Description
The Nomads who settle the Plains of Kataru know of a boon that might prove unsettling to some, but to the wise elders who guide the tribes know it to be a thing to be sought, rather than a thing avoided.
The Shade is a great circle of darkness approximately 50km in diameter, a shadow on the land that appears at seemingly random intervals in the northern areas of Kataru. It has the appearance of a shadow of a structure hovering high in the atmosphere, though no structure is ever seen by those below.
The Shade is well named. Beneath it the air grows cool and wet with humidity, a welcome respite from the Arid climate of the plains.
The Shade appears at least thrice every year for a period no longer than a week, and each time there is great competition between the tribes to be the first to arrive.
The winners are treated to feasts by the other tribes that arrive later, and are permitted to preside over the games and tests of strength that follow.
Many beasts that wander the Plains are also drawn to The Shade, and many mounts and meat animals are hunted during the festivities.
The Tribes, in fact, are so caught up in the festival that few pause to wonder what casts this shadow, and how it might be reached.
When The Shade vanishes, it leaves the land a wet and verdant patch for some weeks afterward, though the natural climate of the Kataru Plains soon reasserts itself.
Details
- Rulers:
- N/A
- Population:
- Several Nomadic Tribes of the Kataru Plains
- Region:
- The Beyond
- The Shade Hearsay:
An Aeon Priest has left his Aldiea in an attempt to study The Shade. He is convinced that there is a pattern to its movements and he wishes to be the first to find it.
- The Weird of The Shade:
The festive mood may be more than just simply exuberance. A certain type of flora grows only where The Shade has been, and those that smell its dark bloom experience a heady calm.