Lost World
Setting foot upon the mountain range known as Fang is like stepping back in time. A lost world of ancient cities built into cliff faces and underground caves, greet you the deeper you travel into its hidden valleys and gorges, buried under layers of sediment and dust.
One of the first ever communities in Arcadia was founded here thousands of years ago along the riverbanks of the Kak'tar, that snakes endlessly along Fang's canyons and ravines to its destination, in the Great Oasis of the Dessert of Skulls.
Back then it was believed that Fang was the Abode of the Gods with its snow-capped peaks, awash in golden hues where vast wheat fields blended subtly with the rusted colored soil and is interrupted only where rivers flow and the greenery of plateaus emerged from the harsh stone. Testament to this are the many abandoned fire temples in the region. But tribes of today appear to have forgotten or turned their back on their old golds and appear to only worship Noraura, the embodiment of Fang, Mother of Mountains.
The reign of Armek, the Warbler I brought prosperity to the fiefdoms of Fang when he renovated the long-neglected road systems and constructed a series of fortifications along the main causeways. They were massive fortress-like structures with impressive entrances framed by intricately carved portals.
These mountain bastions were located about 2 days distance apart and provided travellers with food, lodging, and protection. Fifty miles to the west of the Great Oasis, the Armat Caravanserai was the last overnight stop before reaching the dessert and it still retains most of its original features and is one of the best preserved in the area. This farming plateau now serves as the base for the Ihlara clan.
It would be the source of much debate among scholars and learned men and women why and how such an advanced culture like the one that flourished in Fang centuries ago, with thriving commerce, technology, and cultural advancements, reverted to the nomadic pastoral life that the current tribes endure.