More on the core group's origins:
All the members of the group of trailblazers (the initial ten, aka Zero girars, or Granh-ar where granha means 0, and -ar is a contracted "girar") were born in Yüv (also spelled Yuv), except for the Mazran twins and their family.
Fernollg and Golleg Mazran were born on the road to Yüv while their parents were moving to the said city state from the Northeast.
They were raised in Yüv and left it when both sisters were around 25.
By the time the main characters were born, the city state had existed independently, relying on its own agriculture, mining, manufacturing, military force etc. Trading had decreased, with the Mazran family being some of the last caravan allowed in.
The city state of Yüv was secular, although there were several recognized religious cults present, with their own places of worship. The major one is still around while the minor cults were reduced to mere traditions within clans and families.
A few places significant to the story include:
High street which is the location of Atega's workshop and store, as well as other guilds' shops; the church Naghill's son will head in the future is situated on the northern part of the street, adjacent to the public square.
The Academy (for kids aged 11-18) is in the eastmost part of the city.
The poorest districts had always been in the western and southwestern part: the slums where Keranomu was born and raised, the old tavern on the hillside (owned by Naghill Varae) overlooking the final tram stop. The tram line led back round the hill, splitting at the southern part of High street, with the Blue line going eastwards past the Academy and heading north to the depot, and the Red Line running parallel to High street, taking a turn towards northwest and making a circle around the northern districts before going to the same Northern depot.