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MANNERS
Quite formal modes of address. A great deal of formula recitatif
and response in conversation. 'Great is the power of Ull -'All praise
the name of Ull. Entire conversations can consist of stereotyped
phrases. Personal chambers are absolutely private. Temples are
huge chambers. Ulgos attend religious services daily. Work in open
galleries on studies, art-work, crafts, etc.
People are strangely apart from each other.
HOLIDAYS
The Day of Acceptance - The day UL accepted Gorim - the Holiest
Day
The Day of Despair - When Gorim went to Prolgu and cursed his life
The Day of Following - The day the few followed Gorim.
Also some 130 other observances of key dates in the journals of
Gorim
POPULATION
Population - perhaps 750,000 total
NYISSA
,GEOGRAPHY
The kingdom of Nyissa lies on the southern boundary of Tolnedra,
below the River of the Woods. It is bounded on the west by the
waters of the Great Western Sea and on the east by the low range of
mountains which mark the doorstep of the vast, uninhabited
wilderness of western Cthol Murgos. The southern boundaries of the
kingdom are quite indistinct, since there are only trackless jungles in that
quarter. It is the claim of the Nyissan court at Sthiss Tor that Nyissa
has no southern boundary but continues on to the southern edge of
the world, but few take such grandiose claims seriously, since no
kingdom can with any authority claim lands which it cannot occupy.
For the most part, Nyissa is densely forested, enveloped as it were
in a vast, trackless, sub-tropical jungle. The land is marshy and the
soil extremely fertile. Despite this, farming in the land of the snake
people is minimal. The vast effort required to clear and maintain
fields appears to be beyond the capabilities of the somewhat sluggish
inhabitants.
The capital at Sthiss Tor would seem to be the only city of any size
in the entire kingdom, although it is difficult to verify this, since the
Nyissans, always secretive, forbid travel by foreigners into the
hinterlands. Casual observation, however, indicates that the bulk of
the citizenry reside in small villages usually located on or near the
major river system of the country, aptly named the River of the
Serpent. No hard evidence exists of any significant mineral deposits
in the kingdom, but again, this is impossible of verification.
Sthiss Tor itself is a large, well-fortified stone city some eighty
leagues up the River of the Serpent. It is considered a hardship post
by members of the Tolnedran diplomatic corps because of the pesti-
the nyissans are similar in stature and complexion to the Tolnedrans
and Arends, and are, therefore, quite obviously members of the
same broad racial group. As observed previously, they are a secretive
,,and somewhat indolent people, difficult to know and even more