is almost none, except for acid rain, which may happen on rare occasions. As of the Awakening Age, the chance for acid rain is next to none, as the industrial facilities that were causing it have gone dead. As stated previously, the soil is subject to a high level of solar and wind related erosion, and the area is projected to fully become a desert in the far future. The oncoming cold from the Twilight Age, as well as zu'aan efforts from before the Awakening Age, have slowed these developments. There are considered to be two sub biomes in Cazodma apart from the arid land which permeates most of the region.

These are the occasional ponds and lakes, which typically come with a small colony of wild life, plant and animal, surrounding them, which can also be found as rare patches throughout the land, mostly consistent of dry grass, and the northwestern border, which is subject to rain unlike the entirety of the rest of the region. While the underground portion is considered a different territory by the name of Agever, whatever is nearby and on the surface is considered part of Cazodma Hills and treated appropriately. The hills in this border suffer a steep and sudden drop, before eventually reaching the cracks and firmaments that lead to the depths of Agever, and as such it is a very perilous region, even for animals.

So althought there are benefits to the rain and increased foliage, it is not a very desirable region to take up residence in, due to the jagged terrain. It also suffers stronger than normal winds and increased chance for storms.

Plants

Plant life in Cazodma Hills is very competitive and grows sparsely around the region. Here are some outlying examples of more docile kinds of this flora that have been a staple of the region for a long time: Jahsl'ah, a type of cacti that grows around rock formations in a spiral pattern, wrapping itself around the rock in the same manner as a vine. It is a dark green plant with concave streaks across its body, similar to other arid plants, and it has hexagon shaped leaves designed to capture sunlight at an accelerated rate, as well as reflect excess sunlight and also protect against the extreme heat. Water retaining plants, they suck up the moisture from whatever they can touch, and are able to preserve it continuously for years on end without perishing.

A dry climate extremophile, the jahsl'ah is a well known arid plant around deserts and other dry climates, due to its odd behavior. It does not produce flowers or fruit, but zu'aan appreciate it for its aesthetic beauty and tend to use them as ways to mark the path of journeys, since they live in the same place for ages. They are not edible, but water can be extracted from within them and they are a valuable resource if one gets lost in the plains. They are, however, scorching hot to the touch due to their highly reflective leaves, and handling them can be dangerous. The leaves are sometimes used in certain rudimentary engineering applications, especially following the outbreak of the Awakening Age.

Ch'pael, the 'humming bow', a tough leaf plant that grows on the sides of cliffs at the northwestern border of Cazodma Hills, in the full or partial shade. It receives its name from its shape, a crescent moon turning upwards, or the shape of a hunting bow, and for the fact that is emits a low, humming sound similar to a zu'aan hum. This sound of a special frequency that is made to attract small birds in the region, which will pick off dry leaves and rotten flowers off the ch'pael, trimming its unnecessary parts and carrying its pollem. It produces a wild flower in the summer, spring and autumn, a green-ish bud with many tiny petals around a large core. It tends to grow in clusters and grows many leaves, giving the appearence of bush halves stuck in the side of the cliffs.

Their flowers will fall upon reaching maturity and cover these cliffsides in their dry petals, so the local zu'aan are very familiar with this plant. These petals can be picked up and used in artisanal projects, as well as crushed and used as an aromatic, as they have a very distinct desert aroma. The leaves themselves are not edible nor do they provide much use to zu'aan. The petals are also not edible. They are often used as home decorations by zu'aan, as the falling petals by the end of autumn provide a very pleasant 'natural' aroma to their homes.

Animals

Gurraenu, cat-like predators that stalk the ravines of Cazodma hills. They have elongated claws that that allows them to easily climb the hills of this region. They are retractable and about 4 to 5 inches long at their longest. Tough and very hard to break, these claws are capable of burying themselves on the rock and allow them to easily transverse even the most perilous regions of Cazdoma Hills. They are fearsome, nocturnal predators that live in small clans of 5 to 8, with no systematic hierarchy. Their skin is light blue with odd patches of rose, and they have large, coiled tails that extend to the lenght of their whole bodies. Their eyes are large and typically yellow, capable of seeing near perfectly in the darkness but very sensitive to direct sunlight.

They prefer to move through the hills during the night, and hunt during the early morning and late afternoon. Their jaws are very large, with a neat row of sharp canines allowing them to bite into any piece of flesh. They prefer to chase around their prey before striking, and enjoy going after prey that is either able to fight back or difficult to catch. While this instinct can typically be attibuted to the natural urge large predators have for the thrill of the hunt, it is unknown why, in the presence of easy-to-catch herbivore wildlife, the gurraenu prefer to ambush and fight against deadly prey, and even other predators. They have small blunt spikes along their back, colored rose, and a tuff of similarly colored fur on top of their heads.

Females have a reptilian tail, simple bone covered in skin, longer than that of males. Males, on the other hand, have a small tuff at the end of their tails, also rose colored. They also have larger eyes. Notably, this mammal predator does not nurture their young inside of their own bodies, and instead lays eggs like fish and reptiles. The entire pack will surround the pregnant female as she lays eggs, and half of them, regardless of sex, will watch these until they hatch, while the rest partake in hunting, which seems to be their favored past time. The eggs are blue and about 14 centimeters tall. Upon hatching, which takes roughly a period of only two months, highly unusual in large mammals, the offspring will grow very quickly, and reach full maturity within just a year. They live up to 21 years.

They are, technically speaking, edible by zu'aan standards. However, due to their unimaginable aggression and seeming love of hunting down creatures that can easily overpower them, treating them like challenges, zu'aan try their best to stay out of their business. Gurraenu packs are sparsely spread throughout Cazodma Hills, and they seem to have natural territories that they respect to an extent. Different packs will typically ignore each other, though there may be instances where they fight or collaborate with one another. They make their dens within caves and large openings in the rock, staying anywhere as long as it is shaded during the day. An adult Gurraenu averages at a weight 230 kilograms and a height of 1.6 meters.

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	Oniss City Zu'aan

Place

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Cazodma Hills

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