The western coast of California stretches to the north, while the austere mountains extend endlessly in the East. Most of the time, the coast is lined with steep cliffs, jagged rocks, and towering forests.
For the indigenous people settled here, this was fertile land difficult to cultivate. With no suitable crops, the yield from the fields was very low; without metal tools, the forests were hard to fell. California's Mediterranean climate meant that the long, warm summers were dry, and the cold winters were filled with storms. Whether it was summer farming or winter hunting, all became extremely challenging. Under such harsh conditions, the average life expectancy of most tribes hovered around twenty years, and knowledge was often lost.
