Z'gon

History

The oceans of Veltrona are vast in ways many still struggle to understand. From the tempestuous surface waters to the glittering depths of the shallows, such is where the likes of the shermadi and ekurin make their homes. Yet, even for the ocean dwellers, their grasp of their territory is tenuous, and the murky waters beyond promise mystery, intrigue, and endless danger. For those who venture forth, and head deeper still into the endless darkness below, then they begin to trespass upon the abyssal territory of Z'gon.   Historically, Z'gon is located in the deep ocean region between the Shimmering Ocean and Shinespark Ocean. One of the deepest underwater areas on Veltrona, it is home to countless varieties of strange and exotic lifeforms, and most importantly, the abysid peoples. Z'gon's many trenches, long-winding canyons, and other spanning geographical features stretch for thousands of miles under the oceans above. It's truly difficult to tell where Z'gon ends and other regions begin, but as there is often little point of contention, Z'gon ends up being associated with more overall area than it probably should have. Some people even simply use it as the name for when one 'enters the abyssal depths', which further muddies things.   An epicenter of abyssal life, Z'gon is one of the richest and most biodiverse regions under the oceans. A veritable world unto itself, Z'gon has seen countless tales of triumph and woe by the abysids who made home within its bioluminescent shelves and spiral-coral caves. Despite the persistent threat of leviathans, they've carved out their own nations, creating vast fortress-cities that their peoples only continued to improve and iterate upon. But, as with any people, terrible wars eventually followed that tore Z'gon apart in the process.   The modern day Z'gon is no less different than its ancestral one, despite all the landscape changes by both people and otherwise.      

Geography

Given its relative 'in the middle' proximity between two oceans (themselves perhaps one ocean named by different sides), Z'gon is further muddied by its place within the abyssal level. Sunlight barely pierces the surface of oceanic waters, leaving many miles more even further below. Yet, as light fades and darkness takes over, life carries on layers of transient business. Creatures coming and going, and all that which predates on both, make up the traffic of such a layer. It is only deeper, where the pressure is beyond crushing and the cold darkness surrounds everything, that the true abyss is reached. That in between layer is, itself, almost like the sky to the abyss dwellers. Hence, determining when one is 'within Z'gon' itself is usually not very obvious until it absolutely is.   In traditional geographical definition, Central Z'gon (or just Z'gon 'proper') is surrounded by eight major tributary canyons, which themselves have dozens more branches. The eight tributaries are notable in that, while varying in size, they all stretch quite far across the underwater landscape. By traveling through a few of them, one could conceivably reach a fair ways into Olaniad, traverse most of the Shimmering and Shinespark oceans, and reach the continental shelves of Varnkof, Zahmal, and Eylia.    

Regions

The climatological blurring being what it is within abyssal depths, most people determine Z'gon's different regions by geological fixtures. This leads to about ten different subdivisions at the least, with more depending on the locals one is doing business with. As a whole, this coincides with the two principle 'main regions' of Z'gon, the Sediment Plains and its accompanying Spiral-coral Caves, and the eight tributary canyons that spread out from there.   The Sediment Plains and Spiral-coral Caves are a tandem team, where the plains act as the roof to the various caves. Sediment, in the form of corpse detrius, mineral run off, organic particulate, and otherwise, collects within the plains. Tidal currents then brush streams of it off into the caves, where the coral within feeds abundantly. These caves, thusly, form complex micro-ecosystems that all sorts of life finds refuge in. They're also the ancestral homes of the abysids themselves, though their civilizations have long since outgrown such confines. While there may have been other ecological features, abysid habitation over the millennia has seen a lot of it changed or destroyed in some manner.   The eight tributary canyons that radiate out from Z'gon are varied and frightful places unto themselves. Some are home to abysids, other to wildlife yet untamed, and a few that lead to places no one would go in their sane mind. While safer than the open waters far above where leviathans roam, the canyons pose their own sorts of dangers. For simplicity's sake, relative directions will be given where Sooneyriak and Unneyria are considered the 'north' and 'south' directions, respectively.    

Sontayae

The canyon with the most northward orientation, terminating somewhere toward the continental shelf of Sa-kemet. Completely infested by unique strains of fungus, Sontayae is an alien ecosystem even to the abysids. The mysterious creatures and fungal-based lifeforms within are one-of-a-kind horrors even they fear trying to contend with. That said, the rich bounty of crysium and edible wildlife is incredibly attractive and hard to pass up. As Sontayae also happens to run underneath some of the most dangerous oceanic waters on Veltrona, it's considered a 'safer' option for would-be travelers.    

Loyo

A canyon with a northeastward orientation, it terminates somewhere near the far western tip of Etzli Cuauhtla. A sister canyon to Sontayae, at least when near Z'gon proper, it was once infested by strains of the same mysterious fungus. However, being far less severe, the abysids were eventually successful in cleansing the canyon and converting it to habitable living space. Loyo, as a result, is considered one of the second best places to live short of being inside Z'gon itself. The micro-nations and tribes within are descendants of warriors and huntresses, making Z'gon's main nations incredibly wary of them.    

Heshtu

An eastward oriented canyon, it terminates near both Etzli Cuauhtla and the shelf surrounding the Howling Waters. Similar to Loyo, Heshtu was considered highly desirable living space, but only when near Z'gon itself. The further toward the Howling Waters one goes, more dangerous lifeforms are encountered. Long ago, Heshtu was heavily inhabited, but the polar-facing side of it drew the attention of some especially powerful leviathans. These monstrous creatures ended up destroying much of the canyon in their feeding frenzy, killing countless abysids. It's believed a fair number of drowned Forsaken linger still in the icy depths, waiting to kill any of the living who venture near.    

Arnvak

A southward canyon of relatively short 'distance', it is a direct line to the polar continent of Unneyria itself. A corpse-riddled canyon from the countless eons of carnage above, scavengers and predators thereof litter Arnvak from beginning to end. While perhaps not particularly fierce by abyssal standards, one's death in such a place guarantees they wouldn't leave a corpse behind. The Z'gon abysids traditionally viewed Arnvak as a sort of graveyard and ocean of the dead where their deities reside. Only sanctified caravans are allowed passage through it as a result, which has caused all sorts of drama throughout history. As the abysids reach more for the surface, though, Arnvak's trade routes to Unneyria's ice dragons has led to increasing tensions over the canyon's ultimate fate.    

Kubarkan

A southwestern canyon that spirals near Unneyria before sharply heading toward Eylia. Kubarkan's relative remoteness and ideal placement under several ocean currents has seen it absolutely flooded with all kinds of mana. It's so supercharged its waters are toxic to most forms of life, even well-adapted manavores. Incredibly bizarre lifeforms do inhabit it, though ones that abandon any normal idea of organic life. Animated crystals, ephemeral phantasms, dimension-shifting fish, and more are the usual inhabitants. Some abysids even think several Heavenly Realms may have their doorways in Kubarkan, increasing the overall mana saturation to such toxic levels. Still, the rampant crysium growth in such a place is impossible to ignore, and they've been trying to mine in Kubarkan ever since it was discovered.    

Maen

A southwestern-western canyon that intertwines with Kubarkan at some points, it terminates toward the middle regions of the Shinespark Ocean. Similar to Kubarkan, Maen is overloaded with mana saturation, but to a far less lethal degree. Rampant manarium and crysium growth spreads along most of its terrain, making it a lucrative habitat for manavores who can't survive in Kubarkan. It's also the nesting grounds of some particularly territorial leviathans, ensuring literally no one ever wants to live or work there. As such, it's essentially a wildland of untapped potential, but after what happened with Heshtu, Z'gon's great nations do not want to aggravate leviathans they cannot kill for certain.    

Zon'zu

A west-northwestern canyon of fairly prodigious size but very short reach as it terminates downward into Veltrona herself. Zon'zu is a strange canyon, and some argue it isn't a canyon at all, but rather a large and jagged slope into deeper, darker depths. While such pathways aren't unheard of, Zon'zu's incredible size means multiple leviathans can potentially traverse it—and in fact do so, albeit rarely. Though many excursions have attempted to discover Zon'zu's secrets, its endless descent promises no one would ever truly return.    

Yaewen

A relatively recent eastern canyon created by the abysids of Z'gon themselves. After Heshtu was destroyed, the abysids pondered over ways of reclaiming it. That also led to considerations on how to make more living space, and rather than have to deal with the Forsaken of Heshtu, they decided to just dig out an entire new canyon system. A project approaching titanic proportions, Yaewen continues to grow as different abysid nations invest in expanding it further and further. The amount of intense mining going on, however, has made it heavily polluted and so rather unideal for living until they actually clean it up properly.    

Climate

The lack of light does little to impede the vibrancy of abyssal life, and Z'gon epitomizes this truth. Weather, as a concept, is dictated by the ocean currents and whatever tidings they may bring. For some times, great and 'tempestuous' storms may sweep along the abyssal plains, stirring sediment and refuse as everything not anchored to the ocean floor is swept away. Others may bring sweltering heat strong enough to boil anything in its path while diffusing the persistent cold of the ocean.   In rarer cases, roaming leviathans of particularly powerful natures may cause the environment to react around them beyond just their own sheer mass. Ice-aspected leviathans, for example, might bring the already cold waters down to flash-freezing temperatures, creating perilous icebergs and frost shards that are lethally dangerous. Wind-aspected ones may engender ocean currents far more powerful than normal, while at the same time sending life into a frenzy of activity. Thus, in a very real sense, the coming and goings of leviathans is another layer to the climatology of the abyss.   When one studies the ocean floor, however, a marked difference arises to that of surface life. Perhaps due to the great variability of underwater 'weather', oceanic life forms a highly adaptive response range. Coral, in particular, is remarkably durable against the variety of mundane and exotic conditions it must face. With its survival, smaller organisms can thrive around it, which in turn sustains the larger predators upon them. Not all life can handle everything, and so when 'bad weather' comes, migrations or short, sedentary hibernations are more the norm. This, itself, is merely one small subset of options among the greater ecological life.    

Geology

Z'gon's geologic surface, or ocean floor in other words, is a mixture of sedimentary layers of organic residue and mineralized dust. Countless eons of life, in its myriad complexities, has perished on the ocean floor, stripped down by scavengers, then ground away by tidal forces. Together with more mundane sediment streams from either the ocean above or underwater geothermal vents, this 'oceanic dirt' is the fertile, nutrient-rich cauldron upon which abyssal flora depends upon. Beneath it, in turn, lays the incredibly dense metamorphic rock layers of Veltrona herself.   While there are sedimentary rock types, they're usually of a relatively short lived nature. The vast majority, from both the incredible pressures of the abyssal layer and the proximity to magmatic activity, are that of the metamorphic rock type. Some abysid scholars have a suspicion that Z'gon itself may have been an underwater volcanic site at some point in its history. However, it clearly collapsed into itself, creating the vast central region it's ever been known as. No one is clear if the collapse itself was natural, as at such ages, anything from Underworld activity to planetary events like Zahmal may have been responsible.   All that mostly remains are the many varied and nuanced hydrothermal vents scattered around Z'gon, which are critical resource geysers. These vents provide endless streams of complex minerals, chemicals, and mixed mana emissions, supporting the basis for all sorts of life. The very first abysid farms found home around such vents, and so they're sites of great cultural and ecological importance. Submarine magma rivers stretch through different parts of Z'gon, constantly churning their rapidly-cooled exteriors from abyssal water with the molten material underneath. The ambient heat of such places, and availability of raw resources, made them the first sites of Z'gon's future industries.    

Topography

Z'gon's epicenter is a series of canyons, underwater plains, and massive spiral-coral forests. From a surface dweller perspective, it might resemble an inverse mountain range: rather than ascending peaks, it has descending hollows. The deepest of these hollows stretch into Veltrona, often intruding directly into the Underworld proper. Even to the abysids, such depths are terrifying and mysterious, and they take care to avoid falling down into them. Brave explorers, on the other hand, descend regularly to find and retrieve exotic riches beyond imagination.   A variety of ocean currents cut through Z'gon as the culprits that formed the many canyons. Coming in all sorts of sizes and intensities, some act as intra-regional transit lines, erupting from one end before going to another. Others are descending, or ascending, columns from larger ocean currents further above. Though invisible to eyes that rely on sight, to ocean dwellers it's a webwork of constant fluid movement that's ripe for exploitation. It's been said that during spawning seasons for particularly prominent forms of micro-life, the currents come alive with spectacles of colors. It's as close to a 'daylight sky' as the abyss can imagine, and one of the most colorful sights on Veltrona.    

Crysium Diffusion

Mana is abundant within the abyss, which easily engenders manarium and eventual crysium growth. The extreme pressures of such a depth, however, greatly impact its overall growth rate. The resulting crysium itself is usually incredibly dense and features some of the greatest mana intensities to be found anywhere naturally on Veltrona. Entire crysium spires have grown hundreds of meters in height and many dozens wider, becoming massive geological fixtures unto themselves. Some are so old as to be the ancestral home of profound, one-of-a-kind lifeforms that rely greatly on their host spire's mana.   Due to Z'gon's abysid populations, though, some of these great spires have long since been lost entirely. Whether from exploitation, the result of war, or just bad environmental luck, Z'gon's great spires are fewer in number than other regions. Those that remain are jealously guarded by the abysids, becoming veritable holy sites that no one dares to desecrate. That they provide tangential benefits to their owners is rather difficult to ignore, though. The very few fire-aspected great spires that remain, in particular, have entire industrial backbones running off of them.   No one quite knows what the limit of their mana is, for surely one must exist. No single spire has ever been exhausted, and to the abysids, they're functionally 'infinite' power sources. To control a single one is enough for a great queendom to arise.    

Notable Phenomena

Two ecologically strange phenomena occur regularly around Z'gon that have long mystified the abysids. The first of which are the underwater floating islands which migrate in the 'sky' above them; generally the in between zone separating the abyss and the light shallows. Similarly to Prak, these chunks of rock and crysium play host to unique forms of life as they flow along the ocean currents. Their buoyancy varies along these routes, rising closer to the surface or descending to the abyss proper on their own. Unlike Prak, however, these islands circulate around Z'gon itself.   Underwater islands are, themselves, not unusual; countless ones circulate through the deepest waters of Veltrona anyway. The fact the abysids tagged and marked many dozens and, over centuries, effectively tracked the 'Z'gon circulars' is what perplexes them. There is no reason as to why these particular islands should circulate as they do; they even defy oceanic currents as if they're not there. No trace of magic seems to control them, nor do natural laws seem to be at work. Not even divine beings of any scope can discover why, either.   There are those that do argue that the circulating islands are perhaps related to the 'Uholoh', or 'Great Breath', of Z'gon. At a predictably regular period of approximately six months and four days, the vast water within Z'gon will suddenly begin to 'heave'. It sucks inward, then outward, in a process entirely similar to breathing. This heave is not terribly bothersome, in fact being less disruptive than regular ocean currents. It is, however, incredibly distinct and very bizarre for everyone to 'feel'. No one is certain why it happens, as it doesn't follow geological sense. The origination seems to come from below Z'gon itself, but no explorers have found anything that connects with the Uholoh.   Rampant speculation surrounds the Uholoh from anything like a 'supermassive leviathan' to a 'sleeping goddess' or funny volcanic system. Religious superstition easily latched onto it, prescribing one idea or another, some of which even led to wars of their own. Still, at a depth even their own goddesses fear to go toward, the abysids are no closer to an answer than any other time. There are those that do think it is related to the circulating islands, though. As coincidental as such speculation may be, given the islands themselves do not react in any measurable way to the Uholoh moments.    

Natural Resources

The lush availability of some of Veltrona's best crysium coincided wonderfully with the massive amounts of raw mineral wealth buried around Z'gon. A former volcanic site of its scope and scale carried a promise of untold riches, and something the abysids have long since learned to exploit. The only true difficulty surrounding such wealth was not only mining incredibly dense material, but somehow processing it as well. The irony of such bounty being so difficult to handle was a popular topic in more ancient abysid storytelling. Still, between aspiring metal mages and the sheer abundance of geothermal energy, they learned how to smelt ores under the crushing ocean pressure.   Being a natural hotspot of ecological competition, Z'gon harbors some of the best aquatic life conditions in any abyssal region. The associated life, thusly, becomes a great chance for harvest as much as danger, and the abysids have learned to hunt upon such creatures. The extent to which it's done does lead to some questions of 'wilderness' hunting versus aquatic farming or ranching techniques. At the least, barring any migratory predators, Z'gon's main regions are considered fairly tame by abyssal standards. The outer perimeter and subsequent wilds that surround it are where some of the fiercest beasts and monstrosities await.      

Ecology

Fauna

Life in the abyss generally considers three routes: scavenging, manavore, and omnivorous consumption. While purely carnivorous predators exist, they're rarer due to their wide-ranging requirements to actually meet their caloric intake. Omnivorous predators are far more dangerous due to their often highly opportunistic natures, and ability to patiently wait long periods of time for suitable meals. The much maligned and justly feared rokkrawlers are one such creature. A mega arthropod that can grow larger than even an abysid, rokkrawlers use a form of metal magic to operate their chainsaw-like teeth, which promptly shreds through anything (flesh or otherwise). They then vacuum up the resulting cloud of detris with tubuluar mouths, expelling inedible waste through vents in their hunched backside. They've been known to try eating entire ship wreckages in search of suitable food, though scholars think it may be a form of 'regrowing' their teeth due to the metal abundance.   Scavengers and manavores, sometimes one-in-the-same, constitute the bulk of the lifeforms found trawling around the abyss. These hardworking and overly defensive creatures constantly scuttle about, picking apart the deceased or any refuse they find. With the likes of deceased from further above raining down on a regular basis, they have no shortage of opportunities. The wolf-sized spiral worms are a common sight as they barrel through the water, spiraling from one meal to another. Once they find food, their sticky, acidic maws clamp on, and they're quick to start eating whatever it is they found. More than one unfortunate scavenger, halfway into their own eating, has been devoured alive by a pack of ravenous spiral worms.   Herbivorous creatures are surprisingly rare due to the incredible defensive aptitude of most flora. While feasting on coral (perhaps itself a kind of carnivorous activity, or so some argue) is a somewhat reliable method, the likes of abyssal kelp, corpse fungus, sarydi (a type of underwater 'flower' that creates cavitations), etc, are uncomfortable prospects to consider. As such, most herbivores tend to be on the smaller scale, behaving as opportunistic parasites or scavengers that specially target such plants. Much larger organisms, especially at the leviathan scale, survive more through omnivorous habits.   Manavores, on the other hand, survive well when they've found rich crysium deposits to hover around. Historically rather territorial and somewhat sedentary, they carefully guarded these crysium deposits from all sorts of threats. The arrival of the abysids, and their subsequent expulsion, saw many species displaced if not threatened with extinction outright. The more aggressive manavores that targeted other living organisms fared the best as that sustenance was closer to regular predation patterns.    

Flora

From bioluminscent fungal towers to vast shelves of complex coral colonies, the abyss' floral life is at times as similar to the shallows' as it is bizarre and alien. Developing independently of any need for sunlight, their strategies focus around nutrient rich locales of any shape or size. Those around or near hydrothermal vents flourish the most, having a steady supply of everything an organism of their caliber could ever desire. Others suffice for the sediment plains of carrion and refuse, growing quickly upon fresh corpses in a desperate race to reach maturity. Some extend long, tendril-like feeder arms, sucking up passing particulate and microbiology with catcher hairs.   In a sense, any and every strategy that could be implemented for survival, is. And, where there is life, there are predators. Abyssal flora, by necessity or otherwise, selected greatly for increased defensive options over many others. Inedibility meant survival, and in an ecosystem where food could be a premium, being edible was extraordinarily dangerous. Yet, predators too selected for the potential to eat such otherwise abundant biomass, and so the arms race ever continued.   While perhaps obvious to consider, the finer details of 'edible plant' and 'edible predator' are an important underpinning to abyssal ecosystems. A particular mushroom, like the infamous shokkeroom, is inedible to most except the likes of the spiny, segmented jolt eels, which nest within as much as eat shokkerooms. These eels, in turn are prey items for larger predators who rely on them as one of many food offerings. If the eels suddenly vanished from the ecosystem, there would be less animals feasting on the shokkerooms, which might spread out of control as a result. This specificity, for the most part, indicates the surprisingly fragile nature of abyssal ecosystems. But, calamity is par for the course in the abyss, and despite many scholars' concerns, such massive ecosystem collapses haven't really happened, either.    

Sapients

The principle form of people within Z'gon are the abysids, mullusoid octopod-like monsterkind. One of the rare sapient species adapted to the extreme conditions of the abyss, they're naturally at home in the dark depths. Others tend to be rare and unusual examples, such as shermadi who have developed the strength and/or magic to survive such conditions as well. A notable minority takes the form of many other species who, having drowned in the waters above, were later resurrected by the abysids. These reborn are adapted to the depths through abysid magics, living once more yet reliant on the same environment as their 'saviors'. While the practice itself is contentious, its usage has nonetheless been very illuminating for the abysids to discover the world above them.      

Civilizations

Inhabiting Cultures

There are those who think an island of civilization might be rather unified, but Z'gon is anything but that. While open warfare hasn't occurred in nearly two centuries, political and ideological tensions are all over Z'gon. Although under the tentacle of several major nations, innumerable tribes and clans litter across the vast 'continent' and its many branches. Depending on both tradition and local availability, they vary between semi-nomadic and sedentary lifestyles. Managing these differing interests and contending with the usual hazards of Z'gon is a constant powder keg of a situation that has erupted more than once already.   The four ultimate powers of Z'gon, that of the Qoi, Dy'ya, Sohlmn, and Xissis, fued amongst themselves in an unending political game. Ritualized forms of warfare and honor duels are the norm, as such vents their aggressions without the destructiveness of open conflict. While debatable in how long it might last, it has at least worked for a long time, but defeat is far more bitter than victory is sweet. For them, reconciliation is all but a dream of the foolish. A final conflict, one that might destroy Z'gon for good, seems inevitable.    

Demographics and Populace

Abysids (majority)

While trace amounts of other species can be found in Z'gon, they're so statistically insignificant as to be difficult to even track. The overall difficulty in producing future offspring in abyssal conditions means that, unless some ridiculously specialized breeding programs go underway, only the reborn dead have any chance of actually living in Z'gon. Many abysids do, however, exhibit hybrid traits from many different species, creating exotic bloodlines for better or worse.    

Religions

Faith is a precious thing to keep hold of, even more so in dangerous and inhospitable lands. The abysids, in particular, revere their goddesses and divine spirits with a punctuality of life-or-death as for many, that is a very real and tangible concern. Such deities may yet offer guidance or safe passage, perhaps even timely salvation, but their concerns are vast and mysterious. Worse, jockeying amongst themselves often brings their own sort of conflict and unease, ensuring the divine are not always available. Still, their icons and blessings carry tangible power, and form an important backbone to the peoples of Z'gon.   While no one in Z'gon would consider themselves as having the same religion, they've lived together and intermingled so much over the centuries that they share a lot of common ground with one another. It is normally the order of operations, or who is most significant, that takes precedence over other concerns. From another perspective, they generally share the same unified pantheon, but different deities have importance. To the abysids, it's proper to respect a deity in charge of certain things, particularly if one wants their favor or aid in something. Devouts to specific ones do exist, but they're considered odd outliers, and usually lifetime priestess appointments beneath said deities.      

Design Notes