The Verdant Hollow
Here the land dips into a broad, shallow basin. Areas like this collect moisture and warmth, supporting dense plant life and ecologies. The ashen soil is deep and dark, enriched by natural processes and ancient terraforming systems.
The Hollow is home to agricultural settlements, with terraced fields, expansive farmland, and semi-nomadic herders. Life is easier than on the reaches and wastes, but food production brings with it the need for oversight, and attracts outside interest.
Economy
Surplus bio-material is cultivated and distributed to the Ashara Reach, other regions, and local hubs. Crops are timed to meet projected needs and rotated to keep the soil rested.
People and Culture
Cultivators and stewards (not farmers). Many arrive as part of circulation obligations (labor in exchange for other goods and services, or simply as a way to rotate manpower). People are understood to be here temporarily, for a few seasons before moving on while the Hollow takes on new apprentice cultivators.
Mantra: “Growth must be temporary to remain healthy.”
Clothing is made of plant fibers and dyed with plant residue. Structures are uniform and no building dominates the landscape. Tools and supplies are carefully maintained and shared.
Specifics
- Narrow, terraced fungal beds and root gardens
- Brackish irrigation pools for saltwater flora
- Windbreaks naturally grown from plants
- Ash-based soil mixtures
Hooks
- Disputes over land-use timing
- Pressure from external powers on local communities
- Tension between tradition and technological advance