Mesalia Forums - Culture

The Cult of Crowta

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 00:53:40 +0000

The Cult of Crowta

“One day, when the sun fails to rise, Sulena will shepherd the chosen and forsake the others. I alone will harbor the responsibility to prepare you all for the eternal night, where hunters and their kin shall be saved by the grace of Sulena.” - Crowta

History

Little is known how Crowta ended up in the Ban Roda tribe. He never told anyone his origins of a Ko’Ban tribe from the mainland, even to the tribe leader. He used his hunting skills to prove worth to the Ban Roda and since he wasn’t causing any problems mostly keeping to himself they let him stay. Crowta met a woman who eventually became his wife, Jhuria, who shared the keeping to herself type of attitude. They had a child they named Ujay, and Crowta raised him according to his own fantastical ideals. At some point in his life, Crowta developed unique ideals of hunting and religion, believing Sulena as the true god to follow, and came up with his own rituals and practices to follow to please his god. This would have kept to his own kin until Ujay got himself exiled. Greatly disappointed and with no kin to be able to teach his ideals to, he convinced as many hunters from the Roda as he could to join him and leave to form their own tribe.

Culture

General: The culture of tribe Crowta as they call themselves, idealizes the hunter. Anyone and everyone apart of the tribe is encouraged to become a hunter. Those who can’t are expected to take positions that support a hunting lifestyle, such as butchering, cooking, fletching, and weapon crafting. The only position considered of equal value to a hunter is being a mother. This is to both encourage growth of the tribe, but allow women a way into the tribe without expectation of hunting, even though any woman can and would be respected for becoming one. Males who decide to not get into hunting are generally looked down upon indirectly, but as long as they support the hunters they don’t get too much negative treatment. The striving to become strong hunters leads to increasingly dangerous prey as members stay in the tribe. At first you will be content and praised for small animals as you learn such as rabbits and fox. As you get older you are expected to bring back larger game such as deer. To prove your prowess further you are expected to hunt bears and any larger dangerous animals.

Religion: They are at heart, a religious group worshiping Sulena, believing that she will end the world one night. Crowta speaks daily on the importance of Sulena, and there is strong punishment for failing to revere her properly. They respect all the gods to an extent, but will make crude jokes about the other gods and even Isophel, as Sulena is the true god in their doctrine.

Location/Recruitment: They travel constantly to follow herds and don’t expect to stay in any one spot for long. This is also how they recruit new members, traveling near towns and convincing locals who might feel underappreciated to join. Newcomers are often given a lot of attention, respect, and general good will. Once they stick around long enough that fan-fare tends to go away and they must perform increasing feats of hunting to keep the praise going.

Leaving the tribe: Those who try to leave the tribe are allowed to physically, but must still identify as a member and be ‘working’ towards the ideals of the tribe.

Punishments and Order: There is self-policing involved in maintaining order. Those who aren’t following the beliefs of the tribe, talking out against the chief, or are thinking of leaving are often reported by their other tribe members, who will deal out punishments and humiliations to reinforce the tribe’s unity. The punishments vary between which member believes the punishment needs to be dealt out, but they tend to be a combination of physical and emotional punishments to maintain emotional dependency on the tribe.

The Leader: The tribe leader has the final word on all things. They aren’t expected to delegate any leadership and doubting the tribe leader is seen as an open threat. Such doubts can be forgiven for newcomers who haven’t learned yet, but for those who have been in the tribe for a long time can be forced to be prey for a hunting party as punishment.

Important Members

Crowta - Tribe leader
Jhuria - Tribe leader’s wife
Halta - Respected Fletcher and Bower
Trudin - Best Tracker
Leinre - Best Archer

Notes
Still working on it, but figured I would get input on it sooner then later.

Antaquia and the Arena of Fire

Sun, 24 Aug 2014 07:01:08 +0000

Intro
So this is a Lore Proposal from the old website. I don't remember if it was fully accepted or not yet but I think it was seeing as two characters were made from it in the past and accepted. Feel free to have a look and confirm it or critique it, but I'm putting it up here as a friend of mine is looking to use it in his application to the server.

The Arena of Fire

This large, all-stone arena was first created by a group of wealthy Xitians; part of an army who had enslaved the –at the time- large Mesalian town of Antaquia. Antaquia, located on the mainland of the Middle Realm, couldn’t put up much of a fight to the conquering Xitians, and they were quickly taken over and enslaved just like the rest of the realm. As time passed, a Xitian-dictated society developed in Antaquia, and an upper, wealthier class made up of the most powerful Xitians began developing. This group of wealthy Xitians soon became an Aristocracy-like government of the Xitian-infested town. Surprisingly, this group governed the town much better and more efficiently than the Xitian settlements in other places of the mainland.

As always, however, issues would arise. The Xitians who dwelled in Antaquia began to get rowdy. After all, they killed as many Mesalian runts as their government had. Why then shouldn't they have the right to have their own ideas acknowledged? Revolts began to rise, dangerous ones seeing the powers of nether were something to respect. The aristocracy knew they needed to do something to allow their citizen's ideas to be recognized, or the rare successful government in Antaquia would be lost just like most Xitian ruling systems on the mainland. They had a council amongst themselves to decide quickly the best course of action to cease the revolts, and ultimately decided on creating The Arena of Fire.

The arena, which could be forged within two weeks by the work of the Aristocracy's powers, had many benefits. The Xitian-symbol decorated stone and trademark lava pit expressed the Xitian's warrior-like nature, and brought a sense of nationalism under the common idea of perfecting the skill of the fight. It also provided a common entertainment needed in this time of rising tension in Antaquia The orginal idea of the aristocracy was that the Xitians who were not part of the government were able to vouch for their beliefs by having a duel to the death with a member of the aristocratic council who disagreed with them. However, the arena grew even more encompassing when more members of the violent race volunteered to fight in the arena for the sake of improving their skills and participating in the thrill of the fight (which they have missed ever since they stopped conquering Mesalian towns). This not only helped maintain the government, but also provided much entertainment for the town. The Xitians who were faithful to the charismatic Aristocracy quickly silenced Mesalian revolts, and even organized into government armies. This led to authority, and eventually peace in the growing town.

As the reputation of Antaquia grew and slavery began developing, the rare ‘greatly governed’ town gained more Xitian soldiers looking to settle down in the middle realm. With them, came their Mesalian slaves. Unfortunately for the Xitians, this excess of slaves began to make revolts more and more threatening, and so the Aristocracy changed the goals of the Arena of Fire. It became a gladiator-like arena, hosting many different games, the most famous being the ‘Duel Ladder,’ all for the sake of weakening the amount of Mesalian slaves in Antaquia. It proved successful, and so did Antaquia itself as it grew from the large Mesalian town into an even larger thriving Xitian paradise.

The paradise wouldn’t last forever, however, as the Lucin forces in the War of Veld broke into Antaquia, and smashed apart all the work the Xitians had formed. Mesalians were freed, a Mesalian dictator was elected, and the Lucins moved on to the next town. This action shut down the Arena of Fire for several years, and the purges that came later took a more physical toll on the Arena. Its walls were vandalized, and the true beauty of the arena was lost as the awe-inspired Xitian enigmas that used to lie on the building’s walls were etched out through years of purging. However, the solid stone walls of the arena were never completely destroyed, and they would stand the test of the purges.

When a conquering Mesalian province later looked to take down the now largely inhibited town of Antaquia several years later during the civil wars, the Arena came back to life. It became both an entertainment to make use of Prisoners of War, and also a threat to the citizens of Antaquia if they didn’t allow their male family members to fight. The Mesalian-led Antaquian dictatorship, backed by Lucin strength, forced the citizens (former-slaves of the Xitians plus some) to either send all male members into the war against the opposition, or be forced to have one of the family members enter the Arena. The reason the dictators allowed this option was that it provided something that unified and brought entertainment to citizens despite the harsh rule of Antaquia during the grueling wartime.

For years the awful war went on, and with it the Arena flourished, completing it’s goal of keeping the town unified during the awful time of war. However, as in all things, it wouldn’t last forever. Soon Antaquia began to fall to the opposing side, and the prisoners were no longer being taken from the opposing army, but from Antaquia’s own. The arena lost the majority of its fighters as the Antaquia army weakened, until the town was finally sacked a year later. With the sacking came the arena’s destruction. The conquering side hated it for the horrors it caused to its soldiers, and thus tore down its walls.

The Arena Dynamics

The Arena looked mostly like the picture above, just with a small lava pit located in the center.

Types of Gladiator Games/Events

The Arena of Fire featured many different gladiator games. Here are a few of them, additions really up for whatever anyone’s creativity aspires (Within reason; ask staff and me/Harry):

The Duel Ladder: The most popular game of the arenas, done even in the time of the Xitians. In this cruel system, there were several levels, or "rungs" of a metaphorical ladder. New prisoners or volunteers to the games were pitted against each other, 1 against 1, in a duel to the death, with nothing but light armor and a broadsword. The winner moved up to the next rung of the ladder, facing another gladiator who was only on their second rung. This continued, and when a slave climbed the whole ladder, they faced the champion, or the man currently at the top of the ladder. Known as ‘Semper,’ this man had the ‘right of the Semper.’ This right allowed the champion to command anything from any of the lower-class Mesalians in Antaquia. If the peasants refused, they were allowed to be killed on the spot by the Semper. If you beat The Semper, you had a choice: leaving the arena and gaining the right to not have any members of your family drafted into the Civil War, or life as the Semper.

The Glorious Atarsis Kingdom

Sun, 17 Nov 2013 05:27:41 +0000

History:
It all started with some fertile land, some natural borders, and five small nations.

The five nations were as follows; Atarsis to the North, Freyforge to the west, Cliffmoore to the East, Valedeg to the South West, And Lochelf to the South East. These nations had all settled in the bed of the mountain range around them for protection, and for nearly two hundred years, they managed to work together to live good lives. But as time passed, kings grew greedy, and armies grew restless. It all started when assassins from Cliffmoore went for the throat of the Lochelf king. They failed, and in retaliation, Lochelf asked for assistance from their stronger ally, Atarsis. Atarsis needed Lochelf to use them as a passage for goods to leave the mountains, so they mounted their armies on the borders of Cliffmoores kingdom. The war that ensued lasted nearly a decade, but the final result was Atarsis claiming Cliffmoore for itself.

During this time however, the kingdom of Valedeg had watched as the small armies of Lochelf stretched themselves too thin, and while Atarsis and Lochelf were focused on Cliffmoore, Valedeg struck. In a single night, Valedeg razed the Lochelf castle, killed the royal family, and had taken the Lochelf kingdom. This left Atarsis and Valedeg as the major powers within the mountains, with Freyfordge doing it’s best to stay out of it all. There was a stalemate for several years, until Atarsis struck a deal with Freyfordge. Freyfordge would join Atarsis, and in return, after Valedeg was taken, the Freyfordge king would be put in a seat of power in a newly formed senate. With the Combined armies of Atarsis, Lochelf, and Freyforge, they marched on the combined forces of Valedeg, and Cliffmoore.

The fight lasted eight long years, but after more bloodshed than anyone ever wanted, Valedeg surrendered. For the first time in hundreds of years, the mountains were held under the same flag. Atarsis’s king was a wise man, and while some thought he should enslave the other kingdoms, he saw it differently. The map was whole, and Atarsis was a staggeringly large kingdom. He set in motion rules and plans that helped all ends of the kingdom. From the slums of Lochelf, to the ruins of Valedeg, everyone was taken care of. The nation was pulled together to work for one another and the people quickly learned to love and respect their new king. The king knew what he was doing, and by winning the hearts of every former nation, they would follow him.

It took nearly a hundred years, but as each generation took over, their loyalty to their old kings faded, but their love and admiration to the Atarsis king grew. He helped rebuild all the cities and towns that were ravaged by war. He did it to hide the war from the newer generations. Without ruins, people didn’t question it.

Fast forward to the Xitian invasion, the nation shattered. The Xitians used Atarsis’s fortified location and land for their own use. The royal bloodline was nearly destroyed, if not for the protection of the Daulton family, whose bloodlines run deep into Atarsis history. It managed to survive in a Earl who was young enough to remain hidden as a slave. The people of Atarsis at first made terrible slaves. There were constant insurrection and attacks against the Xitian slavers. Though none had been too successful, these attacks proved fruitless and eventually the people of Atarsis had to start biding their time for a better strategy for winning their freedom to arise. None came, and like the rest of the Mesalian people they lost hope. When the war of Veld came to free the country, it was not surprising that the tides turned quickly. Every jaded slave rose against their masters, to reclaim their land. After their liberation, the Earl was put into power as the new King, but his work was very much cut out for him.

The lands of Atarsis had been shattered. Slaves brought in from other areas now called this land their home, and some resisted following the royal family that they didn’t know. The land was more divided than it was over three hundred years ago. Pockets of resistance stood in the way, and it took years to rebuild the army, but after ten years of fighting, Atarsis was once again whole. The kingdom has grown prosperous, under the leadership of the new King.

There have been minor skirmishes with outside nations, but with rules set in place by the leader of the Daulton Knights, the border has been secured, and life in Atarsis was good. After the kingdom became whole, they built a massive wall to keep out any future threats. From inside their defensive position, the nation grows and prospers. This relative peace continues for a long time until…

The Second opening of the Xitian gate puts all of Atarsis on alert. The military moves the bulk of its forces to the only entrance an army could attack from, and stand ready even to this day. They have sent spies and assassins to watch over the gates, as the combined Mesalian armies have fortified the entrance. Unfortunately, Atarsis was not invited to station guards there, as the rest of the Mesalian population seems to think they would kill all the Xitians… They are right. They have managed to capture a small handful of Xitians traveling to the gate to return to their homeland, and remain ever vigilant for when the Xitian armies attack.

Hierarchy:

King
-Royal Family
-Leader of the Daulton Knights
---Master Commander of the Military
---Acting Leader of Royal Guard
---Member of the Daulton Knights
---Kings Strategist
-----Military Commanders
-----Members of the Royal Guard
-----Citizen appointed representatives (Senators)
-------Members of the Military
-------Citizen appointed leaders (Mayors)
---------Citizens

Geography:
Atarsis is settled inside of a massive expanse of valley inside of tall mountains, similar to the alps. They form a horseshoe shape around it, with a small break in the mountains to the south being the only rational entrance. Heavy rains from the mountains flow downstream to combine into five major rivers, all of which lead to a massive lake, so far and wide, that you can’t see the opposite shore from one end to the next. There are several docks along this lake, as it is a choice way of trading goods around the nation. The rivers also aid in this, as moving things down river is very easy.

The land is fertile, and the countryside is littered with beautiful rolling hills. As far as forests go, the closer to the mountains you get, you start encountering dense forests of oak to the south, and pine to the north.

The Kingdom has five city states. These are Penndragon (The Capital of Atarsis), Freyfordge, Valedeg, Lochelf, and Cliffmoore. There are several named and unnamed towns surrounding these cities, most near the population of about 20-80 people. The Kingdom also sports a massive stone wall, at the only easily accessible entrance to the kingdom. It is roughly thirty feet tall, and about twenty feet thick. The hope is that Xitians can't move that much solid stone.

Government:
The King: Despite his title, he fills a role more like a president. He has final say over any laws or commands that are established, but he can’t make big choices without consulting the Senate.

The Senate: There are 25 Senators, who are chosen through the citizens, as well as the King, who consults with many before allowing someone to have a seat on the Senate. 5 Senators from each city state (Such as Penndragon), but the votes or applicants for each city state can come any of the smaller outlying towns around them. Those of royal descent are not allowed to hold these seats, to avoid nepotism.

The Mayors: Each town, including the city states, all have a locally elected Mayors. They serve exactly the role you would expect. They make judgment calls on trials, and manage things on the town level. This role can be filled by members of the royal family, and for the five large city states they often are.

Military:
The Military and Guard are listed below, in order of importance, station, and rank within the nation.

The Daulton Knights: An Elite group of soldiers, strategists, spies and assassins, whose sole job it to ensure the prosperity and survival of the Atarsis Kingdom, and to a lesser extent, the protection of the Royal family. Most of the time, it is lead by a male of the Daulton bloodline. In case a male isn’t born or trained yet, a member of the Ashford family will head it up until a Daulton is ready. The leader of the Daulton knights is responsible for vetting and selecting the members of the Royal Guard.

The Royal Guard: Hand picked by the leader of the Daulton Knights, the Royal guard is exactly what you expect. They are the Kings secret service, his shield in the night, his last line of defense. The guard extends to nearly all branches of the royal family, no matter how obscure. Even the Kings, nephews, cousins, daughter’s, kid sister has at least one person watching over them. The Royal line was once almost destroyed, and no one is going to let that happen again.

The Military: Standard military, as one would expect. Atarsis has no naval ships, as it’s kingdom is about a day from the nearest shore. The army is in charge of the wall defense, as well as patrolling the long roads between the cities. Their forces include mounted cavalry, spearmen, shield bearers, archers, and basic sword and shield infantry.

Town Guard: Each town has a guard unit. One guard Commander, with a guard sized however large the commander deems necessary. Their job is fairly self explanatory. they guard their town.

Culture:
Physical: It’s worth mentioning that the women of Atarsis often are born with narrow pelvis bones, and due to the current state of the art medical practices, ((Lack of modern day medical techniques)) it is very common for women to die, or left unable to have a second child after giving birth. Chances are that anyone you meet in Atarsis, has lost a grandmother, mother, or aunt to this type of death, and most women growing up tend to come to terms with this fate.

Education: Education in Atarsis is quite normal. Most towns have school houses, where children are made to attend during childhood. They are taught to read and write, and they are taught the history of their nation. Around the time they reach their early teens, they are expected to pick a profession, and begin training for it. The Mayor of their town will afford a bit of money to any master who takes on students. From their, life is the best teacher. Men are encouraged to join the military, to better their lives, and women are expected to take a role suited to their gender. Furthermore, all citizens for the most part can swim, as the rivers that cover the kingdom are a huge part of trade and life.

Agriculture: Not being near a coast, means that the primary source of food is hunting, and farming. The mountains are full of goats, mountain lions, and large bears. The woods have plenty of rabbits, and deer. Pelts are common, and the meat is expensive, but worth it to get a break from fruits and veggies. The land is ripe for all sorts of farming. In the south, oranges and ‘southern’ plants one might expect. In the north, the climate is a cooler, and apples are commonly picked from trees.

Bloodlines: Who you are isn’t nearly as important as who your father is in Atarsis. Your family bloodline (carried on by the males) can dictate how well off you will be in life. Several families within Atarsis are recognizable, such as the Daultons, Ashfords, Elemonts, and others. These families are often tied to high standing positions in the military, government, and social statue. It is possible over time to improve your families standing in Atarsis, but it takes great feats, loyalty, and dedication.

Appearance/Dress: Citizens of Atarsis are predominantly white, though there is roughly 20% of the population is dark skinned.(Black) As it is a very large kingdom, there is some variants in size and shape. People born in the mountains around Atarsis, though few and far in between, tend to be taller, and bigger. Past that, Atarsis is a diverse nation of eye color and hair colors. As for dress, nothing too special here. There are no special rules or taboo dress. Some people wear the colors of city, but this is more for festivities and gatherings. There is an emphasis on men in the military or guard to wear very formal wear when attending any kind of event, even when not on duty.

Sexism: Atarsis isn’t perfect. While women are not mistreated, they are on a lower caste than men. Women are not allowed to enter many jobs, as well as being unable to enter the military, or serve on the guard. They can become chefs, tailors, teachers for children, and other jobs that don’t require physical strength. Due to how they are raised, most women do not question this. It is instilled in them at a young age, that women are not as strong, or as smart as men, though the ‘smart’ part has started to fade in recent generations. The men too have this instilled in them, that women are the weaker sex, and that it is a mans job to protect them. This is how everyone here were raised, and that doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon..

Racism: As if the treatment of women wasn’t bad enough, Atarsis is probably one of the most racist kingdoms in the middle realm. By races, we mean the Xitians and the Lucins. After the treatment of the Xitians for 30 years, the king and his knights put into effect rules barring any non-mesalians from the kingdom. In addition to this, Xitians are to be killed on sight, and Lucins are told to leave, or be arrested. With the construction of the Great Wall of Atarsis, it is much easier to guard the border, and keep the ‘others’ out. But it doesn’t stop there. Part of the education of the Atarsis youth is about the Xitians and Lucins. It would be polite to say they were just demonized. Most Atarsians believe that Xitians have small stud-like spines running down their back, claws instead of fingers, and webbing between their feet. Lucins aren’t spared either. Though they are depicted as similar to the mesalians, their personalities are described as characteristically greedy, plotting, gremlin like people. .

The Ko'Ban Tribes

Sat, 16 Nov 2013 05:22:54 +0000

Ko'ban legend says they've lived in the Mainland for all time. But their word for the forbidden lands is Ah’roda which translates to ‘Father’s Land’ or the ‘Old Lands’, which implies that they at one point, along with all the rest of the vagrant people, may have lived there. Coincidentally, the word for the Mainland is Ah’uda which means ‘Mothers Land’. So while the Ko’ban may claim one thing, it’s understood that they followed the migratory habits of the rest of the Mesalian people.

They’ve kept the same traditions as far as battle and migration go for as long as their oral history extends. The original tribes were suspected to come from vagrant bands that domesticated horses, and soon managed to travel across farther territories than their counterparts.

The grassy plains in the south west of the Mainland are named the Sunflower plains but are more commonly referred to as the ‘Bandit Lands’. This name comes from the Ko’ban's habit of raiding neighbouring villages and towns for supplies, often riding through, taking what they want and leaving before reinforcements are mustered for a proper defence. This has become so common that now when the riders are spotted coming, sometimes offerings were left so as to spare the towns.

When the Xitians came, the Ko'ban too were captured, and enslaved. But they had an immense amount of respect for their slavers power, and saw their enslavement punishment for being the weaker. Over time the Xitians started to recognize their skill as mounted soldiers and utilized their ability to breed and tame horses along with their willingness to serve. In many ways they shared a lot of common beliefs with the Xitians and it made integration easier for both. The Ko’ban’s culture managed to win them enough leniencies with their slavers that, while they had to learn the common language, managed to maintain their language and oral traditions.

Enslavement of the clans to the Xitians eventually led to the clansmen becoming foot soldiers for the Xitians. This only became necessary to boost their numbers in lieu of the Lucin’s return. The Xitians however had not bothered to fully understand how the Ko’ban believed slavery and freedom worked, so when the fighting started to go badly for their masters the Ko’ban warriors turned on them. In their own mind, they won their freedom back by butchering their masters.

No sooner did they have their freedom, did they spread out into the plains and begin chasing others away. They became fiercely territorial, murdering and raiding any caravans that came into what territories they’d claimed.

This meant that there wasn’t (And still isn't) much trade into the tribal lands, so when the tribes need resources they resort back to raiding. Taking what they want and riding back into their own territories. For the most part they wouldn't be followed but if they raided a town or village too often the kingdom would march soldiers into the plains, which would usually result in the tribes banding together to force the intruders out as a whole clan.

Generally though, the defence of their borders is the only time the tribes and the three clans that make up the Sunflower Plains people will work together. Otherwise there tends to be uneasy peace between the clans and infighting between the tribes therein.

The Civil Wars saw the worst bout of infighting in this region, but it was short lived. The Xitians that had encouraged the fighting and the conflict were eventually rooted out as the cause and the interference was snuffed out. But peace between the tribes was all it earned them; outside their lands the civil war collapsed empires, causing the new and old kingdoms alike all tried to invade the Ko’ban lands to claim them as their own.

The Ko’ban people don’t use metal armour, and found knights difficult to deal with. But the one thing they had in abundance was horses, and their mounted cavalry did well to rush their attackers, take their supplies and burn their camps. Invading forces would dwindle on resources as they entered the plains, and the Ko’ban people would chip away at their numbers until their enemy gave up and retreated or they were all killed or enslaved.

The Ko’ban made invasion difficult enough that most of the neighbouring kingdoms gave up and left their lands. Those that proved stubborn eventually faced the united forces of the tribespeople and were forced from their lands. For them the civil wars ended a little early, and as the Ko’ban spread back out across their lands they began to divide up into new clans and tribes.

At first there were two clans, the Ban' Torrelk was the smaller of the two, and it's citizens, after all the fighting, wars and enslavement had left their nomadic ways to live in small clay settlements, and slowly a central town was built with a tall round wall. The other clan was called Ban'Kinnta; those in this clan continued to travel with the herds but the clan began to destabilize with so many tribes under its name, and it eventually splintered. It took almost a year for the nomadic tribes to reorganize into the clans that became known as the Ban'Horrek and the Ban'Moraantha.

The three clans are now roughly the same size, with vaguely laid out (But still hotly debated) territories of their own.

Timeline:
0 AV Ko’ban have freedom.
0-13 AV Ko’ban struggle to rebuild clans and chase outsiders from their lands.
13-20 AV Civil war breaks out among the clans.
21 AV Lucin and Xitian Shamen falls out of practice.
24-29 AV The Ban’Kinnta falls into chaos
30 AV The Ban’Horrek and Ban’Moraantha form from the remains of Ban’Kinnta.

Clans
There are three clans that make up the Ko’ban people. Two nomadic clans Ban'Horrek & Ban'Moraantha; and one clan that lives in small settlements named Ban’Torrelk.

Usually the largest tribe in any given clan is that of the clan leaders. Every Chief, as well as being tasked with maintaining their tribe, becomes a member of the tribal council. The tribal council meets usually once or twice a year.

This council selects Clan Leaders from among their ranks; the Clan Leader has all the responsibilities of a Chief along with that of the clan. They must keep peace between their tribes, and between the other clans. Maintaining a dignified amount of respect is necessary for this position as a great deal of peacekeeping between the tribes and clans is a matter of posturing.

Tribes
A tribe consists of between one large family (Including extended family), to half a dozen. Usually living together and supporting each other. The tribal leaders are elected through a democratic process within the tribe itself. The leader of each tribe is called a Chief; the Chief of every tribe also becomes a member of the tribal council. The Chief's principal duties are maintaining his tribe, deciding when they need to leave to follow herds (If necessary), arranging for war or peace between other tribes and ensuring the general health and safety of the people under his protection. If a tribe falls into hard times, don't have enough food, are defeated in battle against another tribe or outsiders, or falls to disease, it is always the chief who is at fault. Regardless of what circumstances that actually lead to it.

Within any given tribe the position of chief is that of the most honourable and respected. Usually leaders are chosen from either the hunters or the warriors, though it’s not unheard of for them to come for more humble backgrounds of traders or craftsmen.

Shaman
Perhaps the Ko’ban regarded with the most fear by outsiders are the shaman. They’ve been a tradition in their culture for generations. Each tribe has at least one shaman, though it’s common for there to be two at a time. The Clan chief's shaman leads the great meets with his apprentice. Shaman are more than healers for the clan they’re also spiritual leaders. The Ko’ban word for Shaman ‘Iso’Midew’ translates directly to ‘Isohel’s Wisdom’. The shaman are some of the only members of the community to command the utmost in respect with their ability to commune with the Gods and heal the sick and injured. As the shaman is one of the only in the Ko’ban community to study medicine and poisons in depth and often travel between tribes, usually accompanied by warriors. Though the shaman is hard to mistake for any other Ko’ban as they often wear intricate ornate masks of bone, wood, feathers and other distinctive materials, and tend to dress and paint themselves like skeletons.

Since shaman are also a spiritual role, their selection is a religious matter. Children are often selected to become shamen before they take their rites into adulthood. Ko’ban believe the decision to select the apprentice comes directly from Isohel. In times of great strife, disease, or plague, it’s believed Isohel’s wisdom bestows selection on as many shaman as needed to see the survival of the Ko’ban people. Those selected are taught medicine, how to commune with the Gods, how to lead the great meets, how to bless warriors, births, fertility and coming of age rites. They are also exposed to various poisons over time to build immunities and better understand their effects, and often put through painful rituals and tattooing to build a resistance to pain as well. This can and does kill apprentices, and when that happens, it’s believed Sulena found weakness in them and Isohel has selected another.

Regardless of the risks it remains a great honor for a child to be selected as a shaman and this process is done during great meets so that every child in the clan may be given an equal chance for the honor. In the past, children born of Lucin or Xitian heritage (with powers) would often be chosen for shaman. But after the civil wars were caused and encouraged by Xitian born shaman within the Ko’ban, this has fallen out of practice.

Ko’ban Shaman are not combative roles, and while they can be attacked, to do so is to invite Sulena and Isohel’s wrath upon the tribe and family of the warrior that cuts them down. For this reason Shaman more often than not travel unmolested in the Ko’ban lands and even through heated battlefields.

The Ban’Horrek do not domesticate animals or terraform the land for crops. Instead they tend to cultivate the land, cutting down forests and burning patches of the plains to encourage grass growth, all to benefit the cattle herds they hunt Their efforts tend to make like easier for the herds which are extremely large by comparison to outside wild cattle, and a considerable effort is made to encourage the animals to stay within the clan's territory. The cattle is a huge part of Ko’ban life, and the Ban’Horrek let no peice go to waste. Because the herds are mobile and can travel huge tracts of land in a day's time, the Ban’Horrek are a nomadic people who follow the herds across their territory gathering what fruits and vegetables grow along the way. The efforts of the Ban’Horreks land shaping has resulted in a fairly predictable migration pattern for the cattle and for the Ban this means they often end up camping in the same locations. The discarded seeds of the plants they gather along the way, tend to take root and grow wild in plentiful numbers around these locations.

For what supplies cannot be foraged or hunted the Ban’Horrek are known for raiding swiftly on horseback, charging into villages and towns choosing to use spear and pike on horseback to cull their opposition. They are also the most likely to use torches and set fire to homes to cause enough panic to get what they want and get out before a proper defense is mustered so as to minimize casualties to their own.

To become a member of the tribe, the Ban'Horrek’s rite happens around 15-20 and requires their youth to find and tame a wild horse from the plains. Wild animals in any variety are dangerous and the equine are no exception. Success means being able to ride back into town on a horse that should accompany the new adult for years to come. Failure means continuing to wander the lands until either another tribe takes them in or they find a more suitable horse.

Like the Ban’Horrek, the Ban’Moraantha does not grow crops or till land. They are also a nomadic people that follow cattle herds across the Sunflower Plains. They also do some land shaping to make their territory as hospitable as possible for the cattle, but unlike the Ban’Horrek they don’t have usual hunting tracts and their cattle don’t have a migrational pattern they can easily take advantage of. However, the Ban’Moraantha territory also contains a thick and dense forest that the tribe has not cut down that allows the tribe to hunt for food even when the herds have moved on or if neighboring tribes have laid claim to them. There is no real stability to where the Ban’Moraantha camp, so foraging is usually best on the wooded side of their territory while hunting cattle is best on the opposite end of their range. While the Ban’Moraantha has the most varied diet of the clans, it also has the hardest time obtaining food.

There lands necessitate more raides them most of the other Ko’ban clans, The Ban’ Moraantha are generally regarded as the most brutal of the three. When raiding they ride into towns with horseback archers. The archers deal with guards and any opposing citizens the same, circling the towns and villages and riding through with cautious, deadly accuracy. After the archers, men come in on foot and horseback to herd villagers into one place where they’re menaced, occasionally captured, and robbed blind while the village is looted for what they came for. Once done the Ban’Moraantha will sound a goat horn and ride off with whatever spoils they claimed. This clan tends to take the longest to pillage its spoils.

The Ban'Moraantha is the only tribe that's rites of passage into the tribe are conducted for the whole clan at once. All of the youths of appropriate age (15-22) who haven't yet completed their rite travel on their own to a meeting place where they form a raiding party with just one experienced rider to lead them. Their rite is by far the most deadly, but also necessary for the survival of the clan which needs some of the outside resources it hasn't the ability to trade for.

Unlike the other clans the Ban' Torrelk don’t follow the herds, they have cultivated a local tuber and a plains grass into dozens of varieties of potatoes and corn respectively. These are the simple food staples for the only permanent settlements in the plains. These settlements usually have simple clay structures for towns, and a single, large, round walled city. The closest thing to domesticated animals they tend to are turkeys or wild chickens. The Ban’Torrelk takes great strives to maintain healthy forests around the edges of their territory so as to better hide settlements from outsiders and allow the hunting of wild game.

The Ban’Torrelk are the only clan that doesn’t commonly use horseback to raid their neighbors. Usually teams of 5-10 raiders are sent in stealth to sneak into the neighboring villages, either assassinating guards or villagers as needed, and returning to their horses outside of town to ride out with their spoils. The Ban’Torrelk even developed a complex method of communication via hand signals and sign language to enable them to raid without having to speak a single word. The Ban’Torrelks method is so abnormal to the other clans, and leave so few witnesses, the neighboring villages cannot be certain it is them attacking. As the only tribes that don’t travel, this stealth is paramount to the safety of their settlements and the garnering of needed supplies.

For the Ban'Torrelk the rite of passage into adulthood happens around 13-20, and requires a show of competence and independence. The youth is expected to trade with other tribes or outside settlements to prove they’ve an understanding on how to preserve the Ban’Torrelk way of life. Usually this involves hunting, and selling the meat and pelts, but can also include any number of services or crafted items, so long at the young man or woman can successfully show some skill in both crafting it and trading it.

War
Each of the clans has a relatively set piece of territory that their tribes travel around. But since two of the tribes tend to follow the meandering herds of animals, often they end up crossing into each other's lands or into another clan's territory altogether. The Ban'Torrelk don't generally travel as the other tribes do but just as heatedly defend their territories from the wandering tribes.

If the tribe’s Chiefs are on good terms, then nothing will come from the transgression of one tribe into another's lands. But usually this isn’t the case, since the herds are so important for sustaining a clan this can lead to fighting and bitter battles between tribes inside any given clan. Battles can and do break out easily, but all-out war is rarely declared. Whilst being a fearless fighter and showing one's strength is encouraged, the Tribe Chiefs that declare war on one another must have enough cause for this action as not to be seen as petty or warmongering by the other tribes. If the fighting gets particularly bloody are starts to involve more than two tribes within a clan or tribes within other clans, all of the tribes will be summoned for a great meet.

During this meet the causes of the fighting are looked at, as well as the actions of each tribe leader. If the Tribe Chief is seen as having less than honourable intentions or not the best for his people in mind when declaring war, he can lose his title and his tribe’s leadership will be passed to another within the tribe. In cases when fighting breaks out between members of different clans, the Clan Leaders will meet after meeting with their tribal councils. Normally they work out a peace, or the entire clans will go to war with each other. Clan war is extremely rare and in most cases is avoided at all costs.

Weapons
The Ko'ban don't work much with metal, they rarely deal with any sort of smelting outside of what they use for making metal beads or other trinkets. As a people they don't have any understanding of forges or metalwork. This being said, the Ko'ban uses primarily stone, flint and obsidian weapons and tools.

Most of what they use for weapons is carved, chipped, and shaped with hard stone chisels. Flint and stone is used to craft arrowheads, knives, or simple spears while obsidian is used to make spearheads and knifes. Some tribes have found deposits of obsidian in the caves under their territory. So, while the ore on the cave walls mean less than nothing to them, the razor sharp obsidian chunks chipped away are highly valued by the tribes in spite of how fragile and prone to breaking it is.

Swords, given the stone nature of the Ko'ban weapons and tools, are largely impractical. Knives, spears, hide shields, bows and arrows, axes, darts (made from animal quills or bone) and bolos tend to be the most common weapons for the warriors; it is by no accident these tools also are largely used for hunting along with rope traps and nets.

Armour for the Ko’ban consists of mostly bone, sinew and suede; usually small bones will be hollowed and threaded into stacked rows, long columns strung in the front and back of rider’s chests.

Gifts of Peace
Giving without exchange is seen as rude, selfish and shows the person accepting the gift as having a self inflated sense of worth. For this reason the act of giving in any measure is seen as a gesture of goodwill and faith as it requires an equal exchange in worth. Value in an object is not determined by it's cost in gold but it's importance to the person giving it. It's custom for the Ko'ban people to settle everything from disputes to outright war with the act of trading.

Slavery
Slaving is something the Ko’ban picked up from the Xitians during the occupation, and to this day are one of the few cultures in the Mainland that still participate in the act. This is partially why they’re referred to as bandits and why the term carries such disdain. The Ko’ban don’t often take slaves, though it’s more than acceptable behaviour. For most it’s seen as a burden to have to manage the extra bodies, but on the occasion captives are taken they are either enslaved and forced to marry, or ransomed back to their original tribe or kingdom. If the tribe cannot or will not pay for the return of their own, then the captive is killed or sold to outsiders.

Capture is sometimes used as a way to shame what are otherwise great warriors if the tribes rivalries are particularly bitter, though to the other tribes this isn’t seen as honourable conduct at all.

Slaves and captured spouses often aren’t mistreated too terribly, but can be traded among their owners like any piece of property. People who are enslaved don’t necessarily remain that way indefinitely, any slave who is bold enough to fight for freedom from their master and win, through means that are both public and clear displays of strength, will also win their freedom, which is in part why the strong aren’t taken as slaves. The children of slaves or captured spouses are not slaves.

Religion
All of the tribes follow the Mesalian orthodox religion, though each tribe tends to be centric toward two of the six each. Mostly this includes Sulena and one of the other 5 depending on the tribe. In most stories and legend for the tribes the Gods are represented in animal forms.

For the Ko'ban it’s believed that good fighters that are fairly bested in battle should be given swift deaths, and their bodies burned so they can’t rise as the dead to hunt their killers. It’s a long held belief to these people that zombies and skeletons are the dead that have not been properly sent to the afterlife, seeking Sulena in the moon’s light. This is of course untrue and so inaccurate it often leads to ridicule from other cultures.

Great Meets
These are held so the tribal council can attend to political matters both internally and otherwise. For the rest of the tribes this is a time when all of the tribes in a single clan get together. The Chiefs bring with them all of their tribes and for a weeks at a time hundreds of the Ko’ban will meet in one place. Festivities, dancing, drum circles, bonfires and marriages will happen during this time. Usually these great meets coincide with a religious festival of some sort. One festival to Sulena is held a year, then the second will often cycle between the other 5 gods and goddesses.

Family
Sexism isn't something that exists in the tribes. Men and women have equal rights to everything, but in spite of this, generally men are more inclined to become hunters and warriors. Due to the combative nature of their tribes lives for most warriors is fairly short, given this fact, polygamy isn’t unheard of in these clans, since it’s one of the only ways for the clans to maintain a stable population.

Children are regarded as an important part of the clan’s future and along with new mothers, are often left unharmed even during the most bitter of tribal warfare. Though children are important to the Ko’ban, the pressure on couples and young people to have them is usually little more than nagging parents wanting grandkids and lots of them.

Family names are traditionally the name of the clan followed by the name of the tribe. So a member of the Lawa tribe from the Horrek clan's family name would be Horrek'Lawa.

Music & Art
The Ko’ban have a very distinctive styles for both art and music. The majority of their art is either in intricate weavings, beading or paintings. They usually incorporate bright colors and geometric shapes into distinct patterns or animals. People are only represented in paintings, which can be on the walls of Ban’Torrelk huts, or caves and stone slabs throughout the sunflower plains. Sometimes even tattooed or branded into the skin of the Ko’ban themselves.

Music for Ko’ban is an important part of the great meets. They have songs that recant their history, fables about the gods, and legends of great warriors. A lot of their songs are chants, it’s believed the songs that range from high whistles to low whooping noises are imitations and homages to the animals, and the gods they’ve come to represent.

As prevalent as singing is, there’s a great deal of instruments common to the Ko’ban lands, some of which are native only to Ko’ban people. Their instruments are drums, rattles, flageolets, whistles, striking sticks, and a single stringed instrument played with a bow called a Bandit Fiddle (see; Apache Fiddle).

Crafting and Trade
Most of the Ko’ban tribes are overtly hostile to outsiders, though there are some that have good relations with certain merchant groups or towns. The Ko’ban often will trade their crafts for goods or tools they wouldn’t otherwise have. The Ko’ban are known for their work with beads, in both jewelry and embroidery. Making the beads from everything from bone to gold. Gold is one of the only metals the Ko’ban work as it’s just soft enough for them to manage without the need of forges. They only use gold for adornment and often will melt down coins traded to them for more golden jewelry, idols and trinkets. Thus the value of any gold coin to the Ko’ban is the number o beads or trinkets that could be made from it. They also make intricate weavings of brightly colored and usually geometric shapes and patterns. The weavings are made into either adornments as well, or clothing, rugs or furniture.

Language
The Ko’ban have their own language, it is often regarded as guttural and barbaric to most. Few bother to learn the language, partly due to the general hostility the Ko’ban tribes regard their neighbours with. The Ko’ban only just recently started to develop a written pictographic script incorporating an alphabet, numerals and specific symbols for proper nouns. The written word originated in the Ban’Horrek tribe, and was quickly adopted by the Ban’Torrelk though the rest of the Ban’Horrek and Ban’Moraantha are slow to accept this form of record keeping. For that reason, most histories for their people are kept orally through stories full of allegory and often time inaccuracies.

Their language is simple, yet the words and context can be difficult to grasp. Words usually hold more than one meaning which changes depending on context. But at the same time, usually refers to its entire means at once. To say ‘I am this child’s mother’ in their language is to claim that you are where they came from, and where they belong as well.

The language is suspected to have developed due to the generally isolated nature of the tribes. For the most part the Ko'ban don't trade or really interact with outsiders in any manner that isn't hostile. Most elder Ko'ban whom survived slavery speak the common tongue, and have passed this knowledge down to their children and so on, although most Ko'ban won't admit to an outsider they speak it without being given a compelling reason to.

Appearance
The Ko'ban commonly have dark rich skin colour, straight black or dark brown hair, and black or brown eye colour. Much like their language these Ko'ban features have become the norm for their culture due to their isolation. Baldness is not a condition the Ko'ban suffer from but their hair can go grey rather young (Starting in the 20's), though the lightest their hair can become is a peppery silver. Ko'ban men cannot grow facial hair.

Dress
The Ko’ban people primarily wear leather or hide clothing. In summer they’ll commonly go out in loincloths and wraps. In colder months and winter, leggings or dresses will be worn. Warriors and hunters will often adorn themselves with feathers and face paint before riding out and the Ko’ban in general are known for wearing paint, often green when hunting, white and orange for festivities and red for war. The Ko’ban are also known for having either colorful tattoos of animals/gods in animal form, or dark intricate tribal patterns.

Everyone will wear intricately beaded and dyed suede shirts during great meets or festivities. Beaded, braided and feather adorned hair is a common sight, as is tattooed skin.

All Mesalians, regardless of where they are from, are universally called “Jakka” by the Ko’ban people (Or, in the case of Lucins “Jak’suucha” and Xitians “Jak’krika”). But the Ko’ban don’t suffer from racism, or any prejudice within their numbers. Once a person passes the rites and are named Ko’ban, the newcomers aren’t treated any differently than those born into the tribes. For the Ko’ban, people travel from their home tribe into new ones all the time, so accepting them, and outsiders, is common and both are treated the same.

The difficulty of joining the Ko’ban from outside their lands, is first impressions. If the Ko’ban tribe approached is at peace then generally strangers aren’t killed on sight. Strangers are better received if they know some of the language or make an effort at speaking it in the least. So long as it is apparent the person wishes to make a home with the tribe and clan, it becomes the decision of the chief whether or not to accept them. If they decide to, the person is taught their language, then must complete the rite of adulthood to be considered a full Ko’ban within the tribe and the clan. This applies to adults only, children are often taken in and raised as Ko’ban without needing the chief's approval or with any question.

Lucins
Lucin Ko’ban are called Suucha’ban. Lucins are welcomed into the tribes in the same way as any other outsider. Lucins for the longest time had been rare in the Ko’ban lands, usually only choosing to join their people out of curiosity for their rich culture and oral tradition. The largest migration of Lucins into the Ko’ban lands and population came when the Celestial gate was broken. Those that couldn’t fight and faced horrible punishment at the hands of the invading Xitians tried to find themselves safety in the tribes. The tribes accepted these people and protected them as their own during the enslavement. Blue eyes can be found dotted in all three clans, though few are full Lucin.

Xitians
Xitian Ko’ban are called Kricka’ban. Xitians have a slightly harder time joining the tribes after the civil war, but can and do all the same. Before the occupation, Xitians would occasionally choose to join the tribes out a fondness of their mutual ideals in regards to strength and battle. After the Veld war the Xitians didn’t have interest in the Ko’ban lands until the purges came. The Lucin and Mesalian armies hunting the red-eyed slavers couldn’t penetrate the fiercely defended borders of the Ko’ban tribes, which made them a desirable hiding place. The problem being that young Ko’ban liked to test their strength by killing Xitians themselves. Xitians are found almost exclusively in the Ban’Torrelk as they are the least hostile of the clans. This changed during the civil war when some of these Xitians, whose children were chosen for shamen, manipulated the clans into war. But those not involved in these plots still remain parts of the communities and aren’t held accountable for the actions of their brothers. Red eyes are rare in the Ko’ban population, and many remain in the same tribes for generations, so in what scant few places there are Xitians in the Ko’ban, it is likely they have powers.

The Ko'ban people tend to be free spirits in their own right, some of them take well to their way of life and stay happily to tradition, but it is far from uncommon for the adventurous souls to set out on their own and leave their families' lands. It's understood in most cases that those that leave their tribe will not return, so usually festivities are held before they set out.

Some youths who can't or don't pass their rites of passage decide to leave, not for adventurous spirit, but to avoid the shame of being considered lesser. This is also a rather safe alternative to remaining with the tribe and risk being enslaved later.

Criminals also often tend to choose banishment over facing the consequences of their actions. This would mean those who've dishonoured their families or have broken somewhat minor tribal law; such as harming a child, disobeying Chiefs, infighting, stealing, etc. For those that commit more severe crimes are left only with the option of fleeing the tribe lands as being caught for things like murder means certain death.

The Town of Linedia

Tue, 20 Aug 2013 13:14:40 +0000

The Town of Linedia

Forever burns bright the fires and forever does the town ring with the sound of metal on metal and of metal on rock. Come ye, to where hearts burn with fires of the forge, and rocks tremble before fists of iron.

Geography

The Tale of Beginnings

Come, gather round, gather round, you lot asked for a story, and so story it is you will get. Come on over, sit round the fire, no point in telling a story if there isn’t an audience to listen! Hi! None of that, I won’t have you pulling my beard, go sit down with the others. You laddies back there, hurry up and sit, don’t be shying about back there! And quiet down there, you Mittendri and the lassies, you may be the daughter of the chief but I won’t hold back from nipping your ear again, you mark my words. Now, are you all ready? Sitting tight? No gas leaking? Right-ho then, let me just get this smoke going nicely, and then we can begin.

The story I’m about to tell you lot is one that all Fogstonians know and love. No, Kinileth, it’s not Balrus and the three humpbacks, and no, it’s not the Tale of Four Paths and a Fiery Lady either, although we do love that story very much, so whoa down there Mitty; we all love the story of the chief. The story I’m about to tell you is a very old story, one that tells of honor, riches and friendship. I suppose all of you know the story of Chief Feindor Fire-Beard and the Garden of East-Moors? Well, this story comes after that, a year exactly as a matter of fact.

After having bested a god himself, Feindor couldn’t find any more worthy foes to strike down, and after four moons of searching and being denied by all those who feared his strength, Feindor grew ever so much more boastful. So much so that he stopped practicing, that’s right, lassies and laddies, you heard me right, and then Feindor took to drinking and all sorts of merrymaking, confident that he was the strongest man to ever walk the earth. He would host feasts after feasts, from one town to another, and it seemed that his riches would never dwindle and his wines never go sour, but alas! His vault emptied and his pens were lifeless as if a thousand cows and a thousand sheep had never roamed its vast fields. Now once Feindor had got the wind up that he could no longer get the finest spiced wine, you can very well imagine what it did to his shining plated pride! Oh ho ho! Yes, Feindor grew very mad but what could he do? He couldn’t very well blame the winesman could he now? At first the prideful chief refused to accept that he had run out of riches and believed that some bastard of a thief had stolen everything. He demanded that the people help him look for the thief that had stolen his fortune, but he couldn’t do that; he didn’t have any gold on him to hire the people, see.

Now good laddies and lassies, what would you lot have done in his tattered and old sorry shoes? Oh there’s something marvelous. You lot are right of course, you should try to get some work going, and that is what he did as well. Only that… he couldn’t get any! Wohohoah! Hush and simmer down you lot! That’s not the worst part yet. You see, when he tried to get some work and earn himself some more pretty gold back, he couldn’t! He tried some chopping works and he couldn’t lift them heavy logs, he went to hunt some game and he couldn’t catch a rabbit! He couldn’t even lift Firenia, his own sword if you can believe that. You see young ones, our dear Chief Feindor was all fats and greases and flaps; he could barely see his own feet! And all of this was cause of him wasting away his days in feasting and fun, and not practicing and keeping his tip top shape. Let that be a lesson for all of you lot. Do I see a nod? Two? Can I get a WHA-HO! Good chaps! Wipe that tear off Jen.

Now where was I? Oh that’s right, Feindor got all flabs and has no work. Now, even though Feindor had no gold and no work, he was still the ever prideful man he was, and denied that he had gotten flabby and weak. The lot of them is a bunch of snot-brains! He would say about anyone that denied him work, and continue to look for work until he came to the work of mining, and this, as fate would have it, is where he met Korinth Iron-Fist, that’s right, the man himself, hush, little Ironhearts.

If any of us of today’s proud Fogstone’s been there to see it, I bet you all my toenails that we would’ve found the scene a vastly stomach-grasping funny scene. There he was, Chief Feindor, barging, rolling more like, into the miner’s camp, when they were having their evening grub around their campfire and demanding for work, and there he was, good old Korinth, the head of the group, sitting there at the far end of the long circle, all grim faced like, and all the other miners just staring at our proud chief, stunned. Up till that point, the chief had been rejected the moment he asked for work, him being so head hardy and all, and since news of Feindor had reached the miners, the same thing was about to happen. Once they got out of their shock, the miners got up to kick him out of camp, but wouldn’t you know it, Korinth only got up and tossed a hammer towards Feindor, saying in his all serious tone, “You won’t fit into the mines, fix our tools.” And just like that, he retired to his tent. Ah! I see the Stonefires going excited, that’s right chaps, that’s where Feindor picked up the trade of smithing.

But as you can see as clearly as the third day glass, Korinth drove a hurtful dagger into Feindor’s pride, and it was more of that, rather than being actually given a job, that drove Feindor into working like he had never worked before. He was terrible with the hammer and the smithing business I tell you, more so because he never let the resident smith teach him proper, but his passion drove him past his talents and in a matter of few months, he was back into his healthy and proud shape, and chugging out some average quality stuff. They say that Korinth rejected every tool that Feindor forged, and that that made him grow even more passionate about the craft, but if you’re a Firestone, you say that the fire of the forges was ever so inside him from the beginning. So you have Feindor working around the moons, and Korinth burying himself in the deep gorges of the mines, don’t sound too much like they ever got friendly does it? You are right of course, as a matter of fact, Feindor was always trying to get under Korinth’s skin, to start a fight and teach him a lesson for looking down on him, but as you all know, Korinth was as cold as cooled steel, and never did react to Feindor’s taunts. Their friendship really starts one day, that one day when bandits attacked the town.

On that day, Feindor had had enough, after three years and a half of staying in the mines and toiling day by day, just to have his work ignored and his pride diminished by some chap that seemed to have a heart colder than anything that even the goddess Nipos could lash out. Why didn’t he challenge him into a duel you ask? Why because he knew himself that his work wasn’t fit for proper use deep down in the mines where even the strongest of picks are challenged; he just couldn’t bear to accept that fact. So he left, he was fed up with dealing with the miners and even the fire in his heart then was only but a smoldering pile of ashes to stop him from going. There was a lot of shouting, all from Feindor, that’s the last tool from me you’re turning down, he said, spat on the camp grounds and stormed out. But as it turned out, it may well have been a good thing that he did. You see, that very night bandits came and raided the town, which wasn’t successful really; they were chased out the moment they set foot into town, but as the bandits were running off, they ran into Feindor sleeping by the fields and tried to make off with his sword. Oh they chose the wrong whisker to pluck for sure. Feindor, in a frenzy, killed 10 of those bandits, who were armed mind you, using nothing but his bare hands. But in the end, sheer numbers overwhelmed him and the bandits tied him up tight, and dragged him along to sell him off as a slave.

Now back at the town, rumors spread that the arrogant bugger of Feindor had been taken off to be sold as a slave, and eventually, the rumors reached Korinth in the town mine, and you’ll never guess what Korinth did. He rounded up his men, the toughened bunch they are, and traveled three days and nights looking for the bandit camp, and when they found it, all the fiends in nether couldn’t have stopped them. The camp was completely ravaged and all bandits were killed, and captives were freed. Feindor was struck in his heart he was, when Korinth freed him from his stake, (for Feindor was tied to a stake away from all the others for being too violent) and said “You have work to do.” as calmly as asking what the dinner was, something strong struck through his pride, and there and then, he pledged loyalty to the man who he had insulted.

That was only the briefest scrap piece of the beginning of their friendship. During the years to follow, Feindor risked his hide plenty times to save Korinth, for he was a man who couldn’t keep debts down, and Korinth, so did he. They became the closest of friends, and their friendship was envied by all near and far. Every night after a day’s hard work, they and the whole crew of miners would sit by the fire and have some merrymaking, and they say that those times when Korinth was with Feindor, who, drunk beyond his senses, whaled away singing, were the only times anyone ever saw him laugh. Days and weeks turned to months, and the months turned to years, and their friendship lasted through their married days, each married to the most beautiful of women in those parts. By then Feindor had completely mastered the craft of smithing, and likewise Korinth was the best miner about, rumored by then to be able to mine ores using his bare fists, which is where his title Iron-Fist comes from. They grew to be very rich, so rich, in fact, that bandits and thieves often raided the town to the point that the people of the town asked that they please leave.

So they took all their belongings and their family and left looking for some new abode, and in the few weeks they traveled, they were attacked countless times. More bandits, and even some solders from other towns ambushed them in roads, forests, and anywhere they went. They were no match, of course, none of them made off with even a portion of their fortune, but they were simply too many for the two friends and their families to endure. They came through nights and days, and gave them no piece of rest, and so in the end, the two friends decided to take their families deep into the Fallion Forest, and up the Mount Krestone, which then had no name, and built up the town of Fogstone in the deep valleys that we all live in right now.

Was that the end of the adventures you ask? Ha! Not even close, with their family safe, the two went on more adventures than I can hope to tell you in my old age. They went to the furthest corners of the continents, and ventured to the deepest pits beneath the earth, some say they met the goddess Drymaterras herself, but at the end of all adventures, they were still loving fathers and good friends.

Oh! How did Feindor become the first chief of Fogstone you ask? A very good question, but that chaps, is a story for another time.

General History

Spoiler

It is difficult to tell whether men such as Chief Feindor and Korinth truly existed, but history has it that in a year far before the wars, a band of vagrants had taken up residence in the valley above the mountain, and although it is also unknown whether they were a clan of smiths and miners, historians theorize that the group of people that took residence in the valley were very prosperous. But despite its prosperity, there are no records that state interactions of this group of people with any other town until just a few decades before the Xitian invasion. By then, the town had become what it is now, a town divided into two clans, one of smiths, and another of miners. Records that have been saved from a diary of a band of vagrants that had traded with Linedia show that the men and women that came to trade were huge and noisy, and had intimidated the whole group with their booming voices.

"....They were men of great size, larger than any man we have seen in our long travels. They easily towered over us, and when time came to high noon, they would block out the sun from our eyes as we conversed. Men of height they were, but they were also men of width as well; one in particular, who had a belly protruding so far that we would have thought him pregnant, if not for his magnificent beard, was as wide as three of us combined. But if their size wasn't something to remember them by, their voices definitely left a mark in our memories. They spoke loudly as a man would shout to another an arrow shot away, except that they did so in front of who they were speaking to, and their booming laughs deafened our ears and seemed to shake the earth. The horses got jittery..."
- Excerpt from a diary, page 56 of the book -

It is probable that the vagrants were an excessively small group of people, for decades later, when the Xitians invaded our Realm, they happened to hear news of the town that was on top of the mountain, and in their greed to take over and loot yet another town, a squad was sent up the mountain. However, with the fog being so dense, and the Xitians being unfamiliar with the terrain, the squad soon got lost and were stranded. An excerpt from the journal of a Xitian soldier describes their situation at the time during which they met and were rescued by a team of hunters from the town Linedia.

"....We were up for lost, or so we believed. After what it seemed hours and hours of roaming in the accursed forests of this lands forsaken by all known divinity, we were completely lost in the dense forests that even forbid us the rays of the sun. The squad leader was about to give orders to burn the entire forest down, when the fog began to cover our surroundings, and it wasn't like any fog we had ever seen in our lives. It was only a matter of minutes, before we couldn't even see past 10 feet much less find a way out, and with the dense concentration of water in the air, our soldiers were soon dropping, their stamina sapped. We thought that was the end of us, but then we heard loud booming laughters close by, and some barbarians of this Realm came into view. They were tall men, the tallest being more than an arm's length taller than I, and some were as wide as they were tall, but we were certain that even the fattest of them could take down one or two of us if he tried. They were wielding torches, and behind their backs, ridiculously huge hammers and pickaxes, one of them was carrying a huge sack full of squirming things, and another was carrying on his back, a warthog that seemed to have been punched to death, luck of the hunt probably. These vermin probably took advantage of an old and dying pig; barbarians, the lot of them...."
- Excerpt from a journal entry of a Xitian soldier, translated by the renowned historian Helios

The exact incidents are quite hazy, records from the Xitian side has it that they continued their assault and successfully defeated the Linedians and put them into work to making weapons for them, but every other source asserts that the hunting party helped the squad return to the regiment, and overwhelming the officers of the army with their belligerent cheer, struck or rather, forced a deal with them, leaving them in the dust before they could properly react. How the Linedians made the Xitians keep their end of the deal is still a wonder to many, but it is a well known fact that the Xitians never made another attempt to conquer the town.

"...This feat, is truly a wonder that have embezzled many historians, for towns of our Realm that weren't ravaged by the wrath of the Xitians were precious few, precious few indeed. From the evidence I have gathered over the years, I have constructed a theory; it makes no sense to the logical mind that the Xitians would have left Linedia alone for all the embarrassment it caused them, and so it is only logical for them to have attempted to conquer Linedia. However, the geographical location of the town makes it a natural fortress, one that is almost impenetrable save from it's entrance. If the armies were to march on to the town using any path but the one through the very forest they were lost in, they would find themselves struggling with cliffs with sheer drops that even a mountain goat would hesitate to traverse. On the other hand, if they marched through the forest, then they would either get lost again, or be met with strong defenses in a bottleneck that is the entrance to the town, which would render numbers useless. Of course, this is without putting into account the fact that they would not be able to fight in a dense fog that would inevitably sap them of their strength. I have yet to find out why the Xitians have not tried burning the forest down in order to advance, but perhaps the density of vapor in the air stopped them from utilizing their abilities, and they were too proud to use mundane tools in order to begin a fire, or perhaps they did burn the forest down, only to find the fog still in place and able men at guard..."
- From History, A Town of Fire and Metal, by the renowned historian Helios

Everything stayed the same for Linedia when the Xitians were driven away, years and years later, the Lucins traced the weaponry and armors of the Xitians back to the town of Linedia where they struck a deal to provide weapons for the Lucins instead until the Xitians were all driven out of the Realm. Both sides kept their end of the bargain and until today, beginning right after the Purge, Linedia was free to provide smithing and mining services to all that asked of it.

Traditions & Culture

Spoiler

The great thing about traditions of Fogstone is that most of them are true to the description of the word. Certain traditions have never changed since the founding of the town itself, and have only been dressed anew according to the fashion of the times. But make no mistake, Fogstone is least like those conservative towns out in the world; all the traditions are meant to improve the traditions themselves, or for the merryment of its people, as they should be.

General Tradition/Culture

Spoiler

Middle Realm Orthodox Religion Lore

Mon, 27 May 2013 16:26:03 +0000

~ Collaborated by: Melancholyfae, Mcmanusaur, Conradian, SentaiPink, TinyTim, and Michelle ~

Disclaimer: The Gods that are listed below are the current canon deities within the Mesalian Religion. If your character follows one or more of the gods below, this information will help you and your character. This is NOT a complete list, and your character can worship whatever you or they choose, whether that be other deities, variations of the ones below, or none at all. However, if If your characterâs personal religion is going to be strongly relevant to roleplay (e.g. taking part in religious activities), or something which should be common knowledge (e.g. practiced by a large number of people), then you must submit a lore proposal and have it accepted before you may roleplay that character.

Summary
The religion of the Mesalians is varied due to the multiculture of the Middle Realm, but there are similarities which can be found between these cultures. Combined, there is one pantheon (a group of gods connected with one another to create a single religion). However, some deities mentioned below are not recognised everywhere in the Middle Realm. This is once again due to differences in culture and geographical location.
In this religion, many Many things in life are attributed to one god or more, such as the seasons, life, death, and the elements. The gods can also be considered patrons of certain professions that would fit under their realms or influences. The gods and their main influences of control are listed here, and other things such as seasons, festivals, and more specific information will be listed in later posts.

The Celestial Gods ~ also known as the High Gods, the Gods of Order
There are two Celestial Gods - Isohel and Sulena. According to myth, these are husband and wife, and jointly rule over the rest of the pantheon.

Isohel is the male High God, and he represents many abstract things such as Time, Aging, Fate, Wisdom, Knowledge, and Linear Progression. He is considered the God of Scholars, and with his power over the Sun, he represents Day and Light.

He is considered calm in temperament; this is a trait both Celestial Gods have. He is also omniscient (knowledge of everything in existence), and plays the role of the Divine Judge - one who determines the fate of all creatures.

There are various symbols that represent Isohel: an 8-pointed star, an equal-sided cross, a set of scales, an hourglass, and a book with an all-seeing eye upon the cover.

He is often depicted as a tall, bald man with white skin and glowing gold eyes, wearing a hooded cloak that shines with sunlight on the inside, and carries either a morning star (spiked weapon) or scepter. Myths and legends also mention Isohel as being able to shape into a lion or an eagle, which are known as his favored animals. White and gold are considered his colors and are often used within his images, with gold being the mineral he is associated with most.

Most cult followings will be male-only and scholar-based, though anyone is welcome to worship the Sun God.

Sulena is the female High Goddess, wife to Isohel, and she represents things such as Power, the Cycle of Life (from birth to death), and Cyclic Progression. She controls the Moon, Night, and Darkness, and is also considered the omnipotent (all-powerful) Goddess of Hunters. This blends in with her role as Divine Agent and Executioner - one who carries out the order of the Judge.

Many of the symbols that represent Sulena are based on circles, arches, and bows, representing the moon and the hunter aspect. The most common ones are the wheel, the crescent moon, an egg, the greatbow, a scythe, and things that are patterned in three, such as a triqueta (a simplistic three-cornered shape).

She is seen as a tall, black-skinned woman with long, straight, silver hair and radiant silver eyes, often wearing a hooded cloak with stars shimmering from the inside. Her main weapon is a bow, but she is sometimes seen in images with a scythe, as both weapons are crescent-shaped. The owl and the wolf are her favored animals, and some stories depict her as being able to change her shape into them. Black and silver are her colors, with iron (or silver) as the metal used in most images.

Those who consider themselves devout followers of Sulena are traditionally all female, and follow more martial codes than the scholarly Isohel cult.

The Lesser Gods ~ also known as the Elemental Gods, Gods of Chaos
There are currently four Lesser Gods in the main pantheon. Some of the names may be different between different cultures and people, but essentially it is the same god when comparing traits, symbols, and background. These are the gods that are worshipped during the seasons, as it is believed they have powers over the four main elements.

The basic pantheon lists Vucaldestus as the male God of Fire and War â and he is the patron god for warriors and smiths. His temperament, like his element, is rather aggressive, dominating, and energetic. His roles in the pantheon besides war and smithing are as builder and inventor, and other metals as well as rune powder are often used in images of him, with them being his main colors (red, copper, brass, bronze).

His appearance is often seen as a muscular male with metallic, copper skin and slick waves of black hair with deep gold and red highlights. Hammers and axes are his main weapons, and are often incorporated into his symbols, along with the anvil and flames. The animals most associated with this god are the wardog and warhorse, and the wolverine, an aggressive creature found in certain parts of the world, but often only heard told about in stories.

Other variations of his name include Vucal, Vulcar and Destrus.

Aezophyris is listed within the pantheon as the Elemental God of Wind, Weather and Lightning, and he is the patron god of messengers and travelers. He is often considered to be impulsive, daydreamy, and sociable. His main roles are weather, communication and thought, including the written word.

White and greys are his main colors, with some pastel blue or yellow as variations, and his main symbol is a stylized spiral with a lightning bolt, resembling a tornado. Others sometimes used are weather-related symbols such as clouds and spirals, and scrolls for the aspect of messages and communication. Glass is the material most often used to depict the God of Air as it is most transparent.

Aezophyris's appearance is seen as a male with pale skin and wisp-like in form, the lower body often clouded from view, and pale yellow hair. Sometimes he is seen with wings, as his favored animals are most often those of fliers such as the swallow, swift, and dragonfly. His weapons are also rather air-based, with the boomerang, bolas, and blowpipe.

Some variations of his name are Aezo, Aeris, and Atmos.

Under the basic pantheon, Niponautes is the female Goddess of the Seas and Aquatic Animals, and she is the patron goddess of fishers and sailors. Her temperament is one of perfection, creativeness, and introversion, with her main roles leaning toward arts and music, imagination and independence.

Shades of blues and violets are the colors most seen with this goddess, along with variations of greens for underwater effects. The simplest symbols would be of waves or of underwater creatures, though there is a stylized symbol incorporating both that is most commonly used. Lapis and pearl are the most common materials used for her symbols and images.

Many myths have this goddess represented as a mermaid with the upper body of a female and the lower body of a scaled fish, or smooth-skinned shark. The coloring of her skin, hair and lower body ranges from greens and blues with multi-colored scales and seaweed hair, to blues, greys and silvers to more match the shark half. As the Guardian of the Seas, she often has a trident or spear as her weapon, and is thought to favor the shark or octopus, though others believe the favored animals are stingray or jellyfish. These differing views could would be due to the local marine life.

Name variations of this goddess include Nipos, Nauta, and Tilde.

The fourth Elemental God, Drymaterras, is considered the Goddess of Earth, Fertility, and Plants, and she is the patron goddess of miners and farmers. She is often thought to be relaxed, stable, and consistent, with her roles in the pantheon revolving around materialistic and physical things more than the other gods, which includes much of the realm (dirt, sand, stone, crystals for non-living things, and plants as living things). This makes her more versatile than the others in how she is represented.

Colors such as browns, creams and greens are the ones most used in her symbols and images, which range from simply drawn trees or wheat, to stylized mountains or caverns. Emerald is the easiest gemstone to use in her images as it is more commonly found than others. Simple carvings in wood and stone are often found in forests and underground caverns as small tokens of worship to the Earth Goddess.

Her appearance is one of a full-bodied woman with brown skin and sandy or tawny colored hair, and seen either with branches, vines or flowers intertwined, or strings of various gemstones. Wild animals such as bears, woodchucks, and bats are her favored animal, as they can be above and below ground, though others such as large wild cats and great antlered deer are often seen by her side.

Weapons are not normally pictured with this goddess, but such utility-type items such as rope, shovel, pickaxe, and hoe can be used as weapons when necessary. Other items seen most often with her are wheat bundles, vines, flowers, gemstones, and carved stone or wood.

Name variations of this goddess include Dryma, Eartha, and Eterna.

The Great and Secluded Nation of Leonderia

Fri, 17 May 2013 22:29:42 +0000

Leonderia and the Leonderians

A nation that grew during the millenia that sat after the end of the War of Kane.

Founding

Over the course of the many years following the end of the great drought the Vagrants travelled far and wide across the mainland of the Middle Realm. Their nomadic groups dispersed to the furthest corners of the realm, and everywhere in between.

One such group of Vagrants, lead by their chief, Leondi Grastom, travelled along the Southern Coastline for many years, as their ancestors had before them.

On one fateful morning a dove flew to a tree near his tent from across the sea, and Leondi realised that land must lie in that direction.

Over the course of an entire year the Vagrants set about building vessels to get themselves across the untold distance. They would be going to a land they knew nothing about, putting their trust in the chief.

The crossing took several months, and some of the group perished on the journey. They were mourned quietly, the voyage too trying for anything more.

Finally the land was in sight, and after a week, it was reached. Leondi had leapt from his raft and swam the final fifty metres, solely to take a guard point on the beach. It was for reasons like this that he was respected as Chief.

The island was vast and itâs climate favourable. Unlike the coast from whence they came the climate was more temperate and so was easier to bear. The soil seemed fertile and the flora was agreeable.

The fauna however, was less so. Great hulking apes fought with bears and wolves for dominance. For the land to be habitable by the Vagrants, the feud between the beasts would have to be settled.

Over the course of the next decade Leondi and the other men hunted the beasts, taking the bear and wolf pelts for clothing, the ape meat for sustenance. They also took wolf cubs, and raised them to be hunting and guard animals.

One hunting raid turned tragic however. Leondi, now much older than when they landed upon this land, fell down an incline and was surrounded by a pack of wolves. Unable to climb out he turned and fought their tooth and claw till finally he succumbed to death. His comrades were too late, their chief was dead.

The mourning and the funeral lasted an entire year. From the ashes of his pyre the fires of settlement began to burn and the foundations of a nation were forged in their heat. They people resolved to stay there, in the land that their beloved chief had died to give them.

On that day, Leonderia was born.

History

For the first three centuries of its existence Leonderia was an agrarian society, with everyone farming to provide for themselves, and trading what they had extra. Some people got by instead by mining stone, tin and copper to provide tools for the farmers. There was no ill intent towards others, because the legends of Leondi and his death prevailed through word and writing. No one dared insult the memory of the great founding father of Leonderia.

In the thirty second year of the fourth century after the formation of Leonderia, a miner by the name of Georgian Andersson devised a plan to mix bronze with a shiny silver ore heâd found to create something that could used to represent value. He brought it before the Chief (Leondiâs descendant Henry) and it garnered approval. The currency of Leonderia was born that day.

Society didnât progess much further however, not until several years later when Georgianâs young son suggested that the shiny silver ore could make nicer tools. Though the boy was thinking in terms of colour and appearance, Georgian began thinking in terms of durability and hardness. The ore was iron, and so Leonderia entered its own iron age.

Fast forward another century and we find Leonderia now leaderless. The last of the Leondi line had died out from the terrible plague that had swept the nation five years prior. It was at this time that the people decided to share the power. The first elections were held, and every household voted for the people they wanted to lead. Thus the first six Regents were elected.

It was decided that the Regents would have to meet somewhere to discuss matters. They chose the town of Raidstone. It was a large town situated up a wide river, making it perfect for transporting materials both down and upstream in the small boats the people used. Raidstone was made the capital of Leonderia, and so one Regent was elected the Regent-Lord of Raidstone.

Time passed and the society grew. The nation started to take to the seas again, building great ships from galleons to sloops for venturing the nearby lands. These sailors brought back exotic foods and riches. The Leonderians even colonised three islands nearby, before taking their natural resources.

One of the resources was a red dust, the Runes. For a time it was considered pretty, nothing more than a decoration. That is, until a miner accidentally struck one with a pick, and discovered that it somehow carried a charge.

Work began on researching and developing with these runes, but it never really took off until a galleon returned from one of the colonies with a family of Lucins on board.

The family had been found on the South Coast, and little indication was given as to how they arrived there, though they had said that it was nice to escape the racism. The Leonderians, having never known the invasion of the Lucins, bore no prejudice and gave the family passage to Leonderia. They were treated well, as it was revealed that the man of the family had great knowledge about Runes. The Captain gave up his own quarters, and slept with his men.

The family met with the chamber of the Regents, and after a lengthy discussion the Lucins were announced âresidents and citizens of the great nation of Leonderiaâ by the Regent-Lord. They settled in to the small hamlet of Lurham, not far from Raidstone, and set about helping with the development of Rune research.

Jumping forward a large number of years to the few decades prior to the Xitian enslavement of the Mainland we come to a much more industrialised Leonderia. The towns have become cities, the hamlets turned to towns. Leonderia is prosperous, but it cannot last. Even in times of the most adverse prosperity, someone is always suffering from poverty.

This man, Charles Cromwell, blamed the Regents and their rules for his situation. He began to go from disliking their ways to harbouring pure hatred for the Regents. He decided that they should die for enjoying the good life, whilst seemingly crushing him to do so. He became a revolutionary, and looked for support.

Slowly, he got it. People from similar situations joined him, and as the reputation grew, so did the numbers. The Leonderians Peopleâs Front arose, and spent an entire decade gaining weapons and attacking in small groups. Rumour and fear was rife on the streets of Leonderia, and all of the populace worried about the war they felt was coming. On the tenth anniversary of the Leonderian Peopleâs Frontâs inception, the war came.

The Revolutionaries marched from their home in the Northern town of Darton all the war to Raidstone. Whever they went they brought war and death. It was a terrible time for the land, only surpassed once they reached Raidstone.

Men, women and children were slaughtered in the streets as they made their way to the great Lichfield Palace, the home of the Regent-Lord and the government of Leonderia. Panic erupted and the people looked to their leaders for guidance. Were it any other location in the Realm one would assume that some form of military would ride in whilst the leaders and politicians stood back and drank fine wines.

Not Leonderia. Here the Regents fought as well. They mounted up and rode into the fray with their elite guard close behind. They fought the revolution man to man. The fighting lasted for two sleepless nights before the fires of battle finally subsided and the outcome could be seen. There laid dead several hundred Revolutionaries, as well as fifty four elites, and one Regent. Regent George Lewis of the Northern Precinct had taken a personal issue with these revolutionaries, and had rode hardest, fought hardest. Ultimately he laid down his life to end what he thought he had created.

Cromwell knelt before the remaining Regents. In a time of war and treason the Regents chose not to kill the man. Instead he was chained to a boulder on the North-Eastern cliffs of a location named Benover. It was decreed that his death would not be by the hand of any Leonderian. Instead death would be handed to him by nature. Several days later he pronounced dead, after a murder of crows had brutally ripped his abdomen to shreds, eating his liver in the process.

The revolution was quashed, and the people had great faith again in their leaders. A new Regent, Georgeâs own son Robert, was named. However this war was not without loss. The Raidstone Rune Research Laboratory and the entire town of Lurham was raided and pillaged. Several decades of Rune knowledge and findings were destroyed, whilst the Lucins were slaughtered, the wife being savagely raped prior to her death.
Now, five decades on, Leonderia is still rebuilding, still trying to find what was lost. The history of Leonderia has been set in stone, but the future is uncertain.

Society

Leonderiaâs society today is based around industry. Blacksmithing is a great trade of wealth and reputation, and the forges are constantly at work. The factories refine the ores that the miners quarry and the courier network carries the finished goods to their recipients. The Rune industry is also big, with researchers being some of the most highly-respected people in Leonderia.

The society is friendly and open, with people speaking happily with one another in the streets. There is little distrust and hatred for one another, asides from the household disputes that sit with every society.

Art is encouraged, and artists of all kinds applauded for their creations, but it is viewed as a distraction from the ongoing process of life. People use art to escape from their world for an afternoon, but that isnât to say that they do not appreciate it.

Music is similar, with great concertos being held in specially built Music Halls. The pieces last for hours at a time, and men and women of all kinds attend. The orchestras that play are heralded as the great expressionists, and they will play their pieces over a hundred times over the course of five years, sometimes to gatherings of people who have all heard that particular piece before.

There is a more seedy side to Leonderia however. Crime is rife in the darker parts of the Nation, and also in the underside of Raidstone itself. The great factories and banks have been known to find themselves deprived of their wealth after a thief whisks away their goods on a cold summerâs night.

The law enforcement of Leonderia, known as Keepers (Short for either Peace-Keepers or Keepers of the Peace), tries their utmost best to preserve peace, but they cannot totally destroy the crime that picks at the progress of the nation.

Government

Leonderia is lead by the five Regents and the Regent-Lord. The five Regents each have a precinct, one for each point of the compass as well as a central precinct. The Regent-Lord presides over the capital city of Raidstone. They form a chamber of Regents where they will devise laws and taxes for the people before passing it through the Leonderian Parliament.

The Parliament is a larger council of over forty representatives. Each representative is an expert in their particular field of work, be it factory management or Social studies. Each representative must have been in their line of work for more than thirty years to serve in parliament. What this means is that the parliament is a large gathering of the nationâs âeldersâ who can pass on their knowledge, experience and wisdom to the, usually, much younger Regents.

Elections for a new Regent are held at the untimely passing of the old, with general elections taking place every fifteen years to replace the entire chamber of the Regents. The house of Parliament is not elected, but new representatives take a seat in Parliament whenever another passes away. The representatives are chosen by an application that is made public and then the entire populace chooses who they wish to sit in Parliament.

This system has been in place since the Iron Age, and has worked well. The people are generally happy with the system due to the large amount of say they have with its working. It is a democracy, and it serves to better the nation of Leonderia.

Leonderians

From Conrad

Final thing to note. If you're going to apply to have a Leonderian character, you're going to need a good reason for them to leave Leonderia. It's the sort of place people don't really leave unless they have to.

The Warrior Nations of the Twin Rivers

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 16:18:54 +0000

The Twin River Nations

Geography:

Off of the Mesalian main continent, there's a large island with two mountains that give birth to many streams, converging to make two main rivers. The Nara, to the south, and the Hikari, to the north. Around these rivers and mountains, in the early days when the Vagrants began to settle, warrior tribes found comfort in the beautiful countryside, and over the many years there came to be palaces of Nobles, and villages dotting the river sides and mountains.

Two main capitals of this region are based over the two river source mountains:

Takai, the city of the Hikari river, and Sagaru, the city of the Nara river.

Civil Structure:

Each of the Nations are essentially very large city states, with highly populated capitals over their respective rivers. Down the river and along the mountain roads are villages that have cropped up over the years, a few showing signs of beginning industrialization similar to their capitals.

Castles of Noble families are generally located in close proximity to the capitals of their respective nations. The Emperor’s palace in both nations overlooks the capital higher in the mountains, although isolated from it.

History:

In the beginning of the Vagrant's settling, there was a single group of nomads, back when the land was different. They lived on an eastern peninsula - a string of large islands linked to the mainland by a thin stretch of land. However eventually they were cut off as the powerful tide washed their only connection to the mainland away. Over the years as hunter-gatherer group became tribe, became culture, they were isolated from the rest of the world.. Their ways, even down to their language and customs diverged differently, reactions to the beautiful land of mountains and forest they now knew. They named their land after the two life-giving rivers that streamed into the sea, Tsuinribasi, the land of the Twin Rivers.

And, just as naturally as they crawled from the depths of primitivity, they came to split apart. Disputes, arguments, bloodshed and feud divided them, and they resorted to separation. The communities diverged, one sheltering around the upper, Hikari river to the north. The other community calling the lower, Nara river home. Yet as they rebuilt, and rose up into cities, they ran into dispute yet again.

In ten years it had all gone to nether, and there was a two year long war that is still known as "The Water War", with men from both sides taking up arms and recklessly killing and maiming each other. All for the sake of irrigation rights to a lake between them that would help expand either nation's farming, and thus their burgeoning populations.

It was largely a stalemate - and after the two years of war both sides realized that it would only end with horrible losses and tragedy for both sides. A treaty was signed, saying that the lake was off limits to both clans until a better arrangement could be reached.

It was not meant to be however; that war had been a bitter one that both sides were deeply invested upon, and neither of the clans were willing to trust the other. From then on both cultures became entrenched in an arms-race that would likely last for eternity. Each became highly reverent of their warriors, and they were treated as heroes even as they rode into what would likely be their deaths.

The only time there was a lasting peace between the two nations was the invasion of the Xitians, when both peoples sought to divert their immense militaries to expel the invaders, and then after their defeat they allied yet again, to succeed in purging the Xitians from their home where they had first failed.

They had won together, and a lot of the rivalry died down during the years following the purges. The fighting lulled to nonexistence. However, as the years passed even they did not escape the Xitian plots. The Xitian plotters burned a small Sagaru village, framing Takai for a vile massacre in which nearly every man woman and child was slaughtered and burned in piles.

Sagaru's Lord General at the time was a man named Yushito Oruken, who was a revered war hero from his battles in the War of the Veld. He rescued the sole survivor of the attack, who was a two year old boy who he later adopted, naming him 'Zatoshi'.

Subsequently, after this the Lord General waged a lengthy war campaign against Takai that severely crippled them. They of course had nothing to do with the massacre, but that mattered little to an angry nation that had been betrayed. They were forced to give surrender and pay Sagaru tribute in goods and fealty.

This resulted in much bad blood between the Two Nations being rebirthed, and it wouldn't be until much later that Takai returned the favor.

The Xitians later were not satisfied with the subsequent lull in fighting. They slowly infiltrated the warrior populace of Sagaru with ideas of dissatisfaction and greed, which soon spread to the Lord General. Upon his son's 21st birthday and his inauguration as Captain of a Battalion, the Lord General and his son lead a Coup d'etat on the Emperor of Sagaru, killing him and breaking the Dynasty. It would have been the start of an Era of the Oruken family taking power and a war against the Emperor's few remaining supporters, but things went better than the Xitians could have ever expected when the Lord General was murdered by his son, who subsequently disappeared after the battle, leaving the remaining Generals of the now completely leaderless nation to vie for control and power.

This let the opportunity for Takai to strike while they were disorganized, resulting in an extremely bloody and violent three-way war that lasted for years. With Takai being weakened by Sagaru’s occupation, and the citizen’s rebellion of Sagaru having to fight two sides of a war, they were hurt deeply by Sagaru’s ferocious defense. This lead to a rare sympathy between the rebellion and their former enemies, Takai.. And after the war had ended and Sagaru began expanding it’s wounded military once more to set for occupation, much of the rebellion defected to Takai’s forces, pledging themselves to the emperor.

Takai, embittered by Sagaru’s brutal occupation, is beginning to drop pretenses and long standing traditions in hopes of overcoming their rival but sister nation.

Sagaru is tense, poised at the knife in suspiscion and distrust of Takai in return.. Though peace holds, it holds by a thread.
-As of November, 2013-

Culture:

The Twin Nations are a people who, by majority, believe in living honest lives, and are a people of tradition and faith. Their social hierarchy is as follows, with Highest to Lowest public reverence.

Emperor - Ruler of the Takai or Sagaru nations. Good Emperors are practically worshiped, bad emperors are often removed with a military coup d'etat, often ending with current Lord General succeeding the dead emperor as the new.

Lord General - Leader of the Takai or Sagaru military in its entirety. Sometimes, he can be revered even more than the Emperor himself, especially by the warriors that serve under him.

Military Generals / Lord Vassals of the Emperor - The Generals sit upon conference with the Lord General during times of war, though all Generals are also vassals of the Emperor, and as such own their own land, castle, and village, and are of noble status.

Military Officers - Military officers are highly revered as they are combat tested warriors who are seen as valiant and proud bearers of their Nation's ideals.

Warriors - Often times the Warriors of the Twin River Nations frown upon being called 'Soldiers'. To them, the meaning is different. A Warrior is one who fights for honor, and glory. A soldier is one who is paid to fight.

Government Officials - People who are not a member of the military but still have a role in the government of their nation.

Craftsmen - People with a trade, or a practice that they follow - such as smiths, carpenters, and masons. Craftmen have the honor of contributing to the war effort of their nation, and thus aiding their entire people with their work. It’s a measure of pride, and honor for a skilled craftsman to serve his nation in his trade.

Wandering Warriors - Exiled from the Lord they once served under, warriors usually commit ritual suicide as punishment, but some flee, and roam the countryside in evasion of their fate. These Warriors are respected - but are publicly declared to be fugitives and are deemed dishonorable by the Emperor. However, most rogue warriors that stick to the warrior’s code are often still respected by the average person - a common view that they had a heart too gentle for war.

Merchants - Simple enough.

Peasants - Average, everyday people that are not of nobility.

Merchant Guards - Coincident with the Twin Rivers use of the word "Soldier".

Outlaws - Lower than low, hated by most. Generally bandits that prey upon the average person to make a living.

Assassins - Even more dishonorable than Outlaws. If there were to be a plot involving an assassin discovered, even if to attack the opposing nation, everyone involved would be publicly executed, without the opportunity to commit suicide to lessen the dishonor, and their families would be shamed and struck from nobility. Takai however, has been secretly entertaining the thought of their use in warfare as a result of their new defected allies.

Traditions:

The Warrior's Code (Honor, and Duty)

Warriors of the Twin River Nations follow a very specific set of rules and traditions that would mean severe punishment if they were to be violated, and it is seen as dishonorable to do so.

-Honor-

Honor dictates that the Warrior is honest in battle and off of it, and is always in control of himself and his actions. A warrior does not get into brawls, or fist fights. Above all however, they do not murder. The only personal confrontation a warrior is allowed to settle with violence, is a conflict with another warrior, in which it will be settled by a duel, most times to the death, which is supervised by an officer to make sure all conduct is fair and honorable.

Warriors are also Honor bound to keep their oaths, to protect innocent people no matter what the odds or situation is, and to keep his dignity at all times.

-Duty-

Duty dictates that the Warrior without fail, puts every ounce of his being into following every order that is given to him by his leaders without hesitation. To fail in battle often means that the general leading the the warriors is punished. The more severe the failure to perform his duty, the more severe the punishment. Few generals, however, have been ordered to commit the act of ritual suicide, and almost none have been publicly executed by force.

-The Sword-

1) A warrior is never to unsheath his sword for anything other than necessity - a bared blade for anything other than inspection and maintenance is bared for violence alone.

2) When presenting the sword to another, the warrior must present the sword still in its sheath to them with both hands, palms facing upwards, with the blade of the sword facing the sky, and the point facing the right.

3) A warrior never asks for another warrior's sword. Simple enough.

4) When entering another's home, a warrior shall present his sword to the eldest woman of the house, to display that he means no harm to her, or her family. If there is no woman of the house, then the warrior will leave his sword on the inside of the home, beside the door. This only applies to personal property - inns and other establishments that allow tenants to take temporary residence do not apply to this custom.

-Bowing-

5) When a warrior bows, he places his right fist over his heart, and bends slightly at the waist, only about 15 degrees, with his chin slightly tucked.

6) A warrior must bow when a an officer, or general enters his presence to show allegiance, unless there is already an officer or general present. Then the lesser of the two officers will bow to the higher ranking officer. A warrior will also bow to show respect whenever introducing himself.

The Warrior's Pledge

Every warrior of the Twin Rivers has sworn by a code that is as ancient as their deep seated integrity and understanding and respect of life, death, and war.

"For as long as my body breathes with life, I will look for the opportunity to die."

This is not a defeatist attitude, as often misunderstood by outsiders. The meaning is deep seated in the warrior belief that anything worth killing for is also worth dieing for.

Warriors of the Twin Rivers search for noble causes, and seek to protect what they see as the greater good with their life. They are forever looking for what they would put their life on the line to protect.

Civil Traditions:

Shoes - Often times it is seen as rude to wear shoes in another's home. This is because you're dragging in dirt and mud and everything else you've been walking in all over someone else's house. Typically it's polite to take one's shoes off at the entrance of another's home.

Tea - Tea is a staple of the Twin River Nation's people, and high quality tea leaves are held for special occasions, while more common teas are drank very regularly. It is also widely considered to be a good general-cure-all by them.

Patriotism - The Twin River's cultures are very proud of their origins and their allegiance, and are a bit isolative and aloof from other cultures. Many Twin River's inhabitants consider their culture superior than other's.

The Currency of the Twin Rivers:

The currency system in the Twin Rivers follows a simple system. Small coins made of copper are known as myon, the least valuable coin. Slightly larger coins made of iron are known as kon, much more valuable than myon. Then there is byon, silver coins which are only second in value to ryon, gold coins. All coins in the twin river are cast specifically with a squared hole through the center, so that coins can be conveniently stored on a string and organized effectively. This lends itself to the fact that dealing with so much myon can become difficult if one doesn’t have a way of organizing it.

The exchange rate of values of coin can fluctuate, but usually hangs around this system:
200 myon>16 kon>4 byon>1 ryon

The Language of Ribasu

Due to the Twin River's origins as a secluded and reclusive people stretching back even to vagrant times, their language is another good example of how they diverged from the rest of the world.

Ribasu itself means 'River' -- The language of the rivers, as it is thought. The language is made up of an assortment of basic syllables -- Consonants bound with vowels in sort of 'pairings', a character for each of these broken up syllables in writing that are strung together to make words and names. Variations in the strokes of these characters can change the pronunciation slightly. A stroke below the symbol for 'Sa' can make the character become 'Za'.

The language is generally widespread as the main language of both Twin River nations, although in recent times it has become more and more common for people to learn the shared Mesalian language due to foreign contact to the Twin Rivers and an effort by a recent increase in traders attempting to barter with foreigners as well.

National Symbols:

The Lotus Flower - Seen as the representation of love and faithfulness. It's common for an admirer to give a Lotus flower to the one they're interested in.

The Osprey - Often seen by fishermen and sailors as a herald of good luck and fortune at sea. Sometimes personified in fairy tales as guardians of sailors, and are kept as pets by some superstitious captains as for that reason.

The Lion - The National Symbol of the Sagaru Nation. It is the representation of ferocity in battle and passion. It is tradition that one is kept in the Emperor's palace, so as to rally the hearts of their soldiers. The lion is often pampered and treated as royalty. It is not uncommon for servants who take care of the lion to be killed, but it is tolerated. When a Lord General is knighted, he will ceremoniously go down on both knees before the lion. Should the lion spare them, it is said that the reason being that he has the heart of a lion, and is therefore fit to rule and to lead the emperor's warriors into battle. Should he be killed however, it is said that the lion found him to be a coward, and an unfitting leader.

It's probably this reason that only the truly bold of the Sagaru nation's Vassals will accept the trial to replace a fallen Lord General.

The Wolf - The National Symbol of the Takai Nation. It is the representation of cunning and bravery. The Takai Emperor by tradition gives a wolf cub to his heir to raise and become master of when they become of age. It is not uncommon for an heir to fight with their companion for dominance through their life. So long as the wolf remains submissive, it is said that good fortune and strength will follow their soldiers into battle.

The Black Swan - When a black Swan is seen, it is said that it carries tragedy on it's wings. It is the representation of misfortune and bad luck. In fairy tales, a black swan is often seen before someone dies.

The Hare - A rabbit or hare is seen as the symbol of happiness and good fortune. They are common pets in the Twin River Nations, and some keep rabbit foot effigies as a good omen. Rabbits are not often bred for slaughter in the Twin Rivers; the superstitious believe it to be borderline evil to take advantage of something considered so pure. In fairy tales the Hare is personified as being mischievous and light-hearted. This gives rise to the popular saying "As happy as a hare".

The Crow - The crow is seen as the symbol of evil and cowardice. In the Twin Rivers killing a crow is seen as driving off evil, and often times when a village is down on their luck, they'll start paying bounties for dead crows, with the thought of bringing back prosperity by driving evil away. In fairy tales, the crow is cunning and traitorous, often tricking good animals only to betray them later.

The Tortoise - The tortoise or turtle is seen as the symbol of wisdom and caution. Some sooth sayers and healers keep Tortoises as symbols of their dedication. In fairy tales, the Tortoise is often a giver of good advice, and delights in riddles, albeit lazy.

The Heron - The heron is seen as the symbol of Grace and Nobility. Many sword masters of the Twin Rivers take the Heron as their coat of arms. In fairy tales the Heron is aloof, but selfless and brave, and often will give it's life to protect other weaker animals.

The Owl - An owl is seen as an omen of knowledge and future events. For an owl to be seen in plain view it is said that it brings changes in the winds of things yet to come. In fairy tales the Owl is all-knowing, but only chooses to share bits of it's knowledge through rhyme and riddle. It's also seen as extremely elusive and awe-inspiring.

The Mouse - The mouse is seen as the symbol innocence and naivety. In fairy tales the mouse is often child-like and ignorant, trusting and defenseless.

Author's Notes

City of Provencia

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 19:04:35 +0000

Cody Descalzo, 2017

Provencia

https://afremov.com/RAINY-CITY-PALETTE-K...0-x36.html

History

The long and tired history of Provencia starts with the ambition of two brothers. Andrew and Henry Raslo. The Raslo bothers hailed from the northern city of Chrysaor. They were opportunists and entrepreneurs. The two men made themselves rich and wealthy from early trade and success with business. They wanted more, however. The brothers had a distinct set of ideals. They, by luck, had been given opportunities for success and wealth. Feeling indebted to the world, the Raslo brothers wanted to give others these same opportunities. What if there was a city where the common man could earn the wealth he works for? A simple peasant not bound by lords or kings, but his own labor. With the help of investments, labor, and their own ambition, the Raslo brothers set out south to create Provencia.

The plan was to create several provinces to form the city, hence its name. There are three distinct districts of land that hold separate purpose: Raslo District, Harbor District, and Common District. The Raslo District was first to be founded. This district is placed firmly within the center of Provncia and is meant to hold the most important structures of the city. The City Hall, where government of Provencia was to work. The Disciplinary Quarters, where lawbreakers are detained. And the boisterous Raslo Theater, a place built to promote music and the arts for the most talented performers and composers.

The second is the Harbor District. Here is where the lifeline of Provencia resides. The Harbor District acts as a hub for everything that flows into Provencia. Trade from foreign lands, various merchant houses, sailors, and fishermen, the lot of it. In an alarmingly fast time, the Harbor District expanded and inflated. Every merchant whose worth his salt attempt to trade here as this land became what could be the largest single trading hub in the Mainland. The profound and shocking King’s Blood Trading Company was the base and root for this expansion. “A King’s blood flows golden.” Is a common phrase of the company and those within Provencia. The meaning is simple, where there is wealth, there is opportunity.

Finally, the Common District. It’s not as grand or staged as the former districts mentioned, but the Ralso brothers still saw value in it. This is where most of the citizens live. Any who didn’t have profound wealth could afford to stay here. The placing of the district was deliberately set to envy the Raslo District right next to it. The brothers wanted the common folk to be inspired by the nearby promise of luxurious living. Taverns, inns, bars, smaller theaters and stages, and housing are all to be found here.

The Raslo brothers made their promises to the people of the Mainland. Wealth, prosperity, and a fresh start, all of which were very appealing. With the harbor, sailors and merchants flocked to the city in droves. Businesses were formed, some successful, many failed. New jobs for the common folk and even potential to become a famous artist with the Raslo Theater so close by. Provnecia swiftly grew to be one of the largest cities about.

Xitians invaded Provencia when the Dusk Portal was opened. The city itself wasn’t a top priority, as the Xitians could get little use of the docks and harbor. If anything, taking the city was an attrition move. Much of the wealth and populous would be taken from the Mesalians. And simply denying use of the harbor to their enemies was enough for the Xitians. The still fresh city didn’t stand a chance despite the many who fought and died for their home. The Xitians crushed and enslaved the opposition easily. Many families, including one very important one known as the Martillos, were taken into Xitian rule.

History repeats itself. Provneica was birthed as result of two brothers building something new. And it would see its rebirth from two different brothers. The Provencian people made a large band of slaves. Alberto and Giovanni Martillo found themselves in position to lead the enslaved people. They set a system for the slaves, to protect and care for each other. They held out together for as long as they could. With the arrival of the Lucins, these slaves were freed early in the War of Veld. Rather than sit or wait, Alberto and Giovanni inspired the slave band to revolt against the oppressors. In miraculous efforts, they were able to free and scrounge up many southern slaves and add them into the ranks. Once the numbers were large enough, they fought to retake Provencia.

The people of Provencia rebuilt the city and established new laws. The Martillos set themselves as non-government, prefering to go back to their roots within buisness. The city took many new stances. Alcohol and drugs were outlawed and fear of violence. The Xitians and Lucins were excluded in bouts of racism and paranoia. The current state of the city is what we know of it now. The Martillo influence became rather powerful with their leadership and smugling of the banned goods. Corrupt politicians took reign, using fear appeals to position themselves into power. While powerful business runs within Provnecia as the Raslo brothers wanted, the dream now seems a nightmare for the poor.

Government

Provencia runs off elected representatives. Each of the three districts puts in a vote towards a politician whom they feel represents the city the best. These politicians always have a board of associates pairs with them. So, people more so vote on a whole package rather a single person. The three head representatives are supposed to work together to bring fair laws and protection to the Provencian people. As of now, corruption runs within the political spectrum. If anything, these politicians are working against the people and looking out for themselves and their investors. Provencian follows a free market society, so unrestricted competition by businesses to determine flow and prices.

Economy

Provencia has a strong and bolstering economy. The city even founded its own coin, the Raslo. These coins are a gold quality and show wealth within circuits. The Ralso, despite name significance, is seldom seen by most people. The coin is more so used in large trade deals between Provencia and other wealth parts of the Mainland. Most common folk in Provencia deal in another coin native to the city, the Kinos. This coin is of far less value, taking form in bronze and silver variants. All Provencian coins are of lager value than one might expect thanks to the wealth that runs in the city and a large density of the metals that make the coins. Counterfeiters and schemers have made “Fake” variants of each coin with far less % value of the metals used. Fake Kinos are most often used by the Provencian poor. The sharp eyes of Provencian merchants and business men can easily tell the difference. These fake coins easily swindle tourists, however.

1 Raslo = 40 Silver Kinos = 88 Bronze Kinos > 1 Fake Silver Kinos = 5 Fake Bronze Kinos

1 Silver Kinos = 2 Bronze Kinos + 2 Fake Bronze Kinos

Provencia has its own exports as well. Fish and seafood are one of the largest. The sea is incredibly important to the city. The city also has nearby mines for digging resources and precious metals. And finally, Provencia thrives off tourism as many visit to enrich themselves in the culture and arts.

Culture

Religion

Many Provencians are Mesalian. Thus, the most popular belief system is the Mesalian orthodox religion. The Provencians don’t have any odd or standout beliefs about the religion. Although the most popular gods is Niponautes for her relation to fishers, sailors, creativity, art and music, all of which are values deeply rooted in Provencia. Worshiping the Xitian and Lucin religions is basically unheard of.

Family

In a typical Provencian family, the man is the head of the house. A father is the authority over his wife and children as he is usually the breadwinner and stabilization for a Provencian home. This isn’t to say that women don’t work, no. More so that ruling over a household is typically a man’s job in Provencia. Note, there are some very powerful and famous women in Provencia who inspire independence among women-kind.

Names usually follow a very distinct pattern. Everyone in the household will take the father’s surname. It’s common for boys to receive their father’s full name as well and be a Jr. Many families in lower-class Provencia are mixed ethnicities, while the richer folk are more singular.

Common boy names: Robert, John, William, Ralph, Anthony
Common girl names: Mary, Elizabeth, Alice, Rose, Pauline

Music & Art

The arts are something of great value in Provnecia. One might not make himself wealthy with his art in the city, but he can still be renowned and loved by the local people. Music, art, and theater are all commonplace.

Ralso Theater is the ultimate goal for aspiring artists. The theater is incredibly well known across the Mainland and is a main attraction of the city. Only the most well written plays and operas, inspiring music, and complex paintings are displayed at the Ralso Theater.

Popular Acts: Alanzo Moretti - Viola Player; The Flying Circus - Comedy Play; Lady Irene - Singer;

Music in Provencia is very distinct. Strange brass and woodwind instruments are combined with drums and keys to give a lively and personal sound to the music. Many people in Provnecia learn how to play an instrument just to participate in gatherings. The sound of the music is very personal and depends on the player, as it can be raspy, smooth, edgy, soulful, etc. Music always accompanies song and dance.

Art in Provencia usually takes shape in paintings. The most common are flat paintings that depict life in the city for both rich and poor. Bold shapes and colors cause each image on the canvas to stick out from one another and create prominent silhouettes. Example

Language

Provencians speak common, but most have an accent that derives from their roots. It’s a mixed blend of Chrysaor and modern Provencian voice.

Appearance

Provencians take a wide variety of looks. Going into the city makes it difficult to find two people that look the same. This is the result of the variety of slaves brought in once they found independence. People will have white, dark, and olive skin. Round and wide eyes or narrower. It really just depends on one’s ethnicity and family.

Dress

Provencian Clothing is rather modern for the world of Mesalia. It takes a pseudo 1920's Noire image rather traditional European clothing styles. The modern look of the clothing matches the style and culture of the people. Men wear stylish dark colors such as purple, brown, black, or even deep oranges and reds. All of these colors are traditionally splashed with white undershirts. Men are seen wearing these colors on vests on their shirts with dark trousers and shoes. Coats are typically worn on top of the clothes when outside. The act of wearing ties or neck decor for men came from a development of sailor ascots.

The women of Provencia typically wear brighter colors such as red and blue in stylish, free, and frilly dresses. Women in Provencia often have lavish hair styles and take good care of how they look. Boys will wear a simpler style of men’s clothing, usually sporting newsie caps and dark browns on white. Girls wear more modest and simple clothing and dresses in comparison to the average Provencia woman. All of the clothing was made from adaptations of people looking for change and variation to separate themselves from the rest of the world. The vast number of immigrants who moved into Provencia, along with the style and influence of sailors and the unique culture and music shaped Provencian clothing.

Martillo Family

The Martillo family is infamous across the land. While Alberto and Giovanni were the ones to lead the Mesalian people to victory for Provencia, their motives were not for pure and good will. The two brothers wanted power and leadership more than anything else. After the successful recapture of Provencia, the Martillos set up their own businesses and operations. They did so with a large following of close friends from the slavery. The Martillo family itself is only a small handful of people, but all who work with them are considered part of “The Family.”

Alberto was mysteriously found dead, and his brother took rein of the operations. Any who spoke ill of these events are criticized or silenced. They began running a mafia to take advantage of hidden opportunities in Provencia. The Martillos are an organized body of criminals with a complex behavioral code. The primary profits the Martillos earn from is the illegal alcohol and tobacco. It creates a rather obvious contradiction when these luxuries are outlawed yet people still smoke and drink in the open. The Martillos earned favor early on, and the government helps them keep a monopoly on these smuggled goods.

The current Godfather of the Martillo family is Keith Lawliet Martillo. Giovanni, his father, has retired from the position due to age.

Well known Martillos:
Giovanni Martillo (Former Don - Retired)
Keith Martillo (Godfather/Don, First born of Giovanni)
Elanor Martillo (Wife of Keith)
Roxanne Martillo (Underboss, Prominent women's rights figure, Second child of Giovanni)
Angel Martillo (Third child of Giovanni, Overseer of Martillo businesses)
Elliot "Ace" Pacella (Consigliere, Assassin) - Note, only higher-end Martillo's know his birth name, most just know Ace
Avery Martillo (First born of Keith, Presumed Dead)

Rebellion

Thomas Rartho Karalis incited a group known as the Rartho Rebellion some time ago. He currently leads the rebels to overthrow the corrupt politicians and war against the Martillo family. The rebels consist of the poor who feel broken and cheated by the society surrounding them. As of now, the rebellion is getting out of hand and more violent. There are many who wave rebel flags despite not being associated with Thomas. Although initially popular, the violent groups have begun to deter from the original goal Thomas set out.