Zerujil
EDIT NOTE : Will be tidied up
The Region of Zerujil gives way from the northern Forrest and Woodland snaked with age-old sunken roads and leafy trader’s tracks that stretch to it’s heartlands, to cleared fields and plains nearer the southern coast, which is lined with expansive sandy beeches. Largely cut off and isolated from the rest of the continent, the people of Zerujil have had trading contact with border villages in Tubrel and Candiels Fields but have seldom ventured beyond, and historically visitors to the region were few. Thus for an Age the region’s populace has largely been removed from the political strife, Warring or Zuma-Daimon threat that other South-West regions of Dwilight have endured.
The people of the region are known under many names but most commonly as Zeru’jiacks. Due to both the warm climate and lack of supplies of cottons, wools and linen the people rarely wear clothes, save for in the Winter months, when leather garments are bearable. Notable skills of the northern locals are very much rural attributes; Huntsmanship, Camouflage and Trapping, Woodwork and Farming. As such the people of Zerujil are competently self sufficient in food production and in self provision in a variety of trades, including that of woodland furs, small scale carpentry and, uniquely, in carefully harvesting the various fungi that grow in the woodlands. Though with access to the Ocean along the entire southern coast, festooned with many Inlets and Bays, the people of Zerujil have adopted little in the way of Sea-fishing due to the strong currents and tides that sweep about the bottom horn of West Dwilight. However, Shore-fishing and Beach-combing provides plenty in the way of small fish, crabs, lobsters and an abundance of molluscs for the more coastal villages.
Zerujil is also home to a specific kind of Woodland Pony, named a’Pfella in local dialect, who largely live in small, semi-wild herds in the southernmost part of the forest where grazing is plentiful. “a’Pfella Hunting” is a Summertime sport for young teenage boys of the region, who for three weeks each year are tasked with tracking and capturing as many wild ponies as they can to be used for domestic breeding.
Archery is a cultural fixture in Zerujil, with all males from the age of 7 required to learn how to head and fletch arrows, and cut, shape and string their own bows, and practice regularly. There are often inter-village Archery competitions. Bows are also the only weapons allowed to be used in single-combat to solve personal or family disputes, where either combatant may only use a single arrow, and the dispute is considered settled even if neither is hit or killed.
The first Census was ordered by Allomere de' Striguile, First Viscount Zerujil.