Surji
A harsh and unforgiving Landscape, Surji is all but enveloped in the Nozakama Rain forest. Scattering populations of Lizardfolk, humans, Yuan-ti, and even Tortles rome this lush and yet inhospitable land.There is constant threat of death here, as many of the plants in the Jungle are deeply poisonous, and deadly beasts stalk the forest floor.Dispite this, civilization still flourishes. The citizens of Surji have constructed vast cities in the canopies of the jungle, hanging cities safely suspended in the air.
Overview
Climate: Tropical/ Equatorial
Biome: Tropical rainforest, River delta
Government: There is no centralized government in Surji. Some colonial governments have formed (like the Adventurers' guild) but for the most part, the Lizardfolk and the Yuan-ti care not for the laws of outsiders. Lizardfolk have small populations of family units that have a culture of Ascetism, and Yuan-ti have a theocratic governement
Technology: Low tech, mid magic
Primary Culture: Yuan-ti and Lizardfolk, however these two communities don't mesh
Cultural Values
Assimilation or Destruction
This is a trait exclusive to the Yuan-ti of Surji. Their grip on the country is palpable and suffocating. If you are not one of them, you are food, or you are a worker drone in the making. The religious beiliefs in the Yuan-ti culture are that of domination. Their reach is wide, and as of late, the whole country has been forced to recon with their strength.
Suvival of the Fittest
in a place where death lurks behind every shrub and tree, there is no time for sentimentality. Inhabitants of Surji are survialists first, from the Lizardfolk's willingness to eat the dead body of a friend for sustinance, to the Yuan-ti ambivalence to cutting down an ally to distract a predator.
Although each culture takes the drive to survive differently, all will do what it takes to live another day. Although outsiders may see the practices as barbaric, the indvidual populations in the Nozakama rainforest see them as necesities, and some of these practices have become sacred. For example, to the Lizardfolk of the rainforest It's an honor to feed your friends after you've fallen.
Pockets of Civilization
Those who choose to settle in Surji will find little by way of villages and towns. The few cities in place are kept under the close watch of the adventurers' guild. Most of Surji is wild, with each little pocket of civilization
Population
Cultural Notes
Please note: these are only the most notable opinions held within the culture. If a species isn't mentioned here, assume they take the view in the species' description page
Yuan-ti
In the Nozakama rainforest, the Yuan-ti cult to Sseth reigns supreme. They lurk behind every tree, stalking their prey like tigers. Yuan-ti are feared by all who travel through Surji, and they like it that way. Yuan-it will respect other Yuan-ti, but will not trust them. Each sect of the faith still holds its own unique beliefs, and even amongst members of their own culture, none is trusted, and wisely so.
Lizardfolk
Lizardfolk are not quite hated anywhere else, but this is one of the few locations where their beliefs are normalized.
Adventuring
The Adventurers' Guild has a noticable presence in Surji, and many of the larger organized cities are actually Adventurer's Guild outposts. Funded by investors ranging from Loria to Honbira, the Adventurer's guild seeks to clear the Yuan-ti out of the Nozakama rainforest and set up more outposts.
Adventurers here might be seeking to find lost ruins of the Yuan-ti, or to set up a patch of home in an otherwise inhospitable terrain.