Bosemya
Contents
Landscape
Bosemya sits on a windswept craggy mass of hard soil and rock just west of Wall and north of Cydonya. Only in the hills and mountains of Bosemya are the rugged Ironwood trees found. This wood, lightweight and extremely durable, is highly sought after. The Bosemyans seem to be the only ones able to wrestle a decent amount of the stuff away from the Sidhe. The bleak area also produces a fair amount of iron ore, which is often traded to nearby Tenebra in order to make Tenebran Steel, and coal and diamonds, which are valuable nearly everywhere, but most especially in Cydonya, where the colorless gems are greatly desired.
Bosemya is actually broken into four distinct regions of the city: The Crags of the East, The Caves (or Pits) in the West, The Hills of Northern Bosemya, and The Valley, which is in the South. Each is a small township with a Castle or Keep which serves as the center of government. Each region is ruled by a governor or "Keeper" who oversees the township and takes part in the Council of Keepers, which meets several times a year to discuss the needs of the city of Bosemya.
History
Where it came from or when, no one knows, but a strange disease wanders on the wind in Bosemya. For generations uncounted the Bosemyans have fallen prone to it. Some say it comes from contact with a poisonous plant, others say it is the wrath of the planet itself made tangible, others that it is a curse from the city of Rune for some forgotten slight. One thing is true, though. It's effects are unmistakable...
The Bosemyans have always ridden strange mounts into war. These hulking "Goarers" as they are known, stand as tall as a large horse, with massive shoulders and heads set low with small necks. Horns and tusks sprout from the pig-like faces (some say they are more bat-like) and a course hair covers their bodies. They are brutal and devastating in combat and possess an uncanny bond with their riders.
The disturbing fact is that these Goarers were once people.
The Bosemyans suffer under a unique sort of lycanthropy. It is irreversible, can lay dormant for as long as a lifetime, and is painful and final. The afflicted person begins to feel pains in their organs and limbs, experiences changes in appetite and mood, begins to grow small, soft hairs everywhere. Eventually the person needs to be taken care of by friends or family as the disease takes a stronger hold and leaves the victim bedridden and feverish. The disease can often cause a person to become extremely violent during the transformation, so sometimes they are locked in stalls, cages or secure rooms to prevent injury to loved ones. When the transformation is complete, the person has become a Goarer, and while they retain much of their human intelligence, they are burdened with the instincts and urges of an animal. No one has ever been able to find a cure for the disease and the Bosemyans do not desire one. This disease has become part of life in Bosemya, whether it is viewed as good luck or ill.
This disease, termed "Bosethropy" has led to many of the Bosemyans' significant cultural norms. Because many foreigners are unwilling to travel to Bosemya for fear of contracting Bosethropy, many Bosemyan merchants travel abroad selling wares and writing up contracts for a good majority of the calendar year. Most do this during the warm seasons, so they can sequester themselves at home through the harsh winter in comfort. And because of this, Bosemyan wares and workmanship is expensive and highly sought after. After all, they have resources which are very rare in other parts of the world.
Because at least one member of each family is away for most of the year, Bosemya can seem a haunting place to outsiders, cold and desolate. However, Bosemyans lean hard towards values of fraternity and community, and within the four various small townships, people look after each other. While Bosemyans can be distrustful of outsiders, once one has made themselves familiar to a Bosemyan, that person will always be greeted warmly. Life in those mountains can be harsh and cruel, after all.
Bosemya plays host to a good number of Koh-ri, as well as the Ironwood Sidhe Clan, Goblins, Trowls and, of course, Humans.
