Cantil

The ecology of Cantil is a one-of-a-kind mix of organic flora, and a unique class of fauna. It is unknown how this unique ecosystem developed, but all animal life native to Cantil is made entirely out of wax. Collectively, they are known as votives in the scientific literature, which can sometimes cause confusion as the term is also commonly used to refer only to a certain subset of Cantil's native fauna, namely, the sapient inhabitants of the realm.

Realmshroud

Cantil's location, situated between the Bleakstep and the Churntangle, puts it in a uniquely precarious place among Shardscape realms. As Cantil mediates the energies that flow out of its neighboring realms, it is constantly surrounded by twin tempests of those very same energies, which form what the natives call the Realmshroud.   These "storms" are incredibly violent, particularly in areas where the opposing energies draw close together. The sheer power of the forces involved is of such magnitude that bar particularly powerful begotten god, similar entities, and, presumably, trueborn gods, no other beings are capable of surviving a journey through the Realmshroud. This all but prohibits entry into the realm, and for all intents and purposes, only natives who have lived with these clashing energies are capable of traveling in and out of the realm freely.   For all others, entry into Cantil is possible only through a needle-like structure that protrudes through the envelope of the realm, known to the natives as the Grand Concourse. Who built the structure, and how is unknown. Even the mere fact that the Grand Concourse extends out of the envelope of Cantil is a mystery, as the external structure doesn't seem to be physically connected to the internal one, and as a general rule, structures within a realm do not extend without the realm as the two spaces are disjoint.   What is known is that the Grand Concourse is capable of drawing the energies of order and chaos into itself for yet-undiscovered reasons. It is conjectured that the structure makes use of these absorbed energies to reinforce itself, or otherwise anchor itself against the turbulence of the Realmshroud, though the mechanism by which it does so is also unknown.  

Edict of Restraint

The Edict of Restraint is a mystical compact that is central to life in Cantil. Its provisions, which in summary forbid physical violence, bloodshed, and religious conflict within the boundaries of the realm, are displayed prominently upon a towering stone slab at the heart of the Grand Concourse. All non-native visitors to Cantil must abide by the rules set out by the Edict of Restraint, as its magic takes hold the moment that such a being enters the Grand Concourse, and the only known entrance to the realm that can be used by non-native visitors is housed there as well.   The originator of the Edict is unknown, as unlike most Shardscape realms, there exists no sole entity or group of entities who control Cantil. The source of the Edict's mysteriously considerable power is likewise a mystery, though scholars conjecture that the Edict likely also taps into the raw energies of chaos and order that are gathered by the Grand Concourse from the Realmshroud. Certainly, there are no other known forces at work inside Cantil that could explain how the Edict's provisions are able to bind even gods.

Flora

There is little that is outwardly obvious to distinguish the diversity of flora in Cantil from that which exists elsewhere in the Shardscape. It is home to a variety of shrub, grass, tree, and other plant species distributed across the realm's different biomes, just like most other realms. One prominent difference may be the abundance of species that make use of wax or oil in one way or another. For instance, most of Cantil's grass species have leaves covered in thick cuticles, while its fruiting plants do not produce large fleshy fruits, but rather small oily ones that are harvested and processed by the natives for religious purposes.   Another difference that only becomes apparent upon conducting a wide-ranging study of the realm's plant species is that reproductive strategies that involve the intervention of pollinators are next to non-existent in the realm. The same is true for seed dispersal methods as the native fauna of the realm do not need to eat for their sustenance.  

Votives

Main Article: Votive   As an umbrella term, "votive" refers to all animal life in Cantil, even if it is often used in common parlance to refer to the sapient life forms that call the realm home. As a general rule, votives' entire bodies are made of wax. The precise type of wax is debated, as while the physical and chemical properties of samples taken from votives are functionally indistinguishable from those of beeswax in isolation, the wax that becomes part of a votive's body is capable of taking on properties outside of what would be considered the norm. In particular, native insects' use of impossibly thin sheets of beeswax for flight has been a source of great consternation for biologists studying the native ecology of Cantil.   Common to all votives as well are wicks and the flames that are held by those wicks. These flames are their animating force, and when they are extinguished, the votive will "die" in short order. It is in part for their similarity to candles that the votives are given the name, but one should not make the mistake of thinking that a votive's wax body is in any way "consumed" by their flame. Thorough studies of various votive specimens has revealed no appreciable mass loss over time, despite the heat produced by their flames.   Similar to the wax that constitutes the larger portion of votives' bodies, the wicks and flames that votives possess exhibit properties outside the norm for the substances that they are made out of. The wicks, for instance, despite appearing to be made of normal twine, are incredibly sturdy. Even carbonized parts of the wicks can resist being damaged by steel weaponry so long as the wick is still part of a mostly intact votive. The flames, too, are more resilient than normal flames. Although no brighter or hotter than their appearance would otherwise suggest, votive flames are not doused by winds, water, or air deprivation. In the case of the first, a votive's flame would be affected like any other flame in high winds, such as by becoming more turbulent or stretching out in the direction of the wind, but it will not be extinguished. They are still capable of catching other objects alight, however.  

Higher Votives

Main Article: Higher Votive   Higher votives are the sapient native denizens of Cantil. Although often treated as a monolith, the truth is that the higher votives are a collection of different races as different from each other as the various species of flora and fauna that call Cantil home. While there is a sense of collective "votive" or "Cantilan" identity, these different higher votive races are far from unified in purpose or alignment, and these differences drive the complex political dynamics of the realmwide government.   The diversity of higher votives is owed to the means by which they are born. Each higher votive is born to represent an agreement of some description. Higher votives are born to represent contracts, treaties, vows, oaths, small promises, pacts, and certain types of prayers, among others. In fact, making promises to oneself, such as a "new year's resolution," for instance, will also birth a higher votive. The nature of the agreement to which a votive is born determines where they are born. Each "race" of votive is born from a specific "fount" of molten wax, out of which they step, fully formed. This also influences their nature, such as religious votives being born from a temple fount when gods make promises to their faithful and vice-versa, or wicked, manipulative votives being born from an infernal fount whenever a mortal makes a deal with a devil. It is this influence that gives rise to the many different "races" of votive who live in Cantil.   Furthermore, each votive lives only as long as the term of the agreement which they were born to represent. In the event that a contract, oath, or other such agreement is fulfilled, the votive's flame will gradually weaken. Then, shortly thereafter, it will be extinguished. A votive without a flame doesn't die instantly, but without a source of heat to animate it, such a votive's wax body would gradually stiffen and cool. It is only as this process reaches its conclusion that a votive truly dies. According to accounts from those that have been revived before full rigor sets in, the process is painless and tranquil.  

Lesser Votives

Like their higher brethren, lesser votives are born from molten wax founts and springs scattered throughout Cantil. These sources are called "wild founts," and they are as sacred to the higher votives as the temples are. It is, however, unknown whether lesser votives form entirely spontaneously, or if they come into being for the same reason as the higher votives.   Unlike their sapient cousins, lesser votives are incapable of sophisticated communication. As a result, it is impossible for scholars to definitively determine whether they are born to represent agreements of some kind, as well. It is, however, conjectured that the lesser votives are the result of unconscious agreements made between animals of sufficient pre-sapient intelligence.

Points of Interest

Grand Concourse

Main Article: Grand Concourse   Located at the precise geological and metaphysical center of Cantil, the Grand Concourse is an ancient structure that rises out of the heart of the capital city, Sagriata. It houses the stone monolith that outlines the provisions of the Edict of Restraint at its center, as well as the sole safe entrance to Cantil for non-native visitors.   The Grand Concourse is the tallest building in Sagriata, and is recognizable from a distance because of its needle-like profile. Despite having a fairly wide base, the tower comes to what seems to be an impossibly fine point high in the air when seen from the outside. This is the case no matter what altitude one approaches the Grand Concourse from, and is the reason that one of the most popular tourist attractions in Sagriata involves taking a hot air balloon up to altitude.   Those who take part in these rides are then treated to the awe of one of Cantil's most enduring mysteries, as no matter how high the balloon rises into the sky, the infinitely fine point at top of the Grand Concourse always seems the same distance away, and any evidence of a taper to the tower's higher floors mysteriously disappears. That is to say, if a passenger of one of these balloons looks to the part of the tower that is at the same altitude as them, they would realize that the tower is the same circumference at their altitude as it is on the ground.  

Sagriata, City of a Million Lights

Main Article: Sagriata   Sagriata is the largest, most densely populated settlement in all of Cantil, and is the de facto administrative capital of the realmwide government. The city's main thoroughfares radiate outward from the Grand Concourse like the spokes of a wheel, with smaller streets branching off of them into the city's various districts and neighborhoods. Called the City of a Million Lights because of its majority-votive population, as well as the grand temples that occupy the innermost parts of the city, Sagriata is said to be at its most beautiful at night, when the flickering candlelight of its inhabitants comes together in a warm glow that shines off of the marble buildings and the streets.  

Lake of Small Promises

Main Article: Lake of Small Promises   A large basin just to the northeast of Sagriata. Despite what its name might suggest, the Lake of Small Promises is not filled with water, but instead, a large amount of semi-molten wax. Depending on the weather, it is entirely possible to walk across the Lake of Small Promises safely with a guide. If one does so, one might notice that the wax is dotted with small wicks. They come alight and flicker out at a constant clip, thus making it seem as if the surface of the lake is shimmering with candlelight. The effect is particularly beautiful at night.   Though a pretty sight, some might imagine the truth behind the Lake of Small Promises somewhat morbid. Its name, which might seem harmless or "cute" to non-locals in fact betrays the grim reality of the lake: that it is composed of countless votives born to represent fleeting promises who live such short lives they do not even get the chance to pull themselves out of the mass of wax that make up the lake. Each candle wick that comes alight represents a votive that is born, and each candle wick that is snuffed out represents a votive that has fulfilled its purpose, and thus died.   This means that throughout the course of a day, countless lives are born and lost upon the shores of the Lake of Small Promises. By absolute number of fatalities alone, the Lake of Small Promises likely ranks among one of the deadliest places in the entire Shardscape. Legend has it, however, that should a truly existential threat come to Cantil's doorstep, the collective will and determination of the innumerable Votives of Small Promises would cause the lake to rise up out of its basin to defend the realm.