Nysa Shard

Nysa is a vast shard and home to the ancient race known as the Ancestors, existing within the Ethiopian Highlands of the Old World. Relatively little is known about it due to its closed nature; the Ancestors exist within no other shard and have no interest in allowing the other races into their ancient home. Most of what is known about the shard is extrapolation from what was known about the area pre-Shattering, with the assumption being that little has changed.

Climate and Geography

Surprisingly fertile due to an abundance of rain, Nysa extends over mountainous terrain that ranges from grasslands at the lowest elevations up into heavily forested slopes that stretches to the cloudline in many places. The land here easily supports agriculture, as well as supporting a wide diversity of wildlife. The temperature is relatively moderate compared to the extremes elsewhere on the continent, and can be cool and misty in the high mountains; late summer, which might otherwise be the hottest part of the year, is the rainy season and keeps the highlands supplied with a generous supply of water. As a whole, the land is greatly productive and has been coveted territory since long before the Shattering.

Population and Governance

Nysa is the ancient home of the Ancestors, and is the only place in either Genesis or the Old World that the reclusive race lives; in spite of this, their population within the shard is small compared to the vastness of the area they've claimed. The Ancestors live widely dispersed across Nysa, living in relatively small villages radiating out from the single sizable city that serves as the capitol. Settlements are no more than a day's travel apart, allowing sufficient ample land to support the population while ensuring that help is never too far away in case of disaster.
Due to their race's unique ability to share multiple souls within a single body, identity and authority are fluid concepts among the Ancestors and there's no official chain of command. Though they're individuals, they tend to act naturally as a group and have little internal conflict which results in little need for leaders. It's fair to say that Ankarah, collectively, leads the shard, but that's more due to it being the greatest concentration of the population rather than it or its people having more inherent authority.

Capital

ANKARAH
The one city within the shard, Ankarah is built in the high mountains closer to Nysa's center and is the central hub from which all other settlements radiate outwards. It was already ancient at the time of the Shattering and is built primarily of stone, weathered and worn from the countless generations who've lived within its walls. Though Ankarah itself wraps around a tall spire of stone, it's surrounded by a broad circular valley that produces enough food to feed its people; the population is split fairly evenly between farmers and craftsmen, as well as a unique historian-priest caste who are dedicated to safeguarding the collective memory of the race by carefully mapping out the ideal recipients of each soul inheritance.

Other Notable Locations

THE EDGE OF THE SKY
A vast rift towards the northern end of the shard divides the highlands in two, reaching from one edge of the shard to the other and leaving towering cliffs on both sides. Crossing the rift is considered more trouble than it's worth, and the isolated highlands to its north are largely uninhabited; young Ancestors are sent there to prove their survival skills as a coming of age ritual before they receive their soul inheritance.
THE HEARTSPRING
A crater left behind by a long-since dormant volcano. The Ancestors believe that it's the birthplace of their race, so long ago that even their collective memory can't remember it. It's the closest they have to a holy site, and individuals who feel their collection of souls weakening will often take up a self-imposed vigil in the crater in an attempt to reconnect with past lives.
RAKANA'S FALL
Standing at the base of one of the highest cliffs in the shard, Rakana's Fall is marked by a weathered stone memorial to long-ago tragedy; in the days before traditions so strictly safeguarded the soul inheritance, an Ancestor fell from the high cliffs during a fight with a rival and died without passing on her host of souls. The memorial stands in her memory, and many Ancestors still leave remembrances today... particularly those who host souls that knew Rakana.
UNDASSA
One of the more remote villages of Nysa, despite being located close to the far south-western entrance to the shard. Despite the unspoken taboo among Ancestors of taking unnecessary risks, some of the inhabitants of Undassa are a little more familiar with the gate than they really should be, and have been known to occasionally slip across on short jaunts into the Old World.

Quick Facts

Approximate Size: ~7000 sq. miles
Number of Entrances: 3
Capital City: Ankarah

Dominant Race: Ancestors
Approximate Population: 14,500

Type

Territory