Oksandanderi

Oksandanderi is a region located in northern central Fountainhead. The climate of Oksandanderi is generally dry and lacks precipitation, as the land is locked between high mountains and deserts. Agriculture in the Lowlands is made possible due to intensive irrigation system relying on several large rivers and lakes. These rivers are fed by glaciers high up in the mountains. Only parts of the Highlands are densely forested and receive sufficient precipitation.

Name
The name Oksandanderi is but one of many terms to call this region, but it is certainly among the most common ones. Oksandanderi means "The place of apple tree orchards" in the Kathurn language. Another name is Pikhanda-Erkhanda "Lowlands and Highlands", Ván-tis "Mountains and rivers", Ethan "Great garden". All of these names are from Kathurn. Then there is Ban Toh from the Walken language, meaning "The great land". This term however does not only rever to Oksandanderi, but to the known world as whole. A more specific term comes from Ardanic, Alpa Yumta "The blessed garden". Many terms allude to the nature of Oksandanderi as a place of cultivation and gardening. A place of plenty in between two hostile poles. Indeed the people of Oksandanderi understand the garden as the core of civilisation. Cultivated effort to survive in a harsh environment. A beautiful garden within a desert oasis, a fertile valley within barren highlands. This is their view on the world they live in.

Geography
Main article: Geography of Oksandanderi



The geography of Oksandanderi can be grouped into several larger regions. The main distinction is between the Highlands and the Lowlands. The Lowlands harbor the majority of the population and are fed by several large rivers, such as the Yarla and the Fsikay. The rivers are used to enable a large and sophisticated network of irrigation canals. This system makes it possible, that hundreds of thousands of people can live in the Lowlands. The Lowlands themselves are often differentiated into the Yarlish Lowlands and other areas, such as the Ardanic Basin. The Lowlands are bordered by steppes in the Southeast, which give way to hostile deserts. The other part of Oksandanderi consists mostly of Highlands. The Highlands themselves are subdivided into the Western Highlands, the Central Highlands and the Eastern Highlands. The areas between the Highlands and the Lowlands mostly consist of steppes. One subregion, which does not belong to either the Highlands nor the Lowlands proper is the Walkenian Steppe.

Cities
Main article: Urbanism in Oksandanderi

Since around the beginning of the second millennium BGS cities started to grow. Most cities are located in the Lowlands. This region is also the epicentre of urbanisation in Oksandanderi itself. Most of these cities grew around temples, which housed the early urban elite responsible for planing and upkeeping irrigation networks. Among the notable cities of the Yarlish Lowlands are Kamag, Tarin, Sardo, Khisvit, Vithos and Vërev. In the northern part along the Erthis lie the cities of Erme and Vukhun. Many other cities are foundations by the Astmergian Empire, such as Kalotgane, Yardungane, Altëngane and Vánarv. Other regions have one or two larger city. Within the Kuperi there are Misyáls and Yaldo. The Midlands, although densely populated, have fewer notable cities, among them are Imnagal and Pakkan. In the Temakkeri there is only a single city called Zhürme. It likely originated as a ritual centre, which became the seat of local petty kings. The Ardanic basin also contains three notable cities, which there are Alpa, Ksuray and Tyelesh, these three cities make up the threefold state of Tyon-Arat.

Cultures
Main articles: Ethnic groups of Oksandanderi, Cuisine of Oksandanderi



Oksandanderi is home to many different cultures. They can be classified by various means, language, economy, anthropology, religion, history and so on. The most important cultural groups are the Yarlish Lowlanders, Makhat, Ardanians and the Walken people. This list is mostly linguistic in nature, with some respect to economy.

History
Main article: History of Oksandanderi

The history of Oksandanderi spans over several millenia and can be divided into several periods. Ancient history or prehistory describes the history before the advent of writing and history proper. It surmises the paleolithic, the mesolithic and neolithic of Oksandanderi. With the advent of writing begins the Formative-Literary Period. This time period is characterised by the rise and fall of several city states. Over time these states form so called dominions or Kortón as they come to be known. This development culminates into Astmergian Empire and the period of the Astmergian Dominion. After the fall of the empire the Era of Fragmentation begins. After this time period, ushered in by the Walkenian conquests, begins the History of Oksandanderi, which is characterised by the four dominant states of the Walken Empire, the Yarlaganda Empire, the Tyon-Arat and the Makhatganda state. It ends with the collapse of the Walken Empire and the dissolution of the Yarlaganda Empire in the 8th century. The period after this is dubbed the Age of Harmony and Disharmony. During this period the people of Oksandanderi engage into extensive contact with peoples from other parts of Fountainhead and begin to settle outside of Oksandanderi. During the 10th century Oksandanderi transitions into the Imperial Age, which starts with the declaration of the Empire of Kalotgane in 1020 AGS.

Languages
''Main articles: Yarlish languages, Ardanic languages, Walkenian language, Korrenic languages

Oksandanderi is home to several different language families. The largest language family is the Yarlish language family. It is mainly spoken within the Lowlands along the Yarla river and in the Midlands and the region of the Kuperi. A smaller number of Yarlish languages are also spoken in the Central and Western Highlands, which are accordingly called Highland Yarlish. By number of speakers, the second largest language family are the Ardanic languages. These are mainly spoken within the Ardanic basin and the Murfa Basin. The other language families are the Korrenic languages, spoken in the Eastern Highlands and the Walkenian language, which is spoken on the Walkenian steppe. The languages are overall unrelated to each other, but share a number of typological similarities due to language contact. There is a large amount of shared vocabulary between the Ardanic and Yarlish languages, which originates from language contact during the neolithic and early bronze age. There is also a more speculative theory, which posits that Yarlish and Korrenic languages are ultimately related to each other. One typical feature is the relative lack of pronouns seen in both the Ardanic and Yarlish languages. Of the Oksandanderian languages, Walkenian is the most divergent, this is probably due to the Walken people arriving later than others in Oksandanderi and relatively few contacts before that.

Religion
Main article: Religion in Oksandanderi

Religion in Oksandanderi is rarely monolithic. The religious believes of all people of Oksandanderi share some commonalities, but also many differences. From folk religion to state religion and monastic orders and philosophical movements, there are a lot of different branches of religious thought and practice. In essence, the people of Oksandanderi share a common worldview and ideas on what constitutes a good life. The world itself is thought of as horizontal in nature and thoughts about transcendence rarely come up. While there are believes in an otherworld sometimes, there are no believes in an underworld or heavenly realm or anything close to a world not within our world. Even the otherworld is part of this world, it is just one which does not comply to the laws (Kas) of the human mind and the human realm as such. A great emphasis lies on idea of good deeds, both in regards to other humans and nature. Nature has to be kept in check like a garden. Human control is only tentative, but essential to this, as the world beyond the garden is inevitably hostile. In regards to society, humans ought to inspire good deeds and good thoughts. A deep commonality is the emphasis on thankfulness and reciprocity, both towards nature and towards humans. Although some forms of belief know a myriad of different spirits, which reside in our world, deities are rarely personified and more often appear as abstract concept worthy of praise and thanks.