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Gyag
No harm can come to the man who has lost everything; yet the one who sacrifices gains more than he lost. -Gya Proverb
Gyag, or greater Gya, is a wide area in southwest Polus known best for numerous shamanistic tribes living among the ancient battlefields of the Great War, and the site of the Tree of Life.
Geography
The geography of the Gyag is not easily catalogued, as the region was the site of the climax of the Great War, where it saw the destruction of Utopolis and many other magical disasters. While generally referred to as 'badlands' due to little vegetation able to survive the war-scarred terrain, much of the land is incredibly varied; seemingly random and sometimes inconsistent even day to day. Out of the chaos there are some broad regions that are documented, but most of the interior is known only to the hardy yet savage tribes that brave these wilds, usually out of desperation or ecstatic mania.
Bloody Plateau
Howling Labyrinth
Dominating the central heartland of Gyag, up through the northwest to the western Chloros range, the Howling Labyrinth is a turbulent tangle of windswept canyons, bottomless caves, and craggy badlands. The land is a heaving mix of twisted layers of natural stone and overturned cities that form sharp spires that whistle in the unending gusts of magic storms, wounds of The Great War.
The region has some of the most severe magic wounds of the continent, if not the world, and only rarely sees normal weather patterns. For this reasons pools of water are brackish and often toxic, and little vegetation grows. Animals can be seen, but are often twisted into monsters by the wounds and angry spirits.
Only the bravest Gyag journey amongst the labyrinth, and exile to its clutches is often seen as a certain death for most. Still, meager tribes have adapted to its dangers and delve its depths to find treasures of the lost world.
Shimmering Flats
Silent Shore
Havens Perilous
Veil of Retribution/Crystal Desert
Valley of Death
Site of the remains of the Zayulonzoes (Tree of Life).
History
Gyag was once home to numerous ancient civilizations that are lost to history, except that they presumably sided with Elesh during his rebellion against heaven.
Government
Parties, Ideology, and Politics
Political Divisions
basic information about provinces, provincial map
Foreign Relations
Military
Economy
basic economy info
Income and Human Development
Science, Magic and Technology
Demographics
general ethnicities
Language
Religion
The Ascension
The main distinction between Gya religions centers around their view and interpretation of a concept known as The Ascension.
- Kuy - The ascension is an internal, mystical individual experience of transcendence when a person's pain and sacrifices are so great as to achieve enlightenment. Many adherents practice self-mutilation, sometimes to the point of extreme measures such as amputation.
- Qwu - The ascension is an external, communal experience but still requires individual sacrifice. This takes many forms, mostly determined by a local warlord.
- Hyiisi - The ascension is an external, universal experience that calls individuals in mystical ways to participate in the babastor. The mystically called, sick, or old make a life-culminating journey to the Tree of Life and are never heard from again.