The Golden Forest

## Description

The Golden Forest exists at the borders of the **Southlands**. At the center of the forest are **Armanu's Tree**, with its unique **Armanu's fingers**, golden branches unique to the Forest.

Dominated by trees, the Golden Forest Temple is based on ancient Roman architecture with white columns and structures. Priests live in homes created by Nigak in the trees, to avoid servants and other intruders from entering their homes.

## Legend

The Legend of the Golden Forest begins with the inception of time, when God created divine beings. From the God of Earth and Water Enki's navel sprouted a tree. The priests of the Golden Forest are the descendants of Kata of the Six Wings and the Sun God Utu. To return to the heavens and achieve eternal life, the sacred tree must be burned down. Although the Galtir's life is tied to the tree, the Galtir would still be able to attain eternal life despite sacrificing their earthly form.

For the priests, the number 7 is regarded as the harbringer of change and perfection that represents the deities governing fate as the axis of time for the human world. Their rituals are based according to the sacred numbers and veneration of deities.

## Priests

The priests personify the attributes of the Sky People after their first extraction of nigak from a divine stone, making their hair and skin fairer. All humans are excluded from becoming priests.

### Factions

The **realists** are priests who desire to create a powerful national state on Earth, rather than achieve divine summation as Sky People. They supported the Galtir Kiros.

The **fundamentalists** are priests that desire to restore eternal life and the light of the Sky People after Kata lost them to the Man-Eating Eagle. They consider the realists to be heretics, as they have abandoned Kata and Utu's holy decree of pursuing enlightement in favor of earthly gains. Gizzida, supported by the fundamentalists, intended to eradicate the Northerners and restore the glory of light to the Sky People by burning the sacred tree to return to their divine lives in the heavens.

## Rituals

### A**bundance and prosperity ritual**

The ritual is hosted annually on the first 10 days of summer, where 10 slave girls, who already menstruating as a proof of their fertility, are forced to consummate with the Galtir for the reenactment of Armanu and Kata's marriage. Beside those slave girls and Sky people, mud men of nobleline like kings and knights also participated in the ritual, hoping to procreate Sky children who may become future guardians of the Golden Forest.

### The Galtir's ascension

The Galtir is chosen by taking one of Armanu's fingers from the tree and killing their opponent. No nigak is used, as it is believed that by battling with Armanu's fingers, Armanu will choose the wiser, younger, and vital priest. The winner remains the Galtir or is deposed by the new Galtir. As many Galtirs have been killed during their sleep, Galtirs often obsessively guard the center of the forest to avoid being deposed.

## Members of the Forest

### Galtir

* Kiros (formerly)
* Gizzida

### En-Ishb

* Gizzida (formerly)

### En-Nugig

* Minne
* Yada
* Sabato
* Kiriake
* Paraskie