Rukia
From Dragon Eye Atlas
| Area | 11396 km2 |
| Population | 133000 |
| Dominant Race | human |
| Dominant Culture | Kiswaili |
| Dominant Religion | Faith of Ikoyo |
| Realm | Palan |
| Capital | Njom |
| Ruled by | Vivien Gildermont |
Rukia is a densely forested province at the southern coast of Palan that is divided into two by the Borough river and swamp. It is one of the most biodiverse forest areas on Auseka, containing tropical rainforests at the southern coast, seasonal tropical forests covering more than half of its area, but even some temperate deciduous forest in the north-west.
The region is most known, however, for it's "fifth season", also called spider season.
With a relatively dense population and two cities, Rukia is a major province and one of the bread baskets of Palan as well as a trade center, especially in and near Njom, the province capital.
The area is also very conservative and culturally strict, with 100% of the population being deeply emerged in the Kiswaili Culture / Faith of Ikoyo faith combination that dominates most of Palan, and exceptionally small non-human minorities. In fact, only Njom and Kapiru have communities of gnomes and the occasional dwarven family, all together just over a thousand.
The Borough river and the extensive swamps to both sides of it are the most dangerous area of the province, and the most sparsely populated. Together with the southern climate, mosquitos, diseases and worse unpleasantries still keep humans out to a large extent, and most inhabitants of Rukia call themselves either "West Rukian" or "East Rukian", depending on which side of the swamp they live on.
Spider Season
Between spring and summer, spiders multiply so aggressively near the rivers and coastline that their nets engulf trees and entire forest areas. Most of these are small spiders that are harmless to humans, but the sheer amount of nets is not only scary but can become dangerous when not looked out for. Only about a fifth of Rukia is actually covered as dense as shown here, but nevertheless the region has become famous for this yearly event that lasts about two months.
