Due to climate, the general population tends to be shorter than the average colonizer with dark skin, hair and eyes. Exceptions exist and may be treated as gods-blessed or cursed. Local cultures are often polytheistic and laden with superstitions that are rooted in religious beliefs. The region moving outward from Verre Zon has a high magical saturation, making magics and religious superstitions a part of daily life.

There is a higher population of shifter species in the region due to overall utility. Local warfare relies heavily upon fear, making creatures that can shift into dangerous animals sought after. Much of the armour is spelled to create the illusion of animals as well. Many of the gods correlate with animals or natural elements, causing the locals to maintain a degree of fear and respect when dealing with the natural world. The gods are called upon constantly but are known to be fickle in their response.

Because of the higher magical saturation of the general region, most species are more magically imbued. Many of the world's fae originate here and there is a higher likelihood of a child being born with inherent magical gifts.

Cultural Ramifications

The failure to colonize the region resulted in a standoff between the conflicting interests. Natives to the area were incapable of wiping out their colonizing foes due to lower magical saturation along the edges of their lands. With warfare that relies heavily on enchantments and godly intervention, this lesser saturation weakened their offensive abilities and gave Verre Zon a competitive edge along the borders.

Verre Zon was unable to push deeper inside of the territory they wished to claim without enlisting the aid of native cultures. These treaties are forged through a mutual trust which must be earned over years, and each new treaty gained also guarantees a spot on the city Conclave once the tribe surrenders its lands to Verre Zon. Because of this process Verre Zon's colonizing majority is wary of allowing native tribes to join the city in its bid for expansion. A new treaty is ratified on average once every four years, causing expansion to continue at a slow pace. As Verre Zon creeps into the neighboring lands it opens itself up to attacks from more capable enemy armies.

This process translates into an unavoidable inequality within the Conclave. Colonies birthed from more familiar homelands are given clearer paths to land grants and Conclave representation, while native cultures wait longer for the same privileges.

One of the larger kingdoms within the region is formed by the Ameyatl people. This kingdom is the primary source of resistence to efforts of expansion as well as the reason other native cultures are willing to align with Verre Zon. The Ameyatl are brutal to their surrounding enemies, using prisoners gained from warfare as sacrificial subjects in honor of their own gods. Many of the surrounding cultures have realized the benefits of aligning with a newer imposing force in order to fight back against their native oppressors and are slowly taking advantage of these connections.

The Ameyatl

"If these people are the source of all life, there is no mercy in this world." Brijonne Cervalle upon witnessing an Ameyatl sacrificial ritual

"Ameyatl" is a derivitive of an Ameyatl word meaning "source." The Ameyatl believe themselves the source of all developed society within the world. This lends a certain arrogance to some of their dealings with surrounding peoples and in particular with non-native colonizers, who they consider inferior by virtue of distilled ancestry. The original Ameyatl people are hard to determine due to a massive influx of different cultures and even species over years of expansion, however there is a class divide among non-humans and humans which places the more powerful non-human creatures higher in the ranks of society. This suggests a possible non-human origin to the civilization, or could be a simple reflection of a warrior society which values the strong above the weak.

They are brutal to their surrounding enemies, using prisoners gained from warfare as sacrificial subjects in honor of their own gods. They are a fiercely expansionist society which forces population growth through conquering of neighboring cultures. This vigorous warfare supplies a steady stream of slave labour, lower working class and cultural integration.

Religion is woven through the daily life of the Ameyatl, dictating personal habits ranging from which god to offer certain supplications to what crops to grow in specific areas. Superstitions guide much of the culture's activities and the people believe in unjust and exacting gods who deliver swift punishment to those who displease them.

Cities are built around a primary temple which will rise as the highest structure. The pyramids adhere to the following construction: the four sides are lined with steps leading to a large flat platform which circles the pyramid head. On each side a large altar stretches across the majority of the platform to allow for multiple ceremonies at once. In the center of the platform is the final stone structure, a solid platform rising above the pyramid and topped with gilded chairs upon which gods may sit to observe the ceremonies and related festivities.

The Ameyatl are led by a Tahtli who serves both as the high priest of their religion and the head of state dictating the gods' commands to their people. The Tahtli is followed in ranking by Piyas, who serve as priests and politicians throughout the Ameyatl peoples. These representatives divide their studies between religious dogma and political necessity, relaying any messages from the gods to the people while striving to preserve the society they serve.

The introduction to different political structures through conquered peoples as well as newly arrived colonizers has inspired some of the Ameyatl to try and construct a political latticework of their own, though the struggle is slow due to deistic interference. Some within the Conclave are in the process of attempting to exploit this bid for cultural power among the Ameyatl, offering backend political and financial support to those who wish to rise up against the status quo.