[RACE/FLAVOR]The parting passage of the Ithawu [Archive] - Wizards Community

[RACE/FLAVOR]The parting passage of the Ithawu [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Brknlf
07-17-03, 11:03 AM I'm rearing my ugly head again. Here is a contribution of mine, enjoy it as you see fit (or completley dislike it as you see fit as well). Sorry I’m not jumping on again to discuss concrete aspects of the world, it didn’t fair so well for me last time and I want to do the fun stuff, like adding flavor.

Ta’Nku Huri’s Dyra Ishanu.

The forest was dark and cool this morning, very rarely did the sun light fully penetrate the rich canopy above Amaliya’s head. As all of her people did, she walked barefoot on the rich mossy vegetation that carpeted the lands of the Ithawu. Soothing, wet moisture caressed her feet and she wrapped her arms pleasantly about her body, cooled by the forest air.

Thoughts of her life in the family’s tree home were behind her, eased with the passage through the forest that she had chosen to take on her way to the Ryth Na’ua Pool. For many ages past, according to the oral history, the pool had been a place to say good-bye to the spirits as they transcend into the Vyth’al Ul, the spiritual world of the dead. Perhaps she could see the visage of her cousin’s Ra’na’tua, corporal spirit, as he made his Dyra Ishanu, the parting passage, into the Vyth’al Ul.

Animal life always seemed silent near Ryth Na’ua, such was the respect all Kaniu, or all living things, gave to the parting spirits. Crisp tinkling of water permeated the thick forest as Amaliya approached the pool. Crys’thula, tears of the land, flowed ever gently into the pool from the small cliff above. Also, the pool was large enough so that their forest could not completely cover out the rays of the sun and a few golden rays floated gently to the waters below.

Particles born on the air gently flowed through the rays of light, casting and radiating a small light all to their own. The Ithawu had called these particles the Gupawi, that which binds the Kaniu to the world. It could be seen only where the sun flowed through the leaves of the mighty forest. It was considered very magical if one was lucky enough to have the Gupawi present in their tree homes, if they were lucky enough to find a location where the sun occasionally peeked through the canopy above.

Amaliya found one of the smooth rocks on the edges of the Ryth Na’ua, cooled by the dark waters of the pool itself. The surface of the water was a deep blue, almost black, in hue; except where the Gupawai floated above the surface, and the sun reflected off the water. She took in the environment in silent reverence, no one could disturb the Dyra Ishanu, least the Gupawai trap the Ra’na’tua in the world fo the living and they become Wy’tagu, restless spirits that haunt the Kaniu who are responsible for trapping them.

It could have been moments or it could have been days as she sat there in meditation, but it did happen. First it was flickers and then there were baubles of green light that began to dance upon the air. It was the Ki’sa, spirit guardians or escorts of the dead, come to watch over the Gupawai. As always, when the Ki’sa arrived, the ancient runes of the Dyra Ishanu glowed blue. The hieroglyphs had been placed on the rocks by ancient shamans of the Ithawu as beacons for the Ra’na’tua.

As she watched, a brilliant green light joined the flickering and dancing Ki’sa and she knew it was Ta’Nku. Lowering her head she gave her last good-byes to her cousin as her body offered parting gifts in the form of tears, which fell lightly on the dark surface of Ryth Na’ua. Gentle ripples spread shortly outwards from her as her cousin made his voyage into the Vyth’al Ul. In moments the lights were gone and the G’Syra, these specific hieroglyphs, began to slowly fade back into non-existence on the surface of the rooks around the pool and waterfall. While she found no answers for her self in the world of the living, she would grieve no more for her dead cousin. Amaliya would return, basking in the warmth of the farewell she shared alone with Ta’Nku.

Dictionary: (Note: These words are only words of the Ithawu people) Bold words are from the newest story

Bau’Niua (Bough nigh uh-a): Bau’Niua is the Ithawu name for the Sword Fern. The Sword Fern is a common fern that grows in under the trees in the Pacific Northwest in our world.
Dyk’Ari (Die car e): Magical language used by the Ithawu shamans in casting spells and other magical rituals.
Dyra Ishanu (Deer A Ish a new): The voyage one makes from the living world to the land of the dead.
Crys’thula (Cr’ice Thew La): A waterfall above the Ryth Na’ua, the Ithawu call it the tears of the living.
G’Syra (Gi’seer ah): Ruins of the ancients, they glow when nearby ley lines are actively radiating magic.
Gupawi (Goop ah wee): Direct sun light is of little abundance in the forests of the Ithawu and they rarely see particles floating through rays of sun light so they hold a magical reverence for this phenomenon, they believe the Gupawi is an element that holds the living spirits or Kanui to the world they live in.
Ithawu (Ith ah wu): A distinct clan of forest dwellers, perhaps elves.
Kaniu (Ca nigh you): All living things, people, plants and animals alike.
Ki'sa (Key sa): The spirit guardians who escort the Ra'na'tua to the Vyth'al Ul durin gthe Dyra Ishanu. It may perhaps be a residual effect of magical activity near a ley line.
Pyri’Tua (Pie rye too a): The unseen magic (ambient/leylines/whatever). It is considered like a river or ocean that the world of the Ithawu swims in. The ebbs, flows, and currents of magic are all around the Ithawu according to their beliefs in magic.
Ra’na’tua (Ra na too a): The parting spirit of the recently deceased.
Ryth Na’ua (Rye’th Na uh-a): Deep pool of water in the forest of the Ithawu.
Vyth’al Ul (Vith awl Ule): The land of the dead.
Wy’tagu (Why tah goo): Sort of like a bogey man, it is a harmful spirit that haunts the living and can be dangerous, the Ithawu believe they are created if a Ra’na’tua is disturbed on their Dyra Ishanu.
Yanwi (Yawn we): Believed to be guiding spirits by the Ithawu. Can be summoned and commanded by shamans of the Ithawu. Similar to a Will-O’-the-Wisp, or glowing balls of light, without mass, volume or substance. They come in various colors that are almost at random, this color is perhaps influenced by the leylines or ambient magic of the current area in which the spell caster is summoning the magic.
Bandido
07-17-03, 04:50 PM Nice.... Very well-written. I like the fact that particles floating through sunlight are considered with reverence because of the scarcity of sunlight - a nice touch.

The Ithawu are forest-dwelling people? That's good, although they probably wouldn't be elves, as they don't seem as elemental as the elves we have.... No problem! Perhaps they can be humans, or Leaves' gnomes, or some random thing no one's thought of yet! :D
Brknlf
07-21-03, 05:15 PM Leaf gnomes are cool. Sorry about suggesting elf, it just looked like Elemental Elves were a sort off shoot or variety of elves, I didn't think they were all going to have to adhere to the elemental mold.
Leaves
07-22-03, 08:19 PM He meant "my" gnomes, since I had promised to set up a gnome thread.

It's a great short story, though the use of the "Dyra Ishanu, the parting passage" format for introducing cultural words in awkward in such a short piece. But the imagry is great.

I'm not sure gnomes would be right for this story; they are more scientific in this world than in the core D&D setting. An as-yet undefined subrace might be a possibility.

Also, you could look at my thread on the Jerliks. They hail from a river like the amazon that goes through a thick forest. The Ithawu might be a sub-race that live deep in the forest away from the river.

Or, they could be just a tribe of humans.
Bandido
07-23-03, 11:38 AM Originally posted by Leaves
Or, they could be just a tribe of humans. 'Just' humans? What's wrong with humans?

Yeah, the Ithawu could be Jerliks though. It would fit. Perhaps a religious group of Jerliks. I doubt you'd need a new subrace for them, though.

I'm leaning towards them being humans, though.
Leaves
07-24-03, 03:54 AM Nothing wrong with humans. The "just" just meant, that the simplest, most obvious answer, was humans. Anything else just adds to the complexity.
Obsidianjaerc
08-31-03, 01:19 PM How about non-Elemental Elves?
Brknlf
09-02-03, 09:22 AM How about non-Elemental Elves?

That's a good question. I tried to bring up this point in the stifling thread. I still don't know if all the races are going to be one-dimensional or not. I don't see a problem with more racial diversity for this world, but I was argued on this point and didn't care to bring it up on this thread again.
Brknlf
03-22-05, 02:22 PM Looking over the_one_true_shea's post summary, I was inspired again by the Ithawu. Take it or leave it as you may see fit. If it is inspiring, please feel free to discuss the Ithawu, talk about their culture, or write a story of your own based on them. The new words will be added to the dictionary in the first post as soon as I post this one.

Jras'Iya's Temple

The old wooden floor of the shrine creaked lightly as Jrast’Iya breathed a heavy sigh. She was large from years of comfort, one of the Ithawu elders and the tribal shaman of the Bau’Niua Clan. Maintenance of the old shrine had been under the care of her withered hands for several generations of young Ithawu. It could easily hold several families within the girth of its main hall. The ceiling was a high arched affair, filled with old wooden rafters of some type of oaken tree perhaps. Chosen for its location due to the amount of Gupawi that filtrated into this part of the dense forest, there was a large open skylight in the ceiling above the shrine proper.

Amayila thought the old Jrast’Iya asleep, it seemed the woman was found of napping near the Gupawi while she left the young girl to her training. The raspy cough startled the girl, who had been taken to wondering about the ancients as her gaze looked up at the high canopy through the skylight. As Jrast leaned forward, the wooden beams protested the shifting of her girth. “Have you brought forth the Yanwi,” asked the old woman. Her voice was wrought with her years on the world of the Kaniu, speaking with the same strain as the wooden floors beneath her weight.

Still seated on the floor, just outside the circle of light from the large window, Amayila frowned and moved her hand slowly through the Gupawi. The particles stirred with the currents of air created by the young girl as she replied to the older woman. “I just can’t, the Yanwi do not listen to my summons.” All together, her voice was inflicted with a pouting nature, a plea for help and a demand; the latter probably directed at the nearby spirits that were refusing her summons to light her way.

As the girl spoke, Jrast reached her right hand to the side of her ancient chair, grabbing the staff she used both to walk and to assist her own shamanistic magic. She used the large knobby end, usually the end one held while walking, to lightly push against the chest of the nearby girl. “They hear your voice girl, they do not follow your summons,” each accented syllable accompanied by a light tap. However, the word summons came with a light tap on her wrist. The old woman indicated that summoning the Yanwi wasn’t done by voice alone but by the hand gestures that were handed done by the ancients. Without emphasis from the cane, she added, “Your wrist is too taut, let go your muscles and let your hand lead your call to the spirits girl.”

Amayila was aggravated with this exercise and tired from the hours of practice turned contemplation. Resigned to more hours and more interested in her thoughts on the ancients and her ancestors, she tossed her gaze off to the light and threw her hand into the air again. With practiced ease, the Dyk’Ari words flowed and her hand twisted loosely with the resignation of her spirit.

It wasn’t immediately obvious to the young girl that her spell had worked. Almost as if the Gupawi were glinting in the trailing sunlight, but the particles in the air began to grow brighter. Some from within the sacred light itself and other particles from the shadows of the room. The glowed a soft golden color and slowly began to draw towards the area before Amayila’s hands. Light radiating from the particles shown in areas of the room, almost winking, casting dancing shadows, as they gathered before her.

Almost as radiant as the light was the smile upon the young girls face. The large brows on Jrast’s forehead rose, revealing the timeless eyes of the woman for a brief moment as she too enjoyed the child’s moment of success. Quickly though, her face once again morphed into that of teacher. “You try to hard sometimes, it is a struggle with your inner spirit to try and control its demands on the body. The ancients show you the way.”

Her smile faded only slight, but she knew the old woman was right. It was her deeper contemplation of the ancients that helped her summon the Yanwi, not her own mind subverting her body to her thoughts. She had tried to hard to control the movements of her summons that she was indeed too rigid. In a moment of realization, the child asked, “Then I have flowed with the Pyri’Tua?”

“Yes,” replied Jrast, “you have flowed well with the ebbing currents of magic.”
the_one_true_shea
03-22-05, 07:07 PM Presumptions:
1. The gnomes are the guiding force of civilization
2. Elves are all elementally associated
3. Two "foresty" above grounds settings have been proposed.
- the virix tropics
- the cascades

My Thoughts:
I dont think that it should be a gnome tribe. I think that the gnomes should come accross as more.. technically oriented. "Industrious". It could still be one of the elven tribes, the Basini (earth). I agree with Leaves that this could be the jerliks, however, considering the emotive impact of the "lights through the canopy" imagery that you used I would think that this piece would work well cascadian forest dwellers. (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=219618)
The cascadians are a humaniod (water-affiliated) culture created by Agent Graves for his Cascadian Forest (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=219591) region. He didnt go into massive detail about what extent they were "mere", and he was also interested in them being other than human.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Brknlf 07-17-03, 11:03 AM	I'm rearing my ugly head again. Here is a contribution of mine, enjoy it as you see fit (or completley dislike it as you see fit as well). Sorry I’m not jumping on again to discuss concrete aspects of the world, it didn’t fair so well for me last time and I want to do the fun stuff, like adding flavor. Ta’Nku Huri’s Dyra Ishanu. The forest was dark and cool this morning, very rarely did the sun light fully penetrate the rich canopy above Amaliya’s head. As all of her people did, she walked barefoot on the rich mossy vegetation that carpeted the lands of the Ithawu. Soothing, wet moisture caressed her feet and she wrapped her arms pleasantly about her body, cooled by the forest air. Thoughts of her life in the family’s tree home were behind her, eased with the passage through the forest that she had chosen to take on her way to the Ryth Na’ua Pool. For many ages past, according to the oral history, the pool had been a place to say good-bye to the spirits as they transcend into the Vyth’al Ul, the spiritual world of the dead. Perhaps she could see the visage of her cousin’s Ra’na’tua, corporal spirit, as he made his Dyra Ishanu, the parting passage, into the Vyth’al Ul. Animal life always seemed silent near Ryth Na’ua, such was the respect all Kaniu, or all living things, gave to the parting spirits. Crisp tinkling of water permeated the thick forest as Amaliya approached the pool. Crys’thula, tears of the land, flowed ever gently into the pool from the small cliff above. Also, the pool was large enough so that their forest could not completely cover out the rays of the sun and a few golden rays floated gently to the waters below. Particles born on the air gently flowed through the rays of light, casting and radiating a small light all to their own. The Ithawu had called these particles the Gupawi, that which binds the Kaniu to the world. It could be seen only where the sun flowed through the leaves of the mighty forest. It was considered very magical if one was lucky enough to have the Gupawi present in their tree homes, if they were lucky enough to find a location where the sun occasionally peeked through the canopy above. Amaliya found one of the smooth rocks on the edges of the Ryth Na’ua, cooled by the dark waters of the pool itself. The surface of the water was a deep blue, almost black, in hue; except where the Gupawai floated above the surface, and the sun reflected off the water. She took in the environment in silent reverence, no one could disturb the Dyra Ishanu, least the Gupawai trap the Ra’na’tua in the world fo the living and they become Wy’tagu, restless spirits that haunt the Kaniu who are responsible for trapping them. It could have been moments or it could have been days as she sat there in meditation, but it did happen. First it was flickers and then there were baubles of green light that began to dance upon the air. It was the Ki’sa, spirit guardians or escorts of the dead, come to watch over the Gupawai. As always, when the Ki’sa arrived, the ancient runes of the Dyra Ishanu glowed blue. The hieroglyphs had been placed on the rocks by ancient shamans of the Ithawu as beacons for the Ra’na’tua. As she watched, a brilliant green light joined the flickering and dancing Ki’sa and she knew it was Ta’Nku. Lowering her head she gave her last good-byes to her cousin as her body offered parting gifts in the form of tears, which fell lightly on the dark surface of Ryth Na’ua. Gentle ripples spread shortly outwards from her as her cousin made his voyage into the Vyth’al Ul. In moments the lights were gone and the G’Syra, these specific hieroglyphs, began to slowly fade back into non-existence on the surface of the rooks around the pool and waterfall. While she found no answers for her self in the world of the living, she would grieve no more for her dead cousin. Amaliya would return, basking in the warmth of the farewell she shared alone with Ta’Nku. Dictionary: (Note: These words are only words of the Ithawu people) Bold words are from the newest story Bau’Niua (Bough nigh uh-a): Bau’Niua is the Ithawu name for the Sword Fern. The Sword Fern is a common fern that grows in under the trees in the Pacific Northwest in our world. Dyk’Ari (Die car e): Magical language used by the Ithawu shamans in casting spells and other magical rituals. Dyra Ishanu (Deer A Ish a new): The voyage one makes from the living world to the land of the dead. Crys’thula (Cr’ice Thew La): A waterfall above the Ryth Na’ua, the Ithawu call it the tears of the living. G’Syra (Gi’seer ah): Ruins of the ancients, they glow when nearby ley lines are actively radiating magic. Gupawi (Goop ah wee): Direct sun light is of little abundance in the forests of the Ithawu and they rarely see particles floating through rays of sun light so they hold a magical reverence for this phenomenon, they believe the Gupawi is an element that holds the living spirits or Kanui to the world they live in. Ithawu (Ith ah wu): A distinct clan of forest dwellers, perhaps elves. Kaniu (Ca nigh you): All living things, people, plants and animals alike. Ki'sa (Key sa): The spirit guardians who escort the Ra'na'tua to the Vyth'al Ul durin gthe Dyra Ishanu. It may perhaps be a residual effect of magical activity near a ley line. Pyri’Tua (Pie rye too a): The unseen magic (ambient/leylines/whatever). It is considered like a river or ocean that the world of the Ithawu swims in. The ebbs, flows, and currents of magic are all around the Ithawu according to their beliefs in magic. Ra’na’tua (Ra na too a): The parting spirit of the recently deceased. Ryth Na’ua (Rye’th Na uh-a): Deep pool of water in the forest of the Ithawu. Vyth’al Ul (Vith awl Ule): The land of the dead. Wy’tagu (Why tah goo): Sort of like a bogey man, it is a harmful spirit that haunts the living and can be dangerous, the Ithawu believe they are created if a Ra’na’tua is disturbed on their Dyra Ishanu. Yanwi (Yawn we): Believed to be guiding spirits by the Ithawu. Can be summoned and commanded by shamans of the Ithawu. Similar to a Will-O’-the-Wisp, or glowing balls of light, without mass, volume or substance. They come in various colors that are almost at random, this color is perhaps influenced by the leylines or ambient magic of the current area in which the spell caster is summoning the magic.
Bandido 07-17-03, 04:50 PM	Nice.... Very well-written. I like the fact that particles floating through sunlight are considered with reverence because of the scarcity of sunlight - a nice touch. The Ithawu are forest-dwelling people? That's good, although they probably wouldn't be elves, as they don't seem as elemental as the elves we have.... No problem! Perhaps they can be humans, or Leaves' gnomes, or some random thing no one's thought of yet! :D
Brknlf 07-21-03, 05:15 PM	Leaf gnomes are cool. Sorry about suggesting elf, it just looked like Elemental Elves were a sort off shoot or variety of elves, I didn't think they were all going to have to adhere to the elemental mold.
Leaves 07-22-03, 08:19 PM	He meant "my" gnomes, since I had promised to set up a gnome thread. It's a great short story, though the use of the "Dyra Ishanu, the parting passage" format for introducing cultural words in awkward in such a short piece. But the imagry is great. I'm not sure gnomes would be right for this story; they are more scientific in this world than in the core D&D setting. An as-yet undefined subrace might be a possibility. Also, you could look at my thread on the Jerliks. They hail from a river like the amazon that goes through a thick forest. The Ithawu might be a sub-race that live deep in the forest away from the river. Or, they could be just a tribe of humans.
Bandido 07-23-03, 11:38 AM	Originally posted by Leaves Or, they could be just a tribe of humans. 'Just' humans? What's wrong with humans? Yeah, the Ithawu could be Jerliks though. It would fit. Perhaps a religious group of Jerliks. I doubt you'd need a new subrace for them, though. I'm leaning towards them being humans, though.
Leaves 07-24-03, 03:54 AM	Nothing wrong with humans. The "just" just meant, that the simplest, most obvious answer, was humans. Anything else just adds to the complexity.
Obsidianjaerc 08-31-03, 01:19 PM	How about non-Elemental Elves?
Brknlf 09-02-03, 09:22 AM	How about non-Elemental Elves? That's a good question. I tried to bring up this point in the stifling thread. I still don't know if all the races are going to be one-dimensional or not. I don't see a problem with more racial diversity for this world, but I was argued on this point and didn't care to bring it up on this thread again.
Brknlf 03-22-05, 02:22 PM	Looking over the_one_true_shea's post summary, I was inspired again by the Ithawu. Take it or leave it as you may see fit. If it is inspiring, please feel free to discuss the Ithawu, talk about their culture, or write a story of your own based on them. The new words will be added to the dictionary in the first post as soon as I post this one. Jras'Iya's Temple The old wooden floor of the shrine creaked lightly as Jrast’Iya breathed a heavy sigh. She was large from years of comfort, one of the Ithawu elders and the tribal shaman of the Bau’Niua Clan. Maintenance of the old shrine had been under the care of her withered hands for several generations of young Ithawu. It could easily hold several families within the girth of its main hall. The ceiling was a high arched affair, filled with old wooden rafters of some type of oaken tree perhaps. Chosen for its location due to the amount of Gupawi that filtrated into this part of the dense forest, there was a large open skylight in the ceiling above the shrine proper. Amayila thought the old Jrast’Iya asleep, it seemed the woman was found of napping near the Gupawi while she left the young girl to her training. The raspy cough startled the girl, who had been taken to wondering about the ancients as her gaze looked up at the high canopy through the skylight. As Jrast leaned forward, the wooden beams protested the shifting of her girth. “Have you brought forth the Yanwi,” asked the old woman. Her voice was wrought with her years on the world of the Kaniu, speaking with the same strain as the wooden floors beneath her weight. Still seated on the floor, just outside the circle of light from the large window, Amayila frowned and moved her hand slowly through the Gupawi. The particles stirred with the currents of air created by the young girl as she replied to the older woman. “I just can’t, the Yanwi do not listen to my summons.” All together, her voice was inflicted with a pouting nature, a plea for help and a demand; the latter probably directed at the nearby spirits that were refusing her summons to light her way. As the girl spoke, Jrast reached her right hand to the side of her ancient chair, grabbing the staff she used both to walk and to assist her own shamanistic magic. She used the large knobby end, usually the end one held while walking, to lightly push against the chest of the nearby girl. “They hear your voice girl, they do not follow your summons,” each accented syllable accompanied by a light tap. However, the word summons came with a light tap on her wrist. The old woman indicated that summoning the Yanwi wasn’t done by voice alone but by the hand gestures that were handed done by the ancients. Without emphasis from the cane, she added, “Your wrist is too taut, let go your muscles and let your hand lead your call to the spirits girl.” Amayila was aggravated with this exercise and tired from the hours of practice turned contemplation. Resigned to more hours and more interested in her thoughts on the ancients and her ancestors, she tossed her gaze off to the light and threw her hand into the air again. With practiced ease, the Dyk’Ari words flowed and her hand twisted loosely with the resignation of her spirit. It wasn’t immediately obvious to the young girl that her spell had worked. Almost as if the Gupawi were glinting in the trailing sunlight, but the particles in the air began to grow brighter. Some from within the sacred light itself and other particles from the shadows of the room. The glowed a soft golden color and slowly began to draw towards the area before Amayila’s hands. Light radiating from the particles shown in areas of the room, almost winking, casting dancing shadows, as they gathered before her. Almost as radiant as the light was the smile upon the young girls face. The large brows on Jrast’s forehead rose, revealing the timeless eyes of the woman for a brief moment as she too enjoyed the child’s moment of success. Quickly though, her face once again morphed into that of teacher. “You try to hard sometimes, it is a struggle with your inner spirit to try and control its demands on the body. The ancients show you the way.” Her smile faded only slight, but she knew the old woman was right. It was her deeper contemplation of the ancients that helped her summon the Yanwi, not her own mind subverting her body to her thoughts. She had tried to hard to control the movements of her summons that she was indeed too rigid. In a moment of realization, the child asked, “Then I have flowed with the Pyri’Tua?” “Yes,” replied Jrast, “you have flowed well with the ebbing currents of magic.”
the_one_true_shea 03-22-05, 07:07 PM	Presumptions: 1. The gnomes are the guiding force of civilization 2. Elves are all elementally associated 3. Two "foresty" above grounds settings have been proposed. - the virix tropics - the cascades My Thoughts: I dont think that it should be a gnome tribe. I think that the gnomes should come accross as more.. technically oriented. "Industrious". It could still be one of the elven tribes, the Basini (earth). I agree with Leaves that this could be the jerliks, however, considering the emotive impact of the "lights through the canopy" imagery that you used I would think that this piece would work well cascadian forest dwellers. (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=219618) The cascadians are a humaniod (water-affiliated) culture created by Agent Graves for his Cascadian Forest (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=219591) region. He didnt go into massive detail about what extent they were "mere", and he was also interested in them being other than human.