Wreathseria, for all its beauty, has been a host of aberrations. These creatures hunt, kill and devour unsuspecting insaan, xayawaan and sometimes even elementalis, when they dare. The insaan and xayawaan were truly at the bottom of the food chain and thus it was that the greatest insaan minds came together to try and come up with a solution.
The solutions? Gates and perimeters. More specifically: dimensional gates. Portals that will link the 4 inner regions together and allow safe travel between them. This was a large undertaking and was only able to succeed due to the help of the xayawaan, elementalis and the fact the Lasentia seemingly ceased their relentless attacks. However due to the fact the governing bodies involved [Dhul Kingdom, Anima council, and the fire Elesaan chief] did not know how long this tentative peace would last, they had to make a harsh decision: not everyone could fit within the inner regions where the dimensional gates would reside. They didn’t have the money, resources, manpower and, on some level, desire to hold all these people. It just wasn’t realistic. Besides, the wind Elesaan would never want to be boxed in…and the Aquallia had mainly kept to themselves and are self sustaining. Isn’t this also proof that their own citizens could continue to survive so long as they took precautions? It’d be dangerous but survivable, surely…
And so they created a perimeter around the entire regions belonging to the insaan while simultaneously having their greatest minds and builders working on the gates.
Unbeknownst to the public, the head man in charge of creating the dimensional gates was a witch by the name of Nocte Bernadus Silas Yellow Tiger, a tiger anima. He had been employed by the Anima council ever since they found out his ability: time manipulation. A powerful ability indeed and thus he was too powerful to exile or execute but he also couldn’t be free to do as he pleased. Fortunately for Silas, he had always been a simple person who just needed something to tinker with and so they allowed him to do that to his hearts content, even providing him with resources whenever possible. It was Silas himself who proposed the dimensional gates and while he didn’t propose lessening the boundaries of the cities, he understood their reasoning. He’d agree so long as his family were allowed within the gates, and given a large property and land. The Anima council of course agreed. So Silas went to work. For the dimensional gates to work, they couldn’t be in use all the time. They’d take far too much energy from the surrounding nature and thus there will be times between seasons will the gates to the inner cities will be closed.
This would happen at 2 month intervals and last approximately 3 weeks. This was to allow imports and exports into the inner cities to replenish supplies. This also meant that everyday citizens couldn’t simply come and go as they please, they would have to submit an application with a reason stating why they needed to leave, how long they’d be gone, when they’d return and signing their signature that ensures they understand that not being back on time will mean they’ll be locked out until the next time the gates will open; and even then their governing power may reject the application. It’s expensive simply to apply. This, along with taxation, will also help support the costs of the dimensional gates. They’d require regular maintenance to ensure the safety of the inner city citizens.
For those outside of the inner regions, the plan would be to have a perimeter along the borders of insaan territory. Along with this field officers would be stationed in these regions, regularly patrolling in order to keep the citizens safe from aberrations and any other potential dangers. There are builders and researchers stationed closer to the inner regions but still outside the gates who regularly come up with plans to further protect the outer region citizens.
The researchers, builders, healers and field officers are all paid very well due to how much they risk their lives just doing this. However, despite that, there are those in the outer region who don’t like them as they have greater privilege than them. They’re being paid well and can return to being in the inner regions should they choose to retire, whereas the outer region citizens are poor and have to live with the constant potential danger hanging over their heads. It’s due to this that these communities have become very tight-knit and community oriented while also being very suspicious of outsiders. They refuse to follow the governing powers of the inner cities that left them to rot and thus have elected their own leaders. These leaders are considered unofficial in the eyes of the inner region governing powers but the field agents respect them and follow their rules nonetheless.
While praying to the three deity sisters is common among all insaan, the outer region citizens are especially religious and fervent with their prayers. It greatly helps ease the anxieties of those who live so close to the Forest of Ruin, the forests where the aberrations were to be “sequestered.”
No matter how strong the field officers sent there were, they could only hold so many back and some field officers were clearly sent there as a punishment or purely because of the high pay due to how little effort they’d make for the outer region citizens [another reason the outer region citizens would rather rely on one another.]
And thus fifty five years have passed since the dimensional gates were finished and the inner and outer regions of insaan territories were made. There are those who still remember what it was like before and those who only ever knew this life. Silas Longshadow and his kin are seen as both heroes and villains depending which region citizen you ask.
The inner region citizens enjoy a life of comfort and safety, sure some inconveniences come about do to this comfort such as not being able to see loved ones when the dimensional gates are closed to the public but that’s a small price to pay for safety.
The outer region citizens continue to struggle but their communities have gotten stronger and tighter during this time. Some of the wind Elesaan, a people known for being nomadic, have settled down in a region closer to some of these communities, granting themselves more protection. Slowly but surely things are changing, for good and for bad.