Vulcan (planet)/Provinces of Na'nam
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For canon information on the planet Vulcan and its system, please refer to the Memory Alpha article.
Introduction
Na'nam, like its sister continent of Han-shir, is divided into provinces: Gol, Khomi, Kir, Raal, Xial, Shi'al, and Tat'sahr. Long ago, in the Age of Antiquity before the Awakening, these were independent kingdoms ruled by warlords. These tyrants spent much of their time battling over their boundaries, occasionally assisted by the mindlords of psionic monasteries or research communities. The warlords and mindlords often possessed deadly mental powers and energy weapons that amplified them. These political divisions have continued on in a somewhat more aggregated form throughout history, though today the provincial designations are primarily administrative in nature, governing matters like the voting for Vulcan Council seats, the distribution of emergency services to disaster areas, or the allocation of placements into the Vulcan Science Academy or - in the unlikely event of war - Vulcan's national militia.
Gol
The province of Gol is located in the southwest corner of Na'nam, below Raal and Xial. It is bordered to the west by the Straits of Ha'zen, a shallow channel of water between Na'nam and the island continent of Xir'tan whose waters are considered extremely difficult to navigate due to the almost constant shifting of the tectonic plates beneath them.
Although a few small settlements and thin strips of arable farmland dot this coastline, most of the province consists of untamed desert wates like no other on Vulcan. Whether because of its proximity to Xir'tan or its own unsettled seismology, teh deserts of Gol are greatly affected by the solar flare activity of 40 Eridani A, experienceing massive, lightning-suffused sandstorms that can last for weeks. Desert settlements are therefore limited to a few scattered caravanserai located in spots offering natural protection, such as nearby underground caves.
Though planetary satellites confirm that valuable mineral deposits (especially of trillium) hide well below the surface of Gol, Vulcan scientists have not yet determined a means of extracting these minerals without unsatisfactory risk of personnel and equipment. Thus, the area remains the most economically backward on the continent, and a Vulcan seeking to make his fortune would do well to move elsewhere to achieve it. However, Gol does draw its share of visitors who come in search of ancient knowledge - whether it be Vulcans who have come to study and perhaps commit themselves fully to the way of Kolinahr, or the mixture of Vulcans and offworlders who travel to the village of Xen'tal to enroll in the Vulcan Institute of Defensive Arts.
Places and Persons of Note in Gol
Kolinahru Monastery
The Kolinahru Monastery rests in a high cleft on Mount Kolinahr, the highest peak in Gol. In ancient times, the Kolinahru ranked among the most powerful and cruel adepts on the face of the planet. Their mindlords were capable of killing an enemy by making his blood literally boil in his veins through pyrokenesis. Their wanton acts of individual or mass mind control spawned dark legends that still live today.
During the Time of the Awakening, however, the High Master of the Kolinahru became an adherent of Surak, and turned the studies of the order away from war to the practice of total mind control. Sanshiin, as he then called himself, carved the new Kolinahru retreat out of the bedrock of the desert to render it a safe haven from the sandstorms and intense heat. He then forbade the further use of any manner of advanced technology within its walls.
Today, the acolytes and adepts of Kolinahru have adopted an ascetic and simple lifestyle, using oil lamps and quill pens instead of electricity and computers; raising simple hand-tended crops on a small, sandy plot of communal land; and bathing in the natural hot springs that lie beneath the lower level of the monastery. Guests - Vulcan and offworlder alike - are welcome here at any time to rest and meditate in privacy. However, they must leave their vehicles in a shelter about a kilometer and a half from the complex, and leave any hand-held items of personal technology (including computers, PADDs, and even sonic shavers) behind in the front reception area until they depart.
There is one portion of the monastery which is not open to the general public, however. The Hall of Ancient Thought, a subterranean chamber eternally guarded by members of the order, contains the vre-katra of the former High Masters of the Order. If some of these ancient funereal vessels indeed contain the katra of Kolinahr's previous High Masters, as the legends claim, then those dating back to before the Time of Awakening would be none too pleased if they were somehow awakened and shown their current surroundings, or learned the philosophy their order now practices.
Plateau of Tai-la
The final ritual to purge a Kolinahri acolyte of all emotion takes place at this desolate plateau outside the Kolinahru monastery. The ceremony follows a ten-day period of leavetaking, in which the acolyte is allowed to leave the monastery and meet with as many of his lifetime friends as possible to bring closure to their memories. He then travels alone into the desert, carrying only the robe on his back and a waterskin, and enters a deep meditative trance, casting out all remaining emotion into the surrounding sands.
The ritual can take days or even weeks to complete, and ends only when the High Master, who telepathically monitors the progress of the ceremony throughout, either determines that the cleansing of the new adept's mind has been completed, or that the acolyte's life is in danger. Some adherents have gone through the ceremony several separate times without ever successfully breaking free of the bonds of emotion.
Vulcan Institute of Defensive Arts
more to come
The majority of this information has been taken from The Way of Kolinahr Sourcebook, with modifications from other sources.