Kandiff: Difference between revisions

The steppes of [[Kandif]], although quite dry, are nonetheless temperate and a reasonably pleasant environment in which to live. The summers are warm and arid, the winters chilly and often snowy. Kandif is a land of mediocrity: it is not so mountainous as [[Betaal]] to the west, not so fertile as [[Bishal]] to the east, and not so magical or wealthy as [[Husk]] or [[Lesmishan]] to the south. It is, ironically, this very mediocrity that allows Kandif to thrive: if its ground were as fertile or its mines as valuable as its neighbors, it might have been conquered long ago.

Most Kandifese value education but do not have the means to pursue it in any serious way. Local schools will teach children the basics of reading and writing, but few pursue a scholarly career.

Kandif’s two largest industries are ranching and mining. Ranchers breed cattle throughout most of Kandif, though in the western foothills, ranchers also raise herds of sheep and goats. The miners generally live in the east of the nation, extracting minerals from the Great Chasm. Kandif’s largest mining export is actually salt, which other nations will pay a high premium to acquire.

The town [[guard]] in each settlement is responsible for keeping the peace and protecting Kandif’s citizens from any monsters. When needed, ranchers are usually competent auxiliaries to the town guard and are sometimes better fighters in the wilderness than the guards themselves. Although the combined forces of each town and city is not significant compared to neighboring nations, it is generally enough to keep neighboring forces from invading.

Kandif is a federal oligarchy. Towns and cities are divided into provinces, each of which elect a single representative. Together, there are nine representatives that serve as the Oligarchs. They pass national and regional legislation and assign executors and judges to oversee the laws of the land.

Given the importance of horses in Kandifese culture, most folk worship the Archfae A’rl’ng, god of equine beasts, as the patron of Kandif. Horses and other equine creatures are treated with great respect. Many households have horseshoes nailed over their doorframes. Many also worship Immort, the [[turtle]] god, out of respect for their living capital city.

Many try to embody the spiritual aspects of A’rl’ng and Immort in their daily lives. Both [[deities]] profess a philosophy of not worrying too much about the trials of life. A’rl’ng champions throwing off the shackles of strife, while Immort offers the assurance that one day things will sort themselves out. Kandifese towns are quite hospitable and have festivals with the change of each season.  

Bandits live in the steppes between towns, and occasionally [[bandit]] groups will join together to pose a real threat to a city, but the guards and ranchers have thusfar been able to quell such bandit uprisings.

The only truly remarkable aspect of Kandif is its capital city. Apakku is an ancient alligator snapping turtle who has grown to be the size of a small mountain. Having grown up in the dusty streams of northern Kandif, the turtle observed the humanoids in her region and grew to love their homey attitudes. As she grew to be the size of a horse, then of a house, her fame spread throughout Kandif. She traveled from province to province, contentedly observing children at play and ranchers and miners hard at work.

Finally, when Apakku grew old enough to be the size of a large hill, she telepathically commanded the Kandifese to rebuild their oligarchic capital on her shell. For a hundred years now, she has continued to grow, and Kandif’s capital city has grown with Apakku as her shell accommodates more and more buildings. She travels across Kandif from north to south and from east to west three times annually, bringing the Oligarchy with her to ensure that all in their nation are well.

'''Apakku, the Living City.''' The capital city of Kandif draws much attention from international scholars and adventurers. Aside from being built on the back of a still-growing immortal turtle, the city itself is unremarkable.

'''The Great Chasm.''' See [[Bridgemoor]] for more details. Kandif’s mines primarily extract salt from the Great Chasm.

• A bandit king has declared himself the new ruler of Kandif. The Oligarchy calls on the heroes to quell this new menace.

 

• Town guards from the north need help shoring up their defenses against raids from [[Noord]].

 

• The heroes have heard that a cult plans on sacrificing Apakku. They take it upon themselves to [[intervene]].