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  #76  
Old Dec 8th, 2020, 07:08 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mindsiege View Post
At the moment I'm working on a pretty tight schedule, so instead of building on existing lore, for now introducing new concepts comes easier to me. I assume that in the new year I will be ready to dive back into the more intricate work of polishing what we have already. Still, I thought the idea above was kinda neat and at least we now know one more important fact about how powerful the pantheon is in this setting. I'd say for things that happen around a god who walks the earth, we now have to think about "Why would they do it that way?" rather than "What can they do?".
I've always liked that void where humans come close to demigodhood and what's possible as that threshold of power as narrative consequence. Your focus on 'why' instead of 'what' gels with me there.

The School of KeppanaMerfolk are elusive in the waters around the Broken Throne, but they are not shy either. Well-suited to quick migration through the seas with their tails and crests, these merfolk are swift and always resettling. But they are not nomadic - they claim much of the waters surrounding the Broken Throne as their own. They don't bother boats and ships passing by above, provided they keep to themselves. Moderate fishing is tolerated at best.

Where the Zeth on the islands have a murky relationship with Keppana, the god they believe abandoned them long ago, the merfolk of the Broken Throne formally call themselves 'The School of Keppana' and still revere the god as if it never left. To them, the god plummeted into the depths of the ocean long ago, and slumbers as a great leviathan buried under the ocean floor. They do not believe this unfathomable beast will ever awaken and rise - it is a prison of flesh and material weight, and Keppana will only be free when the world ends. But they do believe the leviathan dreams in its sleep, and that its dreams can be read and interpreted by the faithful.

They also recognise Falishta-rah, a malicious water goddess also feared by the inhabitants of some coastal settlements. This goddess was the reason Keppana fell to the bottom of the world, although the exact circumstances vary between different groups of merfolk -sometimes the two deities were bitter lovers, or enduring rivals, or manipulated by a third greater power into destroying each other.

The merfolk are deeply religious and traditional, but also pragmatic. They tell parables and lore through oral tradition and don't bother with ceremony or idolatry. The only shred of institutionalised and consistent ceremony is in the oracles who interpret the dreams of Keppana and attempt to give them shape through esoteric divination.
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Old Dec 26th, 2020, 04:12 AM
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Morton FreedPreviously part of the Boros Dominion, Morton Minor as since abdicated the oligarchy's influence. In part because of having been abandoned to take care of itself and otherwise because of a certain pride inside the surviving population it has been gloriously renamed Morton Freed. Though by now the hamlet is no longer worthy to be counted as a city and only the hardiest folk have remained to fight against loss of crops and trouble of gathering clean water. Among the people it is an unspoken agreement, that it brings bad luck to talk about all that has been wrong with the Lei Valley. It is a sad tale that Morton Freed is now the only inhabited settlement inside this valley, yet silence is kept about the actual cause. If asked though, the freedmen are only open so far as they know whom to credit for having been the only community to stand strong. Though none can say its origins, the freedmen are happy to point at their guardian and saviour, the Protector of Morton Freed.

Among the good folk of Morton Freed, there walks an entity that is clearly not of the same humble origins as the rest of the hamlet. Never tired and never hungry, never thirsty and ever silent, at 6'6'' stands the eerily moving figure of the Emerald Skeleton. As it walks among the freedmen, one wouldn't be able to see with one's bare eyes, what it is that animates this skeleton, yet with the lack of skin, flesh and muscles, it is quite clear that there can't be natural causes. Yet any freedman will tell you, and upon inspection it becomes appearant as well, that the Protector of Morton Freed does not have its origins in necromany. While clearly larger than any of the hamlet's inhabitants, the skeleton doesn't even consist of bone in the first place. It appears that its frame has been entirely cut from emeralds and it must have been large gems at that, seeing as each individual bone is unblemished and easily confirmed as a singular piece and not an assembly of smaller gemworks. Where in the Ethereal Lands such emeralds could even exist is entirely outside the purview of the good folk from Morton Freed and they are only vaguely aware, what wealth their guardian would represent if disassembled. Clearly magical in nature, the Emerald Skeleton appears to be nearly invulnerable to most weapons and though this guardian does not wield any weaponry itself, its ability to dispose of those that would want it or the people of Morton Freed harm has been gruesomely demonstrated in the past. If met with the invisible wrath on the lifeless visage of the emerald skull, one cannot expect an easy end, because the Protector of Morton Freed does not use arcane powers to kill, but everything else that is at the disposal of its unrelenting grasp. One especially gory tale told of the guardian skeleton having ripped a man in half with its bare, emerald fingers and the freedmen always warn, that they would rather not see their protector at work again. Yet they do not need to fear this being and while it tirelessly roams the hamlet, its company is not avoided as it passes the time, observing the people's lives with an innocent curiosity. The struggles of the people in Morton Freed are many, yet the fear of being attacked is not one of them. Which is nothing that can be said about anyone, who would brave making his way through the Lei Valley or dare leaving the hamlet.
Table entry summaryMorton Freed|Settlement|The last hamlet that is inhabited inside the Lei Valley | The Lei Valley, Boros Major, The Boros Major Oligarchy, the Emerald Skeleton

@SnakeOilCharmer:
I hope that this story point was free for the picking. If not, I sincerly apologize!
I'd been looking where to place this guardian for a while now, and this seemed perfect.

@HotsuSama:
I recently realized that my "The sixth Arcanist Eternal" post states that ascension to godhood is unprecedented, which through careless reading on my part heavily correlates with what is currently happening inside "The Bright Dawn". Luckily I don't feel that the statements in those two posts are exclusive and it makes me very excited for the implications to what kind of being is hatching in the Brightwoods. If someone were to believe the myth of Gungalion having been involved with what happened in Boros Major and the subsequent formation of the Gorge, well let's just say that we can only hope that the Bright Dawn was not an intended consequence...

@edit:
At first I wanted to name my post "The Protector of Morton Freed", but then I realized that this didn't make a good entry for our overview table as it lacked a singular descriptor. I think I could have helped myself calling my post 'Lore' or 'Settlement/Artifact', but I felt for considering the Ethereal Lands on a grand scale, the settlement itself is probably more important. I hope my designation still makes sense, even though I clearly wrote more about the Emerald Skeleton and the skeleton itself probably won't get an elaborating post in the future.

Last edited by Mindsiege; Dec 26th, 2020 at 04:19 AM.
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Old Jan 13th, 2021, 08:25 AM
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MAP AND POST DIRECTORY UPDATED
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Hello everyone! New year, new map. Not much in geographical updates this time around but always good to get up to code every once in a while.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mindsiege View Post
@HotsuSama:
I recently realized that my "The sixth Arcanist Eternal" post states that ascension to godhood is unprecedented, which through careless reading on my part heavily correlates with what is currently happening inside "The Bright Dawn". Luckily I don't feel that the statements in those two posts are exclusive and it makes me very excited for the implications to what kind of being is hatching in the Brightwoods. If someone were to believe the myth of Gungalion having been involved with what happened in Boros Major and the subsequent formation of the Gorge, well let's just say that we can only hope that the Bright Dawn was not an intended consequence...
To be fair, the Bright Dawn is presented as a lone testimonial. It could easily be rendered false or misleading depending on story development. And you could also argue that the anomaly there is not an 'ascension to godhood' but a metaphysical event creating a deity-like entity outside of the normal notions of ascension. In the end, maybe it's jst splitting hairs. No big deal.

And jeez, the idea of someone engineering something like the Bright Dawn is actually kind of hair-raising.
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Old Feb 16th, 2021, 06:47 AM
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An update - one I had a lot of fun with in picking through some of the established lore and myth in previous posts, with a little added in to fill out the remaining blanks.

The Greater Oveillian CalendarThis calendar was not created by the people of Oveil-on-the-Lei - the assortment of gods from different regions recognised in its naming conventions suggests its current form evolved through the interaction of various cultures for a long period of time - but the Arbiter's Hall contains the oldest known surviving depiction of the calendar on a large tapestry, so the common name has come to be associated with this relic.

The Greater Oveillian Calendar (GOC) is built around the alignment cycle of the twin moons, Pluton and Bancon. It is a calendar known across the Ethereal Lands - some cultures don't use it as their primary calendar (e.g. some harpine tribes don't follow the GOC concept of months) but GOC is the common calendar in most areas and nominally known everywhere else. The 'year 0' of the year count is over a millennia prior, but the reason for this starting point is unclear - some debate it's the birth of civilisation for the Ethereal Lands, others mark it as a time of great change and turmoil finally easing into relative peace.

There are twelve months in the year. Four times a year, the moons align in the sky; the calendar is grouped into three-month blocks between these alignments. These three-month clusters are known as Movements. The days where the moons achieve precise alignment are known as the Lacuna; these are unique days not belonging to any month.

Each month is always 33 days; they used to vary based on the movements of the moons, but convention has replaced this. This means the year totals exactly 400 days, consisting of four 100-day 'cycles' of a three-month movement followed by a day of Lacuna.

Some, but not all, renditions of the calendar add seven-day weeks. Records associate the number seven with the Desert of Seven Eyes and its seven hazards, so the week may have been an ancient ritualistic cycle acting as a 'ward' against such threats.

Firmas
Secomas
Tirmas
Formas
Fimas
Simas
Sevmas

Those who read the night sky and track the passage of the moons note that the moons always align every 100 days without fail. In a world constantly full of minor irregularities, magic aberrations and natural deviations, this one element of precise, consistent celestial engineering is uncanny and mysterious.

FIRST MOVEMENT

Winter: a melancholic period often with frigid weather. Extensive travel during this period is considered risky and inviting bad luck.
Fel-dadedicated to (but not named after) Gungalion the Misleader
Rahnamed after the vengeful sea goddess Falishta-rah
Venussanamed after Venussa, a supposed God of Death (or Plagues, depending on the source) now lost to memory which may have inspired the naming of Venus Sanctum
Pluton Minor Lacuna
SECOND MOVEMENT

Spring: a more welcoming time associated with the beginning of new prosperity and good fortune, and the sowing of crops.
Ostelianamed after Ostelia of the Oceans and Night Sky, a figure of folklore
Hjorta-danamed after the Goddess of Peace, Hjorta
Gestrisnamed after the God of Hospitality, Gestristnus
Bancon Minor Lacuna
THIRD MOVEMENT

Summer: a movement associated with longer days and a peaceful, quiet temperament
Fryllthe origin of this name is lost, but is believed to be associated with the lost religion of the temples within the Eddazeth Mountains
Ashanamed after the benevolent sea goddess Falishta-asha
Draenamed after Draezeth, the patron deity of Casmore and also namesake of the Draezeth festival
Pluton Major Lacuna
FOURTH MOVEMENT

Autumn: associated with festivals and harvest, this is a busy time of the year, both for agriculture and for travellers finishing their affairs before the Major Lacuna.
Keppnamed after the Zeth deity Keppana
Vul-danamed after an ancient God of Magic (and sometimes Primal Nature), Vul
Temisnamed after the Goddess of Time and Journeys, Temistris
Bancon Major Lacuna


It's against my antipodean nature to make a calendar where the beginning months of the year are winter, but I recognise I'm in the minority there, so when in Rome ...
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Old Feb 16th, 2021, 02:35 PM
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I can also add something else new, which is more than a little relevant to my sudden need to add a way to track the days.

I've been asked a few times about the Ethereal Lands as an actual game setting. Well, it's getting its first game! I've started running a solo game with Wishkamon about a prestigious harpy traveller on a mission of goodwill.

Will the Ethereal Lands benefit as a result? Or will everything drown in an apocalyptic magic-storm? Let's find out!
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Old Feb 16th, 2021, 04:09 PM
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Great way to tie things together Hotsu! Let's see if I can muck it all up again. Speaking of Rome...

The Great PillarsThe Great Pillars - Scattered throughout the Ethereal Lands are ponderous objects commonly referred to as the "Great Pillars". Predating written history, the pillars tower over the landscape at an estimated 30,000 feet above sea level and are usually found atop mountain ranges or at least in rugged foothills (though one notable exception exists, the "Green Needle", rising out of the ocean a few miles south of the Broken Throne's easternmost island). The "Godsend" Pillar, located in the Eddazeth Mountains north of lake Bredden, is perhaps the most famous as it is visible from the city of Casmore on a clear day. Many more are known to exist, and many more are assumed to exist in as-of-yet unexplored corners of the world.

The Nature of the Pillars - Due to their unusual features, the pillars are assumed to be divine in origin. The pillars are free of tooling marks of any kind, and they cannot be investigated for magical properties by any known means due to the magic-suppressing field that surrounds them. They seem to be made of one, solid piece of stone, the type of which has not yet been conclusively identified. The pillars are confirmed to be impervious to damage of any kind (at least by mortal means), and a sample has never been successfully collected from them. So far in the world's recorded history no deity has ever attempted to harm one of the pillars, so it is unknown as of yet whether or not it is within their power to do so. Digging down at the base of a pillar reveals that it extends deep into the earth. Throughout much of the world's history, it was speculated that the pillars have no bottom to them. Recent events have proven otherwise, however.

Sapping the Godsend Pillar - A group of adventurers recently reported a surprising rumor to the authorities of Casmore; not only does a cult dedicated to the Frayers exist, but for some reason they are digging deep in the earth underneath the pillar Godsend. After a group of scouts were dispatched to verify these outlandish claims, the reports were confirmed to the shock of many. The alarmed leadership of Casmore immediately sent a unit of heavily armed guardsmen out with the group of adventurers to deal with the threat, only to have them slaughtered to a man. A second, larger group was dispatched (this time with the rare cooperation of the druids of Eddazeth Mountains), only to discover that the cultists had since fled the dig site.

By using a previously undiscovered cave system to get most of the way down, the Frayer cultists had dug to the bottom of the Godsend Pillar. Shockingly, the destabilized pillar is now leaning slightly to the south, seemingly poised to fall into Lake Bredden. Casmore has since begun construction of a permanent outpost to protect the pillar from further violation and urges foreign powers to do the same to protect their respective pillars. Concerns about the possible effects of a falling pillar abound, but the ramifications are as of yet unknown. Much of the world prays that they remain so.
I realize that people smarter than I are trying to make a table that somehow maps out the relationships between each of our new features. I don't pretend to understand how to tackle that process, but I'll do my best to help in my own way.

Brand-new creations as a result of this post include: The Great Pillars, The Green Needle Pillar, The Godsend Pillar, an unnamed mystery cult dedicated to the Frayers, an unnamed cave that runs deep in the earth near the Godsend Pillar, and a partially complete outpost under Casmore's control.

This post contains referenced associations to many other established features of the world, including: The Frayers, the Eddazeth mountain range, Casmore, Lake Bredden, the druids of Eddazeth Mountains, and the Broken Throne.

This post implies the following: that at least one (or perhaps multiple) deities may have created the pillars. That there may have once been a mountain range supporting the Green Needle pillar, before the Broken Throne became broken.
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Old Feb 16th, 2021, 09:00 PM
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So wait, do all the pillars reach roughly the same altitude of 30,000ft above sea level regardless of where they appear from the ground? Out of curiosity, how wide might they be?

The table is fairly relaxed, as long as there's keywords that can be used for the more important bits of cross-referencing. I'll put a line in now!
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Old Feb 16th, 2021, 11:17 PM
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HotsuSama,
All this worldbuilding makes me think of a little story-telling rpg I stumbled across.
https://www.bendutter.com/sigil-ston...rseverant-rpg/
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Old Feb 17th, 2021, 01:15 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HotsuSama View Post
So wait, do all the pillars reach roughly the same altitude of 30,000ft above sea level regardless of where they appear from the ground?
Yes, it is believed that they are all the same height. It's a difficult measurement to take for many reasons. For one, I think current technology is a limitation. Another thing is the sheer height; the fact that magic is suppressed within half a mile of it means that only creatures capable of flight through natural means can try to fly to the top, or anyone could try to climb up I suppose. The top of the pillar is about 5 and a half miles above sea level — taller than Mt. Everest. The air is mighty thin up there.

The Green Needle pillar in the Broken Throne being the same height as the rest has some interesting implications, the more I think on it. It could be the most shallowly rooted of all. Also, why wasn't it toppled when when Zeth faced the Breaking? Either the departing deity Keppana (or someone else) thought the pillar so important as to protect it through the Breaking, or a deity is incapable of causing even indirect harm by toppling a pillar. Or the merfolk are right, and Keppana didn't actually go anywhere.

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Out of curiosity, how wide might they be?
I was thinking back to the cooling tower of the power plant I used to work at when the pillars came to me, so I suppose they are about that wide. Google says it's roughly 330 feet in diameter. Of course, architects and engineers the world over agree that even something this wide at the base supporting a structure of such immense height is preposterous, and that each pillar should have snapped under its own weight long ago. How they are still standing is something of a mystery.
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Old Feb 20th, 2021, 06:56 AM
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Ah, coolies. I was having trouble visalising their width and kept seeing them as stupidly skinny in my head. And yeah, I was wondering about their relative rooted depth as well. Interesting ...

Fellund, and the Thri-keen of the SteppesThe band of land stretching between north-west Shellengeist and the lower reaches of the Eddazeth Mountains, stopping short of Brightenai on its southern end, is a grassland region commonly known as Fellund.

This region is generally flat, with some hilly stretches and copses especially in the north. Few significant rivers flow through this part of the Ethereal Lands, and none that compare in size or significance to the Lei Valley to the east, but groundwater is abundant and most settlements draw upon this for their livelihood in watering crops. Local superstition claims that the groundwater is the top of a deep underground ocean, and if they were able to draw from deeper in this ocean, the water would harbour ancient enchantments. It's said that one well, now standing on its lonesome in a small valley known as Nethervale, did draw this deep water once. Anyone who approaches the well turns away in fear, no matter their courage or resolve.

In recent times, bands of thri-keen have been hunting more often in southern Fellund, mostly migrating in from west of Brightenai. As other races and cultures embed themselves further in the lands south of Shellengeist, the thri-keen have been gradually displaced and their roving bands seek new habitation, preferring striking towards Fellund over being pushed deeper into the Desert of Seven Eyes. They have not been openly belligerent towards established settlements in Fellund, but their increasing presence is causing agitation among the pre-existing Fellundites. There may soon be open conflict if an agreement on territories cannot be reached.


I'll leave it to others to fill in what settlement looks like within Fellund itself, as well as any specific curiosities. I mostly wanted to define a little bit more geography, and it felt like the thri-keen established in an earlier post weren't getting much love so I wanted to establish the movements of the main tribes.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Arjent View Post
HotsuSama,
All this worldbuilding makes me think of a little story-telling rpg I stumbled across.
https://www.bendutter.com/sigil-ston...rseverant-rpg/
Interesting ... bookmarked!
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Old Apr 4th, 2021, 09:16 AM
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The Heart of a GodSomewhere in a cave, deep beneath the surface of the Etherial Lands, the heart of a dead god awaits discovery. Though the entity it powered has passed from this world a long time ago, the heart itself is still eager and ready. Without consciousness, the heart is now neither evil nor good and it is only a vessel that holds such power that could change the face of the world if only it had someone's will to guide it. To harvest it and shape it however they may please. The power within this magical artifact is such that could eradicate the rot or re-assemble the Broken Throne if anyone had a burning enough desire.

Desperately craving a ruler, it has been painstakingly reaching further and further over time, snaking through tunnels and seeping through water and earth, tainting regions with wild magic, and corrupting minds. Where it might be, nobody knows and the people of the Etherial Land only conjecture of it from identical vivid dreams reoccurring over decades all across the lands. In the eyes of most of the few who ever heard about the myth, this is just that: a myth. The more superstitious usually tie it to the nearest oddity, stating that one is proof of the other's existence. It is a mystery where it may lay, and if it ever manages to lure to itself anything that has the will to shape and harvest its unending stream of godly energy.


Addition to the Content Directory
The Heart of a God|Artifact|The remnants of a fallen god, still filled with the sort of power that could create or destroy worlds.| The Broken Throne, The Rot


Reading the test game made me want to bump the thread. Figured I'd flip the script on this one by adding some deliberately loose ends. Sometimes those are very handy.

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Old Apr 13th, 2021, 02:02 AM
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Ouda, the Betrayed GodThousands of years ago, Gungalion had a brother, alongside whom he used his powers not for trickery, but creation.

The brother's name was Ouda, the God of vitality, life, and proliferation. His brother, Gungalion, did not limit himself to deceit, but was known as the God of creativity and invention. Together, they set out to create a nation that combined their qualities, to fabricate a creature in their own image that would be like gods themselves. They created a race called the Ancients, humanoids that have long since been extinct from the world. The Ancients were given consciousness, self-determination, and the intellect to create and propagate creatures and animals of their own volition, without interference from the gods.

However, worried that the race they had created would lack the wisdom to use such gifts wisely, Ouda and Gungalion confined them first to a small nation hidden northwest of the Desert of Seven Eyes, a region that is now called the Land of the Silver Lanterns. There, the realm was surrounded by a writhing forest of Ouda's make, so dense and labyrinthine that none could pass through it, either from the outside in or from the inside out. All who entered were eventually turned around and exited where they entered. Within the Land of Silver Lanterns, Ouda and Gungalion had hoped the Ancients would grow and develop slowly, over thousands of years, until achieving such wisdom that they could assure their own safety, no longer needing Ouda and Gungalion's guidance.

The Ancients developed at a blisteringly fast pace, achieving technological marvels far beyond expectations within only a few hundred years. They had used Ouda and Gungalion's gifts far better than even the gods had expected, but with this prowess, the Ancients grew proud. They began to beg their creators to be let out of the Land of Silver Lanterns, and explore the rest of the world for themselves. Gungalion, well aware of the craftiness present in his peoples, worried that the Ancients would use their technology to dominate the world, and convinced Ouda to have the forest labyrinth remain.

In response, the Ancients devised a weapon to destroy the forest, as well as Ouda, and escape. They created a disease of such virulence and resilience that even they could hardly contain it, and then presented it to Ouda as a gift. Combined with the god's powers of fertility and life, the disease consumed Ouda and his forest, slaying the god. As Ouda was consumed by disease and rot, he screamed so loudly that the ground quaked, and the plants retreated into the earth in fear. The buildings and technology of the Ancients shuddered and collapsed, and the forest labyrinth withered and died along with its god, becoming a sea of sickness and disease.

The Ancients trapped themselves unwittingly in their own lands. They begged Gungalion to save them, but he told them that they had been so clever as to relinquish the protection of the gods once before; surely they were clever enough to save themselves once again? He left them to rot and be consumed by their own disease.

Maddened by the loss of his brother, Gungalion continues to roam the world, seeking those who believe they can outwit the gods and punish them for their hubris. He particularly enjoys turning a race's magic or technology against them. The Land of Silver Lanterns also remains, but only a shadow of its former self, an empty land cloaked in a blackened fog of pure disease and blight. The history of the land and the Ancients has been lost entirely, the only remnants remaining within the deadly land. From within the fog of Rot, sometimes glimmering silver lights can be seen drifting about. Perhaps they are the souls of the Ancients, forever trapped in the hell of their own design. Perhaps it is the latent power of Ouda, a god whose force of life is so strong as to persist even after death. His heart remains, perpetually consumed and regenerated, deep within a cave beneath the Land of Silver Lanterns.

RelatedThe Heart of a God | Gungalion, The Misleader | The Rot
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Last edited by Solid Snek; Apr 13th, 2021 at 02:04 AM.
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  #88  
Old Apr 13th, 2021, 06:02 AM
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The Grass Tide and Rosenstock.Where Fellund meets the Desert of Seven Eyes, there is a stretch of land several miles wide known as 'The Grass Tide'. In keeping with local theories about the deep underwater ocean of Fellund, here the grass gradually advances and reciedes like waves lapping the sandy shores of the desert. On Lacuna days, The grass typically sits tight against Rosenstock- the last permanent settlement before the start of the Tide-lands.

Inhabitants of Rosenstock travel out into the Grass Tide during Hjorta-da of the second movement to collect the rare and beautiful flowers that cover the lands there for only one week a year. The flowers have many medicinal uses and are highly sought after across the lands. The incredible beauty of this natural event has also spurred a growing annual tourist trade. Unfortunately recent concerns about the increasing Thri-Keen presence has fueled a fierce paranoia in the people of Rosenstock, who worry that they will lose the valuable settlement to the wandering tribes.

A council woman named Astabelle (Or 'The Mad Rose-Witch' as is often whispered behind her back) is gathering increasing popularity from her studies into weaponizing the gathered flora to protect the settlement from what she sees -and promotes- as the inevitable threat of the Thri-Keen.


reffrenceRosenstock|Settlement| The most southwesterly settlement of Fellund, situated on the edge of The Grass Tide.| Fellund, and the Thri-keen of the Steppes, Astabelle - 'The Mad Rose-Witch

The Grass Tide|landmark| A strip of moving grassland between Fellund and The Desert| Fellund, and the Thri-keen of the Steppes, The Desert of Seven Eyes.
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Last edited by Wishkamon; Apr 13th, 2021 at 01:57 PM.
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Old Apr 13th, 2021, 10:15 AM
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Thick-Blood AlchemyNot all merfolk follow Keppana. After losing their god, some have splintered off to revitalize old magick offered by the capricious water goddess Falishta-rah. Heretics to their own kind, these followers of Falishta-rah dabble in what is called Falishtu'unna by the mer... also known as Thick-Blood Alchemy by the Zeth.

Practitioners of Thick-blood Alchemy gain power the deeper they submerge themselves in water. For merfolk, this can thousands of feet, where the ocean pressure is damaging even to them. Rigorous physical training in conjunction with alchemical drugs that thicken the blood are needed to go deeper and deeper towards the ocean floor, hence the Zeth name for the practice. These alchemical drugs are often made from the blood of other sentient creatures, obviously leading the art to be outlawed in even the most rudimentary of legal systems along the Broken Throne. The deeper one travels, the greater the access one gain in harvesting rare, unique aquatic creatures and to primal sources of power flowing deep beneath the earth's crust. Massive trenches can be found deep beneath the waves, allowing for truly impressive depths, although it is dubious if even merfolk alchemists have traveled to the bottom of even the shallowest of trenches.

It is said that if one listens to a sea shell, and they hear a haunting tune, it is the voice of Falishta-rah beckoning them deeper into the waves. It is also believed that the deeper one travels, the clearer her voice becomes, bringing with it more alchemical recipes of even greater power. The adepts of the art can physically alter their bodies to possess tougher hides, stronger bones, larger lungs or even gills, or augment or replace their existing limbs with fins. Many practitioners alter their bodies to gain razor sharp teeth or shark-like senses of smell or electroreception to better hunt prey... sources of blood for their twisted arts. Once one travels far enough, they may gain power over the tides and ocean storms, with the most powerful alchemists gaining the power to create red tides or typhoons. There are legends of long-dead alchemists who could even summon hurricanes or turn into colossal leviathans... although some of these claims are dubious, as it is known that those who travel far enough often are forced to change their bodies so much that they forfeit the ability to return to the surface.

Although originally a merfolk practice, some Zeth have taken to learning Thick-blood Alchemy. Those who do pale in comparison to the merfolk heretics in terms of prowess and power, but some Zeth have made great strides, a few even becoming fully aquatic creatures through their augmentation. These Zeth become pariahs to both the merfolk and their own kind, sacrificing everything in the pursuit of dark secret. Some had noble causes in mind, hoping to gain the power to combat any heretical merfolk that might use Thick-blood Alchemy to attack or destroy ships and settlements. Other only want power, or to escape a land that they believe is fallow and broken, damaged beyond hope. Falishta-rah cares not what species worships her, only that they are willing to sacrifice far too much in exchange for her powers.

ReferencesThe Broken Throne and The Zeth | The School of Keppana and Falishta-rah
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  #90  
Old Apr 20th, 2021, 10:25 AM
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I've been meaning to catch up on the new content here! There's some great mythological elements in particular here. Looks like I may need to do a new map update soon too ...

Kala'kash MinorWhere the Basnet River approaches the sea, the Kin of Kalai (or simply Kalai) have made their home. They are an intricate network of elven tribes that predate human migration. Their oral tradition speaks of emerging from the Wyerdvuud in ancient times, although there's little known on why they left the timeless forest. These are not the wiry, lean elves of the southern persuasion - these kin are stockier, with thick limbs and shorter frames. They retain vestiges of archetypal elven elegance and beauty, but are nonetheless mocked by the less accepting of their kin as 'elves by way of dwarves' or 'Vled'javik-kin'.

They live as hunter-gatherers in their homeland's wetlands and open plains and are partially nomadic, but they are not primitive or savage. Their traditional dwellings are domed 'burrows' set partly into the earth (lending more credence to their origins in the frigid forests and icy tundra of the northlands); sometimes, in Kalai settlements intended to last more than a few seasons, the burrows extend into larger chambers and underground rooms. The Kalai prize art, especially pottery and mosaics, and burrows are often decorated on every wall and surface with tiles and murals. Kalai priests claim to use these patterns and shapes in their magic, turning whole rooms into dynamic and beautiful magic circles through these mosaics. They worship Vul, an ancient god of magic and primal nature, and believe the aberrant magic and phenomena afflicting the lands to their south are curses laid down by Vul to punish disrespect and self-indulgence.

The Kalai offered little resistance when Boros Major sought to expand its dominion, and the whole of Kalai territory is considered subject to the Borosian Dominion. A small town named Kala'kash Minor was established on the coastline to act as a port and administrative centre for those representing trade and political interests. The town is ordered, quiet and lifeless, as few Kalai bother to live there.

The Kalai tribes pay their dues without fail, so Boros Major has little to complain about from these subjects. Although one wonders of their temperament. They act as if Boros is insignificant to them - as if the taxes and administration are only an annoyance they elect to tolerate as one might decide not to scratch a fleeting itch. Sometimes, odd dreams assail those living in the sleepy port town of Kala'kash Minor - dreams of a violet tide, breathed out by a laughing storm.
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