Nation:
The Niz of Zoka is a deeply spiritual and authoritarian nation where religious devotion is law. The Nizam is both supreme ruler and divine oracle, claiming direct communion with Zook through the volcanic smoke. Citizens participate in daily ash rituals and fire chants to honor the flame deity. Dissent is punished by "Exile into the Fumaroles," a terrifying fate feared by all.

History:
According to Zookism, the world began in fire—born from the divine eruption of Zook, the Flame Unending. From this cataclysm rose the volcanic island of Zoka, where Mt. Zokanar stands as a sacred conduit between god and mortal. Centuries ago, the prophet Zokanosh the First ascended the volcano and returned with the Scrolls of Zook, claiming divine appointment as Nizam—both ruler and voice of Zook. He united the island’s tribes under a fiery theocracy, founding the Niz of Zoka, where faith and flame became law.

In its early years, dissenters were labeled Smoke-Hollowed and cast into volcanic vents—a practice institutionalized as Exile into the Fumaroles. During this brutal consolidation, the capital Zokam was built within the volcano’s crater using heat-resistant stone and obsidian. The society embraced fire as divine will. Isolationist by doctrine, the Niz sealed itself off during the Crimson Isolation (150+ years), viewing outsiders as “Cold-Bloods.” This era birthed innovations like ash-powered turbines and religious thermomancy, blending worship with geothermal science.

The current ruler, Zokanosh XIIV, has ruled for 40+ years through a mysterious process. Whether immortal or replaced by successors is unknown—but questioning him is heresy. Under his rule, all citizens are both worshippers and warriors in the Holy Pyroclast Order, ever loyal to Zook.