A rugged hill country in the Sandreach Mountains, positioned between Breia to the north and the Scarlet Peaks to the east. The Dnykuul hills are dry, rocky, and largely barren: scrub vegetation, exposed stone, and seasonal streams that run dry for most of the year.
The Cendelle
The Dnykuul is home to the Cendelle, a reclusive people who've adapted to life in the harsh hill country. The Cendelle are not human, though their origins are unclear. They're shorter than humans, with pale skin that seems to absorb light rather than reflect it, and they see perfectly in darkness.
The Cendelle live in underground warrens carved into the hills, emerging at night to hunt, forage, and occasionally raid nearby settlements. They're not inherently hostile, but they're territorial and don't welcome outsiders. Travelers who pass through Dnykuul without causing trouble are usually left alone; those who linger or show too much interest in Cendelle territory tend to disappear.
Little is known about Cendelle society. They don't trade, don't negotiate, and kill anyone who enters their warrens uninvited. The few scholars who've studied them from a distance believe they worship something in the deep earth, but this is speculation.
Relationship with Neighbors
The settlements of Breia consider the Dnykuul a buffer zone, dangerous to cross but useful for keeping threats from the south at bay. The Cendelle occasionally raid Dalir and other southern Breian towns, but the raids are more annoying than devastating. An understanding of sorts exists: Breia doesn't attempt to settle the Dnykuul, and the Cendelle don't push north in force.
The giants of Malo Kon Greikh to the west generally avoid the Dnykuul. The Cendelle are too small to be worth hunting and too vicious to be easily enslaved, and the hill country offers nothing the giants want.