Epic Frontiers First Look: Ris'Hebbik

Another sunny day in Ris'Hebbik

Welcome to Ris'Hebbik. What you see here is the grand Meeting Hall, open to the public and for thousands of years the seat of Charkritian power on Chi'Hamak. Under its great dome, politicians, power-brokers, and concerned citizens lobby the government for changes that they would like to see affected, and in the many side rooms, groups of Charkritians rent out space for meetings for a variety of issues. Don't let the noise of the meetings fool you though- there is a great deal of political intrigue going on here, and for good reason...

Just under twenty years ago, the seat of power for the Charkritians had shifted from this long-time icon of democracy towards the newer capital city of Ris'Tokar. Boasting a larger population, a more politically-dedicated Meeting Hall, and a higher concentration of politicians due to the migrations of people from the ensuing interstellar Pandemic, it was decided that the capital city was better off situated towards the center of the continent rather than on vulnerable coasts.

The Quorum HQ: Quite possibly the ugliest building on Chi'Hamak...

The citizens of Ris'Hebbik don't see it that way though, and they're quick to point out that the Quorum (aka the Interstellar Quorum for Planetary Advancement, Peace, and Prosperity- but no one likes using that mouthful of five-credit words) has their main headquarters in Ris'Hebbik, not Ris'Tokar. They'll also point out thousands of years of tradition with the Charkritian Officers Academy, the Old Library, and the Great Bazaar, which welcomes caravans from the Hamak'Del ("Great Desert") as well as offworld merchants. And they will be very eager to tell of the City of the Dead beneath Ris'Hebbik: Not as large as some cities, but reportedly containing far older catacombs than any other.

The City of the Dead

What they don't like to mention is the seedy underbelly of the majestic city: Many thief gangs and organized crime syndicates operate in the area, some with deep connections to the political landscape of the region which protect them. Gangs like the Stone Dragons and the Invisible Youth, and more skillful assassins such as Hamak'Kashada ("Desert Shadows") prowl the alleys, plazas, and marketplace. Admittedly, the Hamak'Kashada doesn't prowl- no one really know how they get around. But they do so- most efficiently...

The Reconstruction (Recon) Office helps orphans find their home towns...

Farms and outposts dot the countryside, staying away from the long cliffs that Ris'Hebbik sits upon, split by the waters of the Hunai'Hamak ("Desert River") just before it tumbles into the seas into the Dark Sea. Bony Chargers, great grazing beasts with thick armored skin and spiked tails, slowly migrate from hill to hill, running off predators too small to take them down, including the Nest Stealing Pygmy Viper. Below the cliffs, Rock Skinks feed on small fish and the occasional stray Landsquid, while they themselves become the prey of the Leaping Rock Crab, a one-meter-wide highly aggressive crab that eats anything unlucky enough to stand still near the rocky shores for too long. Bring a weapon if you plan to fish here...

Looking for adventure? The Bounty Agency has you covered.

Further off the coast in the quickly deepening waters, the Dark Sea is thickly populated with fish- but also with large Charkritian Man-o-War jellyfish, which mainly feed on fish, but can attack divers or fishermen if provoked. Rumors persist of a so-called Giant Man-o-War, so large in size that it has been fabled to attack and kill whales and sharks. Skinny dipping in this area is at your own risk!

With the Eastern Forest to the northwest, and the Eastern Cliffs to the south, Ris'Hebbik also enjoys very comfortable temperate weather, with the exception of the rainy season, and is well-defended from attacks by either the Stellar Corporation or the Shendolin. So enjoy your stay at Ris'Hebbik, you'll have a blast!