Ech'rila Terrace

Place

Place Name:

Ech'rila Terrace

Biome:

Ech'rila Terrace

Size:

Unknown

Continent:

Unknown

Subcontinent

Unknown

Geography

The Ech’rila Terrace makes use of its steep slopes and rolling hills to create successive layers that aid in crop growth. The layers look like long, horizontally stretched steps, and there are hundreds of them. They are averagely around nine to ten feet wide, and around two hundred feet long. It covers an area of around 54,390 square kilometers. Some of the hills are just a few hundred feet tall from the flat land at the bottom, while others are almost a thousand. This technique, terrace farming, allows the zu’aan to better take care of their crops. It allows them to keep a controlled amount of water in each step instead of letting the water run down the slopes, taking soil and nutrients with it.

By having the water sit, it allows the soil to take in the nutrients it needs. This in turn lets the crops thrive, grow strong, and stay healthy. Gravity drags the excess water down to the next step, and so on. Terrace farming makes the region fertile, gives zu’aan more control, increases food security, maximizes growth, and prevents soil erosion. Crops like fruits, vegetables, grains, and even small fruit trees are able to grow in abundance here. There are also a few areas that grow flowers. While there are great advantages to this style of farming, there are disadvantages as well. It takes a lot of work in order to keep their crops growing, making sure the steps don’t retain too much water, and keeping the soil healthy.

The Qua’ath tribe were lucky to settle here after the majority of the hard work, actually shaping the land, was already done long ago. The only thing they had to worry about was the upkeep. It has a temperate climate that is perfect for farming. Average temperatures are between the upper twenties in the colder months and the low fifties in the warmer months. It does get colder in the higher elevations of the region, dropping several degrees. Rainfall happens year round, and usually comes in abundance. It can drop almost sixty inches throughout the year. Snow is a common occurrence in the winter as well. There are a few hard freezes every once in a while. The very tops of the terrace steps are mostly flat and do not grow crops, only grass.

The ones who created the steps decided to keep the top free of crops. This is where some of the Qua’ath tribe live in huts made of wood. Some areas only allow for a single hut, while others allow for several. These are where the zu’aan who mainly take care of the crops reside. It also gives them a wide range of vision over the region since the tops are so far up. The main part of their settlement is at the bottom of the terrace, where stretches of flat plains reside. There are a lot of small mammals and pollinating insects inhabiting the region. Some of the larger mammals can be found around the edges of the region, in the flat areas.

Plants

The Ech’rila Terrace supports a wide range of plant life thanks to its unique style of farming. Most of them are capable of growing year round, while the rest are bound by the season. While there are a few that can be found all over Taerel, most of them are also native to Ech’rila, with a few that were brought from somewhere else. Thanks to there being such a large variety of plants, the terrace is full of multiple colors. Ucew are medium-sized flowers that are found mostly in regions with warm, moderate climates. They have no native location as the wind carries their seeds all over the country. With this being said, they only grow in warm climates. For Ech’rila, their seeds were brought from another region and planted here during the beginning of the Twilight Age by the Qua’ath tribe.

Ucew can grow up to almost two feet tall. Their stem branches off in three about a quarter of the way from the ground. It has red, sickle shaped leaves that grow from the base. A single, yellow and orange flower grows at the end of each stem. A layer of round, orange petals grow at the bottom and smaller, yellow, round petals grow in the inner layer. It has a white, seeded center. It has no scent and has a slightly bitter taste. Consuming ucew can help with nausea. The petals are a great help for pregnant zu’aan. The seeds are edible as well and have a slight salty taste to them. Yium are large root vegetables that are native to Ech’rila. They are sphere-shaped with rounded protrusions about two inches long and two inches thick sticking out all around its bottom.

The dark red skin is rough, tough, and inedible, while the yellow flesh is slightly crunchy. Yium grows underground in bundles of around three to five. They vary in sizes between four to nine inches in length. The leafy part that grows above ground is about a foot in length. The narrow leaves are a light red, with light orange, smooth edges. The orange comes in when the yium is mature and ready to be harvested. Yium has a sweet taste to them and is considered a delicacy by the Qua’ath tribe. They only grow for a short amount of time in the winter. Olecrie is a type of grain that is native to Ech’rila. It’s harvested from dried olecriegrass in the winter. It grows to about three feet tall in extensive patches.

The flexible, narrow stalks are a mix of bright purple at the top and light red at the bottom. They are slightly curved at the tops. The grains themselves are about half an inch long, and become a light purple when time for harvest. A single stalk has several dozen grains growing on two thirds of it. There are several terrace steps that grow this particular plant since the grains have a wide range of uses. From recreational uses like dye to being crushed into power for food. Olecrie can be eaten right from the ground.

Animals

The Ech’rila Terrace is more a place for plants than animals. The animals that do inhabit the region are mainly small mammals and pollinating insects. There are a few larger mammals in the outer parts of the region as well. Felico are small mammals native to the region. They have four legs, and they stand at a shoulder height of about half a foot. Their long, slender bodies are nearly two feet long. They have three sets of purple eyes, with the middle set being a bit round and the other two narrow. All of their eyes have horizontal pupils. Their thin skin is covered in thin, red and white fur. The tips of their vertically pointed ears are black. They have sharp teeth that can slice through skin and muscle, which aids in their carnivorous diet.

Felico are one of the few carnivores in the region. They use their long, flat tails to communicate with each other. There is usually one male in a group of around ten females. There are two mating seasons per year. The male mates with half of the females during the first mating season and the other half during the second. Females usually give birth to one young per mating, so there are usually around three to five successful matings per season. When male offspring mature, they leave to find their own group. Male felico are extremely aggressive and protective. They have been known to attack animals twice their size in order to protect their families. They live in burrows in the flat parts of the region.

Antelis are medium-sized, pollinating insects that can be found in warm climates. They grow to about a foot long, have four winged arms, and four thick legs. Their black bodies are small and slender, similar to a four-legged mammal. Their thin wings are large, tear-shaped, and have a base color of black, with purple and yellow, diagonal stripes. Two small, silver horns sit on top of their oval-shaped heads, along with two short antennae. Females don’t have horns. Antelis have life partners. They will not mate again if their partner dies. They mate once every two years and females can lay up to a hundred eggs per mating. Males compete for the females to choose their mates. They sleep during the cold months.

During the warm months, they come out in droves, spreading pollen around as they eat flower nectar. Seeing them swarm is quite a sight, especially at night, and is a big event for the Qua’ath tribe. Their wings take on a glow at night. Antelis are docile and friendly. Instead of attacking, they fly away when threatened. Agupine are a unique species of large mammals native to the region. They have four thick legs, stand at a height of five feet, and can weigh almost a hundred pounds. Their thin skin is covered with short, coarse, golden brown fur. The tips of their rounded ears and the bottom of their calves are white. There are two horns on the tops of their oval-shaped heads.

They have broad shoulders, but thin torsos and thick waists. They are one of the largest omnivores in the region. They have life partners and mate once every three years. Females can give birth to up to four young per mating. Agupine travel in large herds of twelve to twenty, depending on how many the zu’aan put together. One of the things that make them unique is their lack of eyes. They are completely blind and rely on vibrations and smell to get around. Agupine are extremely docile and are used by the Qua’ath tribe for food and resource transportation. They’re also used to transport children on long journeys as they are a bit too small and weak for adult zu’aan.

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	Qua'ath Tribal Zu'aan

This article is written by DreamCatchie#3401. Copyright 2026 DreamCatchie#3401. All rights reserved.