"It is true that face and form between us varies
as one glass bead to the next is unique.
But I say, too, that our Gods bear the heads
of Falcon, Dragon, Ox, and Antelope—and yet they rule united.
If Heaven motes it be so, should we not aspire to as much?"

Bodove is one of the lushest nations worldwide for its diverse flora and fauna that span dense tropical jungle to arid savannah. Bodove is home to the largest land-based mammals in the world, as well as some of the deadliest insects and diseases. Its position on the equator leaves it hot, while its ample water supply (both coastal regions and massive rivers) makes it susceptible to monsoons, floods, landslides, and quicksand. Life here can change swiftly, which encourages strong community bonds and tribalist divisions of caste and class.

Its people, the Bodovians, are still very bestial in many ways, and remain very tied to the land. While they have both nomadic tribes and village settlements, they are governed centrally by a quorum that has proved patient, magnanimous, and fair. The Bodovians are found in eight distinct breeds, the most of any Ul-Zaorith species. Their racial Gift is voluntary and takes a lifetime to master. Many choose not to pursue its path of wilful evolution, as its physical transformations are time-consuming, agonizing, and irreversible. Those scant few who manage to complete the five stages of Dbandamai are said to walk among the Gods.