Southlands

The region known as the Southlands and its surroundings

Overview

The Southlands is a large region in the Untouched Lands of Moghes, spanning most of the southern coastline of the Moghresian Sea, and stretching southwards into the inhospitable polar regions. The Southlands have always been a relatively prosperous region, with large swathes of farmland and access to the Moghresian Sea - however, the cities and clans of the region have long-lingering feuds dating back centuries, and despite all of them nominally working together under the Izweski Nation, these feuds continue to flare up.

Prior to the Contact War, the primary industries of the Southlands were small-scale aquaculture and fishing, with a strong industrial base in Jaz’zirt. With the devastation of the Contact War and the encroaching wasteland on the eastern and western borders of the Southlands, the small scale aquaculture farms that once dotted the rural villages of the Southlands and made up much of its exports were found to be contaminated, radiation seeping into the water. Unable to make a living for themselves rurally, the peasantry migrated into the cities, creating a refugee crisis, but also opportunities for the growing industrialists of the Hegemony. The ready supply of cheap labour, now within the cities, was attractive to those nobles, guilds, and corporations who sought to enrich themselves; before long factories, refineries, and all the buildings of industry were being constructed at a manic pace within the Southlands three main cities. With industrialization came an increase in the quality of life, mostly for the nobility, but also for the peasantry, and as the quality of life rose progress in other forms steamed ahead. Today, the Southlands stands as the most progressive of the Hegemonic Regions, socially, politically, economically, and industrially, with the most amount of human influence. There are, of course, those who do not like this, but it seems unlikely they will be able to stop the tide of history.

The Southlands are home to a wide array of clans, but historically and to this day, those who control the cities have the greatest influence over the region. The three great cities of the Southlands - Teht, Razir and Jaz’zirt, are jewels of the region - and the centres of power for any enterprising noble clan. Currently, they are controlled by the Eizde, the Sarnac, and the Miazo respectively. Even having a minor stake in one of the cities ensures tremendous amounts of wealth to any noble clan, and being tied to one of the clans which controls a city is even better. Historically, all three cities and their ruling clans have been rivals, having fought many small wars for control of the lands between them, and to this day working against one another, though the Hegemon ensures that open warfare between them no longer occurs. The lost city of Oket was, in the pre-Contact War days, often a key point in these struggles, being positioned between the two rivals and perfectly situated to be the deciding factor in many of these wars.

During the Contact War, Oket was destroyed utterly - of its ruling clan, no trace remains. The region of radioactive wasteland between Razir and Jaz’zirt has led to somewhat more amicable relations - however, the Sarnac and the Miaszo still plot and scheme for control of the greater region. Currently they are almost equal in their control of the region, with the Miazso having legal influence, thanks to Rokasi being Overlord, and the Sarnac having political influence, with Lady Seleta being the Hegemon’s High Speaker. Still, currently the Miaszo would have the advantage over the Sarnac, due to a majority of the Region’s industrialised centres being located in Jaz’zirt, were it not for the Eizde and their city of Teht. Perched on the edge of the western wasteland, Teht is currently struggling to maintain its relevance, as refugees, famine, Gawgaryn raids, and the encroaching wasteland threaten to up-end it. However, it has historically been the centre of power for the region, and is still considered so by some savvy nobility, not due to its own power but how it tips the scales of the two primary competing cities. The Eizde clan historically, and still to this day, have never wanted Razir, Jaz’zirt, or any clan who ruled those cities to be able to consolidate power within the region, and have used their city to keep a balance between the two giants. Whenever the Razir or Jaz’zirt gain a significant advantage over the other, the Eizde along with their city have backed whichever became the underdog, keeping the balance of power within the region somewhat equal. Both cities have grown and shrunk at different times, but never has one managed to consolidate power over the other. Some have called this a timid approach, and make fun of Lord Eizde for not finally changing, but for all it’s potential faults, while Razir and Jaz’zirt have changed between clans multiple times, one has to go thousands of years back into records to discover a time when the Eizde didn’t rule over Teht.

Culture

"To the workers, all the world!" -Popular slogan of the Hearts of Industry

The rivers of the Southlands lie at the heart of the region's culture

When one thinks of the culture of the Southlands, the first word to come to mind is cosmopolitan. Sinta from hundreds of clans and dozens of regions have found their way there, and prior to the Contact War the cities’ trade routes along the Moghresian Sea led to a blend of many faiths, cultures and ways of life.. One can walk into Teht and find clans with traditions that come from all across Moghes, and now with the Industrialization of the region, from across the Spur, as Unathi workers from abroad return under the banner of Hephaestus Industries. This history has likely contributed to the religious diversity of the region, with the Southlands being one of the few regions to be fairly balanced between Th'akh and Sk'akh.

As these wildly diverse cultures melt together and retain only certain aspects of their originality, that which is not retained is transformed, birthing a somewhat congruous culture that is found across the Southlands. While individual clans or ethnicities may retain parts of their original traditions and cultures, eventually all will be partially assimilated into the Southlands. As a result of this, one of the founding principles of the Southland’s “culture” is acceptance, which is a large contributor to the amount of refugees in the region, especially followers of the firebrand prophet Judiza Si’akh. While the Aut’akh faith is still outlawed following Hegemonic decree, there are several undercity communes in the region, and Sinta with prosthetics, while still unusual to see, are treated with more open-mindedness than in most other regions of the Hegemony. This open-mindedness only goes so far however, and those outside the norm for Unathi still face discrimination, instead of the open persecution faced in other areas. Centuries of travellers and merchants from every corner of Moghes has led to a culture that can be best described as a bizarre hybrid of everywhere and anywhere, which over the centuries has grown into its own unique nature.,It has a strong focus on the rivers and the sea, the historic lifeblood of the region. The local Sk’akh population tend to lend greater reverence to the Aspect of the Fisher, and the zo’zyola venerated by the Th’akh population tend to be spirits of the waters. Further inland, one would see more of a focus on spirits of the land and farming - but the lifeblood of all the Southlands ultimately flows from the Moghresian Sea, as it fuels prosperity and innovation, the cornerstones of the Southlands culture. Sinta from the region are known for their tendency to take a fresher eye to situations, critically thinking about the way things are done, and looking for possible improvements. All value their traditions and way of doing things, but do not venerate it to the extent that they are unchanging..

For those born outside the Southlands, they are mostly associated with their ancient history of traders and sailors spanning the Moghresian Sea, which has led to a reputation of the Southlands as being home to cunning merchants, that some Sinta distrust. Beyond their skill as merchant’s and Traders, the Southlands are famous for their ancient literary tradition, dating back to the days of the First Hegemony. It is believed this tradition started around the time Unathi developed sailing, and began to trade around the Sea. Scholars theorize that due to the large through-put of people in the Southland’s urban centers, that the very first travellers would swap stories, information, and myths gathered from different lands, which were able to be recorded by scholars. The Grand Library of Teht holds some of the few records dating back to ancient Sinta history, and was an invaluable resource in reconstructing those many records lost in the Contact War. Even prior to industrialisation and the printing press, the Southlands had one of the highest literacy rates on Moghes - a tradition which lives on to the modern day, albeit transformed somewhat. In the waterfront bars, xuizi houses and smoking dens of the cities, young Sinta poets, artists and would-be scholars share their work - and, according to some, spread alien degeneracy among the proud Sinta people. However, the impact of this tradition on the locals is unmistakable, with Lord Eizde being noted for his contributions to scholarship across Moghes, and the poetry of Overlord Miazso having, according to the stories, swayed a Traditionalist Lord to the Hegemony’s cause.

The strong industrial base of the Southlands has been a defining aspect of the region’s culture, especially with the expansion of Hephaestus Industries into the Hegemony following first contact. Newly organised factory workers, the ancient guilds, and the newcomer human megacorporations have spent years locked in a vicious struggle - one which ended in 2465, leaving Hephaestus Industries in a position of unparalleled influence over the Southlands.

Jaz’zirt has long been the industrial powerhouse of the Southlands, with many guilds having their manufacturing base there. In recent years, the new organisation known as the Hearts of Industry has risen to prominence, seeking to push labour reforms in the factories of Moghes. This has caused no small measure of discord, as workers attempting industrial action during the ongoing scarcity have been cracked down on viciously by Overlord Miazso, as their work is deemed too critical to be held up by strikes or agitations. Nonetheless, the Hearts of Industry and their pressure for better working conditions are proving to be quite a powerful thorn in the side of the local nobility. In Jaz’zirt, the Hearts of Industry are a growing force - and aggressive crackdowns from Overlord Miazso’s Master of Rivers and Hephaestus Industries have led many of them to advocate for a more sudden and violent method of change. While this is still an uncommon sentiment, it is one that is growing in recent years, as famine, instability and religious tension grip the once-peaceful Southlands - with every passing day, both the workers in their factories and the poets in their bars are increasingly speaking more and more of the same topic - revolution.

Hephaestus Industries has heavy investment in the Southlands, and with the Hearts proving increasingly problematic to the local nobility, more and more factories in the regions are being sold off to the alien megacorporation. While few of the other guilds are happy about this, the megacorporation’s investment has helped to keep the region stable, and provide employment for the flood of refugees from the Wasteland. The Hearts of Industry are divided on the matter of Hephaestus' presence - while they tend to offer better benefits for workers than the factories that they are used to, their aggressive stance on worker organisation runs antithetical to the Hearts’ entire purpose. Following Hephaestus's massive expansion, the power of the Hearts in the Southlands may well be broken altogether, as many of them have abandoned the revolutionary guild in favor of the megacorporation - and large parts of their leadership have been arrested. The majority of the Hearts still-active have fled to Ouerea, as the megacorporation consolidates its presence on Moghes.

The Hearts were not Hephaestus’s only rivals in the region, however. While many of the major Hegemonic guilds have some presence there, the Fishing League and Junzi Electric both have extensive holdings, and have often clashed with Hephaestus as the human megacorporation expands aggressively.The Fishing League has a long history in the Southlands, with the ancient guild having been founded on the docks of Teht. The guild has always enjoyed a privileged position in Teht, with the brother of Lord Eizde currently acting as guildmaster. During the famine, and with most of the region’s farmland having been destroyed in the Contact War, the Fishing League were a key factor in avoiding mass starvation in the city. Further along the coast, Junzi Electric has historically held great influence - their fission power plant near the irradiated ruins of Oket being the source of power for much of the Southlands - though its age and instability is cause for concern among many. Overlord Miazso recently signed a contract with Hephaestus Industries for the establishment of a newer fusion plant in his own territory - a deal which caused great anger from Junzi, prior to their incorporation as a Hephaestus subsidiary. The plant is set to finish construction in 2466.

The conflict between the ancient guilds, the new and revolutionary Hearts of Industry, and Hephaestus Industries gripped the Southlands for years, with Overlord Miazso struggling to maintain control. In 2465, this came to a head, as the collapse of the Hegemonic economy led to massive layoffs from guilds trying to avoid bankruptcy. Members of the Hearts of Industry took to the streets in protest, and the Overlord was hard-pressed to keep control - until Hephaestus Industries stepped in, buying out many of the major Hegemonic guilds. While some of the old industrial guilds of the Southlands still remain independent, it is impossible to compete with the industrial titan of Hephaestus.

Faith

“Salira, great inspiration, ever friend to the work of my claws, smile upon me now. Let this work be done in your honour, and may this offering please you.” -A common Th’akh prayer in the Southlands, traditionally recited by artists struggling with a particularly challenging work.

The region has historically been split between Th’akh and Sk’akh, with most of the rural clans tending to be Th’akh, and a greater concentration of Sk’akh merchants, scholars and nobles in the cities. However, a new faith has rapidly taken root in the Southlands - Si'akh. Both in refugees from the Wasteland and local converts, the Southlands now holds one of the largest Si’akh populations on Moghes, a fact which neither Sk’akh priests or Th’akh shamans are happy about.

The variety of Th’akh largely practised in the Southlands focuses on the Zyola of the four forces - growth, decay, energy and time, with a tendency towards spirits of growth and decay. The pantheon of spirits generally venerated in the rural Southlands are known as the River Court.

The River Court:

Zrisre, Mother of Life - a Zyola of growth, and one of the primary spirit-gods of the River Court. Zrisre is generally portrayed as an elder, maternal Sinta. She is believed to dwell within the river deltas of the Southlands, and is often venerated by farmers and fishers, in the hope of ensuring bountiful and productive growth. She is very proud, and demands respect from those who would have her blessings, but is said to be a fierce protector of all that show her said respect. Marriages are often conducted by her shamans, and couples seeking to have children often make lavish offerings to her.

Okaris, Father of Storms - a Zyola associated with energy, and generally worshipped closer to the coast, Okaris is a rash and angry god, known to send ships to the depths in one of his many rages - believed to be brought on when Zrisre is upset with him. However, Okaris has a great love for life, and his rituals reflect that. Merriment, celebration and offerings of strong xuizi are common from sailors along the southern coast, to keep the Father of Storms happy. He is generally portrayed as a bare-chested and muscular Sinta, often depicted with a mug of xuizi in one hand.

Vharazki, the Old Man of the River - a Zyola associated primarily with time, Vharazki is the spirit-god reflecting the cycle of the natural world. He is said to often lock horns with Zrisre about whose domain the rivers are - and while it is the Mother of Life they give thanks to for the harvest, it is the Old Man to whom offerings are made in seasons of flood or drought. He is a calm and patient spirit, and offerings made to him are usually practical and large, for it takes a great payment indeed to alter a cycle as inexorable as that he represents. He is depicted as an aged Sinta in ragged robes, with long and seemingly endlessly spiralling horns.

Illisk, the Harvester - a Zyola associated with decay, Illisk is representative of the ending of cycles - they are the Zyola of Travakh, the harvest, and death. They are said to be present besides all Sinta from the day they are hatched, until the day they inevitably die, and to walk beside their spirits on the path to the next life. Offerings are made to them rarely - one does not wish to draw the Harvester’s attention too soon. The only time their name is invoked is at the funerals of the dead and during the season of harvesting. They are depicted as an androgynous Sinta clad in white, bearing a fishing spear.

Salira, the Muse - a Zyola associated primarily with growth and energy, Salira is a spirit-god reflecting the literary and artistic traditions of the Southlands. She is the patron spirit of artists, writers and lunatics, and her name is often invoked as a blessing or curse by those struggling with their masterpiece. She is known as a fickle spirit, bestowing and taking back her blessings seemingly at random, and the slang term “chasing Salira’s tail” is used to refer to one pursuing a clearly reckless and unwise course of action. She is depicted as a young and azure-scaled Sinta woman, often clad in the attire of a scholar.

Gharr, the Hoarder - a Zyola associated primarily with growth, Gharr is known as a spirit-god of greed and wealth. While the tales of him generally follow the pattern of his greed causing him to lose more than he had to begin with, many merchants often speak prayers to him going about their business. He is known for his miserliness, but it is said that if offerings - traditionally of gold - are made to him, that he will bless one with a fraction of his own vast hoard. He is often depicted as a rotund, black-scaled Sinta, dressed in elaborate noble’s clothing covered with gold and jewels.

Due to the centralised nature of the Sk’akh Church, the regional divergence of the faith is minimal, and the doctrines are largely the same in the Southlands as they are anywhere else. However, the priests of the region are part of its culture too, and the Southlands’ culture of acceptance has flowed to them as well. Lively theological debates between priests and shamans can be witnessed in the streets of all the Southlands’ cities, with small crowds often gathering to watch. Priests of the Aspect are common in the Southlands, usually venerating the Aspect of the Fisher - and many fishers and sailors along the Southlands’ coast consider it ill fortune to leave the shore without a Priest of the Fisher aboard. While the priests of the Southlands Sk’akh Church tend to be accepting, the Contact War and the rise of Si’akh has strained this greatly, as refugees following the words of the Prophet of Flame have flooded the region. Overlord Miazso’s archpriest has not yet made any outright moves against the Si’akh faithful of the region, though he has denounced their heresy in accordance with Church doctrine. However, as the teachings of Judizah Si’akh spread further and further throughout the Southlands, the demands from Sk’akh faithful to do something about these vile heretics grow louder by the day.

Whether Sk’akh or Th’akh, the rivers are a core part of life in the Southlands. Eggs are traditionally kept close to the nearest river while growing, and traditional funerals among the locals tend to involve the rivers as well - whether simply burying a body near the river, burning it on a raft, or just letting them feed the fish. The traditional rite of adulthood in the Southlands is a baptism-like ceremony - an ancient ritual that predates the Sk’akh Church, and has been long adopted from the Th’akh shamans by the local priesthood. The young Sinta is sent on a raft downriver, with enough supplies for a few days. They are supposed to spend this time in quiet contemplation and reflection of their clan and their place within it, before returning when they feel they have gained sufficient understanding. For most, this lasts a little under a week - however some truly dedicated wanderers do not return for months on end.

While not outlawed, the lords, priests and shamans of the region can all agree on the danger posed by the radical preachings of Judiza Si’akh, and efforts have been made to suppress the growth of this new religion - to little effect, as it seems to be catching like wildfire in the slums of the cities and the refugee communities. To those dedicated faithful, the efforts of the powers that be to suppress Si’akh is more proof of their righteousness, and of the wickedness and rot that lies within the Untouched Lands. While the religious tensions of the Southlands have not yet erupted into open violence, many fear that one of the last bastions of pre-Contact Moghes may find itself torn apart in holy war.

Holidays

Illiskhai

The only real large ceremony associated with the Harvester, in many rural clans the harvest is a time for boisterous celebration before Travakh begins. Many smaller rural communities will often gather together for a large celebration of the year’s work, before returning to their own homes. Traditionally, Illisk’s festival is a time for recuperation after the labour of the harvest, and the festivals often draw in merchants from the larger towns and cities. For many rural Sinta, Illiskhai is the largest event of the year - a meeting of clans from across a region, and a chance to relax, before life’s rigors begin again.

First Light

A ceremony traditionally associated with Zrisre, held at the beginning of Kasavakh. In contrast to Illiskhai being a boisterous affair, First Light is a quiet period of thanks and reflection, where offerings are made to the Mother of Life, in the hopes that the coming season will be bountiful and prosperous. Many couples seeking children will often make large offerings to Zrisre during this time.

Fishers’ Day

A Sk’akh ceremony largely unique to the Southlands branch of the Church, held at the peak of Versakh, when the heat is at its height. Fishers’ Day is considered a day of joy and veneration of this aspect of the Great Spirit. Traditionally, workers take the day off and spend Fishers’ Day with friends and loved ones, often indulging in food and drink - in many ways, it is a celebration of the joys of life

The Bards' Festival

A holiday with its origins in the Southlands, the Bards' Festival is traditionally marked by public theatre performances, and grand displays of art. In Razir, this is often marked by painters creating enormous works on the sides of buildings, whereas in Jaz'zirt it is more focused on theatre, and in Teht the widest appeal of the Bards' Festival usually comes in the oldest and most traditional form - song and poetry.

The River Nomads

An old way of life, there are several nomadic communities in the Southlands, usually travelling up and down the rivers towards the Moghresian Sea via large flotillas. The River Nomads of the Southlands are an insular community, largely keeping to themselves - though often making their way as traders from the larger city-states down into the more rural regions of the plains and back. The river nomads are traditionally, but not exclusively Th’akh, which largely varies clan to clan, with some having embraced the Sk’akh faith generations back.

The river nomad clans are known for their colourfully painted boats and fashion of dress - for many of the outlying rural regions, the brightly-coloured barges coming down the river are the only source of news from the cities, as well as goods that might otherwise take long journeying by overland merchants or clans.

The role of the nomad clans in the regional balance of power is a key one - even during times of strife or war, their work has ensured that trade runs smoothly between outlying regions and the cities. While the advent of mass communication pre-Contact did put something of a thorn in their side, they still carry on with their traditional way of life, even in the face of rising tensions in the region.

However, expanded Hephaestus industrial operations have led to heavy pollution in the rivers of the Southlands, rendering the traditional nomad way of life harder and harder to sustain, with more and more of the new generation of nomads moving to find work in the cities of the region.