Lanzathida

"In the beginning, there was the sky. She was lonely in her vaulted heaven, and so she created the sea, and the earth. Where the sea hit the shore were born the first gods, who looked at the land they had inherited, and rejoiced, for it was the most beautiful land in the world."
Yuri Kobayashi, The Cradle of Magic

Structure

Lanzathida was mostly controlled by priests running factions for different gods. Lanzathidans took their worship very, very seriously. The highest crime an individual could commit was not treason, but blasphemy.

History

The origin myth of Lanzathida states that the gods created the first true life there, and gave them the land to thrive and flourish. Dating the first inhabitants of the area is impossible due to the Creeping Forest, but from the notes of the Symposiasts that remain, they believed the civilization must have dated back at least 4,000 BSE.
Given the deeply religious nature of the people, no king or emperor could ever truly gain a foothold - becoming too powerful was an affront to the gods, as if you were challenging them. As such, the culture became run predominantly by the different temples. Often they would squabble or war over land, or money, or citizens themselves.
Many of the priests were magi, though whether this was conscious choice or because magi would have been able to produce "miracles" as proof the gods favoured them is unknown.
Eventually, despite the impressive nature of their magical talents, and the fact that they could have easily waged war on any other burgeoning country at the time, Lanzathida crumbled. They were so powerful that the collapse could only have come from within. The few myths and stories we have, as well as the remaining notes of the Symposiasts, suggests that a power struggle between the most important temples occurred, and while the victor enjoyed great reward, the losing factions never recovered.
The civilisation may have recovered in general, if it were not for the birth of the Creeping Forest, which pushed survivors in different directions or, in the case of those unable to flee, consumed them.

Territories

The territory Lanzathida once covered is now entirely consumed by The Creeping Forest, but was a large country without formalized borders. At the time of its peak, it was the only true country in the area, the others mostly loosely defined by small groups and the land they considered theirs as opposed to treaties or formal lines.

Technological Level

It is believed that the Symposiasts were originally from Lanzathida, and so it can be extrapolated that the magical and technological skill of the inhabitants must have been extraordinary. Not only for the time period, to be clear, but even compared to the world today.

Religion

Lanzathida had a powerful religion, and it was the different temples and their priests who controlled most of society. Swearing fealty to one god did not prevent an individual from swearing fealty to another, but if the time came to choose sides, there could be no swinging or fence sitting.

Type

Geopolitical, Magocracy

Alternative Names

The Lost Civilisation of Lanzathida

Demonym

Lanzathidian

Location

The Creeping Forest