Maiko's Note
Above the mist and river-sound, the Wolves found their stead. Pashkeldjan ten Baodjan is no fortress, yet it endures — not by stone or spear, but by the quiet strength of soil and kin. You can hear it in the bleat of goats, the bark of dogs, and the soft laughter by the fields. This is where roots hold fast.
Where the Wolves live
Shindjal: Pashkeldjan ten Baodjan
Faction:
Endulani
“We do not look down on the forest because we are above it.
We love it because it is ours to watch, to guard, and to feed.
Let others walk the mist - we walk the wind.”
— Saying of the Wolf Tribe elders of Pashkeldjan
1. Name & Meaning
Pashkeldjan ten Baodjan (Drabàshabal): Island of the Forest
Often shortened to Pashkeldjan, this name refers both to the Wolf tribe’s settlement and the entire mesa plateau upon which it stands.
2. Description
High above the treetops of Endudjan lies Pashkeldjan, an idyllic green plateau that seems like a floating world of its own. This fertile mesa is laced with terraced fields, natural streams, ponds, and small wooden bridges connecting lush patches of farmland. From afar, it appears to be an island resting in a sea of mist-covered trees - a vision of calm, order, and self-reliant beauty.
Pashkeldjan, though part of mist-veiled Endudjan, rises above the fog. The plateau is windy and sunlit more often than the forest below. This makes it excellent for drying grain and maintaining visibility - but it also means the Wolves live without the cloak of mist their cousins in the valleys enjoy.
The Wolves of Pashkeldjan are proud and independent folk, rarely descending into the forest below except for communal gatherings or trade. Outsiders are seldom invited up, and when they are, it is a mark of deep trust. Yet, those who have seen Pashkeldjan often call it one of the most beautiful places in all of Shawadjan - a claim the Wolves themselves firmly believe without needing validation.
3. Terrain & Access
Pashkeldjan rises from the lower roots of the northern mountains, where the slopes soften into heavily forested hills. From above, the mesa seems to burst from the green canopy like a lone guardian of the treetops.
There is only one way up to the plateau: a narrow, artificial ravine, carved into the rock like a natural ramp. It’s just wide enough for a single cart to pass - up or down - and traffic is carefully regulated by guards posted at both ends. In times of war, the Wolves can block this passage with boulders, leaving would-be invaders staring up at sheer cliffs, exposed to arrowfire and rockfall from above. In this way, the entire mesa becomes a fortress in the sky.
4. Wolf-Dogs & Family Bloodlines
The Wolf-dogs of Pashkeldjan are a living symbol of the tribe’s identity. These powerful, loyal creatures are more than pets:
They herd sheep,
guard homes by night,
accompany hunters,
play gently with children,
and when called upon, fight alongside their human kin as the feared "Mist Wolves" of battle.
Each family on the plateau breeds its own line of wolf-dogs, and for those who know how to read the signs, it’s said you can identify a farm by the way its dogs walk and howl. These bloodlines are a point of pride and legacy, passed from generation to generation like sacred tools.
5. Homes & Layout
The Wolves live in wooden log cabins and longhouses reminiscent of old Earth’s Norse traditions. These dwellings are spread across the plateau in family-run farms, organized loosely yet harmoniously. Unlike the Awashalani ranches, which scatter across the plains with no central organization, Pashkeldjan’s farms are confined by the mesa’s edge, creating a contained but non-village settlement.
Each farm is typically run by an extended family, with the eldest member acting as head when decisions must be made. Though proud and self-reliant, the Wolves remain deeply cooperative in times of need.
6. Farming & Daily Life
Food production in Pashkeldjan is vital to the region. Alongside fishing villages on the western coast and the hunter camps of Endunedul, the Wolves help sustain the forest people. All trade is conducted down in Endunedul’s market - never on the plateau.
The plateau boasts the best farmland in all of Endudjan - a key reason why the Wolves rarely feel the need to descend. The soil is fertile, the air is clean, and the plateau’s streams and ponds allow for irrigation and animal husbandry.
The Wolves do not rely on Krovil like other tribes. Instead, they use Awashalani horses, traded from the plains, to pull carts and plows across their well-kept fields. This symbiosis reflects the mutual respect between the Endulani and their plains cousins.
7. Strategic Importance
Pashkeldjan, though part of mist-veiled Endudjan, rises above the fog. The plateau is windy and sunlit more often than the forest below. This makes it excellent for drying grain and maintaining visibility - but it also means the Wolves live without the cloak of mist their cousins in the valleys enjoy.
Pashkeldjan is second only to the Bvaborul kòu Shint’twal in elevation among the Endulani sites. In a time of war, its position is both defensible and advantageous - and if enemies ever dared climb the cliffs to attack, they’d find themselves outmatched by sharp-eyed defenders and the ghostly howls of wolf-dogs in the mist.
Maiko's Note
Above the mist and river-sound, the Wolves found their stead. Pashkeldjan ten Baodjan is no fortress, yet it endures — not by stone or spear, but by the quiet strength of soil and kin. You can hear it in the bleat of goats, the bark of dogs, and the soft laughter by the fields. This is where roots hold fast.
