Flatlands

The Flatlands (also known as the Ruined Steppes and the Tasainen Maa) are a geographical area on the east of Crescenthia. It is bounded by Bardaria in the South, The Ashen Veil in the west and Grey Wall in the east. It is the dragonborn homeland and 96% of the population are dragonborns.

History
Timeline of the Flatlands

For all of recorded history the Flatlands have been home to the nomadic tribes of the Dragonborn. In ancient times they shared the land with dragons as well, but they have long since been driven out and there are no known dragons living there today. The area has been defined by near constant warfare for the past 1000 years, both within its borders and with the neighbouring nations. It has been invaded several times in that period, with its borders being in near constant flux as it invaded and was repelled by its neighbours. However, due to the ferocity of the dragonborn soldiers it has never been conquered and held by any nation for a long period of time. Throughout its history there have been many attempts to unify the region under one ruler, most notably the Three Kingdoms Period and The War of the Ensimmäinen, but the dragonborns are a proud people and they do not bow easily. It was not until the coming of Thulsa the Black that the area was unified under one king.

Political Structure
The entire dragonborn society is built around warfare. The strongest warrior from each tribe is elected as the leader (or johtaja) of the tribe until they die or another warrior challenges their right to rule. If a leader dies without a challenge their eldest child becomes the ruler until they are old enough to be challenged. The wealth and power of a tribe is based on its strength in battle. When a tribe is defeated it must usually pay the victor in precious goods or in slaves. A tribe can vary in size from a few hundred to several thousand, and the largest tribes have smaller tribes who work as vassals and provide large armies in times of war. Such vassalships are usually ties to how much respect the leader of the tribe can inspire, and there is no expectation that such loyalties be passed from one leader to the next. This tribalism largely dissapeared after Thulsa's conquest, although some remnants of it survived.

While trade between dragonborn tribes is not uncommon it is seen as more noble to achieve wealth through military victories. There are towns and villages on the coast, the largest of which being Barrasváros (formerly Khitai  város) where dragonborn trade with outsiders for goods not found inside the Flatlands. There had in the past been dragonborn cities, the ruins of which can still be seen today, but the last of these was razed by the Goblin king Zergas and no new cities were built until the rule of Thulsa the Black.

Religion
Religion varies greatly in the Flatlands. Historically, it was not uncommon to find Naturist and Anamist religions in the centre, with more mainstream religions practiced along the coast, where there was more contact with the outside world. While the level of religious devotion varies hugely from tribe to tribe, Priests tend to act both a religious leaders and as healers and wise men. While religion is not held in as high an esteem as combat generally, it is generally considered extremely dishonourable to intefere with other's religious practices or to attack preists. There are some temples and holy places within the Flatlands, but the only ones generally recognised by the dragonborns are the Sacred Mountain, near the border with Grey Wall where the Flamesword is said to have been forged, and the Central Tower within the ruins ofOsiváros. After the rule of Thulsa, foreign religions became much more common, though the old religions never died.

Thulsa the Black
To date the only person ever to be named king of all dragonborns, Thulsa vastly reformed the dragonborn political and military structure. All the remaining chieftains bowed to him and the control of their armies went directly to him, though they kept most of their political and social influence. This put an end to the centuries of infighting and resulted in a far more disciplined military force. Under his rule the capital city of Kohtalokas was built and firmer trade and diplomatic relations were established with other nations. Though border skirmishes still occurred he pursued peace with the neighbouring countries and under his rule the land became incredibly wealthy.