G'Henna

In G’Henna, piety and hunger are indistinguishable. A stark, sun-scorched basin of jagged rocks and wind-worn cliffs, the domain is ruled by the zealous hand of Yagno Petrovna, a self-proclaimed prophet who preaches the glory of suffering. Here, deprivation is holy. Pain is a virtue. Hunger is worship.

To live in G’Henna is to hunger—always, unrelentingly. The land is barren, its few twisted plants barely edible, and the emaciated animals that roam it are violent and half-mad. Famine is eternal, yet all suffering is declared sacred, a test of faith demanded by the so-called deity Zhakata the Provider.

Once a minor noble of Barovia, Yagno Petrovna vanished during a pilgrimage as a youth and returned years later, claiming to have been chosen by the god Zhakata. Since then, he has founded a theocracy in G’Henna, constructing a brutal hierarchy of worship around fasting, public penance, and sacrifice.

• Yagno believes his god is real—but Zhakata never speaks. Petrovna performs public rituals and bloodletting sacrifices to summon divine visions that never come.
• In truth, Zhakata is an invention, a mask for Yagno’s narcissism and fear of his own powerlessness. Yet his belief is so intense it warps reality, causing the land itself to echo his convictions.
• Yagno maintains power through a cruel priesthood that enforces public fasting, spiritual confession, and sacrifice.

His torment is endless: he doubts Zhakata’s silence, but cannot admit his god is a lie. He fasts more severely than anyone, punishing himself while begging for divine affirmation that never arrives.

G’Henna embodies religious extremism, deprivation, and the fear of blasphemy.

• Starvation as Sanctity: Food is viewed as sinful indulgence. Ritual fasting is expected. Even dreaming of a meal is seen as impure.
• Sacrifice as Salvation: Regular blood offerings are performed on the Great Altar of Zhakata. “The fatter the sacrifice, the greater the blessing,” say the priests.
• False Divinity: The faithful live in fear of judgment, believing their torment will lead to ascension—or doom. Dissenters are accused of "hoarding the divine feast" and executed.
• Twisted Miracles: Rarely, Zhakata seems to act—plants bloom blood-red, a priest glows faintly with light, or beasts speak—but these are all manifestations of G’Henna’s dread magic, not divine will.

G’Henna’s curse is unfulfilled faith. The land seems poised to reward belief—but it never does. Prayers go unanswered. Hunger never ends. Yet the rituals continue. The sacrifices never cease.

Yagno Petrovna could end the people’s suffering at any time—but to do so would be to admit Zhakata is false and that his life is a lie. And so he hungers, and his people hunger with him, in perpetuity.