Condwyn Salt Marsh

Place

Place Name:

Condwyn Salt Marsh

Biome:

Salt Marsh

Size:

Unknown

Continent:

Unknown

Subcontinent

Unknown

Geography

The borders of Condwyn are vague and change depending on the person who is asked. In the time of the first empire, few were those who even thought of Condwyn as a region, however, as is became home to Zu’Aan tribes there was an effort to define its borders to an 85 km2 region, near the sea. Although there is no fresh water source, Condwyn is demarcated to the west by the hundreds of small streams of salt water where only a medium sized boat can travel. To the south, the border of Condwyn is Aedwigar. The streams of water that still have the reddish tone of blood from wars of the past are avoided by the local tribe as it can be seen as a bad luck sign.

Moreover, swimming in the water is extremely prohibited, despite their short width, some streams can be as deep as 10 meters deep. Condwyn’s terrain is terrible for construction, therefore, the Zu’Aan have developed a system in which everything is built on a wooden structure that elevates the ground that also serves as a way to avoid the rising water level. There is, despite its flaws, a very valuable commodity in the water. As the water from the streams rises and falls, it gets stuck in small puddles that exist all throughout the region. What the Condwynians realized is that.

After the water evaporates due to the scalding hot sun in summer time, there are little shiny rocks that remain in the puddles. These very small rocks are salt. This valuable commodity is part of what made Condwyn an important trade partner for other regions, for it is worth its weight in gold. Despite the salt waters hidden small glowing salt crystals, there is no fresh water source and the tribe of Condwyn is reliant on their trades in order to gather fresh water. This dependency is not something that sits well with the three families and they have gathered information that allows them to start collecting the evaporated water than can be consumed.

This process is, however, in very early stages. The summers are almost unbearable, the high temperatures force everyone to stay inside or in the shade. This makes Condwyn an attractive target for outsiders that can withstand this type of heat, fortunately, there are very few. The winters are, on the other hand, not know for its extreme temperatures. It is usually warm and rare are the days when the temperature falls below the 10 ºC. To the north of the region, there is, at the base of a small mountain range, a very fertile ground and a few lakes with fresh water.

In the beginning of the second age, it was home to several zu'aan tribes, but one day, the first men and women who arrived at Condwyn heard screams and cries coming from the base of this mountain range. When they went there to try and understand what had happened, no one was there. Since that day, the people of Condwyn avoid that piece of land and call it “Old Condwyn”.

Plants

The salt in the ground, despite its many advantages, poses the biggest problem for Condwyn, the lack of available food. Due to the fact that the soil salinity is very high and salt absorbs water, any type of plant that Condwynians try to grow, dies within a few days. This also explains the lack of trees and flowers in the region. In spite of this, as it usually does, nature has adapted and find a way to survive without water. The plants that to do grow, rely solely on sunlight for their survival and appear as far away from the salt water as possible.

The most common are the hare’lui and the ue’lui and although they cannot be eaten, they are very useful to create a drug-like substance that reduces the need for hydration, albeit very temporarily. What Condwyn’s fauna and flora is known for, is its medicinal plants. With the information they have gathered, Condwynians are able to utilize many types of vegetation that other regions and their populations are completely oblivious to. Ginseng and teron grow in large numbers in very specific places and their roots can be used, the rest of the plant must be thrown away.

The root of teron is utilized to minimize discomfort in the bowels and reduce skin irritations, for example. This type of knowledge is something that gives this tribe an advantage, often people come from other tribes, many kilometers away, just to find a medic who can heal them or minimize their pain. The three families noticed the potential of monopolizing medicinal plants and even go to great lengths to keep the properties of plants like teron or ishi a secret. Those who come to Condwyn in order to get cured rarely are given de option to go back to their homeland, this is a price the sick are willing to pay.

This way, medicinal plants are a form of gathering more people in Condwyn, people with skills from foreign lands and knowledge that the families desire. In the entirety of Condwyn, when Old Condwyn is left aside, there is only one tree. It is a fruit tree that started growing in the first Era and has not stopped growing ever since. In 3E 250, the tree is twenty-three meters tall, which is very unusual for a fruit tree. Condwynians celebrate it on the last day of summer and the first day of winter, every person of the tribe approaches it and asks for something in hope that it turns true.

At the end of the ceremony, the elders of the three families approach it and ask one final favor: “I ask of you that in the last day of summer and the first day of winter you hear our requests one more time” and sure enough, the tree has stood there for hundreds of years.

Animals

Condwyn has a large number of two types of animals that live in land but near a body of water, birds and insects. The insects are nothing but a nuisance for Condwynians, especially in the summertime, but in contrary to that, birds are a valuable food source that partially substitute the lack of agricultural options. Unfortunately, most mammals usually avoid high salinity soils because there is little to feed on. As many of the things that exist in Condwyn, several animals come, due to trade or capture, to this region. Other regions, especially ones that have no use for currency.

Often trade animals that can be skinned for pelts or cooked for food. Boats from other zu'aan tribes that venture into the Condwynian water streams are robbed and, sometimes, even animals are retrieved. Additionally, as a thank you for medicine or shelter, it is not unusual for Condwyn to receive gifts in the shape of various animals. Horses are the most common animals one can find in Condwyn, not only because it is an animal that can be found in many other regions. But also because it is considered one of the best assets one tribe can possess.

Its value derives from the fact that it can be used in both offensive and defensive military maneuvers. Some fishes that swim in the bloody parts of the water are called “uvar'athan” and are not considered good enough for zu'aan to eat, therefore, they are given to the animals. If it is an animal that is worth keeping, it will eat the fish, if it isn’t, it will not eat the fish. Also habitual are the large hunting parties that are formed to go inland, men and women both set out in one-day or two-days hunting parties and enter more unknow locations in order to kill their sworn enemy.

Those are the kin'toni, or capture large animals. There are days in which they are successful and capture one of them, which leads to an enormous feast at night where the kin’toni or the animal is tied down and, finally, murdered. People that are not Condwynians but try to join the tribe are not immediately recognized as members of the tribe, there is a waiting period in which they must prove themselves worthy of being recognized as fellow tribesmen. During this period, they are considered by most people something between a person and an animal. In case they do not prove themselves as a valuable asset, they are cast out or killed.

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	Bariadnehe Tribal Zu'Aan

Place

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Condwyn Salt Marsh

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This article is written by Mario Reis. Copyright 2026 Mario Reis. All rights reserved.