Shadows in the Valley (1)

In the region of Ulew, to the east of the great fortress, there is a valley entirely surrounded by great mountains that rise to the sky, disappearing into the clouds. The three cardinal points of the valley are surrounded by high mountains except for the east, which is covered by a thick purple fog of which many legends have been created over time. The only exit from the valley is a small strait to the west whose length is sufficient to pass a loaded carriage without difficulty. A strait that crosses the entire mountain as if it had been cut by some divine sword fallen from the sky itself eons ago. All this has given a special name to this small valley, Bur whose name in the ancient language means funnel.

Being fortified by natural barriers and a narrow entry point, Bur could be considered an excellent strategic point; but there is a big problem, the purple mist. The thick fog that covers the entire east of Bur as far as the eye can see is highly toxic to most of the world; a few minutes of being close to the fog, without the need to have direct contact with it, can cause symptoms such as dizziness. , vomiting, blindness and in cases of prolonged contact, death; This also applies to the local fauna and flora, preventing vegetation from growing in this area other than some gray trees devoid of life. Throughout history only one tribe has developed a semi-resistance against the fog in exchange for three disadvantages, reduced physical strength, a maximum lifespan of forty years and the fact that one in a hundred children falls seriously ill. living until fifteen years of age at best. This tribe is known locally as Moox.

The Moox are known as a weak and calm tribe, being the only tribe that has managed to live in Bur for almost a hundred years. Despite the disadvantages that come with continuous exposure to fog and lack of food within the valley, all of them have managed to establish themselves in peace because they are the only ones who can constantly extract a unique resource from the region, wood. grey.

Although all vegetation dies within Bur, there is a special type of tree that has mutated to be able to survive the fog by taking it as a food source, the gray tree. The gray tree is easily recognizable due to its dull gray, imposing size and trunk the thickness of a burly soldier's arm. This is the only thing that characterizes the gray tree since after being cut anyone would confuse it with a painted piece of wood, but the gray tree has a secret. Many centuries ago, one of the greatest researchers to ever walk the world discovered that by submerging gray wood in beast blood for long enough it acquires great hardness and resistance without losing its flexibility and lightness, making it a great candidate for weapons such as bows or spears, because of all this some have even called it gray cloud iron.

Because of this, many decades ago the ruler of the nearby kingdom proposed a deal to the elder of the Moox. The Moox would provide the kingdom with a certain amount of gray wood each month and in return the kingdom would provide them with food, medicine and security to transport the goods to the kingdom and back to 'ur and anyone who dared to harm the Moox caravans. or his people would face the full might of the kingdom in retaliation. Over the years, caravans from Bur were considered taboo to the point that currently they do not need guards to escort them and enjoy a certain status in the kingdom.

This synergy between the inhabitants of Bur and the kingdom has remained stable for years allowing a peaceful life for the Moox ensuring food, protection and a home, something that anyone would give their life to obtain.