Nazarun Expanse

"The Expanse don't look like much at a glance, an' th' folk that live there're some mix o' ravin an' damn stubborn. Wily too. Guess ye'd have to be when all ye've got're sands and cursed mist t'keep y'company."

- Gern ben-Shir, Frontiersman and (self-proclaimed) Cartographer.

Overview
The Nazarune Expanse is a vast peninsula located far within the fringes territories (hitherto known as 'the Frontier Lands'. Harsh but resource rich, the province is well-reputed for being starkly inhospitable to settlers and explorers alike―such that only in recent times have any managed to succeed, ending a long history of repeated and often costly failures. Ambient magic permeates all from its furthest reaches, rendering much of the land difficult, if not impossible, to chart.

Despite this, the Expanse has become home to numerous city-states since the time of its discovery some centuries prior, each led by powerful and wealthy figures known as 'Trade-Princes'. By consequence of the dangers of daily life, these regions have seen little by way of warfare and bloodshed. Manpower exists as something of a precious resource, and foolish is the Trade-Prince who expends his followers wantonly. Whatever conflicts arise are oft resolved in subtler ways, more or less beyond the public eye.

Otherwise, the Nazarune Expanse is staunchly neutral, with most worldly affairs finding little traction amongst its native peoples―so long as they do not interfere with commerce. Though never outspoken, rumors persist that some among the Trade-Princes' followers may even lend a sympathetic ear to the Co-Dominion's enemies in secret.

Geography
The Nazarun Expanse is divided into two hemispheres, segregated foremost by the volatility of the ambient magic within them.

The Glittering Expanse
Broken only by vast mountain ranges, the north is largely dominated by barren wastelands. Lingering bones and wide stretches of petrified trees lend to the notion that the Glittering Expanse did not always exist in its current state; rather, suggesting that something (or someone) scoured it clean. No life grows naturally in the dust and sand, for the earth is dead and infertile.

Despite this, it is within the Glittering Wastes that three of the four city-states can be found. Settled along the coast is Brethan, serving as the only mainland port. From it travel roads leading to Al-Khet and Lodram, with the former acting as the de-facto 'hub' city and latter, home to the largest mines within the Expanse. Between them branch off camps and attempted expansions, attended by the withered husks of settlements long since expired and forgotten. Though relatively peaceful, the roads are traveled by more than city-faring frontiersmen―and reports of displaced, savage peoples are not unheard of.

Curiously, there exists a dense formation of plants near the heart of the Glittering Wastes. Little is known of what lay veiled within it, nor what allows it to thrive in otherwise lifeless soil.

The Azure Vale
Contrasting the North, the Southern Hemisphere (Named, 'The Azure Vale' by Gern and his band of explorers) remains steeped in mystery. There, the ambient magic renders even the simplest of forrays all but impossible, and thus far every attempt has been met with failure. From afar, it appears to be a dense and vibrant forest partway shrouded behind a deep and unnatural haze. Given its impregnability, little is known of the Azure Vale beyond rumors―which suggest it conceals a dark and terrible past.

On a barrier island off the southern-most point of the Azure Vale rests Yantar, the fourth and final city-state. In keeping with the mainland, both the city's Trade-Prince and inhabitants hold to an isolationist attitude. Word of their affairs rarely travels, and its people are rarely seen save on infrequent trips to trade.

Dusters
As a 'blanket group' comprised of disjointed peoples either displaced or exiled, the name ' Duster ' applies to almost anyone who does not either reside or owe allegiance to one of the four city-states. The overwhelming majority of these people can be found in or near the Lord's Crest, with the heaviest concentration spread along the river nearby Breakridge. Common spiritual, if not tribal, practices observed by the more well-known groups of 'Dusters ' have lent them something of a savage reputation, though it is worth noting that only a select few are deserving of it.

Whatever their roots, 'Dusters ' are hardened survivors well-adjusted to the rigors of life in the wastes, and their expertise is not to be overlooked.

Ironwrought
The Ironwrought, colloquially dubbed ' Glinties ', ' Bronzemen ' and 'Wasters ' by their city-faring kin, are a faction of synthetic beings manufactured within the city-state of Al-Khet. Initially created as a countermeasure against the many barriers of the Expanse, the Ironwrought quickly became something of a staple in city life. They are a varied folk, purpose-built for numerous tasks and tireless in their pursuits. Furthermore, their inherent lack of basic needs rendered them an ideal choice for the riskier, and more tedious tasks necessary to maintain their homes. Given their nature as former men and women, however, they are still inclined towards mortal pursuits, and the very traits that make them exceptional workers also make them profoundly restless. Thus are they somewhat chaotic at heart, even as beings of creation and order.

Similarly, it is widely recognized that the process through which a willing subject is bound to the metal frame of an Ironwrought is flawed. Complications resulting from shortcomings in certain, admittedly rare, instances has led to a relationship of tolerance with their still-mortal kin, who consider them every bit as volatile as the magic that poisons their homeland. Though the Ironwrought have cemented their place in the lives of the four city-states, some speculate it is fleeting at best.

City-Farers
Frontiersmen, or ' City-Farers ' as they are known to the Dusters of the Glittering Wastes, comprise the inhabitants of the four city-states. A rugged, hardy people, to the last, the ' city-farers ' are a unified and closely-knit people whose roots are as varied as their population. Though shackled to the (at times) fickle whims of their Trade-Princes, most enjoy relatively peaceful lives with relatively little risk. As the rigors of the Expanse are stifling, they are averse to open conflict and bloodshed; manpower is precious, and unnecessary losses can easily become crippling. By result, subtler means of resolving issues and pursuing interests have become commonplace, thereby giving rise to a number of subsidiary factions within the greater collective. It is rare to find a 'city-farer ' who does not have ties to one such group, for there is greater security in numbers than without.

Even so, the 'City-Farers ' are a prideful lot, contextualizing their success in certainty and grace, rather than fortune or acknowledging the long line of failures that preceded them. This outlook, in addition to a heavy emphasis on wealth and ambition, has also molded their view of others. While most began as members of the Co-Dominion, they now consider themselves a separate and individual people.

Culture
Owing to their home far within the frontier lands, the peoples of the Nazarun Expanse share a mutually stubborn attitude of independence, and are highly resistant to oversight from beyond their borders. Day-to-day hardships have left their mark upon dusters and city-farers alike, and their reputation as a rugged, gritty people is well-earned. Even so, they are staunchly insular; slow-burning and wary of the unfamiliar. City-farers in particular are notoriously slow to trust, and will often react to outsiders with some mixture of impatience and intolerance. Dusters, by contrast, usually acclimate somewhat faster, though this, much like their individual rites, customs and cultures, varies tremendously depending on the tribe itself.

Looking to the four cities in lieu, leadership is nothing if not eccentric. The Trade-Princes govern with authority bought through coin, more often than right or respect―and though their presence instills a much-needed law and balance, whether theirs is a necessary order is a matter of some debate. As they are, the Trade-Princes are motivated chiefly by growth, and honing their legacy; every exploit thereafter limited only by the strain on manpower and a general interest in the longevity of their holds.

Cultural values within the city-states are founded largely upon an abstraction of what an ideal member of society should be, with lines blurred between individual demographics. While outwardly 'genderless', there manifests between men and women a clear divide; though not, it bears mentioning, by any means absolute. Outliers can and do exist, and though both sexes are similarly driven, they are ultimately complimentary towards one another.

Under the Trade-Princes, wealth and legacy ahave become central to the typification of success within the Expanse. Such traits as 'Strength', 'competence', 'ambition', 'tact', 'attentiveness' and 'cunning' are exalted, and both sexes are raised to expect nothing from society and to carve out what they seek for themselves and their communities. One must be strong and resilient to stand firm against the travails of their homeland. They must be unrelenting, whilst also knowing when to exert pressure and when to bend, or adapt. It is here that both begin to diverge. Males often become creatures favoring the direct, more physical path, preferring to engage with the social ladder aggressively. Conquer their challenges, so that the fruits of their achievements might uplift their fellows. Inversely, women become forces of edification, their voice both resected and valued among spheres both at home and in high places. Where men push, women ground, and their place in budding enterprises is not to be undersold.

Likewise, as manpower is nothing if not a precious resource within the Expanse (thereby rendering large-scale displays of violence both untenable and severely punished), women can be found in virtually every social strata―whether to simply maintain important places, or in positions of power over them.

History
To Be Discovered... __NONEWSECTIONLINK__