Taur-Dji-Oum

Taur-Dji-Oum [Tower-shjee-ohm], known as Torthien in much of the Civilised World, also called the Vale of Tortanis in Ororr, is an upland area of southeastern Anásthiasplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigAnásthias

Anásthias [a-NAS-thee-ass / ænæsθiːæs], or [an-ass-THEE-as] is an equatorial island continent, heart of the Civilised World. The north straddles the equator and is hot and humid, while most of the equatorial centre is an upland plateau with fertile river valleys, and stretches of arid plains and desert in the shadow of the mountains. The south is temperate but more wild, separated from the civilisations of the north by the almost impassable Harthera. It is a politically complex and unstable region, consisting of twenty-three major ethnic nations, territorially sub-divided into smaller kingdoms, chiefdoms, fiefdoms and clan holdings, with a shifting pattern of allegiances and alliances.

The region is historically noted for its inter-tribal warfare. States commonly form alliances or conquer neighbouring states to form wider kingdoms and empires, but these rarely last beyond the lifetime of any particular leader. Only once in history has the region been united under a single leadership, but this lasted less than forty years.

In the 11th century, the Great Powers of Ororrplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigOrorr

Ororr [o-ROARR, ɒ̝rɔ'ɾ], also called the Holy Motherland of Ororr, is a theocratic nation in Anásthias, one of the world's great powers. It the largest nation in the world, perhaps the largest empire in history, occupying the entire northwest of the continent between the mountains and the sea. Ororrlanguagelanguagelanguage and Harthera fought a proxy war for leverage in the strategically important region, provoking the Torthien Crisis.

Geographically the region is a rift valley and the source of the River Roul, which flows through the valley to the sea. According to Plate Theory, it was formed by the Occidentalplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigThe Occident

The Occident is the area of the continent of Anásthias west of the Dun Jaen mountains. Historically this meant the old Empire of Dor-en-Sann, as well as the many other nations west of the mountains before the founding of modern Ororr. Contemporary Ensanni writers occasionally used the term to refer to the relatively wild and less inhabited west coast of AnásthiasOrorrOrorr Plate colliding with Thalsic Plate, forming the Dun Jaen and Dun Trisan mountains and splitting the plates in two. In millions of years time it will tear open the rift entirely, turning the Roul valley into a sea gulf.

Most of the region is rough and mountainous with few reliable roads, transport often being by water. The main areas of relatively flat land for habitation and cultivation are around the three largest lakes. Lake Beikid to the southeast is the largest but also the lowest-lying, being surrounded by viridplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigVirid

Referring to the Virid Kingdom of flora and fauna, toxic to human life. swamps and jungles. The next largest is Lake Lusukiam in the highlands to the west. Lake Mamoluim is the smallest of the three but the most important, since all the important rivers of the region flow through it, including the Roul. It is surrounded by the flattest and most important arable land in the entire area, making it both a hub for economic and political activity, as well as a prize constantly fought over by warring factions.

The exact boundaries of Torthien were drawn by the Great Powers during the Torthien Crisis.

Torthien is home to hundreds of tribal Li-bam clans, existing in state of constant conflict over the scant resources of the region. These “wars”, or clan rivalries, were traditionally conducted according to formal codes of conduct, until interference by Ororran missionaries and various other foreign interests push traditional hostility into an all-out, bloody war, called the Torthien Crisis.

The Torthien Crisis eventually involved virtually all the powers on the continent, and though they never actually came to head-on conflict, it was only careful diplomacy that averted what could have been a world-wide military mobilisation.

The outcome of the Crisis was to firmly agree border boundaries, establish formal embassies and provide frameworks for agreeing trade quotas and negotiate protectionist economic policies.

The region has been inhabited since ancient times by the Li-Bam people.