Porthmos Gap

The Porthmos Gap is a large plain located in Porthmos Prefecture between the World's Edge Mountains and its Southern Range of eastern Taldor. It is bordered to the west by the Porthmos River and Sardis Township, and to the east by the new settlement of Stavian's Hold. It is named for General Porthmos who led the First Army of Exploration in the first century Absalom Reckoning.

History

The Gap was widened in -632 AR when the infamous Spawn of Rovagug called Tarrasque tore through it on its way from Casmaron into Avistan. It then went on to destroy many of the cities of Taldor, including the capital of Oppara.

During his reign as Grand Prince, Cydonus III transferred a large portion of the royal treasuries to an estate in the wild hill country of Porthmos Gap called the House of the Senses Awakened. This vast, mazelike pleasure palace became a scandalous house of debauchery, even by the standards of the Taldan aristocracy, and the Grand Prince was later assassinated. Cydonna's former paramour, a cellist by the name of Origen Sarlu, sequestered himself with the body of Cydonus within its walls before converting the estate into a palace of trap-filled nightmares.

Geography

The terrain that remains after Tarrasque's devastation is jagged and raw. It mostly consists a landscape of sheared-clean plateaux and deep, ragged canyons. Though roads are sparse, the North River and South River are wide enough to allow transportation.

Economy

The raw wounds that cut through the land, all evidence of Tarrasque's rampage, have revealed new mineral wealth which is now mined by the region's inhabitants. Some farming is also conducted, although the soil is rocky and far from ideal.

Inhabitants

Residents of the Porthmos Gap call themselves 'Gappers' and live in the many tiny settlements that dot the region. Hardy and pessimistic, they mistrust outsiders and tend to keep to themselves.

Hostile creatures abound in Porthmos Gap, including ankhravs, bulettes, manticores, and wyverns but, more disturbing, are the various aberrations that still lurk in Tarrasque's footprints. These horrors linger on and prove remarkably resistant to the nation's regular attempts to wipe them out. For the most part, the local population learnt long ago how to avoid these threats.

Government

Porthmos Gap is administrated by Grand Duke Avernathus. As a minor prefecture, there is little real power to be gained from the region but the role is, nevertheless, a prestigious one and guarantees a senatorial seat. Stavian III personally gifted the position to Avernathus for reasons unknown.