Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Celcion 06-01-07, 12:35 AM	Kavlitskinav: Land of communal service. Norse type (not in regards to religion). Viking type warriors. In the beginning there was a man and there was a dream. Lithten Muerthus wanted to solve the problem of death. He struggled to find the answer, and took on numerous quests and experiments in the process. After the immense losses in gold, time and continuous failure he was banished. Outcast for his beliefs he retreated to the northern wastes taking with him only a handful of his most devout followers. In the north they set up their first township, Bygdoy. Taking to the mainland often for supplies he and his followers made a point to also seek out and find the other outcasts of society. Through this he was able to preach the “common goal” angle. Soon his township grew to 2000 and he rejoiced. He set out again further inland and found an abundance of a healing herb. It was a gift to his people he thought and preached that Kavlitskinav had been rewarded for their struggles and taken one step closer to finding the key to eternal life and the eventual defeat of death. At this point he began to introduce undead servants saying that it was a desire of the dead to also serve in the community so that someday they could rejoin the living. At first this caused uproar. Lithten was smart; he made a “clear distinction” between the undead zombies and skeletons. He preached that zombies were abominations, they were soles brought back too soon. They were people that were not given enough time to come to peace with death (pointing out the obvious look of discomfort and torture). Skeletons on the other hand were the models of strength. The inner being that had survived what the weak flesh (external and vulnerable human emotions) could not endure. They were the final stage of “service” back stronger than any man ready to take on any task fearlessly for the possibility of life again. People (who naturally fear death) were ecstatic with the new ideology. When the harsh winters came the skeletons provided messaging, food delivery, wood gathering, and many other services necessary. There were virtually no casualties in the harshest winter any of the people had ever seen. The new settlement Pristimus was growing rapidly. Children played in the street with skeleton dolls and dreamt of the day when they would join the Kavlitskinav ranks (first in life then in death). All generations rejoiced in one thing, the economy. Lithten was not greedy. He took what taxes he needed to supply the new military and his government services. The remainder and most of his personal money usually went towards his peoples housing and feeding. In return crime was low. People were especially cautious not to commit crime because if the crime was serious enough to warrant capitol punishment it also warranted several months of “service” as one of the tortured zombies. Now as harsh as this may seem there was nothing to make a fuss about. All clerics and Lithten made house calls for any severe healthcare concerns. They would heal any and all problems they could, making these trips as many times as it took free of charge. The people adopted this attitude in most situations. Out of his control his ideology began to spread. Although the exact location of his small community was unknown his presence in the world was. Pristimus grew in size to close to Bygdoy. He walled the cities and began to build defenses spreading the word that the members of the community would one day have to defend themselves and their newfound way of life. Every house was ordered to keep a kitchen knife or club on hand. In the fishing village of Bygdoy they were all to keep nets. When asked why he would reply ”The same people who cast you out would deny you freedom and after all you have sacrificed and gained in your quest for eternal life it would be meaningless to arrive there without freedom.” In all Lithten has no plan for domination or conquest. He understands there will always be separate beliefs and desires among the different races and religions of the world. He and his now community only wishes to grow and someday find a more true and permanent answer to eternal life. No one is their enemy, but no one is their friend. Self-sufficient, they only wish to market their healing herb and one day their cure for death. The large reserve of arsenic is held with no intention of ill use. At least not one past every soldier’s bolts and arrows adorned with the poison. The bear in forests serve as a great food source. Sometimes they also make good meat shields in a zombie form (they’re not human and potentially dangerous, better they “serve”). Who knows the future of this new land? Prosperous or not it will be interesting to follow. Life has its obstacles and to obtain never ending life you are sure to encounter every one of these obstacles.
smorgasbord_of_pie 06-01-07, 01:53 AM	I like it :)
Araes 06-01-07, 02:02 AM	Its an interesting idea, and one that definitely has potential. I've wondered sometimes why almost universally undead are regarded as purified evil in campaign settings, when it seems that there could be logical ways that they could be a force for good. In some ways, this actually seems like it could be similar to the undead kingdom in Eberron, Karrnath.
Anuvrix 06-02-07, 03:01 PM	Awesome idea, a group of people, living together in harmony. Personally, i'd want to be one of these people. Free health care :D .
yellowdingo 06-02-07, 07:49 PM	Not so much evil as neutral. Undead is considered evil by those whose cultures are oriented to think that way. Now you need some neutral metaclass like the Necromancer(cleric-wizard).
Celcion 06-03-07, 01:13 PM	tell that to a paladin.... an entire civilization practicing necromancy... then imagine the negative spin the elder clergy will put on the idea. you have an obvious conflict..