Tuf

The country of Tuf’s landscape is made up of an extreme mesa. Most of its surface are plateaus with a web of massive interconnecting crevasses that extend deep into the ground below. Most of its settlements are built on the surface, although occasionally a town can be found near a cliffside; sometimes even extending into it or connecting two landmasses with bridges.

The bottom of the crevasses are home to a diverse ecosystem of fungus. Locals have found ways to cultivate these fungi and have begun using them as a food source. These fungi can also be used as a source of water, as many of them have pockets of water within them. This makes up for the dry nature of the overworld and gives residents access to water they normally wouldn’t have. Mushrooms native to Tuf are known for being mostly edible. Poisonous or hallucinogenic varieties are scarce, but can be found on occasion.

The dusty flat plateaus that make up the surface of Tuf make the region susceptible to wind and dust storms. This landscape also makes it prime territory for more serious types of wind storms such as tornadoes, although these are far more uncommon.

In addition to windstorms, Tuf also sees its fair share of earthquakes. It’s been theorized that the crevasses in the natural landscape are brought on by a massive fault line that runs through the country. Because of this, most infrastructure has been made to withstand a fair amount of movement, just in case. Any structures bordering a crevasse are heavily reinforced to prevent cave ins or landslides. Deeply rooted plants are also farmed around these areas to keep the soil locked in place, further reducing the chances of either of these things happening.

Fauna on the surface are sparse, given the fact that most of Tuf’s water sources are found underground. The majority of animals on the surface are scavengers such as buzzards or hyena which trail settlements and steal trash or other discarded items. Other small animals like opossum can also be found here, which help in keeping the insect population at bay.

Within the crevasses are a plethora of creatures. Small creatures highly adapted to living in the fungal ecosystem burrow into the large mushroom stalks for shelter from the much larger predators that reside in the area. Not much is known about animals native to the underground, as their demonic appearance has warded off most researchers. These creatures resemble common predators found elsewhere, however their bodies have been consumed by fungal spores. Residents over the years have learned not to consume the flesh or blood of such creatures, as doing so causes one to fall deathly ill. The spores of these fungus then consume the body of the host, creating more of these hybrid monstrosities.

Many cities in Tuf have built large stone statues which resemble that of an outstretched hand. These statues are typically hollowed out, and a staircase or ladder is added inside to allow residents access to the top. At the top, residents place offerings, typically food, to entice a “flighted one” to visit.

These stone statues are regarded as holy places. The Sinvian here believe that a “flighted one” may one day land on the perches they made and bless them with their gift of flight. They believe that building these statues will entice the flighted ones to visit by giving them a safe place to land.

The idea of the “flighted ones” stem from a time long ago. Early settlers of Tuf witnessed Phoenix fly from the mountains and soar over the country, causing them to believe that Sinvian were meant to fly, but their people had not yet earned the right to. It’s believed that a “flighted one” will gift the ability to fly once one has proven themselves worthy of it. All of this culminated into the practice of building these statues as offerings as a means of proving themselves worthy of flight.

Seeing as Sinvian are the dominant species of Tuf, the country as a whole is far less developed as other more “pure” nations. Rather than a single government, most of Tuf’s settlements govern themselves independently. The residents see no need to have a unified government as things so far have been running fairly smoothly. Restructuring the governing bodies of the country would only lead to problems; problems which the people of Tuf don’t want to put up with.

That being said, there is an individual who has claimed the title of “monarch” within the country. The current monarch, simply known as Sora or Princess Sora, is not regarded as an authoritative figure. Neither is Sora’s advisor, Basil. These two are viewed as foxes in the chicken coop. No one denounces their title, due to Sinvian’s deeply rooted fear of Kodin, but no one really cares enough to follow any demands given by the two.