Table of Contents - Realms of Conflict Larp
Transcription
Table of Contents - Realms of Conflict Larp
Table of Contents RACES OF ITH 12 PLAYER RACES OF ITH ELVES 12 RACE MODIFICATION KITS HISTORY THE AGES THE AGE OF RECKONING MILITANT ORDERS THE MILITANT ORDERS BAAL'S ENFORCERS: ELEMENTAL GUARDIANS SPIRIT WARRIORS HAND OF SHADOW THE ARCANE PROTECTORATE CELESTIAL KNIGHTS ORDER OF THE LIGHT JADE SCORPIONS DEATH GUARDCRIMSON SERPENTS 12 37 41 41 43 ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. 47 49 52 54 56 57 59 60 ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. 64 THE PANTHEON OF ITH 68 UNIVERSAL DEITIES ANNOTH GOD OF NIGHTMARES AQUINIUS GOD OF WATER AND THE SEA CAZANDIR GOD OF LUCK, FORTUNE, CHANCE AND FRIENDSHIP DESEGRAHL GOD OF MURDER, MAYHEM AND VENGEANCE ERIANNA GODDESS OF PEACE, FERTILITY AND TRANQUILITY THE ESSENCE DRAGON GOD OF MAGIC FALKIR GOD OF BENEVOLENCE, HOPE, AND CHARITY ILIVARA GODDESS OF PAIN AND DESTRUCTION JARDAN GOD OF TRUTH, JUSTICE AND JUDGMENT KAIAH 68 68 68 71 71 73 73 74 74 76 76 77 77 79 79 80 80 82 82 84 GODDESS OF BATTLE, FEROCITY AND HUNTERS KALLABALLAK GOD OF CHAOS, THE UNMAKER MADINA GODDESS OF DREAMS MARROVA GODDESS OF LOVE, LOYALTY AND DEVOTION MORDATH GOD OF DEATH NILLAYAN GOD OF HONOR, HUMILITY, AND PROTECTION. THE LAST TITAN. ORM MASTER OF THE VOID, KEEPER OF ELEMENTAL HARMONY PONDERA GOD OF ORDER QUIVINA GODDESS OF LAUGHTER AND SADNESS, MUSE OF THE FATES ROK’HOVA GODDESS OF THE MOON, NIGHT, AND SPACE SERAPHINA GODDESS OF LIFE AND HEALING STRATOS GOD OF SKY AND STORMS AND AIR TARPANRION GOD OF NATURE, FORESTS AND EARTH TARSUS GOD OF INDULGENCE TIANA GODDESS OF THOUGHT AND INSPIRATION VEXSAR GOD OF FIRE AND FORGE XILLUVIA GODDESS OF DECEPTION, SECRETS, CORRUPTION AND SEDUCTION YA’EL THE GOD OF THE SUN, DAY & TIME RACIAL DEITIES KARTEROS KORGAHN GOD OF MIGHT AND PERSEVERANCE HILDAR GLYCHE GOD OF EFFICIENCY, PROSPERITY, AND LABOR LYLANDRIA ELVEN GODDESS OF KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM TYRENDAL ELVEN GOD OF WARFARE INTUITION AND STRATEGY WINCHAKAH ORC GODDESS OF WAR AND COURAGE, THE MOTHER OF ALL ORCS ULAGH THE SAVAGE GOD, BLOOD FATHER OF THE MINOTAUR IMBOLIS GOD OF CORRUPTION, THE SOUL TWISTER 84 87 87 88 88 90 90 92 92 95 95 97 97 98 98 99 99 101 101 103 103 104 104 106 106 109 109 111 111 113 113 114 114 116 116 118 118 118 121 121 122 122 124 124 125 125 127 127 128 128 ANGELIC AND DEMONIC LORDS ANGELIC LORDS JIBRIL ANGEL OF PEACE, MERCY AND HOPE LABBIEL ANGEL OF HEALING AND KNOWLEDGE SARI ANGEL OF COMMAND, ORDER AND LAW. “THE BALANCER.” URIELA ANGEL OF REPENTANCE, RIGHTEOUSNESS AND VENGEANCE. “THE WATCHER.” MIK-HAEL ANGELIC CHAMPION OF THE CRUSADING WARRIOR DEMONIC LORDS AZRAEL DEMONIC LORD OF WARFARE, COMBAT AND SLAUGHTER BELZAAR DEMONIC LORD OF DARKNESS, SHADOWS AND DEVILTRY. “THE SHADOW LORD.” UNN’LA DEMONIC LORD OF MADNESS AND MAGIC THE SUCCUBUS DEMONIC LADY OF SEDUCTION AND ENSLAVEMENT. “THE TEMPTRESS.” MAMMATHORN DEMONIC LORD OF NATURE’S DARKNESS, CHAOS, AND PRIMAL FURY. “THE BEAST.” RAZIEL DEMONIC LORD OF THE UNFORGIVEN AND THE REPENTANT 130 131 131 131 131 131 131 131 131 131 132 132 132 132 132 132 132 132 132 132 132 132 132 132 132 The Map of the World Countries and Nations of Ith Republic of Talar Talar is the largest nation in Ith. While it is comprised of mostly humans, it is also a metropolitan nation, and large numbers of Glyches, Korghan, Elves and Orcs also call Talar their home. Talar is a republic that is ruled by a noble council with no less than two hundred members presiding at any time. Additionally, there is a smaller council of High Dukes who make most major decisions, such as how to manage the people, economy, and military of each given Duchy. The government of Talar is structured to allow for the incorporation of new lands without stripping power from its already-established rulers. The High Dukes refer to this system as the “common nobles system,” in which any new body of government that wishes to join the republic must submit itself to. Its rulers are weighted in the council by number of subjects and combined wealth of their nation, and so long as the rulers follow the Five Laws of Talar and allow their citizens to leave their borders freely, the new territory is incorporated into the government proper. Talar is divided into territories called “Duchies”, and each Duchy is governed by a single Duke. This Duke is elected to power by the populace at the founding of the Duchy. These Dukes are responsible for overseeing the government, laws, safety, and trade of their duchy, in addition to representing the population of their Duchy in the Council of Talar. Due to the large number of responsibilities associated with this position, Dukes are often aided in them by Counts and Barons, and lesser-ranked nobles in their employ. The exact number of Duchies in Talar is re-evaluated every 10 years. The political influence of a Duchy is based on a combination of the area's population, wealth, and geographical size. As a peculiarity of this system, this means that larger guild houses, the largest cities, and other such organizations can be their own Duchy, entirely inside of another Duchy. This system is arduous to run, but allows the people of each Duchy fair representation while ensuring that they keep their own laws in place to suit their chosen lifestyles. This allows the many different cultures, races, and factions that exist inside of Talar to work together and live peacefully. Talar has been attempting to rebuild much of the damages endured after its central role in the Age of Reckoning, and has since begun to regain much of its former military might. The Elven Kingdom The Elven Kingdom of Ith's long past existed on such a grand scale that the world has not seen such an empire since its downfall. After decades of internal political strife, and external pressures on their borders, the kingdom collapsed and was forced to reform its system of government in order to adapt for survival. Central to this amended Kingdom is the devotion to - and moderation of - knowledge and scholarly pursuits above all else. Those Elves who found themselves at odds with these priorities soon relocated themselves to other regions that were more favorable to their aspirations. With this set of defined values and goals established by the remaining population, the Elven Kingdom's newly-formed government is now ruled by a council of twelve Arch-Mages who see to the moderation of the Kingdom's affairs with a clear and cohesive purpose. The Elves who remained within the Kingdom are considered to have ties to a noble bloodline and are treated with dignity that is often granted to royalty. Despite their reduced governmental authority, these individuals still hold a respectable amount of power in their society and communities. Though there are several major cities in the Elven lands, Sho'l Nelith (The Silver City) is the capital. Elves are renowned for their hospitality, and their borders are open to all who desire to visit, provided that they respect Elven customs. As an indication of their profound generosity, Sho'l Nelith is also home to the Collective, the burgeoning Shade nation. In addition to their receptiveness to other cultures, the Elves are considered to be among the greatest teachers and masters of magic by the whole of Ith. The Elven Kingdom hosts some of the most powerful mages and sorcerers known, to the point where it is rumoured that the Elves have devoted sections of their lands to allow for connections between Ith and the various magical planes. If this rumour holds truth, it would allow for peaceful – if limited – communication between Elves and the planes' indigenous extraplanar creatures. Due to their extended lifespans, Elven culture is known for its proficiency in recording Ith's history, as well as their own. Elven libraries and scholars are recognized as the premier source of lore on the ancient world due to their extended and consistent experience with and presence in the world's history. Orcish Nation To the south, the Orcish lands, divided for most of Ith’s history, have in the last 10 years finally come under the joined rule of twin Orcish warlords, the Og’masha Brothers. The Orcs seem to only be able to maintain a single massive city, know as the city of war, which is both a impenetrreble fortress as well as the largest population of Orcs anywhere on Ith. The Brothers rule over the Orcish nation with an iron plated fist, and it is said that all other major Orc warlords pay tribute (even those outside of the Orcish nation) to them, whether this is out of fear or respect, no one knows. There are many other fortresses, towns and villages inside the Orc nation, but none as vast and mighty as the City of War. Blood-Sworn: The Blood-Sworn are the elite of the Orc armies, they are simply those Orcish warriors strong enough and worthy enough to stand before the Brothers Og’masha and swear a blood oath of loyalty and honor to the Orcish nation and its rules. The Blood Sworn are equal to that of knights from other lands. Should they be called to battle, the Blood-Sworn form the personal army of the Og’masha brothers. Savage Lands These lands are just that: Savage. They are home to the feral tribes which choose to not conform to any government, and would rather live by themselves. Savage lands range through all climate types and geographical formations, from jungles, rocky deserts, and harsh tundras. The Wastes The wastes are lands wrecked by war. Ancient maelstroms of magic created in times of conflict far in the past have utterly devastated these lands, and as such nothing really lives here. Even attempting to travel through these lands is dangerous, and most who attempt to do not survive. Deep Woods All across Ith there are deep woods and jungles, where the spirits of nature roam freely, and nature has complete control. Trees speak, and plants form barriers with themselves so thick that they can and will form barriers to prevent intrusion from the outside. Some of these woods are dangerous, home to the savage feral beasts the myths tell of, and others that are home to the fey and other nature kin. Sometimes within these woods are communes of beings who have found ways to live with nature, and accept it. Nature Elves, the peaceful varieties of Trolls, Satyrs, Dryads, Dendrytes, and the Changed are often found in these groves. Allure Of the two great nations on the world of Ith, the one most familiar is Talar. The other is Allure. Allure has strange laws and customs, which draw a certain type to it, and repulse most others. Allure is ruled, in its entirety, by an undying Lich Emperor, who rules with an unyielding skeletal fist. Not completely taken by hubris, however, he is advised by a council of higher rank members of Allure, those of which are drawn from the many territories that compose Allure. Obviously, undead are completely legal, and the majority of the citizens of Allure are some kind of sentient undead. Punishments are very standard in Allure, and mostly involve either being turned into lesser undead, or fed to more powerful undead. Additionally, slavery is legal and popular, and many of the lesser Shifted and Changed are considered no better than pets and slaves, alongside some kinds of Elementals Allure is often accused of encouraging the slave trade by other nations, and encourage things such as slaving bands and raiders. As such, Allure has had a long standing hostile relationship with the other nations, especially Talar, as they have, through both subterfuge (infiltration of noble houses) and brute force (marching armies of undead into Talar), attempted to conquer Talar. All attempts have thus far failed, and until the Age of Reckoning, the two nations were held in an uneasy truce. However, during the conflict of the Age of Reckoning, the unique power of the undead against the Ancient Ones lead them to lend their support to the other nations, becoming a crucial power during that conflict. Since then, Allure has repaired some of its relation with other nations, but regardless, all keep a steady and constant eye on them. Dread Reavers: The Dread Reavers are the iron willed enforcers of the emperor of Allure. They are clad in wicked black full plate armor, concealing their form beyond ‘basic humanoid’, and wield terrible weapons. They are well equipped, and their archetypal gear is all heavily enchanted, and lends well to their considerably martial prowess. Rumor has it that they are completely immortal and undefeatable. Everyone across Allure knows to fear them, as they speak the will of the Emperor with their actions. Red Legion: While there are many armies and companies that exist in Allure, one stands above the rest. The Red Legion stands always at one hundred and eleven beings: one hundred shocktroopers, ten sergeants, and one commander. All members of the Red Legion are either a powerful undead or some other powerful Changed or Savage race. They have earned many honors and decorations, and when they deploy, they are known for utterly destroying their foes and leaving no survivors. Desert of Nine Sands To the south of Allure is the wide ranging, coast to coast spanning Desert of the Nine Sands, which is host to many nomadic tribes, and other peoples fleeing from the might of Allure. The people of the desert are mostly peaceful and welcoming to outsiders, however desert life is harsh and those not equipped or ready to deal with it will quick find themselves as bleached bones buried beneath the sands. The Militant Order of the Jade Scorpions hails from the desert, though they have no chosen to operate all over Ith. Titanus Titanus was the original home of the titans, before the great war with the Ancient Ones. However, this war took their island continent and sundered it into many pieces, such was the wrath of the Ancient Ones. Now, Titanus is the homeland of the Ogres, and a single Korgahn Nation. Some Ogres tribes are hostile, and others are friendly. Only two real cities exists, they are not Ogre run, and are port cities which charge heavy tithes to operate. As Ogres are a crude and savage race, no other cities exists, and at most there are larger towns and villages. The Seven Korghan Kingdoms In all, there were seven Korghan Kingdoms across Ith, though only five remain. These buried fortress kingdoms are home to the Korghan race, and they are all all located deep in the tallest mountains, or dug as intricate subterranean complexes carved into deep valleys. Originally these kingdoms were hidden and none knew that they existed, until one day when the Korghan finally emerged from their homes under the earth. Korghan are inherently mistrustful of outsiders, and attempting to trespass into their kingdoms results only in a death sentence. Only a few honored guests or ambassadors are welcome inside their kingdoms. Each kingdom is ruled by a single king, with a small group of elders, who work as advisors to the throne. It is rumored that each Korghan kingdom was created by the Titans for a specific purpose, yet these purposes can only be guessed at, and the true purpose can never truly be known. Talar: The kingdoms inside Talar, through heavy diplomatic means, have opened up and the Korghan from these kingdoms live with, and have integrated into the population and Republic of Talar. While the physical kingdoms themselves are still mostly closed off to outsiders, large trade towns and cities have being founded right outside the gates. Allure: The kingdoms on the continent of Allure have not fared terribly well, and only one remains, mostly closed off to the outside. Obsinite Guard: The highest honor a Korghan can receive is to join the Obsinite Guard, whose duties involve guarding the kingdoms and their secrets. This title is equal to the that of a knight in Talar. Kingdoms: Roz’Nith Fortress (Middle of Talar): Roz’Nith claims to the first of the Korghan Kingdoms, and that it was there that the Titan’s first made the Korghan. This kingdom is housed above large, active portals to some of the magical planes. Due to this, many of the Korghan that hail from this kingdom are elementally shifted in some way. These portals are also used for the training of their troops, both in combat, and survival missions involving harsh environmental training. They pride themselves on their troops; some of the finest the Korghan race can offer. The Trove of Argth’Goth (Northern Talar): This kingdom is centered above a grand collection of knowledge that these Korghan were entrusted to guard by the Titans. They are held in grand magical vaults, deep inside the surface of Ith. Its vaults have never been opened to any but the few still left specifically entrusted by the Titans, or the oracles of the Titans. These Korghan have also taken it upon themselves to create new vaults to fill with knowledge, acquired through interaction and peaceful trade. Because of this, the Korghan that live there have a stronger interest in magic and learned of other arcane subjects. Kar’Ryk, the Great Tradecity (Southern Talar): This is the largest of the Korghan kingdoms, almost an entire mountain range has been converted to serve as the territory of the kingdom. Here the Korghan mine and smith like no other place on earth. They often lead more peaceful lives, and their wares are the stuff of legend. Many great items in Ith’s history began their lives here, crafted by skilled hands. Dark’ith Linn, Bastion (Titanus): The Korghan that hail for Dark’ith Linn are often a dark and brooding type. As the last vestige of Korghan civilization on Titanus, they are constantly beset upon by the savage ogres that live on Titanus, engaging in many unending, bloody wars. The Korghan here know nothing but warfare as a way of life. They see themselves in service to the Titans, and would readily lay down their lives in service. They value martial honor and excellence with pride, and their duty to the Titans supersedes all else. Many of them have a rather bleak outlook on life, though. Dark’ith Linn itself is an unbreakable and impenetrable fortress, said to have been designed by a Titan whose sole aspect was war. Gate of Vel’Nith (Southern Allure) [Lost]: This once great kingdom has since been lost, its mighty temples and surface pyramids in ruins. Their history was that of Korghan who chose to worship the gods of old. They were ruled by a primal tribal system, and sought to wrench control of these old gods, trapping them on Ith. Their plan was to use this power to reinvigorate the Titans, returning them to Ith, and to repair the damage done to the Ogre race. However, something failed, and as a result, almost all of the kingdom was destroyed. The Korghan that remain in this area are completely feral. Hof’Dalr Blod (Middle of Allure): The Korghan nation of Hof’Dalr Blod is a kingdom of driven people who are unified by single purpose. Nearly all of their military might is focused on the seeking (and occasionally hunting down) of lost knowledge of the Titans from around the world of Ith. Their military is deployed as compact, expeditionary forces that rove over all of Ith. These forces tend to be tightly packed and well organized fifty-Korghan platoons that are often equal parts scholar and raider, fulfilling either role depending on how well guarded the goal is. These platoons frequently clash with Allure. The scope of these attacks is small, and the difficulty of laying siege to something as impregnable as a Korghan mountain-hold is too great, so the great nation of Allure considers waging all-out war with Hof'Dalr Blod a lesser priority. Hof’Dalr Blod, however, considers the nation of Allure to be a foul and corrupt force on Ith, and as such they ban all influence of that nation, including the arts of Necromancy, and all forms of the undead, under punishment of exile within their borders. Even under exile, members of the nation are duty-bound to relay any Titan-related (or anything the leaders of the nation consider relevant) information that they discover back home. The members of this nation almost universally revere the North Star as an aspect of Karteros. To them, it represents their eternal search for the secrets of the Titans. Additionally, they are the only Korghan nation known for seafaring, and often take to the seas in great ironclad warships, which act as mobile fortresses on their long journeys abroad. Korghan from these nations tend to be quite knowledgeable and enterprising, and a decent number of trading routes have been created from their less hostile interactions with other nations. They also tend towards a strong personal drive, commitment to their duties, and stalwart disposition in the face of the unknown. The Broken Kingdom (Unknown): There is rumored to be another Korghan kingdom that was lost at some ancient point in Ith’s history. Myth holds that this kingdom was designed to be the perfect prison, with their Korghan progenies as the wardens. Korghan that are descended from those that lived in this kingdom are grim, and view themselves as having failed their purpose. Their skin is often a dark shade of grey. Although they never speak of this broken kingdom, it is clear that the memory of their forefathers haunts them. Other Major Cities or Areas South Lands: The are between the southern border of the Republic of Talar and the Orcish Nation is known as the South Lands. There are a number of small, independent kingdoms, nations, and other such self-governing bodies here. For whatever reason, they choose to remain independent of their neighbors. Structure: Among the independent groups in the South Lands, the most well known is the Structure. The Structure is a sprawling industrial city. It is lead by a group of exceedingly rich and wealthy benefactors. They produce the most alchemy out of any nation by far, which they ship and trade all over Ith. Their government is, however, racially supremacist by nature. Only Elves, Humans, and Glyches can be nobles in their government. Slavery is also widely practiced, and tends to be inflicted on the Savage and Changed races. Dark City: To the far north, past the vicious magical waste lands, lays the Dark City. In this city, there are only two valid answers. Complete anarchy, or might makes right martial law. The city itself is loosely (and loosely being the operative word, here) controlled by several houses of elves. Here, nothing is taboo or illegal. Only the most depraved, criminally insane, or those seeking taboo arts make their way here. City of Blood: The City of Blood lies just outside the northern border of Talar. Here is where the famous gladiator pits make their home. It is a major den for these fights, and the gambling that goes with them. Agents of the City of Blood have created pit fighting guilds in most of the major nations. Free Republic of Rynn: To the north of Allure, there is the Free Republic of Rynn. They are a nation that has broken free of the Allurian Emperor, and are mostly composed of escaped slaves. They fight tooth and nail just to maintain their border with Allure. Allure, however, mocks their efforts openly by sending armies of prisoners and slaves to massacre themselves against Rynn’s forces. RACES OF ITH Here are the major races of the world. These race best represent the playable races for characters. These write ups are about the race as a general whole, there are many sub-cultures and sects of each race. We encrouage players to make their own subcultures if they wish. You can also use the Racial kits below to add flavor or alter a race below. Player Races of Ith Elves Overview: Elves are believed to be the oldest of the races, having existed since before the passing of the great Dragons. They are known for their grace and their wisdom, and possess knowledge of all but a few of the most obscure subjects. Magic is a central part of Elven life and society, and they are often stereotyped by other races and expected to be spell casters. History: Elves have the longest recorded history, dating far back before the race of man had even begun crafting tools from stone. They grew as a simple society for centuries until the great Dragons bestowed the gift of magic to the entire race, allowing their civilization to advance and grow at an astounding pace. In the earliest centuries following the giving of magic, the Elven Kingdom’s population was divided into many noble houses, until about three thousand years ago when their society weakened and massive infighting broke out among the houses. To end the violence, the most powerful mages, the most experienced masters and avatars of their schools, withheld their magic, refusing to cast spells or perform rituals. Elves who had become dependant on the high magic as part of their daily lives were disrupted and desperate. A truce was called to settle the infighting of the houses, but they could not collectively decide who would rule the Elven Kingdom. Before the tension cold rise again and threaten the shaky truce, the powerful mages, calling themselves the High Mages, proposed that they would rule and keep order in place of a governing noble house. The houses would maintain their privileges of land, property, and title, but actions that would affect the entire Kingdom would have to be approved by the High Mage Council. The houses agreed to these terms and they have lived in peace ever since. When conflict had settled amongst their own people, the Elves began to expand outward and connect with the other races of the world. They solidified their role as teachers to the younger races, guiding blossoming societies away from the same errors their own people had made. To this day, Elves are commonly looked to as instructors, mentors, and ambassadors to many of the civilized races of Ith. Elven Life: Elves are a long-lived race. In the early years of their exposure to the younger races, they were even thought to be immortal. In reality, the eldest of elves have lived to be 300 to 500 years old, though most elves only live about 250 years on average. The gestation period of Elven pregnancies is also much longer than that of other races, averaging at about 4 years. A side effect of this is a smaller population of elves to humans and other younger races due to the slow rate of reproduction. Elven children mature only slightly slower than humans, though later aging, from adult years onwards, is exponentially decreased, taking decades for any change to show. Elves, due to their longer lifespans, record the passage of time differently than other races. Comparatively speaking, they record time in “Cycles”, which are equivalent to 5 years in any other race’s reckoning. Elves are the primary recorders of history, and they categorize larger sections of time as “Ages”, often named after themes or important events, such as the Age of Silver Blood, when the elven noble houses fell. Culture: As their society grew, Elves developed into three distinct sub-cultures. These subcultures are not distinguishable from one another physically, but their habits and daily lives are all very different. City Elves live in large magical cities where arcane studies and practices are a part of their daily lives. City Elves are considered masters of the arcane and keepers of lore. City Elves are the majority of the Elven population, and they are the source of the general stereotype that most people base their knowledge of elves upon. Natural Elves are elves who, long ago, split from the High Elves to go coexist with nature. They make their home in natural settings, and exists anywhere from the tundra, to jungles, or to deserts. Their specific cultures tend to match their environment, and one trib of wild elves is often different from another. They tend to ally with whatever denizen of nature there are, such as some Fae, Dryads, Satyrs, et cetera. City Elves and Natural Elves share a strong respect for life and living. Necromancy is frowned upon by many of these elves, and the practice of Death Magic is even forbidden in some Elven cities. Most elves dislike undead in all forms, sentient or otherwise, and raising undead or becoming undead is completely taboo. To a Wild Elf especially, undead are unnatural abominations that have no place in the natural world. Dark Elves are the least common of the elves, or so there are believed to be. In truth, there may be more Dark Elves in Elven society than Natural Elves, but because they could very easily blend in with members of the other Elven sub-cultures, it is unknown just how many there really are. The term “Dark Elf” was first used by humans to describe these elves and their dark and evil practices, but they refer to themselves simply as Elves. They are considered Dark because they do not agree with the common Elven views against unpleasant subjects. Dark Elves are always more likely than their brethren to practice Death Magic and Necromancy, poisoning, assassination, vile alchemy, and the worship of Evil or Demonic Gods. Many high-ranking Dark Elves are greater undead and they are believed to have been the first to master Undeath on Ith. While they are not afraid to make war and spill blood, Dark Elves prefer to keep to themselves in their own dark towers and cities, or to hide in average Elven society. Appearance: The only physically distinct features Elves have are their ears, which are pointed, vary in size and length. Manners of dress range from culture to culture, though, and City Elves are known for wearing fine clothing, Natural Elves for their practical clothes, fit for trekking into the wilderness, and Dark Elves tend to dress in dark colors, though they will readily adopt any kind of dress needed to blend in. Relations: The wisdom of the Elves has taught them the value of allies and peace. Elves can get along with most of the other races of Ith and commonly serve as ambassadors and mediators in political matters all over the world. While they are willing to cooperate with almost anyone, they tend to avoid extensive involvement with races more prone to violence like Orcs, Ogre and Minotaur. The more pretentious of High Elves may even avoid associating with them at all. Natural Elves are less inclined to discriminate in this way, but they prefer peaceful relations and will avoid conflict wherever possible, however they have to. They are attuned with nature and look down on all those who abuse nature in any way. It is not uncommon for an entire community of Wild Elves to mobilize in force against a threat to the sanctity of nature. Dark Elves value peace only as a means of survival. They avoid open confrontation where possible, but they are not above war by espionage. They tend to have ulterior motives behind most of their friendships, and they aren’t against lying, cheating, and stealing to get what they want. A human may be friends with an elf for years and believe they know everything about them when, in fact, their best friend is a devious stranger patiently plotting a brutal assassination. Costume and make up requirements: Have to wear pointy ears. First level of athletics for free “Nimble” advantage for free Cannot buy more than one level of Fortitude Cannot buy regeneration Disease and Poison resistances costs an extra 2 points per level to buy. Cannot be gem casters Do not need to master a spell school to move on to another school of magic Elven wisdom: Once a game, elves may ask a lore question on any topic. Elves may buy two Channel Higher Magic and two Spell Potency arcane abilities. Elves can Read, Write, and Speak Elvish for free. Korgahn Overview: The Korgahn are a strong race that live deep within the mountains, sometimes referred to as Stone People. They are a sturdy and hale people, made as strong as the rock and stone they live in and resemble. Their lives are driven and defined by their undying loyalty, duty, and honor, as dictated by their own personal codes. History: Korgahn legends tell that the Titans of Ith retreated into the earth deep beneath the tallest mountains. The Titan’s aim was to slumber in an attempt to rid themselves of the corruption that the ancient ones had placed upon them. Knowing that the Ancient Ones may return to Ith, the Titans used the last vestiges of their power to create a race to protect them and the rest of Ith as they slept. They shaped this race from stone and breathed life into it, turning stone into flesh and creating life. They made seven beings at first; these beings were fiercely loyal warriors for the Titans and their cause, however they lacked creativity and uniqueness. Into these seven, the Titans imparted parts of their souls. These souls made the original Korgahn truly alive, with sentience and independence. Happy with their creations, the Titans made seven mountain kingdoms as homes for their race. They gave the race the name Korgahn, which means “the protectors” in the Titan’s language. Happy with their race, and exhausted from their efforts, the Titans entrusted each of the seven kingdoms with a duty and finally went to sleep. The seven beings that the Titans had first created served as kings of the kingdoms, and for a while, the Korgahns lives revolved around their duties to the Titans. Over the years, as the Korgahn race grew in number, they expanded their kingdoms, resulting in some who came into contact with the outside world. The Korgahn were highly secretive and protective and did not allow any to enter their realm. Roughly 200 years ago, there was a large shift in Korgahn life, one of the Titans awoke to see the race locked in their duties and far expanded in size from once they had once been. Their duty to stay as protectors within the mountain ultimately conflicted with their expansion in population, so the lone Titan issued an order that the Korgahn should expand and mingle with the outside world. The Seven Kingdoms seemed to be placed within Talar (with the exception of a few wayward colonies and offshoots), and quickly the Korgahn adapted to life and began to mix with the world around them. While the kingdoms that are inside of the Talar Republic have not officially joined the republic, the Korgahn have made lots of peaceful interactions with Talar. Since the Korgahn are extremely proficient miners and have access to great stocks of ore, many were eager to open trade with them. Korgahn have thus far been slow to allow outsiders inside their massive mountain kingdoms, only the most honored guests and foreign powers are allowed to view the insides. Korgahn put those that dare to intrude to death. Habits: Korgahn kingdoms are large communities where all Korgahn work together for a common goal. Korgahn have a strong sense of pride for both their work and their people, and this pride in their people leads to a strong respect for nobles and authority roles. These lauded members of their society enjoy taking part in the political, judicial, and military structure of Talar. As such, large numbers of Korgahn tend to serve in law enforcement roles and the Knightly orders, these roles matching the roles for which they were created to serve. Almost all Korgahn pay homage to the kingdoms from which they came, and often take pilgrimages back home. The Korgahn race as a whole have respect for leadership and the mere thought of a coup or an overthrow of government is abhorrent. Korgahn culture tends to look down on the arts of stealth and trickery, as both these methods were completely foreign to them before they mingled with outside cultures. Each one of the Korgahn kingdoms has developed it own culture as they all developed individually of each other. While they all keep their roots. Nowadays, there are many cities outside the kingdoms in which Korgahn live, having diversified outwards into the world. Many tend to be trading hubs for the nations proper. Appearance: Korgahn all have grey skin, in varied tones, and some have patterns in their skin that reflect patterns of different types of stone. All Korghahn have red toned hair to match, from pale reds to deep dark. They tend to wear some sort of armor to match their occupation, even the nobles they tend to wear ornate bracers while attending court, although it is not uncommon for Korgahn to wear full plate armor at all times, noble or not. Korgahn have a deep affection for stone jewelry of all types, and all Korgahn wear jewelry, preferring those made with rough stones polished by hand. Costume and make up requirements: Stone and tribal jewelry (metal armor counts), Grayish skin tone, noticeable red hair. Can only be gem casters Any level of armor they wear counts as one level higher They get a free bonus magic resist that does not count against their per flux limit. 1st 3 levels of Toughness for free. Can buy regeneration up to level 1. Learning Athletics costs double character points. Learning Sneaking and Tracking costs two extra character points per level. Flux attunement costs an extra 2 points per level to buy. Korgahn can Read, Write, and Speak Koraguese for free. Korgahn Start with either 1st level of Weaponsmith or Armorsmith for free. Glyches Overview: Glyches are an enigmatic race of tinkers and inventors. While not nearly as physically powerful as most other races, they typically have brilliant minds and a sharp wit. History: Glyches are the youngest of the races, and are often mistaken for Humans or Elves. They began to appear at the end of the Age of Chaos. Legend holds that their name comes from the God of Order, who was consulted by the sages about some of the new races that somehow appeared overnight. He said that they weren’t supposed to be here, and were just “Glyches of the many magical and chaotic forces that are constantly effecting Ith”. Though Glyches were isolated from each other at first, over time they learned of their potential kin and began to seek each other out with the intent to build a community. Glyches found themselves quickly fitting into the large, already established nations, but they began to question their origin. Driven by their pursuit for knowledge, they created a massive gathering of their greatest minds with the express purpose of presenting all the theories of their creation, to identify through scientific debate and process which one was the truth. At this gathering, they spent many hours attempting figure out the events that lead to their race’s birth. However, there were far too many great minds and thinkers present, and a vast number of theories, explanations, and philosophies were presented. As each Glych got up to speak before their fellows, each presentation was so ingenious that it made all those who were present constantly change their mind about what the answer was. After days of this, they realized that they were getting nowhere fast. So they agreed to table the matter entirely. As they learned from this debacle of a procedure, the spoken languages were inefficient and improperly able to communicate their ideas to the extent they needed. This resulted in a new form of shorthand, both efficient and complex, being created by the Glyches. They agreed to, in years coming, to gather again, to share their collective knowledge and boost the progress of their race. With this, exhausted of meeting and talking, the Glyches returned to their homelands. Talar houses the greatest number of Glyches of anywhere in the world. As the Republic is a major metropolitan center of trade and commerce, they have come to flock there, and their influence has lead to great developments in Talar. Habits: To say that Glyches have sharp minds, might be understating the fact just a bit. They are known far and wide for their intelligence, and innate understanding of the nature of just “how things work”. To mesh with that, Glyches tend to be quite easy to get along with, as most tend to want to fit in with organized society to allow them freedom to further progress in their endeavors. They are a race of collectors and tinkers, excelling greatly at any skill or profession they choose to pursue. They tend to be quite prepared and organized, often covered in pouches, pockets, and other accoutrements that allow for easy organization and access. Some would say that the Glyches, as a race, tend to never want to be unprepared for anything. Appearance: To the untrained eye, Glyches appear no different from Humans, but a more astute eye would notice that there are subtle differences between the two races, such as the belief that Glyches have larger brain cavities. Glyches stand apart from Humans and Elves more in their style of dress than for anatomical reasons, opting for more functional work-wear that prioritizes durability and storage above all else. Glyches are normally anatomically similar to humans, and many wear hats to hide their (possibly) larger heads, in the instance of the superstition being true. Glych fashion is the most modern-looking of Ith's races, and it approximately parallels Victorianera clothing, with a flair for brass and gadgetry. Costume and make up requirements: They are packrats by nature so their costumes must represent that. They also carry around large bags, lots of pouches, and tools for their trade. -1 to all weapon damage, minimum of 1 1st level of Will for free. Industrious advantage for free Cannot be natural casters Cannot use two handed weapons They can use bows, crossbows and hand-and-a-half weapons, but do not receive the bonus damage for wielding a weapon in two hands. 1st level of productivity for free Masters of crafting: With all production based skills, Glyches have a 10% chance to produce extra items when they expend production. This chance is calculated before game based on pre-registration. Tinkering: Once an Astral Conjuction they can use their creative ingenuity to rebuild a destroyed item. This is called tinkering. Tinkering in this manner requires 15 minutes of the Glych role-playing the repair of the destroyed item. This can apply to magical items depending on the Glyches’ roleplay and method for rebuilding the item. 1st level in any one trade skil for free Can buy regeneration up to level 1 Twice a flux they can use their creative ingenuity to repair a broken non-magical items. This tinkering requires 5 minutes of role-playing. Cannot buy more than one fortitude Cannot buy the advantage Precise Glyches can Read and Write Glychian and Common for free. Cannot take the berserker fighter path. Humans History: Overview: Humans populate a large part of the world and adapt quickly, they can be as savage as an ogre or a wise as an elf. History: Humans may not have lived and fought for as long as the Elves or Orcs, but they have, without a doubt, made a large mark on Ith. Humans have existed for a long stretch of time, but for the vast majority of it, have been an extremely primitive race. Human are thought to have originated from somewhere in the lands south of current day Talar. Due to the powerful presence of the Orcs and Elves in the early days of Ith, humans were forced to live in these jungles to survive. The advanced development of the Humans, however, was forced upon them by others. It is now known that large numbers of the Human were stolen away from their homeland, and taken to what is now known as Allure. The race that perpetrated this was a shapeshifting race with the power to enslave minds known as the Xill’iths. In the center of the continent, in the Desert of the Nine Sands, the Xill’iths constructed the heart of their empire on the backs of the humans. They taught the Humans the arts of menial labor and warfare, and forced them to serve them. By creating large armies of Human soldiers let by Xill’ith taskmasters, they rapidly conquered the whole of Allure, pridefully marking their territory with grand temples and statues to themselves. However, as the Xill’ith empire expanded, it found the limit of its stability, and cracked, splitting into a number of smaller sub-empires populated by an overwhelming majority of human slaves and smalling ruling class of Xill’ith. The humans armies, having been enslaved for generations, and now being forced to kill each other en masse for the sake of their slavers, rebelled. To this day, it is not known how, but the humans learned the arts of necromancer, what had previously been a rare art practiced only by a select few of the elves. In their rebellion, the humans created numberless hordes of undead raised from the corpses of their fallen comrades, and marched upon their masters. The Xill’iths, in an act of vengeance the likes of which has not been seen since, annihilated the Xill’ith to the very last being. The humans moved north into the mountains, and formed the empire of Allure, which still stands to this day. Back on Talar, the path taken by the humans was much different. Those who lived in the southern half of the continent dealt mainly with the orcs, embracing tribal, natural ways of life. Those in the north primarily dealt with the elves, adopting their civilization, building cities and nations. These two starkly different philosophy creating a rift in Human culture, leading eventually to a conflict known as the Blood War. The Blood War lasted many years, though in the end peace was brokered through an agreement to split Human owned lands into three territories, Phantos, Torm- Tire, and Vineer. Phantos was a mercantile nation; all were welcome so long as they had the resources and money. They were ruled in the manner of a Republic. Torm-tire was the land inspired by the Elven civilizations, and favored thought and education. It was the first land outside of the Elven cities where a magical university had been opened, alongside colleges of more mundane studies. To the far south, Vineer was created. Vineer was a land where magic was, at best, subject to social taboo, and at worse, utterly illegal. Their people view magic as the source of the Blood War, and an infection from the other races. As such, they favored other sources of power, and were the first to create alchemy. Shortly, the inevitable conflict began between Tormtire and Vineer broke out. Through this war, alchemy was refined even further, and essentially became what is known as the modern alchemy. This did not save Vineer, though, and the war ended when Phantos took Torm-tire’s side, though due to the lack of a powerful military, Phantos’ council eventually collapsed. Varying amounts of small territory conflicts and other such things continued, until a single man, King Theodore, united the human kingdoms under one rule. For years, humanity was stable. Magic and alchemy were both taught, and many trade agreements and treaties were signed with foreign nations. However, on his death bed, Theodore passed on without name which of his two sons, William and Theodore the Second would take the throne. And again, conflict broke out, this time known as the War of Succession. Theodore the Second started with overwhelming military might, having been backed by the Allurian Empire, but William was able to win the support of the people of Talar through his own actions, and Theodore the Second was forced to back down and surrender, as even if he won the battle, he would be no better than a despot without the will of the people behind him. Barely out of this recent conflict, Allure invaded Talar with the aim of total conquest. The newly united human forces stood together against them, and succeeded, but still suffered grave losses from years of pitched combat. Once again, King William was on his death bed without a heir, but seeing the error of King Theodore, he made the decisions to re-establish the council of Phantos, giving rulership of their lands to his people. It would be this Republic that would form the Nation of Talar after the Age of Reckoning. Appearance: Humans vary greatly in appearance, and their adaptability has lead to the creation of many human subcultures. Humans also tend to borrow styles from other cultures and races. Relations: Humans have great political relationships with most other races, being very apt at the art of diplomacy. Humans usually consider themselves to be an intelligent race, composed of thinkers and innovators, which does sometimes cause them to look down upon the savage races as inferior. Costume and make up requirements: None, you’re a human. Can buy regeneration up to level 1 Start with 5 bonus character points Cannot buy any heightened senses Cannot buy physical advantages. Humans can read, write and speak Common for free. Shades Overview: Shades are a new race to the world they began to show up directly after the Age of Reckoning. Very few know the origin of this race. Shades are striking in appearance, and often confused for some type of undead. Shades have a much harder time channeling magic than any other race. They are naturally untrusting in nature and stick to their own kind. They are very rare. History: Before roughly around a hundred years ago, there were no shades, at least as they are known today. However, there were two kinds of beings known as Shadow Stalkers, a type of undead, known in song and tale as Shades, and a kind of spirit also called a Shade, who were dead souls who took to restless haunting of the lands involved in their death. During the Age of Reckoning, though, the first two beings who fit the description of the modern Shade coalesced. They later became known as the Devourer, and the Master. In the wake of the Age of Reckoning, many of these beings began to form as well, but the first two are the two who most defined the being of the race. Due to the fatigue from the aftermath of the war, most nations simply ignored the new race, and this compounded with the fragmented memories of shade, left them to be poorly understood for the better part of the century of their existence. The Devourer and the Master drifted between places of the world, traveling in the shadows and darkness, and most of the world never would have known about them if it were not for the actions of the Devourer. The Devourer discovered that he could consume the other shades, absorbing into himself their bodies and spirit. When he did so, he regained some his own memories, in addition to claiming the devoured shades own. This did not sit easily on the conscience of the Master, and two became mortal enemies. As the Devourer set out across the world collecting Shades and devouring those he thought to be weak, a group of adventurers sought to stop his slaughter, and rallied the Master to their cause. The two met in glorious combat, and the Devourer fell. The Master, though, was injured from the battle, and in his dying moments, gave his spirit to help those had roused him and helped in the destruction of the Devourer. This event shook the racial identity of the Shades, as they realized their race had barely survived. Some of the more powerful gathered to form a group known as the Collective. The Collective decided that they need to gather the shades together so that they could protect each other and their future. Addtionally, they sought to explain the origin of the Shades, and solve the great mysteries of their race. In a grand act of kindness, the Elves helped realize their nation by giving the Collective a place to live in their capitol, The Silver City. The Collective gladly accepted this generosity. The last piece of the history of their nation is the being known as the Dark Father, or as he is sometimes called, The All Father of the Shades. The Dark Father is a being that is comprised of the two joined spirits of the Devourer and the Master, and he was given leadership of the Collective, and is seen as a mentor and advisor the race as a whole. The Dark Father also created a council of shades to aid him in his duties to his people, and to aid in leadership. Since the creation of the Collective, there have been a select few facts discovered about the origin of the shades. It has been surmised the shades are all some kind of being that possess a spirit or soul whose physical body has died. Beyond that, there are several sources for these souls. Some are those who were murdered before their time, where a soul’s fat was twisted and ended before it could act its part int he great scheme of fate. Others are clearly beings slain by relation to a god, or the actions of a god. Others are vessels of a spirit of Vengeance, a soul who was murdered and has returned to set past wrongs right. However, these beings often are crippled in this purpose, due to the fragmented memories of Shades, and are unable to remember the past wrongs. Each Shade is a unique being, often having its own abilities and memory to itself. As such, there are few things common to each and every shade, and their psychological natures differ vastly from Shade to Shade, and often so their they physical natures. Habits: Shades are a race estranged from the rest of the world, and while each one is unique in some way, they all suffer from some kind of detachment, be it emotional, physical, or mental. Some Shades additionally have multiple spirits or souls in them, further compounding their confusion at their own states. Often shades prefer to be alone, but will always stick up for each other, since Shades are very rare and have the smallest population of any race. Even at the center of their race, the Silver City, there are barely over one thousand shades. Due to these factors, Shades are often deeply mistrusted and misunderstood, and most Shades don’t really care to prove them wrong. There is a small town on the coast of Talar, known as Varros. Just outside of Varros is an area of deep and dark shadow. This area is incredibly sacred to all Shades, as it is the place where the Master and the Devourer and marks the location of the rebirth of the Dark Father. All Shades attempt to visit this spot at least once in their life. Appearance: All shades have contrasting hair in skin, that vary between black, white, and shades of grey. Everything they wear slowly turns this color, as a curious magical byproduct of their race. Only objects that are magical in nature retain their original color. As such, many Shades tend to appear very dour, regardless of whether or not they want to. Costume and Make-up Requirements: Face and body paint, and hair color of any shade between white and black. Can only dress in shades between white and black, and all their non-magical gear must also be this color. When a shade buys mysticism, they only get one Mana point for every point they put into it Can buy regeneration up to level 4. Cannot buy backgrounds at character creation Get 1 Shadow Meld per Flux – on a three count they can “fade” out of this reality. In order to properly shadow meld the player must stay still in the same spot and not move, holding a white piece of cloth over their head. The player may stay in shadow meld for as long as they wish to, however while faded the player cannot be affected by anything short of a plot effect. If the player moves or drops the white cloth the shadow meld ends. One Natural Phase per Flux. The shade calls “Natural Phase”. This effect is described under the Mind spell, Phase. One Natural Shadow Jump per Flux. The shade enters any shadow larger than their body, and calls “Natural Shadow Jump.” The shade then goes out of phase by placing their hand on their head. The shade may move up to 150 feet before exiting out of any shadow at least the same size as their body. If the shade does not exit from a shadow within 1 minute, they are forced out of the nearest shadow and will lose this ability for the rest of the game. Immune to Alchemy that can be resisted. See the Resist Alchemy ability description. Not that Shades are immune to alchemical healing. Shades start with the first levels of Toxin and Disease resistance for free. Immune to fear effects The control undead spell will work on Shades, however the spell becomes a Command spell. This control is not complete, and commands such as killing themselves or their allies will break this control. Simple commands like “defend me”, “attack him”, “bring me a soda”, often work the best. This spell works more like a charm spell then a total control. The First Aid skill costs double bandages to use on Shades. Shades can Read, Write, and Speak Abyssal for free. All Shades have Amnesia Level 1. Cannot take the Arcanist path. Orcs Overview: Orcs live for combat; it’s something that burns deep inside of them, driving them. An Orc couldn’t tell you why they love fighting; they just do. Orcs have been around for most of Ith’s history, but they don’t have much recorded history, and what there is poorly detailed and bloody. Orcs are the most combat-driven of all races, and they feel most at home in the middle of a fight. Some of the more civilized Orcs (as civilized as an Orc can be) form deadly armed units, well respected on any battlefield. History: Orcs hold the general belief that they were made by a goddess. This goddess made a powerful race, which would eternally fight between themselves for a single individual that would be this goddess’s champion and mate. However, not all orcs agree on this, and some Orcs worship their goddess as more of the mother figure who birthed them all. These two are the more popular Orc creation myths. Even the Elves have recorded battles and wars with the Orcs from thousands of years ago, and it is believed that they may be one of the oldest races on the planet. Much of the history of their civilization is recorded from other races dealing with them, as Orcs only choose to recall the greatest of wars and battles, especially battles fighting the lost forgotten evils of the world. Almost all Orcs are a part of a tribe of some sort with a leader who’s the biggest, strongest, and deadliest around. Orcs who wish to contest this leadership may always do so, though these duels almost always end in death of one of the fighters. In the rare chance that the loser lives, they are shamed and stripped of their belongings and cast out of their tribe. However, about a thousand years ago there was a major shift in Orcish politics. A single warlord united many tribes together and founded a single town with a slight amount of organization, and inevitably, the town grew. More Orcs were drawn to the powerful leadership of the single warlord, and with this power, he set forth to blaze a new path for his people. Quickly his town became known as the City of War; their exports were those tools of war: warriors and weapons. Squads and companies of highly trained and well-armed and armored Orcs began to show up around the world. Many Warlords have led the city since, and in line with Orcish customs and traditions, has been burned down and rebuilt many times. The current rulers of the city are two brothers, Gorfang and Sklar Ogmasha. Both achieved great fame in their battles and conquests against the Ancient Ones during the Age of Reckoning. Gorfang and Sklar have also done something slightly unknown to Orcs: they have made peace with most of the outlying cities and nations, opening trade routes and establishing political bonds. They have also sent some of the more brainy Orcs to the Human and Elven lands to attend their schools with the ultimate goal of bringing back their education to the Orc nation. Habits: Most Orcs find themselves in some employment or lifestyle where they can enjoy combat; such as mercenaries, bodyguards, barbarians, pit fighters, gladiators, just to name a few. Not all Orcs are completely bloodthirsty, however, and there are some of Orcs who have been educated, becoming scholars and mages, but these are few and far between. Orcs tend to worship the Orc creator goddess, Winchakah. Most Orcs have strange and deeply seated traditions and superstitions, such as believing that it is bad luck to kill on a moonless night, brought on by their belief that the moon and the sun as the eyes of their goddess. Orcs often succumb to infighting to prove who is the best and strongest. While Orc wares are nearly all combat related, being either weapons or armor, Orc craftsmen who can produce anything of great skill are rare. However there are the rare Orcish blades, which are some of the finest ever created, as their skills for weapon-making have been honed after thousands of years of constant conflict. Orcs fight merely for the sake of fighting, often picking fights with others simply just to practice fighting or prove their strength, and unless it’s an official challenge for leadership of a tribe or to settle an issue, most Orc duels aren’t to the death. Orcs hold Minotaur with a level of respect and hate. Orcs for many years viewed Minotaur simply as powerful beasts that had completely lost themselves to a bloodlust. In many tribes if an Orc wanted to prove himself or prove his right to rule, he would go out and find and slay a Minotaur in single combat. Slaying a powerful Minotaur in single combat was a mark of respect amongst all Orcs. This has changed since the Age of Reckoning, when Minotaur had begun to show up in great numbers and chose to fight against the ancient ones. Orc companies fought alongside Minotaur, and at the end of the Age of Reckoning the two races agreed to stop the bloodshed against each other. However, there is still a lot of tension between the races. Often when a Minotaur crosses the path of an Orc they enter in ritual combat, sometimes to the death. Appearance: Orcs tend to be armed to the teeth, literally. All Orcs have a green shade of skin, typically the deeper or darker the shade belonging to the eldest Orcs. Many have tusks and/or a snout of some kind. Most Orcs wear clothes of a poor standard by humans. Orcs from the far south, where there is a lack of any civilized world, often were furs and pelts of animals and have degraded themselves to savages. Orcs hailing from the city of war most often have some sort of armor on them. Orcs often carry trophies from great wars and slain foes, furs and pelts. Battle scars are worthy signs of strong warriors. Costume and make up requirements: Green face/body paint with approved Orc mask or Orc snout. Pain Tolerance level 2 advantage (Immune to Torture) for free. +1 to all swung weapon damage. 6 Endurance Pool for every level in Stamina. Can buy regeneration up to 3. Cannot be book casters. The Productivity skill costs five extra character points per level. Must have the Superstitions disadvantage level 2. Learning the First Aid skill costs two extra character points per level Learning Lnaguages costs double character points. Orcs can Read, Write, and Speak Orcish for free. Trolls Overview: Trolls are a strange race; known in part by the oddity that the existence of race presents, but more than anything else, they are defined by being solitary beings that can recover from ludicrous amounts of harm and possess great reserves of energy. History: Trolls are everywhere, and they have no real racial history or strong universal background. The term “Troll” encompasses a large number of types of beings that all share similar traits and abilities. During the Age of Chaos the number of trolls increased greatly, due the to amount of rogue magic in the land. Many scholars believe that trolls are beings that have been too greatly altered by magic, responding to the changes of the natural magic flux. Habits: Trolls are interesting beings, though they tend to be socially awkward, they care for very little beyond their enjoyment in the simple things in life. Trolls tend to adapt to an area or social setting and never change, and will live in almost any setting, often preferring sleeping in caves, up in trees, or under bridges. Many trolls still live alone in the wild and backwoods. Trolls seem to always have trouble finding a place in the larger cities. Culturally there are two types of trolls, those that are combative, and those that live solitary lives. Any others tend to embrace nature, and live peaceful lives alongside nature spirits like fey or wild elves. Trolls form bonds that last for a lifetime with those they choose to befriend. Troll are very simple creatures, needing very little to be happy, and are quite often perfectly happy living on the bare minimums of life. Regardless of all else, most trolls have a temper, and tend to be hot-blooded. Due to their simple lifestyles, Trolls with political power are rare, and Troll nobles are nigh unheard of in the Talar Republic. Appearance: Trolls vary greatly in shape and size, but all trolls have horns of some kind, varying from horns protruding from the head to horns and spurs ranging all over the body. Trolls tend to dress simply. Costume and make up requirements: Pick a skin color and a contrasting hair color, small horns on face and or body, or an approved troll mask. Cannot buy the productivity skill, Cannot be affected by the Bloodlust spell. Cannot be gem casters. All trolls have the Hotheaded Disadvantage at level 1 Learning Fighter Paths costs 5 extra character points per level. All maneuvers they use have their Endurance Pool cost reduced by 1, to a minimum of 1. Can buy Regeneration up to level 5. The first five levels of Resilience are free. Cannot be affected by any effect that contains the call, “Charm.” Trolls may Read, Write, and Speak either Wild Speech or Savage Tongue for free. Trolls cannot take the Arcanist Path. Ogres Overview: Descended from the long deceased, proud, and noble Titans of Ith, the Ogres are the byproduct of generations of Titan inbreeding. True Titans have not been seen roaming Ith for hundreds of years, leaving Ogres behind as the proud, but yet not so noble legacy to their namesake. Ogres, as a race, toe the edge between civility and savagery, and their ways and attitudes can range very much from the Ogre in the city and Ogre in the wilds. In their veins runs the original blood of the Titans of Ith, and regardless of the tribe or nation, they are a universally powerful people. History: Ogres, quite literally, are all that remains of the great Titans that used to roam Ith. The Titans originally lived on an isolated island continent that was situated between Allure and Talar. During the Great War with the Ancient Ones, great magical storms wracked the island continent, shattering it into a chain of islands. In this event, most of the Titan race that lived on the islands were killed off. These magical storms lasted for hundreds of years, cutting those that survived on Titanus off from the rest of the world. They were also unable to breed and create a younger generation due to the corruption of the Ancient Ones. In addition to this, many of the Titans had been cursed with madness and stupidity, further complicating the Titans struggle to survive. Through a great number of magical experiments and rituals, the titans finally attained a method of reproduction, though at a terrible price. This price was the devolution of their offspring. Over time, as in-breeding and de-evolution set in, the Titans were reduced in size, power, and might, and finally, the Ogre race was born. These Ogres were stripped of the innate magical abilities of the Titans, though they retained some of the might and power, and were renowned for their strength and fortitude. Over time, the magical storms faded from the shattered Titanus, and the Ogres began to spread over Ith. Habits: Ogres are a strong and crude race. They often possess a sense of entitlement gained from their Titan heritage, and will settle and take over in areas regardless of previous occupants. Some ogres have become aware of their history and have attempted to reconnect with their roots. Ogres in the more wild lands have poor life style habits and often enjoy levels of filth that disgust the more civilized races. People who encounter Ogres in cities are often quite surprised by their flesheating brethren in the wild. Many ogre clans include a number of spell-casters, and ogres tend to have a natural affinity for magic due to their Titan heritage. The ogre race is not known for their vast intelligence or critical thinking skills. Like Orcs, sometimes they can be educated in areas of higher learning but these individuals are few in number at best. Most Ogre clans exist outside of the borders of the major governments, and have known numbers of anywhere from a few dozen, to a few thousand. These Clans are always led by a powerful Ogre mage, who is skilled in both fighting and magic. Ogres often engage in contests with the other races of Ith to prove their worth as the best and toughest around, and these competitions usually involve physical might, pain tolerance, and drinking. Appearance: Most ogres have stout and strong bodies and possess tusks. Ogres place a high value on a tradition of body tattoos and magical markings. This most likely originates from their Titan heritage, and each clan has markings, each bearing meaning within the clan. Generally the markings are related to an Ogre’s status level, or represent their own personal power. They can be awarded to those who have achieved great feats of strength, bravery, or other such contests. In addition to mundane markings, Ogre magi are rumored to be able to inscribe magical tattoos on the flesh on ogres. Some of the more feral Ogre tribes believe that their tattoos have innate powers in them. Costume and make up requirements: Tusks, Tribal markings, body padding. Cannot be book casters One “Taken” a day, as the berserker ability Learning Dual-Wield costs double character points. Toughness costs 3 points per level, and the first three levels are free. Immune to all mundane disarming effects, including Disarm and Seize. Reading and Writing costs double. Cannot buy Athletics. Learning Seanking costs double character points. First level of Disease Resistance for free. Hardened advantage for free. Ogres start with a bonus fortitude for free without having to buy toughness 10 that does not count against their maximum. Can buy Regeneration up to level 2. Ogres can Read, Write, and Speak Titan for free. Cannot take the Assassination or Marksman Path. Minotaur History: In all recorded histories of the races, there has been tell of blood-lusted creatures who took to hunting down and murdering those around them. Often in the past, they have been mistaken for the changed races, and those who make this mistake only realize if after it is too late. In the history of the Elves, there are stories of the dark side of nature, the primal, barbaric aspect. This side of nature embraces the slaughter and feasting upon beasts and men alike. In the story, it speaks that a primal force was born from the minds of these savage beasts. As the races evolved and grew, these beasts continued to kill, both for food and sport, and each death fueled this primal force. Eventually, this raw primal force coalesced into a being known as the Savage God, and his chosen children were the Minotaur, beings embodying the primal rage and violence of nature. For ages, Minotaur chose to live by themselves in solitary lives, as their race does not consist of a great many members. Often, they were feared and hunted by the other races as dangers to civilized society, though the slaying of its children only enraged the savage god further, and this rage blessed each newly born Minotaur further. It was only recently, within the last hundred years that Minotaur have been accepted as beings to be treated with instant violence or fear. The younger of the race began to learn to control their bloodlust, and passed on these methods to their elders, who began to spread these ways. However, the Age of Reckoning struck, and the Savage God sought to unite his children against the Ancient Ones. They gathered in force in one location, and it is said that they all released a roar that cracked the sky, then in the thousands, marched into combat against the Ancient One’s armies. They seemed immune to the corruption, and were immensely effective in combat. As the war raged, the races, societies learned respect for the Minotaur, and it was seen that they were no longer merely mindless beasts of carnage, and were accepted into society as a whole. Habits: Minotaur have a love of combat and battle, and as a race, rival Orcs in this regard. They are most often found in the thickest fighting and battles. Though they tend to be silent and stern outside of combat. Minotaur all speak of the internal struggle that they have against “The Beast”, the primal side of a Minotaur that urges them to give into their bloodlust and rage, and frenzy in eternal battle. Once a Minotaur gives into the beast and embraces it, there is no turning back, and they will slaughter everything that gets in their way. The oldest of the Minotaur have mastered their bestial side, and have learned how to control and tap into it for battle. Because Minotaur do not have access to incanting magic as the other races do, they are often drawn to the worship of deities. They find the discipline of religion and worship helps them to deal with their inner primal urges. Minotaur also have a love of traps and puzzles, despite their feral nature. Minotaur are incredibly difficult to trap, and many feral Minotaur create homes within mazes to preserve their privacy. Appearance: Minotaur are large, powerful beast-men. Their hide varies in any shade that a bovine species could reasonable have. They often take to burning symbols, tattoos, and trophy markings into their hides. Since Minotaur have ingrained loved of battle, they tend to arm themselves with weapons at all times. Costume and Make-Up Requirements: Appropriate body/face paint, bull horns, fur over a significant portion of their body, and a cow nose or an approved Minotaur mask. Can buy Regeneration up to level 1. Cannot buy the Industrious advantage All production costs are doubled. Start with hide level 2, and may buy hide up to level 5. Monstrous strength maneuver: costs 2 Endurance, used to break free from the Quick Sand, Freeze, Root Foot spells, grabs, or the monster ability “Web”, or shrug off the effects of Slow, Chill, Snare and Slow Poison. The call is “ Monstrous Strength” Minotaur cannot be grabbed except by other Minotaur creatures with Monstrous Strength Magic resist costs them double. Alchemy resist costs an extra 2 points per level to buy. +2 to all swung weapon damage. Cannot use magic or magic items that require item activation. However, they can still use potions and refinements. Cannot use ranged weapons. Cannot resist the Berserk spell. Cannot buy Sneaking. Frenzy- once per day- A Minotaur that enters into frenzy is immune to all Mind and Will based spells. All maneuvers performed during frenzy have their Endurance pool cost reduced by 2, to a minimum of 1. During frenzy, Minotaur are immune to stun effects. Frenzy lasts 1 minute. Gore Maneuver for free. Minotaur cannot start with political title. Minotaur can Read, Write, and Speak Savage Tongue for free. Cannot take the Arcanist or Marksman Path Fae Overview: Fae are highly magical creatures from the realm of Arcadia, a plane that exists alongside and throughout the natural world of Ith. Fae are made of magical energy, and as such, they have the ability to interact with and manipulate it with ease. They are known for their playful and curious nature, much like children, and are often expected by other races to be light-hearted and naïve. History: The history of the Fae is uncertain, as they are not well known for having a written record of their past. They prefer to expound upon their history as fantastic stories, mostly expressed verbally or through beautiful imagery. Fae are believed to have a longer history than the Elves; for as long as Magic has existed so have the Fae. The eldest of the Fae are thought to be as old as the world itself, and often reminisce about the birth of Ith and their days spent chatting with the great Dragons. Fae legend explains that energy passing from one plane to another got trapped in the mortal world and lingered for so long that it began to gain sentience. That energy transformed into the first Fae. They lived at the edges of the mortal world, feeling the ebb and flow of the magical energies of the universe, bonding with the natural order and nature itself. As the younger races thrived and their civilizations grew, the Fae were forced further away, preferring to avoid the cities and industrial homes of the mortal beings of Ith. As the population of their neighbors continued to grow, the Fae met with the leaders of the Humans, Orcs, and Ogres and proposed a fair competition to see who should claim ownership of Ith. The contest was long, consisting of 100 games and challenges for every detail of life on Ith, and the Fae believed very strongly that they would win. In their innocence, they did not expect deception and trickery from their neighbors and lost the competition. Fearing that their mortal neighbors would destroy much of the natural world, and the Fae along with it, the most powerful Fae spirits created the realm of Arcadia to be a new home for their brethren and the nature spirits. Within Arcadia they grew the Tree of Life, which provided all of Arcadia with magical energy that gave the spirits living essence. They formed the Fae court to rule over Arcadia and the Fae and nature spirits that resided there, maintaining peace and happiness in their safe haven away from the destructive tendencies of mortal races. The peace of Arcadia was disrupted when the first Dark Fae emerged from within the population of Fae. Angered by their bitter exodus from the mortal world, they turned away from their cheerful nature and peaceful aspects. They chose to embrace the natural darkness present in all life rather than the only the pleasant aspects and brought an uneasy balance to the Fae. But a small group of these Dark Fae manipulated a human sorcerer into crafting a terrible disease they called the Bloodvine. The disease targeted nature and the Fae, and a portion of the Fae population was infected, driving them further from their kin and twisting them until they embodied the darker sides of life. The Bloodvine corrupted their innocence and made them foul and devious, creating the first Dark Fae. Soon thereafter, the Bloodvine infected Arcadia itself and spread all the way to the Tree of Life. The Fae fled old Arcadia to escape the disease until a new home, a new Arcadia, could be created for them. While they dwelled in the mortal world once more, they made new homes for themselves. The Fae and nature spirits founded Groves all over Ith, allowing them to live peacefully in hiding alongside the mortal races once again. When a new Arcadia was created once more, the majority of the Fae and spirits returned to their own plane, but many stayed behind to tend the groves and protect nature. Fae Life: It is not well known amongst other races how Fae are born and how long they live. As beings of magical energy, it’s difficult to settle for one theory, even for the Fae. In Arcadia, Fae are created, fully formed as what appear to be young adults, by human standards, by whatever means the parent or parents devise. Some Fae are created by two Fae combining their essence into offspring. Some Fae are accidents, a coalescence of energy during a ritual or some other instance in which an abundance of magic is expelled. In the mortal world, Fae are born, as any mortal child is born. This is only possible if the parents have been in the mortal world for an extended period of time and have thus settled so that their essence is at harmony with Ith. Fae can live for hundreds or even thousands of years. Fae in Arcadia tend to live much longer lives protected by the safety of their magical home, while Fae in the mortal world are at much higher risk of a tragic accident, illness, or injury. When a Fae dies, however, they do not pass on as mortals do. Their essence simply returns to Arcadia to be reborn. This perpetuates the occasional instance in which a Fae is created out of raw energy with no parents at all. Some older Fae are able to retain some portion of their knowledge from one life to the next, while younger Fae are more likely to forget everything and start all over. The process of rebirth usually takes decades, but there is the very rare occasion of rebirth occurring instantly. The longer it takes, however, the better the chances for the loss of knowledge. Habits: Fae share a common attitude of curiosity and wonder. They have a passionate love for life and living, and they show it through their flamboyant displays of emotion. Younger Fae tend to be more carefree and playful than their elders, and some, particularly the exceptionally young, can be downright mischievous. Fae who are new to the mortal world come across as naïve and innocent until they acquire the experience they need to truly understand life on Ith. Fae always embody a concept relevant to their existence in Arcadia and in the natural world. Magic and nature are prevalent themes in Fae life, offering a wide variety of personality amongst the Fae. Fae maintain an affinity for the lighter, happier sides of life, such as Sunshine, Laughter, Forests, and elemental Magic. It is possible for a Fae to embody a concept that causes them to appear darker than their kin. Situations that are not compatible with a Fae’s aspect may cause them to feel down or upset. For example, a Sunshine Fae may feel gloomy during a rainy day, or a Darkness Fae may shun the sunlight and hide during the day. Fae are not religious and have no gods. They will follow the guidance of Tarpanrion as the most powerful of Nature spirits, but they do not worship him as a god. They have no understanding of religion or deities, and to speak to them about the topic is a futile endeavor. Most Fae will simply become confused or distracted if engaged in conversation about religion, and may not even comment on the matter before walking off to find something more interesting to do. The Fae Courts: Since the founding of Arcadia, there have emerged 5 Courts to govern the actions of the Fae and the nature spirits. -The Court of Light and Shadow is comprised of Fae, both Untainted and Dark Fae in the interest of promoting a balanced coexistence. -The Court of Oberion follows the great spirit of Oberion, a satyr, and devotes their lives to frivolous acts of indulgent pleasures. -The Court of Tarpanrion follows the guidance of the great nature spirit of Tarpanrion, God of Nature. -The Court of Seasons is made up of four smaller courts, one for each season, which take turns during their corresponding time of year to lead their kin in the natural balance. -The Court of Utpiital is comprised of the more elitist of Fae who believe in their superiority and focus entirely on taking actions that promote the betterment of the Fae race. Appearance: Fae are easy to identify. They appear humanoid with large colorful wings. Their colors vary depending on their aspect, and the runes and magical symbols present on their shimmering flesh are just as diverse. Fae are unpredictable in dressing, as they tend to wear whatever suits them at the time. A Fae may arrive dressed in anything ranging from dirty rags they found discarded in an alley when visiting Telaar City to the finest threads available to any who can pay for them. Fae can appear as subtle as they please, or they can dress to be flamboyant and obvious. Usually, however, they tend to dress in a way that reflects their aspect and their hobbies. A Forest Fae is likely to dress in greens and browns that fit comfortably loose, but not too baggy, so that they can move through the trees unhindered and unnoticed. A Fire Fae may dress entirely in reds and yellows that drape and swish with every move and, as a result, often catch on fire during their daily activities. No matter the look, a Fae will always be easy to identify as such, whether by the markings on their face or the wings protruding from their back. Relations: Fae are pleasant, curious, and friendly towards most races, with the exception of their twisted cousins, the Dark Fae, with whom they are more cautious and nervous. They tend to attempt to make friends with new people rather than enemies, and they are likely to make someone their new best friend before that someone has any idea they are friends at all. They are often received as uncanny nuisances, driven by their curious desire to test the limits of their new friends, and any attempts to ignore their antics are usually only met with stronger effort. The Fae can be forgiving, which is more as a result of their curiosity and innocence rather than conscious efforts to let go of the past. The best way to earn favor with any Fae is to participate in their activities, from playing freeze tag to dancing and even just going on long walks. Even the most untrustworthy of people have been able to persuade the Fae into liking them with kind words and fun games. Fae, however, can be untrusting due to the betrayal and trickery of the mortal races they once called neighbors, and it is not uncommon for Fae to leave people out of their fun and games and not extend invitations to their extravagant parties to people of certain attitudes or even entire races. But to cross a Fae is to evoke their crafty revenge. Costume and make up requirements: They all must wear wings and have a creative use of glitter. They must have some kind of marking on their face with the glitter. The marking can change from day to day. Fae tend to dress in lighter and bright colors. On the Whole Fae are highly magical Creatures and must look as such. Fae must also embody a concept; For example: flowers, sunlight, happiness, sharing, etc. Get three Mana for every character point put into mysticism. They cannot be invokers of any kind. They can buy Regeneration up to level 3. Get the Wings physical advantage for free. Rituals performed by a Fae cannot have assistance, but their casting time is reduced by one third. Once per flux a Fae may assist someone else’s ritual, even if they are not a Sorcerer, unless the lead is another Fae. If they are actually a Sorcerer, they can assist normally. Arcane abilities cost half two fewer character points per level. Fae can Read, Write, and Speak Faerie for free. Cannot take the Avenger, berserker, or assassination Fighter path. Dark Fae Overview: Dark Fae are the tormented cousins of the Fae who reside in the infected remnants of the first Arcadia, which is now called Darkadia. The Dark Fae are permanently infected with a magical disease known as the Bloodvine which twists the aspects common to the Fae race into disturbing parodies. The Dark Fae are malicious, devious beings that embrace the darker, more sinister sides of life and are expected to be untrustworthy and viciously clever. History: (See Fae) Within the race of Fae there have always been Dark Fae. From the earliest days of their existence, they were just like their brethren, but they had turned away from their true nature after some terrible experiences that left them scarred and disturbed. The Dark Fae hid amongst their kin, hiding in the shadows, unwelcomed by their own kind. After the Fae lost 100 contests for the ownership of Ith and departed the mortal world, the majority of Dark Fae chose to stay behind and continue hiding from their kin. A small group of the most powerful Dark Fae grew more bitter and gathered together to conceive of a terrible plot. Together, they discovered a human mage, with knowledge of Blood Magic. His name was Tomas. They watched him and whispered secrets to him in his sleep, manipulating his will until he unknowingly began to work for them. After many months, he crafted a powerful magical disease known today as Bloodvine. The disease would change the very essence of whomever it infected, twisting their spirit and causing their body immense physical pain. The Bloodvine could grow into the veins of its target and its thrown would dig into their body and grab a hold of them. No cure was ever devised or discovered before Tomas unleashed his disease upon the world. When the threat of the Bloodvine was realized, its creator was hunted down and killed. But the Dark Fae had secreted away a sample for their own nefarious purposes. They waited for almost a century, watching as the Bloodvine crept through the ranks of the Fae and began to twist them into new Dark Fae. A female nature Fae, Sedalia, was infected with the Bloodvine and slowly succumbed to its influence, not knowing that her mate, Simon, a rare breed of Elf known as a Poison Elf, could also be infected. He was exposed to the Bloodvine during their wedding and it remained hidden inside of him, masked by the other toxins naturally present in his body. Shortly after their wedding, the couple conceived a child, but they were brutally murdered before the boy could be born. The essence of their offspring was swept away by dark forces and coalesced elsewhere as living Bloodvine. The child was called Imbolis, and he was quite insane. He grew to adult rapidly and went on a tirade of murder and vengeance, driven by the darkness caused by his parents murder and the madness given to him by his own corruption. He infected all he touched with Bloodvine, spreading madness and insanity everywhere he went. He soon learned of the existence of Arcadia and easily made his way there, where he infected the Tree of Life, the source of all Magic and Life within Arcadia. The Fae and nature spirits battled to protect their home, but that did not choose to flee simply fell to the disease. The Dark Fae realized that they would have to do something about the insane Imbolis before he could do even more harm. The Dark Fae responsible for the creation of the Bloodvine turned to some of the gods, whose identities have always remained a secret, and made a deal. Those gods confronted Imbolis and forced him to see the error of his ways. They secured an untainted seed of the Tree of Life to give to the Fae to create a new Arcadia, and returned Imbolis’ mother to life so that she could help him mature. After a time with the aid of his mother and the gods, Imbolis ascended to godhood and claimed dominion over the race of Dark Fae. He infected them all with the Bloodvine, making it a permanent part of their lives and culture. Imbolis manipulated the disease so that it would only ever infect willing Fae and promised the gods that as long as all Dark Fae bore his gift, he would never again spread it to any of the other races. Imbolis founded his church and began collecting followers who would worship him and carry out his will. He claimed the old corrupted remnants of Arcadia for the Dark Fae and renamed it Darkadia so that it would always be their home. His people now reside there, or on Ith, in the shadows of dark and dead areas around the world. Dark Fae Life: Dark Fae live and die like their Fae cousins, with a few differences. The Bloodvine is a part of them and defines who they are as a race. Unlike the Fae, Dark Fae cannot reproduce. Bloodvine has made their essence sterile, and as a result their population can only increase by willing infection of a pure Fae. This is not uncommon, as Fae have always been at risk of falling to their inner darkness. Should a Fae experience a traumatic event that drives them away from their pleasant nature, they are already considered to be Dark. They can then seek out their new kin and take the gift of Imbolis, making them pure Dark Fae. Fae who fall to darkness are welcomed by their new brethren and guided through the painful transition until they adapt and take on their new aspect. Habits: Dark Fae are sinister of twisted beings, and as such, they are rarely trusted. They live in shadows to stay hidden from the wide world and often band together to form Covens, with the elders of their kin to lead them. Dark Fae are expected to be devious and evil and show their darker tendencies through quiet dealings and shifty relations. New Dark Fae are often more emotional, especially during their transition while the Bloodvine is still taking hold. These emotions are deeply depressing as they come to terms with the darker sides of life, and they eventually emerge jaded and hardened against the bitterness. Their angst becomes more of a fuel then a deterrent, allowing them to conceive of viciously clever ways to enjoy themselves and their new life. Dark Fae embody concepts that are opposite to those of their lighter cousins. They value themes that are inherently dark and make average people feel uncomfortable. Often times, their new aspect is a twist on the aspect they once represented as Fae- a Dark Fae who was once a Fae of wildflowers might instead embody poisonous plants. Dark Fae are just as effected by situations that are not compatible to their aspect as a Fae. A Dark Fae of hate can become very angry and uncomfortable surrounded by love and friendship. And it is still possible for Dark Fae to embody a concept that appears light in nature, but they will always represent their aspect in the most sinister and disturbing way possible. For example, a Dark Fae who embodies water may try to drown living beings to satisfy its twisted desires. Dark Fae who embody emotional concepts will usually represent unpleasant feelings, like Pain, Rage, or Sadness, and any pleasant emotions they could embody would be twisted- Love would become Lust, Laughter would turn to Pranks, and Friendship would change to Betrayal. A Dark Fae will never represent something inherently benign- such things are false to the Dark Fae and never last. Many Dark Fae worship Imbolis and are honored to bear his gift. Some Dark Fae will be very religious while others may choose to keep it to themselves. Dark Fae who become invokers usually follow the embodiment of Bloodvine above any other god, but it is not unheard of for a Dark Fae to follow another god if they so choose. Imbolis is often revered as the father of the Dark Fae and is honored by his people with dark festivals and sacrifices. The Dark Fae participate in the Fae Court of Light and Shadow, but beyond that there is little interaction with their light cousins on a personal or political level. Appearance: Dark Fae maintain a likeness to their Fae cousins, but they are very different, even in their similarities. Their bodies have rejected most color, causing their wings to be dark or bland instead of the bright colors of the Fae. The magical runes they had as Fae have faded to gray and black and are twisted by the Bloodvine growing throughout their skin. The bloodvine appears as black and dark red veins with thorns that cover the majority of their body. They have lost their Fae passion for life and color and now choose to dress in darker tones, usually black, allowing them to blend in to their shadowy world. Some Dark Fae have a fondness for finer clothes and fancy hats, but they will be low key and not overly extravagant. The last thing most Dark Fae want is to draw attention to themselves. Relations: Dark Fae are mischievous at best, and horribly evil at worst. They are sneaky, cunning, and clever, and they are incredibly untrustworthy. Many people of all races will do their best to never turn their back on a Dark Fae, and rightly so. Dark Fae will make allies of other races, and occasionally those allies may be referred to as friends, but it’s widely accepted that a Dark Fae’s definition of “friend” simply means that they have a use for them, for now. Dark Fae can be pleasant company, and they often enjoy wild parties and friendly competition. Of course, they are likely to cheat and steal if given the opportunity, especially in friendly competition. They are not afraid to eliminate their competition, either, unless they feel they have more to gain in the long run. Dark Fae are expected to have personal agendas that they do not share with others, and most people know that whatever a Dark Fae says is only half true, at best. All the same, Dark Fae are usually welcomed as visitors and allies, but always watched closely for their inevitable treachery. Costume and make up requirements: They all must wear wings and have a creative use of makeup. They must have some kind of magical marking on their face. The marking can change from day to day. Dark fae tend to dress in Dark and Gloomy colors. On the whole, Fae are highly magical creatures and must look as such. Cannot be gem casters. Can buy Regeneration up to level 3. Half production costs for all posions. Dark Fae may resist one poison effect per flux, calling out “Dark Fae Resist” Gain 2 levels of Resistance to only magical diseases, as they are already infected with Bloodvine. Learning sneaking costs half character points. First level of Concocting and Chemistry for free. First level of Resilience for free. Gain the “Wings” Advantage for free. Dark Fae can Read, Write, and Speak Faerie for free. Cannot take the Protector Path Dryads/Satyrs (Nature’s Defenders) Overview: Dryads and Satyrs are charged by Nature with the task of guarding important items and locations. They serve dual roles, Dryads serve the role of Nature’s voice, and Satyrs as Nature’s hands. History: As Ith is a joining of the planes of Nature and Mind, the elementals of these planes have taken on a sort of here-but-not-here existence, as the nature of Ith precludes the presence of elementals that are truly native. As such, they can no longer perform their duties directly. The elementals from the plane of Nature solved this issue by creating Dendrytes to enforce the laws of Nature, and Dryads and Satyrs to speak and act in the defense of Nature. Most mortals were frightened by the Dendrytes, who didn’t particularly care much for civilization or politics. Some decided to solve this by drawing on flora, creating beautiful, care-free dryads to put the other races at ease. Others decided that fauna would be a better choice, since trees were plants and creating creatures from fauna would preserve the balance of nature. These were fun-loving, jovial creatures we know as Satyrs. Together, these two halves work together as liaisons between the Natural world and civilization. How they are actually created is a secret closely guarded by the groves. The common theory is that they simply sprout from the ground in places that are rich in magic and nature. It’s possible that this is where a dryad has planted a seed to grow. It’s also possible that a nature spirit simply decided to make another one. Satyrs, and Dryads weren’t truly solidified in their roles until the Age of Reckoning when Tarpanrion himself summoned them using the Horn of Nature. He led them all in war against the cultists of the Ancient Ones. Dendrytes were officially charged with enforcing Nature’s Laws while Dryads and Satyrs would defend the sacred places of Nature. Because of this, many of these creatures feel a kinship to Tarpanrion, like a father to their race. Others are resentful of being placed in these roles against their will. Habits: Both Dryads and Satyrs are very social creatures, and love to interact with other races, cultures, spirits and all of nature’s splendor. Some of them take their duties to nature very seriously, and unceasingly fulfill their duties. Both Dryads and Satyrs tend to avoid large cities and tend to love nature and being around their fellow nature spirits. Dryads and Satyrs consider Fae and Dendrytes to be brothers and sisters and see themselves as almost the same race, or at the very least, closely linked in the world. Dryads are often the speakers of nature, and are very social and political beings. They tend to speak their mind and have both a motherly and helpful manner to them. Dryads tend to be a sort of ambassador of nature, and act very often in the role of liaison between the civilized world and the world of nature. Their mannerisms very often embody the elemental magics. As opposed to Dryads, Satyrs motives are more serious. In a situation where a Dryad would ask a farm to act with more kindness to his land, the Satyr would merely tell or force them leave. Satyrs believe in tricking and forcing others to learn to respect and obey nature, rather than convince them. Satyrs have a reputation for being tricksters, and love to play games with the mortal races. To them, life is but a game. Satyrs embody the concepts of the spiritual magics. Appearance: Dryads appear similar to any other humanoid race, however, they are always female bodied, with vines, leaves, and other plant life sprouting from their skin and hair. Occasionally, their skin will be the texture of flowers or bark. Satyrs also appear as other races, and are always male bodied. They have the legs of goats, and posses magical markings on their bodies. Costume and make up requirements: Male players are Satyrs, and female players are Dryads. Satyrs need fuzzy leggings, small horns and a short tail. Dryads need to wear plants and flowers. Both are magical creatures and should have magical markings and tattoos on their bodies. Stash Spot Advantage for free. Dryads cannot cast Spiritual magic. Satyrs cannot cast Elemental magic. Charm: They may cast a Charm effect, similar to the spell. This Charm cannot be used on the same target more than once per Astral Conjunction. Creatures not affected by Mind magic are immune to this effect. This Charm is a touch-range ability. On touching a Target the Target becomes highly friendly to the Dryad or Satyr, but is not under their command. This ability is Will based, and the call is “Magical Charm, Will <Level>”, with <Level> being the caster’s Will. Only a single target may be charmed at a time. The charmed effect lasts until the next flux. They can cast Tree Teleport once a flux for free, at twice normal distance. Cannot wear armor. Can buy Hide up to 4. Can buy Regeneration up to 4. They get a free bonus Toxin Resist, on top of any Toxin Resists they would normally buy. This means a Dryad or Stayr can have a total of 4 Toxin Resists if the player wishes to buy all 3. If an invoker,worship a god with an elemental domain. Nature’s Guardian: Pick a natural location or item to defend. This must be approved by plot, and tied into their character’s background. Dryads and Satyrs can Read, Write, and Speak Wild Speech for free. Can not take the Assassination Path. Dendrytes (Nature’s Enforcers, Keepers) Overview: Dendrytes are a race of tree and plant folk, charged with the protection and keeping of the forests and wilderness. Sometimes they perform more destructive roles as Nature’s Enforcers, and when angered are a terrifying force to behold. History: When Ith was created from the joining of Nature and Mind, the elementals of those respective planes have found themselves unable to perform their original duties, existing a state between states, barely able to influence the world. To continue their service and their roles, the beings of Nature created new races to serve them. One of these was the Dendrytes, who were created as Enforcers for Nature. According to popular theories, Dendrytes were the first of the new servants of Nature to be created. When natural areas were in peril, spirits of Nature latched onto, and merged with, the oldest and powerful thing the could find, the trees. These trees became sentient and mobile, able to serve and fight in the name of Nature, forever changed. Time progresses, and these beings reproduced, and became a true race in their own right. In Arcadia, it is said that magic of that place has made it so that all the trees there are Dendrytes, though many are asleep, and will be until a true cause for their might is found. In addition, almost all trees descended from the original tree of life are Dendrytes. Dendrytes are, and always have been, the first and last line of defence for Nature. When Nature is threatened, they are the first to rouse, and always in force. They, as a race, have always had the greatest connection to nature, as ultimately, they were born from nature in its entirety. Habits: Dendrytes have a dual nature, one from their origin as the watchers of the world as trees, and the other from their ascended roles of Nature’s guardians. As such, they are often patience, peace-loving creatures, quite inclined to seek a peaceful solution to most problems. At least until their ire is raised, at which point they become enraged forces of destruction, and will not cease their rampage until the present problem is solved. In normal life, they tend towards less populated areas of civilization, feeling less affinity for them. Due to their previously sedentary lives, they are also fond of wandering the world at large, and some Dendrytes become mildly renowned for their skills at exploration and ceaseless journey. Appearance: Dendrytes are all some kind of mobile tree or plant, with forms ranging from trees, ferns, or even fungi. Their size can very greatly, though most of the ones that have any degree of real mobility are around the size of the average human. Any larger, and their movements become ludicrously cumbersome. They are usually physically large and imposing, as plant matter tends to be spaced out a bit, adding a fair bit of bulk to their form. Costume and make up requirements: Heavy costuming for a tree or plant person, may include body suits or heavy make-up. Possibly includes; branches, leaves, flowers, moss, or bark patterned costuming. Can buy Regeneration up to 5 Can buy Carapace up to level 10 Carapace regenerations in 15 minutes of non use, instead of the normal half an hour First four levels of Carapace for free. Cannot benefit of carapace gain from spells, however certain spells heal their carapace. May Camouflage as the spell twice a flux for free. May only cast Earth, Nature and Universal magic. Once a flux, they can perform the Tree Friend spell, using themselves as the target for the spell. The Dendryte is unable to move for the duration of the spell. If they take a wound, the effect ends. Get the Claws physical advantage for free. May only use wooden Staff/Thrusting or Blunt weapons, and wooden shields. Cannot buy Armor or Hide. Any first aid skills require twice as many bandages when used on a Dendryte. Dendrytes are immune to Lethal carrier, and may ignore the carrier however they must resolve the attack or affect as normal. Dendrytes can Read, Write, and Speak Wild Speech for free. Cannot take the Assassination or arcanist fighter paths. Race Modification Kits Some races can take one of the following Racial Modification Kits, which stack on top of any normal Racial Abilities, within the restriction on races listed in each package. The Touched Overview: The touched are a relatively new race to the world of Ith, they began to show up in greater numbers right before the Age of Reckoning. They are those people who are blessed or cursed by the Gods. Nevertheless, they bear the mark of the God who has chosen to touch their lives. Some say they are designed for single purpose, while other says they are agents of that God’s will. History: There have been many individuals throughout time that seem to have been blessed by the touch of a God. In the last 200 years, their numbers have been increasing drastically. These have been dubbed, “The Touched.” Touched can be of any race, however they stand apart from their race, having been given the gift of strange skills. At some point in their life, all Touched go through the process known as “The Marking.” This stage is where the touched becomes aware of their unique gift, as all touched have been chosen by a single God for a purpose. This can be either a blessing or a curse. Touched are free willed and sometimes will not bend to the Marking of the God’s will upon them. All players who are Touched have gone through their Marking. Whether they choose to accept it or not is up to them. Habits: Touched are driven by deeper purposes, either choosing to embrace the marking, or defy and disdain it. These desires often lead them to have strange motives; some touched seek the religion of the God for help, becoming part of the church, while others disregard the organized churches entirely. Appearance: Touched vary in greatly in appearance. Some times touched bear special markings that link them to their God. This can include wings, horns, tails, different skin color, birthmarks in strange patterns, or almost anything else imaginable. All touched have their God’s holy symbol emblazoned as a birth mark somewhere on their body. Relations: Touched, depending on what god has marked them, and how they chose to accept the Mark, will have wildly varying relations with other races and religions. For example, someone who has been cursed by the God of Order wouldn’t be terribly popular with its followers, nor would someone blessed by the God of the Chaos be popular with those following the God of Order. The following Races can be Touched: Dark Fae, Dryads and Satyrs, Dendrytes, Minotaturs, Glyches, Elves, Humans, Orcs, Ogres, Trolls, Korgahn, shades. Background must include an in-depth story on what God or higher power touched their characters lives and why the character is important to the God. No costume requirements. Cannot buy regeneration Cannot buy resilience, and spells that affect their resilience timers have no effect. Cannot be resurrected through magical rituals or miracles of Faith. Can only be brought back to life through a resuscitate spell, revived through first-aid, or divine intervention. Receive one disadvantage and advantage, assigned by plot that they do not receive or pay the points for. The disadvantage cannot be bought off with character points. At character creation, they must choose a weapon type. They automatically do base weapon damage, and get the first level weapon maneuver for free. Any other type of weapon damage other than their chosen weapon type costs double character points to increase. Get 1 free righteousness per day that will stack with other righteousness. Get first level of one resistance of their choice for free. Pick one pool (Faith, Endurance, or Mana), and regenerate that pool at one and a half times the normal rate whenever they would normally regenerate that pool. However, this does not increase instant effects such as scrolls, potions and spells. Touch who quest for the avenger fighter path must quest but do not pay any points for the 1st level of the Avenger path. The Shifted Overview: Shifted are the combination of a race and type of plane. On top of this, one half of them is firmly rooted in one of the magical planes. There are eight magical planes, Death, Life, Chaos, Order, Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. They are hybrids of the people of the plane encompassing Ith, and another, existing as beings of both simultaneously. History: Shifted have existed for quite a long span of Ith’s history. The first Shifted were made from magical rituals that summoned elementals and planar creatures, and bound them within the shell of another creature. Some of shifted who exist today are descendants of those original, magically augmented mortals. Others are true hybrids, spawned between people of Ith and beings such as elementals and the creatures that live naturally in that plane: Fire salamanders, Water hydras, Death Reavers, Chaos Spawns, and such creatures. Habits: Shifted have the habits of their both their parent race and the elemental plane that flows in their blood. They find themselves drawn to their elemental aspect, embracing it wholly. Many shifted take up spell casting of the same school of magic that they are a part of, in an effort to become more closely attuned with their other half. Appearance: Shifted bear obvious signs of their mixed bloodlines. This varies greatly from one shifted to another depending on what plane they hail from. For example, a Fire Salamander shifted might show red skin, partial scales, fire markings branding their skin, and a red scaly tail. Relations: Shifted fit into normal society and religions fairly well, with the exception that they will refuse to worship Gods that directly oppose the plane they originate from. In some circles, the Shifted may be looked upon with suspicion, as most interactions the denizens of Ith have with elemental beings are either invasion attempts, or the rampaging of elementally attuned beasts. The Following races can be shifted: Human, Elf, Ogre, Korgahn, Orc, Troll, Satyr, Glych, or Minotaur. Costume and make up requirements: Heavy costuming requirements based on what element or creature on top of whatever their base race costume requirements are. Can buy regeneration up to level 3 Their bleed out timer is doubled The banish spell acts as a rend effect on them During character creation, the player must pick one of the 8 primary plains to be from and what manner of creature hybrid they are They get a GM special that they have to work out with plot and has to fit their character and part of what type of planar creature they are mostly elemental or a creature that is native to that plane. Whatever plane they are from, they get one special resistance, per flux this resist may once be used on spells that are from same plane of magic that they are from. Shifted may not resist spells from their opposite magic plane which are listed below. Shifted also do not gain positive effect of spells from that school cast on them as incants. Fire-Water Earth-Air Life-Death Order-Chaos Planar strike- all Shifted gain the ability to strike some one with the power of their plane. For the cost of their primary pool a shifted may expend either 2 mana or 1 endurance for each point of damage they wish to strike for, This attack may be delivered with either a hand to hand baton or packet. This attack is a spell and may be resisted. “ From the plane of X I summon the force of X to strike you.” Shifted who quest for the Arcanist Fighter path, must quest for the path but do not pay any points for the path. o o o o Changed Overview: Changed is actually a term used a cover a huge number of races, which are all hybrids between an animal, and a humanoid race. This races retain the humanoid form, but share key characteristics of both races. (Note: Minotaur, Werewolves, and some other races are NOT changed) History: The Changed have been present Ith for an astonishing amount of time, and many have been present since the creation of the plane. The first changed were Fae who had bonded with animal spirits, though those particular form of changed have waned in recent years, and have become more rare. However, many more distinct subraces have existed in the elves memory, such as the Dragonkin and Lizardmen, who are lizard or dragons combined with mortal forms. Both of these races share the same magical affinity, being attuned to the Dragons of old. The Fae, of course, attune with Nature. The origins of Changed can be quite varied, though their origins are almost always magical in nature. Some are born from the coalescing of natural forces in active magical areas to normal parents, while others are races with lineages of their own. Habits: There are theoretically infinite number of changed races, and they all have distinct habits and cultures. For example, there are: Skree, a race of spider changed. They live in, and love the darkness of caves, often forming rough tribal cultures that occasionally interact with the Korgahn kingdoms. Dragonkin are the only living remains of the dragons on Ith. They were created by the dragons to interact with the mortal races on their behalf. Dragonkin possess one of the dragon bloodlines, and as such each one will be attuned to one of the ten schools of magic. Lizardmen are one of the oldest races on Ith, they are a green scaled reptilian race, which worshipped the dragons as god long before the age of mortals. They are mostly scholars and craftsmen, and have a tradition of oral history passed on from the time of the dragons, and are often sought for those seeking archaic and ancient knowledge. Saruin are an offshoot of the Lizardmen race, but evolved completely differently, into a race of savages and warriors. They organize into nomadic structures that wander the length and breadth of Allure and Talar, raiding and fighting. They are notoriously hard to wipe out and kill, and tend to just bounce back from any attempts to wipe them out. Nezerkin are a race of rat Changed. They are a race of talented, industrious craftsmen, and find themselves adept at just about any tradeskill they take up, often reaching the levels of some of the greatest artisans of the civilized races. Appearance: There is no universal appearance for the Changed, beyond a basic humanoid shape, and features of their parent race and animal race. The following races can be Changed: Human, Elf, Orc, Ogre, Korgahn, Dryads, Fae, Dark Fae Glyches Heavy costuming required for “animal” type Will costs 2 extra points per level to buy. . Depending on type of changed, may buy Regeneration level 2-4. Get first level of all resistances for free (disease, poison, Alchemy, magic) Get a GM Special for free ability or power based on animal type. All physical advantages bought at character creation cost half, except for Hide. All Change start with hide level 2 or carapace level 3 depending on changed type. And may be able to buy it higher based on changed type. Cannot buy Political Title. Research and Lore skills cost them double character points to buy. If the character wishes additional abilities, such as a web ability for a spider changed, they should work it out with plot buying GM special. All Changed gain a special skill called “Scrounging”. This is a production-based skill. A Changed may spend as much of their production in Scrounging in-between games as they wish. Scrounging represents that most changed are able to use their animal half to help them find things. The items are that found with Scrounging are given at random, and sometimes may result in worthless items being found. The more production spent on Scrounging between games, the greater The Ages History Scholars and historians commonly view the history of Ith as a sequence of long time periods called the Ages. Each age is marked by important events, trials and tribulations. The Age Before This Age occurred before recorded time, stretching beyond the last 5,000 years of our calendar. This is when Dragons and Titans ruled Ith, and the only other sentient beings known to exist are the Elves and Orcs. This Age is known in some cultures as The Age of Myths. The Great War This marks the first assault on Ith by the Ancient Ones, an epic battle fought by the Dragons and Titans. The defenders succeeded, the Ancient Ones were defeated and fled Ith. The Age of Strife As they fled, the Ancient Ones cursed all the races of Ith for 1000 years. The Titans and Dragons began to die out, the curse leaving them nearly unable to reproduce. Orcs fell to savagery and their society all but collapsed. The length of Elven gestation was greatly increased which caused their numbers to decline over the generations. The Fey left Ith to create Arcadia, fleeing the curse in an attempt to shield themselves. The Age of Magic The Age of Strife ended with the unraveling of the Ancient Ones' curse. The Dragons bestowed magic on the Elves, entrusting them with its preservation. Those considered first among the Dragons place themselves within Ith, taking turns to infuse it with the power to sustain magic. Towards the end of the Age of Magic, Humans, Ogres, and Trolls begin to appear as primitive societies on the fringes of civilization. Fey and the Nature Spirits return to Ith, helping life re-grow and flourish. The Magic of Magic ends with the collapse of the Elven Kingdom due to pervasive political infighting. During this instability, other races begin to develop the means to cast magic. Shifted and Changed become much more common during this time. The Age of Man The Age of Man Begins in bloodshed, as Humans expand their influence on Ith. The Humans in the south allied with the Orcs and Ogres in the region, adopting their savage tribal nature. The Humans to the north allied with the Elves, and through that union developed more sophisticated social and technological advancements. A rift grew between the north and south, fueled by the rivalry between their allies. This lead to what is known as the Blood War, a conflict between Northern and Southern Humans, with the Elves and Orcs inciting further aggression. After one hundred years, the war dies out, and peace settles over the land. Humans control the vast majority of Ith, divided into the territories of Phantos, Trom-tire, and Vennier. Phantos was the largest, considered a neutral force in regards to racial relations, and would later become much of what Talar is today. Trom-tire and Vennier still held grudges from the Blood War, which blossomed into the conflict known as the Trom-tire – Vennierin war. This Age also marks the ascension of the first non-elven deities, through a powerful ritual performed by the three known as Dierdre, Darkwind, and Lartuen. Korghan begin to appear from deep with the mountains and began to interact with other races. The Age of Chaos Phantosian government collapses after several important figures are assassinated. Human expansion has grown to its largest, but the collapse cuts off much of the outlying territory from central Phantos. The god of Chaos rises to power, threatening to break the world apart. The Bloodvine begins spreading through the Fae at a pandemic rate, killing some at first then turning the vast majority into Dark Fae. Arcadia itself becomes infected with the disease, driving the remaining Fey to Ith. Eventually a new Arcadia is created, but many Fey remain on Ith. Evidence begins to show that Dierdre, Darkwind, and Lartuen created a rupture in reality with the Ritual of Ascension. The flaws in the ritual are eventually corrected, shifting the timeline of Phantos. With the strain on the magical forces of Ith, the entombed Dragons struggle to maintain their duty. The Dragons are forced to coalesce into a single being known as the Essence Dragon, losing their direct connection to Ith while maintaining the presence of Magic. The Orcs rise to prominence during this age, uniting under a single Warlord with the purpose of establishing their own lands. For the first time since the Age of Strife, the Orcs carve out their own territory crowned with their capital, The City of War. In the far south of Phantos, the Demon Lord Azrael attempted to raise an army to conquer Ith. At a critical moment, he was betrayed and struck down by one of his own champions, banishing him back to his realm. The Age of Unification Things stabilize in Phantos, and the people are united under a benevolent monarchy. Glyches begin to appear in large numbers, traveling between towns to trade and establish their place in society. Allure (another continent) is taken over by a powerful and tyrannical Emperor, influenced by an Undead lord and his consorts. Many of Many of Phantos' outlying territories come back into the fold. Much of what lore and technology that was lost in previous conflict is restored to the world. New deities begin to ascend, and the Three begin to lose the grip they once had on the mortal populace. The end of the Age is marked by the death of the King of Phantos, sparking a war between his two heirs. The fighting was short, but brutal, after which the Allurian forces attempt to invade the re-stabilized kingdom and fail. The Age of Reckoning The Age of Reckoning began with the corruption of the Divine Arbiters and the Champions of Fate by the Ancient Ones. Each of the mortal kingdoms are forced to unite against a common enemy as the Ancient Ones invade Ith. The Deities defy the Fates, and begin directly assisting their mortal worshippers. A titanic struggle ensues, and overwhelming power is unleashed, unseen since the Great War. The Ancient Ones are repelled, at great cost to the defenders, with several deities joining the ranks of countless fallen mortals. Their passing leaves a void in the structure of the cosmology, leading to a massive surge in new deities hoping to claim their abandoned dominions. The great Elven library deep in the heart of the Elven lands is destroyed and much of their history is lost. What was once Phantos is reborn as Talar, named for the house of nobles that led the forces of mortality to victory. The Human lands are ruled by a Noble Council, a system of nobility which allows new areas ruled by others to join the Republic of Talar quickly, and without loss of political or social power. Their dominion expands, recovering much of the territory that had been lost during pervious ages. The Republic of Talar is formed mostly from Human, Glych, and Korgahn houses. However, every race boasts a large population within its borders. The Elven lands remain to the north of Talar, and much of the area to the south is held by Orcs and Ogres sworn to the City of War. The Age of Reckoning The History of Talar as written by an unknown historian It is funny how fast things can go wrong and how rock bottom is never really the furthest you can fall. Just ask the Korgahn. Allow me to take you back to the closing days of Prince Theo and Prince William’s little war. Theo sent a strike force in hopes that it would break William’s line and flank his forces. However, William prevented the large team of death knights from breaking through their lines leading to the eventual defeat of Theo’s forces. Destitute, outnumbered, and surrounded, Theo had little choice but to raise the flag of surrender. William accepted his brother’s surrender and quickly moved to repair the damage caused to the Kingdom newly under his sole dominion. The neighboring continent Allure had supported Theo during the war, and William remained concerned about their intentions. His suspicions were confirmed when Allure launched a massive attack. Undead forces hit hard and fast, the opening salvo in a fullscale war. William was eventually able to unite the lands and repel the attacks. Thrilled with his valorous defense of the Realm, the people of Phantos gave William their overwhelming blessing and peace and prosperity embraced the land. At the end of William’s rule, since he had no offspring, he ceded rule of the land back to his beloved people and reinstated the republic under the reformed Council of Phantos. The council ruled for 100 years during the time known as the Age of Reckoning. A digression here will help put the following events into proper context. Let us consider what we know of the beginning of the world and the birth of the races: Most people take the workings of the world for granted or simply do not care. We know that magic comes from the Dragon, but there is more to it than just that. Listen close here, for this is important: Dragons used to be common throughout the old world, but no one knows where they came from (except, perhaps, the eldest of the Elves.) The Dragons, despite their purity and grace, had made a great enemy in a group known as the Ancient Ones, nameless, faceless terrors that could give Gods nightmares. The Ancient Ones found this young world with its dragons and young races and salivated at the possibility of feasting on the life and energy that it produced. A savagely brutal war took place where most of the Ancient Ones died and the few that were left fled. However, the Dragons were crippled in the conflict. Many of them were dead or dying. Fearful that the Ancient Ones might one day return, they used the last of their will to gift the young races with magic. The Dragons that survived retreated into slumber, leaving only one of their kind at a time awake to provide magic to the land. This worked for a time, but the young races abused their newfound magical power, wounding the Dragons. Realizing that singularly they could not maintain Magic, all of the Dragons ascended, forming a single powerful being known as the Essence Dragon. The Essence Dragon would watch over all of the young races until the return of the Ancient Ones. Alas, the greed of the young races for Magic has stretched thin the gift of the Essence Dragon, and the Ancient Ones have made their move. Before I continue, there is something else you need to know: an important element into the comings of things and how it all played out. The Exarchs of Fate are powerful enforcers that back the fundamental schools of Magic. Each bears a single ancient weapon that embodies that school. The Exarch of Mind, who rules and watches over the other Exarchs, was a man named Sho. He was a timeless warrior who had saved the world time and time again. The Ancient Ones worked behind the scenes and corrupted the Exarchs of Earth and Fire by promising them godlike powers. The two corrupt Exarchs attacked Sho, and handed the Blade of Mind to the Ancient Ones who corrupted it with their own alien magics. The fallen Exarchs of Earth and Fire continued to attempt to corrupt the other champions and arbiters. Those who refused their offers were killed. Cults began to form, armies were built, and a storm began to brew. The storm broke with the attempt to corrupt the Exarch of Death. The corrupted Exarch of Earth and Arbiter of Thrain went to the Exarch of Death, offering him a spot as a general in the war to come. The Exarch of Death, in a furious rage, attempted to kill them and fled. He told the Gods and Fates of what had begun. Unfortunately, the Ancient Ones had successfully disguised their movements from the Gods, despite all the wisdom and knowledge of our great Deities. When the vile machinations became clear, the Gods moved quickly but too late. The Ancient Ones’ armies marched from their underground hiding places, destroying everything in their path. The Exarch of Death went to Thrain, the God of Death, and using their powers together, they formed a pact with every fallen great warrior. These mighty soldiers were returned to life to fight again for a single day. Thrain also refused to collect any souls who fought, and so the mortal army was able to fight long after being struck down. As the Ancient Ones’ army marched on, the two armies clashed in a massive battle, slowing the Ancient Ones army to a crawl. The Three: Darkwyn, Diedra and Lartune, knew that the mortal corpses alone could not stop the Ancient Ones. They ignored the rules of the Fates and manifested themselves on the world, leading the charge into the opposing army. Such a battle had never been seen and likely will never be seen again. Darkwyn was at the front of the army and fiercely engaged the Ancient Ones in combat. Lartune acted as commander of the forces and enchanted all those around him. Diedra aided and healed the fallen. As Darkwyn faced the Ancient Ones, the mortal army was being torn apart by the corrupt champions and arbiters. Then, just as all was thought lost, an unarmed man that no one knew moved to the front of the line. He wore little clothing, yet his presence caused the corrupted ones to halt, and courage to swell within the ranks of man. Whispers spread that this man might be the resurrection of Sho, or possibly the embodiment of the will of the Fates themselves. The Corrupted Exarch of Fire stepped forward to meet this mystery man, and with a single motion, the mysterious person took the corrupted weapon away and slew the champion. In the stranger’s hands the weapon became pure instantaneously. This turned the tide of the mortal army’s battle. However, Darkwyn was not faring well against the Ancient Ones. Diedra, seeing Darkwyn beginning to fail, saved him from death and joined his side in battle. The battle was long and the fields that were fought on are still stained red from the blood of the thousands who fought that day. In the end, the Ancient Ones were defeated- but at what price? Most of the corrupted champions and arbiters were dead, and Darkwyn, Diedra, and Thrain had all exhausted their powers. Darkwyn and Diedra passed on into the nether, wounded and powerless, but they pasted together. Lartune simply disappeared, giving himself up to restore some balance back to the land. Thrain was consumed by the power of Death, having bent all of its laws for so long. With the land shattered and scarred, all but the most basic forms of governments collapsed, and cults of the Ancient Ones still lurk in the shadows. The area that was Phantos was then renamed Talar. Talar, ironically, was the land’s original name from long ago. Fifty years have passed since Thrain was consumed. The Fates created new gods to take the place of the fallen deities. The Fates also bestowed power to others just in case the Ancient Ones were to return. In the mortal realms, a new Council has been formed and is reclaiming the lands that lost during the Age of Reckoning. At their behest, adventures strike forth to reclaim lost lands, and others are being trained in preparation against a return of the Ancient Ones. Now, with the forces of darkness and the Ancient Ones plotting in the shadows and with cults seeking to find ways to restore them to power, it is time for mortals to take up the fight that the Dragons and Gods began. The new Gods need champions and the land needs heroes. Ask yourself: are you worthy of adding your name into the history of this world? Militant Orders There are ten well known Militant Orders that operate throughout the land. Each order has specific goals and ideals. Most of them are well-established organizations with several hundred members, and in addition, some are backed and funded by noble houses. During the Age of Reckoning many of the orders joined forces to create massive and highly effective combat units. Players wishing to join a militant order must apply for membership. Most of them will accept you as a Man at Arms (or whatever the name for their Rank 1 is) for a trial period; however, some of them are much harder to join than others. Players wishing to make their own order must write it up and submit it to Plot. This only applies to a group of players that would want to all buy a rank in it. The Council of Talar approves the creation of new Militant Orders. However, once created, the Council takes no part in the operation of an Order, and has no authority over it. Each Order sends a Champion that has a seat on the Council of Talar to report on the Order’s status and to relay information back to the Order. All of the information listed below is considering public knowledge, and it is the general knowledge that any person could have, barring special circumstances. Any other information must be acquired in game. Baal's Enforcers: Overview: Baal, one of Sho's top students, took over Sho's dojo after Sho’s death. However, Baal’s dark and extreme take on Sho’s ideals caused a schism between Sho’s other remaining students, leading to the origin of Baal’s Enforcers. Baal trains warriors, bodyguards and assassins of the highest degree, and while his methods and motives are sometimes questioned by the Council, his results are not. Baal seems to have taken a personal vendetta against the corrupted arbiters and champions that fled since the Age of Reckoning and is actively hunting them down and seeking their destruction. Colors and Heraldry: Baal’s enforcers dress mostly in black and dark blues and they often favor tactical battle wear which conceals their identity. Their order symbol is a series of circles with a hooded skull in the center. This symbol is commonly worn as an arm band or a favor from a belt. History: After the Age of Reckoning, Baal left the Elemental Guardians. It is rumored that he took over leadership during the final stages of the conflict and many in the school felt his methods were too harsh and extreme. Stonewind, a grandmaster of air, opposed his command, saying they should stick to the foundation left to them by Sho, and challenged Baal to a duel for leadership. Baal refused, wishing to avoid any more unnecessary bloodshed, and took with him a number of his personal students and others in the order that shared his ideals. With these like-minded individuals, he created a new order known as the Enforcers, setting up a secret fortress/monastery for them to train and live in. He then offered the Council of Talar his, and his orders services, as spies, bodyguards, and assassins. Some on the council worried about Baal’s motives, but within mere months, Baal was hunting down war criminals of the Age of Reckoning and handing them over to council for punishment. Despite cloaking himself and his order in shadow, his results could not be disputed, and his motives appeared to align with the interests of the Council. His order’s reputation grew over time, and now Baal’s enforcers are known worldwide, and suspected of much, but never convicted of anything. Baal has issued orders that his order is never to interfere with the Elemental Guardians and that they should lend aid to them when ever possible. This has led to a friendly rivalry between the two Orders. Meanwhile, Baal himself carries out his own personal vendetta against those who slew his former master. Structure:The Enforcers hierarchy structure is shrouded in mystery, very little of them is written in official records. What is known is that the order works in Circles. New members are placed on the outer most circle, known as the first circle. As they prove themselves they move to the inner circles. There are rumored to be seven circles in all. The location of the orders keeps and strongholds are kept a close secret. Members of the order often work independently or in small teams, rarely meeting other members of the order outside of those they work and train with. However, Baal will occasionally call for an “opening of the circles” in which the whole order amasses for a single, large scale, mission of great importance. Commanders: Baal is the overall commander of the enforcers and is known to be an assassin of legend. It is rumored that he is undead but this cannot be confirmed, as he has not been seen by the public for a great deal of time. His top lieutenant, Long Shadow of the Seventh Circle, is an elf who reports to the council of Talar on Baal’s behalf. He oversees the daily operations of the order and assigns members to tasks given by the council. Long Shadow is widely viewed as the leader of the Enforcers. Training and Recruitment: The Enforcers rarely recruit anyone, and because of this, they have a relatively small order. Regardless, they produce some of the worlds most deadly combatants. Those interested in joining the Enforcers must bring one of two things with them: someone whose life they saved in combat or the skull of someone they have killed in single combat. Often times they don’t understand that this is their first test, a test of honor, and fail it. However, Baal has an unusual training style, in which he will not reject or fail anyone, but rather break them until the point at which they leave the order on their own. It is rumored that Baal seeks out orphans created by war and destruction and takes them in as children to begin their training at a very young age. Novice (First Circle): A novice is one who has passed his first test and just joined the order. They are responsible for their own training. Assignments are delivered to them, and they are solely responsible for their completion. They are given a master who oversees them. Novices are prohibited from covering their face or lying at all. Novices must prove their own dedication to the order and once they have proven their loyalty, honor and martial skill, they are given a foe worthy of them to defeat in a one on one duel. If they win, they are given permission to enter the next circle. Adept (Second and Third circles): On reaching the Second circle the adept gains the right to travel to one Baal’s many secret Dojo’s to train. While training they are broken down to nothing and then rebuilt into what the Enforcers need. Baal’s training method is best described as short phrase he would often say, “To become something, you must first taste and feel what it is to be nothing.” Here, an Adept will choose either to walk the way of the Assassin or Guardian. Those of the Second circle may only leave the dojo under strict supervision. Most of those who attempt to reach the 3rd circle fail, and it takes many retries, and only if they successfully complete their Dojo training they are permitted to move into the Third Circle. Once one has chosen to walk the way of the Assassin or Guardian and completed their training, they are considered an official member of the order. They are given the armaments of their order, financial means and a new identity. They must cover their face whenever on assignment. Their assignments are given out from the order. These assignments often span vast amounts of time and thoroughly test the loyalty and honor of the Enforcer. Knight-Enforcer (Fourth circle and Fifth circle): To reach the Fourth circle one must have mastered both the path of the Assassin and the Guardian. They must pass a trial, tailored by Baal himself, in which their body, mind, will and loyalty is tested. Assuming they pass, the Enforcer enters the Fourth Circle. They become the living will of the order, able to represent the order and conduct business on it’s behalf. Their life is no longer their own, it is Baal’s, and he may choose to spend and command it however he wishes. They operate on many levels and are some times given assignments which span years. During this stage they study war in its entirety. A Knight Enforcer who has mastered all of these is ascended into the Fifth Circle. Fifth Circle Enforcers are paragons of combat on all levels and are often assigned to guard the highest ranks of nobility. Their actions seem completely effortless, and they are capable of taking action without being perceived. Knight enforcers work all across Ith and their skill is masterful. Master Enforcer ( Sixth Circle): This is highest rank a Member of the order can reach, as the Seventh Circle is reserved for Baal and his top lieutenant, Long Shadow. They are almost never seen and it is unknown if this is because there are so few of them or just because their skills of stealth make them impossible to spot. They have mastered warfare in all it’s aspects and are lethal assassins. Master Enforcers also coordinate all training and organize all of the lower circles. Elemental Guardians Overview: The Elemental Guardians are a sect of heroes who devote themselves to the mastery of self through a path of elemental or spiritual study, within the system of the elements of magic, in the defense of Ith and the balance of the elements. Colors and Heraldry: Members often dress in a Japanese themed fashion in addition to the colors and symbols of their chosen element. Their order’s symbol is often worn as a waist sash or as an arm band. The orb of their chosen element is always present. History: During the Age of Chaos, the Exarchs of Fate began to get more involved with the actions of the mortals of Ith and began to gather followers. Loosely organized by the Exarchs, followers of one Exarch would occasionally clash with followers of an opposing Exarch, as was the case with fire and water. During the Age of Unification the current Exarch of Fire, Sho, began to form a Dojo to train his followers. He eventually decided to train followers of Every Exarch in what he called “Elemental Warfare”. He described each school of magic as a element of the world (many magic scholars disagree and separate the elemental and spiritual schools). He taught that each person had within them an attachment to a certain element. This element matches a person’s way of living and fighting. Sho’s head students began to take notes from his training, and they put together a training manual to pass on and use to train the newer generations. Sho’s dojo provided spiritual, tactical, philosophical and martial training for all its students. Sho’s teaching is the basic philosophy of the Elemental Guardians, and teaches honor and loyalty to a cause. Over time, the Dojo eventually grew to a respectable size. Sho would send his best students to the various Exarchs or gods for their approval, and those students were never rejected. As time went on each of the ten school under Sho’s tutelage became a very powerful elite fighting force of it’s own. All of them were completely loyal to Sho, and Sho was loyal to the fates and to the balance of the planes. It became known that if someone with a good cause needed dire help, they could always appeal to Sho’s dojo for and aid was often given. Without pledging themselves to any nation or government, the dojo became one of the most influential forces on Ith. As Sho grew old over the hundreds of years, he passed leadership of his dojo to a ruling council. The council was composed of ten seats, one for each master of an element. It came to pass that Sho was to be the new Exarch of Mind and lead the other Exarchs. However, this time never came, as the succession was by the coming of the Age of Reckoning, leading to the most difficult time experience by the order. Sho was killed by the corrupted Exarchs of Fate: Earth and Fire. The champions of Earth and Fire also took a number of their followers and corrupted them to the side of the Ancient Ones. Bloody and brutal infighting became a common theme within the order. To curb this trend, the Champion of Death, Baal, took total command of the Dojo, dissolving the council, and choosing to lead the order against the Ancient Ones himself. Baal was brutal and effective as death itself. As the Age of reckoning passed, Baal’s leadership was challenged by the other masters, saying that he was being subversive towards Sho’s teachings and that he was too bent on vengeance. He would not bend, and was challenged to an honor duel by Stonewind, a Guardian of Air. Baal refused the duel, saying that he would only kill Stonewind and that the matter was not worth fighting for and he gave up his seat as leader of the Dojo. Stonewind took charge of the Dojo with the goals of moving back to Sho’s original ideals, reestablishing the council and strengthening the elements which suffered the most during Age of Reckoning. Structure: There are ten elements in the Dojo: fire, water, air, nature, earth, life, death order, chaos and mind. Each element has its own master. They work along side the Exarchs of Fate and gods that relate to their element. Their loyalty is to the balance of the elements and they work together for the greater causes of Ith. Each of one of these elements has its own Dojo hidden from the public eye. They all report back to main council. Commanders and leadership: The Elemental Guardians are lead by a single Champion of Air known as Stonewind. However, each of the ten Dojos is led by its respective elemental master. Training and Recruitment: It takes a person seeking more to life than mortal trappings to become an Elemental Guardian. They have to not only want to train to become better than what they were, but they must also need to be willing and capable to look into themselves and find a deeper self. They must always demonstrate a willingness to learn and a commitment to honor. The Elemental Guardians allow all to attempt to join the order and never turn anyone away. Instead, every aspirant must pass a challenging test to become an official member of the order. Novice (Man at Arms): A Novice reports to a master and spends a majority of his time running errands. His life is full of travel and because of this the novice is in almost constant battle with the forces of the world. During this time period the world itself is the novice’s Dojo. Adept (Squire): In order to become an Adept, a Novice must declare which element they believe they are a part of. At this point they return to their elements main Dojo and begin philosophical study of their element to make sure that they have chosen correctly. Their fighting style is refined and restyled in heavy Dojo training. They are taught on both the levels of self: mental and physical. This process often takes months to years. Upon completing their training the adept is released back into the world to make practical use of their new training. Master (Knight): The member no longer thinks as themselves as a person, but as a manifestation of their chosen element. They began to take on missions with their champion of fate. They become a martial arm of the Dojo, capable of enforcing the Dojos will if needed. They will have a handful of Novices and Adepts they are responsible for, and they are in charge of the recruitment and testing of those wishing to join. Almost all masters are capable of summoning either magical or faithful means of their planar force. All masters names are given to all governments as capable representatives of their plane. Champion: The title of champion is only given by the champion of fate and this is a great honor. Champions become the master of their particular elemental sphere and are in charge of its operations both as an individual entity and as a part of the Elemental Guardians as a whole. Spirit Warriors: Overview: Large numbers of barbarian tribes fell to the corruption of the Ancient Ones during the Age of Reckoning. The uncorrupted tribes feared a similar fate and a grand conclave was held between the disparate barbarian chiefs. It was decided that they would need pure warriors, strong of heart and soul to face the Ancient Ones in battle. Using ancient nature rituals a large group of shamans bound willing animal spirits within the souls of their own warriors. This made them much stronger and pure of heart. This has given them a much stronger link to nature, and thus they commonly deal with the Fae and the nature spirits. Colors and Heraldry: Browns and natural tones, and very often fur is worn in deference the barbarians this order originated from. Their order symbol is worn as either a tabard or worn from the waist. Often they will have the tracking symbol of their respective animal spirit. History: For as long as the various feral cultures around the world have existed, there have been those within their ranks who have chosen to embrace the natural world around them. They commune with the nature spirits around them and befriend and live aside the Fae and their kind. The most powerful bond one of these tribes can have is to embrace an animal spirit completely, joining that spirit with their own. Many different barbarian and feral cultures around Ith have a long history of binding their own spirits or souls to that of another living creature. This bond is always peaceful and both parties are always willing. During the Age of Reckoning a number of tribes and feral cultures fell to corruption by the Ancient ones, and as a result, this practice became highly popular again. The tribal people took to their leaders and called forth for the Spirit Warriors to answer. This ancient group holds the rights and rituals of this practice. The Spirit Warriors sent emissaries to the tribes and groups in trouble and taught the willing their ways. The way of the Spirit Warriors spread across the land and the ancient group saw its membership swell. They now work across the land, teaching their ways. They retell their past and origin only through verbal story and their lessons are inscribed upon wood carvings. Their Head Elder speaks of a time before time in which the races started to change and take shape from wild beasts to speaking things. He tells stories of the “speakers”, and how one of them was different and “One of Nature”. The one of nature talked to the speakers, telling them that he had not learned how to live as the other speakers, but that he had learned to live in the nature. The one from nature told them that it was good that the speakers learn to be advanced, to craft tools and make structures, however that if they so chose, there was another way to live with nature. The one of nature told the speakers that nature was there first and that no matter how mighty the speakers might become, they always must respect nature. He taught that nature will always be there and the speakers must remember that they are a part of nature. The one from nature told them that he would come and take some of the speakers with him to the natural word and savage lands, and teach them the ways of nature. In the many years that followed, some of the speakers gathered together to practice and master the methods they had been taught, and over time, they became those who are now called the Spirit Warriors. Structure: The spirit warriors live among all the peoples of the Ith. They keep fortresses out in the deep wood, these are safe places of refuge for any creature that considers nature its home. These keeps also serve as a meeting ground for where the Spirit Warriors gather to meet and discuss the world’s events and oversee the order’s business. Because of their strong ties to the natural world, the Spirit Warriors are given free reign to operate where ever they choose. The Spirit Warriors take on many responsibilities. One of the most important duties is to act as an intermediary between the barbarian and feral cultures and the nations of Ith. They scout the deep woods, serving as nature’s protector from evil and harm. They are also expert monster slayers and are effective at dealing with those who have gone too far against the natural order. Often the order is called in to help deal with raging or corrupt monsters. The Spirit Warriors have also made it a priority to help The Changed adjust to civilized life if they so choose to do so. Commanders and leadership: The Spirit Warriors have several Great Shamans and Great Elders which help guide their efforts. Their Leader is a massive human known as Two-Bears. In his current form, he is a reborn creature brought back to life for the Fae for his unending service to nature, and as a result of this process, has had his life greatly lengthened, and is hundreds of years old. He is universally respected in Talar and even the proudest and most noble Dukes seek his advice. Training and Recruitment: Anyone who wishes to learn their ways can simply put the word to the wind and a Spirit Warrior will seek them out. Often times those who already have some sort of affinity to nature are drawn to them. A Spirit Warrior will seek any out and talk to them about what they wish to learn. Often they are given small tasks over the surrounding areas they so that they can began to live the ways of nature. Man at Arms (Speaker): Once a person chooses to join the order they are dubbed a speaker and need to learn the ways of nature. Once an speakers wishes to become a Brave they are given a challenge by their mentor. If they pass it they become a Brave. Squire (Brave): Once a member becomes a Brave they are taken into the woods with their mentor. They make a training ground in nature, cutting down the trees in their chosen spot by hand. Once their training ground is made they undergo intense physical training and in this their spirit is strengthen. Once their training is near completion they begin to regrow their training area, restoring nature back to the way it was. When this process is complete they go on tasks to strengthen their soul and spirit. A Brave must then choose an animal in which they feel a natural kinship with. After they have identified their animal they must undergo trials and exercises that bring their own spirit in line with the spirit of their chosen animal. Knight (Spirit Warrior): To become a Spirit Warrior, a Brave must undergo a spirit journey in which they travel and speak to the spirits of their chosen animal. This journey can take a long time and it is not a rare occurrence for a Brave to choose an entirely different animal than they intended. Each Brave’s spirit journey is different, as each faces their own difficulties and personal trials. At the end of the Brave’s journey they must befriend a spirit of their chosen animal. The brave makes a spirit pact and returns to the order. The ancient rites and rituals are preformed and then the Brave and the spirit are bonded together as one. Once this has happened the Brave has become a Spirit Warrior. Spirit Champion: A spirit champion is the greatest of all the spirit warriors. Often they have become one, both physically and spiritually, with their animal spirit. This title is one of great honor and pride inside the order. It is only given those whose actions are legend. It is said that some of the Spirit Champions often have bonded themselves to multiple spirits, undertaking many spirit journeys. Great Elder: Great Elders are the overseers of the Order. Each one works along side a nation or massive area of land. It is said that the Great Elders are connected to all spirits of living things, even between the magical planes. Hand of Shadow Overview: The Hand of Shadow shrouds itself in secrets. They deal in information—in its collection, protection, and security. They are experts in counter-intelligence, serving as scouts and spies for Talar. Some suggest the Hand has loose links to several assassin groups. Colors and Heraldry: A member of the Hand of Shadow wears whatever colors they see fit, although most of the higher ups have a nobility dress of back and white. Often their order symbol is worn off of a belt, or on a badge. The symbol is of a gloved hand with an eye on the palm. History: The Hand of Shadow is officially known as the Organization for Security and Information (OSI). Despite it’s prominence, its history is mostly unclear. As the official record states, the order was created as several small government groups merged so that they could be better coordinated and managed. Officially, the group handles the collection and processing of all information in regards to the personal safety of the Republic. They make the Council aware of security issues and potential threats. However, conspiracy theorists and fictional authors would have the public believe that the order runs Talar’s spy network and is in charge of gathering foreign intelligence and covert missions. Even though members of the order are completely loyal to Talar, much of the public is often confused and suspicious of the order’s goals and motives. The OSI was officially created seventy-four years ago and has been operational ever since. They are a dependable source of credible information for The Republic of Talar. Traditions: Loyalty, confidence, reliability, and the upholding of the honor of the order, and Talar. Structure: The Hand of Shadow has a base of operations in every major city of Talar. Their main base is located on the eastern coast of Talar (known as Jericho Coast), which holds their training facilities and faculty offices. The order reports to either the high dukes directly or to different subcommittees of Talar which handle and report to the council on various security issues. The Hand of Shadow functions as an invisible arm of safety, on constant watch for threats against Talar. They maintain their own fleet of ships and guard towers. Commanders and leadership: Gabriel Wasp, Jonn Artin, and Conrad Smith III. Training and Recruitment: No one really knows how the Hand of Shadow recruits new members. If you do know, you’re probably already in the Hand of Shadow. Man at Arms(Agent): The Hand of Shadow has more agents than any other order. They are the eyes of the order, and they are everywhere. It is the code of the order that no Agent may reveal themselves without a direct order from a higher up. There are many official and non-official members of the order at this level. They are constantly feeding information back to the order. At this level Agents are not really considered full members of the order, they only report in and are sometimes tapped for small operations. They are not trusted, and the information they turn in is always checked thoroughly. In order to become an Operative, an Agent must prove their loyalty to the order and Talar. They must also prove a level of physical skill. Squire (Operative): Operatives are treated completely different than Agents. They deal with security issues, gather and decipher data, and manage Agents by tasking them with the collection of specific information. Only the most highly trained and trusted Operatives can be promoted to the rank of Knight Operative. Knight (Knight Operative): Knight Operatives travel from place to place to deal with the highest security issues, providing security for the nobles of that area. They also perform highly secretive, classified missions for the order. Champion (titles vary greatly): Sir Knight Operative, Shadow Knight, and Champion of Security are all titles that previous Champions have taken. Almost nothing is known about these elusive members of the order, though popular belief holds thoughts of grand administrative puppet masters, coordinating the considerable power of the order as the veritable ‘Hands of Shadow’. The Arcane Protectorate Overview: This Order concerns itself with crimes of magic, renegade incanters, and mundane crimes where magical means of investigation is required. Citizen mages who refuse to register with the Academy of Mages can often find themselves on the wrong side of the Protectorate. The Arcane Protectorate includes some of the most capable diviners, scryers, and magical detectives in the realm. History: The Arcane Protectorate has always been a part of the various governments that have ruled over the land that is now Talar. It was founded a long time ago, back when Elves taught magic to the younger races. They created the Protectorate to monitor the usage of magic and watch out for potential abuse, misuse and other magical crimes. The Arcane Protectorate started as a wing of the Academy of Mages, the university where magic is taught and refined inside Talar. Their original purpose was to monitor and record magic. However, over time the Protectorate found that it needed to be reformatted to become an official order. This shift was made over many years and was eventually officially established as a lawkeeping order. Since this shift, they have been known as as the enforcers of the law for those with magical knowledge and power. Right before the Age of Reckoning, the Arcane Protectorate shifted into a full para-police organization. This change in structure was perfect in timing, as the Arcane Protectorate was able to help prepare the magic defenses of Talar, working hard to counter ancient one fed rituals. They allied with the church of the dragon and the elven nation, forming lines of battle mages built to decimate their ancient one foes. They won many awards and honorable titles during this time and for their valor they gained full recognition as military order. Traditions: Respect of magic, intuition and thought, strength of mind and body. Structure: The Protectorate handles the investigation of magical crimes, along with the hunting and capturing of magical criminals. They also investigate all planar and magical phenomena that occur inside of Talar. They have a main headquarters inside the capital city. They also have offices in every city in Talar and have members spread around Talar, to maintain a network of communication and response. The order does have a branch that works outside of Talar to offer their help to foreign nations and they are commonly called to fill this purpose. The order as a whole has three main functions. Firstly, they investigate magical crimes and criminal mages. These investigators are what the order is mostly known for and they are known as the “Inspector Arcanus”. Secondly, they train and deploy battle mages. These mages are trained to blend magical and physical combat together as one. This ancient style of fighting is mastered by the elves. These battle mages are also trained to organize other mages in battle. The members of this branch are known as the “Arcane Blades”. The third department of the Arcane Protectorate holds one of the largest groups of magical Scryers in the world. They advise the council on potential threats and keep an eye on the magical events in Talar. This branch is known as the “Cognition”. Training and Recruitment: The Arcane Protectorate Often recruits those from law enforcement who they find have a knack for magical intuition. People can apply for the order but due to their lawful nature the order only admits those who are clean of any criminal charges. Man at arms: Outside of the capital city the order only maintains a handful of Men at Arms. The role of Man at Arms is to scout out magical anomalies and report back to their area’s Investigator. If a Man at Arms has mastered a school of magic they can petition for the rank of Investigator. Squires (Investigator): Most members of Protectorate are this rank. An investigator is given charge of an area or subject matter to observe and report on. During this time they are not only expected to continue their magical studies, but must choose one of the three divisions of the Protectorate to join. Once they have chosen a branch they begin to train for their future role. Knights (Knight Investigator, Knight Scryer, Knight Arcanist)-:To become a knight A member of the protectorate must gain a mastery of their fields knowledge. As a rite of passage a member of the order will travel to the northern lands of the Elves and visit the Silver City, where they present themselves to the Arcane Council. If they pass the Rites of the Council they return to Talar ad s Knight of the Arcane Protectorate. They are then placed in charge of a large number of Squires in their field. Champion (Lord Inspector, Grand Scryer, Arcane Battle-Marshal): Those of this rank have served the order over many years, and are the utmost expert in their field. Each champion must have made the difference between victory or failure in a major battle or mission. Celestial Knights Overview: The Celestial Knights is an elite order of knights dedicated to fighting evil. They are shining crusaders of honor and courage. While not as numerous as other orders, each Celestial Knight is a devastating fighter who excels in martial combat and most are masters of faith or magic. Celestial Knights specialize in demon hunting and purging evil in all its forms from the land. History: The Celestial Knights were founded over 500 years ago. Legend holds that the angels from the plane of Eth sent a magical tome with all the knowledge of the world to our plane. This was done in hopes that if the mortal races had the tome they could use it to learn from past generation’s mistakes. Luckily, those that found the book used its power to create an order to combat the forces of evil. Thus the Celestial Knights were formed to fight evil, but not just any evil: the scourge on this plane known as demons. The focus of the group was to combat the sway demons had on the mortal races of Ith. At first the order worked only with its sister order, The Order of the Light, who took a more peaceful approach to helping the world. Word quickly spread around the world of the group of crusading holy warriors of light that fought and vanquished evil. Since that time the order has been welcome anywhere in Ith. Traditions: Honor, Humility, Ironclad Devotion to Good, Martial skill. Structure: The Celestial Knights are structured to provide rapid response to any evil or demonic attack. They hold a number of hidden battle chapels where the order stations its facilities. A majority of the order is deployed in the field, searching for and destroying any evil they find. They have public offices in most of the major cities. The order primarily operates with strike teams of knights and their squires. In dire times of need the order is pulled together to act as an extremely effective fighting force. Because of this, Celestial Knights must not only possess great martial strength but must also be pure of mind. Training and Recruitment: The Celestial Knights have a saying for their recruitment: those who can, will. In essence they do not recruit, those wishing to join must seek out the order and to prove their willingness to combat evil. While it is not necessary to worship a deity to join the order, most have found that a pious path of devotion makes their commitment to joining the order easier. Man at arms: A Man at Arms is one who has sought out the Celestial Knights and gained the right to join the order. A man at arms will be given a list of things he must accomplish before becoming a full member. Most do not make it past this step. Once a recruit has proven his mind, body and soul to a Knight, that Knight will take him on as a Squire. Squire: A Knight will command a number of Squires under him, and thus the Squire reports to their Knight directly. A Squire of the Celestial Knights is charged with aiding his Knight however possible. During this process they are to study the different ways to defeat the many types of evil that plague the world. Once a Knight feels that his Squire is worthy he will be judged by a group of Knights. If he is found worthy he is given his Crusade of Knighthood. The crusade is a personal journey that the Squire must undertake alone. Some squires never complete their journey or spend their entire lives devoted to it. If they complete their crusade they return to the order with their body, mind and soul reforged. Knight: Knights of the order take the fight to the enemy. While they are tasked with missions from the order from time to time, they primarily take the responsibility of vanquishing evil and protecting the innocent into their own hands. Knights are also responsible for the training of new members. It is said that if one is a knight with the order they are, at some point, taken to the plane of Eth: The realm of angels and the garden. There they meet the angelic host and train with the angels. Champion (Paladin): A champion of the Celestial knights is nothing short of a living legend. They are extremely rare and are pillars of light and grace. Often they are blessed by more than one god. To reach the rank of champion it is said that they must defeat an ancient foe of the world. Since their founding less then 100 members have been risen to the rank of champion. Order of the Light Overview: The Order of the Light has a twin focus: serve as ambassadors of peace, helping all those that need it, and hunt and destroy Vile Undead. The Order comprises both healers and warriors, and none surpass their lore masters in understanding both life and undeath. History: The Order of the Light was founded over 500 years ago. Legend holds that the angels from the plane of Eth sent a magical tome with all the knowledge of the world to our plane. This was done in hopes that if the mortal races had the tome they could use it to learn from past generations mistakes. Those that found the book established two orders to combat the evils of the world. Thus the Celestial Knights were formed to fight evil, and the Order of the Light was created to bring light and hope across the land. The Order of the Light embodies the concepts of peace and life. While still militant in nature, they promote life and the protection of it. However, the order also find that undead are an evil onto the world, as undeath feeds off life. The order is known to help and heal wherever it travels to. The order, since its founding, has promoted the idea of making the world a better place. The order also sets up healer’s guilds in the cities and nations that welcome them. In recent history the order has shifted its focus on serving as ambassadors of peace to all of the war torn nations of Ith. The Order is composed of both healers and warriors, and none surpass their lore masters in understanding both life and undeath. Traditions: Compassion, mercy, hope, healing, courage and valor. Structure: The Order of the Light can be found everywhere, they are both the giving hand and the shield that protects. They have charity houses is every city, and towers across the lands where anyone can go to request help. They protect those that have been abandoned in their times of need. If the Celestial Knights are the sword of good and hope against evil, then the Order of the Light is the shield. The order has no illusions about the world and they know that people of action are needed as healers. Man at arms: Any one can join the order, and they are given a task that fits their skill set. The order does not require that a member do anything at this rank, they only have to be willing to work hard to make the world a better place. Many of this rank have no martial skill, they are teachers, healers and organizers. Squire: Once a Man at Arms wishes to commit more then just hard work to the cause and when they are willing to give their body and soul to the order thy take the next step. They draft up a letter to the order and ask to take the oath of the order. They are then given to a knight, who trains them in any field they wish. All Squires must choose their “shield”, an expression for a tool they use to protect life. This can be almost anything, from a weapon, a physical shield, or a medic’s bag. Knight- To become a Knight the Squire must master the aspect of their chosen “shield”. They must choose to become a protector of life or a restorer of life. To become a Knight one must master one of these two trees. Once the person has become a master of restoration or protection they will be given a mission by a council of Knights. This quest often pushes the aspirant beyond the breaking point and it is not uncommon for someone to attempt their Knight mission multiple times before succeeding. Champion- To become a Champion a Knight must master both paths: restoration and protection. Once the knight has mastered both paths they must devote themselves to a town in turmoil. This town must be plagued by a great evil undead, and once there the Knight must see an end to its trouble. However, if any member of that town dies for any reason the Knight has failed. Due to the personal nature of swearing protection of a town and failing a Knight who has failed their test rarely attempts to gain the rank of champion ever again. Jade Scorpions Overview: The Jade Scorpions are not as well established as some of the other orders. They originally hail from the far east, banded together from disparate groups of barbarians. Now they work as ambassadress to tribes of barbarians. They also constantly drive to learn as much as they can about combat and fighting. They commonly offer weapons training to those who need it but may not be able to afford it. Due to their nomadic nature they act as secure messengers. History: Tales hold that the order was once a group of feral tribes that hailed from the land known as the Desert of the Nine Sands in the far east. These tribesmen knew combat as a way of life, and they trained daily to perfect their craft. To them, martial combat was a religion, and the area they trained in was a temple; a monastery to combat. However their was strife between the tribes, and they constantly fought each other. This led to a constant evolution of their combat styles. Over time a deadly martial arts arm race had began. One monk, after years of deep mediation, came out from the caves. He was a warrior of surprising skill and style and was undefeated in combat. When asked on how he gained such mastery he shared a tale of his past, that when he was young, he sought out and fought all the different tribes, and over the years had combined all of their individual styles into his own fluid, unconstestable style. His words spoke true and hit home, and his logic was backed by his fighting style. However, he would not teach his way to any of the tribes or explain how he created it until there was peace amongst the tribes The tribes eventually came to be at peace with one another and the man held true to his word and told them his story. He spoke of a tiny lifeform he had found in a cave, a scorpion whose carapace was made of jade. He said that the scorpion had no poison, but instead had become immune to all poisons. The scorpion had turned ever part of its body into a living weapon. Over hundreds of years fighting for survival the scorpion had learned to fight and kill to survive. He spoke that his people, like the scorpion, had fought for years to survive, yet they need to rid themselves of the poisons of the mind: Greed, bloodlust, and the desire to dominate one another. Then, they could become something great. He created a temple deep in the caves where each year he would take a handful of students, a few from each tribe, and train them. In return they would return to help their tribe out. It is said that ever since the monk has taught the ways of the scorpion, the peoples of the nine sands, they have lived in peace. Since that time the Jade Scorpions have traveled the lands, helping to bring peace between peoples in civil strife. Their background of a feral way of living and their deep philosophy help bridge the gap between those that live using the old ways and the new. Structure: The Jade Scorpions make pacts with governments to operate inside their borders that permit the government to request military actions from the Scorpions, provided that the government does not ask them to do things that break their moral or ethical code. Each member of the order is trained to be completely selfsufficient, and able to travel and live in any land. Because of this the Scorpions make excellent scouts. Because they practice meditation and inner peace, they are often honor bound to complete tasks. They have a humble nature about them and this often dissuades others from interfering with their business. However when a Scorpion is pushed into martial combat their foes quickly realize that they have agitated a living weapon. The Scorpions collect fighting styles from the lands of Ith and return home to teach their style to the rest of their order. Another main objective of the Scorpions is to go to small villages and towns to help them build defenses and to train them in martial skill so that they can defend their families. The Jade Scorpions have temples in every major nation, and a strong presence in all of them. Traditions: Peace, Humility, Humbleness, Martial Perfection. Training and Recruitment: To join the Jade Scorpions one must travel to a Scorpion temple and ask to join their ranks. It takes one of unending mental fortitude to be able to undertake and complete the scorpion training and they must share a equal love of philosophy and combat to find a place in the order. Man at Arms (Initiate): This is lowest rank of the Jade Scorpions and they are not truly considered one of the order. They commonly have just begun their training and will not be given any missions or tasks. However, in times of need, they will travel with higher ranked members on urgent errands, to complement the numbers of the order.. Squire (Adept): To become an Adept of the scorpion one must study the way of combat and prove themselves to be above greed and ego. They must focus away from their self and instead to the protection and betterment of others. Upon gaining the rank of Adept the member now is trusted with missions and tasks for the Jade Scorpions. They receive a tattoo of the order on their body to display to all their commitment to peace and progress. Knight: To a Scorpion the rank of Knight is not a title, it is a symbol. A Knight of the Scorpions travels back to the original temple of the Nine Sands. Here they will learn the ways of their order to the fullest. This title, inside the Jade Scorpions, only serves to let others know that the member has progressed to a certain point in their martial training. Champion: A Champion of the Scorpions has mastered all forms of combat and the ways of the scorpion. They travel to the most troubled lands to bring peace and safety. Each one’s skill is the stuff of legend and very few Champions have ever been named. Death Guard Outline: The Death Guard are a new order founded during the Age of Reckoning. Their goal was to combat the Ancient Ones with any measure deemed necessary, regardless of how extreme they may seem. They have been known to field undead in combination with their knights. Their numbers include large number of invokers of death-aligned gods and Necromancers. During the Age of Reckoning many accepted their methods because of how close the world was to coming to ruin. However, since then, many have begun to question whether their methods are still needed, and the Council keeps them under close watch. Colors and Heraldry: Grey, Black, and Red. Members of order will, at all times, wear the symbol of their order, which is a Heraldric Shield, divided in half, with the left being covered with small skulls, while the right portion being representative of where the member is from. History: The Death Guard was founded, much like many of the modern militant orders, when the events of the Age of Reckoning destroyed the vast majority of the original orders of Talar, due to lack of readiness to fight such a potent foe as the Ancient Ones. Only the most hardened or lucky of soldiers survived the corruption and overwhelming magical destruction. Early in the war, an order known as the Knights of Dusk were placed in charge of the protection of a port city while the evacuation effort was underway. On the eve of the battle, ships rigged with black sails appeared in their port, and unloaded a company of Death Knights and Necromancers from Allure. They bore personal letters from the emperor of Allure, offering their aid to Talar in order to combat the Ancient One forces. The commander of the Knights of Dusk, knowing that his force alone would not be enough to stop the incoming army, accepted the help on conditions that stated that the undead be placed in his immediate command. When the Knights of Dusk met their opposition on the field, the battle, though long and harsh, was won in Talar’s favor. The Commander, through this, saw the power of the undead in battle with their foes, as they could not be corrupted, were considerably harder to kill, and when working alongside mortal troops, saved the lives men and women who were so much harder to replace. The Commander then called for a council of all the remaining Knightly Orders, which had been all but eradicated. Together, they agreed to join together into one, new order, and create a force that would guard Talar against any threat, regardless of the cost. Facing utter destruction at the hands of the Ancient Ones, the Council of Talar approved the creation of this new order, and the Death Guard was born. Since their creation, the Death Guard have proved themselves in battle more times than can be counted, and have spent more time than any other order combating the Ancient Ones. Due to their nature, however, they have come under accusation for their sometimes questionable choice of tactics, and the usage of undead in battle. Commanders: The Death Guard is commanded by a number of officer-knights, all of whom are survivors of the Age of Reckoning, and serve various roles within the order and Talar. Lord Knight General Richard Greymist: Master of the order, and personal military advisor to the high dukes of Talar. Knight Commander Samual Hunnerson: Death Guard Representative to the counci of Talar. Knight High Marshal of Talar Beck Ashmaker: The last remaining member of the Knights of Dusk. Founder of the Death Guard, and a literal living legend across Ith. He is currently the commander of all of Talar’s armies. Knight Lieutenant Commander Dorn: Dorn is a vampire from Allure, who has been granted citizenship within Talar. He is an advisor to the Death Guard, and to the Council, regarding combat tactics and creation of undead. Structure: The Death Guard are stationed all over Talar, tending to keep to mobile encampments of soldiers, which they can use to have a presence in almost any battle or war. They operate all over Talar, and often have scouts on every border. Almost every Duchy also has some sort of Death Guard presence standing watch. Due to the fact that the Death Guard were founded on the remains of the other order of Talar, they have plenty of strongholds keeps, and watchtowers to use. Keep Greymist, designed to be the home of the order, is located on the east coast of Talar. Traditions: Duty, Honor, Martial Skill, Determination, Commitment to the Cause. Training and Recruitment: Joining the Death Guard is very simple, so long as one can prove their loyaly to Talar, and by extension, to the Death Guard. Since the Death Guard is stationed just about everywhere, finding a Knight and petition to join the order is quite simple. Because the Death Guard have such a diverse founding, the process for advancement, recruitment, and training will vary greatly from Knight to Knight. Man at Arms: To join the Death Guard, a member must take the Oath of the Guard upon the spilled blood of an enemy of Talar. Man at Arms are placed under the command of a Squire or Knight, who will teach them the basics of warfare. Squire: To reach the rank of Squire, a member will need to have been battle-hardened by rite of combat, in which their oaths of duty and loyalty are put to a test of blood and battle. Only a Knight can choose a Man at Arms to raise to a Squire, and often Squires are placed under command of a Knight for personal training. Knights: To reach Knighthood, a squire will need to have proved his worth and skill, often requiring that he slay a great enemy of Talar or the Order in personal combat. Secondly, the squire will pick a style of combat to focus on, either Scouting and Skirmish Warfare, Mass Organized Warfare, or Tactical Warfare. Champion: A Champion of the Death Guard has mastered all three styles of combat, allowing them to fill any role on the field of battle. Each Champion has faces death down time and time again, and has proved their commitment to the safety of Talar beyond any shadow of a doubt. Crimson Serpents Outline: The Crimson Serpent Company is charged with the protection of the Council of Talar and the enforcement of its will. They perform a variety of roles, including: scouting, personal protection, escort, and tracking. The company trains cunning warriors who, in addition to being elite fighters, are known for their broad skill and resourcefulness. Colors and Heraldry- Black, Red, and small amounts of grey. Their order’s symbol is a Red Dragon on black background. History: During war of Theo and Williams, almost all of the able bodied men and women were sent off to fight. Dukes and lords sent their forces to battle, however, not everyone took this calling to heart. In fact, others took advantage of it. Those miscreants who avoided the duke’s forced drafts had no sense of duty or honor and began to wreak havoc upon the now undefended areas behind the war lines. What meager forces could be sent to help would always arrive weeks late. The last lord to answer the call to arms was named Stephan of Carlleon. He assembled his men and began his trek, far from the lines of battle, towards the war under his house’s banner – a red dragon. During this journey he would commonly stop in towns that had been completly ravaged by bandits and murderers. He would extend his stay at these villages and towns to help rid them of their problems before moving on. Because of this, a month had passed and he had barely made it a third of the way to the war zone. That was when he made his fateful decision. He sent a small contingent of messengers to the armies to inform them that he would not be arriving. He knew that this meant treason and as such, he renounced his holdings. He never gave an excuse as to why he was doing this as noble men do not make excuses. With his men fully behind him, he began to split his soldiers into smaller, more mobile groups and sent them off to major cities that were removed from the war. They were given a single order: “Keep the peace.” Over the next few months, the crime in the homelands dropped significantly. The ruffians were no match for Stefan’s trained soldiers. In addition, there were men and women who had come to fighting age that would want to join his group instead of going to the front lines. Although he welcomed the help, Stephan knew that it was necessary to keep the armies manned with fighting troops. He accepted them with the caveat that after one year’s time, they would head to the war. This helped in many ways. First and foremost, it gave the new members a chance to train in martial combat. This would significantly increase their chances of survival on the front lines. Next, the people who joined were locals of the areas that his men were guarding so they’d help them with the folk that lived there as well as all of the geography of the area. Finally, it increased his ranks so that it further deterred the thievery. When the first year of the first volunteers was up, Stephan sent them to the front lines along with a message detailing what he had done, what he was doing and that he planned on continuing. The general who had the luck of meeting the volunteers first was not only astounded about what had been happening back home but also at the quality of these unexpected soldiers. He was unfamiliar with Stefan so when he saw the men with the insignia upon their tunics, he dubbed them The Crimson Serpent Company, naming them after the famous company that had protected the Council and its lands so long ago. From that day on, The Crimson Serpent Company continued their work at keeping the homelands in order while training new recruits for battle. With the help of magic, they were able to increase their communications with each group to help coordinate activities. There would still be crimes that were committed and they couldn’t stop everything but the rampant destruction and waste was a thing of the past. Upon the defeat of Theo, King William asked for Stephan to step forward. As he had shown his love for the land and defending it against corruption, The Crimson Serpent Company was named the Council’s personal guard and arm. Today: The Crimson Serpent Company numbers close to a thousand members. Their job is to make sure that the country of Talar is safe from internal as well as external threats. Most areas have their own armies, police forces or other ways of maintaining order and the Serpents do not want to infringe upon them. A well trained fighting force does not need an outsider coming in to muck up the works. The Serpents offer their assistance to the areas that they ward but do not act themselves unless a direct threat to the Council or the ruling body is seen. They are not ‘thugs’ for the ruling class though. In fact, the Crimson Serpents are the watchers of the ruling class, making sure that they maintain order in a fair and honorable way. Structure: The Company is based out of Talarian capital city, but their reach extends all over Talar. A squire or knight is stationed to every area of Talar of has a citizen in it. Often Knights act independently of the order and are entrusted to accomplish their duties as they see fit. All the Crimson serpents follow a precise code of conduct. Code of The Crimson Serpent Company: 1) A Serpent defends the Council and rulers of Talar and their laws, as with no rulers or laws, there is no country, only chaos. 2) A Serpent is an extension of the Council and therefore will behave in a manner that best represents them. 3) A Serpent will follow all honorable and righteous orders given to him by people of the appropriate status. 4) A Serpent will listen to any request made of him, be it a king’s or the common folk’s. 5) A Serpent will watch his fellow Serpents and help them if they should stumble from these tenants. 6) A Serpent will not receive any gift offered to him other than food and lodging or the division of any spoils from a conflict in which he participated. 7) A Serpent will offer and give aid to any who need it as long as it does not contradict any of the other tenants put forth here. On top of this they also must follow these rules, which govern more general conduct: 1) No allegiance to another. Upon reaching knighthood, a Crimson Serpent may not belong to any other formal or informal group. They must remain neutral in all respects save that of the Crimson Serpents themselves. They can associate with other groups and are expected to do so as part of their duties however they may never be a member. Squires often belong to groups from their days of being a man at arms but are expected during their training to begin severing ties with the groups. If necessary, the Crimson Serpents will intervene and find a mutually beneficial resolution to any issues that may arise. 2) May not take an active role in politics. A Crimson Serpent is to observe, not to act within the political society of Talar. They are not to vote in any elections nor show any preference towards one official over another. Their opinion may be solicited but they, themselves must not show favoritism. 3) Must follow orders. The life of a Crimson Serpent is one of servitude. This pertains not only to the orders from their superiors but also those of the local rulers. A Crimson Serpent is there to help them and the land to the best of their abilities. They will follow the orders of anyone who is in a position to give them unless they deem those orders to be in error. If he does, he must immediately report it to his superior but take no action in stopping people from carrying out those orders unless there is an immediate danger to innocent lives or Talar. Training and Recruitment: Because of the elite status of the Crimson Serpent Company, potential members must be evaluated by a board of Knights as to whether or not they have the capacity to serve the Serpents to the extend required, and whether or not their mindset fits within the code of conduct of the Serpents. Man at arms: The men at arms for the Crimson Serpents are people who seek entrance into the Crimson Serpent Company proper. Often this is done during a recruitment trial that takes place over a period of days. There are many tests that are given, not only physical challenges, but also ones of reason and honor. If the individual shows the proper mental state as well as combative prowess, he is given the title of man at arms and is given a black tabard. He is then told to go out and make a name for himself to show that he has what it takes to be a Crimson Serpent. He is to hold the tenants of the Crimson Serpents in high regard and live by them. This is not only a time for the Crimson Serpents to see if he is serpent material but also for them to find out if they really wish to be a Crimson Serpent. When they feel that they have done a proper job (usually a minimum of one year but has been more in the past), they return to the Crimson Serpents to petition for Squire. The Crimson Serpents review what he has done, send out messengers to check on the deeds and determine if he is worthy. During this time, the man at arms is welcome to continue as he was until a message is sent to him. If he fails, he may petition again in a year’s time. Squires: Squires are often assigned to one of the Knights and a Knight can have more than one Squire. Sometimes the Squire is assigned to a larger task force and they also make up forces utilized by Captain’s. When the captain feels that the squire has reached a point to be mentored, he will assign him to a knight. It is the knight’s duty to train him in the ways of combat and the doctrines of the Crimson Serpents while it is the squire’s duty to help the knight with his daily tasks – whether it is carrying his shield and helm from a battle to standing in for him at official functions. A Squire is not a personal slave and any Squire who feels that he is being mistreated or not trained properly may leave the Knight’s tutelage and return to the captain’s men. Often squireship takes anywhere from one to three years. Besides being considered ready by his Knight, a squire must also be ready to begin his path towards an advanced fighting style (a fighter path). A squire can be discerned by a black tabard with a red dragon upon the chest. Knight: A knight is dispatched to every town or city within the region that has a population of over 250. Unlike the captain and his men, the Knights aren’t rotated out of their position. It is important for them to develop a rapport with the locals of the area so that they will not only trust him, but also see him as a constant reminder of the protection that the Council brings. If a Knight’s actions are unworthy, the Captain is responsible for reporting, reprimanding or removing him from the area. Thus, the Captain will often send people to check out his actions and the knight will never know who it is since the rotations happen without his knowledge. Although many may see this as a lack of faith, to the Crimson Serpent Company, it is showing the populace that not even they are above investigation and are held to standards. The knight is expected to become a master of all combat before he can be considered to be a captain. During this time, records are kept by his various captains and upon reaching master, his case is reviewed and then decided if he’s worthy of being a Captain. If not, he may petition again in a year’s time. A Knight can be discerned as wearing a black tabard with red trim and a red dragon upon the chest. To become a Knight, a Squire must master multiple weapons, and prove their intelligence and cunning. Above all, their loyalty to Talar, its people, and their integrity and safety, must be ironclad. Captains (Champion): Below the Commander are the Captains. Their duty is to oversee the various counties and regions of Talar. A Captain, along with a company of 30 men, resides in each county’s capital city. The Captain is often seen with the ruler, both as a body guard, as well as an observer. He is at all public hearings with the ruler and often attends private meetings as well. His men are used to help reinforce the ruler’s power as well as provide various scouting requirements for the Captain. Every year, the Captains are relocated to a different region. This prevents corruption from taking root within the Captains. In addition, the men under the Captain’s command are often rotated as well. A Captain can be identified by a black tabard with silver trim and a red dragon upon the chest. The Pantheon of Ith Divinity in the world of Ith is immediate and present in the lives of its populace. Gods grant miracles, and their devoted worshipers wield tremendous power. Gods have even walked on the world itself and gone to war. Many mortals pay token homage to one or many gods, a few deny that these entities are true divinity, but none deny their power. In the sections below, you will find listings of the most prominent deities, angels, devils, and demons. We ask that players chose from the list provided, rather than inventing new deities… but if you truly feel you’ve got a great idea for a god, you can always speak to Plot, just please do be prepared for a no. Universal Deities Any can pay tribute to the following deities. Most of these gods have temples in cities throughout the land and are recognized by the leaders of Ith. Annoth God of Nightmares Arcane Aspects: Mind, Death, Fire, and Chaos History: Powerful beings of mind, rather than full gods, Annoth and Madina never lived as mortals. The elves have recorded encounters with Madina and Annoth from long ago. It is suspected that they were created by the fears, hopes and dreams of the mortal beings of the world. The first time the Ancient Ones came to this world, the mortal beings of Ith were left mentally scarred from the events. Annoth’s role became to help mortals deal with their mental problems by forcing them to face their fears and deal with them rather than suppressing them. Madina gave people dreams to give them hope in times of darkness and depression. Madina and Annoth were lovers working together, existing. However, over time, their opposing views of how to help the mortals degraded their relationship. Annoth set to prove his way was right and created 10 nightmares each for different aspects of fear and mind. Annoth also enlisted the help of pain demons from the pit. Annoth’s minions, Sketch the nightmare of insanity, Pain, Dark, Monsters, Fire, Water, Despair, Stalker, Death & Mirror, ran amuck. Annoth’s nightmares began to get a little too carried away in their tasks. In response, Madina created 10 of her own dreams to counter Annoth’s nightmares; this began to further the rift between the two lovers. As their Nightmares and Dreams began to clash; Madina and Annoth stopped speaking to one another. On the whole, Annoth is almost never heard from, instead his nightmares perform his will. Once in a while they get carried away, but never go too far for fear of Annoth’s wrath. It is said that a new pain demon has taken control from Sketch and in the process has become Annoth’s official herald. Domain: Realm of the Mists Decrees: 1. Nightmares exist to help people deal with conflicts of the mind of which they cannot confront; followers of Annoth understand this and live to help others to resolve with deep conflicts of the mind. 2. Nightmare can be the deepest fears of mortals, manifested by the mind in sleep. Be able to cause this fear. 3. When one is confronted with fear and terror, the true nature of their character is revealed; followers of Annoth should be able to reveal the true nature of the weak and pitiful. 4. Annoth delivers messages to all in their nightmares; should he choose to bless you with the chance to help manifest your nightmare, you must be ready at all times. 5. The mortal mind is your playground; learn to control and be able to play those with all aspects of it. 6. Dreams are the counterpart to nightmares and thus, both exist together, playing together; even the dark needs playmates. Followers of Annoth are to learn and understand and help preserve this balance. 7. Mental pain is far better than pure physical pain; if you must inflict righteous pain on someone to please Annoth, it must be mental. 8. Followers of Annoth should study the functions of the mind and psychology. 9. Followers of Annoth shall not strike or harm followers of Madina without permission of Annoth or his Heralds. Transgressions: 1. Waking someone while they under the effects of the nightmare, is considered the greatest crime of all, Followers of Annoth should protest anyone else doing this. 2. Followers of Annoth will not wake someone while they’re sleeping unless it is under dire circumstances. 3. Not helping someone experience mental anguish if you believe it will help them better themselves and make them stronger. 4. Killing someone in their sleep is high crime against Annoth, without the permission of either Annoth or one of his nightmares. Festivals: Night of Sleep, Dec 21: both Annoth and Madina share the shortest day of the year. In which both nightmares and dreams run free, helping the mortals as they can. The Night of Endless Darkness: Once a year, Annoth is said to take the chains off his Nightmares and Pain demons. This night seems to last days, and only effects small areas of the world. Whole towns have been known to disappear into Annoth’s nightmare realm during this night. People who vanish lost forever inside the nightmare realm. Religious Garb: Mostly black with deep purple and dark blue; normally all followers of Annoth have a special set of clothes, meant to inspire fear and terror that they wear on special occasions. Sacred Symbol: A black circle with a purple ring around it with a light grey web inside of the circle; this represents the weaving of nightmares in sleep. Prejudices: Annoth doesn’t really have any enemies, however, often other gods dislike his and his nightmare’s methods in dealing with mortal matters. Followers of Ya’el have long-standing prejudices against the nightmares; similarly, followers of Annoth tend to dislike followers of Ya’el. Allies: Followers of Annoth tend to be drastically different from one another; some are crazed and seek to sow fear with nightmares while others are highly educated and only wish to understand the darker parts of the mind. The good natured followers of Annoth get along fairly well with the followers of Madina. As Annoth’s nature is to spread nightmares to everyone, followers of Annoth normally get along with most, so long as they don’t attempt to cross their god’s wishes. Heralds: In times past, Annoth’s Nightmares have acted as his heralds. In the last few years, a powerful pain demon has ascended, and now acts fully as Annoth’s herald. The demon is known by many names but is commonly referred to as the Reaver. However, the Reaver does not spread his own nightmares, only enforces Annoth’s will. Rarely does Annoth choose to bring a mortal being down in a way only the god of nightmares can do. The Reaver performs this role, reaping a mind and tearing it apart and bringing the shattered soul back to his master. For this reason, the Reaver is feared by all even among the followers of Annoth. The Reaver is rarely seen outside the church of Annoth except when he is on official duty. Aquinius God of Water and the Sea Domain Plane of water Arcane Aspects: Water, Life, Chaos, Nature Origin: Aquinius is an old god, being that he is as old as the sea itself. Even the Elf gods speak of knowing Aquinius in their mortal lives. Aquinius is ruler of the plane of water and those that travel the sea always offer him offerings and prayers before they depart. Aquinius is a tricky god because there are so many sides of him, He is known to a being with deep wisdom and understanding that comes with his age and power, however he is known of fleeting flights of destruction when angered. He is also known as the life giver, as water being an element required for life. Aquinius often respects those that respect him and the sea. Aquinius freely travels between Ith and the plane of water. Aquinius is known to shape change and interact with mortals more often than other deities, he enjoy interactions with them and often rewards that amuse him or find interesting, other are swept by crashing waves into the depth of the sea. Aquinius being an old god is very powerful and is challenged will display his power with easy, and thus is respected by all gods. However Aquinius is very neutral and will always treat others how they treat him and his followers, even those that have aspects he frowns on, he has an understanding that the world works by having a balance of things. Aquinius interestingly enough, gets personally involved in human affairs more than any other deity. He has a soft spot for love, and has been known to help those who share true love. Aquinius has been known to seduce mortal females and those that give themselves to him will bear touched children. Aquinius himself is currently seeking courtship with Seraphina. Normally behavior like this isn’t common among gods however Aquinius’ age and power allow him to do so without interference. Decrees: 1. Aquinius is lord of water and the sea, all the wish to travel on his domain should always ask for his permission 2. Always act in deep thought and in logical patterns, these plans need not be public or small, be 3. Water is a force of nature and crushes and over powers those that stand in front of it, should it be called on followers of Aquinius should crush those that oppose them 4. Water is both passive and aggressive force, a wise follower of Aquinius knows when to be which. 5. Lord Aquinius is displeased when the mortal races pollute or despoil his domain. Followers of Aquinius must stop and remove and pollution of water, should one attempt to corrupt the force of water or take hostile control of the forces of water, this is a high crime against Aquinius and should be dealt with using righteous fury. 6. Water is an agent of cleansing and rebirth, priests and above should always allow one to be cleansed of the stain of their wrongful deeds, should they we asked to do so. 7. Drowning is a death only reserved for those that deserve it, as the souls of those that drown always go to the plane of water to serve Aquinius. 8. Aquinius encourages the mortal races to live and live well, enjoy life. 9. Followers of Aquinius should seek a body of water every day to pray by. Transgressions: 1. Drowning one without permission of Aquinius or a high ranking member of the church. 2. Attempting to dam or block one’s way, if one cannot be convinced with reason, allow them to follow their path, let them learn by their mistakes 3. Not providing water for someone to drink if you possess it. 4. Not stopping one who is in the act of corrupting water in any form or standing idly by while corrupt water elementals or creatures from the plane of water are about Festivals: July 22 - The Day of the Sea. Followers of Aquinius gather on beaches all over Ith and hold massive parties in honor of Aquinius on shorelines and sometimes open portals to the plane of water, and creatures from the plane of water come forward to join in the parties. Religious Garb: Dark blue robes, with symbols of the waves or deep waves. Sacred Symbol The tip of a Trident spear against the blue waves of the ocean Herald: Aquinius has a large number of Sea-dryads that carry his word and will, these vixens can shape change and often appear as stunningly beautiful singing women, however if angered they quickly can shape change into fearsome monsters. Prejudices and Allies: Stratos is a strong ally of Aquinius and it is rumored that Aquinius had gifted Stratos with domain over the weather and rain. Orm, Vexsar and Tarpanrion are the other elemental gods and often they work alongside each other to maintain balance. However in the case of Vexsar, followers of Aquinius should playful should them the errors in the element of fire. Aquinius has ordered that his followers should go out of their way to help followers of the church of Seraphina whenever possible for his personal reasons. Aquinius does not favor Kallaballak, because of his highly chaotic and destructive nature, and his pet god, Ilivara. Cazandir God of Luck, Fortune, Chance and Friendship Arcane Aspects: Chaos, Mind, Life, Water Origin: Little is known about Cazandir, but some stories and legends tell of Cazandir once being a man who wandered the land when the world was new and men made their own luck. The stories say that Cazandir stumbled upon much fortune and wealth, through his travels he shared all that was his with everyone that would accept his charity, until one day, he had just given away everything when a man came along and wanted everything. This had been the one time Cazandir had nothing to give but his wits and a witty remark. This was not good enough for the man and he brutally killed and cursed Cazandir for all time. Upon his death, Cazandir somehow became a god, the exact way this has happened is unknown, and some say he was just that lucky. Domain: Realm of fortune and chance, trickery and luck where nothing is as it seems and everything is what it isn’t. Decrees: 1. Always embrace an opportunity to take a chance. 2. Cazandir believes life is about sharing what you have with others, real friends are the best allies. When your luck is down your real friends will be there for you. 3. Never turn away someone in need, you may be that person one day. 4. Always embrace adventure, or a chance to have one. 5. Wealth is a way of life, live well help others live well. 6. Never fear luck or chance, whether good or bad always embrace it. 7. Share your luck and good fortune with others not as fortunate. 8. Fortune and luck come and go, such is the way of life and followers of Cazandir understand and embrace this way of life. 9. The church of Cazandir should attempt to create situations or places for others to take chance and have the possibility of luck and Fortune. Even if this causes a little mischief it’s fine. Festivals: Man’s bond is strongest and is closer to his god Cazandir during spring, when everything is the greenest and everyone is at their highest spirits, more likely to take chances and accept their luck for what it is. So it is then that followers revel in their god’s glory, but the main festivals are the beginning and the end of spring. Transgressions: 1. Betraying your friends, Cazandir believes one should always take care of his friends, and never leave them behind. 2. Never to take a chance, prohibit others from taking chances, or taking their chance to improve their fortune. 3. Not giving due credit to Cazandir for luck, fortune and chance that come your way. 4. Taking another’s fortune away from him them, earn your own. 5. Riding completely on another’s good luck and adventure without taking your own, that’s for them, go make your own you coward. Religious garb: Green, gold and black are the colors of Cazandir to be worn at all times, during ceremonies and festivals robes are to be worn, although they should be free to move and very adventure friendly. Usually followers look like bards in their everyday lives, because one never knows when a good adventure might arise. Symbol: The symbol of Cazandir is a coin in front of a dagger. Most followers choose to have this made into a pin that is worn on the collar. Prejudices: Followers of the Un-maker and all who strive to cause chaos in the realm. Anyone who takes another man’s life or fortune deliberately with malicious intent. Anyone that does not believe in luck and chance. Allies: Mordath and Seraphina are great allies, as life and especially death are the greatest adventures of all. Anyone that believes in giving luck a chance and bettering their own fortune Anyone else who is friendly and open to having a good time and taking chances. Desegrahl God of Murder, Mayhem and Vengeance Arcane Aspects: Death, Chaos, and Mind Symbol/Colors: A red, bloodshot eye, crying blood. His followers’ robes are typically white, but stained with blood, both dried and fresh. Allies: Kallaballak, Xilluvia, Gri’lek, Annoth, Ilivara, Braxis, Zorlok, and Imbolis. Enemies: Pondera, Mordath, Seraphina, Jardan, Falkir, Cazandir, Marrova, Erianna, and Nillayan. (Note: All of the deities not named as his allies are counted among Desegrahl’s enemies. The ones noted here are ones with a particular vendetta against him.) Festivals: Worshipers of Desegrahl wait expectantly for any sign of a lunar eclipse, seeing it as a sign from their god that he is watching. Many of Ith’s most shocking atrocities have been performed at these times, when followers compete in an informal contest to see who can kill the most people in the most creative fashions they can devise. History: Desegrahl was once a mortal human assassin who had found the power to consume the life-force of other sentient beings through a violent sacrificial ritual. He had become a whispered name among assassin’s guilds and necromancer’s cabals. Desegrahl’s rivals set him up to devour the essence of a minor deity. While this gave him tremendous power, it also bound him to the rules set by the Fates for all deities to follow. Desegrahl swore vengeance on those that set him in his state. Since then he is known to empower on those that seek vengeance. Desegrahl was angered, for he had little power for not many murderers live for that long or worship him, so Desegrahl became the Patron for vengeance as well, increasing his followers and thus his power. Decrees 1. Terror dies with your victim. Let them suffer long, until they enjoy the mercy of oblivion. 2. Do not deny your victims the knowledge of their doom. Make sure they know exactly what you are doing, and revel in their fear. 3. Desecrate your enemies. Leave your mark in their flesh, if not their soul. 4. The moments before death are a murderer’s greatest reward. Watch every moment. 5. The most effective cause for Mayhem or to destroy some thing is to cut off its head, or its leader, followers of Desegrahl understand and live by this. 6. Leave no survivors. Let their twisted remains serve as proof of your passing. 7. Do not let any wrongful action that is done you or the church pass. 8. Never forgot the actions of others. Never forgive, only seek retribution. 9. Followers are encouraged to be agents of vengeance for others who are unable to do so for themselves, whether this is for morale issues or because they’re death was early, Desegrahl cares not. Transgressions 1. Failing Desegrahl’s will through mortal weakness is inexcusable. Inability to let go of mercy and compassion will result in it being stripped from you through any means deemed necessary by your superiors. 2. Destroy the tools of Desegrahl’s enemies. Failure to desecrate other gods’ shrines is a failure in serving his will. 3. Let no slight go unpunished. Take revenge for any disrespect or insult directed at you, and make an example for all to see before you kill them. 4. Failing to seek vengeance against acts, or fail to fulfill a task or murder or vengeance once you have set out on it is the greatest failure. Erianna Goddess of Peace, Fertility and Tranquility Arcane Aspects: Life, Water, Nature and Mind Origin: Erianna’s origin is unknown; her followers have each their own tale of how she came to be. It is known that Erianna was at one point an Elf Ambassador who traveled the lands bringing peace and tranquility to her people. Domain: Realm of Tranquility Decrees: 1. All will try to find inner peace within themselves. 2. All will help to find inner peace within others. 3. Let go once in a while; you are a tiger lily floating down an amber river. 4. In order to find peace you must first know chaos. 5. Have you ever noticed a calm person with a loud voice? Try and speak softly through your days. 6. Always look towards a peaceful solution to all problems you may face. 7. You must think before you act. 8. When you are at rest, you are a king surveying your estate. Look at the woodland, the peacocks on the lawn. Be a ruler of your own, calm kingdom. 9. Do not actively recruit, if there are some that wish to find inner peace they will seek you out. 10. Those who want peace must sometimes take up arms; while fighting for peace, you may not cause death or pain to achieve the end. Festivals: June – Balance Festival – This festival takes place in the middle of the year where everyone gives to another and receives something in return. There is no fighting on this day and weapons are forbidden on the sacred grounds where the festival held. It is a day to behold the beauty of that is around you. Most people use this time to confront an enemy or someone who troubles them and come to a solution. It is also used as a time to get away from the rigors of daily life, to sit back and breathe. This is also celebrated with Pondera, the God of Order and Balance. July - One Thousand Changed March - This festival takes place in the Capital City. It is a large march where those who are racially or socially denied rights can go and speak peacefully about their needs and offer solutions to those problems. It is a time to be heard and a chance to be understood and no longer be over looked. This festival is run by the followers of Erianna and only takes place in the capital city; however, there have been branches of the temple who have asked permission to do their own marches in their own towns and have received permission to do so. These smaller marches are required to be done two weeks before the march in the city so that the local temple can write down the concerns that are affecting their region and send them to the capital city’s temple to become part of the speeches. Transgressions: 1. Striking down/attacking a peaceful activist is against the teachings of Erianna. 2. Striking down/attacking a fellow follower is against the teachings of Erianna. 3. You must never act rashly as this is against the teachings of Erianna. 4. You must never take advantage of another as this is against the teachings of Erianna. Religious Garb: Silver/Gray and Black cloaks. Most cloaks of this religion have long hoods that have a silver or silver colored bobble hanging at the end. Higher levels of the religion have Silver/ Gray and Black colored hats similar to “Santa Hats” that they wear to show their status in the religion. These hats are decorated with pictures of suns and moons. The highest-level hats have two “tails.” Sacred Symbol: A circular symbol with a cat sitting on water between a sun and a moon. Prejudices: Followers of Erianna believe that undead are here for a reason and they want to help to put that undead soul’s at peace. It is up to the follower how they will send the undead to their restful end. Allies: Jardan, the God of Truth and Judgment: Long ago Erianna and Jardan decided that they would live in the same realm in peace with one another while helping the other in their trials and pains that they both share. This was done to one day arrive at peace of mind where truth and judgment would be naturally found by just looking inside one’s self. The Essence Dragon God of Magic Arcane Aspects: All ten schools of magic, but not Universal Magic Origin: A long time ago Ith was filled with a race of powerful dragons. They called Ith their home. They were beings of awesome power and could naturally channel magic. These dragons had enemies, ancient evil beings that transcended time and space. These Ancient Ones found Ith with its young races, wishing to feed on their essences. The Dragons locked in a great war with these Ancient Ones. Many of the dragons died defending Ith. The dragons knew that the Ancient Ones may return, and began to teach the young races of the world magic in order to defend Ith, using their own essence to power the magic of the young races. The dragons originally planned to take turns as the sources of power, yet over the years the young races’ drain on the dragons became too much, and it began to damage the fabric of reality. Thus, the dragons made the ultimate sacrifice. Together they ascended to form a single being known as The Essence Dragon. The Essence Dragon supplies magic to the world without predjudice, allowing all Ith’s beings to use it. Domain: Everywhere there is magic. The Essence Dragon lives on Ith somewhere in the Earth, and his being is powerful enough to exist in all the planes. Decrees: 1. Invokers of The Essence Dragon are to learn Magic as well as their invoker gifts in order to advance their magical understanding and Divine Rank. 2. Protect the knowledge of magic and perpetuate its existence through creating scrolls, potions, and spell-books. 3. Members of the Temple of The Essence Dragon should learn to create spells or magical items rituals in order to further their understanding of Magic. 4. It is forbidden to hinder, alter, or manipulate the Mana flux in any way. 5. Clergy of the Essence dragon are taught that all magic should be revered and understood for its necessity. 6. The Members of the Temple are encouraged to increase their understanding of magic to its maximum potential. 7. The clergy of the Essence Dragon must praise the Essence Dragon during the Mana flux 8. The temple of The Essence Dragon has declared that Alchemy is a perversion of magic and is not to be used. 9. The members of the temple of the Essence Dragon are taught to share their knowledge of magic with all that wish to know. 10. The temple of the essence dragon opposes the destruction of magic items unless in mortal peril or the item is vile and evil in nature. Festivals: No official festivals are held for the essence dragon, but members of the temple are taught to celebrate the Essence Dragon always often the Church will hold magical tournaments Transgressions: 1. Willful destruction of a magic item is a crime in the temple of the Essence Dragon unless in mortal peril or the item is vile or evil in nature. 2. Interrupting a magic ritual is considered an insult to the Essence dragon and a crime to the temple unless the ritual is Evil or vile. 3. Keeping magical knowledge from the magic community is a high crime of the Temple of the Essence Dragon. 4. It is a crime to disrespect or attack any Avatar of magic unless in mortal peril. 5. Destruction of Magical knowledge, tomes or bodies of information is a crime to the Temple of the Essence Dragon. 6. Keep any information on the Ancient Ones from the church, or dealing with them in any way is a High crime against the Dragon. Religious Garb: White Robes representing the blend of all magic, commonly made with 10 orbs of different colors in a circle; one for each school of magic. Sacred Symbol: Any representation of a Dragon is considered acceptable. Prejudices: 1. Alchemists and their misuse of quasi-magical power, without the knowledge of channeling it. 2. People who are devoid of magic or magic knowledge. 3. Ancient Ones, their cults and followers Allies: The Essence Dragon is an ally to all gods. Falkir God of Benevolence, Hope, and Charity Arcane Aspects: Water, Life, Mind and Order Origin: As a mortal, Falkir was born into a wealthy noble family. His father was cruel, greedy, and heartless and this left a bitter taste in the boy’s mouth. The only child of the house, he inherited everything upon his fathers’ death. From that day forth, Falkir began giving back to all of that which his father had taken. He founded orphanages throughout the lands, went to great lengths to help those in the most desperate of need. Over the years, his reputation grew. His name became synonymous with charity and giving. He inspired giving in others, traveling from place to place, convincing rulers to give back to their people. So great was his renown that upon his death, there was a tremendous outpouring of charity in his name. So many praised his life upon his passing that his spirit was elevated to godhood and the Fates granted him dominion over the Realm of Hope. Domain: The Realm of Hope Decrees: 1. Personal wealth and might should always be used to help those who cannot help themselves 2. One must never fail to act when people are oppressed or cheated 3. Give what is truly needed, be it guidance, food, or a boot in the ass. 4. Always encourage Hope, for there always is some to be found. 5. Orphaned children have a special place in the church and should always be cared for. 6. You must always answer an honest cry for help. 7. Misery and pain are gauzy shadows that cloud vision and obscure hope, but hope is the true light, and blessed are those who bring it. Transgressions: 1. You must never cheat another, doing so invites censorship 2. False charity is a high crime against the church 3. Acting in a way that discourages or ends Hope 4. Allowing misery to reign unchallenged Festivals: Time of Giving: The entire first week of May is and a very important time to the church of Falkir as it marks the time of his passing and ascension to godhood. It is a time that many take to make acts of Charity, great and small, to others and when many orphans are adopted into families. Most people also give gifts to friends and loved ones during this time. Garb: Robes or a long coat of red with white trim. Sacred Symbol: A depiction of an open hand with fingers downwards as if outstretched in an offer of aid. Prejudices: There is a growing rift of animosity between the followers of Falkir and the followers of Ilivara. Allies: Followers of Marrova and Madina often work with followers of Falkir and have a strong bond of friendship with the church. Ilivara Goddess of Pain and Destruction Arcane Aspects: Chaos, Death, Mind and Air Origin: Although many gods can be considered ‘mad’, Ilivara is one that is truly insane. She believes that to fully understand something, you need to take it apart and look at it through its base components. To fully understand someone, you need to strip away all of the facades and even the lies that one tells oneself to reveal the true person underneath. Nothing does this like pain. Born a human child of a physician, she had developed a warped sense of the need to find the truth in things – which led to quite a series of macabre incidents that finally had her father seal her away in a room when she was but 9 years old. During one of his arguments about the folly of mortal deities, Kallaballak noted that even the most deprived mortal could become a god and with a casual toss of his hand, gave Ilivara the most fundamental properties of a deity. She escaped her father’s prison, first ‘examining’ him fully to find out why he would do that to her, and then went about the world. True to her personality, she went about trying to learn. People she would torture ruthlessly, laying bare their innermost secrets. Items she would destroy piece by piece, learning from their deconstruction. All this was done without malice, but in a pure and child-like hunt for truth. Little by little, people started to take notice of her quest for knowledge and some admired the purity and wonder of her quest. These followers first copied her methods, even to the point of inflicting pain upon themselves in order to gain self-realization. And Kallaballak won his argument as this twisted child became a minor goddess through the worship of her insane followers. During the Age of Reckoning, Ilivara’s habits became less amusing to the other gods and their Heralds confronted her. Captured, shackled and caged, the young deity raged and her fury grew to truly divine proportions. Just as her anger reached crescendo, Kallaballak appeared and named a task for her. There were beings, he explained, in need of both pain and destruction, and these unfortunates were worthy of her attentions. Kallaballak thereby directed Ilivara against the Ancient Ones and their cultists. The goddess unleashed a torrent of pain and destruction, but the twisted souls of these foes were a dangerous match for this minor deity and she was nearly destroyed several times. The War of the Age of Reckoning aged Ilivara greatly, and by the end of it she had gained a sense of wisdom and maturity she previously lacked. Recognizing her newfound stature, the Fates offered Ilivara true godhood. Accepting this elevation, she replaced Darkwin in the pantheon of greater deities. As a prize for his pet’s “debut,” Kallaballak gifted her with the Realm of Destruction and the Realm of Pain, which were attached his Plane of Chaos. Domains The Realms of Pain and Destruction. Decrees: 1. Curiosity shouldn’t kill the cat, it should vivisect it. 2. Do not believe what people tell you. Find out for yourself by reading their entrails. 3. The only way to know how something works is to see it from the inside out. 4. Placing another in immense pain frees them from their own shackles. Pain is the body’s way of removing all falsehoods placed upon it. 5. Pain is just weakness leaving the body. 6. Do not fear death as it will reveal who you are. A man who has never faced death has never faced himself. 7. Study ways to destroy things, or invent new ways to do so. 8. Hone your ability to create pain, and find new ways to do so. 9. Absolution through true confession under pain the greatest thing one can achieve. 10. Harden your body and mind to pain and destruction. Festivals: The Freeing – June 17th. This is the supposed day that Ilivara was given her power and freed herself from the shackles of her father. Worshippers take this day to see how much pain and suffering they can endure for the longest period of time. Quite often, they do not see June 18th. Transgressions: 1. If you take someone’s word for something that turns out false, you should be punished and not the liar. 2. Never go for the kill when you can go for the pain. Pain teaches, and death ends the lesson. 3. If something confuses you, destroy it. If it still confuses you, at least it isn’t a problem anymore. 4. Never run from pain. 5. Never fail to destroy something when commanded to do so by the church. Religious Garb: Nothing official, but followers of Ilivara are often recognized by their clothing that has been tattered by numerous self-inflicted wounds. Scars also often adorn her followers. Sacred Symbol: A studded cat of nine tails with a black lightning bolt behind it. Prejudice: There is a slight prejudice from the followers towards any healing deities as they feel one should bear out their pain and not have it succored. Allies: Kallaballak isn’t so much an ally as he is someone who is amused with what he created. But he will watch out for her and her allies from time to time and his church will see her followers as good pets. Likewise, Unn’la is interested in how Ilivara’s madness progresses and how she spreads it. Although most of the other gods condemn her actions, some are still piqued by her end results – such as Lylandria, Tiana and Jardan. Enemies: None of the healing deities can truly stomach Ilivara’s ways, but they do not truly hate her. Falkir, however, feels her simpleminded cruelty is anathema to the compassion and benevolence that he prizes, and he seeks to thwart her aims. Jardan God of Truth, Justice and Judgment Arcane Aspects: Order, Mind, Death, Universal Residence: The Realm of Truth Colors: Blue, Green, Red, White on very formal clothing Symbol: A Gavel Heralds: The Masked Judicar. While there are many Judicars who roam the land bringing people to justice, there is one who stands above the rest. Seemingly immortal, The Masked Judicar’s identity has been lost over the ages, but he continues to roam the land, taking care of some of Jardan’s most urgent business. Rumor has it that the Masked Judicar cannot see well but that his mask allows him to see through all lies. No doubt a gift from Jardan, the Masked Judicar sees all truth and is therefore quite efficient in bringing justice. Relations with Gods: Friends with Nillayan, Pondera, and Seraphina Enemies with Xilluvia While not direct enemies, Jardan’s followings may come in conflict with those of Kallaballak, Desegrahl, and Braxis. Decrees: 1. One must always tell the truth, ((honesty disadvantage encouraged)) 2. One’s actions must always work towards learning the truth. 3. One must always believe in the truth. 4. One must always let current systems take their course. 5. One must always trust the judgment of the Gods. 6. One must try to help bring people to justice when the current society cannot. 7. Persevere, as justice will always prevail. 8. Truth and justice imply high honors, you must look the part. Transgressions: 1. One must never fall prey to personal vengeance and take the law into their own hands. 2. One must never question the justice system. 3. One must never be false. 4. One must never allow injustice to stand. Prejudices: There is only truth and justice Festivals: November 16; The Celebration of Prevailed Justice. A festival celebrated by those who have been freed from ill happenings by the hand of justice. The celebration itself is very generic but it means a lot to those taking part as their lives have been extended by Jardan’s will. The one staple in the festival is the replaying/re-imagining of some of Jardan’s most famous exploits in finding truth and justice. To the average bystander this festival may have little importance, but to those involved, it means the world. Origins: Jardan began life as a normal human being. His father was a renowned investigator who was famous for turning around the most hopeless cases. While working on a high profile murder case, Jardan’s father himself was murdered. The case proved to be too volatile for various reasons for anyone else to pick up. Corruption seemed to be the source, and Jardan realized this. It appeared that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree and Jardan started to pick up the pieces. The road was arduous, with many twists and turns, but through it all, Jardan believed in his client and believed that the truth would prevail eventually. After a long journey, Jardan prevailed in attaining his client’s innocence and in apprehending the true criminal. This would be the start of Jardan’s career in proving innocence and finding justice. Jardan’s one and only goal in life became finding the truth. Though he was just a bumbling newbie in the world of criminal justice, Jardan was successful time after time. He became more famous than his father ever was and lead a very long and successful life. The gods, impressed with Jardan’s fervor, decided to elevate Jardan to godhood when Jardan was on his deathbed. He was charged with ensuring that truth and justice always prevail in the world. More specific events of Jardan’s life can be found in a few books chronicling Jardan’s life and career. Much more about the man-turned-god can be learned about in these books. You will find that he was a very interesting and quirky character who had found success in some of the strangest of cases. Kaiah Goddess of Battle, Ferocity and Hunters Arcane Aspects: Chaos, Fire, and Nature History: Elven legend tells of the old Elven God of Battle and Ferocity who fell long ago fighting the Ancient Ones, fighting side by side with the Dragons. They say that the Elven God would be re-born in a time of great battle. During the Age of Reckoning, a young Elf huntress named Kaiah gave her services to the kingdom of Talar, along with her company of archers. She was a renowned tracker and hunter, able to locate and slay the greatest of Beasts. Kaiah roamed the land in the years before and through the Age of Reckoning, training and stalking the greatest hunts she could find all over Ith. Any were welcome to join her, to become her follower. If they proved worthy to learn, Kaiah would teach the new follower her ways. Kaiah’s ferocity in combat was second to none. During the Age of Reckoning, the Ancient Ones corrupted and mutated many beasts in the lands and began to use them to terrorize the people. Kaiah tracked down and killed a great many number of these beasts. Upon killing thousands of beasts, she began to boast that there was not a thing in all of Ith that she could not kill. Only in the heat of the battle was her battle-lust fulfilled. A short while later, a human stranger snuck into her camp. Shocked that he was able to bypass all of her guards, Kaiah engaged the stranger in a duel. Never had she backed down nor been outlasted in combat. Kaiah and stranger battled for days, parrying back and forth for the lead in the fight; finally, exhausted and pained, Kaiah fell in front of the stranger and bared her neck to him. Instead of killing her, the stranger offered his hand and then carried Kaiah’s listless body inside a tent. There, he spoke to her of the things to come and, like himself, she would be given a chance to walk a great path in life and that she, like him, had a difficult choice to make. She awoke to find the stranger gone. Kaiah looked forward and new a great battle was ahead of her. She was indeed the Elven god of battle reborn. After her acknowledgement of being the Elven God reborn, she created the Realm of Battle; here, she could constantly train, fight and hunt. Kaiah also made the realm so that she could teach others the way of the fighter. Now, only the most Faithful of her followers are taken to the Realm of Battle to train. Once every few years, Kaiah goes on the Great Hunt. She gets permission from the Gods of the elements and planes and takes only a few of dozen of the best hunters and fighters with her. They move across from plane to realm, hunting and fighting the best beasts that the realm has to offer. Domain: Realm of Battle and Hunt Decrees: 1. Challenge yourself every day; a warrior must be able to rise to the occasion. 2. Be ready at all times, for you do not know when you will be prey or your hunt will begin. 3. Fight every battle with ferocity, passion and commitment. The one who will take the field will be the one who wants it most. 4. Battles are simple, fights are complex; never underestimate your opponent. If a battle proves to be too simple for your skill, find a way to challenge yourself. 5. Your worth and words are only as good as your skill; words are meaningless unless you can back them up. 6. The smart hunter knows when best to strike and when to wait; patience and cunning are some of a fighter’s greatest tools. 7. A warrior’s life is only as good as the cause they fight for. 8. Followers of Kaiah shall provide a quick and clean death for all worthy opponents. Transgressions 1. Taking a life for the joy of killing is against Kaiah’s teachings. 2. Refusing to hunt or fight for a worthy cause is against Kaiah’s teachings. 3. Surrender in battle is against Kaiah’s teachings, and is considered a high crime. The wise hunter knows when to fall back. 4. To turn away from a challenge is to go against Kaiah’s teachings. 5. Hunting and stalking something that cannot defend itself or is unworthy prey is against Kaiah’s teachings. Festivals The Great Hunt: Once a year, for a week, followers of Kaiah prepare themselves in case they are chosen to go on her Great Hunt. A week of tournaments are held during the time chosen by Kaiah; these tournaments are normally during the hottest time of the summer, so as to place the warriors in the most extreme circumstances for training and fighting. Religious Garb: Followers of Kaiah normally do not wear typical religious garb, and instead, dress for battle. Black, red and Tan are the colors of Kaiah; some higher-level worshipers of Kaiah wear red battle robes under their armor. The more ornate the robe, the higher the rank; all followers of Kaiah have a red sash they wear around their waist. Each time a member of the church proves a great feat of skill, they may be awarded a black mark on their sash. There are many different markings, as each one has a special meaning. Sacred Symbol: A red sun rising over black mountaintops with a black silhouette of a hand holding a bow (or your weapon) against the sun. Prejudices: The Savage God- Followers of Kaiah often clash with the followers of the Savage God; his ideals of survival of the fittest often cause his greater invokers to be targets of Kaiah’s hunters. In fact, the two religions have pitched into open battle on more than one occasion. Some of the peaceful gods, such as Seraphina and Erianna, openly contest Kaiah’s embrace of hunting and battle. Desegrahl and Ilivara- these deities embrace mindless destruction and death, at least in Kaiah’s eyes. Their followers are distrusted greatly by all of Kaiah’s followers. It is said that once the Herald of Desegrahl and Kaiah came to blows with one another when the Herald of Kaiah showed up to protect her followers from followers of Desegrahl. Allies: The Unmaker- Kaiah’s Realm of Battle is inside of the Plane of Chaos. Hence, the Unmaker enjoys throwing random things into the realm for Kaiah’s chosen to hunt and grants Kaiah’s followers access to the Plane of Chaos for battle and hunting (without trying to murder them all). As such, the followers of both religions tend to get along rather well. Ya’el, Kaiah, Rok’hova, Lylandria and Tyrendal were all original Elven gods; since their ascension to God-hood. Many races worship the Gods and as such, they all have a pact to help each other out and assist one another whenever needed and can call upon their followers to assist the other religion as needed. Herald: Kaiah’s herald is a black panther-changed named Stalker. Stalker is a changed of the old world who lost his life in defensive of a nature grove in the deep woods. Even before this death his skills at tracking and battle were renown. In a selfless act, he tricked the attackers of the grove into following him deeper into the woods far away from the grove. Once he had led them far enough away, he engaged in bloody one-man guerilla warfare, using all of his skills to hit and run, set traps, and pick them off one at a time, while outnumbered over one hundred to one. When he had slowly ground them down to under half their numbers they resorted to burning the forest down, leaving Stalker nowhere to run to. Even in the face of death he fought with Ferocity of a dozen men. Finally, at the end of this savage battle, he was brought down. Upon his dying breath, Kaiah whisked him away. Kaiah gave Stalker a choice between a warrior’s death and the chance to live again. Since then Stalker has served Kaiah with pure devotion. Stalker trains the best of Kaiah’s followers, his skills with a spear and bow are said to be second to only Kaiah herself. When the time of the great hunt comes, it is Stalker who travels Ith collecting the chosen. Kallaballak God of Chaos, The Unmaker Arcane Aspects: Chaos, Air, Fire, Death Origin: Formerly the king of evil spirits, he was trapped inside the mind of one of the first gods, the ancient god of order, He Who Hath No Name ascended after tricking several heroes to perform a ritual to set him free from the confines of God’s Mind. After laying waste to large portions of Ith, he was banished to the plane of Chaos, where he then decided to make his home, and has ruled there longer than most can remember. He is now one of the most powerful Gods and has almost rewritten the history of the world more than once. Domain: The Plane of Chaos Decrees: 1. The clergy of The Unmaker believe that to tolerate wrongs committed against one’s self is weakness. Vengeance is a sign of true strength. 2. Servants of the Unmaker are encouraged embrace randomness and whims of passion, never doing anything the same way twice, etc. 3. Creating something should only be used as a force for chaos or to spread chaos. 4. Keeping things orderly is a waste of one’s time as chaos is the natural order. 5. The god of chaos is to be referred to as The Unmaker, and to say this is to revere the god. 6. If a law does not serve the Clergy’s best interest, then the law is not to be obeyed. 7. Causing suffering and destruction is considered an acceptable way for a member of the Temple of Chaos to achieve his or her goals. 8. Members of the Temple of Chaos are to never hide the fact that they worship The Unmaker. 9. The clergy of Chaos are taught to remind other people that the god of chaos is the one true god. 10. Respect true blood royalty above all others, for they have a divine right to rule, and always question authority of any other kind. Festival: Sometimes Transgressions: 1. Speaking the name Kallaballak is a high crime in the Temple of Chaos. Only those with divine permission may speak the name. 2. To come in contact with anything perfect and not tarnish it in some way is a crime against chaos. 3. To allow the temple’s enemies to roam freely is an insult to The Temple of Chaos 4. Forsaking the God of Chaos and worshipping any other Deity marks the invoker for destruction by the God of Chaos. 5. Aiding the Temples of gods that offend the Unmaker for any reason that does not directly serve the God of Chaos is considered treason. Religious Garb: Red, purple and orange Sacred Symbol: A red lightning bolt, for its purely chaotic and powerful nature. Plus, the Chaos god was known to have used powerful lightning bolts of chaotic energy to destroy his more powerful opponents. Prejudices: All mortal born gods are considered by Kallaballak to not be gods at all, and to be claiming a title that only the royal and divine have right to. Allies: 1. The Essence Dragon accepts Kallaballak to be necessary and is therefore a friend of chaos. 2. The Demon God Azrael is considered a true ally of the Unmaker, as he supplies troops for the Unmaker’s Army. His worshipers are to be treated as members of the church, unless their means do not match those of the will of the Unmaker. 3. Xilluvia, Gri’lek, and Zorlok are all gods that the Unmaker helped ascend and are allies of the church. Madina Goddess of Dreams Arcane Aspects Mind, Order, Life, and Universal History: Powerful beings of mind, rather than full gods, Annoth and Madina never lived as mortals. The elves have recorded encounters with Madina and Annoth from along ago. It is suspected that they were created by the fears, hopes and dreams of the mortal beings of the world. The first time the Ancient Ones came to this world, the mortal beings of Ith were left mentally scarred from the events. Annoth’s role became to help mortals deal with their mental problems by forcing them to face their fears and deal with them rather than suppressing them. Madina gave people dreams to give them hope in times of darkness and depression. Madina and Annoth were lovers working together, existing. However, over time, their opposing views of how to help the mortals degraded their relationship. Annoth set to prove his ways and created ten nightmares for each aspect of Fear and Mind. In response, Madina created ten dreams to help battle these fears: Fame, Love, Hope, Wealth, Happiness, Desire, Serenity, Success, Courage and Resolve. Since this time, Madina is rarely heard from. Instead her ten dreams travel both the physical and dream world of Ith. The ten dreams are known to clash from time to time with Annoth’s ten nightmares. Madina and her ten dreams are thought to be some of the most knowledgeable beings in all the realms, as they have almost unlimited access to all mortal minds and have spent thousands of years gaining information. Domain: The Realm of the Mists Decrees: 1. Dreams are a wish your heart makes; followers of Madina shall always work to fulfill their own dreams and then the dreams of others. 2. Followers of Madina understand that dreams will give the lost hope and take others out of depression. Therefore, it is a follower’s job to help give another hope within their dreams. 3. Followers of Madina understand that hard work and dedication is needed to make others’ dreams come true. 4. Sleep is restful and sometimes the best thing a person needs is a good night’s sleep. 5. Sleep is where dreams take place and the mind can strengthen and help those find courage in their dreams. 6. The best way to deal with a restless person is to put them to sleep. 7. Followers of Madina should study the functions of the Mind and Psychology. 8. Followers of Madina shall not harm followers of Annoth without permission of a highranking member of the church or Madina herself. 9. Followers of Madina will help others deal with their mental anguish and resolve their pain. 10. Sometimes, in order to live one’s life to the fullest, you must confront your own fears. One of follower of Madina’s greatest joy is to confront and conquer fear and help others do likewise. Transgressions 1. Waking someone while sleeping, unless under dire circumstances, is a crime among the church of Madina. 2. Stopping or interrupting someone from having a dream is considered the highest crime. 3. Killing a person is an end to their dreams and hopes; followers of Madina always look for other ways to resolve issues before they take a life. 4. Followers of Madina are forbidden to willingly instill fear through the use of spells or Alchemy in others. If a follower of Madina causes a mental problem within another, it is their task to help resolve and cure them of said problem. 5. Use of mind magic to seriously alter someone’s thoughts or mind for personal gain is considered a high crime. Festivals: Night of Sleep, Dec 21: both Annoth and Madina share the shortest day of the year. In which both nightmares and dreams run free, helping the mortals as they can. Midsummer’s Eve June 20th, The Night of Dreams Religious Garb: Light grey, purple, and light blue. Sacred Symbol: A grey circle with a light blue ring around it, with a light purple web inside of the circle; this represents the weaving of dreams at night. Prejudices: Gods or people who forcibly take lives and murder others. Allies: Madina is a fairly neutral god and generally will send help and aid to all those who are in dire need of assistance in the forms of dreams. Followers of Cazandir, Tarsus, Falkir, and Tiana are often friends of worshipers of Madina as their gods walk a similar path as Madina. Heralds: Madina’s ten dreams act as her heralds and spread dreams. From time to time, Madina will give them orders and they will always carry out her orders and deliver her messages, even if it conflicts with their own goals. Marrova Goddess of Love, Loyalty and Devotion Arcane Aspects: Life, Mind, Chaos and Fire History: Born of a mortal and an angel, Marrova devoted her life to Pluchera, the old goddess of love. Marrova spent her every moment at the temple and was a Faithful and devout follower. One day all became silent within the temple. The evil that had engulfed the Dragon’s power had consumed Pluchera as well. What remained of Plucheras’ essence took shelter within her temple as a small, sick bird. Marrova found it upon the alter and began nursing it back to health. While the bird only grew weaker and weaker, Marrova never gave up hope. As the bird lay dying, one tear fell from Marrova’s eye into the bird’s mouth. This tear was filled with all of Marrova’s love and gave Pluchera enough strength to speak. Pluchera told Marrova that she was touched at how much devotion she had given her both as a Goddess and as a bird. She would bestow upon Marrova a most rare and precious of gifts. Pluchera knew that her time was coming to an end and a new era was rising. Pluchera kissed Marrova upon her cheek and died. With her last breath all that was left of her passed on into Marrova whose heart was over flowing with love and devotion to the past as well as the new future. Domain: The Realm of Love Decrees: 1. Thou shall always look towards the future with love in one’s heart. 2. Thou shall always help those in need. 3. Thou shall always stay true to what you believe. There is truth in what your heart says is good and pure. Speak your mind, maybe you will find a kindred spirit. 4. Thou shall strive to better ones own life as well as the lives of others. 5. Thou shall always be equal with man and woman. 6. Love is a passion; if you see someone on the edge of love or in need of love, help them find it. 7. There is no greater strength in the world than between two lovers. Protect and honor and strengthen another’s love so they may enjoy life’s greatest joy. 8. If help is needed by another and you have the knowledge, you must help or give advice to guide them down whatever path they choose. 9. Friends are to be revered above all else. 10. Lost love is one of life’s greatest pains; help those heal their hearts and find new love and new passion in life. 11. Your parents are they who taught and cared for you; cherish them and keep them close to your heart; let them always know you are grateful. In return you shall always protect and do what is best for those you bring forth. Festivals: February 13th to the 23rd – The Lovers Reunion – to honor the great rejoining of two followers of Marrova: Carthith and Yavarian. The short side of this story was that after ten years of being apart because of a war, they were reunited and became very powerful within the religion. Each festival, the story of their paths parting and their reunion is told at the opening ceremonies and the lovers’ tale is acted out in the closing ceremonies. This festival usually lasts ten days, one for each year they were apart. May 1st – The Festival of the Honorable Parent – This is a day to show love and devotion to your parents though giving them trinkets, home-made or bought, and showing them how much you appreciate what did for you. It is a day to go back to your hometown and spend time with those you may have left but will never forget. November there is the Festival of Lost Love, to pay homage to the union of Marrova and Braxxis, God of Hate, that once was but is no more. It is a day to sit and remember the lost loves of everyone’s lives, whether it be a lover, husband, son, daughter, mother, father or other such person who has impacted our lives and made us who we are. It is a time to remember the good things and build on facts, to let go of the pain and look towards the future with the promise of future love. The Festival of Pluchera takes place in August. At this time followers of Marrova spend an evening in contemplation and thought upon how they could better themselves and those around them. The next day they help someone with a task or challenge. Transgressions: 1. Thou shall never lash out in hate or pain. 2. Thou shall never betray a friend or employer. If there is a problem then it needs to be discussed with that person in order for your heart to be lighter. 3. Thou shall never be disrespectful to your parents or those who brought you up. 4. Thou shall never attempt to willingly break another love, without permission of the church first. 5. Thou shall never intentionally hurt those who care for you. Religious Garb: Purple with gold accents. During festivals or ceremonies they wear garb similar to that of the Greeks or Romans. Sacred Symbol: An oval shaped pendent with a woman in Greek/ Roman clothes with a vial over her head holding a bird with a sun in the background. No matter what color or material the symbol is made out of, it has some sort of golden embellishment, whether it be the string or some painting detail or an embedded stone where the flower is. Prejudices: They take pride in their lack of prejudices and do their best to guide those lost to find love or support them in whatever they choose to do. Herald: She is known as a bird-changed named Sku. This is in honor of Pulchera. Sku was the name that Marrova had given the bird in her care. Allies: Falkir, The Essence Dragon, Tiana, Tarpanrion Mordath God of Death Arcane Aspect Death, Life, Fire, and Earth (Mordath does not bestow healing magic to his followers) Origin: Once mortal as are all of us, Mordath, a man of great power, sought eternal life. Rumors reached his ears of an elixir created by the Fates themselves that would grant immortality unto the drinker. Such a prize was not so easily found even for Mordath; his search spanned years. Puzzles led only to dead ends and more puzzles. As the years stretched on into decades, the puzzles wove themselves into his consciousness and began to drive him mad; his desire became obsession. Eventually, Mordath crafted a ritual that he believed would create the elixir he so craved. Tragically, in his exhausted and maddened state, his ritual was flawed. Having swallowed the elixir Mordath found himself indeed immortal, but his new body was a twisted echo of his prior form. He had become the undead. Incensed by his failure, Mordath slew each and every one of his followers and burned his own keep to ashes. His fury spanned a century, his madness growing with every passing year. In time his anguished mind came to crave only the peace of death, his methods growing more brutal in the hopes that someone, anyone, would hunt and destroy him, thus sending him into oblivion. After yet another slaughter Mordath captured an avatar of life magic, the wife of a formidable follower of the Essence Dragon. To save his beloved, the Dragon’s follower reached out to the Dragon and Thrain, who was at that time the God of Death. Upon hearing the tale of his deeds, Thrain set out upon the mortal realm, tracking down Mordath and sundering his undead body. At the brink of Mordath’s destruction, the Essence Dragon intervened, informing Thrain that it was Magic itself that had twisted Mordath into his existence as an abomination. Thrain was not merciful to Mordath. Rather than lend aid, Thrain banished the shattered creature into a planar prison within the Void. It is assumed by most that Thrain chose imprisonment out of fear; as he was not allowed to kill him outright, Thrain worried that Mordath may grow in power, perhaps too powerful for even the Gods to deal with. For a thousand years, Mordath remained within his prison, an area no larger than a small tavern. Sobered by his defeat and the knowledge of all he had wrought, as time slowly passed his madness faded. He spent his seemingly endless incarceration refining his magic, and through rituals of his own creation he undid the curse of undeath he had laid upon himself. Mordath tells us now that during his imprisonment the Champion of Death made himself known to him, whispering to him from across the Void as he slumbered, providing him gifts to aid him in holding his sanity and passing the ages. It is known to most of us that during the Age of Reckoning Thrain bent the laws of death itself, abusing his power as a deity. The day came to pass that Thrain was consumed by death energies. Upon his passing it was discovered that he had shirked his duties as the Guardian of the Plane of Death. The Fates came unto Mordath within his prison, bringing with them the Champion of Death. To Mordath they offered a bargain. He, along with the Champion of Death, would be tasked with cleansing the chaotic Plane of Death, and he would take his place as its ruler. He would forever adhere to the Laws of Death that Thrain’s folly would never again come to pass. Now fully cured of his madness, Mordath took the Fates’ offer and set to his sacred task. And so it came to pass that the Plane of Death was set to order and has remained under Mordath’s rule. Mordath champions the Laws of Death and demands that they are followed by all. The spirits of the dead travel first to the Plane of Death, where they remain for a year and a day. Then are they delivered unto the Realm of Justice, where they are judged. From there they are sent to their final destination; to their deity, or returned to Mordath to be sent on to oblivion, or other final rest. It is the sacred task of Mordath and his servants to shepherd souls through the realms of the afterlife. Domain The Plane of Death Decrees 1. A ritual resurrection can only be allowed with Mordath’s permission. Followers of Mordath believe that when they die, after a short time their souls pass to the Realm of Death. Only souls that have Mordath’s blessing may return after this point. 2. Undead must have Mordath’s permission to exist. Undead created by church members must have the permission of a church member of the rank of Zealot or higher. 3. The circle of life and death are of the utmost importance. Followers of Mordath should understand that life is a part of death and both must play their parts in equal balance for the world to exist. Followers of Mordath must always understand this tenet and live their lives by it. 4. Followers of Mordath will never wish for or attempt to attain immortality. 5. All souls belong to Mordath. The souls of the dead all must pass through the Gates of Death into Mordath’s realm. Nothing can impede the progress of a soul in its journey to the Gates. 6. Lay unrested souls to peace. Many restless souls still walk the land; they must be aided until they can reach the Gates on their own. 7. Maintain and protect the strongholds of death. See to it that those resting in places such as graveyards and crypts are shown respect. These areas are always considered holy places to followers of Mordath. 8. Followers of Mordath must be able to bring death to any and all who must be killed by whatever means they can produce. Mordath accepts all the arts of death so long as they follow his will. As one ascends in rank in the church so must their ability to kill in Mordath’s name. 9. Hunt and destroy intelligent undead, those that attempt to gain unnatural immortality. 10. Followers of Mordath must always aid followers of Seraphina if possible. Transgressions 1. Consuming souls for power, in any fashion, or consorting with those that do. Only with Mordath’s blessing may souls be held from the Realm of Death. 2. Willingly accepting a ritual or miracle resurrection without consent of Mordath. 3. Aiding a follower of Desegrahl in any form, causing unwanted death or murders. 4. Consorting or conspiring with demons using souls for power, and thus failing to respect Mordath’s ownership of all souls. 5. Becoming undead without Mordath’s permission. Said permission is rarely given, sometimes to serve a specific purpose. Festivals Remembrance of the Circle of Death: October 31st. This day is dedicated to remembering those that have died before us and to pay respect to them. Religious Garb Black and purple, symbols of death and graves. Sacred Symbol A black skull on top of a white circle with a black outline. Sometimes more ornate symbols of Mordath will have a circle of thorns around the skull, or images of graves. Prejudice Desegrahl and Kallaballak Allies Seraphina, Jardan, Cazandir, The Essence Dragon Nillayan God of Honor, Humility, and Protection. The Last Titan. Arcane Aspects: Mind, Earth, Water, and Order Domain: Nillayan, is found over all of Ith, he is known to travel into the planes and realms as well. Origin: Nillayan is a Titan from ages long past, said to be a Titan who was in charge of protecting the nexus gates between the planes and then material planes. When the Ancient Ones first came to Ith Nillayan and his fellow titans fought tooth and nail to protect the gate way against them, knowing that their evil and corruption could not reach the planes otherwise it would be impossible to stop. Many titans fell, however Nillayan, survived and was able to keep the portal safe. However because of his commitment to the portal he was unable to help anywhere else on Ith. He felt very guilty about the damage caused all over Ith. Nillayan vowed that he would travel the lands protecting all that he could. Since then, Nillayan has roamed the lands helping where he could. It is known that he had a hand in helping with the creation of the Korgahn, however he did not stay in their mountain kingdoms, and continued to roam the land. During this time he ascended to godhood. Sometimes, Korgahn view Nillayan as one of their deities. Also, because of his age and purpose he is one beings in existence, one of the most educated in the manners of planer travel and opening and closing of gateways and portals. He is often sought as a teacher in these manners, or in consolation. Nillayan is worshiped all over Ith for his ideals. DECREES: 1. Always defend those in need of protection from evil, greed and the wrong deeds of other. 2. Your word is your bound, and the honor of one is defined by their actions with for or against other beings. 3. If you give your word to protect or guard someone you will die if needed to defend them. 4. A protector of all living things is useless if they do not act with the highest level of intrigue and the purest of intention, those with good intentions but a bad will can do the greatest harm. 5. A follower will always offer help if possible to those in real need. 6. Followers of Nillayan always act with humility in all actions. 7. Showing others the ways of protection and duty is the path of Nillayan, should one come across another in need to be shown the way it becomes the follower’s duty to do so. 8. Followers of Nillayan, are taught to protect and guard portals and gateways to other realms and planes, if one is being misused it is your duty to close it. 9. Followers of Nillayan, await and constantly train the call of protection where Nillayan, appears to them and guides them to a place they must protect until their last breath. Transgressions: 1. Turning down a call for help 2. Opening a portal or gateway and not protecting or ensuring it is left in good hands 3. Striking against or plotting against a Titan 4. Your shield/honor may never touch the ground and may it never be stained with dishonor or regret. 5. Wasting your life or dying in unjust or wasteful manner. Festivals: The day of protection is a massive feast in which the followers gather together and honor the deeds of the greatest protectors and defenders from all over Ith. Great stories are told starting from the age of before. Religious Garb: Primary Gold and black with a stone grey. Sacred Symbol: A grey shield embossed with a golden large “N.” Sometimes Nillayan is represented as a golden Eagle holding a stone “N” Prejudices: Nillayan works alongside many other deities and in fact is one of the most neutral gods to exists, it is known that he will even help the more sinister deities against a greater foe to protect the innocent. It is said that the Unmaker once crossed Nillayan, and since that time Nillayan’s followers look down on those of the Unmaker. Herald: A Korgahn named Rou’gal Diametrion, is said to be one of the original 7 Korgahn created. He left his kingdom early in search of Nillayan. On finding Nillayan, he pledge his Life in service of Nillayan and took up charge as his herald. While he mostly functions as Nillayan’s embassy between Ith and the other planes, he is known to come to those in need in great times. Allies: The other titan deities are strong allies of the church of Nillayan. Since Nillayan is largely neutral, almost every deity will help his followers knowing that them may one day come to their aid. Orm Master of the Void, Keeper of Elemental Harmony Arcane Aspects: Fire, Air, Water, Earth, and Nature (often gives a little bit of everything.) Symbol/Colors: The colors of the four primal elements spiraling into a green circle, all on a black field. Allies: Pondera, Stratos, Tarpanrion, Veksar, and Aquinius. Enemies: Kallaballak, Xilluvia, and Imbolis. Festivals: At each equinox and solstice, worshippers of Orm gather to witness the passing of one element’s dominance, and to welcome another’s influence. Which elements portray which seasons, and how each event is celebrated differs from region to region, and sometimes even from year to year. History: During the creation of the world, the fates found that many of the forces under their purview could not tolerate each other. The gods of the elements used their power to pursue their own personal need for dominance over the other elements. To ensure balance between the elements, the consciousness known as Orm was created. Decrees 1. Do not take shelter from the elements beyond what nature provides. 2. Distance yourself from mortal politics. 3. Once your course has been determined, do not allow mortals to deter you. 4. Elementals are to be treated with as much reverence as any mortal noble. 5. Places of natural power are to be preserved. Protect them with all the power you can bring to bear. 6. There is an understanding that the mortal realm is made up from all the elements working together, each having its own place, followers of Orm are to understand this and have this fact influence their every action. 7. Orm’s followers understand that there is a balance to every side, and commonly seek to balance the unbalanced things in life. 8. Rogue elementals or Tyrants causing unbalanced havoc on other planes are to be banished back to their plane. 9. The champions of Fate commonly seek the same goals as the church of Orm, and are direct agents of the fates, aid them whenever and however possible. Transgressions 1. Neglecting the proper rites and rituals to appease the elements will earn the disfavor of Orm, and long-term neglect will be punished harshly. 2. The willful and permanent destruction of an elemental with title in the elemental courts by any individual must be punished with a similar sentence. 3. Inciting discord and sedition against the natural order as set by the Fates and enforced by Orm will result in the ejection of any member of the church. All others found guilty will be executed. Pondera God of Order Arcane Aspects: Order, Mind, Life Origin: Pondera was the Herald of the Old God of Order, At the end of the Age of Reckoning when the god disappeared, it is assumed that he gave himself up to repair some of the damage done to the world by the Ancient Ones. Pondera took his place as the new god of order. Domain: Plane of Order Decrees: 1. Laws maintain order and the invokers of Pondera are charged to obey the law. 2. The Members of the Temple of Pondera are taught to expose law-breakers, and detain criminals if within the law. 3. Members of the Temple of Pondera are expected to be orderly and clean and maintain a good schedule. 4. The Members of the Temple of Pondera are expected to learn some kind of craft to assist in creating order. 5. The invokers of Pondera are to maintain the high levels of commitment it takes to complete the tasks they begin. 6. Members of the Temple of Pondera are taught to learn all they can from nature, life, and the order of the universe. 7. The invokers of Pondera are expected to attempt restore order in chaotic situations. 8. Members of the Temple of Pondera are taught to take time in formulating decisions and to act methodically and logically. 9. It is considered dishonorable for Clergy of Pondera to engage in an obviously unbalanced conflict. 10. Members of the Temple of Pondera are encouraged to maintain self-discipline and decorum. Festival: On the New Year, a huge artisan fair is held in Pondera 's honor where all creations and machinations of order are appreciated. Much knowledge is shared at this festival. Transgressions: 1. Followers of Pondera forbidden from disrupting the balance of nature. 2. The expression of unbridled rage is considered a tribute to chaos and a crime against Pondera. 3. The temple of Pondera forbids willfully taking advantage of someone. Example: Joe the ork tries to buy from Mike the follower of Pondera, a necklace. Joe offers Mike 10 gold for the item. Mike knows the item is only worth 5 gold. Instead of ripping Joe the Orc off, Mike tells Joe the true value of the item. 4. Creation or summoning of demons, abominations or undead is considered a high crime against Pondera. 5. Flagrant disregard for the law is considered to be a disregard to order, and is punishable by the Temple of Pondera Religious Garb: Grey and yellow clothing. Sacred symbol: A perfect white and orange orb against a grey shield representing the defense and upholding of Order. Prejudices: 1. Kallaballak and his followers are considered necessary elements to balance, but the Members of the Temple of Pondera are taught to constantly watch and keep tabs on these enemies of order. 2. Any gods that cause unnecessary acts of destruction, mayhem and cause disorder are enemies of Pondera Quivina Goddess of Laughter and Sadness, Muse of the Fates Arcane Aspects: Mind, Life, and Death Origin: Quivina was once an Elven muse and actor who preformed plays and theater, She was said to be the greatest performer in all of Ith. As she would wander the land performing for Commoners and kings alike, she also helped others write or perform their own arts. Quivina met a young human man whom she fell deeply in love with. However, a greedy king demanded that she come to his court and perform for him. Quivina refused, and the king captured her lover, and held him prisoner. The king forced Quivina to be her slave, performing for him whenever he desired, forcing her to use his skills to help others so he may profit from their success. For a month of work the king would allow Quivina a day with her lover. For years she was kept this way. Only the thoughts of seeing her love would keep her going in her enslavement. However, her love was human and he aged much quicker than her, he attempted to escape and was killed, and in a great sadness Quivina knew she had lost her one true love and thus she began to give up on life. Refusing to perform or speak any more she was kept in a tower until the king died. There she sat until a young woman came to her and asked her to help confess her love to a man. Quivina, not wishing this young woman to lose her love, as she had, went with her and preformed a play, however Quivina did not speak words, only laughter and crying and emotions. Quivina’s act had brought the two lovers together, healing some of her own brokenness. Quivina was tragically killed the next day by the man’s ex-lover who blamed her for her loss. But then something extraordinary happened, instead of the soul going to the plane of death, she appeared before the fates, who offered her, two paths, one where she would be their muse among the land, or she could be reunited with her lover in the afterlife. Quivina longed for her lover, but she took the great responsibility the fates offered her. Since this time Quivina has wandered all planes and Ith with her acts and performances. She appears at random with messages and inspirational plays and songs. It is rumored that she even performs for the gods and goddesses. She is treated with respect by all, as she carries some of the direct messages from the fates themselves. Domain: Mortal Realm Decrees: 1. Followers are encouraged to take up a performing art of some sorts, for there are no greater tools to cause happiness, laughter, crying and sadness then art. 2. Muse others, or at least those worthy your time, inspire them in their hearts and in their acts. 3. Emotional states of peace and happiness are worth more than money or material possessions 4. Inspire Happiness in those that need it 5. Inspire sadness to those who need to feel it. 6. Life is full of happiness and tragedy, Tragedy exists so that we may better understand and appreciate life and its joys, followers of Quivina live by this. 7. Living life is the greatest joy a person can have, help others live. Heal those that truly need it. 8. Quivina is the messenger and muse for and of the fates, and often uses her followers to pass messages and prophecies to mortal beings and sometimes even to gods and their followers, it is all followers of Quivina responsibility to be ready and able to undertake this great task if it is set on them. 9. Quivina is very neutral, and seeks to only play her part. She understands and sees the need for both good and evil, chaos and order. Her followers should understand it is their job to play their part, whatever that part the fates have written for them. 10. In most struggles of any level, from wars to a fight between lovers, followers of Quivina should help everyone and support those who need it most, the church is almost always neutral, unless it or its members are attacked. Festivals: Quivina has no festivals of her own. Transgressions: 1. Causing mindless slaughter or mayhem of beings offends Quivina 2. Causing heart break by taking one’s lover from them 3. Failing to be able to deliver messages, muse and inspire others when they most need it. 4. Causing excess happiness or sadness in one person, which leads their life to be ruined. Religious Garb: Followers of Quivina often wear bizarre multicolored costumes with colorful prints of stripes, checks, poke-a-dots and all sorts of interesting designs Sacred Symbol: The Twin masks of sadness and happiness. Each with half black and white. Prejudices: Quivina is very neutral, and seeks to only play her part. She understands and sees the need for both good and evil, chaos and order, only those that seek to ruin that which the fates have made are her enemies, or those that attack her followers. Allies: Quivina is very neutral, and seeks to only play her part. She understands and see the need for both good and evil, however there are those that she seems fond of. Rok’hova Goddess of the Moon, Night, and Space Arcane Aspects: Universal, Water, Death, and Air Description: Rok’hova, in ancient Elvish, means keeper of time. She is one of the original elven gods and one of the world’s oldest deities. Over the millennia since her deification her following has grown and she is worshipped all over Ith. When the world was young, Rok’hova distinguished herself as an Elven mage of monumental power. Some say she was taught magic by the dragons themselves, and could physically manipulate the realities of space itself. She also had mastery of lunar magic and invented her own magic schools and spells in relation to it. Many thousands of years ago, Ya’el was once a great Elf warrior mage. In his time, there was a dark and terrible mage who became obsessed with altering the sun, stars, time and space. This mage knew no bounds, such that hee enslaved a powerful dragon. Normally attempting to alter things of this nature is considered taboo even among the gods (who have the power to do so). It is said that it is to attempt to defy the fates themselves. This mage began to crack the walls in reality, casting the world into darkness. Ya’el joined forces with Rok’hova, another great mage. Together, they stormed the gates of the mage’s tower and slew him. This feat was not easy, for the mage had raised an undead army the likes of which had never been seen before. However, they overcame impossible odds, and Ya’el and Rok’hova claimed victory. They were faced with a choice though, as the mage had nearly completed his ritual. To stop time and space from coming apart, they sacrificed themselves to destroy the dark mage’s keep. It is said that the dragons pulled their spirits from the void, and proclaimed them protectors of time and space. Ya’el said that he would protect the sun and help bring light and warmth into the world so that all the races might grow, while Rok’hova would guard the darkness and space to keep others from attempting from falling or going too far as what the mage had almost done. Since this time Rok’hova has collected many followers, who are drawn to her mystic powers. Rok’hova is worshiped in many places as the goddess of the moon, while others see her as the goddess of the vast power of space. Domain: The Realm of Twilight Decrees: 1. Rok’hova is the goddess of the Night and her followers praise her worship her at 12 midnight 2. Rok’hova’s followers are masters of night and shadow, and shall draw on its strength, the night is all over powering, which washes over all. 3. Followers shall never fear the darkness or the unknown, vastness of space, but rather revel in its infinite possibilities. 4. Rok’hova teaches that all followers shall learn to maximize and never underestimate the use of space and area, those that control space and understand movement and its manipulation can conquer all. 5. By the goddess’ instructions, her followers shall be at least masters of one school of magic. 6. The moon is the light in the darkness, no matter how dark or gloomy things may seem, there is always light in the sky, followers will always look for the light and no matter the situation can find a way out or answer to their problem. 7. Never be content with what you know or can do, always achieve to be more, learn more. 8. Always assist the followers of Ya’el and their goals when possible Festivals: June 4th - The day of victory, this day is marked as the day that Ya‘el and Rok’hova bested the terrible mage long ago. Transgressions: 1. Attempting to alter the reality of space or the lunar cycle, worthy of punishment by disintegration 2. Showing uncontrollable or illogical fear of some thing 3. Showing sloth or laziness is wasteful and not worthy of Rok’hova and shall not be suffered. 4. Failure to seek the light in the darkness, or giving up once you’ve entered into a situation. Religious Garb: Black robes with stars on them, bone moon displayed on blue. Sacred Symbol: The crescent moon with stars Herald: The being known as Space services Rok’hova and acts as her herald, this being is thought by many to be more powerful then Rok’hova, as they act as some kind of elemental that has domain over spatial boundaries. Seraphina Goddess of Life and Healing Arcane Aspects: Life, Water, Nature, Mind (no damaging spells or effects) Origin: There has always been a Goddess of Life for as long as time can remember and just like death, she rules over the use of Life Magic to make sure that it not over used to upset the balance of the world. It is rumored that Seraphina’s powers came to be from the Essence Dragon himself. There had been a lapse from the last goddess; the Dragon found a being that worshiped and cared for other lives even more then her own life. So much so, that she often collapsed from exhaustion while helping and healing others. Once, as she collapsed form healing those innocents hurt during a great battle, Seraphina lay there passing from this world; it was then that she had proved her worth and the Essence Dragon ascended her to a Goddess. Seraphina is one of the oldest gods. Decrees: 1. It is the mission of the members of the temple of Seraphina to end pain, suffering, sickness and hunger and to propagate the health and reproduction of all life. 2. The Temple of Seraphina insists that its members procreate and have offspring, and nurture that offspring into healthy fertile specimens of life. 3. The Members of the Temple of life are taught to heal the mind as well as the body. As the two are linked, it is their responsibility to help those with mental afflictions just as much as physical ones. 4. If it is not within the power of a member of the Temple to stop an act of torture and cruelty, the member is commanded to not willingly witness such an act but to stay nearby to heal or help the victim in any way possible. 5. Members of the Temple of Seraphina are taught to give food to all they find that are hungry. 6. Members of the Temple of Seraphina are taught to bless the birth and death of all living creatures. 7. Members of the Temple of Seraphina are taught to protest all executions regardless of the reason and to do their best to stop murders and death from occurring. The highest form of honor in the Temple of Seraphina is to sacrifice oneself to save many. 8. The Temple of Seraphina teaches their members to help the weak. 9. Being charitable and pious is considered a strong virtue among the temple of Seraphina. 10. Members of the Temple of Seraphina are encouraged to acquire all types of healing knowledge and to spread that knowledge. Festivals: An extremely popular festival held in the spring, the Festival of Life is a weeklong gala that involves partying, relaxing, procreation, and kindness. All forms of life are appreciated. Transgressions: 1. Murder is the highest crime against Seraphina. 2. Refusing to heal is a high crime against Seraphina 3. Turning a blind eye to undead is strictly forbidden. 4. Harming the development of people or animal young in any way is a high offense to the Temple of Seraphina. 5. Creating any undead of any kind for any reason is considered trespassing on Mordaths’s domain and an affront to Seraphina as the undead mock life. Religious Garb: White and Teal robes. During festivals and major ceremonies the most worn color is white for the purity of what they are working towards. During the rest of the time it can be any combination of the two colors Sacred Symbol: Representation of a tree in any of its stages of life. Prejudices: Any who commit hateful acts of aggression against others; however the Temple believes that there are very few who cannot healed back from their evils ways. Thus they will always try to help all people. Allies: Pondera, Essence Dragon, Marrova Mordath and Death are considered friends and necessary components to the cycle of life. Mordath's hand is passive, for all living things die, whereas Seraphina’s role is active, as her followers struggle to preserve life as long as possible. Herald: Seraphina’s Herald is a dryad known as Stip who is also the guardian of the Tree of Life. She has been known on the rare occasion to show up during great battles. Stratos God of Sky and Storms and Air Arcane Aspects: Air, Water, Chaos and Nature Domain: Plane of Air Origin: No one knows how truly ancient Stratos truly is, but legends place him at the very verge of creation. He is one of the few titans left alive and has long since transcended to godhood. Though his beard is long and grey, his might has not faded, and he can still summon the most potent storms. As the Titan of Storms his very body swirls with the maelstrom, and it is as nothing for him to bring forth rain, sleet, wind and fury. During the first war with the horrific Ancient Ones, many titans fell. Stratos took command of the battlefield from his brothers, “leading the storm” as he would call it. Despite taking the dangerous vanguard as his own, he was nevertheless the only Storm Titan to survive the war. The Titans vowed watch over and guard the elements, keeping all the primal forces of Ith in balance. Stratos took charge of storms, controlling the weather, and helping the people of Ith. However the realm of Air was untended, and no deity watched over it so. Stratos, seeing the unprotected realm, took up residence. Over the years Stratos slowly assumed responsibility for the Plane of Air. During the Age of Reckoning Stratos brought down a holy war against Ancient One cults. His followers zealously sought to expose and cleanse these cults. At the end of the age of Reckoning Stratos told his followers that he had spoken to the fates and his title finally officially changed to Lord of Storms, God of the Air and Sky. Decrees: 1. Stratos is Lord of the Storms and Air. His servants should pay homage to these aspects and respect them. Should a being not show Stratos the proper respect and corrupt or misuse these forces it is the servant’s duty to correct this. 2. The storm is an ever-changing force of nature, thus servants of Stratos should be ready at all times to change and adapt to what is happening around them. 3. Stratos is Lord of the Skies and Air. His servants should always offer to assist beings of air in any tasks they might have and offer them help if needed. 4. True storm elementals are the physical will of Stratos and thus should you ever encounter such a magnificent being, you must treat them as living extensions of Stratos’ will. 5. A storm is nature’s most powerful force. When confronted with a true storm one has two choices in the eyes of Stratos: allow the storm to pass by staying out of its way or dive into the eye of the storm and confront it no matter the outcome. Followers of Stratos understand this principle and live by it. 6. Stratos does not tolerate lies and deception, followers of Stratos shall speak truthfully and soundly or should not speak at all. 7. Followers of Stratos shall enjoy weather in all of its forms, for the weather is the will of the Lord of Storms. Followers learn to read the signs and symbols of the weather. No matter how bad the situation may be it can always get worse. 8. It is always clearest after the storm. Sometimes a storm must be caused to bring about the cleansing and make things clear. Followers of Stratos understand and idealize this. 9. To confront is the way of the Storm Lord. Followers should not use assassins, stealth or other subterfuge to deal with problems and enemies that must simply face the front of the storm. 10. Stratos is still a Titan and followers of Stratos should always assist Titans and their follows whenever possible. Transgressions: 1. Attacking a Titan or a Titan’s follower without righteous reasons is a high crime. 2. Cursing the weather, no matter what it may be, or attempting to change it in any way. 3. Hiding from a problem or enemy. Use of massive deception to deal with a problem affronts Stratos. 4. Killing a storm elementals a high crime without a just cause. Killing an air elemental without good cause is still considered a minor crime. 5. Allowing or witnessing abuse of Air, the Plane of Air, or Storm Magic without intervening is a crime against Stratos. Stratos does not abide inaction when his domain is insulted. Festivals: May 25th, is the day of storms. The followers of Stratos throw a feast in honor of the duties of Stratos and his church, praising his great accomplishments and reflect over the last year of time. This day marks the day that Stratos ascend to godhood. Religious garb: Blue and white clothing, often with prints or patterns of clouds, sky, and storms. Sacred symbol: The symbol of Stratos is eye of the storm, represented by the forces of air swirling together. Prejudices: Stratos bears an a grudge against all Ancient Ones. Xilluvia’s ways offend the god. Allies: Nillayan, being a fellow titan. Orm and his followers work alongside Stratos to keep the order. Karteros and the Korgahn have duties to work with the titans. Herald: Stratos currently has no Herald and uses divine storm elementals to carry his messages to his followers. Tarpanrion God of Nature, Forests and Earth Arcane Aspects: Earth, Nature, Water and Life Origin: Tarpanrion, the Great God of Nature, oversees the forests of Ith and all beings that live there and call them their home. Tarpanrion is a powerful nature spirit himself, and has existed for longer than even some deities can remember. Tarpanrion sets the laws of natural order into place for all beings of forest and wilderness. Long ago, in the days before Arcadia, Fey and the nature spirits shared this realm with the other races. When they left to create Arcadia, Tarpanrion remained behind to protect the natural reaches of Ith. He created great groves where the Fey and Nature spirits would always have a home. Groves are located in the deepest woods, where the nature rules unchecked by the modern world. Only races who show a true understanding and respect for nature are permitted within. In the Age of Chaos where Arcadia was corrupted by bloodvine, all the Nature spirits fled. They were welcomed into the groves, and new ones where created to hold their large numbers. A new Arcadia was created by the combined might of the Goddess of Life and Tarpanrion. It was not the same, however, and many nature spirits and Fae chose to stay on Ith. During this time Magic was in Flux, and Nature and Earth wore the same magical aspect. During the Age of Reckoning, the Earth Champion of Fate was corrupted by Ancient Ones. This polluted all aspects of Earth and Nature. Until this point Tarpanrion’s power was not known, but the enraged deity showed his true power. He denied any corruption to Nature magic. He stripped the spells and magic from them. As the mortal forces of Ith raged in battle with Ancient Ones, Tarpanrion is said to have come to the edge of the woods before the capital city of Talar, where he spoke with a voice that thundered across the city. He told the denizens of the city that the power of nature on Ith had long laid dormant, but now as these un-natural terrors assaulted Ith, he was forced to reclaim the enormous natural powers entrusted to him by the Fates long ago. Any who stood with Ancient One would find their spirits rejected by nature cursed to eternal restlessness, their bodies utterly destroyed and ground to ashes. After this momentous declamation, Tarpanrion ascended the tallest mountain in Ith, carrying the fabled Horn of Nature, a large bone horn gifted to the nature spirit by a Dragon. The horn called all the nature spirits to him, and even the fey that would answer its call. Dendrytes arose from all over Ith, waking form their deep slumber. Satyr and Dryads left their hiding places along with all other spirits of nature. Tarpanrion spoke to them all and told them that now was their time. They were to restore the order of nature, even if the younger races of Ith fail to preserve the balance, so were they charged by the fates. He charged the Satyrs and Dryads with defending the sacred spots of nature, preserving them. The Dendrytes would be nature’s enforces - keepers of the Forests. Tarpanrion lend these great beings in a righteous war against the Ancient Ones, and the cultist soon learned to fear the wild beauty of the woods. As the final battles neared, whole armies of Dendrytes strode from the woods and all the forces of nature were called down on the cultist armies. Tarpanrion himself however was not seen at the end of the Age of Reckoning. It is known that at the end of the Age of Reckoning Tarpanrion has supposedly conversed with the Fates who asked him to watch over the plane of Earth and help purge the corruption that had taken root there. Tarpanrion took only his most mighty warriors and devoted followers, departing the Air for Earth. There they battled the corruption, driving away the corruption and freeing the embattled earth elementals. The great work done, Tarpanrion summoned the strongest of the earth elementals from his deep slumber, a mighty being known as Mountain Breaker. Tarpanrion charged Mountain breaker to watch the plane of Earth. He gifted the elemental with a pair of mighty old nature spirits, two massive black wolves. The balance repaired, the plane of Earth secure, and Ith safe from the Ancient Ones, Tarpanrion finally returned to the deep forest and none have seen him since. Domain: The Deep Forests of Ith, the plane of Earth. Decrees: 1. Followers of Tarpanrion must obey natural order of nature, and keep the balance of nature. 2. Followers of Tarpanrion understand that nature is composed of all elements and parts in balance. There is order in the cycle but life in itself is chaotic, just as life and death cycle chaotically, so does nature. 3. Followers of Tarpanrion must heal that which is corrupt and protect the natural wildlife from unnatural harm. 4. All followers of Tarpanrion are charged to assist all nature spirits and fey in their natural duties. 5. Followers of Tarpanrion must protect the woods and most particularly the groves, for they are the home of the true followers of nature. 6. Followers of Tarpanrion must be able to bring the Wrath of the Woods to those that foul or attempt to bring destruction to the woods. 7. Followers of Tarpanrion abhor excessive killing. 8. The element of Earth is the foundation of the growth that is natural life, and Earth itself must be kept pure. 9. Tarpanrion is Lord of Nature and his word is law. Followers of Tarpanrion must follow all orders given by the church of Tarpanrion. 10. Tarpanrion is Lord of Earth and Nature together. Thus all followers of Tarpanrion are dutybound to preserve the balance of Earth and the plane of Earth. All followers may expect that from time to time they will be called upon to perform this service. Transgressions: 1. Mindless bloodshed, excess violence outside the natural order, is forbidden. 2. Never abide corruption. 3. Do not fail to provide healing and succor to victims of excess violence and wounded animals. 4. Inaction in the face of danger to the woods or a grove is abominable. Those who fail to act are guilty of a high crime and may be banished from the woods 5. Abusing Nature or Earth or allowing those around you to do so are crimes in the eyes of the God. Festivals: Brightdawn: At the first new leafing of spring, followers of Tarpanrion celebrate the coming of new, pure life into the world. Nature is celebrated in all its forms. Even the violence of natural competition is celebrated in competitions and wild tests of ability. Bounty: The fall harvest brings another, more somber festival. Here the plenty of nature is gathered, shared and celebrated. All who respect the balance of the wild places are given sustenance to survive the coming winter. Religious garb: Low ranking followers of Tarpanrion wear green robes during religious ceremonies. Higher ranking followers, Zealots and above, wear capes adorned with leaves and flowers. Sacred symbol: A bone horn wreathed in vines. More highly ranked followers carry more ornate horns, adorned with symbols of nature, and wards. Some say the adornment grows as the faith of the follower grows. Prejudices: Ulagh is an enemy of Tarpanrion. He directly opposes nature and is abominable. Imbolis is the corruptor of fey and has earned the enmity of Tarpanrion. Dark fey, however, are not enemies of Tarpanrion, they are unfortunates who suffer a corruption that must be purged. Desegrahl’s mindless slaughter disrupts the natural order of the world. Allies: Many gods ally themselves with Tarpanrion. The elemental gods all share a common respect of nature, and Tarpanrion in turn respects these elementals. Seraphina is a true and great ally of Tarpanrion as both embody creation. Orm’s seeks to balance of the elements and his followers often ally with those of Tarpanrion. Herald: Tarpanrion does not have a single Herald. Powerful nature spirits in the form of wolves or wolf changed often represent the god as his Herald. For matters of Earth, the ancient and powerful Earth Elemental, Mountain Breaker, speaks for Tarpanrion. Tarsus God of Indulgence Arcane Aspects: Life, Chaos, Mind, Nature Origin: It is said that Tarsus was created by the wants of the races. He was once a spirit, bound to no plane, who simply wanted the races to give in to his carnal desires. He felt that a person should never feel guilty for doing the things he is meant to do, and so inspired people to give in to their every desire. The more people that followed his lead, the more power he acquired, thus eventually becoming a god. Domain: Tarsus makes no one plane his home but instead likes to stay close to his followers, reveling in their happiness. Decrees: 1. Tarsus represents indulgence not abstinence. Always strive to do more, take more, be more. Life is the great indulgence-death the great abstinence. Therefore, make the most of life—here and now. 2. Tarsus represents vital existence, love your life, and live every day to its fullest. 3. Tarsus represents undefiled wisdom. Never be afraid to question that which others think is right or wrong, and no matter what the situation, learn from it. 4. Tarsus represents kindness to those who deserve it. If a person deserves your love, give it freely and completely. 5. Tarsus represents vengeance, instead of turning the other cheek. A follower of Tarsus practices the motto, “If a man smites thee on one cheek, smash him on the other”. Let no wrong go unpunished. 6. Tarsus represents personal gratification. If it leads to physical, mental, or emotional gratification, do it! As long as you are not hurting anyone who does not deserve it. 7. Tarsus represents self-preservation at all costs. Never give your life for another; never willingly go into a situation where you are sure you will die. Life is the most precious gift you can be given, it should never be wasted. 8. Tarsus represents pride. Always be proud of who and what you are. Tell others of your accomplishments and conquests. BRAG! 9. Tarsus represents helping those who cannot help themselves. Since you are such a fantastic creature, it is your duty to help those who cannot help themselves. This means all children, as they are the purest form of carnal existence, and any others who for whatever reason are not as blessed as you. Helping those who need it makes you a hero in their eyes, and who doesn’t want the bragging rights of that! 10. Tarsus represents envy and greed. Envy is simply to look with favor on the possessions of others and want them for yourself. Greed is wanting more than you have. Envy and greed are the motivating forces of ambition-and without ambition, very little of any importance would be accomplished. Festivals: The highest of all holidays to a follower of Tarsus is the date of one’s own birth. After all, aren’t you happier about the fact that you were born than anything else? Transgressions: 1. Believing that someone is better than you and not doing anything about it. There will always be those who are better than you, but it is up to you to change this. Not doing something that would make you a smarter, stronger, better person is considered an insult to Tarsus. 2. Not helping those who cannot help themselves. 3. Not doing something that will bring you gratification because of what others may think. Screw what they think! 4. Hiding the fact that you are a follower of Tarsus is considered a high crime. 5. Giving up on your life, for any reason is considered the highest crime a follower of Tarsus can commit. Religious Garb: Black robes or clothing are to be worn by male followers, although black pants and a bare chest seem to be a favorite choice. Female followers wear garments which are suggestive and alluring. All of the above are good ways to get other people’s attention. Symbol: A follower of Tarsus will have this symbol prominently displayed on their person at all times. Most choose to have it permanently tattooed on their body. Prejudices: 1. Those who do not strive to live a better life. 2. Those who look down on Indulgence and instead practice abstinence. 3. Followers of Mordath. They celebrate death, instead of life and all it has to offer, enough said. Allies: 1. Tiana and her followers. They are open minded and always searching for wisdom. 2. Seraphina. The giver of life. 3. Any group of people with the same beliefs, even if they are not (yet) followers Tiana Goddess of Thought and Inspiration Arcane Aspects: Mind, Order, Chaos Origin: Tiana was a brilliant mortal woman whose inspiration and drive to gather knowledge led her to discover the secrets of ascending to godhood. Her mind was so strong that she used these secrets to become a goddess. Domain: Realm of Knowledge Decrees: 1. Members of the Temple of Tiana are to learn constantly their whole lives. The acquisition of knowledge is more important than nearly any task. 2. Members of the Temple of Tiana are commanded to never enslave other creatures for any reason except the most dire of circumstances, nor do they murder unless in mortal peril. (death being the end of inspiration and thought) 3. Members of the Temple of Tiana are taught that the spreading of all types of knowledge to the masses is nearly as important as the gathering of that knowledge 4. Members of the Temple of Tiana are charged with saving knowledge, books, tomes, and all forms of information from destruction and to aggressively (not necessarily violently) prevent the subjugation of a person’s ability to have the free will to acquire knowledge. 5. Members of the Temple of Tiana are taught to keep records and hard copies of the information they gather. 6. It is the members of the Temple of Tiana’s duty to balance inspiration and thought in individuals. Members of the temple of Tiana often seek out the sad, frustrated or stagnant and do their best to inspire these people towards experiencing something new, acquiring new skills or knowledge, etc. 7. Members of the Temple of Tiana are taught to judge people by their actions, not their thoughts. 8. The Temple of Tiana charges its members with the solving of enigmas, and the answering of questions with accurate answers. If a follower of Tiana doesn’t know the answer, he or she will find it out. 9. It is considered an insult to Tiana for one of her followers to refuse to learn something that is freely being taught. 10. Before committing to an action, members of the Temple of Tiana are advised to gather as much information about both sides of a conflict. Festivals: In the summer, the Temple of Tiana has the Day of Contemplation, in which all it’s member spend the day reflecting on their lives and the recent year, and strive to find inspiration for the following year. Transgressions: 1. Willful destruction of devices of learning and hard copies of knowledge is a crime against the temple of Tiana. 2. Murder of a freethinking, sentient individual is a high crime among the temple of Tiana, and is considered “Thought-killing”. Only in mortal peril can deadly force be employed. 3. Members of the Temple of Tiana are absolutely forbidden to use powers like command, betray or berserk on people for any reason other than immediate mortal peril. 4. Torture, interrogation, erasing memories or implanting suggestions of any kind through hypnosis, alchemical mental sculpting, etc. for any reason at all is strictly forbidden. 5. Selling slaves or participating in any act of slavery is one of the highest crimes against Tiana Religious Garb: Green and Yellow Robes Sacred Symbol: Scroll and quill Prejudices: Xilluvia clergy’s hoarding of knowledge and spreading of misinformation along with the willful and encouraged destruction of documents of knowledge is an insult to the goddess Tiana. Allies: Scholars, teachers, schools, and artisans are all considered servants to the Temple of Tiana The temple of Jardan and their “truth is vital”, knowledge-spreading attitude is considered kindred to the temple of Tiana. Vexsar God of Fire and Forge Arcane Aspects: Fire, Air, Earth and Order Origin: Vexsar is a great four-armed fire salamander who was one of the first fire creatures to have interacted with beings who attempted to communicate with the plane of Fire. He spoke of being consumed with rage and wishing only destruction on all those that crossed his path. He spent many hundreds of years blazing a trail of ruin through the plane of Fire. Until one day, he found himself on top of a massive volcano, with fire raining down from the smoke clouds all around him, he was surrounded with bodies of elementals and beings of fire he had destroyed. A stranger appeared before him, appearing to be human. Vexsar unleashed his greatest rage and flame on the stranger, furious but unable to hurt him with his flames. Vexsar entered melee combat, and again he was unable to best this stranger. For weeks Vexsar fought, until exhausted, His rage passed and he saw a moment of clarity, all the destruction he had caused. The stranger spoke to him, saying “All you know is rage and destruction, but now I will show you a new path; one of renewal and creation.” Since that day, Vexsar has stood as the God of fire, watching over all beings of fire, making sure that their rage and destruction is not too great, so no being shall fall in same way he had. Domain: The plane of Fire Decrees: 1. Followers of Vexsar are to study fire magic as they worship Vexsar 2. Vexsar commands that his followers Understand and Pay homage to all the aspects of Fire: Rage, Destruction, Creation, Renewal 3. Blacksmiths are to be praised for their skills of using heat and flame to craft, and thus followers of Vexsar shall help them whenever possible. 4. When a follower of Vexsar dies the church shall wait 24 hours for his spirit to pass, and the burn their body on the next dawn. 5. Followers of Vexsar are encouraged to study an art of creation, preferably something to do with fire. 6. Vexsar is the Great Flame Lord and the plane of fire is his domain all that those wish to pass on this plane must pay homage to Vexsar and have his permission, those that seek to travel to the plane without Vexsar’s blessing are to be smote. 7. The church of Vexsar will help train those willing to learn the path of fire and flame. 8. There is no greater tool to temper a soul then with fire, Followers of Vexsar shall harden and test those around them and be ready able to do so should someone ask them to be tested. 9. Fire is one of the purest elements and thus followers as they walk their path shall attempt to make their hearts and souls pure and true tempered with the Fire of life. 10. One of Fire’s roles is to Burn and purge the land, followers should at all time be ready to take up a crusade of Fire and flame against whatever foe Vexsar wishes. Festival: Summer Fire: During the hottest parts of the year Followers of Vexsar build massive bon-fires and keep them going for 10 days, each day offering a greater offering to the fire god. Transgressions: 1. Followers of Vexsar shall never harm a Fire salamander unless directed to by the leaders of the Church or Vexsar himself 2. Succumbing to a path of endless rage or destruction, all flames will burn out. 3. Crossing into the plane of fire without permission or a blessing 4. Summoning and abusing Fire elemental or beings of the plane of fire, Controlling Beings of fire for personal gain Religious Garb: Followers of Vexsar brand their flesh with magical markings which leave blackenen runes with glowing centers in yhem, The higher the rank in the church the more elaborate the runes. Often a red tabard or robe with flame and fire prints or designs on it. Sacred Symbol: A scaled Hand grasping upwards burning with flame and fire. Prejudice: Vexsar is an elemental god, and for the most part he does not interfere with other gods, unless they directly attack his followers or set to out to misuse fire, or attack the plane of fire. However, Vexsar sees Desegrahl’s path of carnage and mindless slaughter too far, his followers are to be set straight or purged with holy fire. Allies: The other elemental gods often assist each other. Stratos, Tarpanrion, and Aquinius are all allies of Vexsar, and their members often work together in matters dealing with the elements. Xilluvia Goddess of Deception, Secrets, Corruption and Seduction Arcane Aspects: Mind, Chaos, Nature Origin: The old God of Deception gave up his power during the age of reckoning in battle against the Ancient Ones. In his absence, several beings all bid for his domain, and in this they fought against each other. Xilluvia finally won over Gri’lek, Ilivara and Braxis. She then took over the plane of conflict and amassed enough power to subjugate the other gods to her rule. It is rumored that she was aided by two of the Demonic Lordsm which allowed her to do so. Little is known about Xilluvia before she began her arise to power, though she is known to be a stunningly beautiful Elven woman, it is said that on the eve of her transformation to a deity she stormed the Libraries of the Elven capital city and stole massive volumes of ancient texts with her followers so that their knowledge would only be hers. It is assumed that her ascension to godhood was in correlation to the information she stole. Domain: Realm of Conflict Decrees: 1. Matters of the Xilluvian faith are forbidden from being revealed to non-members. 2. Members of the Temples Pondera of Jardan and should not be aided unless it serves Xilluvia 3. Invokers of Xilluvia are taught to gather as much information as possible, and spread just as much misinformation. 4. The Members of the Temple of Xilluvia are encouraged to be as discreet as possible in performing any tasks. 5. Invokers of Xilluvia are taught to encourage others to destroy as much as possible, and that deception and corruption is the primary method of earning Xilluvia’s favor. 6. Members of the Xilluvia Temple believe that truth is not an absolute and is in fact a matter of perspective. 7. Members of the Temple of Xilluvia are taught to horde knowledge and items for personal use, and that charity should only be used to further one’s own goals. 8. Members of the Xilluvia Temple are taught that relationships should only be used to further one’s own goals, and emotions like love, loyalty, and piety are weakness. Selfishness is Strength. 9. Members of the Church of Xilluvia are taught that there is no greater victory then to corrupt or seduce one’s enemies into joining or helping them. 10. Followers shall use any all means in their disposal to lure others to bend to their will. Festivals: In December, the temple of Xilluvia holds the Day of Conflict where they praise Xilluvia’s victory over the other gods, and honor the old god’s power and passing. Transgressions: 1. Revealing knowledge of the temple is a high crime against the Temple of Xilluvia 2. Helping anyone for any reason to perform acts against the Xilluvia Temple is punishable by the “Purification of Xilluvia”, followed by incarceration until sentencing at the Day of Atonement. 3. Giving anything to anyone for nothing in return is a crime in the temple of Xilluvia. 4. Falling to Corruption or seduction to any other being not of the Church is treason and those that commit shall receive a harsh punishment. 5. Keeping important information from higher ranking members of the church is considered a crime unless you have gained Xilluvia’s blessing to do so 1st. Religious Garb: Black and purple hooded robes, head church members often keep a set of special clothing of very high quality used for Seduction/Corruption of others. Sacred Symbol: A beautiful woman’s eye with purple and black mixed in the Iris. Or set of eyes. Prejudices: 1. Kallaballak and his followers are “unofficially” the enemies of the Xilluvia Temple, their randomness and chaotic nature are offensive to Xilluvia. 2. Nillayan is the weakest god, and should be used to further goals of the Xilluvia Temple. 3. Followers of Jardan are seekers of the truth, and often conflict with Xilluvia’s goals, they are to be corrupted to our wills, if they cannot be turned to the Church’s will seek their demise. 4. Tiana and her followers are foolish with their spread of knowledge. Knowledge is for those who are worthy. Allies: 1. Belzaar The Shadow Demon Lord and his followers are kindred spirits to the followers of Xilluvia, however “officially” they cannot be helped publicly. 2. Imbolis and his followers are allies of the church Ya’el The God of the Sun, Da y & Time Arcane Aspects: Fire, Life, Air and Universal. History: Ya’el, means “Maker of Light” in Elven. Ya’el is one of the oldest Gods and was one of the original Elven Gods. Ya’el is protector of the light; and the sun provides the world with life. Over the many years, his Faith has spread to the other races of the world. Many thousands of years ago, Ya’el was once a great Elf Warrior Mage. During his time, a dark and terrible mage because obsessed with altering the sun, stars, time and space. This Dark Mage knew no bounds and enslaved a powerful dragon. Normally, attempting to alter things of this nature was considered taboo even among the gods (who have the power to do so). It was said that an attempt to do so was to defy the Fates themselves. This mage began to crack the walls in reality, casting the world into darkness. Ya’el joined forces with Rok’hova, another great mage, to defeat this dark evil. Together they stormed the gates of the Mage’s tower and killed the Dark Mage. This feat was not easy, for the Mage had raised an undead army the likes of which had never been seen before (the entire story could fill many books and the greatest of the Elven bards are able to tell it over many days). Overcoming impossible odds, Ya’el and Rok’hova claimed victory. However, they were faced with a choice as the Mage had nearly completed his ritual. To stop time and space from coming apart, they sacrificed themselves to destroy the Dark Mage’s keep. It is said that the all of the Dragons pulled their spirits from the void and proclaimed Ya’el and Rok’hova protectors of Time and Space. Ya’el would protect the sun and help bring light and warmth into the world so that all the races might grow, while Rok’hova would guard the darkness and space to keep others from attempting from falling or going too far, like the Dark Mage had almost done. Ya’el has a long-standing hate of undead from the legendary battle and works to eradicate them from the realm. Since that time Ya’el has stood as the light bringer, making sure that no one can alter the sun. Domain: The Realm of Light and Sun that exists in the Plane of Life. Decrees: A. Ya’el is the god of the sun, thus his followers should give praise to him every day at noon when the sun reaches its zenith. B. Ya’el’s followers are to be the light in the dark, the dawn to the darkest night. Instilling courage and faith in life within all is the charge of all followers of Ya’el C. Ya’el’s followers should bring light and warmth to those that in need. D. Followers of Ya’el will not suffer the presence of any undead; Ya’el has decreed that undead are to be purged from the land. E. The hours of daylight are sacred to Ya’el and his followers are taught to manage their time for maximum effectiveness. F. The sun’s warmth and light shines down on all and helps all, always be willing will to help and assist others. G. At sunset, the followers of Ya’el must take a moment to thank the sun for it’s light and power. H. There is no force like divine light and nothing burns brighter then the sun. All followers of Ya’el need to be strong enough in body and mind to bring Righteous Light to the wicked and dark should the church or Ya’el call upon you. I. Followers of Ya’el must truly understand what divine force is. Transgressions: 1. Creating or making any undead or aiding in any process is the highest crime in the church of Ya’el. 2. Working with Undead, even the supposed “good” undead, is only to be done in the direst of circumstances. 3. Taking a life not in the defense of yourself or others is a high crime. 4. Being lazy and wasteful of time is against the teachings of Ya’el. 5. Causing darkness or taking away light from someone is a crime against Ya’el. Festivals: June 4th The day of victory, this day is marked as the day that Ya’el and Rok’hova bested the terrible mage. Religious Garb: White, yellow and orange. Sacred Symbol: A yellow and orange sun against a blue sky. Prejudices: Ya’el understands that even with the light and warmth of one’s being, there will always be darkness. As such, his followers are taught to understand this. This makes them more tolerant against a member of a questionable religion. They judge a person by their actions. Xilluvia’s actions are far too in line with the mage Ya’el once faced himself, as such his followers despise her and her followers. Ya’el followers openly oppose the Death Guard and their tactics. Allies: Rok’hova - followers of Ya’el work closely with the church of Rok’hova, so often that to outsiders it sometimes seems that they are a single religion. Ya’el, Kaiah, Rok’hova, Lylandria and Tyrendal were all original Elven gods; since their ascension to God-hood. Many races worship the Gods and as such, they all have a pact to help each other out and assist one another whenever needed and can call upon their followers to assist the other religion as needed. Seraphina is one of the few gods that Ya’el praises. It is said that he, along with other Gods, helped her transform into Godhood. His followers often help followers of Seraphina whenever possible. The Order of the light is based on Ya’el’s teachings as well as the teachings of the angelic lords, often many of the more combat orientated members of Ya’el’s religion join the Order of the Light. Herald Ya’el’s herald is an Angel whom is called Ilios’o who pledged himself to Ya’el’s service. Ya’el‘s Arbiter was killed during the age of reckoning. Ilios’o is said to be powerful enough to shine with a holy light that burns the wicked. Ilios’o is very helpful and friendly to all followers and often visits Ith. Racial Deities These gods, for the most part, may only be worshipped by the race stated. This is not to say that all members of the race must worship this god, but that their race forms the entirety of the church. Not all races have their own patron deity, instead enjoying the oversight of many or all of the universal gods. Karteros Korgahn God of Might and Perseverance Arcane Aspects: Earth, Order, Life and Fire Domain: The Deep Kingdom Origin: Karteros was the first Korgahn to be given life by the titans, He was a mighty warrior made to serve the titans while they rested attempting to free themselves of the taint placed on them by the Ancient Ones. His body was living stone, his skin harder then diamond. He was to be placed in charge off all the Korgahn while the titan’s slept and thus had vast cunning intelligence. However, in the second year of the Titan’s rest there was a breach into one of the mountain kingdoms. An unknown foe stormed the kingdoms, and began to slaughter the Korgahn. Karteros led his brothers in battle, but in a final act of desperation, this foe tore a whole in time and space when they began to lose in battle, this killed all the Korgahn who were currently engages. Karteros was strong enough to survive, but was was tossed into the void. Karteros did not understand where he was, so he fought tooth and nail and traveled trying to get back to Ith. The Korgahn have many legends about Karteros’ adventures during this time. In the end, however, he eventually made his way back to Ith and to the Korgahn. Karteros saw that the Korgahn people lacked a leadership in the absence of the titans, so he took over the leadership role, until the titans could return. Karteros then lead a Korgahn army to the remains of Titanus - the lost home of the titans and birthplace of the ogre race. There they recovered several titan artifacts and set up a library of history for the Korgahn. Karteros then lead his army into the lost kingdom where he and his original brothers had fallen. There he discovered a terrible secret, that deep inside the kingdom, something known as the Dark Titan was imprisoned, and had been gathering followers to unlock the massive magical tomb he had been placed in. Karteros spoke to his people, telling them that a number of Dark Titans has once walked Ith, however most of them had been killed or jailed by their brother Titans, right before the first time the Ancient Ones came to Ith. When the Ancient Ones began to lose the battle for Ith they freeded a number of the Dark Titans, and though they would not serve them, they fought their brother Titans, until only one remained. This Last Dark Titan was locked away, hidden inside one of the Korgahn kingdoms. One of the purposes of the Korgahn was to guard his tomb. Karteros led epic warfare against the Dark Titan’s followers but he had been allowed to gather strength for too long, and was able to force open the gates of his prison. Karteros and his army fought the Dark Titan forces until just the Dark Titan remained. Karteros stood alone against him, ordering his forces not to engage, knowing that the Dark Titan would slaughter them easily. The Dark Titan, who was weakened from his thousands of years of imprisonment, was still more then a match for Karteros, and on the sixth day of pitched battle, Karteros fell. On the moment of his passing, the Champion of Death appeared and took Karteros’ soul, so it would not pass on. The Dark Titan, upon seeing the Champion of Death, fled into the Vortex that had once sucked Karteros into the void. The Champion of Death took Karteros before the Essence Dragon and several other deities including Stratos and Nillayan. They offered to create a realm for the Korgahn, so they might have a realm for their race to rest in the afterlife. Thus the Realm of The Deep Kingdom was created and Karteros was gifted godhood so that for all time he could watch over this people. Karteros gifts those worthy Korgahn, and even those that don’t worship him access to the this realm. Interestingly enough, the entrance to the realm was placed at the vortex to the void, thus sealing the vortex. Since this time Karteros has watched the Korgahn and helped them since they are one of the younger races in the world. Decrees: 1. There are many journeys a Korgahn can walk in life, whatever journey a Korgahn chooses to make they should make the most effort to be as successful as possible and dedicated to it. 2. Always remember where you come from and honor your forefathers 3. Forgive but never forget, give forgiveness only where it is earned. 4. Do not be lacking on principles and stand by your choices, if you make the wrong one voice your thoughts and make your intentions clear, if you chose wrong apologize and make good on your wrongs. 5. Always make peace first, if peace fails, then make war and make your enemies wished they had chosen to make peace first. 6. Accept your duties with honor and respect 7. Remember the titans, learn from those that came before you 8. Make each and every day worth living, the life of the Korgahn race was gifted to us by the titans earn that gift with your life make your deeds worthy enough to be remember long after you pass. 9. Armor your body against harm, armor your mind against anguish. The body is nothing without the mind, nor is the body anything with out the mind, train them both and guard them against corruption and pain. 10. Serve the titans always before yourself and before all others. Festivals: The Unearthing – September 11th – Titanus is now lost to the Korgahn, but once a year they gather in small groups to seek out its resting place. On this day, Korgahn seek out places rarely or never visited in the hopes that they may once again find Titanus. Transgressions: 1. Giving up while on duty, such as leaving a battlefield before being ordered to, failing in duty or giving up while on a task is a high crime 2. Attacking agents of a titan, these include high followers of Stratos, or Nillayan or the champions of fate 3. Not helping a follow Korgahn, when asked to 4. Speaking the name of, or attempting to consort with or help the Dark Titan. Religious Garb: Most invokers of Karteros wear armor of some sort, followers of Karteros prefer practical grab over flashy garb, many dress in white and brown, and carry large stone hand crafted jewelry. High ranking followers often adorn their armor with golden runes and act as combat commanders. Sacred Symbol: A hammer against 7 mountain peaks, some times small symbols will just be mountain peaks against the horizon. Prejudices: Allies: Karteros has a strong connection to all of the Titan deities. Hildar Glyche God of Efficiency, Prosperity, and Labor Arcane Aspects: Order, Earth, Mind, Nature, and Universal Origin: Hildar rose from creation as dust and ash called forth by tension between the Void and Fate. He teaches that he was created from nothing so as it is his follower’s duty to create from nothing. Hildar proposes that the value of a life is weighed by that which it has created. Hildar created the Glyche race by accident when attempting to create the most perfectly life-like Golem. As Hildar created more and more within his realm he sought to create the perfect Golem assistants to help with his Grand Design. As he was experimenting he created a fast breeding highly adaptive assistant that developed sentience. As he realized the scope of the mistake, he lost track of the project he was performing. Nine months later he was asked by a visitor what the creatures running around his realm were, he answered ‘A small Glyche.’ At a certain point, Hildar released his people onto Ith to find their own path and way. He expects great works from his people and to that end certain levels of the priesthood have been renamed. The head of the church is known as the Fabricator General. In addition, when a believer reaches the level of priest they are called Iron Priests. Later when they reach Zealot, the title is also called Iron Father/Mother. Domain: Realm of Knowledge Decrees: 1. A Glyches' worth is only the sum of their knowledge - their body is simply an organic machine capable of preserving intellect. Knowledge is the supreme manifestation of divinity. 2. Life is directed Motion. All Glyches should direct themselves in the most efficient and prosperous way suited to their nature. 3. The best knowledge is earned with a glitches blood, sweat and tears. Nothing comes easy. 4. Strive to improve one’s skill and efficiency in their chosen proficiency. 5. Golems are holy cousins and should be cultivated as servants and possessions. 6. The body may be imperfect and thus to refine, adapt and change it to suits one’s purpose as necessary. Often Glyches use surgery to ‘enhance’ their bodies with implants, make use of alchemy and magic to make oneself better. Festivals: Harvest Moon is the celebration after a successful harvest. During the moon festival much praise and devotion towards Hildar is given. The Maker’s Faire in early November is when all the Glyches within a community gather and show the crafts and toys they are creating. It is an expression of one’s true self to show the craft and skill in the gifts one is preparing for Winter’s Fest. Winter’s Fest and The Long Night – The longest night of the year is known as the Long Night. It is the culmination of Winter’s Fest where Glyches gather to celebrate the success and prosperity of the year. It is a time of stories, legends and myths as friends gather in neighbor’s homes. The last night is the Long Night in which a family gathers and shares gifts with the stricture that each gift exchanged must have been crafted by the giver. Transgressions: 1. Destruction of Knowledge. Knowledge is sacred, seek to promote knowledge as you live and breath. 2. Destruction of Labor. Do not destroy tools, structures or goods. All can be repurposed. 3. Destruction of Wealth. Wasting money on frivolous things or causes. Charity is important if the charity is efficient and useful. Luxury items are important if they bring happiness or joy. All expenditures must serve a useful purpose. 4. Unnecessary destruction of sentient life. Sentient life should not be killed if it can be put to good use. 5. The seven wastes – Transportation, Inventory, Motion, Waiting, Overproduction, Over Processing, Defects. Religious Garb: Rust red, black and grey are the colors of the priest hood. However, beyond that all holy vestments should have a plethora of pockets, satchels and holsters . Iron Priests (4th level) commonly wear a red vest festooned with pockets. Sacred Symbol: A ten spoke Gear of rust red upon a sable background is the primarily sacred symbol. A common alternative is an oversized wrench that can be used to ‘persuade’ machines and heretics. Prejudices: Hildar has had unfortunate encounters with Ulagh (the savage God), Orm and Xiluvia. He is against the principles those gods strive represent. Allies: Tiana, Jardan, Pondera, Vexsar and Lylandria Lylandria Elven Goddess of Knowledge and Wisdom Arcane Aspects: All schools of magic, so long as at least 2 are opposite Origin: Lylandria and Tyrendal are the original Elven gods, and by historic records were the first two beings that were taught magic by the Dragons and encouraged to spread the use of magic to all the races. Lylandria is mistress of all magic, and is now thought the be the foremost authority of magic, second only to the Essence Dragon, and before her ascension to godhood was the ruler of the elven kingdom. Tyrendal was the leader of the Elven armies and a great warlord and warrior himself of mighty skill. Together they united the different elven feral factions and brought a unity to their people that they had never known. Lylandria had mastered older forms of magic, a feat in its day, only achievable by few mortals. Tyrendal lead a military champion against the orc hostiles and drove them back to far south. They began to establish a form of government and Lylandria began the foundation of creating a school of magic. This process happened right before the great war. When the Ancient Ones come to Ith and the war began, the elves helped where they could. Tyrendal lead many attacks along side the dragons and Titans. When the battles were over, the Ancient Ones cursed the elves with the inability to produce children. This process was slowly fixed so that elves could carry children, it took much longer and Elven females could only bear a child once or twice in their lives. At the end of the Age of Strife, the dragons broke the curse of the Ancient Ones, and realized that if the Ancient Ones returned they would need to empower the younger races of Ith. It was only logical that they empower the leaders of the Elf race to do so, since they were to most established and powerful race on the planet at that time, though it is rumored that later other beings on the planet were taught magic. Lylandria and Tyrendal have set an example for their people to follow. Decrees: 1. No experience is worth anything unless you make the experience worth something 2. Knowledge is key to all beings, one should have knowledge 3. Wisdom is practical knowledge which can be applied, one should also seek to be wise 4. Magic is a gift from the Dragons entrusted to all, one should always both use magic and respect it, never abuse a gift or refute it, If you see another abusing magic it should be your charge to prevent this. 5. One should always consider the outcome of all possible options when making a choice, if other make foolhardy plans with out this, one should point out the possibilities. 6. Make peace first and always. If one can not make peace or the peace will result in lose of life, then make war. 7. Learn magic spread that gift of magic to others, 8. Make others learn around you, one person can only every do so much in their lives 9. One should always be a sage and offer advice and make to known that they are one who gives wisdom, if one is asked for wisdom on a subject and they can not give it, then one would have some thing new to learn about. Festivals: Transgressions: 1. Killing for political reasons is unacceptable. And you can not stand by while others plot to do so. 2. Allowing emotions to override logic, if those actions effect others then yourself 3. Having wisdom on a subject and not using it, if it would help others 4. The use of any spell which causes instant death, with out permission of a follower ranked Archon or higher in the church. Religious Garb: Sacred Symbol: A diamond with a crescent moon on its side against it. Prejudices: Tyrendal and Lylandria dislike Desegrahl for his mindless murder Allies: Tyrendal and Lylandria are the closest of allies. Tyrendal Elven God of Warfare Intuition and Strategy Race: Elves Arcane Aspects: Universal, Air, Order, and Nature Origin: Lylandria and Tyrendal are the original Elven gods, and by historic records were the first two beings that were taught magic by the Dragons and encouraged to spread the use of magic to all the races. Lylandria is mistress of all magic, and is now thought the be the foremost authority of magic, second only to the Essence Dragon, and before her ascension to godhood was the ruler of the elven kingdom. Tyrendal was the leader of the Elven armies and a great warlord and warrior himself of mighty skill. Together they united the different elven feral factions and brought a unity to their people that they had never known. Lylandria had mastered older forms of magic, a feat in its day, only achievable by few mortals. Tyrendal lead a military champion against the orc hostiles and drove them back to far south. They began to establish a form of government and Lylandria began the foundation of creating a school of magic. This process happened right before the great war. When the Ancient Ones come to Ith and the war began, the elves helped where they could. Tyrendal lead many attacks along side the dragons and Titans. When the battles were over, the Ancient Ones cursed the elves with the inability to produce children. This process was slowly fixed so that elves could carry children, it took much longer and Elven females could only bear a child once or twice in their lives. At the end of the Age of Strife, the dragons broke the curse of the Ancient Ones, and realized that if the Ancient Ones returned they would need to empower the younger races of Ith. It was only logical that they empower the leaders of the Elf race to do so, since they were to most established and powerful race on the planet at that time, though it is rumored that later other beings on the planet were taught magic. Lylandria and Tyrendal have set an example for their people to follow. Decrees: 1. No experience is worth anything unless you make the experience worth some thing 2. Knowledge is key to all beings, one should have knowledge 3. Wisdom is practical knowledge which can be applied, one should also seek to be wise 4. Magic is a gift from the Dragons entrusted to all, one should always both use magic and respect it, never abuse a gift or refute it, If you see another abusing magic it should be your charge to prevent this. 5. One should always consider the outcome of all possible options when making a choice, if other make foolhardy plans without this, one should point out the possibilities. 6. War is used when other options have or will fail, one should always choose to make war when it is the most reasonable option for the situation 7. If one cannot successfully make and win war, one should make peace 8. Strategy is key, one should study, know, understand and be able to use. 9. Combat of any kind, whether war or dueling, often the loser is the one that made the largest mistake first, or the more number of mistakes. One should always consider all combats in this fashion and if you lose realize that it was a mistake you made. 10. One should master and learn many weapons, when making war you should be able to fill any role one is called on to do. One should never always make war in the same fashion. Festivals: Transgressions: 1. Killing for political reasons is unacceptable. And you cannot stand by while others plot to do so. 2. Allowing emotions to override logic, if those actions affect others then yourself 3. Having wisdom on a subject and not using it, if it would help others 4. Quitting a duel or combat, before the battle it is finished, if you lose you must make it clear. Religious Garb: Sacred Symbol: A diamond with an elven sword against it. Prejudices: Tyrendal and Lylandria dislike Desegrahl for his mindless murder Allies: Tyrendal and Lylandria are the closest of allies. Winchakah Orc Goddess of War and Courage, The Mother Of All Orcs Arcane Aspects: Fire, Earth, Nature, Air, Life Domain: The Realm Of Victory Origin: Winchakah is the solitary main deity of the Orcs, however unlike most gods, the orcs hold two very different viewpoints of what she represents and how she is to be worshiped. Since Orcs are one of the oldest races to exist on Ith and they have no written history, ut is almost impossible to tell which version is true. Some Orcs believe that Winchakah is the most powerful deity of all and at one point may have been a being of supreme power that shared Ith with the Dragons and the titans. In her infinite wisdom and power she saw that a brutal and powerful race of warriors was needed to protect the land and fight all those that would hurt others. So Winchakah gave up a piece of her power to create this race. However, the Ancient Ones foresaw this plan and cursed this race with a rage and bloodlust. Other orcs believe that Winchakah was only a powerful being who wished to have the most powerful and strongest mate, but she was unimpressed with the titans and dragons. Thus she created her ultimate race of warriors, who would throughout the process of combat and warfare would fight until the biggest, strongest one would be worthy of being her mate, This Orc would be the leader of all Orcs and she would take him and together they would lead all Orcs to glory and battle. Who knows what they real story is, but what is known is that Winchakah is a very real and powerful goddess, who, regardless of her purpose for the creation of the orcs, lives in the Realm of Victory where only the strongest and best Orcs go when they die. Old Orc myths holds that the moon was the eye of the goddess looking down on them. Thus they always fight under and honor the moon, often choosing to not fight at night when the moon is not present. Followers of Winchakah are held in great respect from all Orcs, as they are seen as the closest link to her. They are often sought for advice and to settle disputes. Decrees 1. Orcs are creatures of combat and battle, all Orcs should attempt to walk this path, Those that do not, should only serve in a function is which they support the welfare of all orcs or those in combat or battle. 2. Never turn down a challenge. 3. If defeated, you must avenge yourself and become strong enough to do so. 4. A good death is one in battle fighting for a worthy cause, all others are waste of life. 5. Actions done in public are always better and more worthy then those done in private 6. Orcs do not run and hide, they fight tooth and nail till they can’t fight any more 7. Followers of Winchakah should always support and help all orcs, in battle and combat. Heal them and care for them. 8. Orcs do not sneak and hide from problems or others, they confront them and deal with someone or something if you have an issue with them. 9. Honor your elders and those that came before you. Learn from ‘em cause they did some thing right cause they’re still here. 10. The role of the sage is helping orcs finding ways of settling things with out killing each other and is chief role of the followers of Winchakah Festivals: Orc’told’r fest, in Oct 6-12, where orc gather and tell stories of their last years greatest battles and trophys. Transgressions: 1. 2. 3. 4. Killing on a moonless night. Shying away from battle or showing cowardice. Disrespecting your leaders or plotting against them Killing yourself is pretty much the worse thing you can do, Winchakah often just sends these souls to the pit. 5. Defeating someone through means of trickery Religious Garb: Simple brown robes Sacred Symbol: A green triangle with a female orc eye inside of it. Sometimes this is just a green triangle (Orcs are pretty simple) Allies and Prejudices: Winchakah and her followers are pretty much interested only in Orc matters, and tend to not have that many prejudices against anyone. Her followers tend to take allies in matters that concern them and always make good on their pacts and agreements. Because of their nature Orcs tend to distrust Madina or Annoth and their followers, Xilluvia is seen as silly and her followers are often shanked by those of Winchakah if they attempt to mess with Orcish affairs at all. Desegrahl is respected for his power, however he and the savage god are seen as having too much rage and bloodlust and are often sought to be challenged by Winchakah’s followers. Ulagh The Savage God, Blood Father of the Minotaur Arcane Aspects: Nature, Chaos, Earth, Fire Origin: Ulagh, unlike most other deities makes his home on Ith, both spiritually and physically. For a long time Ulagh was thought to merely be a powerful evil nature spirit that roamed the deep forests and jungle of the world. Ulagh’s origin is unknown, but it is known that long ago he created the Minotaur, a savage race, in his image. They were brutal, powerful monsters who wanted to spill blood. It is said that Ulagh himself takes the form of a massive, demonic black Minotaur. At the beginning of the Age of Reckoning, Ulagh let forth a massive roar that was heard from all edges of the land. It called all the Minotaur from all places in the land out to take the field of battle. They appeared in great many numbers than ever before. He commanded his children and worshipers to take weapons against the Ancient Ones and any who would follow them and crush them until nothing remained. Domain: Ith, deep in the jungles and forests stalking about. Decrees: 1. The followers of the Savage god believe in Survival of the fittest, the weak shall be crushed and are only fit to serve the strong or be killed. 2. The followers of the savage god shall respect his children, the Minotuars, and help them whenever they can. 3. The forests and deep wilderness of ith belong to the Savage god and his children. Those who would attempt to bring civilization to these places are his enemies 4. Followers of the Savage god will spill blood in his name every day 5. Followers of the savage will bear his symbol and ideals with pride and will up hold his pride against all those who dare challenge him 6. Followers of the Savage god will never turn down a ritual challenge to combat. 7. Although the savage god does not look down on the use of magic, he wants his worshipers to practice and improve their physical and fighting prowess as they increase their divine worship of him. Festivals: Transgressions: 1. Showing kindness to those who are weak and cannot survive in the wilds by their own means, is looked down on by the followers of the savage god. 2. Not accepting a physical challenge or combat issued by a fellow worshiper or worthy combatant is considered a sign of weakness and fear. 3. Killing a Minotaur without permission from either a oracle or archon of the savage one is considered an extreme crime and will result in the death. 4. Not seeking retribution for crimes committed by those against the followers of the savage one is to show weakness and mercy against his enemies. Religious Garb: All followers of the Savage one will have a war tabard. This tabard is to be worn during battles, ceremonies and religious services. This tabard will be stained with the blood of all the slain, and will never be cleaned. Sacred Symbol: His common symbol is a bull head, often more ornate symbols are kept at shrines include a bulls head back on a red sun over the woods. Prejudices: Seraphina , Falkir, Hildar all too fair, believe differently from the savage god, their ways are of the weak and often try to stop the followers of the savage god. Winchakah and her Orc worshipers are worthy foes and should be challenged and crushed in ritual combat. Tarpanrion and his followers are all enemies to the savage god, they wish to rule and bring peace to the deep forest. The savage god does not wish to share his domain with them. Crush the followers on Tarpanrion whenever possible, embarrass and humiliate them whenever possible, drive them from the savage god’s land. Allies: God who follows display savagery, a lust for combat are friends of the followers of the savage god. Imbolis God of Corruption, The Soul Twister Origin: Long, long ago most Fey were not trusted by humans, in fact some humans hated fey. One Human, using ancient and forbidden alchemies created a terrifying magical disease called Blood Vine. Blood Vine had horrible effects on most races but cures were found, however one race, Fey, when infected with blood vine, caused them to change on a permanent level. It mutated and corrupted their fey spirits. This turned a huge number of Fey into Dark Fey. Blood vine also infected all of Arcadia, the home of the Fey. One Fey was unaware that she had been infected with Blood vine, and gave birth to Imbolis. Imbolis was living Blood Vine, the disease no longer infected him but was a part of him and his body. Imbolis was mad and lost without his parents and unaware of his power made many monsters and abominations. He then went out and conquered the twisted realm that was once Arcadia, Imbolis reshaped the realm into a place for all abominations and hated, vile creatures. Evil, sick and depraved creatures of all kinds flooded there so they would not be hunted, and found sanctuary within the Dark shadowy realm. Imbolis seemed to not even rule his realm, but because of the vines that spread throughout the land, and his connection with them, he had gained omniscience in the realm. For many years he simply watched all in his realm, amassing great knowledge, and many, many followers. After 400 years of amassing knowledge and followers, Imbolis learned the secrets of immortality. With another undisclosed god’s help, Imbolis ascended to godhood. After failing to be able to make the Dark-Fey fertile, Imbolis helped the goddess of life re-grow the last seed from the Fairies Tree of Life in a lush forest realm within the new plane of Arcadia so that the fey may live as normal. In return, Imbolis receives in secret fey-children to be given to dark-fey families who on the day of adulthood receive “The Touch of Imbolis”, and become Dark Fey, immortal and “perfected”. In return for these children Imbolis has reshaped the blood vine so that it no long infects any one unless it is his will. Domain: The Twisted Realm/ formerly Arcadia, which is now called Darkcadia Arcane Aspects: Chaos, Nature, Death Decrees: 1. Zealots and lower of Imbolis are forbidden from curing the poisoned or diseased. (besides of course, themselves) 2. Clergy of Imbolis are expected to gather as much information on Alchemy as possible. 3. The members of the church of Imbolis do not generally reveal themselves to anyone as worshippers of Imbolis for fear of persecution. 4. Members of the church of Imbolis are taught to not judge persons or creatures based on anything but personal experience with that person or creature. 5. Members of the church are expected to develop high poison and disease resistances to one day receive the “Touch of Imbolis” 6. It is very important for members of the temple of Imbolis to give respect and aid to all Dark-Fey, for they are Imbolis’ children. 7. It is the responsibility of the clergy of Imbolis to seek out lonesome, sad, or depressed fey to convince them to convert to Dark-Fey. 8. Fey of ALL types are to be befriended by the clergy, and never to be killed unless in dire peril. 9. Acquisition of personal power is the highest priority for oneself, beyond Faith for Imbolis. Imbolis only achieved godhood by following his goals beyond the grave and all laws. Such acts can inspire enemies, and sometimes following the Faith of Imbolis requires the member to be an enemy of Imbolis at the same time. No member of the Imbolis church is ever excommunicated without the ability to “make it up to Imbolis”. Most people think that Imbolis is an insane god because of this. 10. Followers of Imbolis are taught to take as many body modifications and mutations as possible if it acquires personal power. Festivals: October 31, is hailed as the day of Imbolis where dark fey throw massive parties to honor Imbolis, they invite everyone and encourage others on this day to dress up in bazaar costumes of monsters, creatures and abominations such as to embrace the ways of Imbolis if just for one night, Transgressions: 1. Killing a Fey for any reason other than mortal peril is punishable by the removal of two limbs and a pack of no less than three diseased creatures be set upon the member. If the member survives the assault, he or she has “made it up to Imbolis.” 2. Oracles of Imbolis eat the souls of members of the Faith who kill Dark-fey for any reason at all. This is considered “making it up to Imbolis”. 3. Killing a higher rank member of the church of Imbolis is a high crime against the Church of Imbolis, punishable by having one face a High Dark Fey of Imbolis in mortal combat. It is an invoker’s right to kill any other invoker in the Faith of lower Divine Rank with no penalty whatsoever. 4. Being charitable and pious, and healing the weak are all crimes to Imbolis unless it directly serves Imbolis or the Invoker. 5. Putting any other ahead of gaining personal power except for the church of Imbolis is an insult to Imbolis. Religious Garb: Depends on the invoker, many can no longer fit in to normal society being mutated abominations, and most prefer clothing that is efficient and is survival oriented, However most invokers wear large amounts of black clothing. Sacred Symbol: A blacken spiked vine Prejudices: None, the church of Imbolis hates no one, and will raise arms in unison only to direct threats to The Twisted Realm. Allies : Other gods generally regard Imbolis as an insane god, and not to be trusted by most. However there are a few who look past that. Tarsus has become a close ally of Imbolis, their followers sometimes have similar views on life, often known to throw wicked parties. Angelic and Demonic Lords It is said there is a plane of existence parallel to our own known as “Eth”: the home of the Angelic and Demonic Lords. Embodying Good and Evil, they each watch over domains of their own… when not bringing their iconic battles to our own realm. Worship of these beings is uncommon, and worship of demonic entities is illegal, if not utterly taboo in most civilized regions. It is not easy to be a follower of an Angelic or Demonic Lord, requiring intense devotion and soul-deep commitment. If you wish your character to follow one of these entities, please speak to Plot first. They will not be described in more detail in this document. Angelic Lords Jibril Angel of Peace, Mercy and Hope Aspect: Appears as a female figure with small, delicate wings. Arcane Aspects: Life, Water, Order and Earth Labbiel Angel of Healing and Knowledge Aspect: A serpent-man whose wings shine with opalescent colors. Sari Angel of Command, Order and Law. “The Balancer.” Aspect: Sari doesn’t have a form but has been represented as a glowing white orb that speaks to the mind in absolute order and fact. Arcane Aspects: Order, Mind, Life, Earth, and Universal Uriela Angel of Repentance, Righteousness and Vengeance. “The Watcher.” Aspect: A winged elfin woman. Occasionally appears as a Changed hawk or raven, known as “The Keeper of the Gate.” Arcane Aspects: Mind, Death, Chaos and Order Mik-hael Angelic Champion of the Crusading Warrior Mik-hael embodies valor and courage and represents the fight against evil. Arcane Aspects: Fire, Order, Life and Universal Demonic Lords Azrael Demonic Lord of Warfare, Combat and Slaughter See Plot Belzaar Demonic Lord of Darkness, Shadows and Deviltry. “The Shadow Lord.” See Plot Unn’La Demonic Lord of Madness and Magic See Plot The Succubus Demonic Lady of Seduction and Enslavement. “The Temptress.” See Plot Mammathorn Demonic Lord of Nature’s Darkness, Chaos, and Primal Fury. “The Beast.” See Plot Raziel Demonic Lord of the Unforgiven and the Repentant See Plot