Maya

Maya, or Chaya II, is a small planet in the Chaya System, located next to the Omega Quadrant of Aradian Space. It is an earth-like planet with three moons in a semi-elliptical orbit around its sun, Chaya. The Chaya System has three other planets in orbit; all currently unlivable. The planet outside Maya's orbit around the sun, Chaya III, is a good contender for terraforming.

Geography

Maya's geography defies explanation. With four main continents and a number of islands that seem to ignore tectonics, and differing climates right next to each other when they have no business being so, one might think the place were an illusion. In fact, Maya's current geography is not its original, and throughout its history it's changed many times. (See History.) Currently, the five countries of Maya have the following geographies:

Visesaksetra
Mountains and forests, lush green meadows, Kalpavriksha, a vast mountain lake with a river to the sea. Floating islands dot the northeastern edges of the country. Temperate climate. Borders Apasksetra, Vayuksetra, and Dyausdesa.
Apasksetra
One continent covered in wetlands, marsh, lakes, ponds, streams and rivers, and a series of archipelagos in the vast ocean territories. Whirlpools in the oceans. Colder temperate climate. Incredibly humid. Borders all four neighbouring countries due to vast ocean territory.
Vayuksetra
Right next to the temperate Visesaksetra and Apasksetra, Vayuksetra consists of one continent and part of one other. It is characterized by grasslands in the north, and mesas in the south. Dry and windy, unlike its neighbours to the east and north. Warm, unlike its neighbours to the north and east.
Agniksetra
Agniksetra is east of Apasksetra and south of Dyausdesa, and it is split into two distinct climates: the firelands to the south, and the desert to the north. The firelands are covered in active volcanoes, pools of lava, and firespouts. Unlivable for all but the higher-caste Agnijiva. The desert to the north is unrelentingly hot and dry, and where the majority of Agnijiva reside.
Dyausdesa
Dyausdesa controlled territory includes the north pole on the northern continent and most of the continent over the southern pole. Most of Dyausdesa seems to be snow or ice fields; additionally, there is a black stone that makes up whatever isn't snow or ice. The oceans around their country are not blue, they are black, or covered in ice.

To see a visual of Maya, please see the map, below. Note that it is a flat map and thus somewhat distorted.

Map of Maya

History

For millennia, Maya has been the home of the Prani, a race of elemental beings who have become increasingly more humanoid as they evolve. Originally, the elementals of Maya lived in peace and balance, sharing one large continent and the oceans equally, not infringing on each other's spaces. As time went on, they became more and more antagonistic to each other. Eventually it was discovered they had the power to shape the land how they saw fit, and the wars truly started. Maya has been through thousands of iterations in the millennia of warfare and conflict among the elementals. In that time, its landscape has shifted so many times we cannot even begin to imagine how many faces the world has had. The landscape of Maya now is how it was at the end of the last war and the brokering of the peace accords. Some factions may want changes to the way it is, but one change -- no matter how small -- would make war break out all over again, and the Prani cannot afford that.

Tourism

The Sabha-indriya is very interested in getting as many tourists to Maya as possible -- specifically tourists from the Aradian Empire. They have so far not been terribly successful with attracting Aradians to their shores, but they have attracted visitors from other groups in the galaxy. Places of note are Kalpavriksha, though the Visesajiva do not like the tourism there; the firelands of Agniksetra; the Towers of Apasksetra, though tourists are advised to keep their distance; and Indriya-mandal itself, of which the Sabha is very proud.