Harkannen Steppes

The Harkannen Steppes is the region to the south of Serenia.

Geography
The Harkannen Steppes are far to the south of the civilised Kingdoms. This is a cold, windswept land, devoid of trees. Native animals include Bactrian camels, horses, bison, and boars, as well as natural predators such as Winter Wolves, Ankhegs and Krenshars. The steppes lie to the south of the United Duchies of Kalstapp and the Clan Nuggins Holdings. To the west is the Ob Range

Goverment
There is no unified government of the Harkannen Steppes.

Population
The main population of the steppes consist of roughly even numbers of Humans and Orcs, though there are a few small nomadic Dwarven Clans as well, particuallry in the far south.

The humans primarily consist of herdsmen, born into a life in the saddle. They watch over huge herds of livestock, once a season driving them north to the great animal auctions along the border with The United Duchies, where they are able to trade for supplies from the more civilised nations, including wood, medicines and exotic food such as wine and mead. Children learn to ride a horse from as soon as they can walk, and it's estimated that a average Harkannen male will spend 2/3 of their life in the saddle. They are organised into small tribes, frequently no bigger than an extended family unit. It only at the livestock auctions, or other festive occasions in which these groups come together to form anything that could resemble a society.

The Orcs not native to Harkannen. Hundreds of years ago, the countries to the north successfully drove the orcs from their lands, and on to the steppe. The humans already living there were offered no support, and frequently found themselves on the back foot in the face of the new invaders. There simply aren’t enough resources to allow both populations to flourish in isolation from one another. To this day, the tribes resent the lands to the north for what they consider to be an unthinking betrayal. The Orc tribes eke a living out in the wilds, though these tribes have tended adhere to more predatory means to survive, raiding border communities, and engaging in an eternal conflict with the Harkannen Humans for control over the herds.

Religion
The Northern faith's never took a strong hold in the steppes, and Shamanistic traditions such as ancestor worship, spirit summoning and diviniation are all popular. Normally, a human clan will revere its founding father above all else, and to go against their percieved guidence, or to dishonour their memory is considered a greivous insult.