Realm; Binary Kiln

THE BINARY KILN
BINAH

The Realm of Binah, Understanding, is an enormous stone sphere, "built" around a star. An endless forest of huge statues on top of soft stone pyramids, all looking up with admiration at the twin stars that gave the world life... and constantly threaten to destroy it.

Each statue is a memorial of a God, an idea, a Concept that once was, is, or will be. Each red-orange flower that grows at the statue's base is a believer in that concept. Some are still under construction. Some are so old, their features are worn away, a terrifying few to the point that they are featureless mounds of dust. Each pyramid is filled with the concept's ephemera; a museum to a God, no matter how small.
Many Concepts & "Gods" squat in their tombs; too important to die, too irrelevant to prosper.
That concept's believers amass at the tomb, turning it into a living microcosm; Modern followers of Hellenic Gods adore their patron in their own private Arcadia, while those who invest their soul in Money worship at enormous, living banks, in constant states of flux & exchange.

And that light, this world's centre, is no mere star... or two.
Half is known as Y Dylluan Brenhines, or Sowa Królowa; The Empress. Wrapped in Roses & Starlight, Thunder & Serpents. She is surrounded by her sisters and ancestors, stars and auras that constantly caress and support her beautiful, terrible form.
She is a constellation. She is the almighty glow of lightning. She is the garden of flowers grown from supplicants blood. She is the Predator, the Lover, and the Power.
All things love her, fear her, and are commanded by her. Those who climb one of her Cult's many towers may attempt to question her...

The other half, a terrible newcomer, is known as Baal.
Sharing the sky with Y Dylluan is another giant figure, a gaunt male with mismatched eyes, dressed in mixed leathers and furs, encircled in dark clouds and sanguine streams. Some called him Comedy, but his true name was Baal, The Blood. He calls himself the Change Of Emotion, from sadness to happiness to violence and back again. Under his burning red light, almost every Dreamer in Binah has left The Empress for his cause, that of the mercurial nature of feelings.

Where The Empress once had no equal, now she shares it with Baal, lightning clashing with blood in an endless, spinning yin and yang. The sun of The Kiln is a binary star, burning ruby and black, and then scarlet and white. The two constantly contest for worship and power: on the whole, they are tied, but with no outside influence, slowly, ever so slowly, one wills wallow the other... and it is unclear which.
The bridges that connects The Kiln to Routes I, III, VI & VII are each watched over by one of four ancient Sphinxes. These beautiful monsters question and enquire those who travel, testing them for what to come, and attempt to unwravel the riddles within themselves.

Each cult & gathering constantly argue, gangs in an endless gangwar where each is led by a divine idea. The Empress and her Cult intervenes, when she cares, Baal's followers when he does, and the Sphinxes when they do. War here is done by argument & conversion, proof & disproof. Concepts kill each other by convincing their opponent of their non-existence or being obselete. Some concepts strive to find absolute understanding of themselves through experience & meditation; others by consuming & overthrowing their opponents.

* What It Represents
"Binah is 'intuitive understanding', or 'contemplation'."
"Binah is associated with the feminine. The Bahir states: “For you shall call Understanding a Mother.”"
The Kiln is a Realm of Gods, dead and living, a way of understanding the universe and its history. It is built around a feminine Deity.

* Roads
#I Magus
#III Empress
#VI Lovers
#VII Chariot

* Population
The Winged et al population is mostly Owls and any bird or animal linked to a concept or God. Of course, Concepts thrive here. Many Dreamers with deep beliefs or wild imaginations visit here regularly, though in recent times, most have been swayued by Baal to join his cause in the freedom of emotion.

* Power Structure
The Empress & her Cult Of Stars & Roses once ruled The Kiln alone. At her command are "Gods" empowered, adored... And at her command are the same "Gods" ignored, sealed away... Or snuffed out.
But only when she cares. Which is not often.
The Cult control many "offering towers" around the Kiln; tall structures filled with sacrifices and gifts for the Realm's beloved tyrant. These towers reach to The Empress, where sacrifices are made to please the Cult's Goddess; the Cult carefully control who has access to these Towers...
High ranking members of the Cult include The Empress' Lover, Treachery, and the enforcer Astoros, the Minotaur.

But times have changed. Now Baal rules in equal, calling the Dreamer population to rise up and replace the Old Gods. He has no organized Cult, but a riotous surging mob.
With Baal's rise, three of the offering towers have fallen to him. These can be used to contact and beseech Baal personally, at the whim of his Priests.
High ranking members of his followers include Baal's close friend, Camp, and the enforcer Bloddweudd, Astoros' estranged lover .

* Ties To Moonchild
Baal calls himself The Moonchild. There is little room to dispute.

* Places of Interest
Popular & powerful Gods & Concepts here include;
~ Tyranny ran a consultation office, offering advice and training exercises for would be Dictators. That was until an act of terrorism killed the old God. Now the Gods here are terrified for their lives, many blaming Baal.
~ The bar-mistress-of-many-names, now going by Burlesque, whose establishment, Bad Decisions, is the most popular drinking hole, and rumourmill, in the Dream...
A close friend of Tyranny, Burlesque has offered to pay in droves if their friend's murderer is brought to justice...
~ The twins Rock & Roll, blood-soaked & shadow-draped children of the Winged's spreading anarchic influence, and their steed, Dance.
~ Entropy runs his flea market on Binah, when he's not off clearsning up existence. Things that no longer exist can be purchased there, but the price is steep.
~The homeless, derelict Peace can be found picketing outside other "Gods"' tombs along with other abandoned & forgotten Concepts.
~ Glycon, the lisping stand-up comedian serpent god of the Lingam. He runs a curiosity booth, "The Snake Shack". Almost every exhibit is a stuffed animal with googly eyes in a fez.
~ The First Dead, a being entirely of lust and bare, visceral muscle has her brazen, gore spattered, flesh sculpted home here. The Cult seem to give her special consideration.
~ The fast talker Janus has a special business here selling... Doors. In fact, he has an entire store; "Janus' Premier Portal Emporium".
~ "The Infantorium" is run by the monstrous Lamashtu. Nobody wants to go inside, but those who have say the service is "top notch".
~ Old Man Anansi and Ms Renard, Just A Fox, compete over their "Antiques" businesses; mysterious items from one store appearing in the other the next day.

* Clothing
Almost everyone wears a combination of everyday outfits (1950s suits & dresses) and black (or charcoal grey) robes or similar black religious garb. Black togas, flowing dresses. Brightly coloured flowers worn in hair and robes.

* Choices for Character Creation
Those Sleepers with ties to The Kiln are those who have met Gods, unbowed by their fearful presence...

...or are knowledge seekers, able to meditate and find answers within...

...or are touch by the Realm, gifted with a detailed Brief about The Kiln.