# GAIA Gaia is one of the Interwoven Worlds in Heartsplit. Gaia is populated by humans and can be thought of as a parallel Earth (hence the name Gaia). Gaia's primary divergence lies not only with the two moons, the supercontinent of Eysle, but also in a sort of combination historical event made up of the Chicxulub Asteroid and the Tunguska Event. In Gaia's case, rather than these two events happening, there was one massive event ~1300 years ago, wherein one of Gaia's moons crashed down into the center of the Eysle continent, which then filled with freshwater while destroying the Lost Empire. Technologic advancements were sped up in Gaia, as there were advancements made prior to the Advent which then accelerated into the present, allowing a 14th century Gaia to follow 21st/22nd Century technologic advancement logic. It's also noted that the equivalent of dinosaurs that Gaia not only would have lived alongside humans in Gaia, and also would not have been wiped out by the Advent. However, the type of animals/dinosaurs on Gaia vary greatly in size, danger, and styling over the course of its history. # EYSLE # COLD'S WASTES # METEOR SEA # WASTEWARD OCEAN >[!NOTE] TRAVEL >**BY LAND:** >The most common means of travel over land is via train/railway, or by car. Inside major cities and hubs, there is public transit such as city subways, buses, and taxis. > >**BY SEA:** >The majority of sea travel available to the average person is via boat or cargo ship crossing the Meteor Sea. Boats that are in the Wasteward Ocean are almost exclusively government owned, research-only, fisheries, or resource mining. > >**BY AIR:** >Planes are popular, but there are no large commercial airlines. Flying is done in small passenger planes and from public airfields. > # CONNECTIONS TO OTHER WORLDS As with all Interwoven Worlds, Gaia has certain points which attach it to the other worlds it is tangled with. This also allows for teleportation through Gaia to other worlds. ## GATES --- Because of Gaia's specific magic affinity requiring and living inside humans as a source of vessel-hood for magic, there is a unique concern that poses itself with those who become too attuned to the magic around them. This hyper-affinity creates a feedback loop that generates enough energy to both kill the vessel and blast a hole in reality, creating a "Gate" to Elswyth. This Gate functions similar to other permanent connections between worlds in that anyone can come and go through it as pleased, regardless of ability to use magic. However, because these Gates are created out of people, and thus likely to be much more accessible than the other connection points, Gates pose a higher danger and risk. They're also not stable, and can send people to many different places within Elswyth, and may close or collapse without warning, stranding those without means to teleport or locate a bridge between worlds in Elswyth. In order to close a Gate, one must locate the beating heart of the vessel being drained of magic to keep the gate alive, and the connection to the Gate must be severed. This is an always fatal process, however, it should be noted that those who have become Gates are already dead from the moment their body is commandeered. All severing the connection does is allow the person to be at peace. Because of the ability to communicate with the person who has become a Gate, however, it is often felt or misunderstood that they are alive in these interactions and thus those who have closed Gates face shame and stigma from certain pockets of the Haply community for doing so. Haplies are considered to be a higher risk for becoming a Gate due to the nature of their powers, their affinities for magic, and the potential for them to overuse their powers such that they trigger a Gate event inadvertently. This is extremely rare and has only occurred a handful of times, almost all of which known to have occurred in the first centuries AA, when magic was first manifesting in humans and thus poorly understood and utilized. There is a famous myth about a time when different regions of Eysle were at war, and how the war was won when the captain discovered that his lover, a soldier in the same army, had died on the battlefield. The captain unleashed the full extent of his magic, decimating the enemies and returning to his lover's body, and a Gate was opened at the peak of the hill on which his lover's body was found. It was said that the Gate persisted, blazing a white flame into the sky, for nearly two weeks before it collapsed. Locals that went to investigate found that there was only ash and bone fragment at the top of the hill, and the lovers were interred on the spot together. This event and story is cited as the catalyst for the Ashen Chapel's gospel, which reveres the usage of magic and treats those who can utilize magic to its fullest extent as saints. ## REVERIE --- The bridge to Reverie is located at the point of a permanent whirlpool at the center of the Meteor Sea. This whirlpool is publicly acknowledged as a consequence of the tides and currents in the vast expanse of the sea all needing to converge on a certain point due to the nature of containment the Sea is within. This whirlpool (named Iridescent) is avoided on practical terms. It is not known by any to be a bridge between worlds, as the nature of it means that any who cross simply do not have a way back without other means. ## BRUME --- The bridge to Brume is located in the center of Dragoon's Canter, a large forest in the Eastern most sect of Eysle. It appears as a locked cellar gate hidden by moss, surrounded by a strange energy and odd plants (Brumish life that has traversed between the worlds). It is easy to travel to and from Brume, but the difficulty involved in accessing it and the need to "be in the know" means that it is historically most used by Brume residents visiting Gaia. This bridge fell into disuse once it was locked on the Gaian side, rendering it inaccessible. The lock is golden and imbued with a strong magic that prevents it from being broken or picked. Because of the heavy usage in historic times, it is believed to have contributed heavily to the folklore around Dragoon's Canter, which labels it as a hotspot of paranormal activity, even being said to be haunted. This caused Dragoon's Canter to be circumvented in travel, and its resources were left virtually untouched when Eysle was developing and reconstructing post-Advent. ## ELSWYTH --- Elswyth can be accessed through the fog which covers the Cold's Wastes. The further into the territory one travels, the more likely they are to find themselves in Elswyth. However, caution and vigilance must always be exercised, as the fog itself is the bridge, and as such, any amount of fog can transport one to Elswyth. This bridge is the closely guarded secret of the Order of Mist, a hidden group within the larger Knights of Ezekiel.