Estaklyos

Estaklyos is a large landmass made up of numerous independent city-states, located just north of Thornlay. The mainland has the largest of these city-states, with each of the numerous islands surrounding it housing one or more other city-states.

History

WIP

Geography

The majority of Estaklyos is covered in lush greenery, with the upper and lower edges being more arid.

Settlements

Estaklian Settlements

Landmarks

Heaven's Touch

A near-perfectly circular lake on the western edge of the mainland, this region has unnaturally still waters except during violent storms. The jungle parts abruptly around it, forming a natural basin. It is believed to have been the impact site of a divine being who fell from the stars. Many legends claim this being was the first of the hero-gods descending to walk amongst mortals. Some legends say the "eye" still looks skyward, and during certain nights the stars reflect in strange constellations never seen elsewhere. This lake is a pilgrimage site for many people of Estaklyos, being inherently tied to the hero-gods. The small spot of land within the lake is where the Grand Bout takes place, with wrestlers ritually bathing in the lake before it to seek divine favor.

The Maw of Malantok

Said to be the work of Malantok in his mortal life, this immense labyrinth that opens up in numerous regions of Estaklyos is believed to run under a majority of the country's mainland. It is filled with numerous beasts and serves as a testing spot for would-be heroes. After Malantok's ascension to demonhood, the maze is believed to have grown on its own, warping into impossible angles and swallowing explorers. Some city-states train warriors to navigate parts of the maze as rites of passage. A few mad cults revere the mazes as holy ground, performing beast-blood rituals inside.

The Sunken City

Believed to have existed in ages past, a now-missing island-bound city-state is believed to rest deep beneath the waves on the eastern side of Estaklyos. Its shattered columns and marble plazas are believed to be lost forever after their hero-gods were said to have angered the deity Brinyas. Some tales state that the city will rise again when the hero-gods have managed to seek proper forgiveness from Brinyas. Sailors avoid the waters above where the ruins are storied to be, believing them to be cursed. There are some cults that attempt to call back the drowned hero-gods.

The Serpent's Spine

A jagged range of purple-gray peaks forming a natural border between jungle and desert, these mountains are riddled with caverns and cliffs and are home to solitary minotaurs. They are believed to be the petrified skeleton of a colossal serpent slain by one of the first hero-gods due to their similarity in appearance to a snake's spine. It is also believed that the first of the medusae were born under these peaks. Many minotaur treat the range as sacred, seeing themselves as descendants of the "serpent's trials". City-states mine the mountains for rare metals and stone, and thus often come into conflict with these minotaurs.

The Verdant Crown

The central jungle is much denser and darker than its edges, with trees so tall that their canopies blot out the sun. Ruins of many early Estaklian city-states are swallowed by roots and moss here, and this region is believed to hold countless treasures. Also known as the "Crown of the Hero-Gods", many early legends place their deeds in this region. Witches are said to hold their most ancient covens deep within this region, however, and so explorations here are rare. Herbalists and witchcraft traditions trace their power to this jungle, giving credit to the believe of these covens.

The Dune of Ashes

A scorched expanse of pale sand and blackened stone in the far south, dotted with oases and bone-dry canyons. Some say this desert was once a thriving jungle, burned away when a hero-god fought a beast of living fire. Others claim it's where the gods punished several city-states with divine drought. Nomadic centaur herds roam the desert's edges. It is seen as a place of trials—wandering into the Dune is a test of survival for warriors and witches alike.

The Shattered Isles

North-west of the mainland is a cluster of jagged islands, dangerous to reach due to reefs and storms. They are said to be gragments of a continent shattered during the first war of the hero-gods. Each island is rumored to hold a piece of their power. Pirates and mercenaries often use the islands as bases, living side-by-side with the hero-gods' city-states.

Culture

thrives as a patchwork of fiercely independent city-states, each with its own patron hero-gods, traditions, and rivalries. Alliances shift frequently; a city’s ally one generation may be its enemy the next. While trade binds the region together, there is no sense of “one Estaklian people.” Instead, identity comes from the polis (city-state) and its gods, champions, and myths. Public festivals often double as displays of wealth and power, with cities competing to outshine each other.   Every city-state maintains shrines and rituals for its hero-gods. Hero-gods are celebrated as mortal paragons who achieved greatness through their deeds rather than inherent divinity. Worship emphasizes retelling their victories, re-enacting their trials, and using their stories as moral and practical lessons.   Some city-states honor the bloodlines of their hero-gods, treating their descendants as living links to the heroic age. While these descendants have no divine authority unless they take it themselves, their presence at festivals and ceremonies is considered a blessing, and many are expected to live up to their ancestor’s legacy. Wrestling champions and soldiers often dedicate victories to specific hero-gods, hoping to carry their stories forward through their own deeds.   Wrestling is the defining Estaklian sport and a cultural symbol of strength and cunning. Matches emphasize grappling, holds, and controlling an opponent even when unarmed—skills born from survival on the battlefield. Wrestling schools known as palaestrai are present in every major city-state, producing both athletes and warriors. Wrestling is not merely sport; it is a way of honoring the hero-gods who once fought for their cities. Champions are celebrated as living links to the heroic age. The most legendary wrestlers are said to become grappling spirits after death, rising to fight one last eternal match against worthy souls.   Estaklian hospitality is shaped by both reverence and fear. Offering food and shelter is a sacred duty, but the legacy of witches known for their false hospitality has made people wary of strangers bearing lavish gifts or over-generous welcomes. It is considered rude to refuse hospitality from someone of equal or greater social standing, but also dangerous to indulge too deeply in feasts from unknown hosts. Guests often leave a token behind when departing to show they were not ensnared. Many city-states have strict laws about enchanting food or drink, born of ancient stories where witches bewitched entire armies with a banquet. Due to this, even magically purifying food or drink is illegal to all but the proven devout of the city's hero-god.   Estaklian culture treasures oral history. Myths, hero-god tales, and city rivalries are preserved in epic poetry, wrestling chants, and ceremonial songs performed in amphitheaters. Frescoes and mosaics depicting hero-gods adorn public spaces, often showing them grappling beasts or overcoming divine trials. Music is dominated by percussive instruments and reed pipes, said to mimic the jungle’s heartbeat and the sea’s winds.   Monsters are deeply woven into the culture, serving as both symbols and warnings within their myths and traditions. Medusae and harpies are regarded as tragic figures, cursed mortals who fell to divine punishment, and some city-states even honor them quietly as reminders of the dangers of hubris. Hydras are seen as living trials sent by the gods or hero-gods themselves, and the slaying of one is often considered a feat so great that it can elevate a mortal to the status of a hero-god. Centaurs and minotaurs are treated as wild kin dwelling at the fringes of civilization; some city-states maintain alliances with nomadic centaur herds, while minotaurs are approached with a mix of fear and respect, their solitary presence in the mountains lending them an almost sacred aura.

Religion

Though the true gods are honored across Estaklyos, the worship of hero-gods dominates day-to-day life. These figures are celebrated as mortals whose extraordinary deeds earned them reverence beyond death, and their stories form the foundation of both faith and moral teaching. Festivals dedicated to the hero-gods mix athletic competitions, offerings of food and drink, and theatrical retellings of their myths, making religious observance inseparable from cultural celebration. Sea-facing city-states maintain strong reverence for Brinyas, fearing his wrath and seeking his favor, while inland cities often give their worship to different deities and the hero-gods and spirits who shaped the land.   Some Estaklian spellcasters, particularly those in tune with spirits, draw upon the phantom spirits of fallen hero-gods, and the reincarnation cult of Hevatli Revival venerates the ancient harpy hero-god Hevataskia. Shrines also exist to the numerous true deities of Estaklyos, though these are just as, if not more often, worshipped through the hero-gods themselves as intermediaries. Estaklyos is also the birthplace of the moral who ascended to become the demon lord Malantok and his faith retains a strong following here. There are those in mysterious cults devoted to the belief that cyclopes are some form of divine being. These practices are generally known as the Adoration of the Eye.

Inhabitants

Estaklyos is a land where the line between mortal and myth blurs, and its inhabitants reflect that heritage. It is famed as the birthplace of many of the world’s most infamous monsters. The medusae, hydras, harpies, and chimeras are all tied to Estaklian soil through legend and blood. Scholars debate whether these creatures were created by divine punishment, born from the land’s own magic, or shaped by the deeds of early hero-gods, but few deny their origin here. Sphinxes are also believed by many to have first appeared in Estaklyos, though this claim is shrouded in uncertainty; their riddling presence along the region’s ancient roads keeps the theory alive. Both centaurs and minotaurs are known to have come from this land, and their continued presence on the plains and mountains links them indelibly to Estaklian history.   Many coastal regions of Estaklyos rest unusually close to the Plane of Water. This proximity is most evident in the scattered islands, where tides can shift without warning and naiads or water nymphs walk the shores under moonlight. Fisherfolk and sailors tell of moments when the boundary between worlds thins, and entire coves vanish into the shimmering blue of another plane.

Witches

Witches are one of the most enduring and feared elements of Estaklian folklore. Ancient tales speak of powerful women and men who wielded vengeance like a blade, mastering hypnosis, prophecy, and herbalism. Their most infamous gift is the power to twist flesh, turning enemies into swine or other animals. Equally feared is their use of false hospitality; many stories tell of wayfarers lured to a warm hearth, only to vanish beneath a witch’s spell. In the modern age, witches remain part of Estaklyos’s cultural memory, with some rural areas still leaving offerings at crossroads or refusing to eat food in unfamiliar homes.

Medusae

Medusae are perhaps the most iconic figures in Estaklian myth. Once mortal women cursed into monstrous forms, their stone gaze is said to carry the weight of divine wrath. Some city-states revere medusae not as saints but as solemn warnings, while others fear their bloodline so deeply that anyone suspected of carrying it is exiled. Despite this fear, several Estaklians bear the blood of the medusa in their veins. These descendants often inherit subtle signs of their heritage—unearthly eyes, serpentlike hair textures, or a presence that makes others uneasy. In some places, this blood is seen as a curse; in others, it is treated as a dangerous gift, proof of a lineage touched by divine power.

Centaurs and Minotaurs

Centaurs roam the plains and deserts of southern Estaklyos in nomadic herds, acting as both raiders and guides depending on the season and their relationship with neighboring city-states. They are seen as wild kin, neither fully monstrous nor fully mortal, and their songs are said to carry the memory of the land’s earliest days. Minotaurs, by contrast, dwell in the mountainous Serpent Spine and live primarily solitary lives. Their labyrinthine caves and nomadic trails through the peaks have tied them irrevocably to the mazes beneath Estaklyos, and many believe they are both guardians and prisoners of Malantok’s legacy.