Ypsilós (ˈɲpsiˈlos)

Ypsilós is one of the Kaphtor Islands, and the only island other than Nisi that has a large population of Kaphtori Aethry. It is the easternmost island in the main archipelago - only Chalkós is further east. For centuries, the island has been the home of the Imikýklio, an organization that has been a source of controversy for as long as it has existed.

The Imikýklio was founded by the students of the ancient philospher and polymath, Samosianós. He was born on the island of Nisi, and was one of the first generation of the Aethry who were transformed by Ídhi. He came to believe that the entire world was illusory, and that by a contemplation of pure mathematics, he could learn to see beyond the surface layers of the world and begin to perceive and interact with fundamental reality.

Samosianós's teachings were not well received by the people of Nisi. He and his students constantly questioned every aspect of the world around them, seeking to define all things in purely mathematical terms. Anything that could not be described that way was rejected as a illusion, to be ignored utterly as a distraction from actual reality. This included many things that were central to the life of the newly transformed Aethry, including the god Ídhi himself. The Imikýklio declared that the Daemones, and all other spirits and gods, were merely figments propped up by the belief in them, and that their powers and miracles were only manipulations of the illusory world.

These statements, and many other like them, eventually led to the Kingdom of Nisi exiling Samosianós and the Imikýklio. He relocated his entire school to Ypsilós, where he had distant family from before the transformation of the Aethry, and established his school high in the mountains. Over the centuries since then, many Aethry who were no longer welcome or happy to live on Nisi moved to Ypsilós, as the only other major population of Aethry in the world. While not all of them became students of the Imikýklio, enough did that the school is still a major influence on the island today.

The most noticable impact the Imikýklio has had on the island is on the landscape itself. The Imikýklio have spent centuries attempting to pierce the veil of reality, seeking to reveal the true mathematical nature underneath. This focus and the practices surrounding it has caused the Egregoric Force to reshape much of the landscape and ecosystem around the school to be more geometrically simple. This effect intensifies the closer one approaches the school itself - mountains and hills become simpler shapes, such as pyramids, cones, and domes. The trees and other plants begin to align themselves into neat grids, and their leaves and fruit also become more basic shapes, arranged in mathematical patterns that are easy to identify. Nobody is quite sure why the school has had this precise effect, but the prevalent theory is that they are imagining a new, "ideal" version of reality that supports their ideas. The effect has even begun to extend to the animals in the region, who seem subtly different than those from other regions.

Those Aethry who have not joined the Imikýklio have mostly settled in the town of Vathy, where they make up about 20% of the population. Vathy is the largest town on the island, and is controlled by the Ion Phylí who make up the bulk of the population.

Notable Spirits

The Imikýklio have attempted to eradicate the spirits in their immediate vicinty by refusing to acknowledge their existence. This has had some success with the lesser Daemones, but has encountered fierce resistance from Vigle, the witch-goddess of Vigleteús. She and her followers have waged a quiet war on the Imikýklio for over a hundred years, pressing back on their attempts to rationalize reality into a more biddable mode. This war is an esoteric one that rarely manifests in actual violence, but is more a war of ideas and information.

Geography

Much of the island is plains and given over to vineyards; the island is famous for its wines, and it is their most lucrative export. A range of mountains runs from north to south, splitting the island in two. The highest peak is Vigleteús, in the northern part of the range, and the second highest is Konos, in the south.

Climate

Ypsilós has a pleasant climate, with hot dry summers, and cool wet winters.

Type

Island

Location under

Kaphtor Islands

Included Locations

• Vathy
• Vigleteús

Geographic Details

Location: Southeastern Region
Latitude: 36.66 degrees North
Longitude: 49.05 degrees East
Average Elevation: 256 ft
Highest Point: 4,662 ft (Vigleteús)
Lowest Point: -3 ft
Area: 184.3 sq mi