Sythtys

Sythtys is a sprawling nation of swamps, marshes, mires, and wetlands populated primarily by srryn of various septs, and currently ruled by the Ysthael sept. It lies south of the city of Earendam, with whom it has a millennia-long blood feud.

Geography & Weather

Fed by both the Dantaron river and the Uthlin ocean, most of Sythtys is a forested swamp surrounded by salt flats and other low-lying marshes. Its southern regions flood regularly. Sythtys is warm for much of the year and incredibly humid for all of it, conditions to which the srryn are well-adapted.

History

Sythtys was settled primarily by Sythraki following their emergence from the Sotuei Cauldron and Sythrak's legendary victory over Sitheus. Long before early humanity appeared and settled in what would become the Dantaron river valley, srryn controlled the majority of the region, holding it against the expanding ranges of Jagkan alatharya. Mastering early forms of earth and fire magic, the Ysthael sept established its philosophy of absolute dominion over hearth and home. They constructing its iconic stone ziggurats, reserved for state and religious functions and many of which still stand. Each was topped with a flame from the Hearth of Sythtys, gifted to the sept by Sythrak and which they regarded as the manifestation of the beating, burning heart of the srryn.

Human imperialism, spurred on by the twin influences of Dolgrael and Lilune, brought them into prolonged and protracted conflict as the early Republic of Earendam sought to establish itself in the rich, fertile valley of the Dantaron. They fought the srryn to a standstill, making up for their inferior physicality with their mastery of warfare and early diplomatic ties with the aelin of Daphoa. After the War of Fire began, the srryn eagerly adopted the more destructive aspects of fire magic as imparted by Bayyal, and agreed to join the nefortean forces in return for their help in pushing humanity and the aelin out of the Dantaron river valley, and the rest of the continent, for good.

The srryn and nefortu's march through the valley and into the Brintor mountains was legendarily genocidal, laying waste to humanity's armies and cities and destroying nearly every example of aelin and chaja artifice in their path. Burning their way through Qilarn, the srryn and nefortu crossed the Lidraeu made way to Daphoa, where they marched on Ilodaiya itself; the goddess Alil intervened in this moment, incinerating an entire province and every srryn, nefortu, and aelin within in a flash of divine fire.

Their forces decimated, the remaining srryn armies weakness to cold and the superior restorative powers of water sealed their defeat. Aelin and human forces finally pushed the srryn into the swamps south of Earendam that define Sythtys to this day.

Over time, the Thissa sept would begin to challenge the hegemony of Sythrak. Upon finally securing power, they colluded with the Earendamian government, taking prisoners in return for pacifying the swamp while Sitheus and his followers built up their power. When Saevan was assassinated and their arrangement revealed, the Ysthael sept rallied the furious srryn and drove the Thissa out of Sythtys.

Culture

Sythtys is currently ruled by the Ysthael sept. They primarily hunt, fish, and gather, with minimal farming. Lacking both mines and quarries, they make use of wood, leather, and bone tools. Other goods are generally acquired by raiding; Earendam's history of violent imperialism and multiple wars have left them both cut off and famously aggressive towards outsiders, precluding most trade. This has locked them in perpetual tension, as they simultaneously defend their homeland from the imperialist city, and raid said city's outlying villages and farms.

Religion

The Ysthael sept originated in Sythtys, established by early Sythraki and focused on Sythrak's view of primacy over ones' own domain.