"troll country" ;)
reserved for an index
Precursor to the Technometrics practiced by the Tolonese, Astrometrics was the art practiced by the Diplomancers. Once the Diplomancer discipline was considered to the most important and necessary facet of society. Modern Technomancers utilize ancient Astrometric terms in their nameology, but in general scoff these ancient traditions as not only nonsensical, but dire and dangerous. While Technometrics is the codified study of refined soul and mist – Astrometrics is the refined art of reweaving the web of connections that exist between the greater powers. Astrometrics was based first and foremost around the powers of the Seven Greater Isles. (Ergo..niania…. hrmph), Monteria, Taurnia, Elendria, Arconisti, Cardonia, and Tolonia. Seven isles that have taken new names in the centuries since they were categorized by the long lost Diplomancers.
All true Diplomancer schools of old have been truly and utterly lost to the ravages of both the Tree Wars and the Ascendancy. It is known that the Trees were the first teachers of Diplomancy, though their strange methods of magic are not truly Diplomancy. Leaf handed magics and blood borns sorceries are rarely constructed the same. The inversion of Bark and Blood in the Arconistic equation creates a dissonance of impractical proportions. An ancient Diplomancer saying sums the simple impossibility into a single statement. “The Trees cannot walk, and Mans cannot fly” to understand this phrase implies that you understand Arconistics well enough to have foregone the attempts to weave wyrd as a Tree would. Nonetheless the original Diplomancers’ words (“born of leaves”) were created with the Trees’ assistance.
Trees have long since foregone helping Mans or Taurn with Arconistics. The Tolonese and the Trees have concurred with no small protestation that Astrometrics is a dangerous practice. For the Blood Born Arconistics is a path fraught with peril and in all likelihood the death of not only the practitioner but anyone nearby when their lost gift returns. The Dragons claim that once this was not so. They declare calmly that the Ancient Acronistic Academy of Astrometrics and Mathmatology was the finest point of light in all blood born history … next to the accomplishments of the High Dragon Lords. In the accomplishments of Arconistic Wonder there are 8 that contend for the most miraculous. The raising of a fragment of the Bottom Lands higher even than High Skies during the first great Dragons’ Rising, of course, stands apart and above all others.
Mans’ most amazing work of Arconistics was the physical binding of the (Ergo..) and Tolonia (known as Dargonia and Tolon in modern times). Some assume that the connection of these isles is simply that of superior cord. “The Tether” that ties these two is more than a mystically enhanced metal. It is the literal manifestation of the Astrometric connection between the two isles of Mans. Once upon a time Mans and Gnome could create transitory tethers between the lesser isles and via swinging and climbing made a living and a home in the middle skies. The majestic Imperial City is commonly thought of a true wonder. Its creation was most certainly impressive, but the Tether is a far more profound and unfathomably powerful act than that broken city will ever be.
Technometrics feeds off of the breath of the gods, the mists. Astrometrics creates it. All creations of true Astometrics are infused with soul and are alive. The natural creations of nature and miracle breathe air and consume blood or water. The wondrous creations of Astometric Arconistics consume substance and breathe mist in the fashion of the gods. Technometric Arconistics inversely consume mist in order to make substance. Since the time of Ascendancy the mist reducing faculty of Technometrics has been the only grace that saves this last form of Mans Arconistics from being persecuted by the allied temples of the empire. The strange fact that the giftless Tolonese are the only Mans able to effectively manipulate their devices only lends credence to the popular belief that the discipline of Technometrics itself is the gods' gift of the Tolonese.
The Tolonese reply that the gift is not of the gods, but a phenomena occurring in regions due to the lasting impact of overused Astrometrics. The few trees that maintain Arconistic communication with modern Diplomancers are silent regarding such matters. Trees have powerful reasons for limiting how much of their knowledge they share with the hidden councils of Diplomancers. Long ago Trees told Mans the secrets of words and sealed the doom of their empire. The allied temples of Imperial City consider Leaf Weaving and Technometrics the only sacred forms of Arconistics, and are still somewhat leery of the Elder Trees of the Bottom Lands. Aquamancer Trees are welcome in the broken city, as well as Vivomancers. However, creating water and light are far from the terrors of Astromantics that only the great and powerful Elder Trees can currently wield.
Now you know what the word Astrometrics means. Forget it. Those who have never heard it, shouldn’t. Those who know it are either like yourself, or seeking to persecute those who would pursue Arconistic knowledge. Since Ascendancy the Diplomancer colleges were systematically routed and burned. Divine fire and miraculous destruction have left little for modern Diplomancers to recreate their lost discipline. The elder dragons are our most secure ally, but even they cannot be trusted with our protection. Even as you read these last words this page is fulfilling the meaning of the life that I gave it. The words are transubstantiating into flame. The paper into soot. Keep your secrets safe. Diplomancer.
:fooosh! fire flare:
The lost Island of Taurna. Remnants of the fallen Island litter the Bottom Lands. Entire villages were destroyed by burning mountains hurtled through the three skies. Once the home of the True Taurn; the Tyrn, as the two legged “Taurn” are properly called in the Annals, believe themselves cursed with their failure to protect their native homeland. Some say that they have been doomed to the Bottom Lands, and other claim that when they have passed through the curse they will regain their original forms. This fanciful notion is not shared by the majority of the “Tyrn” who have heard it. We know that the Taurn is one people, and the silly term Tryn is almost an insult to many Taurn. At least it is not commonly used by Taurn. The Taurn have embraced the Bottom Lands as a new Taurn, but there are also many that still seek the high skies that their ancient homeland flew in. Taurn have made new homes throughout the Islands, yet none of the greater isles can match the mythical expanses of ancient Taurna. The largest Island that ever flew through the skies, Imperial war zone, and the world’s most tragic loss.
Taurna was a high sky island. Larger than both Dargonia and Tolen combined. Larger than the general expanse of the Sky Lakes. In ancient time the Imperials would lumber their grand ferries, and metal clad armies, to Taurna to do battle in a civilized fashion. The Taurn did little to stop this, they didn’t have nations on Taurna in the same fashion as the Imperial council. Representatives of the greater tribes of Taurna were welcome in the Imperial council, as were all civilized nations in the time before the Wizards War. Orcnin even sat in the council prior to the Wizard’s War, but of course the Arconistic Isle has been lost as well. “Tyrn” are welcome in council, but without a Greater Island as their homeland both Orcnin and Taurn have lost their seats in the Imperial councils. This of course was the intent of the Dark Mist. The spell that Turned Light Blue to Dark Green, and created the Dark Skies where Taurna and The Arconistic Islands once flew was most certainly meant to remove the Orcnin Hoards and the Tribes of Taurna from the politics of the overreaches of the Imperial Councils.
Pieces of the two Islands are indistinguishable when they are found in massive craters, mostly in the Pride Lands of the Bottom Lands. Some spectacular artifacts of Taurna can be found on all the greater isles of mid and low sky. A rarely seen Taurn, the (worm) lived not on the surface, nor the reverse, of Taurna, but inside the Island. These Taurn live much as the Flame Elendi of Tolen. There are many seekers that hope to find one of the “hidden chambers” of the “Burrotarun,” as Mans commonly knows the (wormtaurn). In ancient times they stored many mighty artifacts in their deep chambers. These reinforced caverns miraculously seem to remain mostly intact. More than one fortune has been made by those who have found such a remnant of Taurn. The city of Raniel *** made a fortune selling ancient Taurnin tapestries to Dargonian nobility, and more than one Bottom Lander settlement has been formed around the impromptu “castle” that the fallen (wormtaurn) cavern became when it crashed. Some of these falling fragments crushed cities and villages, and the remains of these lost Bottom Lands enclaves are also considered prizes worth searching the shifting wastes for.
Above the ridge on Taurna was said to have been mostly like the Pride Lands of the Bottom Lands. Expansive and mostly flat, there were forests and plains as far as the eye could see. The lakes of Taurna were brought by the storm whales, and Taurna never swung close to the Deluge. According to many legends the Ronians were originally of Taurna, but they were seated amongst the councils as from the moon. Since the Gnomes have overtaken the Moon, or “Ball Island” as they have renamed it, the Ronians have been without any true homeland. The Ronians have never acclimatized to the Bottom Lands the way that the Taurn have, and have mostly settled along the inner ridge of Dargonia and the outer ridges of the Sky Lakes. When Taurna still flew the Ronian net cities hung from the sides of the Island much the way the Bloom settlements color the underridges of the Greater Islands these days.
According to the reports of Imperial expeditionaries and the Taurn legends the Island was populated with an abundance of life similar to Wild Home. Fantastic creatures such as Horses and (…) were lost when the Island was knocked from the sky. The Bat, and the Taurn, are only two examples of how many of the creatures once unique to Taurn managed to survive the destruction of their native island. Bats originated from Taurna, and these cave dwelling creatures were flung across the skies and littered amongst the bottom lands. Once upon a time there were no Bats anywhere but Taurna, now, like the Taurn, Bats are found on almost every island in the skies. The valiant animals have found their way into the deepest Dwaren caves, and the flutter around the Gnomes Moon Ball. It is a curious phenomena that must have held the Bats on Taurna before the Wizards War. Just as they have over the last few centuries the Bats have migrated from Island with little trouble. They are now regular pests in the high skies (***) … when once they were an all but unheard of creature, they have become a staple food for hunters worldwide. The Bat, and the Taurn, are only two examples of how many of the creatures once unique to Taurn managed to survive the destruction of their native island.
Kings of the skies and masters of the Moon. The word “gnome” is actually a Dwarn term used to refer to anyone that uses arconistics. Throughout the history of the Dwar there has been more than one instance of the Dwar ejecting entire clans of “once-Dwar-now-gnome” from their Bottom Lands caverns. The Dwar that began the original colonies of Montara were once such a group. They had embraced Orcnin Arconistics and were thusly exiled. Several centuries later, during the Wizards Wars, the second largest exodus of arconistic Dwar became the people known by the rest of the world as the Gnomes. To the Bottom Lands Dwar that exiled both the Montaran and Gnomish Dwar – all Dwar from beyond the deep caverns are usually considered gnomes; that is unless they are considered Goblins. “Goblin” is the Dwarn word for Orcnin. The Dwar of Montara refuse to abandoned the name Dwar, whereas the Gnomes have embraced their separation from those that cast them out. To those that are not Dwar the linguistics of the matter may seem imposing, but: calling a Gnome a Gnome is correct, calling a Montaran Dwar a Gnome is not, and calling a Bottom Lander Dwar a Gnome is a dire insult that could very easily lead to a duel for the Dwar’s honor.
The Gnomes are Dwar in both appearance and mannerisms, and in general there is no way to distinguish them from other Dwar. The identifier is the fact that the Gnomes keep with them the trappings of Arconistics. It is strange that in an age when practitioners of Orcnin Arconistics are literally hunted and hung in many Imperial territories the Gnomish Arconistics are allowed to roam freely through most Imperial territories. The simple fact is that control of the skies is divided between the Tolenese and the Gnomes. The Dragoons of the Empire are certainly a powerful force to be reckoned with in all the skies, but they do not busy themselves with mercantile endeavors. The Gnomes, however, are extraordinarily interested in trade. With every passing season the Gnomish merchant fleet grows in size. A not-so-secret contest exists between the Tolenese and the Gnomes to dominate inter-island commerce, and the Gnomes are clearly winning. The Tolenese ships require careful upkeep and a team of Tolenese engineers to maintain their proper function. The Gnomish ships are capable of functioning with a properly trained pilot, and little else. Yearly, or even simply regular, upkeep is all that is necessary to fly a Gnomish ship. The Gnomes charge a high price for the overhaul of one of their ships, but they do offer an alternative option to some.
The Gnomish crews are a fair bargain. The crew is staffed partially with Gnomish sailors, and partially with the captain’s crew. The Gnomish crew is paid a large sum upon return to the Moon. Their “tour” of service is usually 4-8 years depending on how much money they are aiming for. Their duties are to keep the ship running, and learn about the world that they see little of from the Moon. In return the ship captain feeds and watches over them during their travels. The Gnomes only offer this to certain captain’s and the selection process is a strange, unclear, process. There is some oath involved that obfuscates the details of the full arrangement, but there are no record of captains who have petitioned for any form of retribution or grievance against the Gnomes and this arrangement. There is an entire district on the Moon dedicated to the Captains who have sailed with Gnomish crews. They are treated as Gnomes to the extent any non-Dwar could be, and the “captain’s district” is a deep well of information from around the world. Retired captains full of stories and friends from their old crews share glasses of ale and wine. A captain cannot simply “move-in” to this district – they must purchase their plot inside the Moon the same as any Gnome would. Non-Dwar living on the Moon only happens in two places. The Captain’s District and the Moon Deme, a forest being grown by the Kinder Elen on the outer surface of the Moon.
The epic comedy of the Gnomes capture of the Moon is told in taverns throughout the skies. Tanzian players have created countless valiant Gnomish adventures seeking ever higher skies for love, money, or simply wanderlust. The truth is that an exiled people made their way carefully, and with little help from any allies, to highest skies. There several clans of Gnomes first attempted to match with arconistics the miracle of Dolor. The various disparate clans of exiled Gnomes were unable to hold the pieces together, and eventually the confederacy of settlements of Gnomes in the High Skies came together in a council. They agreed to work together to reach the Moon, and within a generation they had. The Ronians controlled the Moon at that time, however the Gnomish arconistics proved more than sufficient to overpower the Ronians. Within another generation all the Ronians on the Moon had either been driven off – or eradicated. Since that time the Gnomes have been plunging the depth of the Moon and carving a symmetrically arranged series of caverns. Generations of Gnome have now labored inside the Moon, and the (), as the Gnomes call it, has not been completed. Of course, there are portions of the extant caverns that have not been inhabited yet.
Since the Gnomes overtook the Moon they took the Ronian seats on the Grand Imperial Council they have asked for little more than the rights of trade necessary to sell their ships to Imperial nobles. The Gnomes are the newest members of the Grand Imperial Council and are the only peoples that have not served a writ of war. The Gnomes seem more than content to simply remain a nation of merchants. Beyond just their ships the Gnomes also move delicacies from island to island, building materials, and a
Doom and Woe befall anyone who would seek audience with the Orcnin. The discussion of manners amongst Ogran’s children is … tacit at best. Dominance is the only rule of behavior. Commands are the only respected form of communication, and threats are a kindness when lethal force is used wantonly. Amongst the Orcnin there is a strict racial hegemony. Unlike the Elendi or the Taurn the many breeds of Orcnin are drastically different. Goblin and Kobold, O’Sa, O’Ha, Gnoll, Troll, and more – each breed made for a purpose. Each species a component in the prophesied army of Ogran. The “Army of Ogran” is perhaps the most direct translation of the word Orcnin, at least as it is spoken amongst the Orcnin themselves. It is a Mans conceit that has stolen the word (actually) “Ogran’s” and transformed it into Orcnin.
The initial meeting with an Orcnin (of any sort) is best when full of bluster. One Orcnin has no real compunction killing and eating another Orcnin. In fact, most ‘Sa keep the teeth of Goblins as jewelry, and it would be considered outright shameful to wear the teeth of any creature you haven’t killed and eaten yourself. It is considered pathetic to back away from a fight – even one you know you will lose. Amongst the Orcnin there are a thousand subtle rules of engagement. Paramount to any attempting to integrate or gain influence in an Orcnin hoard is the recognition of the racial Hegemony. At this time the Sa, usually Orcnin’Sa, are the dominate species. How this is determined is a mystery to anyone not chosen by the Elder Dark Lord Ogran. What this means is that the Sa will always win. If a Goblin could kill a Sa – he will instead surrender. This divine mandate is the only thing keeping the Orcnin hoards intact. Without it, the internal strife would tear the Orcnin asunder and leave the world a safer and less dangerous place.
No Orcnin needs to be explained how to deal with Orcnin, but the first thing that any non-Orcnin needs to be aware of is that they are Goblins in the eyes of Orcnin. Goblins are the least of the Orcnin, the servants and messengers of the army. Goblins may not wear any teeth save those of other Goblins, or non-Orcnin. Entering into an Orcnin hoard for the purpose of business is easy. Keep your weapons sharp. Sneer at everyone, and threaten (or use) physical violence against Goblins wantonly. Assuming you properly impress the watchers – you will be lead to the Sa or their proxies. There you make your bargain, and are ideally allowed to leave unmolested. Those foolhardy enough to seek a deeper connection with the Orcnin have a more difficult task ahead of them. They must transcend their Goblin status in some manner or another. There are numerous ways and all involve death and destruction. The simplest method is to “become a Troll” though that “path” is not pleasant. To become a Troll you simply need think of nothing but food and death. Loose all sense of reason, attack first last and always, and you may be able to earn a “Troll Mark” amongst the Orcnin. That is … the Sa will give you (or more accurately allow you to keep) a Troll tooth to serve as a sign of your place in Orcnin society.
The elders of Orcnin society are eaten as a delicacy. All food is served raw or seared for flavor. Children are eaten on a regular basis, but it is a taboo to eat of your own breed save for special ceremonies. It is not uncommon for a Sa to force a Goblin to eat his own foot, and a routine punishment for failure is having one of your eyes removed and eaten in front of you. The worst place to be in Orcnin society is missing an arm or an eye. To have lost either means that you are simply waiting for your turn to be turned into stew. There are pins found in any Orcnin hoard where the doomed are kept until the time comes for them to be eaten. It is considered an honor to be allowed to make a selection from such a pin, and traditionally the chooser is allowed to keep the teeth of their chosen meal.
The Kinder Elen are something of an anomaly in that they are not technically Elendi. They are born of Dwar, but as Gnomes they have been forsaken. Unlike those commonly called Gnomes the Kinder Elen have embraced the ways of the Elendi. The Term Kinder Elen translates the “Child Like Elendi” in classic Elendi phrase turning this means both that they are small and that they are similar to the Elendi. Most Mans are unable to tell the difference between an adult Kinder Elen and an Elendi child, particularly since the Elendi readily welcome the Kinder Elen into their Demes. Unlike the other Gnomes races born of the Wizards Wars the Kinder Elen have found peace and a place in the world that existed before the Wizards Wars. Kinder Elen have taken a true name, and in this age are born of Elendria.
Kinder Elen are most often found as guardians of Elendi households. Often Kinder Elen will masquerade as an Elendi child, or simply allow potentially hostile onlookers to consider them a child in order to better maintain the upper hand. The strange affinity that Kinder Elen have for diplomancy allows them to keep more than enough emergency provisions and weapons, and tents, and shovels, and etc other things that could be useful all while appearing unarmed and defenseless. It is a rare Kinder Elen that does not have a pair of mittens with the miraculous ability to stow a sword unseen. While others can suffer dangerous arconistic disturbances simply having a diplomancer’s bag the average Kinder Elen will have a pair of mittens, a belt, and even a diplomancer’s hat. All without generating any mist. The belt in particular is a point of interest. Similar to Mans Kinder Elen exchange an object in their marriage ceremony. The girl makes a belt, and the boy gives a hat.
As far as diplomatic relations with the Kinder Elen there are no particular rules that need to be complied with. They are a flexible and free spirited people. They are usually more concerned with your feelings, and will often vanish into their hats if they think they have offended you. Their pallets are almost identical to Mans, in that they eat fruits, meats, nuts, and vegetables. Unlike their Elendi allies whose main diet is grass and leaves. The only point where a Kinder Elen may become touchy or put out is if the discussion of what they smell like comes up. They consider their scents are very private and personal matter. This is most pertinent due to the fact that despite their taboo of speaking of it – they take great pains to smell very strongly. Again, Kinder Elen are a very affable people, and would most likely say nothings the matter should the conversation happen. They will however be extremely embarrassed, and polite hosts should avoid the topic.
Asperians are mostly familiar with Kinder Elen, and affectionately refer to them as “half elves” or “halflings” even in polite company. When making listings Asperians usually refer to them simply as Kinder, leaving off the proper Elen. What many Dargonians are not aware of is that the Kinder Elen of the Bottom Lands are warlike. These Bottom Lands half elen have a capitol deme of their own, and they maintain it in one of the most unlivable and hostile areas of the Bottom Lands. Kinder Deme, as it is simply known, is situated just to the south of Troll Country, north of the Goblin Mountains, and is on the shore of the pirate infested Inner Sea. The Kinder Elen of Kinder Deme have successfully held their city from countless assaults from their neighboring “countries” and have never sought aid from the nearest Imperial nation. In fact the people of Kinder Deme often say that they would sooner hire pirates than ask the Revalians for help. Though, despite this, the Kinder Deme representative in Imperial City have arranged for military aid from all the Cross Lands nations in the case of open warfare with the Darians.
In most Asperian homes there are Bats in the ceilings. The rather clever animals keep watch over the houses and families that live in them. The screech of a Bat is loud enough to wake dogs and their masters. Most Dargonian provinces train these Bats to protect their homes. They are raised amongst dogs and the family they will protect. The Bats are usually fed by leaving berries on scented paper. Some Bats are awake at night and some during the day. Both breeds are kept in Asper, though most Dargonian houses keep only one of the breeds. The Night Bats are particularly hard to handle, due to their glow. Day Bats require special care to keep as when startled they use their death curse. Despite the difficulties in caring for such dangerous and powerful animals the benefits are manifest. Night Bats light the way through gardens in the eve, and Day Bats are the most efficient guard animals. Many Imperial nobles keep a Day Bat with them at all times.
The Great Isle of Dolor is the most unusual Island in the skies. The Island not in the skies in the ancient times, and in fact there were no islands in low sky until Dolor was created by the Dolorian Ogres. This noble breed of Ogre was created by the Light Lords durring the Wizard Wars. Unlike the Ogres of Ogran the Dolorians are beautiful to behold and even stronger than the grotesk Ogres that maintain their alligence to their ancient Patron. Due to their reverence of Elendria the Dolorians are pacifists and will loose their gift of strength and beauty if they ever harm a living beast. They rarely leave the island home that they created.
When Taurna fell in the final confrontation of the Wizard Wars much of the gold infused debries were strewn about the low sky along with the twisted remains of the Rover Islands. This (term) sealed the Bottom Lands away from the civilizations of the mid and high skies for centuries. When the Dolorians began their search for a home the world was not willing to accept them. The Elendi could see them as nothing more than Ogres with pretty faces. The Orcnin saw them as nothing more than elves. They were like the Gnomes in their complete poverty as a people.
Amongst the Dolorian people there were powerful druids and no small amount of masterful Arconists. As they migrated from Dargonia to Tolen to the Sky Lakes they formed a plan. The greatest of the druids began collecting the debries of the fallen islands and bringing themtogether into larger and larger clumps. The center of the Dolorian capitol city is what was once the largest clump and the first one that was settled by the Dolorians. The city GreenHome began as a simple staging ground for the druids.
From GreenHome the high druids of the Dolorians were able to bring more and more clumps of fallen island together untill, many generations later, the island of Doloria was recognized as a true greater island. Doloria is idylic. It is a crafted island. Roads were grown, mountains were scultped, and each tree was brought specifically to the island. It has only been with the last few generations that the ecology of Doloria has taken a life of its own - having reached a critical mass of bugs and plants needed to support the beasts that have come to live on the Island.
The Dolorians have a distributed form of government that does not rely on noble houses. Each region has both a master druid and a circle of Arconists. Many fear to sail to the island due to the number of Arconists that live and work their arts on the island - but most of the Arconistics practiced on Doloria are kept in strict watch by the master druid and their alcolyts. The peoples of Doloria live mostly simple lives and rely on their isolation from the other civilizations of the skies to keep themselves safe. It is hard to imagine how the pacifist Ogres of Doloria would be able to withstand a invasion force considereing their gifts of Elendia.
Very little is known about the pure lands. Many believe they are a myth, but they are not. Those who have found their way to the Pure Lands find themselves in a bit of a quandary. You cannot reveal the secret of the pure lands. It is not a curse of magical prohibition - it is an understanding that you gain when you find yourself there. What can be said of the Pure Lands is that the Mans that make their home there are unlike any other in the entire world. They are short furry and nearly Taurn in appearance. They have skin of dark tan, and bright eyes.
They live simply and do not know lies or hatred or fear. There is a ceremony that the Pure Lands practices to both excise and purify their people. It is called the simply the seeker of the stone. Once a generation a child is chosen of the people to carry an artifact known as the purpose stone out of the Pure Lands and into the larger world. The mans who bears the Purpose stone at this time is known only as Pa Wah. Those that meet the seeker may learn the secret of the stone, and perhaps the secret of the Pure Lands itself.
The Dariens are one of the most powerful peoples of the Bottom Lands. The Western swamps of the Bottom Lands are entirely controlled by the Darien Empire. Within their sphere of influence Orcnin, Naga, Elder Trees and many variety of swamp born make their homes. Discounting the loose confederation of the Elder Trees and their woodborn cousins the Darien's Empire is rivaled only by the Great Empire itself. Trade throughout the Western half of the Bottom Lands is carefully regulated by the Darien, this "many armed" people are observant and extremely calculating.
The Darien society is for the most part very similar to that familiar to most imperials. Complete with governors, councils, and officials such as sheriffs and the like. Dariens pay taxes to their government, and trade for goods and services. What may disconcert the average imperial visitor is the fashion of their construction. The Dariens make their buildings mostly from a unique fabric that special members of their species create naturally. Some wood is used for supports, but most walls are made of a flexible organic cloth of amazing durability. Some of the more wealthy imperial importers will recognize this substance, it is called silk.
The Dariens themselves are physically unique when compared to the many peoples of the world. Their skeletons are on the outside of their bodies, and their eyes are like many faceted gemstones. Most Dariens are in possession of at least one extra pair of limbs (taking Taurn, Mans, and Orcnin four limbs to be average). To the casual observer there seems to be no rhyme or reason for the number of limbs that a Darien may have. Some have the standard four, some six. The fact is that family and heritage play a large part in the number of limbs a Darien has and whether their spare limbs serve as legs or arms. Legends amongst the Dariens speak of eight limbed Dariens that are born in times of great calamity - a sign of the gods favor.
The gods of the Dariens are for a most part analogous to the gods of the Triune and the Empire, leading most to consider them simply Darien names for the great gods known to most, one diety in particular stands apart however. The Doomsayer. The Doomsayer is a deity known only through the words of her prophets. Described as a female eight limbed Darien of immense power - stories of The Doomsayer have reached imperial city by way of travelers and Tansian storytellers, but no appearance of the Doomsayer has been reported by the Imperial councils. Speculations as to whether the diety is anything more than an alternate face of Ogran, of the Triune, are rampant. Furthermore the prophets of "The Doomsayer" are known to rely on martial prowess over the use of greater miracles.
Despite this lack of manifestation by the Doomsayer deity - the faith in her philosophies are pervasive throughout Darien controlled lands. Each region of Darien controlled land maintains a temple to the Doomsayer - led by a "husband" of the Doomsayer - a male six limbed Darien claiming to be in contact with the deity. Their edicts are invariably in support of local authorities, and the cults that follow the husbands of the Doomsayer are called upon to quell uprisings or civil disputes should they occur.
Visiting a Darien controlled territory should result in no particular difficulties so long as your interests are apolitical. Dariens are as interested in trade as any people, and are willing to trade in either crystal or barter. Crystal trade is not as common in the Darien regions, and one may be forced to convert crystal into barterable goods such as forging metals or food. Silk is by far the most common export out of the Darien swamps, though Orcnin make regular trade of slaves with the Darien. Dariens that make their way into the skies are almost invariably interested in gathering slaves from the sky lands. Perhaps due to this - Gnomes rarely sell their sky ships to the Dariens. The Tolenese do not share this compunction - thusly fueling the crystal trade in the Darien Lands.
Entertaining Darien guests is a simple matter, if one that would disconcert the average Imperial pallet. Dariens feed exclusively on the blood. Cooked food is not digestible by their physiology. A simple order - draining blood being one of the standard steps for preparing food. Instead of discarding the blood simply give it to your Darien guests, and eat the meat. Similarly the Dariens seem to find it amusing that the "refuse" of blod drained meat that they generally turn into livestock feed is the staple of non-Darien visitors Diets. Despite their regular association with Orcnin the Dariens maintain no outright hostility toward their imperial visitors ... unless they are diplomatic envoys. If one intends to send diplomatic contact to the Dariens on behalf of the Empire - simply forget it. The Dariens have maintained a staunch support of the Orcnin over the Empire since the first contact with the Dariens dating back before the Wizard Wars.
The grandest city in all the world, home of the High Imperial Council, and nexus of civilization since the dawn of recorded history. Countless myths surround the creation of the grand city. Stories of the city created by the hands of gods, or demons. Tales of how the city was forged by Dragons, Mans, Elendi, or even Dwarn abound. The truth is the many myths of Imperial City's creation are the result of the failure of fact to hold more power in the mind than fancy. The history of the creation of Imperial city is writ plainly upon the walls outside the High Council chambers.
In the most ancient times, before language had become codified into words, the greatest Arconistic masters came together in an attempt to end the savage conflicts between the many peoples that sailed the skies. Mans rode dragons out from the Sky Lakes and waged war with the Ronians. Elendi rose from the bottom lands to battle the Orcnin of the Arconistic Isle. Taurn found themselves allying with either side willingly or unwillingly, and Trees played each side against the other. In that time, some 100,000 years ago, Mans had only just begun to learn (or perhaps better to say steal) the arts of Arconistics from the Orcnin. The Elendi had yet to throw off the yoke of the Trees dominion, and the Dwar had never seen the light of the skies.
In the bitterest of irony it was the Orcnin Masters that created Imperial City. To this day there are places in the great arconistic device that is Imperial city that cannot be accessed by any save Orcnin, and those places have remained unreachable for over 10,000 years. Not since before the wizard wars have Orcnin arconistic masters been allowed in Imperial City. Orcnin certainly - so long as they forswear their alliance with the dark gods of the Orcnin, but none who maintain their allegiance to Ogran or his host. This prohibition is no hollow proclamation. In ages past the streets of the city were enchanted to harm any who walked on them that were not citizens or bearing the mark of citizens. In this age those enchantments are no longer active, but those that enter attempt to enter the city with Ogran or any Arcon known to be amongst his host will suffer the ancient curse of a thousand screams with every step they take in on the streets of the city.
The ancient Orcnin acronistic masters that created the city left a pictographic record of their work upon the walls of the council antechamber. In that time before the Empire the arconistics masters came together and made a great work - powered with the sacrifice of one million Mans. The city was created a perfect circle of seven stacked disks. The centermost and highest disk was designated as the seat of the gods. () thrones were set to honor the pillars of existance and () arcons were invited to take seat upon those thrones. The intent of the arconistic masters was to gain sway over the entire world by allying with the grandest of the arcons, and thereby overpower both Trees and Dragons alike. As history must certainly show - this grand design failed terribly.
The first tragedy that struck the grand city was when the acrons refused to remain in seat upon their thrones. The great arcons were intended to remain and grant their power to the city - keeping it in the skies amongst the isles. An artificial Isle, however the arcons began to bicker amongst themselves and then all but the dark lord Jakanar abandoned the city. The magnificent disks fell from high sky and by Jakanar's will the city struck the great island known today as Dargonia. Most historians who have studied the pictographs detailing this event are certain that it was Imperial City's impact upon Dargonia that began the slow, but steady, breaking of Dargonia. A process further aggravated by the great tether that links Dargonia to Tolen.
In further disaster, when Imperial City embedded itself into the side of the great Isle of Dargonia, then known as Ronerian, it shattered in twain. Almost half of the city fell off the side of Dargonia, and landed somewhere on the Bottom Lands. The location of this lost piece of Imperial CIty is unknown to this day. The arconistic masters that survived the process thanked their respective patrons and set about to salvage what they could of their great work. To their credit the city as is is today - with greater enchantments and the docks, and the landscaping (city walks, structures, and gardens) are for the most part the same as they have been for 50,000 years. Some minuscule personalization aside - the major structures other than the temples of the 5th tier are exactly what they were when in a final comedic turn of events the Orcnin lords of Empire city were overrun by Mans and Elendi.
Using both the miracles of Tree taught Elendi and arconistics stolen from Orcnin, and army of mostly Mans overpowered the lords of the city. The former name of the city is lost - its pictographic emblem remains above many archways of the city. A six pointed star surrounded by a disk with four arrows pointing inward toward the star coming from each cardinal point of the star. The taking of Imperial City (called in some Mans legend Orcnin City) marked the official beginning of the Empire. Mans arconistic masters could control the city, and miracle working Elendi could appease the arcons. Between them Imperial City took on something of its intended purpose - as a meeting place between the representatives of the most powerful of the mortal realm - and a council of the most powerful of the arcons.
There is a specific couple of people that I want to work on the project with. Though any suggestions will be taken into consideration. I'm putting this stuff up (instead of keeping it to myself) as a ... erm "sneak preview" kinda stuff. :P I'd also like to see if I can inspire some graphic artists :P
... any good setting book needs IMGs ...
Most Imperial Mans are familiar with the Pherthan, Weran, and Dardan peoples of the Taurn. Interestingly it is the Barkan that are by far the most populous of modern Taurn. The Pherthan are a close second most populous Taurn societies. The Barkan, similar to the Pherthan, were always a traveling breed of Taurn. Unlike the Pherthan they are almost entierly nomadic. Rarely will you find a city established primarily by a group of Barkan. Barkan tend to prefer to stay on the move, and while they are without cities proper to call their own they do maintain certain hideaways. Caches of resources that they will return to periodically, or seasonally. These caches are usually stored not on a greater isle, but on a smaller orbital isle to keep random passer byes from happening upon the Barkan tribes secret storehouse. These stores of equipment are usually redundant. Not so much necessary to the Barkan family in its travels – but a resource that they can return to in times of need or loss. Many such caches remain undisturbed for generations.
Barkan are extremely family oriented. Of course all peoples are concerned with their families, but it is very rare for a Barkan to leave their family unit. Barring disaster or marriage a Barkan will remain with the family that they were born into. When there is a marriage amongst the Barkan the will come together for almost a month of feasting and celebration – at the end of which more than one union may occur. According to ancient practices of the Barkan the newely bound will depart with the family that has the least numbers. Thereby steadily growing the strength of the weaker tribes, and preventing the larger tribes from growing too large to support. When a tribe grows beyond either five families or about a hundred or so members the Barkan will begin to seek a smaller tribe in order to balance their numbers more evenly. Centuries of this practice has helped maintain the Barkan as one of the most powerful societies of Taurn – even if they have no cities to to call their own.
Physically the Barkan and the Weran share much in common, but the two peoples of Taurn could not be more different from each other. In fact the antagonism between the Weran and the Barkan is the most likely explanation of why the Barkan are rarely found on Dargonia except in Imperial City itself. The two peoples of Taurn and their vicious disputes are the stuff of legend on lost Taurna. The most notable of which is the tale of Lyangi of Weran's War. According to the legend a Barkan tribe was moving through a territory claimed by Lyangi's tribe, and Lyangi demanded an offering of respect. Such an offering is very common amongst the Weran, as well as many other Taurn tribes, but the Barkan tribe refused. They claimed that they would be gone before Lyangi would have so much as a chance to appreciate any such offering. Lyangi responded by banishing any Barkans from returning to her territory for all time. The stories continues that the Barkan decided to test this prohibition again and again. Eventually the Weran and the Barkan were in full scale war.
After a generation of conflict, according to legend, Lyangi won the war and Barkan were all but banished from their homes on Taurna. Again, according to Taurn legend – this is the reason that the Barkan were found more commonly on other islands than Taurn itself. As with most legends, particularly Taurn legends, the actuality of Lyangi and his war is unverifiable. Perhaps the Barkan simply never made much of a home on Taurn – preferring to roam the world free of the more territorial Taurn's conceits. The problem for modern researchers and determining the truth of any such legend is that Imperial records have scare information regarding the Taurn or the history of Taurna. The legends of Taurna and its peoples and histories are nearly a millennium old and passed more often through campfire tale than texts. Weran legends aside, however, the Barkan themselves tell tales of “Vicious Lyangi” as a cautionary tale regarding why the Barkan do not stay in one place for long – though their versions of the legend are told more like ghost stories than history. The Barkan's Lyangi could be everything from cannibal to terrible torturer – and vile arcanist. No amount of historical accuracy remains in the tales they tell their children.
When a Barkan tribe enters your territory the most obvious sign (other than a disturbance amongst any other Taurn) will be their most notable form of communication: the Howl. The Weran that most Imperials are familiar with will howl as part of their ritual observance, monthly. The Barkan, however, prefer to howl almost constantly. If you can get past the constant howling – then they are generally pleasant guests. Do not expect them to provide any form of “offering” or recognition of territorial authority – the Barkan have a certain disdain for those that are “bound to dirt” as they call it. The one thing they will bring is their most trade able commodity – their wine. An individual Barkan is almost always seen carrying a jug – in that jug is a wine that is being prepared. In their carts the wine ages. They will rarely part with their prized wine for free, but if you do them a great favor they will most likely pay you with the wine. This wine is one of the best anywhere in the world and prized by those who respect great wines everywhere. Barkan are meat eaters, and like many Weran are quite in favor of cooked meat.
Should you find yourself in need of the aid of a Barkan there is one thing to be primarily concerned with. The males of the tribe are in clear and uncontested dominance. Barkan are polygamous and there are usually up to five primary males. Often these males are brothers. To travel with a Barkan tribe you absolutely must swear to follow one of the primary males of the tribe as though you were their child. That said – once you have passed that hurdle of diplomacy the Barkan are welcomed without and protected as one of their own. Sadly the truth is that there are Barkan tribes that have been whipped out to the last member when they welcomed too readily someone that was all to willing to deceive the trusting Barkan.
The dead who walk. There is not much to be said regarding the dead who walk. They are not polite dinner guests and in no way could they ever become so. They are dead. They have been reanimated by some dark force or another and there is simply nothing to do with them other than to put them down again. They are quite annoying - as they are already dead, and the only sure way to end their existence is to beat them most utterly into a pulp. The unfortunate peoples that must deal with them regularly are actually quite adept at doing so, and have one particular piece of advice: blunt objects. Blades seem to do rather allot of nothing to the pestersome beasts.
Dargonia is thankfully fairly clear of the creatures, however those that live on the bottom lands are plauged by them on a rather regular basis. Particularly the Karnian regions where any dead that is not properly inturned arrises as soon as the next dawn. Those who live too close to dark sky are also continually vexed buy the unholy creatures. Thankfully for the most part the "Zombies" are rather dull. Birds and badgers are regularly far more intelligent than the walking dead, and it is perhaps by this reason alone the creatures are more a nuesance than they are a danger.
In regions where the powers of death are great enough to generate hordes of the walking dead they are indeed a great threat, and it shows to the wisdom of those such as the Karn that they take regular precautions against such creatures. Salt is a certain protection against the zombie. The Karn lay salt in a circle around their cities in ritual fashion every night. The Revalians do so as well. Those in the skies are loath to waste a resource that, while common on the bottom lands is rare in the skies, in such a way. Thankfully the power of the churches also drives the walking dead back.
The only diplomatic advice regarding zombies that need be given is this: oft times zombies are governed not by pure dark forces alone - but by an insidious intellect as well. If such a dark arconistic practitioner is active in your region it is best to seek the aid of the nearest imperial outpost. The dragoons are adept of old at dealing with such dire arconistic practices. Attempting diplomacy of any who would raise the dead is a futile endeavor .. at best.
The elementals that are the living wind. These capricious and ephemeral beings are the most common of those known as the Sand Born. The term barely applies to the Wind Elementals. The substance that they are made of is the most non-substantial known to any and were it not for the powerful force they apply at times most would refuse to believe in it. Air elementals, like all Sand Born, are neither male nor female. They are created in a fashion inexplicable to those with blood or sap in their veins. Most presume they are eternal, however this is not so. Bizarre as it may seem even the wind can die.
An Air Elemental is immune to the strike of a sword or the swing of an axe, but there are certain arconistics and miracles that can destroy an Air Elemental utterly. In addition to mysticism, the Fire Elementals devour Air Elementals in the natural cycle of existence. Unlike the versus relationship that a blood or sap born creature would feel toward its predator the Air Elementals hold no grudge against the Fire Elementals. Perhaps the lack of family and children creates a lack of attachment to their own existence. Perhaps they are simply incapable of joy in the same sense as a blood or sap born creature.
While the Wind has no attachment to life - they still retain a certain willfulness that can be either boon or vexation to the blood and sap born. The wind may decide to rush strongly against building - rending structures to pieces that would otherwise stand strong. A Wind may decide to knock a person off their feet, or snatch a object from their hands. Conversely Air Elementals have been known to spontaneously aid a person by catching them and saving them from the long fall off an island. Many tales tell of someone that has fallen off the a ridge only to be rescued by the Wind.
Those who adhere to the Imperial Religions declare that there are two fonts of Wind. Two arcons, brothers in dire opposition, that generate the Winds in their divine forges beyond the mists. Dak'na'ule and Thamior. Dak'na'ule is the Lord of the Dark Winds of Winter, and Thamior is the Lord of the Warm Winds of Summer. Attempting to speak to the Winds regarding the brothers is pointless. The winds will only echo the words of those that they have heard, but avatars and heralds of the brothers most assuredly proclaim dominion over the Air Elementals - of one type or the other. This claim to dominion is not a hollow claim as the heralds and avatars of the brothers are readily capable of calling on the Winds to their aid - not the least of which is their ubiquitous ability to fly.
In the rare case that a Wind attempts some strange form of diplomancy, and manifests a visible or at least tangible presence in an Imperial court, they need no more hospitality than acknowledgment of their sovereignty. The Winds are the very vehicle of speech. Without their humble presence words could not make sound, and the vital energy of the arcons could not enter the bodies of the living. While Water, Fire, and Earth Elementals are far more tangible - it is the Air Elementals to whom all breathing creatures owe the debt of continued existence. It is unfathomably horrific to imagine what would happen to a city or land that drew down the ire of the Air Elementals. To have not only words but the very breath refused yourself and your peoples.
Indeed - praise the winds with every breath they deign to give you.
When one thinks of the Ronians the image that comes to mind first is most likely an Aieron. Their feathers are as multicolored as any Mans, and they are by far the most populous of the Ronians. Their flocks are common on Dargonia, Tolen, Dolor, the Sky Lakes, and even the steps leading to Moon. Their culture is a simple on - like most Ronians they avoid lasting settlements, and do not have a formalized form of writing of their own. Aierons are mostly hunters and their ancient arts are mostly dedicated to the rights of the hunt. They worship both the arcons of the skies, and the arcons of the hunt. Unlike some of the Ronians the Aierons are generally welcome amongst Imperials, Taurn tribes, and Orcnin hordes alike.
Some say the ancients ways of Diplomancy were first created by the Aierons. If this is true they have most certainly been surpassed in this art over the centuries. They still retain the arconistic arts of the many tongues, and their wayfinding ways are stronger than the other Ronians, but in this era it is the fey, the water born, that are the true masters of Diplomancy. Even the Elendi are able to create waystones and sure paths, an art that the Aierons have either lost - or never truly had. Perhaps like most of the Ronian peoples - their legends are prone to be aggrandized, but the possibility that it was the Aierons that first created the ways of Diplomancy is very real. They may have begun what others took up and took further than the Aierons ever would have needed to.
Being free of the land - the Aierons are the very definitions of "flighty" in that most are loath to enter into bargains or agreements with them. If a situation becomes difficult or embroiled in conflict beyond the Aieron's comfort they will simply take flight and depart. This tendency prevents the tribes of Aieron's from establishing any sort of strong business or trade relationships with other societies. Hence the Aierons have remained hunters and gatherers over the long centuries. It is difficult to imagine these habits changing with the weight of centuries of history driving a wedge between Aieron culture and the larger mercantile societies of the world. That said they are still always welcome in most cities as their services, if transitory, are always in demand.
Should one be lucky enough to find themselves at the mercy of Aieron hospitality be prepared for a smorgasbord of fine foods. At least if you are a meat eating person. The Aierons are consummate hunters and use their arts to prepare and keep meat in some of the most miraculous fashions. They maintain some of the strongest alliances with the Elemental beings of any culture and can literally cook their meat while in flight. It is rather difficult to keep up with an Aieron tribe if one cannot fly, however if necessary the Aierons will call upon the Air Elementals to carry you. Some tribes, that don't have such a good relationship with the Air, or when the Tribe is flying through Dark wind, craft rope bassinets from the grasses that grow on the stepps of the high skies. Their luggage and guests are able to ride in these if necessary.
A visiting flock of Aierons, or lost Aieron in search of a flock to join, are relatively simple guests to accommodate. Unless wounded severely the Aierons will hunt and cook their own food - a point of pride amongst the Aieron peoples. It can be difficult to convince them to attend such functions as fine dinners. The fact that such events are usually held inside a roofed hall is one of the major reasons for this. A proper host to a Aieron flock would do well to have any events held outside in the open air. Aierons are meat eaters, but are able to stomach fruits and nuts. They would prefer nuts to fruits, and regardless of the sides of a meal meat should remain the primary course. This is a point of contention as their cousins the Kieron are strictly fruit eaters and many a diplomatic disaster has resulted from being unable to discern the difference between the two peoples of Ronian.
Like most the Light Dragons are created not born. Light Dragons come from elementals of the the air or fire. During a dragon's rising an elemental will take on a more substantial shape and manifest flesh. Like all dragons each one is unique and forged by the mists with a purpose. In particular Dragons of Light are guardians of civilization. They are perhaps the most common of all dragons - most often found lounging on the walls of cities or flying regally outside of towns. They spend most of their time keeping the mists at bay, and retrieving those lost in the mists with their guiding light. Light Dragons are the friendliest to the peoples of the world and the most dire opponents of those that practice Arconistics.
While many are tempted to treat Light Dragons as friendlier than other dragons - do not fall prey to this temptation. They are as quick to anger as any dragon, and they are generally pre-occupied with their own matters. If you find yourself at ones mercy, or in need of ones aid - make your case quickly and simply and do not pressure them to aid you. Once they have made a decision they will not be swayed. Unlike most dragons there is nothing that can be brought to them as an offering as they survive off that most abundant of energy - the mists themselves.
When a Light Dragon comes to visit - feel honored. The only reason a Light Dragon will ever seek audience in an Imperial court is to barre tidings of either great calamity or wondrous fortune. It is best to accommodate them however they ask - and they should ask very little. There is no need to prepare them food or gifts, though songs and plays have been known to amuse them. Those of the Sky Lakes are regularly visited by Light Dragons - as the great wyrms seem to have some fondness for the chimes and pipes that the Sky Lakelanders make their music with.
Creatures of pure light. Similar in many ways to Air Elementals the Will-o-Whisp is a creature of the air. They are born from the conflicts of Air and Fire and have a unique personality of their own. They draw sustenance from the attention of living beings. They need no other food, but their need to be watched provokes them to perform many odd and otherwise unfathomable deeds. The kinder and more altruistic Will-o-whisps will act as guides to those lost in the woods. Often leading animals about the wilderness for days on end eventually bringing the creature in the path of a hunter or traveler. Will-o-whisps with darker hearts will lead those that have become fascinated by their light into fell traps where they can pester their prey continuously - feeding off the subjects attention while it wastes away in a pit or tangle vine prison.
Those that befriend will-o-whisps are lucky indeed as the creatures are capable of traveling nearly anywhere and finding almost anything on short notice. All that they ask in return is to be watched for a number of hours. Watching such a creatures is, while time consuming, quite amusing. Their aerial acrobatics are beyond compare. They are also able to start small fires with their sparkling bodies. Some Will-o-whisps make their "permanent" homes outside the gates of cities in the hopes of meeting travelers in need of a guide and "flying lamp" and others have been known to ally with a noble houses in larger cities. There they serve as watchmen on the busy streets where the eyes of many can see them.
If a swarm of Will-o-whisps arrive at your palace you are in luck. They need no food, nor lodging. It is a rare treat when all a guest asks is to be watched, particularly when watching them is such an amusing experience. There is reason to be cautious however. Will-o-whisps in large groups can become somewhat vicious. A lone traveler happening upon a large enough collection of will-o-whisps is in dire danger of being contained in a circle of the light beings until they have wasted away. A very large contingent of Will-o-whisps could descend upon a city and fill it full of light for days as the citizens are slowly lulled into a waking slumber that will only end with their deaths.
The most important thing to remember about Will-o-whisps is that they are not elementals, though they share many traits with them. Will-o-whisps have needs and will do what they can to attain them. Like all living creatures some are kind, and some are cruel. Some are willing to steal the attention of their prey and some are willing to work for it. In case of need simply remember that while a Will-o-whisp is difficult to grasp - once you have gotten hold of one destroying it is as easy as snuffing a candle flame. A wash of water, a sheet of dirt of cloth, or even a strong enough blast of wind will extinguish these "lamp-o-lights" (as they are called in Imperial City).
Dragon Born
1. Sky
2. Flame
3. Earth
4. Water
5. Beast
6. Plant
7. Light
• Beast Born
1. Dwar
• Montaran Dwar
• Imperial Dwar
• Iron Wall Dwar
• Ferry Born Dwaren
• Half Dwaren
• DwarMans
• Goblion Dwari
• Goblidoran
• Elen Dwari
• Feral Dwerein
• Feathered Dwari
• Hoofed Dwarentyr
• Clawed Dwarentyr
• Flipper Dwarentyr
• CenDwaren
• MinoDwaren
• MyroDwaren
• DarinDwari
• PherthanDwar
• MereDwarel
• BarkiDwaren
• Lanalfar Dwari (star)
• Hudder Dwari (stone)
• Derro Dwari (soot)
• Lanvatier Dwari (Kinder Elentsi)
• Gnomen Dwarel
• Sky Born Gnomes
• Star Eyed Gnomes
2. Elendi
• Sky Island Elendi
• Heart Land Elendi
• Feral Elendi
• Sky Born Elani
• Stone Born Elani
• Sand Born Elani
• Sea Crystal Elani
• Malenti Elani
• Dragon Hearted
• Dolorian Elentsi
• Kinder Elentsi
3. Mans
• Vampire / Healers
• Wild Homelanders (Vanara)
• Imperial Citizens
• Tolonese Citizens
• Sky Islanders
• Wight (blues)
• Bottom Landers
• Karnian
• Thalian
• Gemron Aberrants
• Arcon Hearts
4. Orcnin
• Orcnin Sa (Bugbear)
• Orcnin Ha (orcs)
• Orcnin Ka (Kobold)
• Troll
• “Scrag” Water Troll
• Hag (female troll).
• Hobgoblin
• Grimlock
• Gnoll
• Choker
• Ogre
• Shakar
• Fiend
• “The Misshapen” (Athach and Ettin)
• Skum
5. Taurn
• Weran (wolf/kangaroo/weasel)
• Satyr (goats/sheep/emu)
• Hotyr (otter/raccoon/seal)
• Centan (horse/donkey)
• Minotan (bull/buffalo/rhino)
• Dardan (deer/antelope/camel)
• Dolphryn (porpoise/whale/hippo)
• Miryn (mouse/squirrel/rat)
• Pherthan (felines)
• Barkan (dog/fox/pig)
6. Ronian (Achaierai)
• Aieron (wind) All skies
• Keiron (light) High Skies
• Fieron (flame) Mid and Low Skies
• Volturon (stone) Mid Low and Bottom Land
• Icthyron (water) Low Sky and Bottom Land
• Emuron (forests big flightless) Land Based
• Rhearon (plains small flightless) Land Based
• Bog Born
1. Darian
• Two Legs
• Four Legs
• Doomsayers
• Sting Tails
• Araneas (dopplegangers)
• Daritaurn (Drider)
2. (alligator/crocodile) Lizardfolk
3. (mantis/grasshopper)
4. Naga
• Anknaga
• Centipedial
• Two Arms
• Many Arms
• Behirish
• Salamander
5. Formians
• Worker
• Warrior
• Taskmaster
• Myrmarch
• Queen
6. Haggan (Sauhagin)
7. Eadro (Locathah)
8. Trogdorn (lodyte?)
9. Ooze
• Black Pudding
• Gelatinous Cube
• Gray Ooze
• Ochre Jelly
• Phasm
10. Chuul? (crab)
11. Aboleth (worm)
• Green Born
1. Dirt Eaters (plants)
• Treants
• Blooms
• Buds
• Caps
• Phantoms (Phantom Fungus)
• Shrubs
• Running Trees
• Standing Trees
2. Water Eaters (Nymphs)
• Tuathan (palaces)
• Chimera (dangerous places)
• Gorgon (stones and snakes)
• Grig (little lover)
• Pixie (little sleeper)
• Nixie (little killer)
• Bogan (homes, public greens)
• Gremlin (vehicles, machines)
• Gromit (workshops, factories)
• Knockin (tunnels, mines, ore veins)
• Alseid (glens, groves, meadows)
• Auloniad (pasture, vales)
• Crinaeae (fountains, city parks)
• Dryad (forests)
• Hamadryad (trees)
• Hesperides (flowers/gardens)
• Limnades (fresh water lakes)
• Meliae (graves, battlegrounds)
• Naiads (rivers)
• Napaeae (grotto)
• Nereids (shores)
• Oceanids (deep waters)
• Oreads (mountains)
• Pagaeae (springs)
3. Salt Eaters
• Strangling Trees
• Assassin Vines
• The Plauges
• Belker’s Plauge
• Shambler (Tendriculos)
• Bees
• Worker
• Warrior
• Taskmaster
• Apoidean
• Queen
• Kraken
• Volvocales
• Mucilan
• Pinguaca
• Droseran
• Filmsholk (high skies)
• Sky Born
• Will-o-Wisp
• Belker
• Ghaele
• Stone Born
1. Arcon Born (created)
• Gargoyle
• Zombie
• Skeleton
• Mummy
• Golem
• Azera
• Homunculus (tom thumbs)
• Watchers (Invisible Stalker)
2. Sand Born (genie)
• Djinni
• Efreeti
• Janni
• Stones
• Dirt
• Sand
• The Sculpted
• Elementals
• Air Elemental
• Earth Elemental
• Fire Elemental
• Water Elemental
• Giants
• Cloud Giant
• Fire Giant
• Frost Giant
• Hill Giant
• Stone Giant
• Storm Giant
3. Dust Born (ghosts)
• Wraith
• Allip (plant ghost)
• Bodak
• Angel
• Demon
• Shadow (plant ghost)
• Spectre
• Boggy
• Barghest
• Doppelganger (plant ghost)
• Ghilan (ghoul/ghast/genie-ghost/doppelganger)
• Lich
4. Mud Born (natural)
• Mimics
• Cloaker
• Gibbering (mouther)
• Magmin
• Roper
• Thoqqua
• Stalkers (invisible).
Masters of the endless seas. The Haggan are the reptilian rulers of the seas. Those who live on or in the endless seas know the Haggan well. Their armies control the largest swath of undersea territory of all the aquatic empires. The sheer numbers of the Haggan would make them a terrible opponent to the Empire if they were interested in land. Thankfully for the Empire the Haggan cannot live on the land and will never be a threat to the Empire. Their only opponents are those that live in the seas with them - the Aquan Elendi. The Aquan Elendi call them the Shakataurn, or sometimes the Shakear. There is some question as to whether the Haggan are in fact Taurn at all, and indeed they claim to have always lived below the waves of the endless seas. If that is true then they could not be true Taurn at all.
By most civilized standards the Haggan are vicious barbarians. Their society is brutal and simple. The majority of the population are warriors, and the few rulers of the Haggan live in relative opulence. A Haggan ruler is constantly accompanied with a harem of female Haggan that are both wives and an elite guard. As fierce as the Haggan soldiers are the four armed women of the Haggan are far more fierce. The children of an entire tribe are kept with the king and the women of the Haggan. This royal retinue of women and children rarely moves. The dominar of a Haggan tribe claims a place of calm waters within the territory of the tribe and most often remains there for the entirety of their short life. Even the longest lived Haggan rarely live to a hundred.
The soldiers of the Haggan are sent out from the calm as soon as they have learned the art of the spear or trident. In the vicious Haggan way they are left mostly to their own. They are told to gather together and seek out food or enemies of the Haggan - and capture them dead or alive. Outside of the calm that the dominar lives in the Haggan soldiers swim circles. Many never truly leave the safety of the larger swarm, and that is how the calm remains protected. The majority of the army simply gather fish and other meats for the dominar, the women, and the children. Periodically the dominar of the Haggan band will select the best hunters and give them a gift of having a chance to have children with one of the women. In times of war with other Haggan or Aquan Elendi this reward is given to the most successful warriors.
In the most absurdly remote possibility that any Haggan would ever seek audience personally with any member of the sky landers the first and foremost matter of propriety is of course the water. Haggan cannot live outside of the water for more than a couple hours at best. It is not unheard of for a Haggan diplomat (if one could be called as such) to travel in jars much as some merchant Trees travel in pots. This pot must be maintained with arconistically refreshed sea water. Fresh water, rain water, deluge water none of these will serve. There is some special property in the water of the seas that the Haggan need. It is a point of interest that you cannot drink sea water. It is extremely salty and attempting to drink it will cause uncomfortable side effects for any creature that is not accustomed to it.
Visiting a Haggan calm is something that could come to pass. The Haggan are a powerful force out in the seas and do occasionally barter with surface dwellers for goods and weapons. The Haggan do not have the arts of mining or metal working so any metal weapons they have are either scavenged from sunken ships or traded. It is important to note that Haggan "merchants" are always of the soldier class and are often willing to forgo trade and simply attack if the asking price gets too high. In the presence of the Dominar of a Haggan tribe the only rule is obsequiousness. "Do not disturb the calm" is the advice one elder Aquan Elendi diplomancer gives regarding making court with the Haggan. Quite simply - doing so will result in you becoming the next meal for the tribes children.
The spirits of the mechanics. When a working machine is created the sum of its concept and components combine to create a sprite. These creature are usually invisible and mostly innocuous. For the most part they remain as they are, unawakened from their humming slumber save for the occasional knock on the machine, or a breakdown. Should the device that is their physical body breakdown they will most certainly begin to howl and wail at their "bodies" failure and those that are able to hear the speaking of the sprites will most certainly find their noisomeness disturbing. A Gremlin does not become a "true" Gremlin in its own right until the day that their vessel is destroyed.
Without their physical form to rest in the Gremlin is loosed. Many are rapidly devoured by greater spirits, but some of these wily sprites are able to slink and hide until they can find refuge in a greater machine. Once a Gremlins first form has been broken it can conjoin with another to maintain. Alternatively it can slink silently around corners simply surviving. Should the Gremlin inhabit another machine it will slowly bond with that machine's natural Gremlin until the two are one and greater than before. This more powerful Gremlin grants the machine abilities beyond the mere mechanical function of it, and the process is encouraged by machanics of many disciplines.
The cost of growing gremlins is that, while your machines become capable of wonders beyond their simple function, they are also endowed with certain quirks and attitudes a simple Gremlin would not normally possess. Something of the previous machines nature is carried over to the new and in their synergy the device can become slightly hard headed. Even so much as to refuse to function under certain circumstances. Simple teams of Gremlins are often sacrificed through burning their device when it nears its breaking point in order to prevent their Gremlins from escaping and joining with others.
Gremlins are not polite house guests. Even the greater Gremlins of many composite connections. The great walking contraptions long loosed of any masters control. The Gremlin feed off of motion. Knocks and bangs. Whistles and humms. Far from being willing to sit politely at a dinner table while others eat an adventuring Gremlin is at best in search of some mechanically talented person able to correct some design flaw or component in disrepair. It is said that the greatest of Gremlins transcend physical form and become something more like and Air elemental or genie. Such greater mysteries of the arcon dominions is beyond the scope of this treaties.
The Dardan are Taurn of few words. More so than their fellows the Dardan are usually quite. Their eyes watch their surroundings carefully and their minds are always looking into the future for any possible eventuality. They are travelers, and have been since before the fall of Taurna. Despite being travelers they are one of the rarer breeds of Taurn. Their numbers have remained few throughout the centuries. Their tribes are most common on Dargonia and Dolor, but a fair population exists on the Bottom Lands. Of course there are Dardan on Wild Home, but as with any that live on Wild Home it is hard to say much in regards to them.
Many mistake the Dardan for the legendary Centan, but the difference is plain to see in their build and feet. Not only their build but also their cultural attitude. The Centan were the ruling breed of Taurn. They have carried the weight of that legacy for centuries. Not so with the Dardan. The quite peoples of the Dardan have remained silently on the sidelines throughout history. While the Centan seem to seek out ways of strengthening their legacy the Dardan look to the skies and watch the changing of the winds, content to travel on when change comes.
A connection to the weather marks the Dardan apart from many of the other Taurn. Something in their quiet nature perhaps grants them an understanding of the Air Elementals that others lack. Due to this connection the Dardan have escaped many calamities simply by not being there. Without cities to call their own the Dardan have no qualms about vanishing from their encampments with little or no notice. Their presence is rarely even noticed by the nobility on an area, and if anyone complains about their arrival it is the Blooms. The Dardan tend to take up the same spaces as the Blooms when they visit a city.
Should an envoy of Dardan arrive to visit your city the foremost thing to consider is space. Dardan tribes prefer room to run and play with the winds. Most likely even a full diplomatic envoy will consist of only a few members of the tribe entering the city or castle. Something in their nature shies away from the enclosures of Mans. The Dardan, unlike the Centan or the Satyr have retained their four legged nature. What that means regarding the curse of Taurn is difficult to say, but nonetheless the Dardan are nearly impossible to seat at a table. That said - chairs are not necessary for them, they will kneel and at most Imperial tables that should suffice. They have historically indicated no dietary proscriptions.
To visit the Dardan is a pleasant affair. They do not keep permanent structures, and they eat mostly nuts and fruits and certain grasses. They do hunt at times, but only for certain light meats. Mostly lizard and bird. They are a welcoming people but do not take their hospitality as foolishness. They are a watchful people. Constantly wary, one step out of line and you will find their spears at your neck. They are protective of what they have, and do not keep more than they need. Try to take what is theirs and they will fight viciously. Asking for aid of the Dardan takes no special ceremonies however.
Formians are a strange bog born race that lives only on the bottom lands. Near the lands of the Darians there is a mountain that is inhabited by a people often confused with the Darians. Like the Darians their skeletons are on the outside of their bodies, and they have an extra pair of limbs. Unlike the Darians the Formians have a consistent number of limbs. While the Darians society is ranked by number of legs, the Formian society is ranked by size. The Grand Mother of all the Formians is the largest. Her husbands the next, and their multitudes of children consecutively smaller.
The Formians are great builders. They work together with using a mental link so that they do not disturb each others work or get in each others way. The majority of the Formians are technically female. Most however are unable to become mothers. The Grand Mother gives birth to all the children on the colony. Amongst the workers and the warriors there are certain special Formains that have the potential to become a Grand Mother. These are called the taskmasters. If the Grand Mother dies the colony goes through a series of internal convulsions as the taskmasters compete for the Myrmarch's attention. When this happens all work in the colony comes to a halt.
The warriors war with each other, the workers become idle. The taskmasters bicker amongst themselves and the Myrmarchs sit back and watch the colony go through upheaval. The exact circumstance that converts Myrmarchs to the side of one taskmaster or another is difficult to determine simply by historical accounts. The three colonies of Formian that live in the swamp lands of the Darians control have not gone through upheaval recently. The details of the transition of power are obscured mainly by the abnormal nature of the Formians. Like most bog born they bear little resemblance to the beast born. Even the Darians are far more fathomable than the strange Formains.
Formians will never send a diplomatic envoy to an Imperial city. A merchant group may pass through led by taskmaster. A war band may find its way to your borders, but the Myrmarchs and the Grand Mother do not leave their colony. In the recorded history of the Darians diplomatic negotiations with the Formians have always taken place within the colonies themselves. An errant taskmaster is one such that it is difficult to anticipate their behavior. To have left the colony implies some irregularity in the taskmaster. The best that can be said is that Formains are scavengers by nature and will eat nearly anything without complaint.
Visiting a Formian colony is not advisable. The environment is bizarre. The workers and warriors are in constant motion. The majority of the colony is underground, and the to visit the Grand Mother you must be led through countless winding tunnels into a deep and dark cavern wherein the Myrmarchs entertain the Grand Mother with their songs written in clicks and hums. Even speaking to a taskmaster on the surface of a colony can be a disturbing experience. Formians are loath to trade, and far more likely to take any visitors as a form of food offering from your people. In general, avoid the Formian colonies.
The Star Born Dwar. These Dwar are perhaps one of the most astounding peoples of the entire world. They do not truely belong in this world. They are in fact of the worlds beyond the world. There is no way short of miracle or vile arconistics to travel to their homeland in the stars beyond the Dragon's Crown Isle. The only contact the mortal peoples of the world have with the Lanalfar is via their trading ships that descend from the heavens into the upper and mid skies. They are Dwar, their stature and their language reveals this clearly, but their eyes shine with the starlight that is their true home. Their skin glows with the energy celestial and if you touch one you can feel the heat of the realms beyond.
The Lanalfar keep the secrets of their homeland safe with them. They never speak of what their homeland is like, and are never quite clear as to why they are descending from the high realms into the world to trade goods with mortals. The fact is that they do, and are extremely good at it. Their presence is something fearful and causes merchants to react with awe. Their luminescent ships sail in a fashion unlike the Gnomish and Tolenese vessels. Few have been allowed to travel on the Lanalfar ships, but they claim that the vessels are larger on the inside than on the out. It would come as no surprise to anyone if the Lanalfar carried portals to their homelands with them on their miraculous star ships.
Speculations abound regarding the Lanalfar. They are mysterious and rarely speak. They make their transactions and move to the next port. Those that deal with them cannot say that they are not fair, and they pay almost exclusively in barter. It is not that they avoid crystal, but it seems they are more interested in moving goods from one location to another. Those that travel with them say that they do not eat. They do not sleep. They are not mortal. All these things may or may not be true. Such a mysterious people may take pains to increase the mystique of their nature. They are most certainly prone to singing together. Their songs burst from their docked ships with every dawn's light.
Visiting a Lanalfar is as simple as booking passage on their vessels. Despite countless peoples attempting to ride with them back into the stars the Lanalfar have refused to bring any with them to their homeland. They do not seem afraid of anyone. Simply certain that the peoples of the world cannot go with them back to their homeland. Many think that the reason for this is that we who live in this world are unable to survive either the transit or the arrival to the Lanalfar's homeland. The fact that none have ever seen them eat or sleep supports this theory quite strongly. While traveling with the Lanalfar be certain to be ready to prepare your own meals, as they wont.
A visiting Lanalfar crew are obsequies guests. They are quite, but not rude. They are do not eat but they will tell tales of their travels and speak of practical matters from the lands they have been to recently. There is not need to feed them as they will not eat regardless. There is no need to offer them lodging as they will return to their ship to rest. One certain way to make a good impression is to ask them to sing one of their songs. They love to sing and they have an amazing knack of being able to sing together. The language of the Lanalfar is such that while it is Dwar .. it is difficult to decipher the details of the songs. Regardless the sound is beautiful.
I should probably be a little more strait forward about "where this is going" :embarrass people have asked after all - and I responded with casual flippancy - as I find amusing. What I find funny - others might find offending, but thems the breaks eh?
LULU.COM/SHEA_REINKE
Its a bookstore. On this bookstore is a couple of scripts, a short story, and the appendix/outline and forwards of the book that you are here in this thread reviewing. Yes - I am serious. I am planning on turning this into something I am planning on selling. Map makers? Artists? Anyone who wants to get pro cred and (if/when by some act of fortune) MONEYS!
I am totally serious about this - not only am I so totally serious about this that not only can you lay money on the fact that the majority of what you see here is going to appear in the book titled "A Wonderful World, Bestiary" (barring death by disaster - just to be precise), I would also like to proposition those of you with some amount of editorial bent.
The Masters of the Sea. Oft Called Water Mans. The Thalians are the most populous Mans of the seas. Unlike Mans that live on the land and venture out into the seas the Thalians do not sail in boats. The Thalians live in a most amazing and unique form of city. Their cities are made of crystal. The famed crystal cities of the Thalians are actually alive. The cities are ever changing as the crystal grows over time. The most important profession amongst the Thalians is the art of singing crystal. Without the Crystal singers the city walls would grow uncontrolled and eventually open a vent from which water could cascade into the city and sink the entire settlement. Those born with the gift to sing crystal are given the very best the city has to offer, and are the symbolic leaders of the Thalians.
For the most part Thalian crystal cities do not interact with the surface world hardly at all. Most of their trade is done with sea born races such as the Malenti (Sea Elendi) and even some with the Haggan. The Thalian cities may sink deep into the waters to harvest goods from fallen ships. There are also deep sea cities that have attached themselves to mines on the bottom of the world. These deep sea mines are the Thalians most well protected settlements as the Haggan hoards are most interested in taking possession of ready made sources of metal. The Thalians are technically Imperials, but are rare to attend any form of Imperial councils on the bottom lands. Similar to the Malenti the Thalians see themselves as beyond the reach of the normal Imperial business. Disputes between the Thalians and the Malenti are handled differently than the way that Land and Sky dwelling Imperials handle such matters.
Thalians harvest mostly fish and sea plants for their food. They, like all Mans, are capable of eating nearly anything. The one thing that defines their diet is availability. There are certain plants that the Thalians are able to grow on the very crystal that makes up their city, but most of their vegetable and fruit are gotten through trade with the Malenti. The Malenti, like the Haggan, are mostly interested in the weapons of worked metal and crystal that the Thalians produce. When trading with the Imperial cultures that are willing to venture out to sea to meet with a Thalian crystal city when it surfaces seasonally the prize that most seek is the very crystal that makes up the city. The living crystal has one particular trait that makes it invaluable to those that travel the waters of the world. Placing a shard of the crystal inside your mouth allows you to breath water as though it were air for nearly an hour before the crystal dissolves.
Traveling to a Thalian city is far easier than attempting to visit the Malenti. Furthermore, visiting a Thalian city is most often the first step in attempting to meet with the Malenti. Thalian cities surface twice a year, depending on their city's calender. Due to ancient trading arrangements with their Imperial cousins the Thalians will always surface at the same location so that trade is made easier. Those that wish to visit a Thalian city for longer than a couple of weeks as they make trade with the surface, and enjoy the open air, are in for an extended duration. Six or seven months will pass while the Thalian city travels under the surface of the sea. Beyond that, the Thalians are remarkably Imperial. Customs and language are mostly familiar, save that the crystal singers are granted the deference that most would apply only to Kings and High Councilmen.
In the rather rare case that a retinue of Thalian nobility should attend your court the most proper thing to do is treat them as you would any other Imperial guest. The Thalians are Mans, and appreciate novelty in their dining. They live their entire life on a diet of fish and will rather enjoy whatever local delicacy your province or kingdom has to offer. Noble Thalians are as well versed in the matters of court and council as any Imperial house, and should you consider it judicious to be pointedly tactful the exploits of the Thalian houses are readily available from Imperial scribes. The most common mistake in diplomacy with the Thalians is in accidentally treating them as you would the Malenti. Thalians are most certainly Malenti - despite their common relations with them.
When a soul cannot rest, or will not. The souls of those that were not properly interred rise to haunt the area that their remains reside in. In civilized realms wraiths are almost unheard of. In the wilderness and in certain realms they are far too common. Should someone die in the wilderness for any reason they will most certainly raise as a wraith. Hence the civilized Mans natural fear of traveling through most wilderness. In some of the less civilized regions of the Empire the dead are not properly cared for and in these realms they are plagued with these angry dead. The Taurn and the Orcnin deal with wraith in a fashion that most Imperials would find repulsive, however they do so for reasons they consider adequate.
The great roads of the Bottom Lands were originally created to protect travelers from the countless wraiths that plague the expanses of the Bottom Lands. Perhaps it is the Empire's own fault as their ancient form of execution was to simply toss an offender over the ridge and allow them to fall to their death. It was these angry spirits that most thoroughly vexed the original expeditions to the Bottom Lands and provoked the ancient Imperial archonists to create the great roads and enchant them so that wraiths, as well as other creatures such as the Orcnin, could not set foot upon them.
Regions such as Reval have taken to dealing with the angry dead in much the same fashion that the Taurn and the Orcnin do. Instead of interring their dead in a proper fashion - binding their souls to the greater powers and releasing them properly from their material shell - the Taurn, the Orcnin, and some Bottom Lands Imperial houses have taken up the practice of binding the souls to service. Upon death the souls is captured in a gemstone imbued with Arconistic power. This bound souls is doomed to be a servitor to the gemstone's owner much as the Genies are. Their only hope for release being the destruction of the stone.
A wraith as a guest is unlikely. They may maraud your house but not in any fashion that resembles pleasant company. The problem most certainly stems from a wraith inability to perceive the present properly. A wraith will always recognize those around it as being those that were present when it was killed. Some shadow of recognition may glimmer in the dead soul, but not hardly enough to alter its behavior. The only types of wraith safe to keep around uncontained are those that died of simple causes such as food poisoning or accident. Those that were murdered or mauled by dire beasts are a threat to all those who come near. Those that died of accident are often still quite annoying as they are prone to wailing for unending hours.
Should you find a wraith and desire to do something about it the most simple process it to contain it within a gemstone much as the Revalians do. This fact alone is the reason that the laws allow that particular arconistic ritual to this day. Without the simple yet powerful ritual of containing wraiths in imbued stones many of the greatest Imperial houses would be haunted to this day. More difficult, yet better for the soul in the long view, is a ritualized internment. The longer the remains have been left to the elementals the more difficult it becomes to complete the ritual, but nonetheless interring the body of the wraith will at the very worst contain the wraith to the proper area of your city or village - the graveyard.
The unseen watchers. The invisibles. These beings are mysterious to the extreme. Their society is as invisible to most as they themselves are. Many mistake them for a form of air elemental, but nothing could be further from the truth. Stalkers, or watchers as they are known by some, are simply another race that lives and loves in this wide and wonderful world. They make their settlements in the shadows and nooks of larger cities. There are a select few cities that are even aware of a the Stalker settlements that co-exist with them just around the corner and in the lee of the city walls.
Save for their invisibility Stalkers look much like hairless Barkin. An interesting point is that they are invisible to each other as well. They occasionally participate in a ceremony that reveals their appearance to each other. This rare moment is something that the Stalkers treasure and anticipate with great fervor. Marriages and coming of age ceremonies are happy occasions. Condemnations and executions are less joyous, but are also occasions when a Stalker's appearance is revealed to the community. In lieu of the ability to see each other the Stalkers must rely on their hearing and touch to interact with each other. Their language has perhaps the most explicit form of location declaration of any of the known languages of the world.
The most celebrated and famous of the Stalker settlements is the one in Imperial city. They live primarily in the 7th tier. Along with most Orcnin and races that prefer subterranean life. Stalkers are not subterranean by nature, however they find it easier to interact with those that do not utilize sight as their primary sense. The Stalkers of Imperial city are equally urbane as any, and despite the Stalkers less than illustrious reputation throughout the Empire they are respected members of society in Imperial city. The next most well known Stalker settlement is far less respected. Found in the Sky Lakes the city is known to be a haven for scum and villainy.
Stalkers are hardly a unified society. For the most part they simply find places for themselves amongst the societies they find themselves in. Sadly due to their natural gifts the Stalkers find it easy to associate themselves with the darker elements of any given area. A Stalker makes a profoundly effective thief and the guilds that organize such things are constantly seeking to bring more Stalkers into their fold. Thankfully the majority of Stalkers are simple people more interested in family and health. At this time there is no recognized nobility amongst the Stalkers. Instead they simply either swear fealty to the nearest Imperial Noble or attempt to avoid such issues entirely by remaining simple commoners.
Should a rare family of Stalkers consider itself noble and make an official reception at your court the first most important thing to consider is not their invisibility. They have no qualms regarding being spoken directly towards. In fact the occasions on record with the Imperial archives indicate that Stalkers will usually present statuary to serve as focal objects for their hosts. This practice is apparently used in the homes of the Stalkers as well. The Stalker children grow to adult hood speaking to an images of their parents created by a member of the family from the memories of their appearances that were revealed during the marriage ceremonies.
The Shackled Dead. The Embodied Ghost. The Ghilan are actually a class of ghost that refers to several different types of dead. Ghouls are Ghilan that come from Mans, Ghasts Ghilan that come from Elendi, and Ghilan proper are actually the dead souls of the Genies. There is a fourth type of Ghilan most often called the Doppelganger that comes from dead plants. The Doppelganger is sufficiently different from other Ghilan that it will be covered in its own entry. The Ghilan are often mistaken for undead due to the fact that they have physical bodies unlike most ghosts, but unlike the undead a Ghilan will reform its body some days after being destroyed.
They key element that defines whether a dead soul raises as a Ghilan as opposed to a Wraith is in the amount of arconistic power that the body is invested with at the moment of death. Genies of course always become Ghilan due to the vast amounts of arconistic power they collect naturally, but Ghouls and Ghasts are created from the death of an arconistic master. Despite any knowledge or power collected by the Ghilan in life the Ghilan of Mans, Elendi, and Genie are all mostly alike. They are near mindless beings that differ from zombies only in their sturdier nature and their ability to reform when destroyed.
Many consider battling a Ghilan less unsettling than battling a being such as a Wraith or Spectre. Most ghosts are bodiless and extremely difficult to defeat. It requires a powerful force of presence to defeat a bodiless ghost, but a Ghilan can be beaten into submission through simple force. They can be destroyed, at least for a while, through the same means that one destroys any opponent. One can usually tell whether a Ghilan has been defeated once before as the newly risen Ghilan will often retain the clothing and equipment they carried in life. Whereas as Ghilan that has been defeated a number of times will usually be dressed in the remnants of rags or nothing at all.
Ghilan are unlike most ghosts in that they are not bound to the location of their death. Instead they wander aimlessly throughout the world. Should they be destroyed they will reform in the place of their original death, and in that way they are connected to the place of their death. Most commonly the Ghilan will attempt to attack and devour any living beast they come across. What exactly motivates them to do so is somewhat obscure as the Ghilan needs no food to live. It is presumed that the remnants of intelligence that remain in the dead vessel motivate the Ghilan to reenact the most basic activity of the living which is to feed.
There are those that have attempted to put a Ghilan to rest by seeking out its original place of death and setting the reforming body of the Ghilan in a proper burial. This act is pointless. Even a properly interred Ghilan will simply claw its way out of its grave and continue its mindless attempts to feed on living flesh. The Genie are the only people that have a reasonable method of getting rid of the Ghilan. As all Genie that die become Ghilan it was incumbent upon them to find a way to deal with the phenomena. The arconistically adroit Genie simply open a portal directly into the darkest of the shadow planes of existence. They place the Ghilan there and leave it to wander for eternity.
Interested, I downloaded the 78 pages you have published on the site, and started reading them about 45 minutes ago. I am now on page 25 (not very far in).
I love it. It is good to the point where I almost don't feel right reading it. Personally, I think you have hit home with this book.
I am good with a red pen, and would be honored if you would allow me to even correct spelling and grammatical errors.
I have also been know to squeeze out a good map or two (only by hand though, computer programs are too inefficient for map-making).;)
This might be of interest though (particularly the map)
Those once known as Gnome. Not Kinder Elentsi. The Elen Dwari are often mistook for the Kinder Elentsi in that they are almost identical in appearance. The difference is that Kinder Elentsi are a completely separate people created by the wizards during the wizard wars, and the Elen Dwari are the result of a Dwar female mating with an Elen. These Dwari are thinner and less hairy than most Dwar, and are much longer lived as well. Like most Dwari they are rare, and considered unacceptable by Dwar society. The only place for an Elen Dwari is with the Elen. They are a part of the Elendi houses, and while there has never been a noble house of Elen Dwari, they have served Elendi houses with great honor.
Elen Dwari are more Dwar than Elen. They must consume at least some meat to maintain a healthy diet, and that puts them in an odd place amongst the herbavoracious Elendi. Elen Dwari are often the beast keepers of the Elen. Which means that visitors to an Elendi settlement have a disproportionate amount of contact with the Elen Dwari. When Mans, Taurn, or Orcnin visit the Elendi the nobility will often employ an Elen Dwari to prepare meals for the meat eaters. Elen Dwari are also employed regularly to act as guides and diplomancers for those that are unfamiliar with Elendi society. Due to the fact that they hold such an unusual place in that society.
Great ideas - the setting is very imaginative and you play with and subvert cliches wonderfully. But due to your somewhat unclear writing style and the lack of any organization all I've been able to glean is a series of interesting, clever and apparently unconnected ideas. I would suggest that before posting anything else you edit and re-organize your posts to make the world a little more cohesive.
Did you read the book at lulu? That should clarrify the "organization" intended.
This should help as well. "A field guide for the modern adventurer and socially elite." Written in character by three characters. "Testing..." ;) AND!
what say you unclear!!:P example!
Of the fifteen houses of note that rule the bulk of the Imperial Realm of the Bottom Land Isle. (1), (2), and (3) are of but little import, and the rest not at all save for their allegiance and role in regards to the affairs of the House of Lou. Founded by Lounawn of Asper. A commoner by all respects. Lounawn was the surviving enlisted commander of the Imperial beach head on the Bottom Land Isle. The commonly called Crosslands are the colony that grew from that original claim of territory. Won through one of the most terrible uses of force against the Trees that was ever perpetuated by the empire.
Claiming the golbin coast of the Bottom Lands was a conflagration of fire and Arconistic powers. The ships that sailed there were all lost. Every noble born died within days. It was the ground forces that survived through the fires that they had themselves started. Lounawn was the ranking Imperial military commander and his house has stood as noble as any or greater. As of this year the Supreme Commander of the Dragoons of the Bottom Land Isle is a descendant of Lounawn. Fornu Loun, Lord Regent Commander Supreme of the Forces of the Supreme Imperial Council of Bottom Lands. His favorite dish is Cake, preferably lemon or orange.
Visiting the Crosslands in Retinue is a everything that is to be expected here in Asper or anywhere upon Old Ragonia. Visitors from Ragonia or even the Ferry Rover are celebrated with great vigor. The Ferry Rover stops in the Crosslands once a year. During the Festival of Lands Down. In honer of the original Landing. It is quite a site to see, Ferry Rover Isle blotting out the sky with the Blooms waving at the Statue of Lounwan. Bottom Lands Imperials are of a slightly darker hue. The deep reds and blues of the Bottom Landers make the Ragonians of Asper look as pastel as an Elendi.
There are True Elendi that visit the Crosslands. The Elendi's Isle floats on the Endless Sea just goval of the Bottom Lands Isle. Sailing in a sea ship around the Pridelands and the Iron Wall is actually fairly pleasant. Traveling through the Crosslands to the Elendi Isle is something that most Noble Ragonians decide to do during their search. The high priestess of Miria may tell you if your stone is a purpose stone, but one must sail in a sea ship with her further goval than even the Thalians sail. There by the light of the Sea Sun alone she may tell you. It is a long journey, but a pleasant one. Ride Ferry Rover to the Bottom Lands, stay in the Crosslands in comfort for a season. Sail the Endless Sea to the Elendi's Isle of Trees.
There is a ponderousness amount of material readily available in any Ragonian Library regarding the Houses and day to day affairs of the Crosslands. High Council is held regularly with all Imperial Houses, save for the dreadful (t) Houses. Reval, the nearest regency to the Lou's, is (t). The hold High council with none save the Crosslands unless necessary, and only them at High Season. Revalia's Hunts are best avoided by those that have no business there. It is best to stay within the wings of House Lou. If somewhat provincial by Ragonian standards, House (2) has made for various arrangements from the Tolonese. And of course House (1) holds the land guarding the gates to the Long Road, important for those who would have dealings with the Taurn of the Pride Lands.
The Vanara, the Wild Runners, The Beast Mans. This breed of Mans is found almost exclusively on the greater Isle of Wild Home. The Vanara are always in the company of animals. So much so that they have been known to suffer and die of some strange mystic illness when separated from their beasts. The Vanara have an ability to communicate with the animal kind to an extent beyond measure sans the miracles of the ancients or the arcons. A quick visual examination of a Varana reveals readily their connection to their animals. Their very forms are altered to signify their bond to their animals.
There seems to be no limit to the kind of animal that a Varana can be bound. Bird, beast, snake, even dragon linked Varana have been recorded by the Imperial archivists. Often enough you will meet traveling Varana, they call themselves "Runners" which seems to be some specific linguistic convulsion that is attempting to avoid the terms Traveler or Adventurer. Trader specifically seems to be an insult to the Varana. Those that venture beyond the hunting grounds of their homelands to the wider world are seeking something. Be it knowledge or wealth they do not expect to pay for it with more than force. The Varana do not trade crystals for goods and services as we do.
The Taurn and the Varana have found one mutual agreement amongst themselves that has been reliably reported via the disparate visitors from Wildhome. Neither the Taurn or Varana of Wildhome mine the metal of their Isle. It is considered sacred by both of the most powerful peoples of the Wildhome, and the Varana in specific will often refuse to touch metal objects for fear of offending their ancients. Those that have converted to the Arcons of the Empire put aside this silly superstition, and more than once an Imperial envoy has been tasked with delivering swords and spears to the Varana town of Falinport. Falinport is the last Imperial Dock created before the fall of Taurn.
Falinport is the most that any sane Imperial will ever see of Wildhome or the Varanal. There is nothing of great worth hidden in the vast forests of Wildhome that one would even consider contacting the hidden elders of the Varanal about. What little trade occurs with the people of Wildhome, be they Taurn, Orcnin, Ronian, or Varana happens through Falinport. Most Varana that visit Dargonia and Tolen come travel here first. The journey is not an easy one for a Varana or a Taurn. The Standing Blooms control the majority of the territory separating the passage to Falinport from the rest of the Isle. These weird Dome headed blooms will have no dealings with the Empire, yet remain clustered around the city of Falinport. Silent as a Bloom.
Actually traveling through the Bloom fields and finding your way into the heart of the Wildhome Isle is a feat in itself, but if you accomplish that task then you will have made your way to one of the most dense and dangerous forests in the entire world. The Taurn travel in hunting territories around regions controlled by Ronians, Orcnin, or Varana. The Varana territories are near caves and contested by the Orcnin. The Ronians rarely threaten the ground dwellers. Easily the most effective form of negotiation amongst the Varana is force. According to legend the Varana Cuisine is a story best left untold. They eat of the hunts they make into the wilderness of Wildhome, and to refuse to share a meal with them is something that could warrant your death. The Varana are not civil in the standard sense of the term and should not be treated as such. Violate their superstition at your own peril.
Goblins are considered to be the most worthless of all the Orcnin. It is said that Ogran denied them the gift of intelligence so that they would better serve their masters. The Goblidoran are the Goblin that have embraced Doloria's proclamation of Elendra's forgiveness. The created Isle of Dolor is protected by the strength of the Dolorians and the Power of the Druids, but the day to day management of the Dolorian Society is handled by the Goblidoran. Elendra's gift to the Goblin that have accepted her forgiveness is the great minds that Ogran denied them. The Goblidoran call Elendra Sul'Ogran. It means "Not of Ogran" in their ancient Goblin language, and was the name that they knew her her by before they became the Goblidoran.
The Goblidoran are keen linguists. Unlike their Dolorian brothers, for whom they have literally created a language that without the Dolorians would still be speaking Orcnin, the Goblidoran pride themselves on their intelligence. With the power of the Druids maintaining the prosperity of the Isle of Dolor the Goblidoran spend most of their time handling the Druid's affairs with the Imperial councils. Trade is not uncommon between the Imperial nations and the Dolorians that rule the Isle of Dolor, and when it does occur is handled by the Goblidoran. The linguists of the Goblidoran have gone so far in their language craft to create a specific language to use when in council with each of the Imperial houses.
The Goblidoran keep the history of the Dolorians. The Druid ancients that Doloria found through her call to Elendra's service taught the Goblidoran the ways of the Elen Demes. The Goblidoran build in the manner of the Elen. They find room in the natural forest for their structures and farms. Their food is remarkably similar to the Elen, and in fact visiting a Goblidoran city is a jarring experience. It is as though an Elen Deme was overrun and every Elen was replaced with an equally congenial Goblin. If you are not aware of the legends of Doloria and how she escaped doom of Arconistic Isle the image of Goblin living as Elen would most certainly be difficult to believe, but it is the reality of life on Dolor. The only major difference between the Goblidoran's diet and that of the Elendi's is their inclusion of milk with most of their drinks.
The tribe of Ogre that became the Dolorians received the call of of Elendra through the prophet Doloria. For the simplicity of remembrance the Goblidoran decided to use Doloria and Elendra interchangeably when speaking with the Dolorians. While Elendra's forgiveness granted the Dolorians beauty and strength the Goblidoran embraced their gift of knowledge. The power hierarchy of the Created Isle is simple The Dolorians rule the Isle of Dolor. At the direction of the Druids, and with the aid of the Goblidoran Scribes. The first of the Goblidoran were the Goblins that Doloria saved from Arconistic Isle. Doloria received the call of Elendra just before the Fall of Taurn and the subsequent destruction of Arconistic Isle.
Diplomatic envoy to the Goblidoran is a treat. Their cities are so similar to the Elen Demes, and yet so different for being populated by the short lived Goblindoran. Meat of any kind is considered abhorrent by most Goblidoran. It will never be served in the lands of the Goblidoran, and serving it to an envoy of Goblidoran would amount to an outright failure to respect their culture. The Goblidoran are not Orcnin, despite their appearance, and treating them as Orcnin will serve only to infuriate them and breach whatever deal you are trying to make with them for Dolorian goods or protection. Speak to them in any language from anywhere in the wonderful world but do not even show them caged fowl.
The silent workers of the Dwar. Grommits are the most populous amongst the Dwaren peoples. Grommits grow in the corners of factories and behind sheds. It takes only a turn for a Grommit to develop to the point of joining the workforce with their brethren. Grommits are an example of some of the most single minded and studious of all the fae. Their birthplaces are only to be found in the proximity of warehouses, and something of the magic that naturally surrounds buildings of construction and labor draws the power of the nature gods and with it the mists and the Grommits. The urge to work is so manifest in Grommits that they are known for working their wooden hands to the point of burning.
More so than most the Grommits will do whatever they can to keep the mists at bay from their (term). The Dwar find this trait of the Grommits quite appealing and they are happy to give the Grommits the ash and salts they request in payment for their service. The customs of the Grommits are all centered around work and the travails therein. Without their jobs to go about they seek out places to travel to. In the most ancient of Dwaren cities the Grommits abound. Their short twiggy forms clothed in a similar fashion to the Dwar, and their creaking voices the sound of snapping twigs in contrast to the deep gravel of the Dwar. The Grommits seem the most at home in the dark firelit caverns of the Dwar.
The Dwar that are found elsewhere are not the same sort as the constantly creaking Grommits that live throughout the Dwaren Empire. More Grommits are to be found in the Bottom Lands, and of the Isles in the Skies GemRon has the largest population of Grommits. The industrious nature of ports and docks means that you will also find them there. It is the rare port that does not have a cluster of Grommits willing to lend a hand for burnt wood and growing salts. They need the ash and salts for their young, and it is the ritual amongst the elder Grommits to have their bodies burnt after their death to provide their nutrients to their people. It is a great favor to the Grommits if you bring them one of their fallen to be burnt.
The largest settlements of Grommits in the realms of the Empire are on GemRon. The Grommits there are fully represented in Imperial Councils, and while their rights to territory are occasionally invasive to some it is sufficiently similar to the agreements the Tuatha have with the Empire that the worst of the matter is complaints from the owners of property the Grommits combined their leverage to purchase for their people. Transplanting more than a small amount of Grommits to a new area is almost impossible. Containing or eliminating one is a simple matter of torch. There have been no outright hostilities between the Empire and Grommits, not without the Dwar involved at least. There have been a few recorded incidents of a (term) being destroyed by land owners that did not appreciate the Grommits helpfulness.
Visiting with the Grommits is a simple affair. They love to tell stories and dance by the fire. Their music is fast and snappy. Their dance is lively and full of jumping. The wooden fae leap over fire for the fun of it. As far as food is concerned they keep many types of berry tree growing amongst their children and eat little more than that. It is not at all uncommon however for the Grommits to have mastered a number of Imperial dishes to accommodate guests. Like most they like visitors and will gladly trade tales with you for days. Under no circumstances expect them to call off any of their work however. Grommits work long days and then return home to dance the most of the night. You are of course always welcome to join them at a job.
In still pools the Limnades dance. Round and calm the Limnades guard their homes from intruders with their magic as opposed to their force of arms. Limnades are formidable to face. They are long lived and their faces do not betray their emotions easily. You know what they want you to know of them. They have little interest in the world of Mans beyond the art that we produce. Limnades do not need anything from the busy world of the Empire, but they occasion our cities to make selections of our finest arts. These nymphs of the lakes usually travel with a small retinue. Pixies, Gorgons, and Bogans are their often allies when they are found outside their lake homes.
Ancient alliances between the Dryad, the Gorgon, and the Limnades keep the lands that the Nymphs claim nearly impassable to those that are not on good ground with the Trees. While the Limnades in particular have never begun open conflict with any Imperial provinces their allies are the Trees and the Limnades have not forgotten the Battles of Iron wall. The loss of their great lakeside palaces in the Empire's conflicts with the ancient Tuathan has made the Limnades cautious about dealing with the Empire. They have no great love for the Orcnin hoards either. The Limnades as a people are interested in preserving their lake homes. With our without the Tuathan.
Like other water Nymphs the Limnades are able to leave their domains for far longer than most. Limnades have even been known to sever their ties to their birth lake and bond with other lakes. This power is how the Limnades came to live in the sky lakes and Dragonia. It was the Limnades that brought the Dryads that live among the Elendi forests to Dargonia. There are even said to be Limnades on the Wild Home Isle. If this is so then these Limnades must be weak in power indeed. At their most basic essence all Nymphs draw their strength from the waters of the world, and Wild Home Isle is far from the endless sea and the Oceanids that rule there. The Oceanids do not seem to exert political influence over the other Nymphs so much as they hold dominion over the most powerful source of water Arcanos in the world.
All Nymphs are tied to the waters of the world in one way or another. Limnades are the most accessible of these beings. While Pixes and their tiny cousins are often too flighty or too capricious to speak at length of such arconistic matters the Limnades are usually more than willing to speak at length regarding the mystic nature of their existence. Oceanids and Tuathan both hold strict stipulations about the arconistic matters they will discuss, and according to most Limnades that is because they are seeking their own benefits to the exclusion of all others including other Nymphs. To quote "I do not have to tell you what makes a lake. A shallow place and some water."
Limnades are water. Not like a water elemental is water, but the Limnades are of the substance water. They are born out of it. If they are slain their flesh and bone return to water. You cannot burn a fire with a Limnades as you could a Grommit, and you cannot eat the flesh of a Limnades either. The Limnades themselves do not eat of anything but the rains. Visiting them with proper deference however will most often result in a feast of noble proportions. Fish and fowl, creatures of the forest, all manner of life must humble themselves at the lakes, and the Limnades have no qualms at hunting. They are usually found in the moonlight hunting parties of the Dryads, and inviting a visiting Limnades on a hunt is a most excellent idea.
All over the place between life and the other projects I am involved in.
Including but not limited to,
GiantKetchup
Bolt'Story
and the newest "Saint and Sinners"
I am working with a preacher round these parts in Oklahoma to see if I could get it published in the christian book network. He seems to be positive - so long as we can make it into a nice learning tool. The name ... may need to change, but thats hardly a big deal. Furthermore I will probably not end up being the "author" so much as the "formulator" ... they can be kinda persnicity about their stuff - but it would be a big win for us all around if I could make that happen!
Well - tata for now. I hope to be able to get back to my world as soon as I can. ~ Shea!
Remember that is a working title - and somewhat tongue in cheek. Don't worry about it - its not a big "Shea Production" its an attempt to give them something. I am probably going to remain simply a contributer. Give them... "a formulae" to work with. The hard part is finding the right young man to write it. I am going to get a number for a guy in Texas tomorrow. The son of the preacher man ... hehe. Apparently he doesn't mind cursing - so we can talk about what he missing from understanding. His father told me that he played D&D back in college, and of course he is also closer to my age.
Pastor Kent Wood - doesn't even have the internet ;)
Also - check out my new BEBO!
I have been working on it for over a decade now...
HiveMind (Ex): A creature with HiveMind uses HiveMind as their primary language. Two creatures with HiveMind that share a race subtype are able to communicate perfectly so long as they are within line of sight of each other. Communication via HiveMind takes no action and is able to transfer complicated concepts without any chance of being misunderstood. Creatures that do not have HiveMind and the same race subtype are not able to intercept or understand anything that the creatures communicating in HiveMind are telling each other. To access the combat benefits of HiveMind the creatures sharing the HiveMind must be connected via Telepathy.
If a creature with Telepathy connects two creatures with HiveMind and the same race subtype the HiveMind between the creatures with HiveMind in complete. All creatures sharing the HiveMind are aware of any dangers and directives the other members of the HiveMind are aware of. If one member of the HiveMind is not Flat-Footed, none of them are. A member of the HiveMind is not flanked unless the entire HiveMind is. Two creatures that do not share a racial subtype are not able to communicate via HiveMind, but any creature with Telepathy may establish the link between creatures with HiveMind and the same race subtype.
For Example: An Mindflayer is Telepathically linking 10 Formians and 10 Abeils. The Formians share HiveMind benefits with the other Formians, and the Abeils share HiveMind benefits with each other. The Formians do not share HiveMind benefits with the Abeils, and the Mindflayer does not share HiveMind benefits with either the Abeils or the Formians.
Cafes and Coffee shops. I like it - it sounds nice.
Regarding A Wonderful World - I have been thinking about Port Unknown some lately. Some friends of mine have Second Life accounts so I have been learning how that works. A Wonderful World Sim would be totally awesome. I wonder if WotC could work out some sort of collab with Second Life ... they could provide that "digital mini" experience they were talking about with Gleemax.
Problem being it would have to be isolated from the rest of Second Life. Considering WotC/Hasbro's mature content restrictions. Doable though...
OK! Four months and wotc has transformed the face of the website, and I was apparently posting in book4 mode (which I no longer have access to) the last two posts. Ahh the well.
The sblocks stopped. Why did the sblocks stop? I am going to make a todo list and come back in the next 24-48 hours. A, figure out what happened to sblocks.
b, come up with two more entries.
c, figure out whats up with editing (and the mups too).
d, add entries for plant dragon, sky islanders, and Volvocales.
read about real wonderful world adventures at shea.hardestlevel.com
Dragon Born
1. Sky
2. Flame
3. Earth
4. Water
5. Beast
6. Plant
- Beast Born
1. Dwar
- Montaran Dwar
- Imperial Dwar
- Iron Wall Dwar
- Ferry Born Dwaren
- Half Dwaren
- DwarMans
- Goblion Dwari
- Goblidoran
- CenDwaren
- MinoDwaren
- MyroDwaren
- PherthanDwar
- BarkiDwaren
- Hudder Dwari (stone)
- Derro Dwari (soot)
- Lanvatier Dwari (Kinder Elentsi)
- Sky Born Gnomes
- Star Eyed Gnomes
- Sky Island Elendi
- Heart Land Elendi
- Feral Elendi
- Sky Born Elani
- Dolorian Elentsi
3. Mans
- Imperial Citizens
- Sky Islanders
- Bottom Landers, Crosslands, Silestrian, Goval, Karn, Port () and the Far Shores.
- Gemron Aberrants
- Arcon Hearts
- Orcnin Ha (orcs)
- Hag (female troll).
- Grimlock
- Gnoll
- Choker
- Ogre
- Shakar
- Fiend
- "The Misshapen" (Athach and Ettin)
- Skum
5. Taurn
- Weran (wolf/kangaroo/weasel)
- Hotyr (otter/raccoon/seal)
- Minotan (bull/buffalo/rhino)
- Dolphryn (porpoise/whale/hippo)
- Miryn (mouse/squirrel/rat)
6. Ronian (Achaierai)
- Keiron (light) High Skies
- Fieron (flame) Mid and Low Skies
- Volturon (stone) Mid Low and Bottom Land
- Icthyron (water) Low Sky and Bottom Land
- Rhearon (plains small flightless) Land Based
Bog Born
- Two Legs
- Four Legs
- Doomsayers
- Sting Tails
- Araneas (dopplegangers)
- Daritaurn (Drider)
2. (alligator/crocodile) Lizardfolk
3. (mantis/grasshopper)
4. Naga
- Anknaga
- Centipedial
- Two Arms
- Many Arms
- Behirish
- Salamander
- Worker
- Warrior
- Taskmaster
- Myrmarch
- Queen
7. Eadro (Locathah)
8.
9. Ooze
- Black Pudding
- Gelatinous Cube
- Gray Ooze
- Ochre Jelly
- Phasm
10. Chuul? (crab)
11. Aboleth (worm)
Green Born
1. Dirt Eaters (plants)
- Treants
- Blooms
- Buds
- Caps
- Phantoms (Phantom Fungus)
- Shrubs
- Running Trees
- Standing Trees
2. Water Eaters (Nymphs)
- Tuathan (palaces)
- Chimera (dangerous places)
- Gorgon (stones and snakes)
- Grig (little lover)
- Pixie (little sleeper)
- Bogan (homes, public greens)
- Gromit (workshops, factories)
- Knockin (tunnels, mines, ore veins)
- Alseid (glens, groves, meadows)
- Auloniad (pasture, vales)
- Crinaeae (fountains, city parks)
- Dryad (forests)
- Hamadryad (trees)
- Hesperides (flowers/gardens)
- Meliae (graves, battlegrounds)
- Naiads (rivers)
- Napaeae (grotto)
- Nereids (shores)
- Oceanids (deep waters)
- Oreads (mountains)
- Pagaeae (springs)
3. Salt Eaters
- Strangling Trees
- Assassin Vines
- The Plauges
- Belker's Plauge
- Shambler (Tendriculos)
- Bees
- Worker
- Warrior
- Taskmaster
- Apoidean
- Queen
- Kraken
- Volvocales
- Mucilan
- Pinguaca
- Droseran
- Filmsholk (high skies)
- Sky Born
- Belker
- Ghaele
- Stone Born
1. Arcon Born (created)
- Gargoyle
- Skeleton
- Golem
- Azera
- Homunculus (tom thumbs)
- Watchers (Invisible Stalker)
2. Sand Born (genie)
- Djinni
- Efreeti
- Janni
- Stones
- Dirt
- Sand
- The Sculpted
- Elementals
- Earth Elemental
- Fire Elemental
- Water Elemental
- Giants
- Cloud Giant
- Fire Giant
- Frost Giant
- Hill Giant
- Stone Giant
- Storm Giant
3. Dust Born (ghosts)
- Bodak
- Angel
- Demon
- Barghest
- Doppelganger (plant ghost)
- Lich
4. Mud Born (natural)
- Cloaker
- Magmin
- Roper
- Thoqqua
Flower Born. The terrible trees. Plant dragons are more populous than beast dragons. It is the plant dragons that most land travelers must contend with, and contend with you will. Unlike the elemental types of dragon the plant dragons are most keen on devouring beast flesh. Mans, Dwar, Orcnin, even Elendi are the foods the plant dragon craves. While the elemental dragons occasionally devour beasts, and the beast dragons almost never, it is the plant dragons that are the scourge of Mans and kind. It is generally understood that this is the nature of the dragons over all. Plant dragons devour beasts. Beast dragons devour plants, and the elemental types devour their opposition. As there is no oppositional element to the light dragons that leads to questions regarding its nature, but the preclivities of the plant dragon is not in question.
Plant dragons are common upon the surface of Montoran, Elendi Isle, and were once very common on Dargonia. Mellenia of conflict with Imperial Mans has all but destroyed the plant dragons of Dargonia. Some remain in the lands controlled by the Orcnin hoards, but throughout Imperial Dargonia there are none. Some perhaps remain protected in the Elendi forest, but these are most likely aged and wise dragons that have learned to keep their predation to the dragon kind. Those that understand the place of dragons in the ecology oft wonder how such a feat was possible. Barring some miracle dragons undergoe dragon's rising when one of their number dies. This process was indeed halted by miracle of the Imperial New Gods in order to protect the Mans of dargonia.The consequence of this miracle is most likely an increase of the number of plant dragons somewhere such as the Bottom Lands, or the Sky Lakes.
Like all dragons plant dragons begin their existence as tiny creatures. In the Elendi they are called "Flower Born" because their smallest form is like unto a flower bud. These tiny flutter dragons are a nonetheless a nusance. Their bite leaves stinging welts, and itches for hours afterwords. A large enough swarm of the flutter dragons could easily end the life of a Mans. Beyond their flutter stage they rise to larger forms as do most dragons, and eventually reach the massive size that one dreads to think of. The safety of Dargonia leaves Imperial citizens unprepared for the gargantuan dragons of the Bottom Lands, and even the untamed regions of Dargonia itself. Risen to their mature size these dragons are perhaps the most dangerous creatures in the entire world. Intelligent and powerful, solitary and deadly. They care no more for civilization than to destroy it.
Most plant dragons are capable of flight from the time they are flutter dragons. Despite this they are very territorial, and are rare to leave their rooting ground. Like all plants a plant dragon must "plant" or root itself regularly. Should the dragon go for more than a day or so without planting it will begin to wilt and loose strength. While rooting the dragon is slow to react, almost as if it were sleeping. It is durring its rooting phase that it is best to attack the creature, preferably from a distance. Fire is our greatest ally against them. Fire and miracle. The holy ones of Miria have long weilded the gift of a lance of light that strikes to the very wick of the plant dragons wilting them and weakening them. Hacking them to slivers only transforms the carcase into a seedbed for another generation, and thusly it is best to roast the body to ash even after it has ceased livelyness.
Diplomatic relations with the Terrible Trees is much the same as diplomatic relations with the lesser trees. Long war with Imperial Mans makes it difficult for our kind to deal with these dragons. Rather force, fear, and fire than polite discussion least the creature decide to end your existence on this plane mid-sentence. Technically like all dragons they hold council with one another upon Dragon's Home Isle in High Sky, but unlike their cousins the beast and light dragons the plant dragons seem to have no desire to communicate the decrees of the Grand Dragon Council. Even amongst other plants the Terrible Trees are uncomfortable residents. A scribe once likened the relationship between the Blooms and the Plant Dragons to be like unto the relationship between grass and weeds. The Blooms being the soft and inviting grass, and the Plant Dragons being the weeds. Do not deal with these creatures, the cost will invariably be your life.
OK! Four months and wotc has transformed the face of the website, and I was apparently posting in book4 mode (which I no longer have access to) the last two posts. Ahh the well.
The sblocks stopped. Why did the sblocks stop? I am going to make a todo list and come back in the next 24-48 hours. A, figure out what happened to sblocks.
b, come up with two more entries.
c, figure out whats up with editing (and the mups too).
d, add entries for plant dragon, sky islanders, and Volvocales.
Oh Internert access how you vex me, and with video games as well!
I do not think my last few enteries are "verve" enough - wibes wrong. Instead I am goign to review the project in post form for anyone to whome may be reading. Umm.. "Sty-Rn"
Big world. Started from the image posted in page umm six now. Much different when first drawn. Long ago ...
More races than you can imagine ... Animal Vegetable or Mineral? Old - oft said quotes. I actually got paid to run a game in this setting once. Literal "play me a game in that crazy world of yours - here money" It was great. "Tomb of Heaven" called that campaign, and it will be included (proabably in the Wonderful World Devotional) as the exemplative element. Now in regards to Sty-Rn most of you have no real understanding whatsoever. Sure you have read the waxings of a self rightous scribe ... but what does an oponion tell you? The game mechanics provided will of course be more ... umm... unbiased, however those are going to come last, due to the fact that will come multiple times. Effectively this text (the thread I am building here, and will continue to, so long as Wizards allows it ) is the pre-release of the ... books ... of Wonderful World "in general" :smile: I like it. For other projects I will inspecct other prospects, but Wonderful World will stay here. I do actually have the intention of "using" you people.
Any one wants to throw ideas my way - understanding that I am not working on a collabarotive project (and while I authorize WotC to use my material in publicity; which I cannot see hurting me) I keeps it. Mine. Post here - I take it to wonderful world and you have to make it to port nowhere follow the thread to the pure lands and solve the riddle of the mists to get out of Wonderful World. You could starjam .. I guess .. if you wanna go there .. like Tobias did.
Sty-Rn is about travel. Its about going places and seeing .. what has not been seen. Being where ... you have not been. Were there a "DMs" foreward in any of my books (which there won't be) :" href="http://community.wizards.com/go/post/reply/75882/19919742/Http:www.lulu.com/shea_reinke" rel="nofollow">smirk: however there will be editions for use with all the "editions" I can get my hads on. First - 4th, then 3rd, then BST. Possibly pushing it farther into Gurps, Hero systems (which it has been used with more than once) or even (gahh) Storyteller. Who knows what else could come out of the conventioning (and this is what is getting me off vibe - I am thinking in marketing terms and it is the same thing as thinking in terms of lighting and special effects) It had to be thought of and now that I have it all ... "schematized" ... I should get back to doing what I am best at and "making character" I need to find Sanjaya (or maybe someone new) and get back into her Journy.
If you haven't noticed the "Book" is the journeys of One girl, her mentor, and the letters she shares with her mother/sister back in Asper. She is a dargonian noble woman who spends her life documenting the known races - suddenly I remember the character I should use - as his writing is not gotten much appearance in here - he should be an expert on the dwar ... hmmm (revisions will happen go with it reinke) - but there is more - I need another one ... a hidden character - the hidden fifth voice of the narrative ... hmmm .. its supposed to be like a little game - "who wrote this entry" when you have the finished book it should be apparent. No, I need to find a new character, and to do that I need to go "there" and there is only one sure fire way I know how to do that ...
Pawah is a paladin. A warrior of Truth! He carries the purpose stone, a true human from the pure lands. He alone carries the knowledge of the way to the pure lands, Grall lied to Sanjaya when she told him that. Grall lied much. His tales were not those of Krawl. Krawl was a real scribe. Grawl, nothing more than a barkan raised by a pherthan, a Felin at that. Pawah appears and dissapears through no control of his own. Fate takes him from place to place as the purpose stone unravels. He appeared one night in this very cabin. He spoke to me of what had become him, and where he had been. It took me no time at all to determine that he jnew nothing of the world. Nothing of the skies and the isles that we take for granted. He told me of his homeland, and how the sky was so mcu closer and filled with countless light. Such a wonder the pure lands must be to behold. A sky filled with lights - impossible to imagine.
I, being mute, was unable to communicate with him. I could not teach him of the land about, and instead I created this book. Without a voice I cannot give it to mine, but you can give it yours. It is a wonder to have met someone who does not know to knock to stone, whisper to grass. Such things that you take for granted. When you look at your world through new eyes even those things you take for granted become strange and exciting again. Pawah stayed with me for a few short weeks before his stone, the purpose stone, took him away from me. He has this book, and I hope he will remember me always. May it be a guide through the ways of the world for you.
~ Scyra'alanta Elendi Druidess
So ... hmmm ... Pawah ran into Scrya, then Sanjaya met ... Scyra .. and offored to add the book to the scribe annals, and eneded up just putting it into her book ... because the Imperial annals only accept writing from proper scibes.
Hmmm ... Ima sleep on that.
Things we take for granted. What a difficult consideration to contend with. The skies are blue, the grass is most often green, and the light of the sun is the reflection of the star of Tolen. These things are as common as gold, and however so much we think on them as being strange to someone, it is hard to describe them without speaking as you would to a child. I do not mean any slight against your intelligence, but the way I shall describe these things is as I learned them myself. "As common as gold" I say that every day, most likely. Gold is the yellow rock that floats. Gets in everything, Some silly people get into their head that if you get a big enough chunk of it you can jump off the lands and stop before you hit the Bottom Lands, but as far as I know it just ain't the case.
The bright light in the sky is one of two things, depending on whether your in mid sjky or low. If your in mid sky there will be two lights. The lower one is the star of Tolen, and the higher one is the Sun, the Elendi call it the Moon, and the Orcnin call it Earth. It reflects the ilght of Tolen. If you are in the Bottom Lands or Dolor, as I have heard, you cannot tell if the light you see through the Stom Whale Seas is Tolen or the Sun. When Tolen is Goval and Coval it shines so bright on the Bottom Lands and Low Sky that the Sun cannot be seen, Those who live on the Bottom Lands grow to know the difference of the year by movements of the Sun and Tolen.
Those that live in Mid Sky count the year, at least we do now, by our journey around the Dark Sky, and those that live in the High Skies count theirs by the deluge as far as we know from what the Gnomes have told us. The High Skies are impassible by ship. Only the ArchMagics of the Gmomish gods allow them to transpor their ships to Mid Sky from the Sun. Tolonese ships are now taking to the skies, but Technometric contraptions are a far cry from Gnomish creations. The Dwar that climbed the skies to the Sun are able to create sacred creations as the worshippers of the Gods are able, only without having to sacrifice to the Gods. Supposedly they "follow the Triune" but they say that the Gnomish Dwar hold no ceremonies nor festivals to their Gods.
To say that you "follow the Triune" is to say that you simply don't care. Most who adhere to no curch say such a thing. For an entire people to say it seems suspect at best. The Triune is mentioned in all faiths. The three true Gods that are one, and all of the world simultaniously. The story is simple and the same. There was Elvna and Ogran, elvna the plants and Ogran the beasts. They fought over the world and how it would be made for their creations. When they could not agree as to how to make the world there came Dwar and Dwarin who was to make the descision, and with Dwarin came the Dragons, the children of Dwarin. My island is called Dargonia or "Gift of Dragons" and was once called Ragonia "Home of Dragons" before the Orcnin, the Imperials, and the Elendi settled here.
Trees ruled the land then, since we do not say that dragons rule, and it was the Elendi that came here first. For a season you can leap from Dargonia to Elendira, and long long ago my people did so and began the first civilization on Ragonia. Then the Elendi were fast freinds with Trees, and my people allied with the Trees against Dragon. Then came Mans, and their Empire soon after. The Gnomish had not begun their travels yet. The wizards had not begun their wars. Mans brought a new tactic to the war with Dragon. Mans could speak in the way of Dragon as my people do the way of Tree. They tamed the dragons as so was founded the Empire. With Arconistics stolen from their enemies the Orcnin the Mans wizards brought down a council of Gods and by their power gained Dominion over Dragon. Within the realms of The Empire dragons bow to the power of Mans gods.
Elendi live amongst the Mans, in their Empire, as do Dwar and Taurn. Orcnin even dwell within the Mans Empire, but it is still Mans' Empire. Forged from their will and working attheir pace. The Elendi that live among them are different from them that live, as most do, in the Demes. Elendi Deems are a sigh to behold should be allowed within one. In between the Trees where nobody sees the Deme is a place within and not within the Forest. The shack that you stayed at was place outside of my Deme. I only spend so many seasons a year outside of the Deme, and when I am not within the Deme I stay at the shack and observe the animals and the Dragon. In the Deme only the Trees and the Elendi can stay for long. Others are sent back to the forest no matter how they found entrance to the Deme.
The Deme is built with the power of the Trees. Mans cities are with the power of Stone, and Orcnin hoards are built with the power of Bone. To say the power of Bone is to mean the power of those Gods that the Empire's Gods oppose. There are also the Pride Gods of the Taurn, and though it should go without saying Gods are those ancestors that have exhalted themselves in the realms beyond this one. WHat goes on beyond this world is said to be outside of comprehension. Arconistic masters and the Gods themselves perhaps, but I have heard tell of Gods themselves being lost in the ways beyond the world. The Star Gnomes of Dwar legend and Gnomish tale are supposidly from that other place. Some say they are from the future, some say they are from another world called Aziera.
In the Dark Sky, the Dark Sky. The Dark Sky is the darkness in the sky. Were I standing beside you I could point at it. Dark Sky is larger than any island, and is said to be the Oort cloud or two islands that collided via the power of the wizards Arconistics. The Orcnin wizards took control of Arconia and were intent to guide it to Dargonia and lay waste to the Empire and Imperial City from above. In order to prevent that the Empire's wizards took control of the island Taurna and drove it into Arconia and thusly creating the great cloud that is Dark Sky. Dark Sky streatches from High Sky to Low Sky but always stays Cobal of Bottom Lands. The great Deluge, the source of the Storm Whale Seas is said to fall from True Ragonia - the highest island in the skies.
Once, when Dargonia was called Ragonia, the Sun was thought to be the highest island in the sky. The star had been found and Mans believed itself the wisest of the peoples of the world for its wandering. With Elendi's aid the Mans concoured the surface of Ragonia and when they had the Elder Dragon Lords appeared to Mans and told them that their island was not the "The Home of Dragons" but that there was a "True Ragonia" above even the Sun. Why such a thing would have happened escapes me and most, but who can speak the mind of the Elder Dragon Lords. Those beings are alike unto the Gods, but they have not passed beyond the gate of death. It is said that dragons do not persist past their lives, and that their spirit evaporates, becoming one with the mists.The truth to these tales is for the Gods to know and the vile Arconistic master to speak of. It is not the place of a mortal to speak of the nature of the immortal. You should never speak of the eternal, or of souls, nor death.
There are many amongst the Empire and the Elendi that believe it is speaking of them that draws those that have passed beyond into our lives. The Gods are different than the restless souls. The Gods have somehow seen beyond the desire for life and are content to remain as they are. The restless seek nothing more prfoundly than to return to the life of flesh and bone. There are Orcnin hoards that have been lead by the same soul for centuries. Some say mellinia. Some say longer. There are houses of Mans that follow this priciple as well, strangely tied as Mans history is with Orcnin. The Elendi know better than to truck with such Demon. The Gods and the angels of their hosts guard the cities of Mans and the Demes of the Elendi. They can slip through time with nothing more than a little bit of rhyme. Demons and angels are powerful enemies should you find yourself outside the protection of Deme, Empire, or Hoard, but you know this better than most Pawah.
The body and soul can be seperated and animated. Such are the angels that protect the walls of Mans city, and Elendi Deme. The souls, wherever they have gone are beyond the reach of the our healing for whatever reason. Perhaps the soul was summoned by vile Arconistics, or warped into a weapon by Orcnin artifice as the Elendi seal Allip into their creations. The body is available to be animated as the walls of Mans' cities. Just so much dirt, only in a convienient shape. It is an honor amongst Mans for their moral shell to be chosen to join the forms of their ancestors along the walls of their cities. Countless angels guardian the tiers of Imperial City, and most Mans cities are also protected by the remains of their long dead. Elendi prefer to devour their fallen dead, a practice that Mans find as equally offensive as Elendi do the reanimation of their ancestors. Only the darkest of Elendi disgrace the memory of who once lived in the body by using Allip, Golem, or Spirit.
It is amazing to think what is common amongst one people is considered atrocious amongst another. Planting Trees is a horrible taboo amongst the Empire. Even planting flowers is something that most Mans frown upon. The presence of Bloom and Elendi amongst the Mans brings with them flowers and grass, but most Mans consider the fruit of pomegranate and pear to be the only thing of value from plants. To an Elendi Mans' cities are barren of life, but full of bustle. The Deme is still and serene. The city is full of noise and shouting children. Unlike the the Mans the Elendi take greater care in buying their children from the Gods. Mans who perform the ancient rituals of appeasement to the Gods in order to be given a strong and healthy child are mocked. Yet more than most of Mans young are dead before they come of age. In the Deme there are perhaps twice the number of young as there are old, but among the Mans that proportion is far closer to ten times the number of young compared to adults.
In the Deme a child knows their father and mother. They are raised with attention and care, not released to the world to find their way. Succored by priesthoods like Tanxia's Mans children are nearly wild beasts. Elendi children will sit quetly for days or even years depending on their temperment. As they learn to dream, which Elendi do concious, Elendi children learn to hold themselves still as they travel in their mind. Mans can only dream when they sleep, but unless some extraordinary circumstances occure Elendi do not sleep, and when we are young we amble around with our sight lost in dream safe in the protection of the Deme. In the Deme there is nothing to fear save walking into a Tree. Elendi children that grow up outside of the Deme must be kept safe inside as they learn to be still.
Mans' cities are fed with countless beasts. Most cites keep their livestock outside of the walls of the city itself. The lives of the creatures that Mans make their food are also easy sacrifice to those things that live beyond the bounds of civilization. The great beasts of the land and the wild Dragon will feast on the bones of either Mans or their beasts equally. The priests of the Imperial Gods are able to summon beasts from the outer realms to replace the heards that are lost, and in the end a city of Mans would soon fall without the divine grace of their Gods. The Elendi way is far different. Save for the most important of circumstances Elendi do not call upon the Gods for their aid. The creation of the Deme is one of those rare circumstances. With the aid of our Gods the Elendi bind the many places between throughout the forest into one and create the safety that is the Deme. The Elendi ask their Gods to intercede on greater affairs and on matters of survival and crops. Mans Gods are employed daily, while Elendi's are called upon yearly if at all.
Imperial City is lit with a thousand lamps. They call them the lamps of Miria. Every child of the Empire hears of these lamps when they are young, and the Lamps of Miria are seen as the ultimate example of the oppulance of Imperial City. The lamps are of carved stone and are held aloft by statue carved in Mans image of Elvna. Their light allows the city to function in the lee of Tolon Island. This light is powered by the same worship that other Imperial lands use to keep the city clean, and maintain the domonion of Empire over the wilds. So grand and magnificent is Imperial City, so wealthy and powerful, that it is able to expend that energy to illuminate Imperial Dargonia.
Dargonia is covered in darkness save for the light of Imperial City. Tolon is techered to the underside of Dargonia by a gargantuan tether that is believed to have been made by the ancient Imperial wizards. The thether can be used to travel between the two islands, and keeps Tolon below the ridge of Dargonia. The star of Tolon is below Tolon and as such the light that illuminates most of the world does not shine on Imperial City or Dargonia. Tolon itself see the light of the Sun all year long, as the islands of Dargonia and Tolon and the Sun follow each outher in orbit around Dark Sky. As such the darkest island in the skies is Dargonia, and Elendira as it passes through the lee of Dargonia.
Plauges wander live throughout the world. Their influence driving all that share the beasts blood to insanity and death. Much of my purpose is to ward the forest from their presence. They say that amongst the Orcnin plauges are fostered and encouraged to work upon the enemies of the hoard, but I have never seen Imperial City let alone an Orcnin hoard. Though there be dozens upon the Cobal side of Dargonia I have never seen them. The hoards do not prey upon this Forest for the sake of Impire City Goval of the Deme and Old Ragonia upon the Goblin. I have never seen an Orcnin in my life, but expect that in the time I have upon this world I will one day see Imperial City, and I know that you will find Orcnin loyal to the Empire there. My knowledge of the Empire is small, but my knowledge of the Empire is great.
Elendi met Mans first in the skies. On dragon back and sail. Falling to the Bottom Lands from Mid Sky, finding no Doloria in their travels. Doloria was formed from the Scattared Isles. Elendi found the Bottom Lands first so the legends say. It was the ELendi that found the Dar and the Dwar. It was Mans howevver that tamed the Trees. The Dwar and the Dar live beneath the surface of the Bottom Lands but above the Endless Sea. The Elendi that first found the bottom of the world found their refuge beneath the waves of the Endles Sea, but when Mans came they brought fire and burned away the Trees of Coval Bottom Lands. With the aid of the Dar. That aid was betrayed by the Doomsayer. A God of the Dar she nearly eradicated the Empire before it began.
That was the First Mans Tree wars. The second was the what brought about the formation of the Empire. Mans Empire despite Dwar and Elendi merely honoring their dominion over Dragon. Dragons of sky and flame were brought from what is now Old Ragonia. Knighthoods called the Dragoons were formed to defend the Arconistic masters of the Mans armies. From the Elendria had come Elendi, and the Sky Lakes had come Mans. On Ragonia they fought Orcnin and Dragons hand in hand. Together they found Dwar fighting Trees, and together the three built the Empire from the wood of Trees.
There are said to have been Orcnin upon the Bottom Lands, and mellenia later their are Mans, Orcnin, and Taurn all strong upon the Bottom Lands. Ronians have no true home, but the Bottom Lands belongs to the Dwar. They have long lived beneath the surface, but since the Fell of Montar and the Dwarin migration to Montaria the cities of the Dwar have begun to open upon the tops of the Goval Mountains of Bottom Lands. The loss of Arconistic was a blow to the Orcnin people. Though plentiful times a thousand compared to Mans they, as a people and by the the will of their Gods, refuse alliegences. Their is Master of the hoard and the rest. There may be many masters in the hoard, but all bow to the one Master. As it was so it shall always be amongst them, so they say. The Empire works by council as appossed to pure strength. It was the Council of Imperial Senators that made Arconistics illegal throughout the Empire.
Elendi were neve much, as a people, for Arconistics. They did not stand in the way of the Dwar when they petitioned for the ban, and the Mans were sore from the loss of the Wizard Wars. There were no winners of the Wizard Wars. The Empire felt the flush of the victory of the last Mans Tree wars a mellenia too early, and had turned their eye to the Orcnin. Between the two people there was a massive Arconistic might and the was was fought less between dragoon and hoard than between the might of wizards. The hidden towers upon Arconitstic and Taurna were all cast from the skies for their hubris against the Gods. Worse still to think that the wizards of the Empire knew what was to happen, and did so anyhow. Either way it is a good thing that Arconistics is forbidden in the lands of the Empire.
Mans' Empire is governed over by a Divane Senate. The representatives to the Divine Senate are divided evenly between Mans, Elendi, and Dwar. Strange as it may seem Mans has granted Dwar and Elendi a signifigant influence in their Empire. Neither Dwar and Elendi have developed such a unified government between their peoples. While, most relations between opposing Elendi nations are corgial, there have been many disputes broached in Imperial chambers of the disputes between rival nations of Dwar. Not the least of which was the problem of Gnomes. The mightiest of Dwar nations of old are violently opposed to those they call Gnome. Arconistics, be they Orcnin, Elendi, Mans, or Dwar has always been taboo within the lands of the Bottom Lands kingdoms of the Dwar. Even before the Wizard Wars those Dwar that were branded "Gnome" were cast out of Imperial lands.
These many centuries later the Gnome have found a home on the Sun. The Gnome Dwar have made their own nation far from the lands of their ancestors. When once, in the ancient times when the Empire began, the Dwar of Goval were the strongest voice in the Divine Council. Now, man mellinia later, the Gnomes and the Rouge Dwar nations of Montara have become the most represented. The ancient Dwar nations of Goval Bottom Lands keep only one Embassy when once they held all nine of the Dwar seats in the Divine Council. Even as the Wizard Wars ended the ancient Goval Dwar were in the lead of the Dwar people that were represented, and it was their voice that outlawed Arconistics, but the migration of the Gnome to the Sun and the formation of the Rouge Dwar nations on Montara over the last three melennia has shattered their influence in Mans' Empire.
Thre of the nine Dwar embassies are Gnomish, and the Gnome ships are the backbone of the Empire's trading fleet at this time. Gnome ships are powered by Arconistics no matter what they say. There are many who see the ban on Arconistics to change before another century passes. The idea of a new Tower of Arconistics being erected upon Dargonia is hard to concieve. For thousands of years Emperials have not only cast out those who practiced Arconistics, but literally hunted them and brought them to death. That has changed on Dragonia, but is still common upon the Bottom Lands where teh Goval Dwar watch with a closer eye. Nonetheless those who practice Arconistics have survived and passed their knowledge from one to the next. Once the wizards were as important to the Empire as the dragoons. It was Emperial wizards that formed Imperial City with their Arconistics.
The holy orders that follow the Imperial Gods are the true power in the Empire. Once the nine great orders of dragoons controlled the empire. The knight orders that tame the great dragons to their will were the strength of the Empire. In ancient times those orders had been founded by the Mans wizards from the sky lakes. In the turns of fate the knighthoods that had forsaken their ancient charges in favor of serving the Empire have all but lost their voice in that Empire. The holy orders that rule the Empire in these days take adherents of all peoples and thus gain stronger voice. They grant their members the gift of miracles wrought by thier God. The peoples of Mans still identify themselves by their house and land of origin, but their choice of embassy to the Divine Council has turned to the holy orders that follow the members of the Divine Council.
The twenty seven Gods that hold seat in the Divine Council are not absent Gods, but as the Pride Gods they are manifest. Tanzia is seen throughout the Empire, and often in Imperial City. Ft'rod is a Ronian God and yet holds the seat of Summer's Breeze. The embassies to the council are divided between Dwar, Elendi, and Mans but the exhalted beings that hold the seats of the Divine Council and maintain the dominion of Empire via the allegience of all who acknowledge Imperial Dominion are decided amongst themselves. In accordance with the ancient Arconistic principles that founded the Divine Council every century one seat in the council is made vacant and any God that attempts to claim it, and is able to defend it, may. Each of the twenty seven seats of the Divine Council is dedicatedto a different grand principle, and by Arconistic principles it is this concordance that grants Empire dominion over Dragon.
The seats of the Divine Council are three fold seven. The seven brilliant seats are the seat of the Summer's Breeze, the seat of Storm's Blood, the seat of Burning Stone, the seat of Flashing Flame, the seat of Talon, the seat of Vine, and are ruled by the seat of Eternal Light. The seven hidden seats are the seat of Winter's Breath, the seat of Sea's Fury. the seat of Liquid Stone, the seat of Scroching Flame, the seat of Fang, the seat of Tooth, and the seat of Seed, and are ruled by the seat of Eternal Darkness. The seven solid seats are the seat of Wind, the seat of Deluge, the seat of Metal, the seat of Lightning, and the seat of Beast's Heart, and the seat of Tree's Root, and is ruled by the seat of the Final Judge. The senator of the seat of the Final Judge on;y votes upon the matters of the Divine Council save there is a thirteen thirteen split amongst the council.
Tanzia, the seat of Flashing Flame, is perhaps the most well known of the Imperial Gods. Tanzia gained her seat when it was opened and she has held since. Miria, the seat of Eternal Light, is the the only remaining of the original twenty seven Gods of the Divine Council, and holds significant sway over the council. In most things regarding the people of the Empire Miria is the first and final say. Tanzia and Miria have long been allies and have kept the brilliant seats in accord since the dawn of the Empire. The hidden seats have not held strong ties between them, and the hidden seats have shifted far more often. Fara, the seat of the Beast's Heart, is the longest sitting member of the solid seats. It was Fara, a Taurn God, that first brought the forbiddance of Arconistics to the Divine Council. Another God of note is Jakanar. He was the first and the third seat of Eternal Darkness. Some say he has seeks to return to the Divine Council again.
The Empire's territories cover half of Dargonia, many of the Sky Lakes, Elenaria, Tolen, and near a third of the Bottom Lands. There is no nation that holds the combined power of the Empire. The Dar control a third of the Bottomlands, and the remainder of that massive island is contested between Orcnin and Taurn. The Endless Sea that the Bottom Lands rests in is inhabited with the Elentsi and a strange breed of Mans called Thalian.The Elentsi and the Thalian are the descendants of the first Mans and Elendi that found their way to the Bottom Lands and found only the Endless Sea to be safe from the terrors of the Bottom Lands. The Dwar live, as they always have, beneath the surface of the Bottom Lands, and like the Thalian and the Elentsi have no interests in the lands of the Empire.
Should the strength of the Pride Landers grow much they may one day come to threaten the Cross Lands or the Imperial cities of the Goval region. The remnants of the Taurn are scattered. The Pride Land Gods claim that they have always called their people to the Bottom Lands, but Imperial scribes say that there are perhaps more Taurn on the island of Wild's Home. Travel to Wild's Home is perioulous and reports of what live upon the island's surface are scare, but according to the tales there are still entire nations of Taurn living on Wild's Home. Legions have been seen through the forest canopy. At least two nations of Pherthan have been in contact with Imperial traders.
The Ronians go where they please, and the Orcnin loose territory to the Empire everyday. The Great Trees that opposed Mans in ancient times have been felled, and only the Great Trees that were in alliance with Elendi still stand. Perhaps should the Dwar unify they could stand against the Empire, but many of the Dwar nations owe alligence to the Empire over each other. The Elendi nations stand with each other, but have no need to quarrel with the Empire. The Elendi people are slower to move than Mans and Dwar. The Demes of today are much the same as the Demes of ancient times. Some Demes such as Padon have been formed in the Goval region since the end of the Mans Tree wars, but there have been no new Demes upon Elendria since the Wizard Wars.
Since last I posted I have become the VP of Marketing for eyeofthevortexonline.com
I have become the co-host on a weekly geek cast ~ redphonezone.com ~
I remain dedicated to completing this project - as I have been for almost two decades now.
Wonderful World is one of my first campaign settings and has transfered through Hero System to Storyteller and then into D&D ~ for those of you that are following the development of Wonderful World, or those of you interested in collector's items ~ there are new signing copies of the Wonderful World campaign setting available for purchase at my bookstore :wink:
In case your wonderin' a "signin' copy" is a "pod" unfinished draft of a book. When I sell one (or more) I end the sale and republish with another version - there by creating "collector's items" !!
Just in Case,
If anyone has used wonderful world, I would love to hear about it. While I am away would be a great time to leave some comments regarding what you think so far, what you have questions about (that would be great), or what you want to see from wonderful world. Keep in mind that the "world theme" (if you need it summed up in one word) is "travel" or "exploration"
Until Next time!
The honey killer. The Vegitaurn. The stinging flower. A rather rare breed of Vegitaurn. Unlike the three fronded nightmares of the Mans Tree Wars these flowers are a sappy Tree. The Pottaurn are deemed such as they have a bell pot topped with two thick liplick petals, and filled with a scent as intoxicating to Mans and Dragon alike. Orcin, Taurn, and Dwar as well find the scent of the Pottaurn's stinging honey sweet. Elendi alone of the Peoples of the world are immune to its persuasive toxin.
The Elendi pallat is severe. As they grow they twine with the land in accordance with the powers of the seasons. Most devoure sticks and leaves along with fruits, berries and in some cases small amounts of bone and meat. Most Elendi have faound the smell of the Pottaurn's honey to be that of rancid meat.
The petals of the charging flower were once called simply a Vegitaurn alike to the Flynntaurn and Venutaurn. Seratuarn and Ozzentaurn more common, some many others lost to the burning times, all these bounding blooms once called Vegitaurn are today named and defined in the archives of the scribes. Though they once were counted only as combatants the details of their consumption and structure are cataloged and recorded in the halls of the Imperial Scribes.
Pottaurn, perhaps more so than any extant breed of Vegitaurn, are savage and aggressive. Pottaurn are found almost exclusively in the lands called by many Troll Country. Troll Country is a region of the vast Goblin and Cobal forest of the Bottom Lands. The entire region stretching from the spiney rang of mountains Goblin Bottom Lands to the sandy marshes of the Darian Empires Cobal is beyond the control of the Empire and the Darian Empires alike. Troll are said to rove in packs. Vegitaurn of all kinds garden and hunt the Trolls. Pottaurn and Trolls alike hunt the Dwar and Orcin that live in the grounds and caves of this dire forest. The Goblin Mts are ruled by dread Dragon Lords, and the forests Coblin of them are ruled in truth by Revalin Empirals.
Most likely meeting a Pottaurn will be in battle. Unlike Flynntaurn Pottaurn's historic allegiance with the Standing Trees is not more than the terretorial vegitables' insticts to defeate and devour Mans' armies with equal fervor as they do their primary prey; the Troll. With sword sharp petals the Pottaurn disarms limbs, and stews the flesh off of bone in its stinging honey pot. As with the Flynntaurn, the spongey soupish remnant of a Pottaurn meal is rich fertilizer for most planting Trees. Unlike many of the extant Vegitaurn the seeding cycle of this viscious flower is unknown.
Doom and Woebefall anyone who would seek audience, or the court, of the Orcnin. The existence of propriety amongst Ogran’s children is … tacit at best. Dominance is the only rule of behavior. Commands are the only respected form of communication, and empty threats are a kindness when lethal force is used wantonly. Amongst the Orcnin there is a strict racial hegemony. Unlike the Elendi or the Taurn the many breeds of Orcnin are drastically different. Goblin and Kobold, O’Sa, O’Ha, Gnoll, Troll, (or Gn'ole and Tro'ole) and many more – each breed made for a purpose. Each species a component in the ever prophesied army of Ogran. The 'Army of Ogran' is perhaps the most direct translation of the word 'Orcnin' itself. At least as it is spoken amongst the Orcnin themselves. It is a Mans conceit that has stolen the word (actually) 'Ogran’s' and transliterated it directly into Orcnin.
The initial meeting with an Orcnin (of any sort) is best when full of bluster. One Orcnin has no real compunction in killing and eating another Orcnin. In fact, most `Sa keep the teeth of Goblins (Gob'lin'ha) as jewelry, and they would consider you downright shameful wearing the teeth of any creature you don’t kill and consume yourself. It is also downright shameful to back away from a fight – even one you know you will lose. Amongst the Orcnin there are thousands of subtle rules of engagement. Paramount to any attempting to integrate or gain influence in an Hoard of Orcnin is the recognition of the racial Hegemony. At this time the Orcnin’Ha, are the dominate species. How this is determined is a mystery to anyone not Archon of the Triune Dark Lord Ogran. What this means is that the `Ha will always win. If a Goblin could kill a `Ha – he will instead surrender. Everytime. This divine mandate is the only thing keeping the Orcnin hoards intact. Without it, the internal strife would tear the Orcnin asunder, literally consume itself, and leave the world a safer place.
No Orcnin needs to be explained how to deal with Orcnin, but the first thing that any non-Orcnin needs to be aware of is that they are Goblins (save free of Ogran) in the eyes of all Orcnin. Goblins are the least of the Orcnin, the servants and messengers of the army. Goblins may not wear any teeth save those of other Goblins, like non-Orcnin. Entering into an Orcnin hoard for the purpose of business is easy. Keep your weapons sharp. Sneer at everyone, and threaten (or use) physical violence against Goblins wantonly. Assuming you properly impress the watchers – you will be lead to the Sa or their proxies. There you make your bargain, and are ideally allowed to leave unmolested. Those foolhardy enough to seek a deeper connection with the Orcnin have a more difficult task ahead of them. They must transcend their Goblin status in some manner or another. There are numerous ways and all involve death and destruction. The simplest method is to 'become a Troll' though that 'path' is not pleasant. To 'become a Troll' you simply need think of nothing but food and death. Loose all sense of reason. Attack first, last, and always. You may be able to earn a 'Troll Mark' amongst the Orcnin. That is … the `Ha will give you (or more accurately allow you to keep) a Troll tooth to serve as a sign of your place in Orcnin society … If you live in the Tro'pits with the Gnolls.
The elders of Orcnin society are eaten as a delicacy. All food is served raw or seared for flavor. Orcnin young are eaten on a regular basis, but it is a taboo to eat of your own breed save for sacred religious ceremonies. It is, though, not uncommon for a Ha to force a Goblin to eat his own foot. A routine punishment for failure is having one of your eyes removed and eaten in front of you. The worst place to be in Orcnin society is missing an arm or an eye. To have lost both means that you are simply carrying stuff and waiting for your turn to be turned into stew. Cabnetry is not a science practiced amongst the majority of Horde. There are Gno'pits found in any Orcnin hoard where the doomed are kept until the time comes for them to be eaten. A pathetic collection of that Horde's refuse. It is considered an honor to be allowed to make the dinner selection from such a pin, and traditionally it is the chooser that is allowed to keep the teeth of their chosen meal. There is only one way out of the Gno'pits. Through the Tro'pits.
At this time among the Horde there are three major 'political' organizations. The Baragan, the Gagarin, and those described as the Traditionalists. Were it not for the traditions of Ancient Triunism, the Traditionalists would be the greatest ally of The Empire. However, the traditional relationship between Orcnin and Mans, Orcnin and Elendi, Orcnin and Dwar … is antagonism, murder, and genocide. As it stands the Baragan are the nearest to 'allies' of The Empire. Gagarin adhere to an absolute fabrication of Ogran's that the War Hero and New God Girin was actually a Troll. This is absolutely not true. Girin's lesser archon was a Mans, and a powerful one at that. His war cult commands a small breed of barbarian bottom lander Mans and now nearly half of the Orcnin Horde. The Baragan are the most diplomatic social society of Orcnin'Sa. A sky born philosophy of the Horde that deal with pirates. High sky pirates ally with Ronian and Taurn armies for mutual defence against both the Dragoons and the Horde, and thusly the Baragan build alliances with Mid Sky Mans pirates, a Race once deemed 'Gno' and only good for food. Consolidation of the Baragan with The Empire is nonetheless a pie dream as The Empire would have to first embrace the pirates, and their codes, into the imperial councils. Pirates are in a sense the hight of outlawed arconistics, and without a true pirate archon to stand in the Grand Council neither will Orcnin'Ha (and their powers of Dominion), the pirates (and their arconistics), nor the Baragan (and their diplomacy) will be accepted by The Empire.
I had a sheet of paper with all the Orcnin Horde and Breed names written down. I have revivified them as this piece of paper has varnished ..something, anyhow..!
Gian - The first born of Ogran's Army. Half Stone. Living Construct/Elemental/Beast
Troll - The supposed first born of Ogran's Army.
Gno - anything that the Orcnin'Ha won't breed with. Lit. 'Only good for food' or ubreadable.
Gnoll - a beastial / doglike breed of Orcnin.
Baragan - Sky Born War Hero and New God of the Third Empire.
Gagarin - Mistransliteration of the word Girin.
Orcnin'Sa - The rulers of the Orcnin, taller and burlier than Sa.
Orcnin'Ha - Once rulers of the Orcnin. Resemble walking bullfrogs.
Hob'gob'Sa (Gob'lin'Sa) or simply Ho'Sa a breed spawned from Goblin that resemble the Orcnin'Sa.
Ko'gno'lad - (Kobold) or Orcnin'Ka tiny furry monsters with latching jaws. Highly intelligent.
Grim'loc - Blind proto versions of Orcnin'Sa
Ko'Cher - (Choker) Plant like tentacle Orcnin, resembling Trolls only smaller with tentacles.
Og'ren - 'People of Ogran' massive brutes said to resemble the visions of Ogran.
Shakar - oft mistook for Taurn, an aqutic breed of Orcnin, similar to Hobgoblins.
Ath'ack - Ogre with extra limbs and heads, and tails and such. Sometimes, Mongrelmen.
Skum - a rarer proto version of Orcnin'Sa (amphibious).
Fiend - A Mans, Elendi, or Dwar that has joined the Horde.
Goblin - Gob'lin'Ha, Miniature versions of Orcnin'Ha. Similar to Mans, but smaller.
I also had a sketch of a basic 'Goblin Toung' using the sylables as protowords, and you can see bits of that are being worked in. Such as 'Gno' as a Ogran word used by Dwar as a pejorative for their wizards, and also embraced (oddly) by the Gnome Nation of the Moon. The Dwar race is divided by Mid Sky, The Empire, and their clashing warrior/wizard ideals. Nearly all of the Gnomes are trained in Arconistics (originally a development of the Orcnin'Ha) and none are the match for even the average Dwar Knight, sans their Arconistic Powers. I want to continue with the development of the 'Goblin Toung' in favor of making *yet another* Elendi/Elven language, even though Elendi is not Elf.
The orange worm, the furious beast. Fire elemental dragons are perhaps the least intelligent of all dragon kind. Perhaps their elemental affiliations have an effect on their thought process, or perhaps they think so fast their behavior seems alien to us mortals. The eternal beast are all highly intelligent creatures once they reach their maturation. Even if they remain in their seedling forms they are will continue to develop cognitively. Their affiliation with the flame element grants them numerous different abilities unlike the gift of flight granted to all the wind beasts, the gift of melting given to the water beasts, or the gift of metal granted to the stone beasts. Flame dragons can spit terryifying rage into the minds of those around them by altering the temperature. Many can fly via some nature form of heat adjustment. Of all the types of natural beasts the developed Flame Beasts have been known to practice arconistics. Technometrics is a science learned from the ways of the Tolonese dragon lords, and works equally well for dragon kind as it does for the Tolonese Mans. The nature of Orcnin Arconistics is the act of recrafting the elements of existence with the power of your understanding of the divine beings, and acting toward the goal of becoming one. As such, the Natural Beasts of the world have such a subtle nature to them. This nature places much greater burdens upon the beast kind than those of us with souls gifted by the Arcons.
A common initial nature of a flame dragon is that of a fruit. Small, red, with a little piece of tuft of green at the top. Little starlights glow just upon the skin. They grow in patches. Should a more advanced beast fall in combat the delicious little fruit undergoes the process of maturation into a juvinile stage of development. The number of the flames that develop is based on the elemental variances of the region when the elder dies. Should an ancient be destroyed. The entire relm will undergo the process of Dragon's Rising. Anyone who cares to pay keen attention to the elemental balances, be they arconist or adherent, will immediatly feel the change in the balances. The entire region's worth of immature, juvinile, seedling, or aged dragons will begin the transformation. They will develope further in the blood power to redress the balances of the elements. The flame berry, for example usually develops into a long lanky racer without wings. Some become little bubble shaped eaters that fly with heat vortex assisted wings. The bubble type is ruffly and the size of a sparrow. The runner type has full use of its heat breath, and will be able to easily develop a heat sphere that creates an invisibility phenomena, as well as sweltering their opponent.
For several years after this shift, or perhaps another death amongst the elders the juvinile flames will be able to grow through a regenerative and developmental process similar to sleep. This is the point in time that they are the most voulnerable. For many days they will be completely insensible to the outside world. In most cases they coil or huddle into an completely unmoving state and in the case of the Flames they will usually surrounded by a heat flield of a strength higher powered than they are able to make awake. Do not think that you will be entierly safe from their claws and bite when they are asleep, usually insensible and froven does not mean always. I have a scar from a sleeping Flame earned when taking a measure of the beasts temperature. 464 gold 7 silver Tolonese, at least and that from the tail tip. The Tolonese beasts charge their coin with power in vast machines that somehow charge off of the heat. The lamp that sits above Tolone One shines with the power of four sleeping dragons. These beast obey the dragon overlord's command and have stayed their natural wanderings. In most of the world they wander wildely, and are driven to travel by the quicksilver shifting of the elemental flames balancing.
Water flows, and winds ****. Stones sit. Plants grow. Light beams, and flame whips. Dragons of darkness are not real. Those less learned regarding the dragon species know that the so called 'black dragons' are usually lights, waters, or flames. The lights can directly shine darkness as well as light, and many flames have a little understood ability to effect the eyes of their victums. Your vision grows dark, and your sense of equilibrium if comprimised to a degree. Some fall immediatly to the ground blind. Some are scarcely effected by the experience at all, and any soul with a fire gift is not only immune but energized by the experience. Imperial Dragoons greatly prize those elder Flames that have this particular ability as they are able to increase the fighting power of entire units with their natural emmanations. More than simply a fire spout that can amplify a Dragoon's gift the defensive ability of these Flames is highly effective. No ancient ever stays with the Dragoon's armies, and only rarely will an elder remain after the Knight who tamed it has died. For this and other obvious reasons it is usually an Elen that leads an Imperial Dragoon Regiment. Once dragons of all colors were common amongst the Dragoon's, but in these times Stones are the most common with some winds and flames. Rare are the Light beasts in the Imperial cities, and none of water and plant.
Amongst the Dragoons it is required of them to go out and get tame their own dragon. This rite of passage is what makes a legionare into a knight. There is a ethos amongst them that has grown weak in these modern times. A True Dragoon, was once what a Knight was called when they mastered many Dragons. Legends speak of the Hoards of the True Dragoons, but within Imperial City there are perhaps seventy Knights with more than one dragon, and they scarcely more than three. Teams of Flame Dragons are perhaps the most common, winds are mostly single, and some say that the lack of True Dragoons is the reason for absence of Water and Plant beasts. "Taming a Water beast is said to only be possible by one who has tamed a Flame." Being an old Dragoon saying. The waters are perhaps the most elluisve of all the Beasts one could imagine that having a dragon help would be a wise idea. Waters and Lights demand great freedom from their Knights, while Flame Beasts demand a great power within their masters.
The Crosslands are the largest Imperial Colony on the Bottomlands. Founded durring the first Mans-Tree wars. Reval and (xx) were the beacheads of the Imperial Armies, and their houses are held in regard akin to the Dragoon Knighthoods that rule the Dargonian Isle. If the Dargonian lands and peoples could be called metropolitan the Crosslands Imperial Nations are certainly provencial. Of the Dargonian Nations Asper is perhaps the most similar to the Crosslands. Peaceful and generally free of strife. While the Crosslands are bordered by Orcnin territories such as the Goblin Forest coval, and the Taurn dominated deserts goval, there is little warfare amongst them. The reason for this is, of course, the grand arconistic roads and protective wards of the Imperial Arcons. Due to these enchantments Orcnin are rarely found in the Crosslands. It is more likely to meet an Orcnin in Imperial City than it is to be accosted by one in the Crosslands. These protective enchantments are ancient and have kept The Imperial Crosslands in safety for centuries.
The two grand archonistic roads created durring the second Mans-Tree war, before arconistics was banned from Imperial Domain, are safe to walk only by those who have been granted lee to walk them. Once it was the Imperial Arconists that would have held these gates, but since the expunging of Imperial Arconistics the power of access has been held by the Arcons and their reprasentatives. The rule is simple. One must be an Imperial Citizen to walk upon the road. Any other being that attempts to walk upon the roads, or even come close to them, is repelled by phenomenal force and no small assortment of archonistic trappery. Teleportation and direct explosive force are common expressions of the power of the roads. Weak willed creatures are simply avered, and even the most fearsom of beasts are sapped of their strength when attempting to approach the roads. The 'long road' begins in the heart of the Crosslands and ends near the coblin shore of the bottomlands. The 'short road' crosses the long road near its coblin end point and head goval. Hence the term Crosslands despite the fact that the cross point of the two roads is far from the border of the Crosslands themselves. The majority of the two roads is actually in the Taurnin or Tyrnin wastes coblin of the Crosslands proper.
(xx) lays tacit claim to all the Taurnin lands, but lacks the drive or strength to take those lands. The Crosslands are peacful and productive. The wastes are harsh and violent. There is little profit to be made in conquoring those lands, and most believe that someday soon the Taurn will come to ally more strongly with The Empire. Should the disparate Taurn tribes join forces with The Empire there shall be no need to conquor the Tyrnin wastes. Though how the Taurn tribes will acclimitize with the Imperial Councils and the Imperial Arcons is another matter entierly. Life in the Crosslands proper is highly regulated. Daily worship empowers the younger dieties and the Imperial Councils to create the necessities of life as it does in the skies. The city arcons maintain the massive enchantments that prevent Trees from encroaching into Mans territories, and bolster the armies of the Empire. Regular patrols of non dragoon soldiery patrol the borders of the Crosslands to prevent Orcnin bands from threatening the safety of the central Crosslands cities. Reval performs annual hunts to cleanse the forests and shores of Orcnin and hostile Taurn.
Reval itself is one of the most powerful houses of The Empire. Though many may consider them barbaric their strength has protected the Crosslands since the beginning. Viscious and cruel are the words that come to my mind, but vigorous and exacting could be synonyms for those terms. Revalian crystal is powered by the souls of the dead. If one positive thing can be said of the Revalians it is that they do not seek to press their ways upon the rest of The Empire. Proud and isolated. Powerful and steadfast. (xx) could be called agrarian, pastoral, and peaceful. While the Revalians are intent on producing warriors of equal calibur to the dragoons (xx) are busy producing Imperial citizens. It is due to the (xx) that the Crosslands has a quarter of the territory as the Dargonian Empiral Lands, and half the population. Non Revalian life in the Crosslands revolves around ceremony, marriage, and faith. Much fine craftwork is produced without any intention of using it as export. Rather clothing and jewelry is created as gifts for friends and family.
Traveling to a from the Crosslands is usually annual. The last of the great Rover islands carves a yearly path through the skies from Dargonia to the Crosslands. As the Crosslands is self sufficient and, at this time, not in war there is little need for regular trade. Dragoons make regular quests to the Crosslands from the skies, but these quests are individual and usually done on dragon back. Some ships can be hired to travel to the bottom lands, but the cost is steep. Rover islands were created for a reason. It is as perilous to sail the skies of the Bottomlands, and to hire a ship to take you there is expensive. Doubly so as there is scarce profit to be made from the Crosslands in trade. The value of the Crosslands to The Empire is not in barter but in control. The Imperial Crosslands are a foot of The Empire upon the Bottomlands. A foot set down durring the Mans-Tree wars that The Empire will value eternally. When necessary this foot is used to kick Silestria and the Tyrnin. It is used to exert the will of The Empire against the strongest hoards of the Orcnin when necessary, and has remained strong and growing ever stronger since the end of the Mans-Tree wars.
The nature of the Fey, brainstormin'
The different types of fey are the 'mind/plant elementals' of the wonderful world (which I have decided is what 'Sty-Rn' means in Taurn ~ it was always 'earth/here' but I wasn't certain what language or what connotations it had, 'wonderful world' will work perfectly, so fey.. ) and they are spawned from the ideas of place and object, and their substance is secondary. wood or soot or even a bush. A dryad is a collection of leaves and sticks, while the sprites (Pixies, Nixies, Gremlins, and Grigs) are actually living plants almost akin to the vegetable races. Nymphs are practically humans, and the Tuathan *seem* real (in your mind), though they are little more than the dust stirred to reflect the light just right. However much the Sprites and Nymphs are solid and resemble a normal living creature they are not. They subsist off the sustenance of dreams. A sprite must keep their vegetable vehicle alive, but the Nymphs need not worry even about that much.
checklist!
Tuathan (palaces, castles, rooms, a fairy)
They appear to be of your Race and have long memories. Usually proud to declare their identities, but sometimes extremely secrative. There will always be a prominant distinguishing mark of somekind other than physical features (such as a hat or a coat pen) as they always appear to the beholder as strikingly beautiful.
Chimera (dangerous places, ancient ruins, a fairy)
The difference between a Tuathan and a Chimera is allot of bad memories.
Gorgon (holes in the ground and snakes, a nymph)
Amongst the prancing Napaeae and the babbeling Niads the Gorgon nymphs hide. Elusive and compeling they stare with whipcrack eyes.
Grig (little lover, a sprite)
Hard to find unless they want to be. The Grig is a peculiar little cactus whose spines create a number of enjoyable reactions in the beast peoples.
Pixie (little sleeper, a sprite)
A naturally invisible creature. Made of the rarest almost crystalin plant. With the powers of the fey the pixie can coast on slightest wind, and ebb consiousness or memory from a beast like sap from a tree.
Gremlin (workshops factories, a sprite)
Bogan (homes, public greens, stores, a fairy)
Happy friendly fairy that keep mostly to themselves. Known for making rare appearances to mortals in order to give them carefully considered advice.
Knockin (tunnels, mines, ore veins, a fairy)
Perhaps the best known and most active of all the fairy. Knockin guide mortals through their underground homes, and dice for crystal at the entrance of their homes.
Alseid (glens, groves, meadows, a nymph)
Auloniad (pasture, vales, fields, a nymph)
Crinaeae (fountains, city parks, statues, a nymph)
Dryad (forests, a fairy)
The lords of all Fey. The great dryads are only rivaled in power by the oreads, and are by far more common and sensible than the rash moutain fairy. Both Oreads and Dryads overlord countless Nerieds, Naiads, Pagaeae, Hesperides (of course), and even Meliae and Chimera. The Dryad will mostly likely have alliance with druid and Oread. Goval Forest is a powerful Dryad that rules perhaps the largest swath of the Bottom Lands, rivaled only by Goblin Forest a fiercer Dryad with strong alliances to the Chimera and Oreads of the Goblin Mountains.
Hamadryad (an individual tree, a nymph)
To each tree there is a nymph. Where it be? No one can ever say for certain. Made of bent light and quick water the Hamadryad goes and does what it wills. The only way to truely destroy it being to destroy the tree from which it spawned, and even then the hamadryad may remain as a meliae or spook after a fashion. Much of the nature of the hamadryad is determined by the Dryad or Oread whome the hamadryad is born under.
Hesperides (flowers/gardens, a fairy)
The smallest fey. Even smaller than a Nixie the Hesperides are not bigger than a flower. Made of polen and delight they play perpetually underfoot and under fingers. In happy homes full of sweet smells Hesperides are busy loosing spoons and finding buttons.
Nixie (little killer, a sprite)
Just ever so much bigger than your thumb, and ever so much stouter than a beast, the Nixie is a tireless and resilient little shrub that looks ever so exactly like Mans. Nixies prefer darkness and can often summon a shroud of night to conceal their presence.
Meliae (graves, battlegrounds, a nymph)
The dreams of death and battle give rise to the Meliae. Not memories of the actual dead but the imagination of the tales of war and strife. They are caprisious at the least, and viscious at their worst. Only Chimera are a more fearsom fey.
Naiads (rivers, a nymph)
The babbeling Naiad is adorable to behold and a gracious freind. However they are reclusive and much prefer to remain upon the shores of their beloved rivers.
Napaeae (grotto, a nymph)
Sometimes called the hidden nymph the Napaeae rarely leave their secluded grottos. Those that make friends with a Napaeae will have a place of safety and seclusion for the rest of their days. The Napaeae are the most common practitioners or Arcanistics amongst the fey.
Nereids (shores, a nymph)
The baudy Nereids are the fast friends of those that sail the waters.
Oceanids (deep waters, a nymph)
The unseen Oceanids live in the deepest waters. The aquatic races are very familiar with Oceanids and their ways, while those that live on the land scarcely know they exist.
Oreads (mountains, a fairy)
Stern and unforgiving the Oread is aware of every aspect of their mountain. Not a single soul breaths within the Oread's domain that is not seen and accounted for by the Oread.
Pagaeae (springs, a fairy)
Fun loving and spritely the Pagaeae have a fondness for shapechanging. Appearing as an animal or a sprite and then reappearing as a face upon the waters. Their nature makes them ever fresh and full of hope.
Pooka (a fairy - usually rides upon a mortal)
A strange fey. The pooka is a companion. Those that have a pooka for a friend will appear to have some strange feature. A tail, cat ears, or a fancy feather ever behind their ear or in their hat. The pooka will keep the company of a mortal for all its years, leaving only rarely to take care of emergencies and important matters.
Pasha (a fairy - spirit of a story)
Passionate entertainers the Pasha appear as exotic and seductive members of another race. They delight in holding the allure of a mortal for long hours as they tell their tales. Some fear the Pasha more than a Chimera. Run long enough and you may escape the reach of a Chimera, but a Pasha knows no bounds. A good story could end in all manner of ways, and not all of them are pleasant.
Spook (a nymph - the memory of the dead)
The dream of a lost loved one creates the most poignant of the Fey. Not frightening in the least the Spook is rather sad. Knowing what it is, and knowing worse how little it can do for the bereaved most spooks simpley wander off. Oft mistooken for ghosts spooks make their homes with Tuathan and Knockin. Spooks and Meliae rarely get along. Meliae are a fey that all but seek death, while spooks are the heart wrenching loss of a loved one made real.
Selkie (a fairy - a sea)
Like Dryads and Oreads the Selkie is a being of great power. Silest is the selkie of the innner sea of the Bottom Lands, and her ire is legendary. It is the selkie that brings tempest and to the selkie must reprations be made.
..nice little brainstorm.. will have to come up with better uniqueifiers for the Alseid, Auloniad, and Crinaeae nymphs. right now I am kinda thinking of them as 'slightly different hamadryads' and I am also considering how to handle 'nations' ..Arconid? God Fey? Perhaps.....
Dark Orcnin hail from the transelemental realms. Earth, Air, Fire, Water. Each element exists within a shifted where the element has primacy and the functions with only the light, mind, and beast. Dark orcnin are the only beings capable of existing within the realms of the elements. The Jinn and Fey…..find their true homes here ..in time.
Light flows into the matric of the four terrestrial elements. Called true arcanos, primessense, or vivos by the Vivomancers of old. The element of light is the domain of Miria Ancient. With her beneficence was the empire able to be founded. Those within the realms of the empire are illuminated. In the magical light of of her lamps the the citezens of the empire are able to live and work without fear of the darkness. In the ornin lands most of the races can see in the dark, and those that can't either operate entierly blindly or are the fire bearers. The Kobolds are both nearly blind and one of the original fire bearers. The tiny Orcnin are also among the most ancient. Their caves hold some of the eldest records of the Orcnin peoples. Without the power of vivos all would be unseable and unformed. There would be no space between and all existence could not be.
Earth Air Fire Water. Sky filling up space between bodies of water and earth, fire following where sky leaves off. The two val float on the interplay of the two lin. Water and earth buyed within the sea of sky and the roar of fire. Light fills the space between each element and fills them with vivos. Motivation. Pusuence. Force. As the islands humble round their ordinals and the font pours from the Dragon's Home above us all to the grand bottom lands below the waters fall. Down down down to the couldron of fire that sits above nothing, and upholds all. The world matric is a gargantuan ball of flame that is simultaniously impossibly huge and infentessimally small. Oneness and that which is and is not the space yet between the vivos and the val and lin is the realm of the Diplomancer.
The mind is the power of change. An untenable weight the tells water to fall and fire to climb. Time is an element of mind and rare are those that understand how time is not one step in front of the other but a pearl of explosions expanding or contracting through the universe. The chronomancer understands the nature of both mind and beast, and has never been able to explain what some call the nega element of mind.
Beast is life. Mans, Orcnin, and Dariens. All beings dragon or mortal are of the element beast. Like the contemplation of the world flame the element beast is the synthisis of all the elements and is also an element. The beast is the element that is able to walk into the realms of the val, the lin, and the nega and return to its own transelemental plane. The one in which I and you belong.
…
The Mountain Giant. The Resting Ones. The Greatest of Ogran. In the tongue of
the Orcnin'Ha all of the Giant kind are known as Gian. Like most Orcnin terms
the name has many uses. Gian is perhaps best translated as 'you can stand on it'
or dirt. Useless is a connotation, but not in a valueless sense. Something you
cannot control is useless by the ethos given to the Orcnin'Ha and the Gian are
beyond the control of even the Orcnin'Sa. Tall as mountians. When they say that
the Gian grow as tall as the mountains they mean it. They sit mostly. Never
moving, but when they do the bottom lands shake. It is said that they have once
climed to the very top of the world to test who could reach for Dragon's Home.
Legend claims none could reach so far. Other legends say that it was a Mountain
Giant that placed the Dragon's Home so high in the sky as a gift to the Dragons.
They do not eat at all. They breath. They are dirt and moss and growing things.
collosal and unfendable. A large gian can stomp upon a Mans. A small Gian is
larger than a Troll. Dragon's prey upon them, and many are homes to swarms.
Their ethos is one that welcomes death as the gods have seen fit to make them
immortal. Barring injury like a Troll the Gian do not die naturally. Many have
been torn asunder and done in durring the Mans Tree Wars. Cern the Mountain is
Largest Mountain Giant known to the Empire and he was so huge that when he stood
his head was above the ridge of Dolor. Cern was torn assunder by legions of
Blooms durring the last Mans Tree Wars. The battle of the Lilly Squad brought
about the downfall of the Orcnin'Ha. It was said that non could best a Gian save
Ha and Mans. Ghoul too stupid and the Goblin too small, but the Walking Flowers
destroyed Cern with thier roots and vines. Thousands of worming feet dissolve
the Gian flesh. To pay Ogran for the gift of death Cern battled mightily. The
Lilly Scuad lost two members and their legions lost hundreds.
The youngest of the Gian are the size of a house. A boulder that rolls down a
mountain. They grow in accordance with the Ascendancy of the Earth Elements and
are granted the gifts of life and growth by the gift of Ogran. It is said that
some Archons other than the Triad create Gian but the Emperial New Gods
foreswore the patronage of Orcnin. The Ancient Arconistics foreswore the
patronage of Mans, and the Pride Gods name only the Taurn. Even though there are
Orcnin Gods amongst the Emperial New Gods and Mans Gods amongst the Archonistic
tribunals. The five brothers that rule the grand guild, and the Many Ladies of
Stone patron Fey, but the Flame Brothers and The Pillars do not. In this day the
Orcnin that forsake the ways of their ethos and swear to the laws of The Empire
are allowed to be citizens, but no Gian has ever done so.
The only joy the Gian share with The Empire is the drink of Mans. There is no
travelers spirit amongst them. Their ethos breeds greatness amongst them, and
they contest each other single combat with the turning of the seasons, or when
commanded so by the Orcnin'Sa. In the ancient times the Orcnin'Ha would be
required to best a Gian before gaining the Mountain Giant's obediance, but the
end of the Mans Tree Wars changed that, and the wisdom of the Orcnin'Sa was
crowned with the imperative of Ogran. The Orcnin say that the wisdom of the Sa
is like stone. Slow but perfect. They have lead the Orcnin people with Ogran's
blessing for some six thousand years.
Most of the Gian are terrifyingly destructive. Born from those items that are
destroyed in battle the Gian spirit bonds with the earth and clay in which the
once living item lays. Akin to a dragon's birth the power of Ogran vivifies the
very ground with the spent item of power as the heart of the beast. Many Gian
are made of numerous items gathered and transmuted by Arconistics to create a
yet more terrifying creature than an immortal behemoth. Gian with gemstone eyes
are always the product of Arconistics while those that seem to bear no
distinctive features that of nature itself. Most Gian are born of nothing more
than Ogran's will and the grace of the gods. Living for at most only a few
hundred years before being ground to dust in ritual combat. There is no speaking
to a Gian save you are of the Orcnin'Sa or you have defeated the Mountain Giant
in battle, and few can subdue a Gian. Most Gian will battle to the bitter end
unless their opponent is Orcnin. It is said that since the end of the Mans Tree
Wars even a worthy band of Goblin may win a favor of the Gian through a test of
strength and battle prowess.
Group of players, want to play - I have the most experience conducting, running mastering or guiding or what have you, so without any complaints I will be converting the 4th ED details to A Wonderful World format, and I will also be updating this thread more regularly with world building elements that result from play. Depending, I may even report the exploits of the party.
I have already ressurected an ancient campaign scenario that never flew - but it seems the perfect thing...
I am looking to 'kickstart' some sales of my Wonderful World Gold books. PoD this scrap is destined to end up in the devotional. I have the books broken down to five
the 'devotional' is a 'collection' of various in character documents regarding the subjects divine and cosmoginic. I don't have a character for this piece, but.. Since when I am writing in character what I do is structor the information as if you already know it ( e.g. In the depths of winter when the red sun gleams in the high skies over the Darian coasts ) and what I am really trying to accomplish is inform a completely unaware reader of new information.. I am going to writ out the explanation in PHB style straitforward exposition, and later reword/work this piece into an in character document of some kind. Most prolly as a component of a larger themed item ( such as an 'excerpt from chapter seven of Pahwah's Travels' ).I decided to do something 'funky' with the word vampire in Sty-Rn. In a world full of all kinds of cannabilism and undead the standard vampire becomes less sexy and more a bizzarely peculiar form of undead what with the strange aversions, lack of reflection, inability to cross running water, etc. And a weak one without the ability to walk in the light of the sun. So instead of being a regular undead the word vampire ( and the 'Vampire' entry in the Beastiary ) is actually a pejorative used to refer to a race of Mans that in their own toungue refer to themselves as Healers. In their language 'vampire' means 'the opposite of a healer' and is used to refer to a specific type of undead healers ( those that have been killed by the power of the Undead God Kithain - and only Healers and Tolonese can be converted into this type of undead. Kithain was staked and sealed in a cave before the time of the Mans Tree Wars by the Karn Hero God Girin. Kithains converts however 'live' on and make their haven mostly in the darkness and caves of the bottom lands.
Common Mans and Taurn however refer to the entire Healer peoples as Vampires. Healers have a shared Gift of the ability to move life force ( read hit, action, and attribute points ) between characters. The worst of the Healer peoples gives the mostly pious and cautious people a terrifying reputation. An evil Healer fighter might rip the strength from a nearby ally to repair damage to themselves. A Healer Assassin might seduce and drain the mind of a subject allowing them to easily convince them to take what they would otherwise recognize to be a suicidal action. An insidious Healer might 'sip' almost undetected on the Dexterity of his party members to give themselves a phenomenal improvement to rogue skills. Things of this nature are the stories told of the 'Vampire' in the skies of Sty-Rn.
The insectoid 'Dopplegangers' are often muxxed up with the Healers by those that call them Vampire. While the Dopplegangers Gifts are similar their abilities are purely mental ( read psychic ) and their shapechanging ability is only cosmetic and does not 'draw' on their prey's own life force. Nor do they 'take' the memories of their subject just observe them. Unless of course they are an advanced psion with such powers of their own. Healers are not a psychic race, but their ancient allies the Watchers are powerful psychics with a natural Psychic talent as their people's Gift. The other race ( other than the Karn ) that are connected intimately with the Healers is the Tolonese people.
Unknown to most is that the Patron of the Healer peoples incarnated the Patron of the Tolonese. The Tolonese people and the Healers share a similar Gift, however the Tolonese Gift is bound to transfering energy between mineral character/items ( read PP, Hardness, and other HP style values of constructs ) similar to the Gnomish peoples' enchanting Gift. The Tolonese gift is so subtle that common wisdom holds the Tolonese Patrons do not grant The Gift to their people at all. The truth of the nature of the Tolonese Gift is known to very few. Wherea the Healers Gift is the same for all Healers the Tolonese Gift expresses as a form of knack with Technometric, Archonistic, or Natural item such as reducing the chance of misshap with a Technometric device, the ability to recharge Gnomish boomsticks ( fireball wands ), or the ability to use 'savage idols' ( divine power stones etc ) to charge devices that would otherwise require a Tolonese power core and gold crystal 'coins' ( which are the foundation of the currencies in the mortal realm of Sty-Rn ).
I should note that the Healers, Tolonese, Karn, and the Watchers are all 'Mans' but are categorized as different races for Play due to the regular differences from Sky Born, Bottom Lander, and Common Mans. Karn are 'normal human beings' ( and a special breed of red pelted 'albino' Pherthan ). Their Gift is the ability to communicate effortlessly with spirits and see partially into the etherial realms at all times. Their peoples are rare and are found mostly in the Goval region of the Bottom Lands. Watchers are a psychic Mans race that otherwise is indestinguishable from Common ( or pale ) Mans. Watchers and Common Mans come in any skin / hair / teeth color combination. Blue hair, green skin, and black bones would be a common sight amongt the peoples of Mans. Healers and Sky Born Mans are even more spectacular resembling the wildest 'blue green sparkled and patterned' style aliens from all your favorite syfy. Like, imagine Jadzea Dax from DS9 only her underskin is purple and the spekle pattern is rainbow. And her hair is silver and gold. Amongst the Sky Born and Healer Mans the patterns are heriditary and can be used to instantly identify ones parentige in many circumstances.
The difference between Bottom Lander and Sky Born Mans is that the Bottom Landers are squater, their patternss are more stark ( read tribal, compared to fractal style patterns in Sky Born ), and the tone of the color of their skin and hair is simply darker no matter the color. Common Mans and their pale colors are found everwhere, and in some ( evil ) noble houses if your child is born pale it is considered cursed or scorned by the Patron of the house and cast out or eaten. The actual reason is that the Common Mans are the half elves of Sty-Rn and their colors and tones are more like the simple pastel colors and tones of the Elendi or elven peoples. Unlike the Elendi the Half Elf / Common Mans never have camouflage patterns on their skins or hair. Another, even rarer, people of Mans is the feral Mans called Wild Runners who inhabit the sky island of Wild's Home. Their skins and teeth, and sometimes feathers, fangs, and fur, are tied to their shared Gift of animal familiarity. All Wild Runners have an affinity and Gift ability to create a familiar style bond with a specific type of natural animal. This bond is stronger than a Mage's familiar in that once bound the two are said to be one mind in two bodies. Wild Runners encountered away from Wild's Home Isle are usually bound to predatory animals or migratory birds, but on Wild's Home Isle it is equally as common to be bound to a worm or frog or dog.
The Healers mingle mostly unnoticed amongst the Common and Sky Born Mans with the aid of their long time cousins the Watchers. Both the Watchers and the Healers are unreasonably feared by the majority of the populations of the Empire but are ironically welcomed into Taurn communities. The Taurn, Healers, and Watchers have been long persecuted and demonized by the average imperial citizen and as such the Tuarn see them as allies and are wary to believe the 'nightmare tales' that describe the Healers as Vampires and the Taurn as unholy and uneducated savages. While society as progressed and the rise of the Tolonese civilization has rewritten the economies of the world, the ideologies of the average imperial citizen are scarcely different than that of their ancestors in the time of the Wizards War. Amazingly the Orcnin ( read goblinoid ) peoples have gained vastly more acceptance in the Empire since the 'destruction' of their homeland Arconistic Isle in the Wizards War. In actuality Arconistic Isle still sits in the skies, but has been shattered into several pieces - one of which is the gold core that rose to the high skies after being dislodged from Arconistic Isle proper when the Archmage of the Black Tower of Arconistics used an Epic spell to slam Taurna ( the now *obliterated* homeland Isle of the Taurn ) into Arconistic Isle in an attempt to destroy his rival the Archmage of the Grey Tower of Arconistics. The Black Tower was later phase shifted from it's location in what is now called the Pride Lands Desert on the Bottom Lands to a deadly and perilous pocket realm ruled over by the eternally imprisoned Last Archmage of the Black Tower ( read Epic Bad Ass Lich, who I have never bothered to name ). The White Tower still stands, hidden, on Wild's Home Isle, and the Red Tower that once proudly looked over Empire City was abandoned after the Wizards War due to the change in attitude of the Imperial Councils afte the worldwide devastation caused by the Wizards War. A new 'Red Black Tower' has been erected on Red Star Isle in the dark skies by those Arconistic Masters who find themselves unable to escape from th Dark Sky, but the Red Black Tower has yet to develop the power and might of the elder temples. It would be a campaign in and of itslef to assist the Red Black Tower and it's Arconistic Masters to build a pan dimensional bridge to the Black Tower and gain the strength of the Last Archmage of the Black Tower - even one that could elevate a PC to the status of Archmage of the Red Black Tower..... A position currently held by no one. Perhaps the Patrons of Destiny call out for a Healer to take on this mantle?
From the first single player game in Sty-Rn,
Ho! And hear the tale of the greatest hero who has ever lived! First and true Ka'a'Karn! Girin Everlasting!
In ancient times ( before the creation of Empire City and the first Mans Tree Wars ) The Ka'a'Karn walked the Bottom Lands ( with rightiousness ) and lo could non stand before him. Girin Undefeated paragon of Mans did roam the reach of the peoples of Karn. In the time of Girin Traveler the rule of the Karnians was vast. Fom Goval point to Pride Lands the Ka'a'Karns ruled. In those days only the Loney mountian and the Iron Wall could not be tamed by the ferocity of the Karn!
( and only The Vampire could best a true Ka'a'Karn )
No tale tells the truth of how the battle penultimate between The Vampire and Girin Triumphant began!
( lo tho the Doomsayers claim to know )
What is truth is that the Great War of the Two was waged over days. Girin Resplindant met each attack with shield and claymore as his father had taught him. ( fly the Father of The Everlasting! ) Strike and parry Girin Supreme won the glory of the name Ka'a'Karn! Blow verse blow and lo did Girin Resolute outlast The Gift of The Vampire! ( and all know ) With a final thrust did Girin Ka'a'Karn ( greatest of warriors ) stake The Vampire ( his name forever forgot ) through his undead heart to the dirt of the cave in which he hid and in which The Great War of the Two was won ( and forever hence was the heart the weakness of vampire ).
With a final act Girin Conquerer broke his sword in cleave! Leaving the half of his blade to hold The Vampire to the dirt of the cave. So did Girin Wise ensure the safety of his people ( his rightious charge ) and with a final word ( peace ) did Girin True seal ~forever and ever~ the cave of war with The Vampire ( the first ~ whose name is forgot ) for ever and ever and ever everlasting.
( and then did his travels begin )
Ho! And now you know the tale of Girin Everlasting! First and still True Ka'a'Karn! Lo! And tho none know where his travels have taken him! All true Karn follow the path of Girin! First! Greatest! and The Last! The Ka'a'Karn Everlasting!
I am revivifying this thread, any feedback?
Note:
A. I switch back and forth when refering to O'sa and O'ha races.
Orcnin'Sa are the ancients and 'orcs' proper.
Orcnin'Ha are bugbears and the 'second princes' of the Orcnin.
B. The exact sequence of events regarding the Mans-Tree wars and the Wizard-Wars and the arconistically created races ( such as the hobgoblins and sea crystal elani ) is imprecise.
C. There is allot of minor grammer mistakes, pardon ( feel free to suggest grammatical corrections - I dont mind that kind of contribution at all ( tell me that ... The elendi should eat Mans prisoners while they are living despite the fact that elendi are herbavors .. well ).
The little dragons. Lady bugs, fireflies, and more. The larval stage of the great dragons and the substenance of the ecology. Bugs are eaten alive by the majority of the beast races other than the Elendi. Many carnivorous plants eat bugs as well. Bugs eat other bugs, as do their older cousins. Like all dragons bugs are immortal until slain, and respond to the power of Dragon's Rising. When a powerful dragon dies all dragon kind in the reach of their demense are infused with a quickening of the dying dragons power. A firefly can spontaniously erupt into a small pheonix dragon or a lady bug could cocoon and emerge a mud dragon worthy of being trained to ride. The common mud dragons grow from several kinds of earth elemenatally aligned dragon and can themselves eventually grow to a great size. Imperial houses that have cared for a dragon long enough to sport these Caravan Dragons court great prestige and peril. A caravan dragon is nearly as great as a dragon may grow and still be considered a 'bug' and not a true dragon. The bugs are incapable of higher reasoning, but may be taugh some words or commands.
Once a bug transcends ( which is entierly determined by the elemental nature of the energy released durring draogns rising ) the resulting elder dragon has full possession of its faculties and gains a deep insight into the workings of Arconistics - the true gift of the creator to the dragon kind. All real dragons are magic casters, often weilding spells that resemble the gifts given by patron arcons the dragon enters into bargains with. A newly awakened dragon is perhaps the 'crystal currency' of the lesser gods. By the power of the true creators of the world dragons hold a higher place in the celestial cosmogeny than the lesser gods, and it is only through forging alliances with the greater dragons will one lesser god gain advantage over their enemies. Many believe that dragons are immunie to the hoary power of the mists, but this is not true of bugs, and doubtfull even of the elders.
Well, I think it might be time to do a little bit of organization. 
anybody have any thoughts?
Sty~rn stuff has been generated mostly at need of play over the years ( and now decades ). At one time there was only supposed to be nine dragoon knighthoods but that scrap of paper waas lost and only the names Asperian and Montan have been retained. The nine knighthooods have been replaced with numerous noble houses participating to a greater or lesser extent in the Emperial Wars by maintaining a dragoon knighthood each to some extent. I am planning to include a legend at somepoint regarding the "First Nine Houses" of which Asperian and Montan will be included. The house that opposes Revalia on the bottom lands needs to be different. The tale is that lord Reval and ( Bell .. Belar .. yep there we be ) Lord Bel and Lord Reval led the first martial assualt on The Bottom Lands - creating a beach head on the Goblin Coast and then pushing ward to the inner sea of Silestria. Revalia is small compared to the Lands of Belar. Revalians strive for military might and personal excellence, and their territories only tacitly extend beyond the walls of the grand Revalian Castle. Belar is literally a sprawl of Imperial civilization. Hehe, I like it.
I have a book in preproduction at the website Lulu.com its pretty easy to find. The concept is that it is an inworld book that will be linked to the web community for extended support etc.
There is a wiki. http://wonderfulworld.wikidot.com/ in about a similar grade of development as this thread. Mechanically what I wanted to start with was the OGL monster's manual.
Because the project is mostly rp driven instead of mechanic driven it made sense to me to take an easily aaccessibly resource use it to make the "index" as it were, and then include a OOC appendix that is Conductor support and advisory as to how to make, for example, Fire Elentsi from the Elf template, kinda like this~
Fire type races. Many ( most ) of the common races in Sty~rn come in elemental charged varieties. Fire Elentsi or Flame Dwarien. What I have usually done is simple snag a dwarf, drop te f off the end of it, and apply either a template I found somewhere or even more simply ( or lazily if I must admit I have used this far more times than I want to creatively admit ) give the player their levels worth of Fireball damage that they can break into any amount ( tenth level? might break the fireball gift in two :: a 4d6 and then a 6d6 fireball )). I use this elemental burst damage trait allot. Water spout, stone throw, vine blast, roar ( sonic damage for animals ). There are actually Five Books that I want to make for my world. ( Name makes more sense now donit ). The Devotional is all about the Elendi that meets Pawa and explains all that funny Gold floats stuff, as well as the divine scenario along with allot more history. The other three I havnt really even started on yet.
I have already creatively decided to include one page of the Devotional in the Beastiary. Sanjaya is going to pick from her own writings and the writings of Several other authors, and durring the creative editing process I am going to use word choice and symantics to create a sense of personality that is consitent accross the authers. Sonjaya should sound aspirant ( the aspirant asperian ), while Toren the Pherthan master of Gr'all in the order of the imperial scribes should sound stuffy and superior. Gr'all extremelly humble and perhaps even shy.
The devotional book is curiously enough a sort of love letter ( or love novel ) written by an Elen to a Mans. Pawa was born in the pure lands, far from gold and magic. When chosen he was given a stone that would teleport him to where he was needed ( read player didnt know if they were going to be able to play some I came up with a way for them to pop in and out - literally ).
Kinda like quantum leap, only different. The purpose stone as a meta mechanic -- worked perfectly fyi. The game ran about 6mo or so and that player intermittantly appearred maybe five times?
Each time he had come up with a story to tell about where he had been between games - entierly his own narrative.
Well, thats the update. I think I am going to start structuring this thread properly - hmm, OP, hmm - I am the OP btw.. Book4 and TOTS were mups I used ( actually Book5 was the mup, but I ended up using it far more often and had more frends as book5 than tots that when gleemax fell they system keyed this name, less presumtious too.. I'm glad, yes Book 5/S ( for books and Book Shea, and the five books of The Wonderful World Sty~rn ).
Well, I think it might be time to do a little bit of organization. anybody have any thoughts?
Sty~rn stuff has been generated mostly at need of play over the years ( and now decades ). At one time there was only supposed to be nine dragoon knighthoods but that scrap of paper waas lost and only the names Asperian and Montan have been retained. The nine knighthooods have been replaced with numerous noble houses participating to a greater or lesser extent in the Emperial Wars by maintaining a dragoon knighthood each to some extent. I am planning to include a legend at somepoint regarding the "First Nine Houses" of which Asperian and Montan will be included. The house that opposes Revalia on the bottom lands needs to be different. The tale is that lord Reval and ( Bell .. Belar .. yep there we be ) Lord Bel and Lord Reval led the first martial assualt on The Bottom Lands - creating a beach head on the Goblin Coast and then pushing ward to the inner sea of Silestria. Revalia is small compared to the Lands of Belar. Revalians strive for military might and personal excellence, and their territories only tacitly extend beyond the walls of the grand Revalian Castle. Belar is literally a sprawl of Imperial civilization. Hehe, I like it.
I have a book in preproduction at the website Lulu.com its pretty easy to find. The concept is that it is an inworld book that will be linked to the web community for extended support etc.
There is a wiki. http://wonderfulworld.wikidot.com/ in about a similar grade of development as this thread. Mechanically what I wanted to start with was the OGL monster's manual.
Because the project is mostly rp driven instead of mechanic driven it made sense to me to take an easily aaccessibly resource use it to make the "index" as it were, and then include a OOC appendix that is Conductor support and advisory as to how to make, for example, Fire Elentsi from the Elf template, kinda like this~
Fire type races. Many ( most ) of the common races in Sty~rn come in elemental charged varieties. Fire Elentsi or Flame Dwarien. What I have usually done is simple snag a dwarf, drop te f off the end of it, and apply either a template I found somewhere or even more simply ( or lazily if I must admit I have used this far more times than I want to creatively admit ) give the player their levels worth of Fireball damage that they can break into any amount ( tenth level? might break the fireball gift in two :: a 4d6 and then a 6d6 fireball )). I use this elemental burst damage trait allot. Water spout, stone throw, vine blast, roar ( sonic damage for animals ). There are actually Five Books that I want to make for my world. ( Name makes more sense now donit ). The Devotional is all about the Elendi that meets Pawa and explains all that funny Gold floats stuff, as well as the divine scenario along with allot more history. The other three I havnt really even started on yet.
I have already creatively decided to include one page of the Devotional in the Beastiary. Sanjaya is going to pick from her own writings and the writings of Several other authors, and durring the creative editing process I am going to use word choice and symantics to create a sense of personality that is consitent accross the authers. Sonjaya should sound aspirant ( the aspirant asperian ), while Toren the Pherthan master of Gr'all in the order of the imperial scribes should sound stuffy and superior. Gr'all extremelly humble and perhaps even shy.
The devotional book is curiously enough a sort of love letter ( or love novel ) written by an Elen to a Mans. Pawa was born in the pure lands, far from gold and magic. When chosen he was given a stone that would teleport him to where he was needed ( read player didnt know if they were going to be able to play some I came up with a way for them to pop in and out - literally ).
Kinda like quantum leap, only different. The purpose stone as a meta mechanic -- worked perfectly fyi. The game ran about 6mo or so and that player intermittantly appearred maybe five times?
Each time he had come up with a story to tell about where he had been between games - entierly his own narrative.
Well, thats the update. I think I am going to start structuring this thread properly - hmm, OP, hmm - I am the OP btw.. Book4 and TOTS were mups I used ( actually Book5 was the mup, but I ended up using it far more often and had more frends as book5 than tots that when gleemax fell they system keyed this name, less presumtious too.. I'm glad, yes Book 5/S ( for books and Book Shea, and the five books of The Wonderful World Sty~rn ).
Preserved for posterity ::
[quoe="Book5"]That one, :heehee
A book falls to the ground. It is large and holds a sigil of the city of Gladius on its face. It flops with a flump. Near a pile of dirt. A man looks on, his face scraggly with a wolf's beard. The plain is quite. The book flumps again. Out of it crawls a mouse. With a wizards hat on. He mumbles to himself.
"that was a certainly interesting departure." Suddenly he notices the mans. In an instant a mirage of many monsters and spectacle appeare. A beast of wild terror wields an axe menacingly and a dragon lands with a kathoom! A single star drops from the heavens before the mouse realizes that all is truly quite and the visiage of a demon god revaporates into a watchtower like perimeter. The dragon returns to its original moonlight and the mouse hrumphs.
"that probably wasn't .. well .. he shouldn't have startled me. I'm a terrible bit of a mood. Where was that world link. Wheres my book!?"
The little dragons. Lady bugs, fireflies, and all the rest. The larval stage of the great dragons and the substenance of the ecology. Bugs are eaten alive by the majority of the beast races other than the Elendi. Many carnivorous plants eat bugs as well. Bugs eat other bugs, as do their older cousins. Like all dragons bugs are immortal until slain, and respond to the power of Dragon's Rising. When a powerful dragon dies all dragon kind in the reach of their demense are infused with a quickening of the dying dragons power. A firefly can spontaniously erupt into a small pheonix dragon or a lady bug could cocoon and emerge a mud dragon worthy of being trained to ride. The common mud dragons grow from several kinds of earth elemenatally aligned dragon and can themselves eventually grow to a great size. Imperial houses that have cared for a dragon long enough to sport these Caravan Dragons court great prestige and peril. A caravan dragon is nearly as great as a dragon may grow and still be considered a 'bug' and not a true dragon like mud dragons. The bugs dragons are incapable of higher reasoning, but may be taught some words or commands.
Once a bug transcends ( which is entierly determined by the elemental nature of the energy released durring dragons rising ) the resulting elder dragon has full possession of its faculties and gains a deep insight into the workings of Arconistics - the true gift of the creator to the dragon kind. All real dragons are magic casters, often weilding spells that resemble the gifts given by patron arcons the dragon enters into its early bargains with. Controlling newly awakened dragon is perhaps the akin to a 'crystal currency' of the lesser gods. By the power of the true creator of the world dragons hold a higher place in the celestial cosmogeny than the lesser gods, and it is only through forging alliances with the greater dragons will one lesser god gain advantage over their opponents. Many believe that dragons are immune to the hoary power of the mists, but this is clearly not true of bugs, and doubtfull even of the elders. In deep magical correspondance bugs are born in blades of grass. Some superstitiously devoid their living areas of grass prefering sand, and grass is notoriously absent from the Tolonies cities. Most of the empire has faith in the lesser gods to preserve them from the worst of dragon's rising, and participate in a fairly ritualized sacrifice of caccooned bugs for food. It is believed that this increases the likliehood of a caravan emerging from from a caccoon that was specifically invested in by someone prepared to face something much more fierce that might emerge from the caccoon.
This is clearly an acronistic practice. By turning the caccoons into food they understand that the energy of the fallen dragon is being further dispersed, and by taking action they are willingly and intentionally pushing that energy towards a specific purpose. Furthermore the practice was without a doubt facilitated to a much greater degree of success by Imperial Arconistic master in the times before the wizard wars and the ban on arconistic practice. Tales of amazing draconic men being created from the caccoons were once the terror tale of the children of the empire. Despite the tales most of these dragon men were more similar to the Direlendi than those with The Dragon Hearted gift. The arconistics divorced the dragon men from their natural beast network of energy in order to make them their servitors. This practice along with others are very common amongst Orcnin hoards. Dragon's rising is a time of great celebration amongst the Orcnin. Often a direct cause of an Orcnin campaign to slay a powerful dragon in their region. The grass of the imperial lands may be tamed by the will of the Archons of Mans, but the grass of the Orcnin lands are fed heartily with rivers of blood. It is a simple recognized truth that the Great Dragons of the Bottom Lands are indeed larger by far than the sleeker Dragons of the skies.
While dangerous and pests bugs are a part of life at least amongst the skylander imperials, and one would imagine everywhere. Who hasn't fallen into a patch of grass and accidentally gotten frostbitten by blue ants or burr beetles? Who didnt learn as a small child to catch flutter dragons to be ground into meal? Barn bugs may not be common in Orcnin llands or on Wild Home, but surely something of the same experience must occure on every isle in the world. The Fireflies of the Bottom Lands are a particular treat. Fire Whisps are more common in the skies, and their fliting spinnerettes of flame have a similarity, but the Fireflies of the bottom lands literally glow. One thing that many dont know is that simply because bugs are dragons that they eat flesh, and that is not true. As I mentioned the deep magical correspondance beast and plant are the truely opposing elemental natures. Like fire and water. Earth and wind. At its very root the beast force must consume plant energies and we know of countless types of bug that eat only vegitation and of that mostly grass.
Another interesting point to be made about bugs is that they are different on the bottom of the world. Not the bottom lands, but the underside of the world disk. We know this from some of the most extraordinary expiditions of the imperial scribes guild. Combined with what the Darien can tell us the bugs and dragon beasts of the Bottom of the World are not limited to four or six limbs. There are centipedial beasts with dozens of limbs. Mans is unknown there, while there are nations od Dwar and Elendi. To the knowledge of the Scribes and the Darien there are no Tuarn on the Bottom of the World. Perhaps we of the Empire will come to understand the curse of Fara through the fact that centan flies no longer appear in the world. In accordance with the curse perhaps the end of the prophecy will come when only dardan beatles and the four legged dardan themselves remain of the once great Taurn. Of course, as a final note on what you might not know about bugs and grass, is that moss and mold and those other types of grass do all seem to possess the same basic plant energy that produces dragons. Which was a minor matter of inquery amongst the scribes.
[sblcok=Orcnin Ghost Riders]
There is a vile arconistic practice that the Orcnin use to aid their warriors in combat. The young who show early proficiency with strategy and physical awareness are bound to a captured spirit and used as guides for certain Orcnin champions. Many of these Ghost Riders eventually depart the hoard to join the Arconistic Masters while many others have gone on to become some of the greatest champions of the orcnin. A hoard with the proper relationships with the Orcnin Arcnonistic masters will also be able to grant their Ghost Riders with arconistic arsenals easily equivalent to the Tolonese technometric weapons. The Imperial Arconistic masters of old could easily banish the Ghost Riders as soon as they could detect them, and in those times even one use of such arconistic weapons would reveal the presense of the Ghost Rider. In these days some of the greatest Miracle workers of the imperial priests have the ability to work a miracle that clears an entire battlefield of the ghost riders, but as it stands the Orcnin hoards are proving to be undefeatable when they are attacking. The Empire's tactic of harrying trade caravans and raiding hoards unexpectidlly, of blitzing and retreating only to regroup before the arconistic powers can be replenished, and generally allying with Ron and Taurn; these are the tactics that are enabling The Empire to encroch steadily on the Orcnin territories.
[/sblock]
OOC
The Grand Imperial Arconistic Conspiracy.
I just want to get this out my brain because ... I cant find an actor in the world who would say this, but I feel like anyone who reads this thread should know this ~~ at *this* point.
So acronistics is banned etc etc etc. But the problem is that only the clerics and the wizards truely understand the difference between using the power of the gods and practicing arconistics.
Simply put in the magical ecology you can generate "Arcaonos" as it were, but if arcanos is generated by a god being either nontranscendant or once living that energy is recognized by an arconistic as simply divine. Once an arconistics practitionar transcendes they are able to blend their arcanos into the ..... metadimensionall ..... harmony of the divines. So the difference between clerics and wizards in styrn is that the clerics are being piped the energy of their adherent diety while the arconist wizards are manipulating the harmony of the universe directly. It is first learned by the arcanists how to differentiate between the divine harmonic energies that are infinate and the finite arcanos created by that which can die. The ascended arconists solve the riddle of eternity by coming to understand the gate between life and death and therfore are able to harmonize with the divine energies as ... Divine Rank XX dieties as per 3.5 epic and etc handbook. The many churches of .. The Empire! .. were A, rocked by the prohibition of arconistics, and B) simply unable to replace the services required that had been provided by the First Pillar of The Empire. The Dragoons, The Guild ( the Grand~ Guild, tehehe:: ~ a player ) and the Wizards were the three pillars of The Empire. After arconistics was banned the empire turned to the clerics to provide the needed services and they were simply unable to provide. Which started the Gra~and Imperial Arconistic Conspiracy..
The archonistic colleges were in ruins. The hoards of Mans that had lost brothers and sisters in the needless conflict between the wizards of Ogran and Empire easily accepted the insane demonification of the Imperial Colleges. The Imperial wizards had destroyed not one greater isle but two to save the imperial peoples of Dargonia. Yet, ooc : basically the arconists were necromantically doing allot of things peeps didnt like, and generally speaking the people of the empire were no longer enamored in the great feats that the wizards were making for them. They had heard enough tales about them that .. the fact, that the wizard wars were basically a hugenormous pissing match between the imperial wizards and the orcnin wizards over who was better at arconistics.... that pissed off the people of the empire and they burned their colleges to the ground. A few thousand years later the truth starts to come out ... thaaa~at..then the most amazing thing happened..
The curches sheltered the arconistic practitioners that survived the first revolting peasant ( wight ) purges. The royals quetly hid their court arconist, and .. the churches became the source of arconistic instruction. The early years were curious but very quickly the newly found arcanist who had somehow figured out how to summon familiar is brought to the church who finds him first. Then that arconistic student is taught to use only certain divinely powered spells in accordance with whichever church found them.... in public. Long story short, the churches of Styrn are harboring **VILE ARCANOSTS** for the simple fact that 90% of the clerics proper are nowhere near 9th level sphere access, and obviously not epic casting. All of the dark and about half of the other churches of the emperial council has turned to attempting to exterminate paladins because the Paladins of the Empierial New Gods are basically told by their patron to destroy the church.. basically 
:
The majority of clerics to the gods proper are not part of the actual emperial religion, but simple ... wights.. or perhaps an odd.... ;) scholar~
Statistically the majority of the priests in the emperial churches are like .. 5lv Cleric .... et etc etc.. and then the arconists who took like.... one level divine PrC.
The thing I supremely like about this world creation facet is that it makes very interesting spellbooks for anyone who wants to play an Emperial Miracle Worker.
They can add any spell they want to, they can add any spell they want to their spellbook.
But,
Because they are in the conspiracy they know that if they cast any of the spells off of the the "Official Hogwarts Lists" lolol then the ministry will notice and they will get into trouble.
That is .. unless ya'all are outside imperial territory ... perhaps preparing to to turn the ground below an Orcnin barracks into mud .. which isnt on yer appproved "Seat of Brilliant Fire" approved spell list.
lol, why would any of the imperial new gods consider that a problem, the ban was within our territory, right?
The Isle of Elendrian. The great Mother Trees are a integral part of the Elendi Demes. The annual celebrations that reinvigorate the powers of a Deme's Mother Tree is what maintains the safety of the Demes that is unique to the havens of the Elendi. None can die in the Demes that do not wish too. The venerated diety of a Deme varies. Some exhault Fara, and some Elvna. Most Mother Trees will tout themselves adherents of Elvna and hence the wide spread worship of the Triune despite Emperial disfavor of Ogran and all that venerate the god of death. There are few Demes that officially recognize Imperial rule. The Elendi's allegiance to the Empire is felt most by the Elendi on the borders of the Demes, and where those borders contest between the Orcnin and the Empire. What any who have not visited the home of the Mother Tres will not understand is the difference between what one Mother Tree can perform with the proper veneration and the powers of an Island of Mother Trees in their native environment are capable of. The Elendi of many Demes are considered haughty or even superior. The Elendi that come of age amongst the garden of the Mother Trees are of a different nature.
There are two legends told by the Elendi regarding the creation of their people. Some say that Elvna created plants, including the Kraken and the Mother Trees. Those legends say that in the natural course of life becoming the Mother Trees gave birth to the Direlindi like the seeds of a bloom make dragons. Other legends claim that Elvna created the Mother Trees in the twilight of creation and found them in need of hands. Thusly Elvna created what are called the Elendrian. In the legends of the Elendrian Elvna created the first Elendi in order to serve the needs of the Mother Trees. In either case two truths remain. Any traces of an Elendrian or protocultural Direlendi civilization have been lost to the hungry roots of the Mother Trees, and vast polulations of the Direlendi thrive in the depths of the Elendrian Domas. Unlike the Deme, who venerate and worship a single Mother Tree, the Elendrian Domas is a faith and realm venerating the combined powers of hundreds of Mother Trees.
The Mother Trees of Elendrian Isle are taller than mountains. The districts of the Elendrian Domas cover the majority of the surface of the many canopys of the Elendrian Isle. As one decends deeper into the Domas the realm becomes darker and darker. Most Mans are disinclined to descend below the conopies that block the light of the sun, tho it is said that the Direlendi that make their homes in the darkest canopies of the Elendrian Domas are more that civil. Contrasted with the wild barbarians that most high sky Direlendi become the Direlendi of the Elendrian Isle are respected as adherents of the gods. There is a peculiar skill learned by many of them that enables them excersise a sense of space that enables them to act freely even in the darkest depths of the Mother Tree forest that dominates the Isle of Elendrian. Such a skill is unknown amonst those Direlendi that live in the skies. Whether this fact supports the legend of the Direlendi or the Elendrian is a matter of debate amongst the societies of the Scholars. The fact is that Elendrian Isle is ruled by three tribes of Elendi. The Elen that govern the three ports and elevators that grant access to the Elendrian Domas, the Elentsi that govern the Elendrian Domas, and the Direlendi that control the deep realms of the Bottom Lands Island.
The tiered and layered life of the Elendrian Domas is almost inconcievable to those that have not visited the Island. On the highest conopies the light of Tolen is clear and bright so high into the skies the Mother Trees upper fronds support. As you descend into the lower conpies the cities of the Elenarian Domas grow ever more dark. Dragons are unknown in the highest canopies, but the fields of fire drake flowers that grow upon the deeepest roots of the Mother Trees mean that the Direlendi have no shortage of Drake Meat to feast upon. According to the Direlendi that make trade with their Elentsi cousins upon the upper canopies tell tale that there are ten grand dragonlords upon Elendrian Isle. All ten are of the arconistic Fire. Why the proverbial birthplace of the people of plants, the Elendi, could also be the home of the greatest concentration of Flame Beasts, proverbially, is a question of truely vile arconistics. Regardless the Elen ports and the High Canopies of Elendrian Isle are a delight to visit. Those that seek the Pure Lands must descend into the darkness of the Mother Tree forest, but none save such seekers should even consider such peril.
Like all Elentsi and Elen the dietary fare of the Elendarian Isle is fruit based. Tubers, stalks, leaves, and seeds are the fare of the Elendi worldwide. Elen, Felen, or Direlindi. Direlendi being the exception. Direlendi are the only fleash eating breed of Elen. The Dwar tell tales of how they bread with Direlendi before the first Mans Tree Wars and that give creedance to the tales that the Direlendi were the first of the Elentsi. The truth is that we found the final key to our journey to the Pure Lands via descending to the darkest depths of Elendrian Isle. It was the high priests of the Direlendi that revealed the secrets of Graal's purpose stone to us. The truth of the many tales regarding the birth of the Elendi and even the birth of all the peoples of the world are possibly held safe within the heart of Elendrian Isle. Only the greatest of the Arconists and the Priests of the Triune can truely tell. By some legends Elendrian Isle and the Mother Trees are the origin of all the peoples of the world. This supposition is, of course, contested by countless other myths of the triune. Only the arcons themselves truely know the answer The Mother Trees themselves, are silent regarding the matter.