The mountains and steppes on the western shores of the Poriya are ruled by the many tribes of the Taanan people. While some small Taanan villages exist, most tribes wander the lands and seas, trading and waging war as independent entities.
The Taanan are ruled by a council of thirteen merchant lords, who convene twice each year in the city-sized market of Khokalelaaq, and each tribe worships a handful of deities from the wider Taanan pantheon of gods.
The Taanan lack a dedicated navy, but every merchant ship is expected to be self-sufficient, able to stay at sea for up to four years at a time.