Originalia

Originalia is one of the world's eight continents consisting of mainland Originalia and the neighboring islands. Originalia, particularly central Originalia, is widely accepted as the origin of humans. Around the time of humanity's rise, Originalia was undergoing desertification.

Prehistory


~9500 Years After the development of Agriculture

Zaghāj is a city on the eastern coast of Central Originalia. The city of 7,000 relies heavily on the nearby river for irrigation. grapes, olives, sorghum, and wheat are staple crops, but the city relies equally on the hunting of wild goats and zebras, primarily using hand axes and spears made of flint. Domestication of cattle, dogs, donkeys, horses, and sheep has occurred, providing valuable transportation and food. Zaghāj has developed a particular type of small, circular housing, implying a relatively small average family size. The main city is built in an almost circular shape itself, with the outermost houses and buildings much closer together than others, and more heavily reinforced with sandstone. The sandstone is mined from the surrounding region and slabs of it are stacked on top of each other to build specialised buildings, such as the "guard houses", communal granaries, and cemeteries-- wider and deeper-floored buildings where the dead are buried. Pottery is usually plain or decorated in bands of solid colors, representing various aspects of the environment.

Some of the hunter-gatherer bands of the eastern part of the north-central steppes of Central Originalia exist in familial groups of 10-20, each band following their own herd of elephants. They don't follow the great beasts to hunt them, but they seem to exist in an almost symbiotic relationship with them. The elephants provide the humans with protection from hyenas and lions, as well as leading them to plentiful food and water sources, while the humans ensure that no member of the herd is taken by the aforementioned predators who have become more bold in this cold period, using their stone axes and slings to fend off would-be predators. As a result of their lifestyle, these "Elephant men" are primarily vegetarian, but have been known to hunt and eat mouflon, ravens, and sometimes the predators they kill while protecting their herd.

The Œkhii Culture is the name of the relatively large urban culture located on the western coast of Eastern Originalia. Located in a fairly fertile region, the Œkhii rely on agriculture and the domestication of the aurochs, wild ass, and mouflon. Houses are built out of carved sandstone bricks and primarily Holm Oak logs. Most houses contain a hearth or roasting area for cooking. The buildings of Œkhii, the central settlement of the culture (there are many smaller settlements of the Œkhii culture built further north along the river and south into the desert), are often insulated with various skins and furs, and it is to this city that the outer settlers immigrate during the winter, staying with family members and living off of built-up stores of food until the next spring. In the middle of the winter, the city can have a population of up to 10,000. Pottery has been developed and large jugs are used to store food and water, as well as for ornamentation. The dead are highly respected, and often a small jar is made in which the dead person's hands are stored, which is buried with the body in one of several burial mound sites outside the central city. Rudimentary smelting of copper ore has been developed and is currently used to make plates worn as armour for those living in the outer city.

Qhápgoṣ is a city on the northwestern coast of Eastern Originalia. Home to an urban culture which speaks Araqish and numbers 5,000. Cattle, dogs, donkeys, and horses have been domesticated by the people of the city. Their main food source is fish obtained from the nearby coastline with the use of dugout canoes (though cultivation of Sorghum and Wheat is present). Hunting is also a source of food for the people of Qhápgoṣ with the help of hunting dogs. Animals commonly hunted are elephants, sivatheriums, and zebras. Ivory from elephants are carved into beautiful art works and religious objects. Olives are mainly grown as a source of food and commerce. Qhápgoṣ trades ivory goods and olives with Zaghāj in exchange for pottery and other trade goods. The city's architecture is similar to Zaghāj's as both use sandstone to build different structures. Sailing has been invented here and is spreading to other cities. The wheel has also been invented here and has spread to other cities along the same stretch of coastline.

Hǽynigoṣ is located on the northwestern coast of Eastern Originalia and is part of the Araqish language group. The city numbers 3,000 and the inhabitants make use of cattle, dogs, donkeys, goats, and horses for their needs. Cultivation of barley, grapes, olives, sorghum, and wheat is prevalent. The grapes that are grown are fermented to make wine at a primitive winery which is stored in clay jars. Hǽynigoṣ trades with other cities along the coastline for many important products such as copper, ivory, and pottery. Sandstone is the main building material used to construct urban dwellings and other important structures.

Climate
[[File:originalia_biome.png|frame|Biomes of Originalia:

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Southern Originalia
Domestic Animals

Cultivatable Flora
 * Bearberries
 * Labrador Tea

Other Animals
 * Snow leopards

Aquatic Fauna
 * Albatross
 * Harbor seals
 * Right whales

Other Flora
 * Salix planifolia
 * Reindeer Lichen
 * Tufted Saxifrage
 * Western hemlock
 * Gowen cypress
 * Dawn redwood
 * Birch

Eastern Originalia
Domestic Animals
 * African wildcats
 * Aurochs
 * Gaurs

Cultivable Flora
 * Almonds
 * Barley
 * Cherries
 * Cotton
 * Flax
 * Garlic
 * Grapes
 * Mastic
 * Mustard
 * Olives
 * Palm oil
 * Plums
 * Wheat

Other Animals
 * African leopards
 * Asian elephants
 * Asiatic cheetahs
 * Asiatic lions
 * Barbary lions
 * Barbary macaques
 * Barbary sheep
 * Caracals
 * Gee's golden langurs
 * Indian cobras
 * Indian leopards
 * Indian peafowls
 * Lion-tailed macaques
 * Mongooses
 * Ospreys
 * Saolas
 * Small Indian civets
 * Striped hyenas

Aquatic Animals
 * Albatrosses
 * Bull sharks

Other Flora
 * Aleppo pines
 * Algerian firs
 * Atlas cedars
 * Cilicia firs
 * Cork oaks
 * Cyprus cedars
 * Drosophyllum
 * Holm oaks
 * Lebanon cedars
 * Mediterranean dwarf palms
 * Spurge olives
 * Stone pines
 * Turkish pines

Central Originalia
Domestic Animals
 * African wildcats
 * Aurochs
 * Mouflons
 * Wild goats

Cultivatable Flora
 * African wild rice
 * Barley
 * Dates
 * Flax
 * Garlic
 * Lentils
 * Olives
 * Sesame
 * Sorghum
 * Watermelons
 * Wheat

Aquatic Animals
 * Bull Sharks
 * Nile crocodiles

Other Animals
 * Aardwolves
 * African buffaloes
 * African bush elephants
 * African leopards
 * Bluebucks
 * Bonteboks
 * Cape lions
 * Caracals
 * Cheetahs
 * Duikers
 * Giraffes
 * Grey rheboks
 * Hartebeests
 * Hyraxes
 * Impalas
 * Mongooses
 * Sivatherium
 * Spotted hyenas
 * Striped hyenas
 * Wildebeests
 * Zanzibar leopards

Other Flora
 * Protea
 * Leucadendron
 * Birch
 * Palm Trees
 * Holm Oak
 * Buckthorn
 * Spurge Olive

Far Western Originalia
Domestic Animals
 * Aurochs
 * Mouflons

Cultivable Flora
 * Wheat
 * Barley
 * Rye
 * Hemp
 * Breadfruit
 * Onion
 * Asparagus
 * Taro

Other Animals
 * African civets
 * Caracals
 * Deinotherium

Aquatic Fauna
 * River dolphin
 * Costero
 * Right Whale
 * Pygmy Right Whale
 * Bull Shark
 * Albatross

Other Flora
 * Acer triflorum
 * Hydrangeas
 * Daimyo Oak
 * Ailanthus altissima
 * Cathaya
 * Dawn redwood
 * Birch
 * Spurge Olive