Yektarin Peaks

Official Name: Yektarin Peaks

Founded: 1887

Form of Government: Tribal

Head of State: None

Population Level: Very low

Society Structure: Mountain clans

Technological Level: Very low

Background: See Novostya.

Founding: The Yektarin Peaks are the type of no-man's-land that stands against the encroachment of civilization longer than most of the world mainly by possessing a landscape so inhospitable that few would bother trying to tame it. None, in fact, have ever truly made the attempt; the odd exploration teams have always been turned away by the region's barbarian tribes. These barbarians are so infrequently seen that they are as much a part of legend as history, and more than once an expedition stumbled into their lands simply because they forgot or did not believe the mountain tribes existed.

None of that, however, stopped the various governments of what is now Novostya from claiming the territory for themselves. For the entire history of civilization in that corner of Ereth, governments have called the Peaks part of their holdings; it took several centuries for anyone to try and convince the barbarians that the claim was legitimate.

The clans were not pleased.

Much of the reason the Peaks remained no more than a curiosity to lowlanders was the swath of tundra between the mountains and the inhabited land to the south. As Novostya went through its continuous cycle of government overthrows, however, a group referred to as the Black Temple placed roots in this tundra, away from curious eyes. It seemed for all the world a suicidal act; but the residents built a compound, found ways to feed their people, and managed to survive for decades. From the time of their arrival, whoever was in charge of the cities cared far more about the Temple than the fur-covered barbarians to the north, still living as their ancestors had for a thousand years and more.

Over one hundred years passed before the Temple was finally driven off the plains. The clans were never quite sure what happened, but the metal birds sailing through the distant sky had always troubled them, so no one was sorry to see them disappear. The new leaders of Novostya, however- the "Socialists"- took the wrong lessons from this episode. The Socialist leaders looked to the distant, unexplored mountains, imagining what valuable resources might lay beneath those ancient rocks. And in the hubris borne of taking credit for the Temple's departure, they decided exploiting those resources would be a simple matter, as would removing anyone intent on living where they planned to dig. When the diplomatic party- replete with a company of soldiers- lost twenty-three people (five diplomats, eighteen soldiers) to a massive pit trap one hundred feet up the mountain, the survivors were of two minds: Leave, or charge up the mountain, rifles firing.

Ambassador Selidov, who had only escaped the trap by somehow catching and clinging to the edge of the pit, made it clear immediate retreat was not an option, and allowed any soldier, if he wished, to go sprinting into the other hundred traps most likely laid for them. No one left the ambassador, and the party carried on. Knowing the Peaks would be inhospitable at best and teeming with potential dangers, the ambassador formed his team from younger officials and military officers with a variety of skills. Losing one-fifth of the delegation to the pit left them deficient in certain areas, but fortunately those did not include engineering. The party moved carefully up the mountain paths, disarming an endless series of traps along the way. Some of the soldiers questioned how the mountain people could move without accidentally setting off one thing or another, but the engineers pointed out how crudely the traps had been set, as if in a rush. The tribes were setting these devices not long before the group arrived at any particular spot on the mountain; it was not a welcoming sign.

For all that, however, the first tribe the ambassador's team encountered appeared nonplussed when they came tromping over the last ridge. There were no ambuscades awaiting them, no sign of hidden spearmen waiting to carve them stem to stern. The soldiers gripped their rifles tightly, but no one made even an aggressive twitch in their direction. The clan leader, a gray-bearded but still fully upright warrior swathed in relatively clean fur, invited the ambassador to his tent in passable Novostyan. No others of the party were invited in, nor did any of the mountain clan follow.

After a brief conversation- far briefer than any of the Novostyans anticipated- Ambassador Selidov marched out of the tent and ordered them all back down the mountain. When the stunned troops eventually followed, the remaining diplomats peppered him with questions about what had happened. But the ambassador said nothing, except that decisions had to be made at levels higher than his.

Once the group returned to the capital and the highest levels of government had been briefed, information began to leak. As it turned out, the elder informed the ambassador with a cold matter-of-factness that had the group not been so proficient in disabling their traps, and thus their numbers sufficiently whittled, his warriors would have cut them down to the last man. He also indicated that if they attempted to march further through the Peaks, or if they left and returned, resistance would be considerably stiffer, for the clans would be on their guard. And, if the Novostyans and their superior technology did manage to overtake the Peaks, the mountains would be brought down upon their heads, one and all.

This last part was derided by some as a voodoo threat. But when word of this filtered through the military ranks far enough, information previously considered unimportant came to light: Part of the Black Temple's main compound was lined with steel walls, at least triple the thickness of the walls elsewhere in any of the Temple's buildings. Assumed to be an explosives bunker, it was treated with extreme caution by exploratory units until they realized it was empty, with whatever had been inside presumably taken by Temple acolytes upon their departure. However, the Temple had been active in the area for quite some time, and the rumored number of residents was high enough for questions to be asked about how everyone was fed and clothed. Clearly they had been proficient in making explosives, and since anyone native to the area might have been able to assist them in more basic needs...

Great debates were held in the Novostyan legislative and military hierarchies. Many did not believe the clans possessed many, or any, explosives, certainly not enough to make good on their threat. Others said that no matter what kind of arsenal existed, it could not collapse a mountain range enough to make exploitation of its resources impossible. But a significant minority- including most of the army's engineers- said that properly placed explosives would not need to be all that powerful or numerous to cause extensive damage, more than the Novostyans could undo. And whether they were for the invasion or not, the generals acknowledged army losses would likely be severe.

The debates lingered. Though speed has long been considered a critical aspect of war, in this case it was deemed largely irrelevant; the mountain clans were not going anywhere, and were likely as prepared as they ever would be. The tribes waited for whatever attack might come, but in the end activity near Shenzhen and concerns about Bremen to the west- despite the new Melt-created waterways that now separated the lands- drew Novostya's attention away from the Peaks.

In 1889, once Novostya was thoroughly ensnared in conflict with its major neighbors, a declaration of independence was delivered from the tribes of the Yektarin Peaks. It had been dated with the year 1887, however; apparently they had formed themselves into an officially separate nation at that time and simply waited to inform the Novostyan government of that fact until nothing could be done about it. For this reason, though Novostya does not officially recognize any separate government in the Peaks, they have been internationally considered a sovereign nation since 1887.

Pre-Melt: N/A

Melt: N/A

Great War Era: The clans, though technically joined under a unitary government, continued to live according to their own codes and customs. The seasons changed, the wildlife provided for them, and they kept to their old ways. The Soldotni, long concerned about exacerbating tensions with Novostya since their own decision to break away a century earlier, began some minimal level of trading with the tribes, mostly for rare furs and the odd precious gems discovered in mountain tunnels.

The war itself never reached the Peaks. Occasional rumors about the Novostyan-Shenzhen conflict arrived via Soldotni trader, but these only confirmed the tribes were in no danger. They remained prepared, but no soldiers ever came to push them off their land.

Post-War to Present: The advent of the ARI put the tribes somewhat on their guard. The wars had ended; Novostya could make the long-threatened attempt to overtake their lands. Their armies had apparently been badly damaged, but it was unclear if they still considered the tribes such a minor threat that the remaining military force could take the Peaks for good. The clans were confident they would emerge victorious from any battle, but the potential loss of life could be devastating to the relatively small population of the mountains.

Year after year the threat seemed to grow. Novostya was apparently not underestimating the ability of the clans to defend their territory, and intended on sweeping through with maximum force when they were good and ready. The tribal warriors crafted ever more devious traps to keep any invaders at bay, and the caves were dug deeper to protect against the metal birds once again seen in the distance, but if a day of reckoning were to come, nothing would be assured.

Then, in 1909, a negotiator arrived from AeroKnights Inc. He came alone, bypassing all the tricks of the clans and appearing in the same camp as Ambassador Selidov so many years ago. This man, however, came with no threats. He informed the clan elder that AK was aware of their tenuous situation, and offered a trade: use of the Peaks' airspace for ARI races in exchange for some basic technology that would protect against any secret infiltration, and a promise of defense should Novostya make a more overt attempt to capture the Peaks.

The first gathering of the national council was called. The clans had long mistrusted any outsider; many demanded the man be sent away, either on his own feet or in some variable number of pieces. But eventually most of the elders accepted the truth- war was coming, and eventually they would not be able to stop the Novostyans from taking their ancestral lands and wiping them from the face of Ereth. An agreement was struck, wherein a temporary airfield would be constructed at the base of the mountains, and races would take place amongst the twisting mountain peaks. For this one or two weeks of service, the tribes would have year-round protection.

Five years in, this treaty troubles some of the tribes. Their younger members are fascinated by the technology on display, and more than ever desire to travel away from the mountains to explore the world. Some have argued to break the agreement, that risking a quick and glorious death would be far preferable from fading away via attrition. The idea is gaining acceptance amongst the general population; for now, no change has been made.