Helenir

Helenir, known simply as Hel, is a vast subterranean expanse that stretches beneath the entire planet of Lucis — a massive underground cavity lying miles below the surface, perilously close to the planet’s molten core. This infernal landscape is shaped by relentless volcanic activity, rivers of lava, and scorched terrain, creating a realm of constant fire and pressure. Yet life endures. Over generations, the inhabitants of Hel have evolved into a resilient and formidable race, their bodies hardened against the heat and dangers that would incinerate or cripple surface-dwellers.
  When contact was finally made between the surface and Helenir, its people gazed upward with awe and longing — yearning to share in the beauty, prosperity, and freedom of the sunlit world above. But the surface world met them not with welcome, but with fear and suspicion. Their molten skin, glowing eyes, and otherworldly strength painted them as threats rather than neighbors.
  Still, many among the Hel-born chose a path of peaceful outreach, working tirelessly to earn trust and build diplomatic bridges. Yet this very decision fractured their own society. A deep divide formed between two dominant clans: one advocating cooperation and understanding, the other demanding conquest and dominance in the face of surface-world rejection.
  Today, these two clans are locked in a bitter conflict beneath the earth — a civil war fought not only for territory, but for the right to define Helenir’s future. Meanwhile, the surface nations watch in silence, unwilling or uninterested in intervening, unaware that the outcome of this hidden war could one day reshape the balance of power across all of Lucis.