Mhadhavi

Mhadhavi is a heavily forested territory in the north-central part of the continent. It is bordered by Mahday and Akshay to the east and by Mohanshu to the west. The Falak Mountains separate it from Devidhyaan in the south. The Jamgali River snakes it way through the middle, splitting Mhadhavi in half from Mount Falak to the sea.

“Jamgali” means wild, or untamed, and the river certainly earns its name. The two southern branches, called the Horns, are full of rapids, the water tumbling violently out of the mountains. At the confluence of the Horns a lake has formed, and the river flows from it, treacherous still. The water is cold, deep, and swift. The banks are unpredictable, and the water is often fouled with branches, roots, and fallen trees.

The people of Mhadhavi (predominantly humans and elves) are as wild and savage as the river. They live in fear of their lord who treats them as another source of game, and have become adept at hiding in the forest. They are fierce fighters, able hunters, and superb scouts. There is very little in-fighting; they simply cannot afford to be at odds with one another since cooperation is key to surviving their lord’s frequent hunts.

The humans build small, hidden enclaves which the elves then use as a central base for their nomadic roaming. The elves are gatherers, hunters, and traders. They bring raw materials to the enclaves, and also link the enclaves together. The humans then create finished goods, from cloth to weapons. Each enclave is completely self-sufficient, but also tends to specialize in something, be it superior pottery, or bows, or unique patterns in cloth. These superior goods are then traded to other enclaves, and eventually make their way out of Mhadhavi. They are prized in other places for their craftsmanship and beauty.

This work by Jean Headley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.