#jarkesiscold

[chronicleoftheslaying]

The Magic of Jarkes

The Magic in Jarkes works by how the entity lived, by giving and taking equally

A wish uttered, a thought thought or just existing makes Jarkes react.

for example,

If you are close to death but desperately want to survive, you will lose something important and you may survive.

This influenced how The People hunt and live alongside Jarkes. As Greedyness is Punished by the land itself.

[chronicleoftheslaying]

Lore of Jarkes

The Region of Jarkes was for the longest time of the Eryntell Continent nothing but a Mountain Range, forming a similar build as the southern Tricorn Peaks.

With the arrival of the Divine Entities, and their meddling in the Way the World was shaped the region changed drastically.

None of the deities truly took interest in the Northern regions as it was practically impossible for life to exist there without heavy intervention.

One Entity, Jark, took a leap of faith and Tremendously shaped the region in their own image without any other Influence. While some took their duty too literally, reshaping entire landmasses, changing how nature grows or creating Places of their Worship across the Globe, Jark hyperfocused on fineproofing their little Corner.

So after Millennia of slow Terraforming, the region changed and the old central mountains disappeared, creating a pit surrounded by the now named Cauldron Chain

In the region Jark took it upon themselves to aid the evolution of new wandering creatures, making them stronger or resilient as well as teaching the People moving there to live in harmony and importantly survive the harshness, it quickly became a majority Nomadic people, with some settlements already being shaped.

Unlike most others, Jark did not mind the people to have self determination and encouraged it as long as they follow their teachings

Their Kind entering the war against mortals Jark was forced to act.

Some people loyal to the god and beasts under their control left the Cold, and entered war.

At the end of the Slaying, Jark kept themselves alive long enough not to die instantly at the Centre of the World's Wound like all others, but rather crawled back to their Love, their Life, Their passion project. To die surrounded by what they made

This changed the region forever, all other regions had no direct divine intervention since the beginning of the Slaying.

This Marks Jarkes as the most magically direct Land in theory.

The death of Jark splintered all their magic into the Region making the entirety of Jarkes into a Magically influenced zone, the Animals took on magical abilities and practices, became smarter, the people became stronger and more connected to the land and Beasts.

[chronicleoftheslaying]

The Sark

The Sark are widely believed to be the calmer, more docile relatives of the Scar. 

While they  most likely share a common ancestry, the differences between them are notable. Slightly smaller in stature than their more violent cousins, the Sark are distinguished by their gentle temperament and an almost naive curiosity when it comes to interacting with the world around them.

In terms of physique, the Sark still retain the distinctive build characteristic, shorter back limbs paired with long, powerful front legs. 

They possess a more balanced frame, with a normal-length tail without thorns, a longer, more flexible neck, and a skull shape that leans toward the rectangular rather than the sharper, more predatory features of their kin.

They are adorned with long, flowing manes that extend down their spines and possess thick beards under the chin.

Sark share a similar mating ritual to the Scar, marked by elaborate displays and physical engagement of both Sexes to establish breeding heirarchy, but they are far less aggressive in their courtship. 

Fights between them are not rarer and but generally non-lethal and avoidant of heavy injury, with contests focused more on endurance or posturing than inflicting harm. 

Notably, Sark males play an active role in the rearing of the young, often supporting the females by guarding the den, foraging for food, or teaching the young how to navigate their surroundings.

Sark are also Family creatures that find lifelong Partners outside the Mating seasons.

From time to time Sark follow Unrooted across the Wilderness to observe curiously, scavenge or in some instances aid them in danger situations

The people of Kokurfi formed a special bond with the Sark, and each mating season of the population in the area, some that had no partner or mate stay in the village vicinity

lil Doodle for visual aid

[chronicleoftheslaying]

The Scar

These Creatures are by far the most Sadistic of the bunch.

Their Visual appearance can be Described as a Bear sized Hyena with a short, almost nonexistent neck and a Tail that along its Lenght holds sharp, hooked Thorns.

Their Forearms are long and thick and end in a paw with 5 retractable claws. The back Legs are shorter and thicker, ending in a paw with 4 retractable claws

They are Largely born with White Fur, but genetic issues in the Species sometimes Produce Brown or Black fur.

The name Scar derives from the Male and Females behaviour during Mating Season,

During which the males Fight under eachother and females Fight against eachother to determine the heirarchy of who breeds with who,

this is highly violent, causing the Beasts to be coverered in countless scars once they have gone through their first season, and incredible enviromental damage in the vacinity

the more scars a beast is covered in, the more they areRespected within the Group.

the mating is done near hot Springs and Geysers for heat production that the Young require

Quick Doodle of them attached

[chronicleoftheslaying]

The Fauna

Jarkes Houses the ususal Animals that one can see in the Cold regions of Real Life and some small unususal critters:

Lynx

Rabbit

Mice/Rats

Mustelids

Oupts, Small Chicken like beings with reptile tails

Meat Bees

But also Megafauna specific to the Region evolved to survive the Hostile Land, some of them being:

Scar, a Quadrupedal Canine Beast roughly the Size of a Grizzly when adult, its stature is reminicent of Hyena, if they had no Neck and posesses Tails with Thorns Attached

Sark, A Relative of the Scar, main differences are the longer neck, softer features and a singular tail with no thorns. Reminicent Of Dogs/Coyotes

Unicorn, a Deer esque Creature that has a singular Horn growing across the majority of their upper skull,

Duohorn, A Bison like Being that grows a Horn plate over its skull that have two main appandages to the top, it grows exponantially so the beings either fight to break them or it becomes their of Suffocation

Moutan are Mountainous Moose like Beings, They largely lie Dormant and become semi permanent hills of the region, with massive fat reserves but get up to consume anything to fill those back up

Young Moutan, Distinct Creatures from Moutan that just developed a similar look, as no creature wants to mess with the Giants. they are smaller with a Dachshund Like Build and Deer Bull like Horns that regrow each mating season, they also have Two fork like horns on their tail that act similarly

Dire Hogs, Massive Boar

They all will get their own Little posts going into detail how they interact with the people

There are more but those are common ones

[chronicleoftheslaying]

Snow Politics

Each Village has a Political Structure formed by Two Decision making Seats

The Garmen,

a Person voted into office by every Adult in the Village at the time of Vote until death or the Voting body decides the Person of the title is unable to perform the duties of the role. The Family of each acting Garmen becomes a House for the duration of the Tenure, some houses keep influence after the abdication. Those are called the Remaining

The Duties of the Garmen are the Following:

Be the Main Decisionmaker on all Issues regarding the Village, be it Judging, Hunting, Planning etc.

Needs To posess knowledge of all general duties to survive

Representing the Village People During Votes of Krachg and the Hunting Assembly

The Elder Speaker,

the Speakers of each Village Vote in one of themselves to the Position until death, if only a singular Speaker is available, they are the Elder They are the Spiritual Guide of the People, speaking for them to Jarkes and for Jarkes to them, They are Educated in the Mythological, The stories and generally had a deep connection to Jarkes before the Title

It is possible to be Elder Speaker and garmen at the same time, it has not happened yet

But,

Mornes Functions similar but different to the Villages,

The Garmen of Mornes

is voted in by every House of Jarkes for Life, of which there are 20 at the time

and technically has Power over the entirety of Jarkes, but practically controls the Morn Sea Valley. The Garmen of Mornes and Ruler of Jarkes is also called

The Krachg

The Krachg also presides over the Hunting Assembly every Nine Years, where the Garmen and Elder Speaker Come together in a predetermined Location and converse abou the issues of the Villages and decide what regions need to turndown the Hunting and who need to Ramp it up, to Keep a stable Population of the animals and Beasts.

[chronicleoftheslaying]

The Life Within

The Life of the People can be Divided into 3 main Ways.

The Unrooted, People that live within the Wild of Jarkes outside of Settlements and ususally are of Singular People be it Exiled or Out of Free Will, a collective of Individuals or Families They survive Purely from Foraging and the Hunt of smaller Critters and Larger Beats, aswell as scavenging

The Rooted, Those that choose a more Permanent Home in the Villages spread around Jarkes. They live from a Duality of Keeping smaller Critters as Lifestock, Like Oupts, some rare Agriculture, Foraging, Hunting and the Keeping of Meat Bees, They Consume Meat and Produce Honey, the main Beverage of the People

Morn Rooted, The Term specifically describes those that stay in or near the Only City of Jarkes, Mornes. The Morn Rooted survive largely from the Keeping of Lifestock near the Morn Sea, the Fishing that the lake allows and Hunting. During the rare Warm Times they also Grow Vegetables and Berries. Aswell as the Keeping of the Meat Bees

[chronicleoftheslaying]

Jarkes

This is one of the Regions i have Spent the most time Writing about

The name Jarkes discribes the fully isolated region within the Cauldron Mountain chain and is mostly Everfrosted Ground covered by meters of Snow with some Green being able to grow near the Morn Sea during Warm Seasons.

More to the region in following Posts of different Topics