Ragod Foothills

Ragod Foothills is the name of a low mountain chain running in the southwestern part of Subcontinent. Namesake was the garrison town of Ragod, founded during the 6th century destroyed and rebuilt several times ever since.

Some fourty miles long, with the highest summits ending below thousand yards a significant divided unlikely of this size. Many areas within the confines are extremely rugged and treacherous. Travel for a single person is a lethal tasks, although some merchants do pass along certain alleys. Most places are either forests growing into unpenetrable shrubland or sharp, edgy cliffs where no one in its right mind would remain more than necessary.

South of the Foothills lie the Wild woods in the outmost west, beyond the Zaab river, while further to the east the March, a subdivision of Tantorel is to be found. The inner ridge ends in soft climb at the east, well before the border to Tantorel proper. In the north the Dalam river separates Ragod both from the Istin chain and from the more northern areas of the Ore Mountains.

During imperial times after the late 6th century the area was populated by the Lifili people. As an unimportant borderland they were left in peace as long the imperial tribute was paid. During the Deluge large masses of Westerners moved in, who partially replaced the original inhabitants both in the Wild woods and in the eastern territories. Some of them gave up their strict code of blood and honour, resulting in intermarriage and synchretism that gave rise a new, creolised culture in the 9th century. Pure Westerners saw this process as a deviation and continued their ancestors' endogamous practices, considering the accultured ones mongrels, inferiors, legit targets.

Increasing raids were met with strong resistance that ended when a coalition of nobles, both city-dwelling Hadašhim descendants, Lifili chiefs and settled Westerners invaded the March, purging it from the belligerent people. Some were enslaved, others dispersed among the eastern villages and assimilated, while again others simply expulsed over the Zaab which served as a border since. In the north the case was similar with the exception that the powerful there preferred a peaceful accord, paying off some tribes with their loads of gold to serve as a bulwark against others.

The Foothills remained sparsely populated ever since just as they were before. Considerable population movement happened during the mid-11th century, when Meshuri Karamiš succeded in turning the March as a prosperous area that it never was. From that time some mining operations happened within the ranges confines. Panners tried their luck in the wilderness, iron ore was produced to make the county independent from outside sourches. Minor garrisons were established along known passes to serve as an early warning system in case of intrusion.

As a largely unbothered forest, the Foothills serve as prime hunting ground with rich prey. Wood bison extirpated from other western regions is known to dwell here alongside deer, roedeer, hog, wolf, lynx, bear, leopard and tiger. The Marquis often preys upon the great diversity of animals as he is an avid hunter.