Tomu (Toh-mu)
Summary
Nestled in the proverbial heart of Nerzin, Tomu is the great rolling green fields, vibrant turquoise forests, and fancifully magical sights many imagine when they hear of it. By Veltrona's standards a gentle place to live, one's greatest complaints may be that it is quite damp, but not oppressively covered by mists as its western neighbor of Aochen is. Flowing with mana the likes of which isn't seen elsewhere, save Etzli Cuauhtla, Tomu is home to the alien, magical, bizarre, and mundane alike. Floating rock formations, small hovering islands, tempestuous rivers from crysium-rich caverns, spiraling flames held-aloft in a windy vortex--it does well to impress upon everyone its arcane and mystical nature. To speak nothing of its rather one-of-a-kind ecosystem and diverse life. The people of Tomu are deeply spiritual, constantly balancing mortal needs and the divine world. The exact specifics vary from area to area, but time and trade have homogenized much of it into a collective understanding. A few defined religions arose as a result, their influence reaching far but ever colored by local flavors. Ancient wars left an indelible scar in the psyche of Nerzin, and none were worse off than Tomu. Much of their spirituality shifted toward restraint, obedient reverence, and other forms of self-control to prevent such atrocities from happening again. Compared to its past and other lands, like Aerthen, Tomu may be considered an extraordinarily 'peaceful' place. War, however, is ever a tool of politics, and it rears its ugly head every so often still. In recent times, it has become a land of strife once again--Velandra has struck down the intensely conservative ways of Tomu. A revolution in all but name, her aspirations of a new social order has given voice to the discontent buried in its people. The great families, long in their rule, find themselves on uncertain footing, and everyone is making a play to assert dominance. It remains to be seen who in Tomu finalizes their claim, or if its neighboring lands may try taking control themselves.Geography
Verdant beyond description, yet restrained enough to not become a full jungle, Tomu is richly beautiful. Sloping hills lead to flowing rivers and overgrown fields, ever locked in a silent war with the spindly forests around them. The humid weather hovers finely in the border between pleasant and muggy, a fact that can change rapidly on any given day. Such an environment encourages the most outrageous of plants, some many times the size and make of even their neighboring lands.
A number of mountains dot Tomu, spanning from its north and winding toward its south. Although not to the titanic size of Nerzin's utmost northern mountains, they've long served as political landmarks and divisions in the ecosystem. They surprisingly tend to lack of a shady side, as competing winds and their humidity blast both ends with intense rainfall. Even more surprising can be the deep gorges and valleys that snake around, creating secret places or impassable barriers. Many old, old bridges, roads, and other constructions often line these places, providing ancestral pathways that connect everyone and everything.
Above everything else, Tomu can surprise even its natives with the wonders awaiting. A dense thicket may hide a beautiful spring, or a dazzling crysium spire sits just around a corner and out of sight. Where the material lacks, the immaterial fulfills, mana-rich energies stirring together harmless fire storms in beautiful displays, or flowing winds carrying lighter-than-air plants in wondrous dances. The veltron rises and falls as if drawn by the moons, then laid to rest as waters sparkle with a clarity they almost appear like flowing gems.
Natural Resources
Unique to Tomu, and a staple of many who hear of Nerzin, is its incredibly mana rich life. The beautifully alien and frighteningly unknowable alike find home in Tomu, offering untold bounty. It is from them that much of the inhabitants acquire alchemical reagents, magic-worthy materials, medicinal goods, and ever more exotic items. Some are truly once-in-a-lifetime, while others come about every other century, and so only the oldest families truly know the bountiful depths that await.
With so much wonderfully diverse life, Tomu offers much in the ways of living off the land itself. Its mineral wealth tends to be on the poor side, however. Few of the mountains offer easy mining locations, and few are those willing to dig deep enough to find the raw ores they need. As a result, ownership of these areas becomes critically important in geopolitics and trade. Those who cannot acquire local materials are forced to deal with the neighboring lands, who are all too eager to pressure on this front.
Alternative Name(s)
World's Heart, Emerald Jewel, Mystical Land
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