Geography of the Yathanai islands, and the Brilliant Dawn
The Yathanai islands are a series of fertile islands in the middle of a vast ocean. They are densely forested, and still retain much pristine nation due to the primitive peoples inhabiting them being reverent of nature. The islands are also characterized by rocky mountains jutting out at their centers, many of them volcanic in nature. There are only a handful of active volcanos at the moment, but the thermal activity is easily proved by the many hot springs found throughout the archipelago.
The flora of Yathanai is, as expected due to its extreme isolation, unique. As is its fauna, although the plant life has seen more radical paths of evolution. Some of the most interesting plants (at least in the eyes of a Citadeler) are the "floop" and the "mistblossoms". The floops are large, green fungi thriving around hot springs and other humid hotspots. Mistblossoms are found in a vast range of colors from dark blue to crimson to pale yellow. These flowers give a sweet scent, and have a narcotic effect. It's often smoked by the natives, or crushed to produce perfumes and incense.
The beasts of Yathanai are not as varied as the plant life, but just as exotic. There are large boars called "toxons" which are found both wild and domesticated. A large, flightless bird known as "qualla" is found on the largest isle, which serves as both pack animal and fast mount. The toxons are quite docile - except for when they form a stampede in the mating season - and are often seen grazing in the forests. The quallas are taken by the natives up in the higher plains to graze in the summers, where the only open steppes found in Yathanai provide ample food stocks and large spaces to roam. The quallas are known for being tireless runners and stout pack animals, and are greatly cherished by the Yathai.
The coastline of the Yathanai islands are for the most part rocky and jagged, making the few beaches key locations for communacation and trade between the isles. These ports also serve as harbors for fishing ships, and almost all of them house at least one small fishing community. Not surprisingly, these harbor ports also serve as spiritual centers, and many shrines to the many lesser spirits are found here. Now, with the introduction of Mantea, the shrines have all been furnished with two altars instead of a host of totems.
It is important to note that the people of Yathai have never settled in large communities, and with good reason. There was an inherent lack of knowledge about agriculture and the tending of crop fields. The tribes were all hunter gatherers of some sort, either relying on animal husbandry or the bounties of the sea. This was changed after Viski Lasi discovered that the Yathanai islands did indeed have a type of crop suitable for agriculture. It was a plant called "rice" (ooc: yeah, I'm lazy) and provided great harvests even on small fields. The difficulties were the intense care it needed, and the intricate water systems required to maintain ideal conditions for the crops. This was all strange and new for the Yathanai, but the know-how was slowly built up with every passing year.
With the fledging agriculture, as well as a conjoining common religion, the Yathanai embarked on a daring new development: the first city. Viskas was a bustling community of almost ten thousand inhabitants - easily outsizing the largest tribe prior to the Brilliant Dawn (as the arrival of Viski Lasi would be remembered). The city was centered around the foundations of the new temple being built in honor of Mantea and the twin goddesses. Around were the beginnings of a thriving city, all lined up with streets and plazas based on Viski Lasi's instructions. As he had seen and studied the many ancient cities of Veritas of old, he knew enough about city planning to make Viskas not merely a rabble of wooden shacks.
Stone was quarried from the mountains to the temple, and also to the large harbor of Viskas. Countless boats came in and out of the bay that shielded the waters bordering the city and its temple, but they were all dwarfed by the proper ships being built in the docks of the city. These were the product of the most valuable of Viski Lasi's teachings to the Yathai. Where all of his other lessons had been sketchy and based on what a commoner knew about architecture and engineering, he knew everything about seamanship and shipyards. He drew out plans for both traditional galleys and smaller river boats, as well as more complex drawings of Triremes and Bimarines. All these were carefully stored after his death, but Viski Lasi put most effort in developing a type of vessel suited for the seas around Yathanai.
What he ended up with was a design of smaller ships propelled with both sails and oars. Up to a hundred spans long, and thirty wide, these ships ride low and shallow in the water. Ideal for landing on beaches and able to avoid the many rocky shallows, it was the perfect design for the islands. The hull was composed of overlapping boards of wood, joined together with plugs of wood. (ooc: basic viking longships, go figure.) These ships have revolutionized trade and travel between the islands, greatly expanding Mantea and the realm of Viski Lasi.
Enough for this time, I suppose. Will write more about the succession of the Divine Throne later.
religious centre...*sigh* theres a reason I got my projecty finished this turn, remedy some of the problems by helping the culture, and giving the relgion a focal point around a new centre..*mutter*.
, I can sense the great trust among us. 
