Skirth

Skirth is one of the Sanctums that comprise The Niriad. It is the smallest and youngest\* Sanctum on the continent, and is the only region that is solely accessible from the air. Skirth's cloud-based lands float around 4300 meters (~14108 ft) in the Niradian atmosphere. This strange and marvelous region was built on the back of the patron elym, Jolibo, and its close relationship with its patron has saturated the lands with strong aethic energy. The majority of inhabitants of Skirth are Kirel - an ethnic group who arrived on the Niriad's shores as refugees. As such, Skirthen culture and language is largely shaped by the heavy Kirellik influence.

\*Tress is technically younger than Skirth, however the land Tress rests on is far older and was previously Teran.

## Etymology

The name Skirth was adapted from the Kirellik word "Zshukireth" *(shoe-keer-eth)* so it would be easier to pronounce for Nunik speakers. The name Zshukireth roughly translates to 'the new breath of Kirel'.

## Geography

Skirth has three main geographic regions:

* The vibrant and lush lowlands of the Arimezsh Nar (translation not available), which forms an arable ring around the Sanctum. This is also where the majority of the Skirthen population resides. These lowlands are nurtured by the rain and runoff from the mountains that cover the Sanctum.

* The mountainous and cloud-covered region of Rolenfora (rough translation: The Spines). This region is said to trace the ridge of the elym Jolibo's spine - explaining its name. This region consists of three mountain ranges: the Avo range, The Fora range (separated into the Northern and Southern Spines); and the Korthin range. The white stones of this region are known for their crystalline appearance and are quarried as the primary construction material in Skirth.
* The small, central wetlands of Edonar Kas. This region is largely uninhabited and is in a state of near-perpetual rain. It is generally thought of as a respite for many birds that encounter Skirth in their travels, and is the nesting ground for many rare species.

The lands of Skirth are built upon a combination of powerful aethery, extremely condensed water vapor, and the ancient ocean floor that surrounds The Niriad. The strange circumstances of Skirth's existence also alters how many climate cycles operate in the Sanctum. Most notably the flow of water, and the Sanctum's water table in general, is vastly different than one you would find on earth. The water that sustains the Sanctum is almost all contained within the Sanctum's ubiquitous water vapor or beneath the land's surface. In other words, there is a distinct lack of rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water throughout the Sanctum. The exception to this is when there is a rare rainfall in the Sanctum, or during Fay'n Gorulota, when the Sanctum gathers a surplus of water. In these cases, water gathers in streams temporarily until the water can be reabsorbed, or drains over the edge of the Sanctum. The high elevation and watery nature of Skirth also results in very few forests. The land's geography is primarily marshland with scrub vegetation.

In the Rolenfora region, the altitude of the mountains creates year-round snow cover and makes it very hard for plants to grow. The highest point in Skirth belongs to peak in the Southern Spine range called Jolinishezsh *(joe-lin-ish-edge)* (rough translation: Jolibo's longest tooth). Jolinishezsh rises around 5,018 meters (16,463 feet) above Skirth's lowlands; totaling around 9,318 meters (30570 feet) above sea level.

### Climate

Skirth experiences cyclical changes to its climate that are far more pronounced than most other Sanctums. Over the course of about five years, the elevation of Skirth will rise and fall around 500 metres. This warms up and re-freezes the Rolenfora region, and makes farming more accessible when the elevation is lower.

In addition to the rise and fall of the Sanctum, the location of the Sanctum moves a significant amount, even with The Great Tether keeping access to the lands anchored in Tress. Starting at the start of Roku until mid-Imalok, the cloud of Skirth is primarily suspended above Tress. During this time, Skirth collects a large amount of water from the aquatic Sanctum. The cloud then moves quite significantly until it is over the south-eastern reaches of Udron, where the rain provides vital hydration for the forest Sanctum. This rain lasts from mid-Voku until the end of Keso and then Skirth begins its return to Tress. This cycle is known as the Fayn Gorul'ota.

## History

### The Kirel arrive in Niradia

I can't really start this very well until I fully understand the timeline of the Niriad... crap!

### Sanctum creation

Basically, Jolibo wanted to have a Sanctum, and they bounded the atmosphere and a little bit of the ocean floor together to create land. I'll elaborate don't worry

### Early development (pre second siege)

They were all basically farmers attempting to build a civilization on nothing and grow their population. It was hard.

### Skirth and the second siege

Man, imagine the kid you barely tolerated in your friend group and mainly used as a punching bag coming in and shredding up your someone that was about to murder you. That's Skirth in the second siege. They were a powerhouse and really made everyone feel bad for treating them like pariahs for hundreds of years.

### Industrial rise

What do you do for the person who just saved your ass 50 times over? You give them a ton of power. That's Skirth; small and mighty and absolutely growing too quickly for them to be able to handle it (not that they'd ever admit that).

### Modern-day

Today, the Skirthens are extravagant, indulgent, and are deserving of the affluent reputation they've been given. Should their egos be checked? Yes, probably. But nobody really has the wherewithal to do it.

## Demographics

The current population of Skirth rests at around 400,000 inhabitants. The majority of Skirthens are located in the Arimezsh Nar region, around the Northern edge of the Sanctum. While Olibas in the east is the political capital, it is only the second-most populated city; first place belongs to Farinrom, who's hold and surrounding area is home to 18% of the population. Population density is not yet available, because it takes TheLoreAxe a long time to do math.

The majority of Skirth's population belong to the Kirel ethnicity; with almost 89% of inhabitants able to link themselves to Kirelik ancestry. Traditionally, this was far closer to 100%, however in recent years, the influx of newcomers from other Sanctums has been diversifying Skirth's population. 11% of Skirthen inhabitants are from Nunik ancestry, and are localized mainly to Farinrom, Olibas, and the settlement of Dolar in the southeast. The majority of Nunik inhabitants come from Udron (~4.3% of the total population, or ~171,600 inhabitants) and Irx (~4% of the total population, ~158,400 inhabitants). The remaining Sanctums each contribute to about 1% of the population in Skirth. The heavy Kirellik majority is attributed to the social isolation of the Kirel until the Second Siege; and physiological differences between Nunik newcomers - who experience multiple difficulties acclimatizing to the extremely high altitude of the Sanctum - and the Kirellik natives.

### Religion

Similar to the rest of The Niriad, there is no major argument in Skirth that the elym are the beings who exert power over the lands. As always, the interpretation of this information is where the people of Skirth differ. The wide majority of Skirthens practice Marakef, an ancient Kirellik spiritual practice that falls closely in line with the values of Aethic Positivism. This belief stems from traditional Kirellik values of freedom of choice, body, mind, and spirit and fundamentally places the universe of Aetha as the world of life, and the universe of Nok as death. Aethic positivism is incorporated in many cultural and social practices within Skirth. The influx of Nunik inhabitants has added a more varied perspective to the Sanctum, however no spiritual philosophy has been influential enough to make in-roads with the majority populace.

### Languages

The population of Skirth primarily speaks Kirellik; the language of the original Kirel refugees that arrived in Skirth. Preservation of Kirellik and of the Kirel's cultural and liguisitic practices is extremely important to the people of the Sanctum. Skirthen inhabitants have a 99.2% proficiency in Kirellik.

As with all other Sanctums, Nowaton Akenakik (Nunik) is also spoken in Skirth. However, it is very rare for local inhabitants to have a working knowledge of the language. Nunik is mainly spoken by Skirthen leadership, academics, and traders. Higher proficiencies among common people are found in Skirth's northern settlements; and the city of Farinrom has the highest bilingual fluency in the Sanctum.

## Economy

Here's where I'll talk about Skirth's booming economy

### Trade relationships

Who are the Skirthen's best buds? What's the status, homies?

## Government, law, and politics

Discuss the leadership and stuff I guess!

## Education

Not sure what would go here yet, except for maybe basic curriculum details?

### Songs and stories

Not sure what would go here yet, really. But I'm leaving a space for it.

## Travel and transportation

Map of all the paths I guess! Plus dryop information.