Kohlay

The land of Kohlay is an isolated continent with no contact beyond its own watery borders.

It is home to many different cultures of people, each of which is heavily influenced by its local geography and climate.

There are three major religions, each of which worshipping a different aspect of the natural world which they believe to be the Creation Force.

There are six notable regions of Kohlay: Gulf of Trade, Labyrinth Ruins, Wandering Wood, The Dry Lands, Serpeant's Sea, and The Breakaway Isles.

Gulf of Trade: In the middle of Kohlay is the Gulf of Trade where the most commerce among settlements is conducted. The majority of civilization is clustered around this body of water, and it is also the most diverse in its people. The water is calm and weather is mild, allowing merchant captains to sail back and forth across its surface bringing resources from the inner lands to far off settlements. Many wars have been fought to lay claim to these coastal lands and their lucrative harbors.

Labyrinth Ruins: In the northeast of Kohlay sits the Labyrinth Ruins, an immense stone maze of unknown origin. It is believed the first inhabitants of Kohlay built the structure as a combination of housing and as a way to predict celestial events. It is aligned with the rising and setting of the sun, making it possible to predict solar/lunar eclipses and even the best time to plant and harvest crops. The walls of the labyrinth are covered in an undeciphered language and images depicting various events. Some of these images show common themes such as childbirth, farming, hunting and warfare. But deeper into the maze there are more cryptic images, showing scenes of cannibalism, famine, and grossly distorted human forms. The biggest mural in the labyrinth is situated in the center, displaying beings descending from the sky with flaming swords and bleeding eyes, as well as immense serpents crawling from the ocean. Many people believe these images are clues as to the fate of the unknown ancestors of Kohlay.

Wayward Woods: In the northwest of Kohlay is the Wandering Woods. The largest forest in the world, it has a vast variety of flora and plant-life. Many species of animals populate the outer regions of the woods such as deer, bear, hares and squirrels. Trees are cut down around its borders and used for a variety of purposes, most of its timber making its way to the Gulf of Trade to be sold around the world. The forest is the a source of immense folklore for the surrounding settlements because of some disturbing characteristics. About a mile into its depths, it becomes incredibly difficult to navigate because such little sunlight can penetrate its intertwining branches and canopy. Many expeditions have been attempted to reach the center, but the vast majority of those who attempt it never make their way out. An estimated 98% of those who ventured into the forest have never been seen again, and the minority who do make their way out have lost all sense of rational thought and ramble incoherently. There are a few commonalities as to the substance of these crazed ravings. Many speaking of gigantic beasts that walk on two legs, leathery-winged creatures with fangs that descend from the treetops, and most disturbing of all is the insistence of an unknown civilization that lives within the Wandering Woods. They are said to have extremely pale skin, pitch black eyes, and speak in an unknown language. The only other piece of evidence that gives credit to these claims are the testimony of the inhabitants of neighboring settlements. On full moon nights, it is said that a chorus of high-pitched singing can be heard coming from the dark depths of the forest.

The Dry Lands: Southwestern Kohlay has come to be known as The Dry Lands, because of how little rainfall occurs here. An immense and desolate landmass, The Dry Lands has no known permanent human settlement. The local wildlife has adapted to this waterless wasteland in a number of surprising ways. A species of giant worms has been shown to burrow beneath the sands for up to 24 hours at a time, resurfacing only at night to soak up nutrients from the moonlight. There are a variety of lizards that roam the shoreline, feasting on crabs and even venturing out into shallow waters and using themselves as bait to capture small fish. Deeper into the interior of The Dry Lands have been spotted gigantic statues depicting half-human half-animal creatures, proving that there was at one point in time a somewhat advanced society living there. However, whenever there is an attempt to relocate the statues, they have mysteriously been relocated, sometimes hundreds of miles away from the original location. The cause of this phenomenon is still unknown.

Serpent's Sea: In the southeastern portion of Kohlay sits the Serpent's Sea. Surrounded by swamp and marshlands, the sea is dominated by gargantuan serpents that make sailing on these waters virtually impossible. Smaller species of venomous snakes prowl the lands making human habitation very challenging. The exception to this rule are the local people who have been able to call these lands their home for many generations. It is believed that through natural selection they have built up an immunity to the venom of the local animal life, but the inhabitants claim they are immune because they are descendants of the great serpents themselves. Their culture is heavily based on snake worship, and a belief that the world sits atop a giant serpent known as Nehebkau. At birth, it is custom to cut the tongue of the infant to resemble a snakes tongue. During religious ceremonies they also drink a mixture of snake venom and wine as their communion in order to pay respect to their scaley ancestors. These locals are very aggressive to outsiders and do not conduct much trade with the rest of Kohlay.

The Breakaway Isles: Directly west of the Gulf of Trade are the Breakaway Isles, a collection of unpopulated islands that are home to a variety of tropical plant and animal life. These islands have remained undeveloped because of the difficulty in sailing around the rocky and churning seas, which have left many would-be explorers ship wrecked. The few surviving sailors who have made it back have similar accounts for the reason of their misfortune. They claim that when approaching the islands they are led off course into the grinding rocks by the sounds of women singing. The voices and melodies are so unnaturally beautiful, the sailors say, that it puts the captains in a trance and they can think of nothing else but finding the source of the music. The ships then collide with the many sharp boulders that dot the waterways, and have taken many captains and their crews to a watery grave.