Malin

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Malin is a realm on Ucharpli located on the southern continent of Aggateya. It is also the location of the famous Malinian Combat Institution.

Geography

Malin shares a similar geography as the rest of Aggateya- being covered in permafrost deserts and tundras because of its location on the south pole. However, unlike the neighboring realm of Khather, some ice-adept plants flourish. Such plants derive their nutrients from the soil and absorb as much sunlight as they can during the six month time frame during Aggateya's sun season. Other plants die off during the winter and leave dormant seeds that bloom at the start of the summer.

The temperature of this region during the summer can be as high as 20 Fahrenheit, but during the winter, it can drop to -50 Fahrenheit. Despite the cold, many areas are warmed up by geothermal vents. Unfrozen hot spring pools exist on the surface which made good rest stops during long journeys. The numerous hot springs makes the upper atmosphere very misty and cloudy.

An oasis known as Emperor Isle lies just off the coast. The island, along with the nearby mainland cost, is heated to the point where it makes an inviting resort even to offworlders. It is the single reason that Samui is one of the most populated areas on Ucharpli.

Separating Malin from Khather is the infamous Frozen Wasteland, the coldest location on all of Ucharpli. It is the only location on Ucharpli that has not been permanently settled. For many miles, there is no plant or animal life. It is as desolate as its name suggests.

Government

Historically, Malin consisted of one main province along with several smaller ones. Each province had their own form of government, but the strongest one lay in Samui ruled by the Kobushi Dynasty. The government was an autocracy with less freedoms than usual, but unlike the Yallvusians, the locals had accepted this lifestyle having no interest in revolution.

Culture and religion

Malinians have adapted their own version of Jamzezism involving the dragon god Krayhan, guardian of heaven, and the earth god Rhuuz-tih, lord of the elemental spirits. Krayhan is depicted as a wise, old dragon who brought the Vaikan to life with his words of wisdom. Rhuuz-tih is depicted as a giant, white tiger that shaped the earth with his claws. Through meditation, one can attune themselves to a spiritual force which they refer to as Maj. Modern theologians generally agree that Maj was actually referring to the Vaikan's natural electrical abilities.

The Malinians believe that Vaikan electrical abilities are the medium between the physical and spiritual world. As a result, the Malinian Combat Institution incorporates it into their martial arts techniques.

Technology

On par with Yallvus and Spason, Malin became a highly advanced civilization of its own making use of electrical technology. Malin is among the earliest known users of gunpowder having created "dragon rockets" as early as the mid Third Age predating the Spasonites by 1000 years.

Malinians were also the first study flight creating what is known as Malin lanterns. This item is a floating fiery orb that sails upward into the sky until it fizzles out. These lanterns were often used to celebrate the winter solstice. Every year on Churtag 15, known as the Dusk Festival, thousands of lanterns get launched into the sky illuminating the sky one last time before six months of night follow.

Cities

  • Szenring - The capital of Malin situated on Emperor Isle
  • Lung-tai - A city in Samui
  • Korezi - A city in Hirakido
  • Bireji - A village mid-way up Mt. Umageishi

History

Malin is one of the oldest settlements on Ucharpli, though Yallvus came first. Long ago during the First Era, the planet was much warmer, and travel across the Frozen Wasteland was no obstacle. Malin had many conflicts with Khather though little is known at the time because of the lack of a writing system. After the Saskana Collision, the world cooled, turning Aggateya into what it is now - a frozen continent where only the most adept of Vaikan can survive.

One of Malin's earliest enemies was a tribe of barbarians known as the Black Shadow Clan. These barbarians were an alliance of thieves and assassins that inhabited the outskirts of Malin, and they persisted in the murder of crucial Malinian individuals. A great war would follow. According to legend, a hero named Shunketsu was responsible for dealing the final blow to the Black Shadow Clan that drove them into the Frozen Wasteland, thus leading to a new golden age.