Second Iteration

Developed by

The Design Mechanism

From a Creation by

Tom Zunder

Gwenthia
As seen from High Orbit
Visible are the continents of Gwailan (northernmost) and Thurian (southernmost). Clearly visible in the east of Thurian are the lands of Parkhesh, Nhi-Tual and Quatzadua. Southern Zathuria and central Gara-Dien are visible in the centralcloud-break. To the north-west, the islands of Cromaigne and Spiria can be seen. Barely visible, and almost in the centre of the picture, is the Red Orb, one of Gwenthias seven moons. The Dark Orb, or Black Moon, can be seen on each page of this bookeven though it disappeared from Gwenthias skies thousands of years ago..

Map by Colin Driver

Introduction
W
ELCOME TO GWENTHIA. This book describes the world of Gwenthia: its geography, its peoples, its history, its politics, its gods, and its possibilities. The concept behind Gwenthia evolved at The Tavern (http://tavern.zunder.org.uk/) as a shared world similar to Chaosiums old Questworld project of the late 1980s. Beginning with a simple map, Tavern members quickly staked land claims and began the co-operative process of developing cultures, peoples, creatures and conflicts to fill those lands and influence others. Gwenthia was rapidly born, and is still in a state of development. Although designed with BRP in mind, Gwenthia is designed to work with any set of roleplaying rules or mechanics: readypublished, hybrid or home-grown. The intention of this book is to draw together the basic settings of Gwenthia and present them in one place for gamers to use for their own campaigns. All material is published under the Creative Commons licence (see sidebar), and can be freely used in a gaming context.

Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 You are free: to copy, distribute, display, and perform the work to make derivative works

Under the following conditions: Attribution. You must give the original author credit. Non-commercial. You may not use this work for commercial purposes. Share Alike. If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under a license identical to this one. For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license terms of this work. Any of these conditions can be waived if you get permission from the copyright holder Your fair use and other rights are in no way affected by the above.

About This Book

This is the second edition of the Gwenthia: The Guide. It is greatly expanded and revised, with new information, settings, details, timeline, history and secrets. If you have the first edition, youll find much is similar, but quite a lot is differentfor example Gwailan Union The Gwailan Union has been removed from this book as we no longer have the authors permission to use the material. This has obviously had consequences for the timeline and history of Gwenthia, as well as impacting on the development of the continent of Gwailan. Religion Religion has been greatly expanded and clarified. You will find more information on the Church of Gwenth, the Church of the Chain, the Octaminists, The Evening Culture, and other cults and factions. Secrets Some of Gwenthias design secrets are included for Gamesmasters who need to know more about the world when planning their adventures. Some of these secrets are hints; others are more explicit. Use them wisely. Maps Bigger, better and clearer. In fact, that goes for all the illustrations contained in this book...

Credits and Ownership

Gwenthia is the creation of Tom Zunder and developed by The Design Mechanism, whose contributors are: AurUrbis & Badlands Cromaigne Durustan Gara-Dien Meravaenia Nhi-Tual Parkhesh Quatzadua Spiria Zathuria Tom Zunder Lawrence Whitaker Stuart Mousir-Harrison Charles Green and Stuart Mousir-Harrison Nick Middleton Nathan Baron David Gordon Colin Driver Darren Driver Simon Bray

With sincere thanks and recognition to Pete Nash for subsequent development work. Layout and Design: Lawrence Whitaker and Tom Zunder Artwork: Simon Bray, Colin Driver and Richard Huber (whose work is used as part of the Dover Pictorial Archive Service agreement)

Finding your Way Around Gwenthia

This book contains a lot of information; much more than the first edition. The Design Mechanism has therefore taken the opportunity to reorganise and restructure the material in order to make it clearer to use. This book falls roughly into three sections. The first section provides an overview of Gwenthia: its geography, people, religions and history. The second section takes a detailed look at the major nations of Thurian, Gwailan and the northern islands.

The third section is reserved for Gamesmasters, and contains secrets and inside information to help GMs prepare campaigns based within Gwenthia. You should be able to gain a good feeling for Gwenthia just by reading the first section. The settings chapters take you deep into a particular region or country, expanding on material found in the first section. Only read the third section if you are intending to run games within Gwenthiathe information it contains is designed to be revealed during play, and reading this material as a player, rather than as a GM, may spoil your enjoyment of the setting.

Table of Contents
The World of Gwenthia Religion and Crusade History - Ancient & Modern AurUrbis Badlands Cromaigne Gara Dien Meraveania Nhi Tual Parkhesh Quatzadua Spiria Zathuria Page 5 11 21 30 37 39 47 57 69 78 86 94 97

The World of Gwenthia

T
HE PLANET OF GWENTHIA is roughly Earth-sized and orbits its sun at a similar distance. A Gwenthian day is 32 hours long; not a result of a slower rotation, but due to magical forces unleashed when one of the planets moons fell several thousand years ago. Gwenthia has seven moons, or orbs, and whilst these satellites appear to be moon-like, they are, in fact, either supernatural beings (which are worshipped as gods across Gwenthia) or are the homes of supernatural entities. Thus, the moons do not exert the same influence over the planetary tides and atmosphere found with Earths moon. The continent of Gwenthia, subdivided into the northern landmass of Gwailan and the southern landmass of Thurian, is so named by few in the continent itself. The names come from the writings of Talthwyn Maptalker, itinerant bard and geographer from the distant lands of Kumree. Flitting from nation to nation, from court to court, Talthwyn appeared to treat the difficulties of terrain and distance as mere trifles. His much copied and plagiarised works include Three Krarnaks and a Caravan Barge, Geografica Gwentha and the voluminous History of the Gwailan Vendetta Wars. Talthwyn's works were compiled across a century and a half, a lifespan beyond so few that it has been suggested that fraud and impersonation may have played a greater part in Talthwyn's latter days or that he sported Cromaignian ancestry. His volumes have been reproduced by quill-wielding philosophers, lead poisoned typesetters and recited to kings and priests by harlequinned troubadours. landmass is in the tropics. AurUrbis has a temperate coastal climate, warm in winter and humid in summer. Temperatures hover around 3-4 degrees Celsius in winter, with occasional snowfall, and rise to an average of 24-26 degrees Celsius in the summer. Autumn sees continued high temperatures combined with high rainfall, Spring is windy and temperatures rise progressively, averaging 12-15 degrees Celsius. The Mountains of Gold have an alpine climate. The New Province has similar weather on the coast, but harsher winters and hotter summer in the wooded hinterland. Nhi Tual is drier than might be expected, as is the Quatzaduan coast. This is due to the presence of Eserrian (the landmass to the east-south east) which blocks a warm ocean current. This lack of warmth, coupled with the extreme height of the mountains and highlands explains the severe cold of the Meravaenian Plateau, despite the fact it straddles the equator. Gara-Dien is at about the latitude of West Africa, but probably somewhat cooler and drier. Parkhesh if taken on average is as dry as dust. The south west consists of the arid Red Desert (dotted with oases). Along the north east and north run a chain of mountains which feed rivers to the coast and the hot interior. To the South East is a parched Savannah. The rivers leading in land feed small lakes. The strip of land along the north and east coast is lush with woods and rich pastures. Rivers provide irrigation for the land and terraced farms are common, giving a hanging gardens feel to the coast of Parkhesh.

Climate
Gwenthia is an earth-like setting, and the temperature and climate reflect this. To allow for easy comparison by our readers we have used expressly Earth analogues to convey meaning.

The Gwenthian Calendar

Gwenthia has two major calendars, the Old and the New.

The Old is Octaminist, following the patterns of the old Order before the Fall. Each day is 32 hours long, divided into 8 watches The Climate of Gwailan is broadly similar to that Eurasia. The named for the Orbs in the sky. The 8th watch, which is the only north coast experiences temperatures and weather on a parallel time when the sky is fully dark, is the Black Watch. This is a time with the Baltic, or slightly cooler, chilled by a cold current running of the creatures of the night. from the east along the north coast of the Sea of Granite. Although the coasts never freeze there is a seasonal risk of drifting Each week is 8 days long, each named for the Orbs, as they are ice. Once clear of the north coast this current does not follow the known locally. Each month has 8 weeks, again, each named for western coast but returns north. The great lakes around which are the Orbs, as they are known locally. Each year is 8 months, or 64 based the nations of the Gwailan Union may freeze depending on weeks or 512 days long. This calendar was denounced as heretical their depth effectively blocking maritime traffic to the centre of by the Human Church of Gwenthia some 995 New Years ago, the Union. The east coast of Gwailan benefits from the fading and the New Calendar was proposed. end of a warm current from the tropics, and experiences a climate The New Calendar follows the seasons more closely. The New not dissimilar to the Canadian Pacific Coast or western Europe. Year consists of 7 months each of 35 days (each of 5 weeks of 7 Cromaigne and Spiria are both rather cooler than would be days) and a shorter 8th month (the Dark Month) lasting 10 days. suggested by their latitudes. Menerain in Cromaigne is about the The 8th month is despised and full of dark portents. So the new latitude of Madrid, with an expected "Irish" climate, while year is (7x35days) + 10 = 245 days of normal months plus 10 days Montemphis in Spiria is about the latitude of London with an of the Dark Month. It was found that the new year was better expected "Scottish" climate. Neither island benefits from any served as having 255 days rather than 256 because of the seasons warm oceanic currents heading north from the equator, due to the and measurements of the solstices and equinoxes. presence of the continent of Sianthor off to the south-west. The New Calendar venerates the Seven Gods of the Moons and The Climate of Thurian is noticeably warmer since much of the the Five Messengers as well as vilifying the Devourer. The 8th

month is a sacred time - where the followers of the Human Church of Gwenthia re-enact the end of the Golden Age and the Fall of the Dark Orb. The beginning of each year would then be celebrated with joy as the world passes into a new year after enduring the attempted rising of the 8th god.

People
Gwenthia supports many races. Most are derived from human stock, but there are clear signs of evolutionary development, mutation, cross-fertilisation and genetic engineering.

Croman (Cromaigne)
Cromans (Homo sapiens cromanis) are unique to the island ofCromaigne and are the result of centuries of interbreeding between pure-strain humans of the ancient Meravae Empire, and the humanoid Forerunners. Croman are human like in physicality but differ in certain key respects: they all have six fingers on each hand; enjoy life-spans greater than the human norm (150 200 years of age is common), and they are resistant to disease and general illness. Cromans are, by nature, reserved and thoughtful. Haste is a rare trait in a Croman, and cool patience and deliberation a common commodity. Many see the Croman as cold, unemotional beings, but this is an uncharitable view. They are passionate about the arts, philosophy, commerce and, in the kingdom of Amerain, etiquette and history. With close friends and confident they are open, happy and gregarious, but keep such displays masked for normal social discourse.

Arboreal (Quatzadua)
Arboreals (Homo sapiens arborealis), make up the majority of the population found in the thick Western jungles of Quatzadua. It is rumoured that the race is the result of the first Zathurian experiment in evolving intelligent life from the native primitives, although they are considered to be human. Pure-breds are easily recognisable by their wide eyes and long arms. Standing at only around five feet on their short legs, these light-boned hominids are equally at home on the ground or in the trees. Their sharp eyesight, coupled with their ability to easily traverse the tree-line, make them much sought after by mariners; though by nature, most have a natural aversion to the ocean. In speech they tend to use the common Quatzaduan tongue, although in private they still use their own short-speak; a medley of calls, clicks and whistles which are reminiscent of the native fauna and said to carry for miles when required. Arboreals tend to be more secular than other humans but some do frequent towns and cities.

Forerunner (Extinct)
The origin of the Forerunners is unknown, but they were clearly not human, although were human-like. Essentially the Forerunners were a slave-race of the Ancients and were, in themselves, powerful magicians. When humans first arrived in Gwenthia, ostensibly to destroy the Forerunners, the two species allied, and formed the Meravae Empire that dominated most of

A Brief Guide to the Nations of Gwenthia

AurUrbis
The seat of learning and culture in Gwenthia, AurUrbis spans the continents of Thurian and Gwailan at the Golden Isthmus. Its physical division is mirrored in the two species that make-up the population: the black-skinned, diminutive prodigies that are the KiMentis, and the tall, fair-haired, KiDelan. A complex relationship exists between the two, but AurUrban society exhibits levels of peace and sophistication that are found nowhere else on the planet.

rather than its land area. What Durustan lacks in overt power it makes up in Home to the kingdoms of Amerain, Menerain economic influence. The Kastu are the and Spharain, Cromaigne is sophisticated, primary Gwenthain suppliers of highest insular, and enthralled to its violent history. quality, but low volume, metals as well as The three kingdoms of the island have very possessing impressive skills in the different characteristics and cultures which are, production of complex chemicals. They seemingly, in conflict with each other. In addition, Cromaigne is home to countless spirits would rather mint other countries' coins and manifestations of nature. Many were than supply them with basic metals in bulk.

Cromaigne

trapped or imprisoned by the Evening Culture, and remain so to the present times. Others have simply taken to hiding from humankind, so damaged are they by their experiences.

Gara-Dien
Gara-Dien is a lush, hilly and mountainous region, with extensive forests rising to the central heights, and fertile, grassy plains to the north and along the coast to the south. The Harmonious Empire (as it is styled) is a

Badlands
Bordering AurUrbis, Meravaenia and Parkhesh, this is bandit countryrugged and dangerous, and filled with all manner of villainy, mutation, vile sorcery, and evil-intent.

Durustan
Durustan does not, at present, play a prominent role in Gwenthia. Its influence is more in keeping with its population,

Thurian for almost 5,000 years. Within the Meravae Empire, interbreeding between humans and Forerunners was forbidden (although clearly possible). However, when the dissidents known as The Evening Culture broke away from the Empire, and colonised the island of Cromaigne, interbreeding took place between them, and the Croman race was the result. As a distinct species, the Forerunners have disappeared from Gwenthia, with the last of their kind departing with the disappearance of the Meravae Empire 2,200 years ago.

Iqari (Cromaigne & Elsewhere)

At first glance the Iqari appear to be a cross between giant raptors and (giant) humans. Standing at more than two point five meters in height, Iqari are daunting just for their size. The muscular arms and hugely developed torso are humanoid, but from the waist down and neck up they are bird like. A pair of wings extends from complex, overdeveloped shoulder blades, and a fan of tail feathers extends behind. Female Iqari retain breasts although they provide no nutritional benefit whilst raising chicks.

Iqari can fly using their massive wings. Adult wingspan is typically
between 22-26 feet for both males and females. The shouldermounted wings are extremely powerful, requiring a massively deep chest to mount the strongest muscles in the body. An Iqari can launch itself from a standing position, achieving rapid height very quickly; however such manoeuvres are strenuous and Iqari prefer to launch themselves from high ledges. They take advantage of uplifts and thermals to save energy, and can glide for hours at a time without flapping. The most skilful flyers can achieve speeds of over thirty kilometres per hour by gliding, and twice this by actively beating their wings. Iqari cannot hover. Iqari are most frequently found in Cromaigne, where they dominate the central mountains of the island. However, Iqari colonies are found further afield, such as in the mountains of AurUrbis.

Humans
Humans (homo sapiens sapiens) were brought to Gwenthia to destroy the Forerunners, but instead formed an alliance with them and prospered. They are now the dominant species, and racial variations are common. It is, perhaps, the human ability to adapt to, and influence, the environment, that has led to the experimentation that has created the various sub-species such as the Arboreals, Croman, Shades and Tharux.

mostly human nation bent on spreading its style of government, faith, and martial prowess to the entire known world. Each child brought up within the Empire is, at least in theory, taught that the Jade Path, the state religion and system of government, is as close to perfect as humans are able to get. As such, it is the Empires holy duty to the Lady of Doors? to spread her faith amongst the rest of the world, whether the people on the receiving end want it or not. The holy mission of educating the populace is performed by the famous Jade College from its massive headquarters in the capital city of Moorvia

Of the various nations within the Meravaenia region, the Republic of Telbrin is the most vibrant and outgoing. Its people are natural explorers (some would say thieves), thaumaturgists (some would say sorcerers of the worst kind) and merchants (some would say crooks). Telbrin is expansionist, adventurous, Meravaenia and quite prepared for confrontationalthough Occupying the central plateau of the Thurian it seems to have avoided major clashes thus far. continent, Meravaenia is, in fact, a collection of Some speculate, but do not openly voice, the loose republics and independent nation states. similarities with the long-departed Meravae The name for this region (and as a consequence, Empire... for its peoples) is a misnomer, and refers to the extinct Meravae Empire that occupied this Nhi-Tual areaand beyondfor almost five thousand Land of the Goddess, Khur-Ishida, Nhi-Tual is years. The people of the plateau never refer to a harsh, barren land that is home to several very themselves as Meravae, but rather to their Garadien was built upon the ruins of a different tribes of humans. Once a fertile and particular region, such as the Republic of much older civilization, and countless relics prosperous land, the Tual rejected the demon Telbrin, Xantir, or the High Kingdom. of that culture are still buried beneath the rulers who provided such bounty and embraced verdant soils of the grasslands and the This is an essentially human region, although instead the newly arrived Goddess, who the mountain-dwelling people of the High inland desert. Scholars speculate that the promised true paradise only after a life of desert has something to do with the fall of Kingdom are so adapted to their environment

this culture. Also, the smaller Kitar Island has been taboo for centuries, and only within the past year have Exploration Teams been able to even get to it. Their findings have not been made public, but are rumoured to be gruesome.

as to constitute a sub-species of human.

harsh environment of the desert. Numerous tribes now exist across the Red Desert, each with their own Lapithians are a race of mountain allegiance to the policital entities dwelling, bi-pedal humanoids that bordering the Red Desert. The jealously are mostly found in Spiria (the guard the ruines of the Ancients which spiritual center of the entire Lapithian race) and the Mountains of sit on what were once islands in the Lagoon. They're internecine wars have Gold in AurUrbis. They are on average 6 feet tall, have long snouts, proved advantagous to Parkheshi long and thin tongues, grey fur, large imperial desire, but many Nomads still remember the betrayal of Maluja who corrupted a number of the humanoid hands and acidic saliva. tribes. Some of these Sand Free Nomads have settled in Duresh, They also live to about 80 years old Khalesh, Tukresh and other provinces of Greater Parkhesh. on average and many worship the Mountain God. Many become blacksmiths or armourers and rank amongst the finest in Gwenthia for these particular crafts.

Lapithians (Spiria)

Shades (Quatzadua)

Lapithians are heavily reliant on mountains for neutrients, and therefore Lapithian settlements are commonly found by mountainsides (around Mt Oreas for example). They feed on small insects, which they usually snatch up from small cracks in the mountain using their long tongues, and rock minerals which are broken down by the Lapithian's acidic saliva. This strange diet naturally causes caves to form in the mountainsides they feed on, which female Lapithians use as a temporary home during their pregnancy, as nutrients are readily available to them when needed.

Red Desert Nomads (Parkhesh)

Believed to be the Servitor Race that was served the Forerunners who lived in the idylic lagoon that is now the Red Desert. Some 5000 years ago they were aquatic but have since adapted to the
hardship and toil. The people of Nhi Tual are semi-nomadic, intrinsically xenophobic, and vehemently protective of their goddess and way of life. Outsiders are viewed, at best, with suspicion and, in the worst case (the Parkheshi, in particular), with utter hatred.

Shades (Homo sapiens chameleus) are a sub-species of human residing in Quatzadua. Originally the children of the first Tarazon (see the chapter on Quatzadua for more details), the race still breeds true in Terexta and Xzanpthia. More wide-spread than Arboreals, Shades are found in all regions of Quatzadua. Also referred to by some as "the bright ones"(due to the females golden-red pallor when in season), both names derive from the races natural ability to subtly change their skin-tone to match their surroundings (a useful ability - where minimal clothing is required). Where it not for this ability (along with the six proto-filaments growing over the ears and into the hair-line), Shades would look all but human.
(Nhiaquat being a notable example) but who or what created them remains unanswered. It is thought (though not proved) that family groups of Arboreals did not have the level of technology required at the time and humans were too busy fighting for survival to have created such fetes.

bodies perform many servant-like chores throughout the country, and and entire mummified armies are maintained to defend the city leagues.

Quatzadua
At the far south of the Thurian continent lies Quatzadua.

Parkhesh
Once a province of the mighty Meravae Empire, Parkesh is, in reality, a collection of city-states that surround the vast Red Desert of the interior. Parkhesh has a long, complex, and violent history. It has seen four civil wars, and the rise and fall of the powerful prophet/sorcerer Maluja. However, the most curiousand, some find, disturbing aspect of Parkheshis the treatment of the dead. Indeed, the Parkhesh believe that death is no barrier to continued usefulness, and have developed complex magics to reanimate the dead and put them to social use. Mummified

Around three thousand years ago, rumours that Quatzads were worshiping The Earth God The country is a juxtaposition of high spread to the surrounding countries; carried by mountains, steaming tropical jungles, high pampas and sub-tropical grass and wetland. Due traders willing to travel to Taxica in the East to its high southern cliffs, along with its distance and Pazzoxa in the West. from the central hub of activity, the country lay Shortly after this time the Shade race entered largely undisturbed (and indeed ignored) until the picture. It is rumoured that they are the around 3,000 years ago. Occasional travellers offspring of the first Tarazon, as their ability to from the neighbouring lands of Nhi-Tual and change their skin-tone to match their Gara-Dien left their mark to a small degree but background and vestigial signs of head-tendrils the high mountains and impenetrable Jungles is reminiscent of the lords of Zathur. thwarted further colonisation. That civilisation existed before this time is beyond question Spiria though, as ancient ruins abound within both the North of Cromaigne, the island of Spiria is Western Jungles and along the Thexadin River home to the rock-eating Lapithians, and the vast

Tharux (Zathuria and Elsewhere)

The Tharux are a rich dark brown skinned people, noted for their slim frames, tall stature and quick movements. They are great thinkers and have a natural affinity with science and technology, a gift they claim was bestowed upon them by their Zathurian overlords. Their eyes are black, as is there hair (which many of them shave off or braid into locks in emanation of the Zathurian head tendrils). Long necks, small heads and thin limbs are their ideal of beauty and many Tharux use neck rings to extend their throats to a pleasing length. It is also common for women to cut their earlobes into pleasant forms. Amongst men the ideal form is to possess a large head, with long stretched earlobes, both being a sign of intelligence and wisdom. Head moulding is common amongst both genders, and many older Tharux can have greatly lengthened skulls (this practice is of course enforced by parents on their children). Some Tharux carry Zathurian genes, possessing the nictacting membranes found in certain Zathurian castes, or the ability to adjust skin colour. This emphasis on appearance has lead to a caste system developing amongst the Tharux. The ruling nobles form the highest caste or Zamogeb, their inbreeding has lead to them developing extremely Zathurian like characteristics, they rule the clans which form the backbone of the nation. The next social rank is the Hagovens?, made of thinkers, scientists and engineers. The
Mount Oreasvenerated by the Lapithians. The Lapithians are completely peaceful people, and are thus often overlooked in the affairs of the world. This has worked completely to Spirias advantage; it has been allowed to focus on its religion and quiet dedication to Mount Oreas utterly unhindered.

Ramovens? is made up of a warrior heirachy, and is extremely militaristic in its make up. The Tarovens are landworkers, farmers and petty crafters. Finally the Domvens are landless peasants, who rely upon to good will of their masters for survival. Slaves are a common sight in all Tharux clans, all castes apart from the Domvens maintain slaves in their households. More detail on Tharuxi and their affinity with technology can be found in the Zathurian chapter.

Zathurians (Zathurian Arcologies)

The Zathurians are an alien race, not native to Gwenthia. Their true origins are only known to themselves, but they are called the Children of the Moons' by many cultures. They are a xenophobic and agoraphobic race that dwell in sealed cities of great age and advanced technology. They have access to devices and knowledge far beyond the rest of Gwenthia; they are masters of science, and yet they seem to dwell in a state of arcane stasis, never progressing in their development.

Zathuria
Zathur is a land of three distinct cultures living
together in an uncomfortable symbiosis. It proclaims itself to be the most ancient land in all the world, ruled by immortals that remember when the gods walked upon the earth and man flew in the heavens like seraphim amongst the stars. It is a land of radical juxtapositions, the ancient Zathurians live amongst colossal and impossible cities that defy the technology? of the rest of Gwenthia, and yet they are trapped within them by the fear of mortality. They have powers and abilities that make them godlike to all around them; they are served by inhuman

servants and talk directly with the gods, yet fear to tread beyond the taboo laden borders of the Zathuri Marg. The Tharux are city dwellers that believe the Zathurians to be deities of great power, their small towns and cities litter the Tharagax region, but are mere shadows of the arcologies of their masters, yet are extremely beautiful with their white washed walls, ornate tiles, glittering temples and masterfully devised gardens. are There are also lesser peoples within the domain of Zathur, most notably the psychic Ghazazi and the enslaved mountain people known as the Tegreet. They each have their own roles to play in the future of Zathur, yet mostly remain unseen from the eyes of the casual visitor.

Religion & Crusade

W
HETHER PRAYING QUIETLEY to the great Bull God in the Sacred Horn Temple of Urthan, or dancing with one's ancestors in the faraway city of Denipatakano in Kitar, Gwenthia has diverse and varied theologies. Talthwyn was most fascinated to trace the links and strands that were shared by the world's religions; as with most syncretists he stretched this beyond all meaning or sense. Gwenthia has various strands and themes in religion, with Northern Thurian having a common thread based in original polytheism, worshipping the 8 Orbs (Octaminist) and the subsequent revolutionary AurUrban Church of Gwenthia which deposed the Eighth Orb in the Octaminist Crusades in it's home territory of AurUrbis, Cromaigne and Meravaenia. Despite the attempts of the Hectaminists they were unable to end thousands of years of Octaminism in Parkhesh. The key surviving example of Octaminist faith in Thurian is in Parkhesh and is the Octaminist Church. Examples of the Hectaminist faiths, many of which are showing the influence of syncretism include: Across Thurian missionaries from the mysterious lands of Gwailan preach millenial and apocalyptic messages. The Righteous Ascendant priests in their red leather gear preach that they are the Geneweavers themselves, awaiting the coming of the One True God and that all must live lives of poverty and purity in preparation for this apocalyptic day. Fortunately for the missionaries they are known as great scribes and as such their odd views are viewed with humour and tolerance, although small groups of acolytes are known across the land

On Gods and Men

Gods are real. They do move mountains, send storms, bring peace and love, appear at battles and strike foes. Priests who are apostate cease to be able to perform miracles, worshippers who are pious and pure go to their god's afterlife. Gods are, however, local. The Xemarch Turtle of New Province is not quite the same as Xemarch Lonely Sigh of Kaipor. The syncretic theologian Kurg Grace spoke of this in her Treatise of a Theologian outside of Time; some deities seem self-aware of this localisation, especially the greatest and most worshipped, others are blissfully unaware and seem in fact to be separate spirits sharing a name and little more. Religions are sometimes separate to deities. The Gwenthian Gnostics practice religion but disdain gods, saying there is a higher being above all the petty deities, cloaked in Heaven and only reachable through meditation. Few publically renounce all religion, but some scandalous aristocrats and intelligentsia sometimes attract notoriety by hinting at it. Religions wield considerable wealth, magic, cultural resources and science in much of Gwenthia. Some act for good, some act for self interest, few actively work for evil. Conflicts defined as good versus evil or moral versus immoral are inevitable difference of opinion about the underlying ideologies, or are smokscreens to cover a practical real world conflict over power or wealth.

AurUrban Church of Gwenthia, the root church only found in AurUrbis. Human Church of Gwenthia, the heretical but friendly offshoot of the first church, strong in parts of Cromaigne, Meravaenia and western Badlands. Churches Of The Chain, dominant in Meravaenia

In Nhi-Tual the tribespeople and city dwellers worship the Dragon Goddess Khur-Ishida who defeated the Seven False Gods around 3000 BP. The religion is essentially monotheistic in that it denounces all other deities as false. Further south in Quatzadua the people worship the cthonic Earth God through the intercession of the Tarazon, part high priest, part avatar. They reject all other gods, but retain the mystical path of the warrior that is the The Cult of Murazcoatl. Gwenthian Gnosticism is prevalent as small cults in Northern Thurian and is viewed with suspicion by the masses. It is largely tolerated as a non evangelising minority within the main religous traditions, except in Nhi-Tual where it is seen as demon worship.

The Adoration of the Zathurians

According to Tharux belief there are seven Great Celestial Lords of the Zathurians, who rule over their land from their golden cities. They are immortal entities who bestow blessings upon the people. They came to Gwenthia to liberate the people from the oppression of the Eight Orbs who enslaved the world. Each The Jade Path of Gara-Dien teaches that profession and one's role Great Celestial Lord has a particular emnity for one of the orbs and seeks to pull it down from heaven. The greatest hero of the in society is interlinked with one's religous duty and observance. This state religion has largely replaced earlier animist and pantheist Tharux Mythology is Ghulmash, who destroyed the physical body of Nytag the Eighth Orb and dragged it from heaven, for his traditions. actions he ascended beyond the universe into glory. All of religion in Zathur is centred on worshipping the alien The Other Great Celestial Lords are. beings that are the Zathurians. From the Zharaan Animist Tradition to the The Adoration of the Zathurians, all worship is Zatrang, Sailor of the Star Seas directed to these creatures. Outsiders view this with great Khornur, Lord of the Comet cynicism, but to a Tharux the divinity of the Zathurians is undoubted. Maduk, Breaker of Heavens

Onet, Walker of the Night Jekarra, Dreaming Warrior Misapur, The Wisdom of the Cosmos Khranpur, The Holy Aura

Each has a Golden City (or arcology) named after them.

The AurUrban Church of Gwenthia

The AurUrban Church of Gwenthia is a polytheistic faith that worships the Goddess Gwenthia as the inspiration that helped humans free themselves from the oppression of the Devourer after he had stolen the human race from their rightful home. They honour the Seven Orbs as the husbands of Gwenthia who aided the humans to free themselves. The faith is open, tolerant and welcoming to other species as children on the Seven, but keeps initiation and membership limited to pure bred humans and the KiMentas who serve Her. The Human Church of Gwenthia is a friendly schism. AurUrbans are devout worshippers of Gwenthia as the Earth Mother. The KiMentas form the priesthood, the High Temple is both at and is the City of Gwenth in the Mountains of Gold. Within that each city favours one of the Seven Gods of the Moons as it's patron deity, and views it as the Husband God of Gwenth in that city, to AurUrbans all the Seven Gods are male. Gwenthia has seven celestial bodies, known in AurUrbis as Moon Husbands. Seven can be seen clearly in the sky, and an eighth is believed to exist but to be dark. The Moon Husbands are the husbands of Gwenth, who freed humans from the evil Eighth Moon God. The Eighth Moon is Dark, its occupant cast down for his role as the Devourer, the bringer of the Void. The Dark God, Devourer, Fallen One is worshipped and propitiated only by dark and death cults. It is said by the KiMentas that when the Devourer was cast down from the Sky he shattered into 47376 pieces, and that should people turn to sin again those 47376 pieces will come together and the Fallen One will rise again.

Cromaignian kingdom of Menerain after the First Octaminist Crusade and was evangelised across Gwenthia by the devout Menerainian monks who became known as the Earth-Seers. It became widespread in the Meravae Empire during the Second Octaminist Crusade, where it syncretised with local beliefs, the older Octaminist Church and influenced the Churches of the Chain. The militant arm of the faith are members of the Knights of the Rose, but ironically the most lauded haghunter of all, Prince yrGael is not a member of the faith (owing to the fact that he denies the existence of all gods).

The Church of the Chain

The Churches of the Chain also known as the Children of Xantir, the Xantiric sects or the Churches of the Seven The cultures of the Plateau of Meravaenia all adhere to some form of the Church of the Great Chain of Being, a belief that the seven Orbs somehow represent or embody certain fundamental aspects of existence which together are the links of creation that make existence possible: The Anchor of the Chain:

Mother Gwenth

The Links of the Chain: Lady of Stone?: Rock, Purple Lady of Air?: Wind, Orange Father of Fires?: Sun, Yellow Lord of Waters?: Sea, Blue Weaver of Mists?: Mist, Grey The Green?: Plants The Red?: Predator, Prey and Carrion

The Companions of the Chain The core catechism of AurUrban faith is: '' We are the Lost, the Stolen, those brought to Gwenthia by the Fallen One and made to Teller: Direct Dominance, Giving Orders, Conflict and toil for It as slaves. We, who with the Seven, contacted the Revenge inneffable Goddess Gwenthia and drove the Devourer from the Heavens and freed human kind with the aid of the KiMentas who Hunter: Subtle Dominance, Manipulation and Survival turned against the Devourer and drove him from the Sky.'' The Church was the prime mover in the overthrow of the Octaminist Church and the Octaminist Crusades.

Talker: Trade, Communication, Co-Operation Knower: Knowledge, Learning, also Sorcery and hidden wisdom Dancer: Sky and Spirit

The Human Church of Gwenthia

Unlike the AurUrban version of the faith, any sapient species may join the priesthood and each community of worshippers view all temples as equal (this has been known to be viewed differently by some kings and priests). The Church was founded in the

That which is outside the Chain, the Broken Link

Void: Darkness and Devourer

Civilised folk (or those who like to think of themselves as such) throughout the Plateau worship the Great Chain of Being and in general most favour the Church of the Lady of Air, or the Lady of Stone (also sometimes known as Mother Gwenth). The links of the Chain are regarded as abstract forces / principles and although ascribed a gender in some cases are not viewed as anthropomorphic personifications particularly. The Companions are similarly viewed as somewhat abstract, but more like archetypes, and astrologers of the Chain can (apparently) predict much about a person's life based on precise charting of the position of the Orbs and the Companions at the time of their birth. This practice is not part of official church doctrine, but it is remarkable how many organisational structures in Plateau cultures use a unit of five... The tribes of the High Kingdoms pay most direct attention to the Red and Green, but their shamanic tradition is markedly different to the Churches of the Red and Green found in the rest of the Plateau, and heavily influenced by the Companions of the Chain. Indeed, the Republic of Telbrin is becoming openly hostile to the violent rights of the Beast Cults in the Hallex River Valley, and the Kol-shek dVanan has indicated his displeasure as well. In general, the Republic is moving increasingly towards a secular state and the Churches of the Chain are increasingly marginalized but the first overt hostility has been against the Beast Cults so the other churches have perhaps not realised the extent to which that hostility is symptomatic of wider anti-religious sentiment in the Consulate of the Republic. Whilst Telbrin, like most of the followers of the Xantiric theology of the Great Chain, are respectful of the Kol-shek dVanan, the seven Churches of the Chain in the Republic are independent of the direct authority of the Kol-shek dVanan. Xantir teaches that the spirit (that which is bound by the chain) must be free to move along the chain at death all sects teach the Words of Releasing the Spirit, to be said over a dead body and which cause the body to burn to ash, releasing the spirit to continue in the cycles of the chain. All the Meravae Plateau cultures regard life clinging (spirits remaining housed in dead flesh) with great repugnance. The spirits of the Honoured Dead however (those ancestral spirits released from the shackles of material existence that choose to return to guide their descendants) are treated with great reverence and much folklore revolves around the ambiguities and difficulties of placating angry or upset ancestral spirits. Even the poorest family will have a shrine to their ancestors, and woes betide the family abandoned by (or that abandons) their Honoured Dead. Void (also known as The Dark, Darkness, The Devourer, The Eater of All and a variety of other names) is feared and reviled throughout the plateau, although in Telbrin is generally regarded as a metaphor rather than a reality. It is generally identified with/conflates the Night Hag and the Dark God so often found

in Thurian belief systems, and quit clearly in pre-Octaminist Crusade beliefs of the region was the Eighth link of the Great Chain... Dancer? is a mercurial figure in Xantiric theology, largely marginalized and ignored, but a central figure in folk myths and old wives tales throughout the plateau and the primary myth figure amongst the Merav Nation, being both the first Shaman and the primary ancestral figure of all the tribes, each of which is governed by a Hand (Teller, Hunter, Talker, Knower, Dancer) of Elders.

The Earth God of Quatzadua

Rumours of The Earth-God of Quatzadua reached the rest of the Thurian continent around 3,000 years ago, although he had undoubtedly been worshipped in the land prior to this as his church was already well established. Little is known of this deity apart from his ability to bless his followers with fertility (for themselves, their livestock and their crops), provide them with rich ores or smite the land with withering plagues. Early temples to this deity were no more than open-cast mines, where the God's riches were reaped by his followers. Later examples are more lavish. Some being shaped into amphitheatres or inverted pyramids and covered with paintings and carvings. Surrounding the temples are ornately carved pillars or pagodas. It is rumoured that some of the faces carved into these act as the eyes of the God, allowing him to monitor both his subjects and their level of piety. The Earth God also provides guidance for his people of Quatzadua through his mouth-piece the Gods chosen or Tarazon; his sole representative on Gwenthia. The Priesthood is made up of the Senate and the fanatical WordBearers. The latter travel the land spreading the true word of God which is tattooed into their skin, to avoid any ambiguity.

Octaminist Philosophy of Parkhesh

The Octaminist Church worships the full 8 Orbs . Believed to have been purged in the Octaminist Crusades the religion is now found openly only in parts of Parkhesh. There is a mistaken belief that the Octaminist Church only worships the eighth orb. This is not true. Of all the churches it is the most holistic. It venerates the seven moons, the eighth moon, the Five Messengers (visible as the five brightest stars in the Gwenthian niht sky) and Goddess Gwenthia herself. Although the eighth moon was destroyed, to Parkheshi, it still exists. Its material form is not present but its spiritual form is still as potent. Octaminists see the Moons almost as a large

squabbling family, wrought with sibling rivalry. Octaminists believe that the moons are both malign and benign, and sometimes those aspects are worshipped by the same people. The seven moons are associated with seven spirits with a more powerful eighth spirit (now free of it's body). The Five Messengers weave their way between the seven moons allowing the seven spirits to manifest on Gwenthia and to communicate with Gwenthians. Only the eighth moon does not require the Messengers to interact with people directly (and there is even a heretical group of Octaminsts who believe the Five Messengers are the Eigth Moon).

transformation of the four warriors into the four Dragons of Nhi Tual. It is promised that Tual upon their deaths, their soul is transformed into a Dragon of great power that flies to the Celestial Court, and takesup residence there, in true paradise, awaiting the time when the final battle is upon the world, and Khur-Ishida calls upon the Dragon-kin to deliver the world into a new, golden age. The Lazmastu Path Harken to the words of the Master Lazmastu and be fruitful. "To each reward in proportion to attainment. He who takes what is, and makes the most excellent, receives the most excellent. He who takes what is, and makes the least valuable, receives the least valuable." The orthodox practice among the Kastu of Durustan is the following of The Lazmastu Path, often referred to as "The Most Excellent Way." This is followed by the vast majority of the Kastu, and most of the Doru, although their forms are almost always admixed with, or even dominated by, numerous smaller, and far more personal practices. Such heterodoxy is ignored by most Kastu as long as social order and productivity are not adversely affected. Lazmastu's Path sets out the obligations, responsibilities, rights and doctrines required for the pursuit of excellence. It is a complimentary mixture of practices, philosophies and modes of behaviour and while it provides a rule for daily living the Path itself is ambiguous about many issues that might be classed as "religious", such as the nature of worship, faith, ethical behaviour and what happens after this life. Correct practice (orthopraxy) is valued far above correct belief (orthodoxy). Rewards for devotion and use of skill are definitely of this world, with the highest achievers being portrayed as exemplars and paragons, effectively ruling Durustan in the form of the "Body of Virtue." Rosanarab the Satirist quipped that there were as many competing interpretations, and hence Sects of the Lazmastu Path, that each one found in Hokulkastun could have a representative in the Body of Virtue! Irrespective of the speicifics of each sect it is a religious duty and the highest virtue to produce the best from available resources, and, wherever possible, to recycle the relics of the Forerunners and Geneweavers. This is a basic part of the Kastu psyche as they were quite literally tailor-made to produce the best possible from whatever raw materials are available, which in the years after the fall of the Geneweavers included much within the rubble. There are three competing strands of thought within which all of the multitudinous sects of path fall. Some sects are theistic, holding to the existence of a supreme

Khur-Ishida, Dragon Goddess

The Dragon Goddess, Khur-Ishida, is worshipped exclusively in Nhi-Tual. In the Distant past, the Tual were ruled by Seven Demons, who demanded to be worshipped as Gods. In return, Nhi-Tual (which means Land of Tual), was kept vibrant and fertile. Thanks to the reign of the Seven False Gods, the Tual became a technologically advanced people, building great cities and wondrous machines. The rule of the Seven False Gods went unabated for thousands of years, despite several rebellions, incursions by other nations, and the Crusades against the Night Hag. But four warriors rose up against the Seven False Gods, and overthrew them, with the help of mysterious Goddess, KhurIshida, who appeared in Nhi-Tual shortly after the eighth moon disintegrated in the sky. Their reward was to be transformed into the four Guardian Dragons of Nhi-Tual, and all Tual believe that they may be given the Dragon mantle when they die. The Tual thus believe Goddess brings eternal life, allowing all Tual to ascend to the heavens as dragons and to join her in her Celestial Court. Khur-Ishida appeared around 3,000 years ago, when a great Comet fell from the sky and into the sea off the coast of L-Tual. What arose from the waters was a beautiful sight to all that beheld it. According to the scriptures, it was a large silver dragon; its tail stretched for over a mile, and its shadow plunged the island into darkness. This dragon was the Goddess Khur-Ishida. Then followed what the Tual call the War of Restitution, when the follows of Khur-Ishida waged war on the seven false gods. The goddess called forth seven warriors (one from each of the seven tribes). She empowered them with the ability to defeat the seven false gods. This war came to ahead at the Battle of KhaSanata; the bloodiest battle of the war. After the battle was won by the Khur-Ishida followers, the seven false gods manifested themselves within the walls of the city! It was after that that Khur-Ishida herself appeared, and in one breath, she blew fire over the city, utterly destroying it. The Tual watched as the seven false gods burst into flame, before they were reduced to ash. The Testament of Khur-Ishida ends with the

God, who is often portrayed as distant and largely unknowable. Most of this group view this God as the creator who set the world in motion and then left those he had created to look after it. The The state religion of the Garadien comes in two forms: The Righteous Ascendant Movement hold a rather extreme form of Workers Path and The Warriors Path. Both paths are seen as this position. integral to society, and are given equal, but firmly separate, standing. It is common knowledge that everyone exists to operate The majority of sects are agnostic - the nature and very existence within one of these two paths, and only certain rare people can of deities cannot be proven nor disproved; if they do exist they switch paths during their lives. People naturally fall towards one are unknowable. The Sages of Hypotet belong to this school. of these paths, which means that your life is pre-ordained. (Critics The remaining sects are decidedly atheistic - convinced of the of the Gara'Dien decry this as a social control mechanism.) logical proof of the non-existence of a supreme deity and any Walking any of the paths is considered to be the worship of the subsidiary supernatural powers. The Devouring Realists? are one Lady of Doors, the goddess that brought Garadien to Gwenthia. such sect. If a person can walk the Jade Path long enough, the Lady will send them through a door in space, so that her worship can Thus even among the theists the general mood among the Kastu spread to other worlds. is towards a non-interventionist supreme deity.

The Jade Path of GaraDien

Discussions about the nature of the Orbs are similar, varying from a personification of each as a supernatural demi-urge among the theists (who see the Dark One as the personification of Pride and Vengeance and point to the power and personhood of the Star Child as evidence for their case) through to personless and essentially randomly existing sources of natural power among the atheists. As always the agnostics hold a middle view, they might well be supernatural, but they are ultimately beyond philosophical understanding, as is the issue of whether they possess sapience. The dominant argument concerning the hereafter is that just as the old is recycled into the new, so it is right and proper for the bodys components to be employed to the wider benefit of the rest, which is the staple of the Devouring Realists?. Property is similarly dispensed, although it may be redeemed by kin for the payment of a fee judged to be of equivalent value. While most theistic and agnostic practitioners believe in the existence of a soul, which is refined through various life-times until it reaches purity and passes beyond, the atheists tend to see no need for any existence beyond sight and deny the existence of a soul.

By far, the vast majority of people walk the Workers path. This tradition trains people to perform any tasks that arent directly involved in fighting for conquest. This includes such jobs as smithing, farming, and husbandry. It also includes surprising occupations, like government positions, clergy and craftspeople. There is also a Magicians Path in the Path of the Worker, where students learn magic not specifically related to battlefield use (research, investigation, other practical uses, although some offensive magic is taught.) Since there is mandatory military training for almost everyone in Garadien, the basic precepts of the Warriors path are well known. However, those that choose to stay on it can become warriors of almost godlike ability. They are weapons of the Empire, used to enforce its ideals through might of arms and energy.

The Jade Paths religious teachings are that each person walks a blessed jade path during their life, and the energy they great and give off as they grow feeds those around them and also feeds the archetypal demigod called the Lord or Lady of that particular Worship and devotion are practiced daily by most believers in the path. For example, the Lord of the Path of the Soldier is called simple and reverent pursuit of their labours. However to outsiders Marturu, a figure of dark armour and strength of arms. Those that walk his path are given aid in battle, and are said to be able to most of the Kastu seem to engage in no acts of worship overcome any odds. All of these Lords and Ladies in turn petition whatsoever and the only religious activity is attributed to the few Doru who gather around shrines of small size, or more occasional their favoured followers to the Lords of the two main paths. in larger venues. These shrines and temple complexes are stylised workshops, created to allow the unproductive, or slightly eccentric, a framework for religious duty and devotion. Such acts When the eighth moon fell and was destroyed, the Night Hag of worship will always involve the creation, either corporately, or came to envelop the world. She brought true darkness and the by each individual, of some artefact, product or work of art. In sweetest dreams to those who would open their hearts and minds some cases this may extend to engagement in sexual intercourse in to her embrace. She also brought her Night Spwnwarped an attempt to "create" a unique new life. This is not seen as creatures that ooze from the pure darkness to do the bidding of prostitution or somehow distasteful, far from it, since the genesis those dearest to the Night Hags heart. of life remains a mystery, held in awe and reverence, and still inexplicable. Thus those who attempt to engage in procreation are This relationship between people and the Night Hag, established in rituals and dreams that always take place during the four hours seen in a better light than many others. That said, however, the of the Black Watch, is central to the religious philosophy of the practice is not particularly widespread.

The Night Hag

Evening Culture, and is still practiced today, although Niht Hag worship is strictly forbiddenoften on pain of deathin many countries. The central view of the religion is that the Night Hag is trying to reassemble the eighth moon and restore him to the sky where he will become ascendant over the other moons. As the eighth moons body is scattered across Gwenthia, and many parts are hidden, agents are needed to search for, and restore, the body to an ascendant state. To do this, the Night Hag offers dreams of deep pleasure and ecstasy to those who open their minds to her embrace. Other rewards quickly follow: the attentions of one of the Night Hags seven children, and the power to summon and command the Night Spawn. The Evening Culture embraced this task and, at first, used the power to find and collect shards of moon rock from across Gwenthia. But as its power grew, it became corrupt, and took to enslaving the spirits of Cromaigne, twisting them into vehicles for the Night Spawn. It also decided to destroy the results of its own procreationthe Cromanwhich chose not to share in the Niht Hags practices, and sought to free the spirits enslaved by the Evening Culture. It was this purge of its own children that led to the first Crusade, and the subsequent downfall of both the Evening Culture, and worship of the Night Hag as a major religion. The most sinister aspect of the religion sees the Night Hag worshipped as a goddess in her own right, manifesting most often as an immense writhing hagfish whose slime coats Gwenthia with a period of utter darkness and allows her Night Spawn to be summoned forth or walk free. However, it is more common for her seven children (which are considered princes and princesses of the Night Spawn, and capable to assuming human form) to be worshipped, as it is easier to disguise the true nature of the veneration. The Night Hags children are: Duke Jhyr: master of machines and metal. His teachings helped the Evening Culture to build their vast, blasphemous laboratories beneath the city they named in his honourJhyrain. Duchess Sybillis: Sybillis is often represented by a faceless female demon with a single pendulous breast. In her left hand she carries the seven moons of Gwenthia (often depicted as crushing them) and in her right, a noose from which hangs a rag-doll, representing the goddess Gwenth. Her worshippers are predominantly female. Sybillis was the foremost female goddess of The Evening Culture, and was summoned to destroy the Octaminist Crusade at the Battle of Jhyrain. Duke Maligaunt: Duke Maligaunt, the third of the Night Hag's children, is also known as The Scythe. His power is to rend the night to metal and wield it thus against the light and those who

follow the sun. His realm is Karvarian, the island to the south east of Cromaigne, and is still his domain, although no one has set foot there since the fall of the Evening Culture. Karvarian is a truly terrible place: dark clouds wreathe the land, even during the brightest of suns, and the land is blasted, black and barren. At the centre of the isle is The Monastery, where Evening Culture monks dedicated their lives to Duke Maligaunt, flayed the skin from their bones, and clad themselves in black iron in respect of the Scythe. Duke Maligaunt's power is restricted to Karvarian, but occasionally his agents walk abroad and spread the wyrd of The Scythe across Gwenthia, particularly where the sun shines brightest. Maligaunt teaches that light is death, and only shadows bring solace. The Dark Orb was dark because it was life triumphant, absorbing all in its power. Light exposes the lies and the corruption; darkness is purity and truth. To suffer is to learn, and to understand is to suffer. Some claim that Duke Maligaunt's daughter is Khur Ishida who now commands Nhi Tual, for they share similar beliefs. The incestuous offspring of their relationship were the dragons who now flock to Khur Ishida's celestial court, which is held deep within Karvarian's catacombs, a place of dread chambers and the sharp-eyed lizards whose scales are of the blackest iron and the darkest hearts. Maligaunt commands them now as Night Spawn, and Cromaignian scholars and watchers of Night Hag lore have told of the dragons circling Karvarian's peaks as Duke Maligaunt stands atop, commanding the spread of the Night Hag's hours across the planet. Duchess Kharonata: The Seductress; Giver of Pleasures and Tearer of Hearts. She is all things to all men and all women, and all who gaze upon her are consumed by lust. Her promise is the Dark Orgy of the Kharonata Halls, where her faithful are transported each night during the Black Watch, carried by her centipede-like Night Spawn to take part in the mating rituals that provide unparalleled pleasure. Kharonatas consort is Saah, the Watcher. Di-Guer: The Dark Moon trickster. Di-Guers mission is to walk abroad and seduce those who reject the Night Hag into welcoming her power through guile, stealth and falsehood. DiGuer is the only Night Hag Prince who maintains a corporeal form. His essence was bound to the body of a hunchbacked young man from Menerain by the Evening Culture, and he is able to pass for a human with little effort (although his supernatural powers are only evident during the Black Watch). Every word Di-Guer utters is a falsehood; every action an illusion, and his nature is utmost treachery. A highly effective servant of the Night Hag. The Unbending Ghire of Ghel: The Unbending Gire of Ghel is neither man nor woman. It is a living essence; a philosophy with sentience, and that philosophy is bent towards the destruction of the Seven Moons. Those who welcome The Unbending Gire of Ghel are rendered insane, but are blessed with the infernal

knowledge of the exact nature of the seven moons, their agenda and their purpose. Some heptaminist and octaminist magicians have tried to contain the Unbending Ghire within their minds, but The First Octaminist Crusade was launched around 3200BP none have succeeded. against the Evening Culture when it was learned, principally in AurUrbis, that the Evening Culture was intent on eridicating the It is claimed that the entire understanding of the Gire can be 'true' Cromaignians - a people that the Evening Culture had drawn in a single rune that exists through several dimensions. created itself through the interbreeding between Meravae humans, Only those who have gained the Unbending Gire of Ghels and Forerunners. Intent on ending this genocide, the Octaminist insight can know this rune and replicate it. Crusade had two clear goals: destruction of the Night HagDuke Saa'h: The Watcher. His representation is a single eye with worshipping Evening Culture, and the liberation of the eight pupilsone to watch each Moon. He is the consort of Cromaignian race. Although a part of the Meravae Empire and Duchess Kharonata and watches over her Dark Orgies, drinking- supported by that state, the Crusade was primarily a religious one in the energy that permits his essence to witness all happenings, launched by the radical AurUrban Church of Gwenthia. everywhere and at every time. Saahs followers gain a similar The Crusaders invaded Cromaigne in the north and west and ability; to perceive things that have either happened or will swept through the country, slaughtering the Evening Culture and happen, at great distance. its Night Spawn allies wherever they were encountered. The Each of the seven major children opposes one of the seven Evening Culture fought a ferocious defensive battle, and the moons, and both the Night Hag and Duchess Sybillis oppose the Octaminist Crusaders were not without casualties. At the Battle of Goddess Gwenthia. Amerain, the Evening Culture summoned a horde of Night Spawn soldiers and, such was their horrific nature, a thousand crusaders went instantly mad at the sight of their opponent. But the Evening Culture could not sustain control over their demon There were three Octaminist Crusades in Gwenthian history. These were crusades against the beliefs of Octaminism, particularly allies, and, eventually, the city of Amerain was liberated. The those of the Evening Culture, led by the radical AurUrban Church Crusaders found several hundred Cromaignian prisoners in the of Gwenthia. The Crusades moved from well intentioned military laboratories beneath Amerains streets. Most were insane or unable to communicate; but one, who claimed to be a prince of actions to a period of peace keeping to the realpolitik of the Cromaigne, had survived some of the most extreme of the occupation and withdrawal. Evening Cultures experiments and had retained his sanity. His name was yrGael, and in the seasons following the fall of

The First Crusade

The Octaminist Crusades

YrGael
It is possible that I am immortal. It is possible that I am mad. As I write these words, I can measure my life in millennia. I was born when the Evening Culture ruled Cromaigne, and I witnessed the horrors of the Night Blind Plague, the Great Ice Darkness and the Octaminist Crusades. Empires have risen and fallen during my lifetime, and I have seen civilisation reach its cold, cruel heights only to crumble back to simpler, kinder days. I have watched my own people rise, develop and diminish, and I have watched enemies, friends, lovers and children born, live and then die. My tears, and laughter with it, dried long ago. I have sampled all emotions and exhausted them. But I am not finished with life; not yet. For life has not finished with me. I watch the worlds passing, and I continue to learn from it. Old and mad I might be, but I learned a thousand years ago that this world can surprise and delight even the weariest heart and mind. I take pleasure in watching the new-born and listening to their laughter. The atrocities people commit still grieve me (and even though I have seen them before and committed some of them myself). I still thrill to a lovers touch and a full, sensuous kiss; I still shiver in the cold and perspire in the heat. I still wander in the night air and stare, awestruck, at the stars and the moons (even though I have visited many of them). I still welcome the rain, beating on my pale, parched skin. My purpose is, and has always been, to rend this world from the Night Hags grip. It is to free the Spirit Children of Gwenth and bring all races ethereal and corporeal together into one tribe. It is to free Gwenthia from the madness of the Orbs and give its people the freedom of decision and choice. If the price of such freedom is for me to stretch my existence beyond the laws of time and space, then it is worth paying. If the price is to be misunderstood, hated and feared, I will pay it. Even when my life still matched that of normal people I was viewed with fear and suspicion. Now that I am close to four thousand years old, I no longer care how I am viewed. But I do have clarity of vision and purpose. I see the world as it has been, is, and will be. I no longer need counsel,

Amerain, he became a symbol of the True Cromaignians and rallied them to him. YrGael joined with the Crusaders and helped to lead the fight to the Evening Culture capital of Jhyrain where the fiercest and most decisive battle of the crusade took place. Jhyrain fell after three days of fighting, and the Evening Culture was destroyed, Prince yrGael leading the resulting massacre. Some Evening Culture survivors managed to flee, using sorcery and other means of escape, but did not bank on yrGaels tenacity: the Prince of Spharain spent the next one hundred years tracking down and destroying the last of the Evening Culture witches. It was after the crusade that the realpolitik of the occupation by AurUrbis forces led to the fracturing of the Cromaigne state into three. The AurUrban authorities sought to lead the liberated peoples into the worship of the Goddess Gwenthia within the AurUrban Church Of Gwenthia, but not all took kindly to KiMentas guidance despite gratitude to them for ending the tyranny of the Evening Culture. Amerain adopted the caste based view of life that AurUrbis follows, but one where the role of the new species that was Cromaignians has to fit into the structure. Ever pragmatic, KiMentas advised the people of Amerain and to this day the city is the only remaining centre of the AurUrban Church Of Gwenthia outside AurUrbis. Only seven KiMentas dwell in the city, acting as the high priests of the high temple to the Goddess Gwenth. Menerain was also grateful to the AurUrban forces and adopted the same religion. They were less happy with the guidance of KiMentas and after time agitated for the acceptance of others into the priesthood. Given the racial nature of the people the
or approval, or forgiveness. Blessed with a hardheart, and clear understanding, I will fight until my last earthly breath for this world and everything that resides within it. How did I come to be this way? The Evening Culture made me this way. Deep in their Conditioning Vaults they took those who dared oppose their rule and set about fashioning examples to other would-be rebels. Some of my kin were grafted into machines, or had machines grafted into them. Others were merged with fettered and tortured spirits, and slowly consumed as a consequence. One, my sister, was impregnated by Night Spawn, and the foul, diseased offspring set-loose in the Jhyrain sewers to mutate and become something altogether awful and pitiful. For me, they reserved the shasteen. Forced into me through surgery and sorcery, the shasteen consciousness sought to take control of my body and mind, leaving me a living, stringless puppet. I can feel it now, a billion single intellects gathered into one culture offering me a serene existence without pain or wanting if only I would surrender my flesh to them. At first we fought, mind against a billion, tiny minds, and all the while they modified my being, hardening

KiMentas agreed. This was a precedent they came to regret since the Menerain faith became the roots of the Human Church Of Gwenthia which Menerain missionaries spread and which has become the dominant religion worshipping the Goddess Gwenth outside of AurUrbis. KiMentas do not dwell in Menerain, save for an amabassador. Spharain is a city that came under the control of the charismatic yrGael quickly. He swiftly thanked the liberators whilst also arming his people and rapidly seizing control. Despite subtle suggestions from advisors he carved a religious and political course for his state that was independent of AurUrbis and yet which agreed fanatically with their opposition to Ocatmiinism. This sympathy of belief and yet parallel power structures has marked relations between Spharain and AurUrbis ever since.

The Second Crusade

The Second Octaminist Crusade was a direct consequence of AurUrban radical theology and the hatred of Prince yrGael for Night Hag worshippers and all Octaminists. After the First Octaminist Crusade and the destruction of the Evening Culture, KiMentas priests turned their atention to the heart of the Meravae Empire where they suspected underground Night Hag cults and opposed the continued worship of the Eighth Orb by the established Octaminists. The debate over theology was still civilised, but when the powerful figure of yrGael of Spharain presented himself at the Emperor's court, a militant force of Cromaignians was at the disposal of the revolutionaries. Through the force of yrGael's personality and the political skills of the KiMentas priests, the Emperor called for a crusade against the
thousand years from now, or even four million there will be a reckoning between us; for I will be no ones puppet. How do I see myself? I am life. I am Cromaigne. I am Gwenthia. I am yrGael. I led Cromaigne from the terror of the Evening Culture. I opposed the laws and rules of the Crusaders who would take the land I liberated. I led the fight against those who sought to undermine the peace of Cromaigne. I uncovered and hunted-down the remnants of the Evening Culture who poisoned the ears and souls of decent men and sought to bring back the Daylight Darkness. I walked with the Spirits of Cromaigne and found ways to free them. I travelled to the fourth and sixth moons and conversed with their souls. I travelled beyond the Five Messengers to distant stars and confronted the Progenitors in a storm of steel. I found and lost the Twisted Sword of Fate. I have killed my sister, my cousins, nephews, nieces and grandchildren. I have wept for my deeds but relished in the infamy. I have slept for a hundred years at a time and still not found peace. I have seen my dreams

the physical into something designed to withstand age, disease and decay. And when it became apparent to the shasteen that fighting me was useless, we turned to negotiation. Bargains were struck. Compromises made. One day, I would surrender myself unto them utterly, but only when my lifes work was finished, and I would be judge of when that day came. I had learned, you see, that, to the shasteen, time has no meaning, because they occupy all parts of time; its curves and angles, its loops, pits and stairways, simultaneously. The shasteen intellect, pure and rational, cannot differentiate betweens seconds, minutes, days, centuries or millennia. To them, only totality of being is important, and when promised it, they can be controlled. And so I gained my immortality. By body is suffused by the shasteen. My bones, my blood, my flesh is theirs. They patiently watch me from behind my own eyes, absorbing my experiences, my travels and my interpretations. And so the flesh prevails, as does the mind and the spirit; the shasteen grant me life, and, one day, I will make-good on my promise to them. And when that day is reached perhaps another four

internal enemies of the state, those who "worshypped darke cultes and evil goddes". The Knights of the Rose and the Haghunters moved against pockets of hag worship across the Empire, and often against members of the establihed religion that KiMentas priests could argue were heretics. The Second Crusade was fought in city streets, mountain strongholds, in torture chambers as well as in pitched battles and sieges against nobles who declared themselves good Octaminists but had been denounced as dark cultists. For over 50 years the crusade rolled back and forth across the Empire, and as it did new groups emerged in positions of strength. Many converted to the Human Church of Gwenthia spread by Menerain missionaries, and others to the Churches of the Chain, both seen as acceptable by the witchfinders. The Crusade ended as the radicalism of the priests came into conflict with the interests of the ruling class, who had settled their underlying political issues with their 'heretical' kindred and saw no need for further turmoil and chaos. As they re-asserted control and the decadence of the Empire re-emerged, yrGael sickened of the conflict and returned to Cromaigne, the second Crusade was over.

discovery of large gold deposits in the isthmus, deposits which have since given it the name of the Golden Isthmus and the Mountains of Gold. Lapithians had started work with KiMentas and KiDelan in mining the metal, and the Empire demanded it's tax revenues. Forces marched from the capital along the Hallex River? and met determined resistance from a large army made up of all seven city states citizens. The Merav forces were driven back. It was at this point that Prince yrGael of Spharain? made one of his rare visits to court. An ally of the AurUrbis states for hundreds of years, he broke with them and stated that their greed has led them to make false accusations and that the Emperor was pure, but that corrupt advisors from the deserts and coastlines of Parkhesh had insinuated the practices of the Octaminist Church into the Empire once again. He slew most of the Emperor's advisors, and declared that for his own safey the Emperor would withdraw from public life. yrGael would act as 'Protector' and guide the Empire.

The AurUrban army struck all along the coast of the Sea of Brass, seizing the cities of the Parkheshi and putting their priests to the sword and reconsecrating their temples to the Goddess Gwenthia. The Knights of the Rose and the Meravae army struck through "Thatt wich starts glittering ends tarnished and besmirched, such wass the tayl the grasslands south west of the coastline, aided by Red Desert Nomads from the south. At first the campaign went well, indeed of the Crusade of the Sands" - Talthwyn Maptalker the citizens of the coast were dumbfounded to be accused by The Third Crusade against Octaminism started around 2,900 years fellows from the Empire they thought to be part of. Few put up ago, when AurUrbis declared that the Meravae Empire had fallen resistance, and priests of the old church were slauhtered in the into withcraft and heresy, and that no longer could the city states streets as the armies started to lose discipline. As they did so the bow their heads to the Emperor. The Empire responded that this locals started to exploit the huge distances that lay between declaration had less to do with religion than to do with the recent defensible towns. Hit and run raids by dusky guerillas plagued the

The Third Crusade

become the stuff of nightmares, and my nightmares made solid. I have peered into the heart of the Goddess Gwenth and seen for myself that she is, like all Gods, hollow, shallow and alone. I have loved and lost more than any man alive or who has ever lived. I will take the pieces of Cromaigne and make them one. When all else fails, Cromaigne shall stand, defiant against the Goddess, the Orbs and the Messengers. I would do all these things, and more, without regret. I am yrGael.

place of dark gloom and shapes that cannot exist on the surface. Many in his group said that he should turn back, but he was a greedy man and had heard of the great artefacts that the Ancients left behind, such as the Sceptre of Bronze Ruin. So he whipped his men and drove them into the dank tunnels covered as they were in moss and lichen that glowed in the cthonian crypt. Only one, Rubarsham, crept away in the dark and skulked to the surface. Many called him a coward, but he only said, "A dead man wears no medals". Which is true, save in Parkhesh, but most were glad that Rubarsham left shortly therafter. Anyway, few noticed since Arsharbath returned soon after. The tomb robber was alone, his companions lost, and he walked with a steady glazed look in his eye. Few would have spoken to him, save that in his hand he held a diamond of such size that as he walked down the street none could do else but gaze at it's flawless cut and size. None noticed the lichen that grew on Arsharbath's neck, or that it covered most of his body beneath his robes, or that his eyes now glowed green with just the slightest hint of inner light. As they jostled to see or even seize the diamond none noticed the spores that drifted from his mouth and settled on their skin. That night, to great jubilation, Arsharbath mumbled that he gave the gem to city. Parties and celebrations broke out and the strangely quiet adventurer was carried around the city on a platform.

Now listen children, and listen well. By morning the city had grown strangely quiet. Not the quiet of people who have enjoyed themselves too greatly, but an eerie quiet in which even dogs and birds uttered not a sound. The silence endured, all day and all night until the third day after Arsharbath had returned, and then the city rose and shambled forth from the walls, their bodies infected with the Shasteen lichen, their brains eaten from the inside, and their new masters rising the walking dead as they stumbled and spread the Shasteen Horror from town to town, from state to state, from husband to wife , from mother to child. It took over a hundred years for the Shasteen Horrors to be eradicated from these lands, and even now there are tales of outbreaks in distant villages or mining communities. 'Tis said that even the Geneweavers themselves had to help to protect the strange folk of Gwailan and all because one man was too greedy to turn away when unnatural danger loomed and because a town forgot to wash behind its ears... So he whipped his men and drove them into the dank tunnels covered as they were in moss and lichen that glowed in the cthonian crypt. Only one, Rubarsham, crept away in the dark and skulked to the surface. Many called him a coward, but he only said, "A dead man wears no medals". Which is true, save in Parkhesh, but most were glad that Rubarsham left shortly therafter. Anyway, few noticed since Arsharbath returned soon after.

The Shasteen
Gather round children and let me tell you of the Horror that was the Shasteen.. Many years ago, after the Fall but before the Meravae left these lands, a man named Arsharbath led a group of tomb robbers deep into the ground to look for treasure and loot to steal from the long dead. Know then that Arsharbath was a bad man, and know that his actions led to doom for men and women and children beyond counting.. Deep in the depths Arsharbath found an Ancients tomb, a

KiDelan and Cromaignian fighters. KiMentas priests and Imperial tax collectors found the locals would pray as instructed and hand their taxes to legal authority, but that hidden congregations still worshipped The Invisible Lord and that revenues fell as the economy started to move underground and out of sight. After 5 years the impetus had gone out of all crusading. The crusaders started to settle and defend towns whilst the vast expanses reverted to local control. After a few more years the KiMentas started to leave and in thirty years the KiDelan had intermarried and were effectively indistinguishable from the locals. Meanwhile the growing conflict between AurUrbis and the Meravae Empire had led to a collapse of alliance and a series of ongoing border wars known as the Gold Wars which ended in AurUrban independence when yrGael made one of his odd disappearances and the Empire fell into internal conflict. Thus did the third and least honourable crusade end.

The tomb robber was alone, his companions lost, and he walked with a steady glazed look in his eye. Few would have spoken to him, save that in his hand he held a diamond of such size that as he walked down the street none could do else but gaze at it's flawless cut and size. None noticed the lichen that grew on Arsharbath's neck, or that it covered most of his body beneath his robes, or that his eyes now glowed green with just the slightest hint of inner light. As they jostled to see or even seize the diamond none noticed the spores that drifted from his mouth and settled on their skin. That night, to great jubilation, Arsharbath mumbled that he gave the gem to city. Parties and celebrations broke out and the strangely quiet adventurer was carried around the city on a platform. Now listen children, and listen well. By morning the city had grown strangely quiet. Not the quiet of people who have enjoyed themselves too greatly, but an eerie quiet in which even dogs and birds uttered not a sound. The silence endured, all day and all night until the third day after Arsharbath had returned, and then the city rose and shambled forth from the walls, their bodies infected with the Shasteen lichen, their brains eaten from the inside, and their new masters rising the walking dead as they stumbled and spread the Shasteen Horror from town to town, from state to state, from husband to wife , from mother to child. It took over a hundred years for the Shasteen Horrors to be eradicated from these lands, and even now there are tales of

outbreaks in distant villages or mining communities. 'Tis said that even the Geneweavers themselves had to help to protect the strange folk of Gwailan and all because one man was too greedy to turn away when unnatural danger loomed and because a town forgot to wash behind its ears...

History : Ancient & Modern

G
wenthian history is defined by several different races, not all of them native to the world: the Ancients, the Zathurians, the Forerunners, the She-eth, Humans and the Orbs. A series of conflicts, played across 10,000 years, and involving each of the above, led to present-day Gwenthia and defined its character. From the conflicts arose the inheritor races: the Croman, the Tharux, the KiMentis, and others. Over the course of this 10,000 year period, empires have risen and fallen, some leaving their indelible mark, and some lost without trace. The world in this, the present age of Gwenthia, is relatively peaceful. There has been no major international war for many years, and expansion of national interests has revolved around trade and not blood shed. The timeline illustrates the complexity of the inter-relationships between the different races (see below) of Gwenthia across ten millennia. Wars and rebellions have been fought for noble causes such as freedom from slavery and freedom for self-expression; whilst others have been shaped by pure greed, national interest, and even the personal agendas of the Gods. The end result has been to create a highly diverse set of societies across the islands and continents that are naturally suspicious of the intentions of others. Zathuria, for all its long history, remains enigmatic and closed to many; Quatzadua, with its strange customs and devotion to its Earth God, is a place of secrets and high social stratification. Cromaigne is insular and directionless, shunning even the worship of Gods, and Nhi-Tual, once a land of paradise, actively destroyed its worship of the Seven Gods that brought prosperity in favour of worshipping a Goddess who advocates toil and hardship. History has thus been hard on Gwenthia. Few current sages and historians claim to understand the natures and motivations of the elder races such as the Ancients and Forerunners, although their actions (and the results of their actions) are clearly documented in a variety of philosophical texts (the clearest, and least seemingly biased, being the Chronicles of the Falls by the KiMentis of AurUrbis). What is understood is that, whilst Gwenthia enjoys a period of peace, it is likely to be short-lived. As the KiMentis have continually observed, history forms patterns, and patterns recur. Whilst Gwenthia enjoys relative peace now, history dictates that conflict is unavoidable and will not be far away.

The Elder Races

It would seem that Gwenthia has long been attractive to visitors from other worlds, from this universe and others, and, the Elder Races would appear to be colonists or invaders, depending on ones point of view. Of the current races, humans predominate, but are not native to Gwenthia; neither are the Zathurians, who we know through recorded history travelled through the stars. However the origins of the two major races that inhabited Gwenthia before Zathurians arrived the Ancients and the Forerunners are unknown. Both were clearly powerful, and the Ancients enslaved the Forerunners; what we know of them is described below. But what of the Orbs that circle Gwenthia? Their power predates even the Ancients, and it is with them that we must start.

worked in concert to influence events on Gwenthia. Whether the moons are the homes of Gods, or Gods themselves, is not fully understood although humans, through Zathurian manipulation, tried to gain such answers when they developed their ability to walk in the heavens. The orbs have been worshipped by many Gwenthian cultures throughout history, either singularly or collectively, and continue to be worshipped. Wars have been fought over whether singular or pantheistic worship should predominate, and even pantheists have fought amongst themselves in deciding which of the orbs is the greatest power. The most shocking of all the events concerning the orbs occurred when the darkest of the moons was drawn from the sky by the Forerunners, its fall slowed by the Ancients, until it disintegrated and spread itself across the face of the planet. Until that time, the influence of the orbs had been subtle; but, when the Dark Orb disintegrated, Gwenthia underwent a drastic and disturbing change. First, the length of the Gwenthian night increased by four hours. This was not because the world started to spin more slowly on its axis; some unfathomable power within the Dark Orb extended the period of darkness by an additional four hours without affecting

any of the rotational physics of the world. This additional four-hour period of night is one of almost complete darkness. Nocturnal creatures are not active during it; the stars are dimmed in the sky; dreams are deep and often at their most disturbing; and, during this period, the presence of the Night Hag is most keenly apparent. The Night Hag is the Meravae term for what appears to be an aspect of the Dark Orb. In other cultures the Night Hag is known as The Dark Goddess, The Shade Lady of Pain, The Redeemer, and many other variations upon a theme. Many claim to see the Night Hag in their dreams, a huge, writhing hagfish-like creature that writhes in the void, her slime oozing darkness across the planet and releasing her spawn to terrorise Gwenthia. The Night Spawn, as they are known, are certainly very real. Powerful, magical, fearsome, demon-like creatures of myriad shapes and sizes appear during this four-hour period and walk abroad. Their agenda is utterly unclear, but most Night Spawn hate those who walk in the daylight and will attack, and try to kill, any they find abroad in their territory. The Night Hag has been worshipped throughout the last 5,000 years, almost always in secret, and those

The Moons and the Night Hag

Until 5,000 years ago, Gwenthia had eight moons, or orbs. It has long been recognised that each moon possesses its own powers, and those powers have

Timeline
The history provided here is subject to a great deal of debate and uncertainty. The facts in many respects are unclear, and different interpretations have been offered by many different sources. Most Gwenthian scholars, and especially those of the Guild of Aviators in Amerain and the various Monastic Orders of the Human Church of Gwenth, maintain that most of the Old Calendar history is unreliable and a mixture of myth, half-truths, exaggerations and out-right lies. Others, and especially the scholars of Spharain, maintain that history has been charted with startling accuracy, but that events before the Fall of the Eighth Moon are of questionable accuracy. Dates are either shown as -BP (Before Present) or as NC (New Calendar). The transition from Old Calendar and New Calendar is ignored by most Gwenthians (Parkheshi excepted who still use the Octamanist Calendar The standard 'present' for the Gwenthia world is 995 NC.

991 NC: Fifth Parkhesh Civil War begins after Annexe region rebels after a Temple to Matikhot (Dark aspect of the Dark Orb Temple) is erected in one of their cities. 990 NC: Alliance occurs between Olakha faction (Light aspect of the Dark Orb Temple) and Ralashon faction (Orange Orb Temple) in Parkhesh City. Bikhon faction given control of military by request of Olakha faction, government remaining in Ralashon faction power. 990 NC: She-Eth invasion force appear on Lo Tual. Chli-Mestis Han beings the Steel Wheel Jihad in the Badlands. Increased Parkheshi military activity occurs on the border of Parkhesh with the Badlands to protect the city of Spiderport. 962 NC: After 22 years frantic and secret experimentation (and numerous deaths), the Telbrin Aerial Fleet is first deployed, on a "Good will embassy" to Renbril and Mull. A Parkheshi special force is caught trying to steal one of the airboats, all are impaled on the city walls of Mull for all to see (their heads sent to Spiderport with a note). 962 NC: Sherba declared new High Priest of Spiria 956 NC: Political unrest in Renbril peaks with an attempted revolution, savagely suppressed by the local legion of the Republic Cohorts. 940 NC: Telbrin scholars discover Serin wood and the secret of Meravae Skyships. 903 NC: New Settlement founded by AurUrban expeditionary force. Indigenous mongrel humans are captured and settled in slave farms to begin the process of civilisation. KiDelan army

New Calendar
994 NC: Bobanagaradinena ("true-mouth of Gara-Dien") is proclaimed "King of An Kitar" and charged by the Jade Empire with taking control of the as-yet unconquered two-thirds of the largest Kitar isle, Kitarinik. 993 NC: Apparition of Maluja seen in the Parkhesh City Forum. The Undead soldiers in the mortuary barracks are restless and some break out to wander the streets of Parkhesh City. Legion NCOs spend a week rounding up the stray undead. 992 NC: Menerain sends mercenaries to fight She-Eth on Lo Tual.

who have confessed to achieving expertise in their worship claim to be able to commune with the Night Hag, and communicate, summon and, sometimes, control her Night Spawn. These priests and priestesses of darkness claim that the Night Hags aim is total dominion over Gwenthia, and the destruction of the seven orbs which allowed her to fall to the earth below. Most cultures outlaw worship of the Night Hag and, during the period of the Crusades, her worshippers (much more widespread then) were hunted-down and slaughtered by the Octaminists and, later, Prince yrGael of the Cromaignian kingdom of Spharain. Where the Night Hag is still worshipped, it is in the secretive of ways, and always during the period of the Hags greatest strength.

some way, part of that mystery. As to what the Ancients looked like, even more ambiguity occurs. The Zathurians describe them as giants, spirits and fallen gods in different texts, sometimes deliberately confusing all three and sometimes being highly specific. The Meravae scholar Vhastensis Chro notes: If they once had bodies, they long ago dispensed with them. Instead, when they needed physical form, they used all manner of vessels, constructed of flesh and bone, and sometimes stone or metal, that they would later discard like soiled clothing. But, to a fault, they were hideous. They were also powerful: magicians and scientists, they controlled fearful powers that may or may not have led to their exile. They enjoyed enslaving races they considered to be lesser than themselves, and then stealing (or borrowing, as the Zathurians diplomatically describe it), their powers and achievements. The Ancients declined with as much mystery as their appearance, and there are few, if any direct legacies of their empire. But their name and deeds endure, and shaped Gwenthia into its current form. Without the Ancients, the world might have been barren and lifeless.

The Forerunners
The Forerunners were not a single species but a collective of species that worked together for common purposes. Culturally, they were extremely advanced, and did not go by the name Forerunner (although that term is now used extensively by Gwenthians to describe them). They encompassed many different races, some of which were at least humanlike, if not actually human. And they were most certainly powerful, with the ability to manipulate physical matter and energy at cellular and molecular levels. Indeed, some of the species that formed part of the Forerunner collective may have been engineered to fulfil a particular function or need, but were embraced on roughly equal terms as their creators. One such example are the Geneweavers, and it is believed that many of their creations form the basis of Gwenthias current flora and fauna some more successful than others. The Forerunners were enslaved by the Ancients, who clearly wished to exploit their powers and abilities. This slavery lasted thousands of years, and predates even the earliest events described in the timeline. Slavery is rarely benevolent, and benevolence seems to

The Ancients
No records exist that describe either how the Ancients came to Gwenthia, or what they looked like. According to Zathurian and Meravae Empire scholars, the Ancients were exiled to Gwenthia, implying that they did not originate on the planet and, perhaps, not even from the same universe. Why they were exiled, and what held them in exile, is unclear; although it would seem that the eight moons were, in

officers oversee the programme and the establishment of road, canal and watch tower networks. 891 NC: Fourth Parkhesh Civil War comes to an end after the ruling Bikhon faction (Red Orb Temple) is toppled from power by the Ralashon faction (Orange Orb Temple). Shumtira and Duresh are given devolved power and local dignitaries are given governorships to appease the peoples. 890 NC: The Mutant Wars come to an end with Parkhesh withdrawing from Afkhan - the military campaign a disgrace. 886 NC: Aggressive overtures are made towards Kaipor. Numerous islands in the Pirate's Teeth are attacked and the Corsairs are harrassed. An undead fleet of Corsairs appears from nowhere and destroys a Parkheshi fleet. Shakhan gives up on Kaipor and pulls back the fleet blockade around the Pirate's Teeth to police the shipping lanes closer to the coast of Parkhesh. 885 NC: The Mutant Wars in Badlands begin when Parkhesh sends numerous legions to occupy the Badlands in the region known as Afkhan. A protracted war lasts for five years. The island of Shumtira is taken back by force and a heavy military force left to garrison the island. Guerillas hold out in the interior. 884 NC: Fourth Parkhesh Civil War begins which enflames the Dureshi City States to the South East of Parkhesh. Forces sympathetic to Khalesh break away from Parkhesh. Legions are sent to crush the uprising, and lands west of Duresh are annexed once again in a protracted war. Uprisings in Shumtira reach fever pitch when the island's city states hang the Parkheshi Governor. 883 NC: The XXIV Undead Legion is sent to attack Mutant
have been alien to the Ancients, but, however beneficial or benign the relationship, it took the Forerunners a great deal of time to either consider, or initiate, rebellion against their masters. And it would take several efforts for the Forerunners to break their shackles. The arrival of the Zathurians, and the orders from the Ancients to free them from the power of the Orbs, bound the Forerunner Collective together as never before. They realised massive energies to perform the task, and, seeing their potential, rebelled against their masters. While their overall rebellion was ill-timed and failed, they did succeed in implementing new magics derived from the freeing of the Zathurians. Working together they achieved partial control of the 8th Moon and sought to bring it down to the Gwenthian surface, before their rebellion was savagely quelled by the Ancients, despite the Zathurian-instigated attacks of the SheEth. When humankind arrived on Gwenthia intended to break the power of the Forerunners power over the Eighth Moon the most unexpected events occurred. Humans joined with the Forerunners and formed what came to be known as the Meravae Empire. This momentous event signalled the eventual fall of the Ancients, and a consolidation of the Collectives

strongholds in the Badlands near to Whiteport (also known as Spiderport) as reprisals for besieging Whiteport. The Legion is never heard of again. This military mismanagement allows the Bikhon Party take over. The Bikhon high priest, Shakhan siKhalatan orders a build up of military forces in all provences. 882 NC: Mutant army sweeps into Parkheshi annex of White Spider River and lays siege to Spiderport. Siege lifted by Parkheshi Galleons arriving with sizeable Undead Legionary force. The new governor renames the city as Whiteport in honour of the Light aspect of Olakha. 880 NC: Renbril annexed by the Republic of Telbrin 880 NC: AurUrbis and Republic of Telbrin break off diplomatic relations after intractable disagreements over the long term future of Renbril. KiMentis withdrew from Telbrin in protest, leaving a small KiDelan delegation. 879 NC: Tovril and Shelkan formally petition to join the Republic of Telbrin 875 NC: Second Siege of Renbril: Republic Cohorts and AurUrban forces from Mull lay siege to the city of Renbril. Mutant forces are rapidly driven back to the Badlands but the remaining population fight a bitter resistance for a further sixth months before capitulating. 873 NC: Siege of Renbril lifted by large mutant army that sweeps out of the Badlands, punches through Modrins Line (despite the Republic's efforts, in a woeful state) and lifts the siege, only to promptly occupy the city itself. 872 NC: The First Siege of Renbril; Republic Cohorts and units
steal the secret of Star Walking, and tried to touch the gods themselves, their actions were a blasphemy and resulted in the Eighth Moon being murdered and cast from heaven. The Zathurians were forced to turn upon the humans is a bloody and holy war, every piece of human technology was destroyed and men were cast back into the forest. Then the great city of men was destroyed by a heavenly bolt, and became the Aktalar Desert. Over the aeons the Zathurians have sought-out the pieces of the Eighth Moon in an attempt to return his body to the heavens. They have never forgiven men for their treachery, but still enslave them as useful tools.

power that would influence forever Gwenthias development.

The Zathurians
The Zathurians are an alien race, not native to Gwenthia. Their true origins are only known to themselves, but they are called the Children of the Moons by many cultures. They are a xenophobic and agoraphobic race that dwell in sealed cities of great age and advanced technology. They have access to devices and knowledge far beyond the rest of Gwenthia; they are masters of science, and yet they seem to dwell in a state of arcane stasis, never progressing in their development. It seems that the Zathurians mourn the loss of their ability to travel the heavens, and that is their only desire, to leave the world and return to their home. The Zathurians claim that when they came to Gwenthia all men were but primitives dwelling in trees. Zathurians their science to upgrade them and educate them, until humans stood as equals with their masters. The Zathurians talk of an idyllic period, known as the Era of Joy, when the two races worked together in harmony, and Gwenthia was filled with their combined wonders. However, humans tried to

The She-Eth
The reptilian, serpent-like She-Eth may have been on Gwenthia before the Ancients arrived, or arrived with them; their precise origins are unclear. They certainly controlled an empire of sorts in the Thurian continent, and had access to semi-sorcerous technology that made them formidable warriors. It is possible that, until they were lured into rebelling against the Ancients by the Zathurians, they were a peaceful race. If so, the Ancients punishment the confiscation and destruction of their very souls

from Tovril and Shalkan siege to Renbril and make efforts to reinforce Modrins Line on the basis of evidence of Renbrili overtures to warlords of the Badlands.

signed between Parkheshi and Khalian forces. Secretly historians believe it is because the use of the fragment of moon rock was not thwarted. It is widely believed that the temporal power of Parkhesh is enhanced by the presence of the piece of the Dark 870 NC: Fall of Shalkan to combined Republic and Tovrili force. Orb. North East Thurian braces itself for an onslaught of activity When the fate of the last true Doge of Shalkan is made public, the from Parkhesh which never happens. A period of peace ensues citizens of the city riot and lynch any Renbrili they can find. The across Parkhesh as the once warlike city league seeks to make occupying forces do not intervene. amends for previous transgressions and aggression. The ruling 865 NC: The City Wars in the Upper Hallex River Valley. Renbril dynasty of the Eighth College is toppled from power as the Second College linked to the Worship of Ralashon the Orange manages to place a puppet as Doge of Shalkan , and attacks the Moon gains ascendancy. The cult of the Eighth Moon is eclipsed Republic from two sides, assuming Tovril will stand aloof. for many years. 839 NC: Third Parkhesh Civil War ends. 752 NC: NC: Maluja and the Eighth College manage to foil the 837 NC: After decades of relatively peaceful coexistence conflict yearly sabotage of their magical ritual and complete the ritual of flares between Kitar natives and independent settlers from the attunement. Maluja vanishes from history and no longer takes part League of Jinnahn in Gara-Dien. These Gara-Dien citizens appeal in the political decisions of Parkhesh. The Lighthouse of Maluja to the Harmonious Empire for assistance, and with remarkable shines with an incredible light. Rumour that an Inner Circle of the speed the Great Armada leaves mainland Gara-Dien to begin the Eighth College is set up in the Eighth College, no one knows who Conquest of the Isles of the Kitar. is a member of this inner circle but it is believed to be the power 834 NC: Third Parkhesh Civil War begins after the eight factions behind the Parkheshi throne. Foreign espionage fails to find out in Parkheshi politics refuse to compromise. The Matikhot faction more information. Maluja attains apotheosis and is declared a Saint. occupies the forum with Undead soldiers and fighting between different legions of the Parkhesh Empire is seen in Parkhesh City. 737 NC: The Lighthouse of Maluja is built in Parkhesh City This hasn't happened since the time of Maluja's rise to power. Harbour, but it's light is not ignited for another 15 years. 821 NC: Written word adopted for common useage in Quatzadua. 736 NC: The Dark Moon Ritual is restarted and sabotaged for a second time. This happens every year for the next sixteen years. 794 NC: City State of Tovril signs a mutual defence and preferential trade treaty with the burgeoning Republic of Telbrin 735 NC: Telbrin annexes city of Helbricht, declaration of the 753 NC: The Second Parkhesh Civil War comes to end. A truce is
created a bitter and tormented race. The She-Eth retreated from Gwenthia (either deep beneath its surface, or to another pocket of the multiverse), and remained there until only recently, when hordes of She-Eth warrior-slaves have invaded the peaceful island of Lo Tual, intent on its destruction.

Republic of Telbrin. In Parkhesh, The Dark Moon Ritual of

Humans
Humankind was summoned to Gwenthia 7,000 years ago by the Eighth Moon, ostensibly to break the powerful magics of the Forerunners who were drawing the orb towards the surface of the planet. Whatever plans the Dark Moon had for humankind, they went awry, because, instead of opposing the Forerunners, humans joined with it in alliance, essentially breaking the Eighth Moons influence over Gwenthia. In time, humans and Forerunners merged their cultures into what would become known as the Meravae Empire. This empire controlled most of Thurian for almost five thousand years during which time humankind began to proliferate on Gwenthia, spreading beyond the Thurian continent and even across the oceans.

Humankind was clearly very powerful in those distant years, in terms of knowledge and sorcery, but following manipulation by the Zathurians, when a select group of humans gained the ability to walk in the heavens, it was clear (to the Zathurians, at least), that humankind might become too powerful. It has been speculated that the Zathurians themselves caused the Eighth Orb to explode, knowing that this would curtail humankinds growing powers. Certainly, after the Orbs destruction, humankind saw their magical knowledge dwindle and fade although perhaps the Zathurians did not foresee that the powers released by the Eighth Moon as it exploded would, in time, release far worse effects and spread them far and wide across Gwenthia.

Attunement is begun where Maluja consecrates the piece of the Dark Orb in a ritual that takes the eight days of the Dark Month of the year (the last month of the New Calendar consisting of ten days). The ritual is interrupted by foreign forces and Maluja has to wait another year to begin it again. 734 NC: A Parkheshi geological expedition finds a huge piece of the Eighth Orb in the Red Desert. After great expense, aid and hinderance by Red Desert Nomads, and expenditure of military resources, the piece of moon rock is secured and carried by land all the way to Parkhesh City - taking a year in total. The Red Desert Nomads fall into a bitter war again which sparkes the Second Parkhesh Civil War - scholars believe that this war was a precipitation of the discovery of the fragment of the Dark Orb and that the Khalesh City States and foreign powers sought to stop the use of this fragment by Maluja. 695 NC: Telbrin scholars discover ruins of Caer Abrin. 682 NC: The First Parkhesh Civil War comes to an end when an united force of Red Desert Nomads, led by Farkwhat, and seven Parkhesh legions forces a truce on the Khalesh City States. The Khalesh City League swears a non-aggression pact with Parkhesh in return for access to ancient ruins in the desert nearby. 681 NC: The south eastern part of the Red Desert is united under a single ruler, Farkhwat, who swears allegiance to Parkhesh and Maluja. 674 NC: Theurgist Gara-Dien crowns Prince Tangjin as ruler of the Oxore Dominion, in a splendid ceremony within Maragrim City. It is the first and last known occasion when any non-Oxore has been permitted within the city. After the ceremony, and in the sight of the crowds gathered at Penumbra Town, the Theurgist ascended a magical stairway before departing through the Green Door. While rumours of his re-appearance have been rife ever since they have never been confirmed, leading many to speculate that he has finally moved on and is serving the Lady of Doors in another dimension. 670 NC: NhiaQuat city refounded by eastern Quatzaduans and Hkurik

rebel against Parkhesh City League with help from Shalkan and Tovril city states and Takda mercenaries. The Khalian League is set up helped with weapons and expertise from AurUrbis and Tenbril with weapons carried via the Loparankwari. Some Red Desert Nomad tribes join the Khalian League in it's fight against Maluja. The Red Desert descends into another bitter tribal war, one of many countless others that have occurred through out the history of Gwenthia since the fall of the Dark Orb. 569 NC: First reports of Lady Sybillis, a daughter of the Night Hag, infecting the dreams of Cromaignian women. 540 NC: New Calendar of Gwenthia adopted by decree TaTarazon III of Quatzadua. 519 NC: Duke Maligaunt, a son of Night Hag, seizes control of Karvarian. 518 NC: Prince yrGael sends troops to Karvarian in search of Blue Sword of Fate. Of the seven sent, only one returns, endlessly laughing. 487 NC: Corsair's War comes to the end when the Blue Sword of Fate is stolen from Kaipor, Maluja suspected. Truce is signed with Kaipor. Many corsairs hide amongst the numerous islands named the Pirate's Teeth. Maluja curses the Pirates and numerous ghost ships of undead pirates plagues the region to the present day. Sightings of Zambala return to a low number. 479 NC: In final phase of the Corsair's War Maluja orders the invasion of Kaipor which proves to be more problematic than anticipated. Numerous Parkhesh Galleons are sunk by the nimble fleet of Corsairs. 461 NC: Blue Sword of Fate found in Pirate's Teeth Islands, triggering the Corsair's War. Parkhesh begins to build a navy to help protect shipping and trade. Many blame this year for the rise of Parkhesh sea power. The next twenty six years show increased fighting between Parkhesh and he Corsairs but the Corsairs are aided by an unknown third party and resist the Parkheshi aggression. Many sightings of the patron saint of sailors, Zambala, is made, his ship aiding those harrassed by pirates.

443 NC: Star Child, reportedly murdered by her Renbril 666 NC: Bridge of Jet created by KiMentas priests over the Cut of custodians, appears in Hokulkastun. Ashkar linking the continents of Thurian and Gwailan with a major land link for the first time. 419 NC: Renbril launches surprise assault on Mull, which holds one of the Twisted Swords of Fate. 652 NC: The First Parkhesh Civil War. Parkhesh launches an offensive to reclaim the Khalian City States in what is now called 388 NC: Northern Alliance sends Heroes to quest for the Star Khalesh and a bitter civil war between Parkheshi forces and the Child in Thurian's deserts. Khaleshi ensues which lasts on and off to this day. Parkheshi 382 NC: City of Tovril forces, lead by the Children of the Fire, military might is tied up with this seemingly fruitless war which drive Parkhesh City League from Upper Valley of the Blue Parkhesh seems dedicated to throwing resources at. By now the Serpent River. War lasts for three years leaving some of Khalesh Khalian City states had opened trade with the Nhi-Tualian and ravaged and Parkhesh sues for peace. Period of peace starts on Telbrini forever cutting the ties that previously existed with Upper Valley of the Blue Serpent River and trade is reinstated. Parkhesh. 651 NC: Khalian city states (in South West Parkhesh) successfully 362 NC: Shasteen Horrors break out in Gwailan: Northern

Alliance formed due to the destruction of the city of Patara. 340 NC: The Twelve Twisted Swords of Fate scattered by Sages of Hypotet (see below). 321 NC: The Dark Magus arises in Gara-Dien, hunting Tainted Silver. War ensues in Nilman Desert. 309 NC: The Taxican Rebellion in Quatzadua. 305 NC: Power of the Demon Song released in Gwailan. Chaos and confusion spreads to neighbouring nations. 300 NC: Shikn tribe of Nhi-Tual launch first jihad against Parkhesh. Warriors are lost in Red Desert. 295 NC: Parkhesh launches an offensive from Khalesh and annexes the previously independent Upper Valley of the Blue Serpent River with undead Legions. Refugees flee to Nhi-Tual and Llama Tribes bringing tales of necromancy. Temples and Magic colleges are raided. Relics sent to Parkhesh City. 265 NC: Nhi-Tual discover Tainted Silver and begin to use its affinity to slay Sorcerers. 242 NC: Modrin's Line completed. 240 NC: Parkhesh Wall abandoned. The wall was never finished after the architect, Harkash fo-Sulukhan, is found disembowled along with his court at Spiderport. Maluja sends Inquiry to hunt assassins down. Badlands Mutants suspected. However Spiderport remains secured and it's access reinforced. 234 NC: Modrin, war-marshal of Renbril orders the construction of a wall, blocking the southern routes from the Badlands in to

Renbril territory. Known in later years as Modrin's Line. Not to be outdone, Parkhesh begins a similar project (The Parkhesh Wall) with a chain of forts along the border with the Badlands, it's priority is to secure the strategically important harbour of Spiderport at the mouth of the White Spider River. 232 NC: Mutant Wars ends with AurUrban forces driving the Army of Mutants into what becomes the Badlands. The area is devastated magically and as a viable place of habitation. 230 NC: During the Mutant Wars, City States of Upper Hallex River effectively secede from Parkhesh. Parkhesh sets up neutral zone as buffer while it consolidates its border. This region becomes the Badlands (see NC 232). 226 NC: Craxshal Geneweaver leads the Army of Mutants from Durustan into AurUrbis, after defeat at the Battle of Chaliko Gorge. 221 NC: City States of the Upper Hallex River Valley attempt to secede from Parkhesh, Doru exiles support Parkhesh regime. Parkesh begins brutal suppression of dissidants. Non-octaminist supporters are crucified in public. Religious relics are spirited away to Parkhesh City. 220 NC: Unprecedented eclipse of the Sun, all orbs aligned. The Black Watch is at its most potent since its increased activity in NC201, nightspawn run riot. Maluja communes with other Octaminist supporters around the world. After the eclipse, the Black Watch is lessened in Quatzadia, Parkhesh and some other regions of Gwenthia. 206 NC: Sacred blood of The Invisible Lord found by Cult of
vile ways. The remaining Sages went underground hiding from the affects of the Demon Song and all Gwailan harbours closed to all shipping. Even the Black Ships of Menerain fled the area, sailing down to the Golden Sea.

The Twisted Swords of Fate

It is unknown where the Twelve Twisted Swords of Fate came from, who built them or their exact purpose is. What is known is that when all twelve are brought together and arcane rituals performed, the Demon Song is released.

The metal blades are silver coloured and are quite plain and unadorned. The tips are coloured though and each sword has a different colour. What is known is that the swords are indestructable. They have been thrown inside volcanoes, dropped into oceans [the swords float like driftwood] and had attempts to snap them with heavy loads with the swords braced on a fulcrum. In all cases the swords have withstood the trails and remain unscathed.

The Demon Song

Each individual sword is almost three metres long and has an unusual shaped blade. The shape of the blade is curved and wide and only one edge is razor sharp. The other edge of the blade is thicker and rounded blunt. The tip is sharp but isn't pointed but again rounded. The cross-section of the blade looks like a shallow tear-drop. The bottom third 'twists' ninety degrees towards the handle. On every sword the handle is different from its companions. They have lugs sticking out and some have sections missing. All the handles have writing carved into the metal in an unknown script. Very little is known about the Demon Song, what started it, what ended it and why it happened. What is known is the devastation it caused when it was unleashed across the whole of Gwailan in 305 NC. The sky darkened with storms that raged across the land. Cities crumbed, armies routed, shipping was sunk, and creatures of the Night Hag stalked the night. The dead were seen roaming the land doing what they did in life and the people were in panic. Strange vessels were seen aboard, ships that bear no resemblance to any Gwenthian shipping but were always followed by the foul keening sound that gives its name to the Demon Song. Key members of the Sages of Hypotet were killed in

Only when the Head Sage, Badol, confronted the source of the Demon Song did it end. After years of study Badol scattered the Twelve Twisted Swords of Fate he found at the source of the Demon Song to prevent it from occurring again.

YrGael and the Blue Sword

In 518 NC, Prince yrGael emerged from a sixty-year meditation during which he scoured the Nowhen Lands for clues relating to certain treasures or secrets relating to Gwenthia: the Star Child's enemies; the Stone Throne of the Green Moon?; and the Twisted Blue Sword of Fate. During his meditation he was directed by the strange and beautiful Handmaidens who claimed to be the custodians of the Twelve

Rathkur in Red Desert. Maluja dispatches five legions to secure the sacred spring from the unsympathetic Red Desert Nomads. Parkheshi Edict exiles the Cult of Rathkur from Parkhesh League thus driving them deeper into the Red Desert and other lands. 205 NC: Annual Sacred Orean metal auction begins in Montarul. 201 NC: The Red Desert Nomads wars reach a high with an overall ruler for the Red Desert asserting his power from this time. The dynasty does not outlast his lifespan. With the help of the Red Desert Nomads, Maluja discovers an ancient temple in the Red Desert. Using the Bronze Sceptre of Ruin he raises an undead army and with a combined force of Red Desert Nomads and Undead Legions conquers the Khalian city states. The Black Watch is said to become more potent, culminating with the eclipse of the sun in 220NC. 174 NC: Shipping vanishes in Golden Sea, Black Ships blamed. 172 NC: Parkhesh city-state wars end in a massacre - Sceptre of Bronze Ruin captured by Maluja. 165 NC: Aran leads Parkhesh City League and seizes Upper Hallex River. Aran brings back an unknown relic which brings down a curse upon his empire. 155 NC: Aran, son of Arrik, rides into Parkesh city, bearing the Sceptre of Bronze Ruin. Aran ushers in a period of peace and prosperity which lasts for ten years.

Dominate in a hard-fought 12 year campaign. ChentPin is subsequently appointed Imperial Governor of the Xunli Freehold. 140 NC: Parkhesh city-state wars begin, aided by Tharux weapons and Zharaan Mercs. 134 NC: Mount Kravchul erupts, following discovery of Meravae tombs, and the disgusting view of large flying ceatures around the summit. 126 NC: Rasen claims independent government but Zathurian living ships crush the flames of freedom. 104 NC: Sea Demons rise, attacking the North West part of Thuria, and Cromaigne, before retreating to the Weeping Sea. 5 NC: Plague revisits Thuria, many turn to the Sisters of Blood for aid.

Old Calendar
-995 years BP and 0 NC: The Old Calendar is denounced as heretical by the Human Church of Gwenthia and the New Calendar is proposed. -1,000 years BP: The Tharux try to steal Cromaigne secrets from Jhyrain, but are foiled by Kastun ambassador. -1,250 years BP: Zathur and Mererain jointly govern Rasen, ousting AurUrbis settlement. In Thurian, Theurgist Gara'Dien institutes Emerald Compact, Harmonious Empire founded.

146 NC: In response to years of intermittent and impudent raiding and slaving through the thinly settled Xunli tribal lands -1,500 years BP: Churches of the Chain declares crusade against General ChentPin, himself a Xunli convert to the Jade Path, raises The Cult of Rathkul but can't seem to find it. the Gara-Dien Imperial Corps and conquers the Sheshaan
Twisted Swords of Fate, and he was led to the island of Karvarian where the erstwhile Blue Sword was now in the keeping of Duke Maligaunt. Upon emerging from his meditation, yrGael summoned to him his finest Knights of the Rose and sent them to retrieve the Blue Sword. This was the most dangerous task possible, because it sent yrGael's warriors into the very heart of the realm of one of the Night Spawn princes. The seven heroes of the Rose sought several protective charms from across Gwenthia, and, after a year of preparation, sailed to Karvarian and into the heart of absolute darkness. Precisely a year and a day later, one of the Black Ships of Menerain appeared in Spharain's harbour, its only passenger being the Knight of the Rose, Bhregun. His body had been lacerated from head to foot in a strange, geometric fashion and the wounds glowed with a disturbing yellow light. His eyes had been burned from his skull, and his body shook uncontrollably. But more chilling was the laughter: an incessant, insane laughter that only ceased when yrGael himself, eyes filled with tears, brought mercy to the poor, mad, hero. And the Blue Sword of Fate? It remains unfound and none can tell if it resides on Karvarian, controlled by Duke Maligaunt, or if yrGael, in his dealings with the Handmaidens in the Nowhen Lands, was spitefully, and most cruelly, tricked.

The Nowhen Lands

Between the physical presence of Gwenthia, and the physical presences of the Seven Orbs, lie the Nowhen Lands. This domain is free from the Night Hag's influence and is claimed to be a place of heroes, fundamental truths, and waking dreams. Certain sorcerers claim to be able to enter the Nowhen Lands at will, seeking either specific knowledge or a simple wish to escape to a place where their powers are unique and cannot be corrupted by the Night Hag and her children. It is said that gods and men are alike here, and the Nowhen Lands are home to some who were once gods or who will be in the future. Some of these beings have been named: The Handmaidens, Strossheim of La'ash; The Brittle Uncle; The Azure Lady of Sorrow. Those who have charted the Nowhen Lands state that they mirror Gwenthia physically, although the cities and countries familiar to Gwenthians are unheard of. The Seven Orbs still cluster the skies, but of the Eighth, there is neither sign nor memory.

The Sages of Hypotet

The Sages of Hypotet are a Durustani religious sect of The Lazmastu Path, dedicated to the production of the highest quality weapons. Most who meet their products meet their doom by them. Very little is known about them outside Durustan except for their involvement in the scattering the Twelve Twisted Swords of Fate. Some sources claim the sages made them, others that they discovered them, and others still that they cursed them and whoever might hold them.

-1,750 years BP: Vendetta wars start in Gwailan and end in tragedy. Northern- trade with Thurian disrupted. -1,750 years BP: Over a century of strife ends as the surviving elements of the Xantiric Theocracy agree to the founding of the Confederation of the Children of Xantir . The nascent Confedracy is immediately tested nearly to destruction by the Ensellati Horde. -1,875 years BP: Xantiric Theocracy collapses in to civil war. -2,000 years BP: Insectoid Swarm (Hash-Takk) ravages Quatzadua, sent by Zathurians seeking retribution for their missing Charioteer. The city of Xzanpthia is destroyed in the process. The Ripper Plague is called by the Earth God and destroys the invaders who cannot enter the Archology discovered in Xzanpthia. -2,100 years BP: AurUrbis implements Great Trade Conclave, Kastu arrive unexpectedly. -2,150 years BP: Rise of the Xantiric Theocracy, a militant theocratic dictatorship lead by the Kol-shek dVanan, living reincarantion of the divine Xantir, in the western Plateau region. -2,200 years BP: Meravae vanish from Gwenthia. Tharux loot the cities. -2,250 years BP: Exodus of Slaves as human population flees the collapse of civil society in the heartlands of the Meravae Empire. Rise of the Prophet Xantir, who leads his followers west towards Zathuria: they are all believed annihilated. -2,300 years BP: Agreements between Cromaigne and Spiria are made as Meravae Empire falls. -2,300 years BP: Central volcano erupts in Dragon Peaks. Gwenthia plunged into Great Ice Darkness which lasts a decade. -2,400 years BP: Geneweavers stir in Gwailan in response to Shasteen attacks. -2,500 years BP: The Tharux discover a network of hidden Meravaenian Catacombs and unwittingly release the Shasteen Horrors. -2,600 years BP: The Tharux, a human race in thrall to the Zathurians, are driven from Nhi Tual by the Night-Blind Plague. Population of Charrux River Valley virtually eradicated. -2,700 years BP: The Cult of Rathkul appears in the east; it seems lost. -2,800 years BP: The Tharux appear in Nhi-Tual and initiate trade with the Tual natives. -2,800 years BP: Lord Xocotal the head-hunter forms The Quatzaduan Cult of Murazcoatl. -2,900 years BP: Some Lapithian groups migrate to the Gold Mountains in AurUrbis, and the Gold Wars begin between AurUrbis and Meravae.

-2,900 years BP: Guerrilla warfare erupts between Charrux River Valley folk and Tharux. -2,900 years BP: AurUrban and Cromaigne forces wage the Third Octaminist Crusade in Parkhesh. They are aided by a coup d'etat in the Meravae court by Prince yrGael, and a coalition formed from the Red Desert Nomads and the Outlanders of the Gwailan nations. AurUrbis occupies Parkhesh with Red Desert Nomads help. -3,000 years BP: The Earth God rises in Quatzadua. A Zathurian Charioteer, sent to investigate the Arboreals (Zathur's first creation), vanishes. Khur-Ishida appears in Nhi-Tual and overthrows rule of Seven False Gods. -3,100 years BP: Prince yrGael of Cromaigne leads the witchhunts against the last remnants of the Evening Culture. (The Second Octaminist Crusade). Cromaigne split into three kingdoms by KiMentas occupation force.) -3,200 years: The First Octaminist Crusade brings about the destruction of the Evening Culture. It ends with the intervention of the free people of Cromaigne. -3,300 years BP: Various crusades engulf Thurian, whipped-up by Zathurian wiles. First Tharux cross Charrux River surveying the land and people. -3,400 years BP: Gwailans humans go into hiding, and some migrate to Spiria, the island north of Cromaigne, majority of Iqari driven from the island. -3,500 years BP: On Cromaigne, the Evening Culture summons horses to the island. Above Gwenthia, the seven Orbs (which may or may not have controlled or guided the wars beneath them) reach an amnesty, and nations re-build. The Plains Wars rage along the Charrux River Valley, which ultimately lead to the ancestors of the Zharaan being driven north into vassalage in Zathuria. -4,000 years BP: Aur Urbis emerges on the Golden Isthmus. The Seven False Gods first appear in Nhi-Tual. -4,000 years BP: The different races of Gwenthia go to war over the Dark Orb debris; some wanting to control the powers it confers, and others wanting to destroy its remains. More and more debris is discovered and secreted away. -4, 500 years BP: The debris of the Eighth Orb, which disintegrated before reaching the surface of Gwenthia, is discovered all across the planet. At around this time, the power of the Night Hag begins to assert itself and some begin to worship this dark deitywhich is deemed to be but one aspect of the Dark Orb. The Meravae Empire expels a growing sect of Night Hag worshippers. This sect, calling itself The Evening Culture, flees to the western islands and settles the southerly isles, which it names Cromaigne and Karvarian. -5,000 years BP: Something causes the Dark Orb to explode,

unleashing strange changes across the world. The Fall of the Dark Orb is a major event for most cultures. In Gwailan, the Geneweavers, under Zathurian tutelage, come to power, ruling most of the continent. But the Geneweavers rule is not to last, and they are defeated in a war with the Meravae Empire. Tual and his family leave Meravae Empire to follow the Seven stars. -6,000 years BP: Through the interference of both the Zathurians and Eighth Orb, humans develop the ability to walk the heavens, and seek to steal the Gods' powers. -6,000 years BP: Humans, who now proliferate, are scrutinised by both the inquisitive Zathurian Minds, and also surreptitiously modified by the Dark Orb as it continues its fall. During this time, humans spread north from Thurian to the continent of Gwailan. Around this time the Arborials may have been created. -7,000 years BP: The Forerunners once again rise to challenge the Ancients. Slowly descending towards Gwenthia, the Eighth Orb summons Human magicians to break the Forerunners magic. From across the universe Humans hear the call of the Dark Orb and travel to Gwenthia. However, upon arrival, Humans do not, as expected, battle against the Forerunners. Instead, the two become allies and fight against the Ancients together, eventually defeating them completely. The Forerunner/Human alliance becomes known as the Meravae Empire. -8,000 years BP: The Zathurians seal their cities to prevent reprisal attacks by the Ancients. The Ancients dominate Gwenthia for the next thousand years. -9,000 years BP: The Zathurians have watched the Forerunners rebellion against the Ancients carefully, and, for reasons unknown, side with the enslaved Forerunners. Using their own powers of guile and command, the Zathurians persuade the reptilian She-Eth to launch a surprise attack on the Ancients. The attack is repelled, and the Ancients destroy the souls of the She-Eth race, condemning their physical forms to wander the void between life and death. -9,000 years BP: The Forerunners, seeking liberation from the Ancients, launch their rebellion. The rebellion fails, and the Forerunners, for their treachery, find their slavery deepened and made worse by the Ancients. In frustration at their worsened situation, the Forerunners use their powers of prayer to summon the Dark Orb of Gwenthia, and the moon begins its descent towards the surface of the planet. However the Ancients are not without their own powers and, whilst they cannot prevent the Eighth Orb from descending, they do manage to slow its progress. -10,000 years BP: Zathurians travel through space and divert to Gwenthia, lured by the planets eight Orbs. However, the Ancients, watching from Gwenthias surface, call upon the power of the Forerunners to assist the trapped Zathurians, and the power of the Orbs is broken. The Zathurians thus arrive on Gwenthia.

AurUrbis
The Golden Lands

urUrbis sits on the Golden Isthmus that runs from the Gwenthian southern continent of Thurian up to the northern continent of Gwailan . The New Province of AurUrbis lies on the mainland of Gwailan. The isthmus is bisected North and South by the Mountains of Gold. To the West of the isthmus is the Konastorm Sea; to the East is the Sea of Brass. The coasts of the Golden Isthmus are heavily cultivated and highly populated. The Mountains of Gold are cultivated in the foothills using terraces, designed to slow or prevent the rapid runoff of irrigation water. The land is formed into multiple terraces, giving a stepped appearance. Higher the landscape is alpine and sparsely populated save for in the City of Gwent. In the North of AurUrbis, on the sub continent of Gwailan proper, the flat plain is densely wooded and populated by small settlements. AurUrbis has a temperate coastal climate, warm in winter and humid in summer. Temperatures hover around 3-4 degrees Celsius in winter, with occasional snowfall, and rise to an average of 24-26 degrees Celsius in the summer. Autumn sees continued high temperatures combined with high rainfall, spring is windy and temperatures rise progressively, averaging 12-15 degrees Celsius.

Where Continents Divide

The Golden Isthmus joins the southern continent of Thuria with the northern continent of Gwailan. It has been, for over 4000 years, home to the KiMentas people and the city states that make up the AurUrban nation. The isthmus is broken only at the point it joints Gwailan where a narrow strait of suicidal ravines and gorges swirls between the Konastorm Sea to the West and the Sea of Brass to the East. This strait is known as the Cut of Ashkar, a reference to the sword of the Dark God which reputedly cut the gash in the land in prehistory. Over the strait lies the Bridge of Jet. Cut of Ashkar A narrow strait of suicidal ravines and gorges that swirl from the Konastorm Sea to the West to the Sea of Brass to the East. This strait is known as the Cut of Ashkar in reference to the sword of the Dark God which reputedly cut the gash in the land in prehistory. Over the strait lies the Bridge of Jet. Bridge of Jet A vastly wide bridge of pure jet brought forth from the earth by KiMentas priests over the Cut of Ashkar in 666 NC to allow their troops to subjugate and begin the settlement of New Province.

The New Province of AurUrbis is the northern territory of that The Mountains of Gold have an alpine climate. The New state, lying wholly on the continent of Gwailan whereas AurUrbis Province has similar weather on the coast, but harsher winters and proper lies on the Golden Isthmus, technically on the continent of hotter summer in the wooded hinterland. Thurian. The territory has been progressively colonised by KiDelan and

Doers and Thinkers

KiDelan
Singular and plural: KiDelan, pronounced 'KeeDellan?' Not a species but a culturally defined ethnic group amongst Humans. The KiDelan are 'those that do' in AurUrbis and they concentrate on physical activity and prowess. They often seem less intelligent than most humans to outsiders, yet also in great physical shape and health. There is great diversity amongst the KiDelan, each city has a distinctive racial type, some dark skinned, some fair-haired, and each distinctive to it's home city. AurUrbis is a nation of strong healthy people, they seem somehow protected from illness or deformity, even the poor are robust in body and health. This seems to be curtailed by a tragically short lifespan, few citizens see their fortieth year. The KiDelan rule the Federation that is AurUrbis and are a brave, passionate and artistic people.

KiMentas settlers since 666 NC when the Bridge of Jet allowed large scale military incursions viable. The main urban centre is New Settlement which for cultural and political reasons isn't not regarded as a city by the nation. High in the alpine passes of the Mountains of Gold lies the ancient and brooding city of Gwenth? deidicated to the Goddess Gwenthia. Unlike most AurUrbis cities it is built of black volcanic stone, largely basalt and jet, and the buildings are low, rarely above two storeys even for the main temples. Carved and built into the stone of the mountain, the city has a labyrinth of caverns, cellars, markets, streets and libraries underground. The city is unlike any other in AurUrbis in that the population is 90% KiMentas, the small dark figures dominate and run the city. There is little industry and every day pack animals trudge up to the city to deliver food and goods from the hinterland.

5% 4% 1%

Mongrel (New Province) KiMentas Others

The total population of AurUrbis is some 1 million people, with high urban populations but most living in intensively farmed agricultural villages.

Political Structure
AurUrbis is a political Federation in which city states run most affairs independently under the broad guidance of the Golden Council, which sits in the City of Gwenth in the Mountains of Gold. The New Province is different in that it is ruled by the Council directly, with an administration and military forces dedicated to it.

Culture and Peoples

The Golden Council of AurUrbis is the body that oversees the broad guidance of the AurUrbis federal state. It can set overall AurUrbis is populated dominantly by two sentient species, one is foreign and defence policy, raise and command the City of the KiDelan (a human sub species) and the other is the KiMentas, Gwenth militia, oversee the New Settlement in the New Province, a race whose origins are shrouded in mystery. In the Mountains of and to arbitrate in disputes between cities. The council is made up Gold live small communities of Lapithians who mine alongside of 7 KiDelan and 1 KiMentas. The 7 humans are selected in the 8 small KiDelan groups and under the gaze of small schools of Iqari yearly Octathlon in which the seven greatest athletes amongst the who roost in the highest peaks. In the New Province live non KiDelan are chosen in competition. The KiMentas delegate is KiDelan humans known as Mongrels. Most AurUrban cities agreed by consensus amongst the high priesthood of AurUrbis in have small ex patriate communities of other races and humans. closed session. The population breaks down roughly as: In 995 NC the council resides at Urthan and its membership is: 90% KiDelan Sed SaUrthos, Urthan Tar SaBellator, Duxi making and doing. KiMentas reach maturity in two years, and appear to live for hundreds of years. The Lin AquanSon, Aquos only sign of age are white tattoos that are made upon Fri SiVinum, Urthan Singular and plural: KiMentas, pronounced 'KeeMenntass' their faces and shoulders as they gain recognition Kai SiTextor, Mull within their scholarly society. The KiMentas are 'those that think' in AurUrbis and Sho SaSchola, Debello are a short humanoid race, with ebony black skin, no Hoi SaCursor, Aeros body hair, no apparent genitalia or mammalian Lin TaCurar, Gwenth features. They have a circular mouth, two eyes with

KiMentas

black irises that fill the orbs and make the pupils almost impossible to see. They have no nose or ears but a composite sensory array on their elongated chins. They are not in any way human, as their internal anatomy shows. KiMentas are physically weak, have heightened senses both auditory, visual, chemical and possibly some kind of telepathy. The KiMentas are, however, borne to human mothers, amongst the KiDelan, 'those that make' in the city states of AurUrbis. KiMentas young are born to human mothers , despite there being no sexual acts between the mother and any of the Black Folk as they are often known. It is regarded as a great honour to bear a KiMentas child, who is taken to the nearest KiMentas to be raised. KiMentas perform all intellectual roles in AurUrbis society, scribes, healers, lawyers, engineers etc. They are most adept at this task and have a social symbiotic relationship with the human population who focus on

Cities and Regions

The eight cities of AurUrbis are dedicated to the particular worship of each of the Seven Gods of the Moons , the Eighth (the City of Gwenth) to the worship of the Goddess Gwenthia herself. Every 64 Old Years one of the Seven Moon Cities is razed to the ground and then rebuilt. The city chosen is the winner of the most AurUrbis Octathlons since the last Renewal. The design chosen is that of the KiMentas elected as the Most Considered at the Renewal Enclave. Four cities hold to the Octathlon model that they hold biennial contests based on the

same model, with the winners taking office as the High Councillors of the city for the next two years. Three are ruled by High Councils composed from the Masters of the City Guilds, and one (Urthan) is a hereditary principality. AurUrbis is a major manufactory state. It imports spices, furs, amber, timber, ivory, ores, silver, gold and other raw materials from across Gwenthia. In the cities are manufactured fine clothes, weapons, jewellery, luxury ceramics, cutlery, wines and spirits. AurUrbis merchants are some of the most cunning in the world, a KiMentas trader is usually competing with a sly Parkheshi merchant. Much of trade is seaborne and the nations of the seas compete in the Octaminist Clipper Race.

The cities of AurUrbis are:

City of Gwenth, dedicated to the Goddess Gwenthia.

High in the alpine passes of the Mountains of Gold lays the ancient and brooding city of Gwenth dedicated to the Goddess Gwenthia. Unlike most AurUrbis cities it is built of black volcanic stone, largely basalt and jet, and the buildings are low, rarely above two storeys even for the main temples. Carved and built into the stone of the mountain, the city has a labyrinth of caverns, cellars, markets, streets and libraries underground. The city is unlike any other in AurUrbis in that the population is 90% KiMentas; the small dark figures dominate and run the city. There is little There is a settlement in the New Province which some foreigners industry and every day pack animals trudge up to the city to might call a city, it is not, to the AurUrbans there are 8 cities, there deliver food and goods from the hinterland. can never be any more. It is simply known as the New Settlement.

Urthan dedicated to the Urthos the Red Moon Husband. Urthan is a river port city in AurUrbis along the Hallex River that runs from the Republic of Telbrin to the Sea of Brass in the south east of the country. The city lies on high ground alongside the river and provides services and taxes river merchants who come The Night Hag upstream from the city of Mull or downstream from the city of Aquos. The city is populated by red-haired KiDelan given to passionate tempers and war. Many generals have come from Urthan. The city is a hereditary principality ruled by the SaUrthos family. In 995 NC the current Prince of Urthan is the aging Lar SaUrthos. The city has a strong military garrison which defends the AurUrbis border from incursions from the Badlands. A chapter of the Haghunters operates from the city and is headed by Sed SaUrthos, the heir to the city. Located near natural iron ore and limestone deposits the city manufactures some of the finest steel weapons in the world, as well as extensive ranges of ironware.

Copyright Richard Huber 1981

Urthan dedicated to Urthos the Red Moon Husband.

Aeros, dedicated to Aeran, the Orange Moon Husband, and Aeros is a city in AurUrbis of tall long limbed KiDelan well known for their running skills. The city produces glassware and pottery of such quality that princes in far off lands have sold children into slavery to own it.

Mull, dedicated to Zhar, the Yellow Moon Husband.

Mull, is a city in the south west of AurUrbis lying alongside the Hallex River and the border of the Badlands. The citizens of Mull are known for their fashion in the last hundred years of wearing full masks at all times in public. Of short squat build with raven hair the people of Mull are know to have cunning temperaments and are experts at the raising, harvesting and weaving of silk. The citizens of Mull worship Zhar, the Yellow Moon Husband. Mull lies on the main trade route from Meravaenia and in times past has been fought over by Merav and Parkheshi invaders. A full military garrison is based at Mull, including a cabal of KiMentas wizards skilled in combating possible Telbrin air attacks.

Aquos, dedicated to Aquan, the Green Moon Husband.

Aquos, dedicated to Aquan , the Green Moon Husband , port city in AurUrbis on the Sea of Brass , this is a city of traders, merchants, rogues and entrepreneurs. Known for their webbed fingers and toes, Aqosians are short, lithe and highly robust. As well as a major trading power, Aquos also manufactures all ships in the AurUrban Eastern Fleet. KiMentas priest, a trade name taken at the age of 12, and the city name, which is only used with foreigners or abroad. Personal names are not differentiated between gender, trade names are. Names seem to have less significance to AurUrbans than other cultures who place great emphasis on naming conventions. Examples are: Kim SaVerr Aeros, Kim is a glassblower from the city of Aeros. Tam SaFerro Urthan, Tam is an ironworker from the city of Urthan. Om SiTexo Mull, Om is a female weaver from the city of Mull. Other personal names include Toe, Sif, Tal, Gil, Gim, Jom, etc.. [When looking for trade names you can use Earth Latin verbs, prefaced by Sa for a man or Si for woman, Ta for a KiMentas.]

Aeros, dedicated to Aeran, the Orange Moon Husband.

Lidin
The written form of Lidin uses a strangely shifting set of characters which only KiMentas can read, and which they seem to decline to teach to others. KiDelan do not choose to read and write, relying on KiMentas to handle such boring matters. Scribes from other nations have suggested that the script is a ruse or some kind of cipher, even those who have learnt Lidin fluently can make no headway with it. Lidin is a common trade language in the Sea of Brass and Northern Thurian, it is also written phonetically by non KiMentas writers using other scripts and alphabets, often Parkheshi. Lidin uses simple words and three tenses, past, present and future. Soft consonants or open vowels at the ends of words are

favoured, this is a soft language on the tongue. Past and future are denoted by simple prefacing a sentence with a time marker. In English this would be like saying In the past I walk along street or Tomorrow I visit my uncle. Despite it's simplicity Lidin can express a full range of emotions and concepts when used by a KiMentas. Personal pronouns in Lidin are:
Personal pronouns in Lidin are: English Lidin I You He She It Ee Fo Sa Si Ta English Lidin We You They Vi Pa Ki

Names are a simple monosyllable personal name, given to the child by the local

Adludo, dedicated to Sharvan, the Blue Moon Husband.

Adludo , dedicated to Sharvan , the Blue Moon Husband , is a vibrant port in AurUrbis on the Konastorm Sea , a city of fisher folk, whale hunters who roam up above Northern Gwailan , and merchants who trade with the aloof Cromaignians and alien Zathurians . Adludori are dark haired, olive skinned, short and wiry. Adludori are well known for their jests, japes and bawdy humour. Adludo builds all the AurUrban naval ships of the Western Fleet.

hard to develop defensive technologies to keep invaders at bay. Debello has limited agriculture, the villages nearby are fortified and defensive, but excels at the manufacture of engines of war and industry. Both the engines and their products such as cutlery, armaments, and kitchenware are exported across AurUrbis and beyond. By strange irony Debello is also a gathering place for many merchants seeking to gain the secrets of the Tharux Traders. When the Three Brother King's send forth their announcements of that the Tharux are selling their goods, such as guns , gunpowder and Grind Wagons , people flock to Debello with great wagon trains of silver, slaves and exotic goods. Thankfully such proclamations are rare.

Duxi, dedicated to Dux, the Indigo Moon Husband.

Duxi, dedicated to the Dux, the Indigo Moon Husband, is a city in AurUrbis of blonde short people, known to be dour and penny pinching. Duxi is an agricultural centre, and exports exquisite wines, spirits, dried meats, as well as tailored clothes and bulk cloth, both wool and linen.

Religion
The main religion is the AurUrban Church of Gwenthia, a polytheistic faith that worships the Goddess Gwenthia and the Seven Gods of the Moons. Others exist, the Human Church of Gwenthia is tolerated amongst foreigners, and the Churches of the Chain are accepted as a tale of the Seven Gods 'abroad'. All worship of the Dark God or the Night Hag is suppressed vigorously, and yet seems growing amongst KiDelan in the poorer and richer parts of society.

Debello, dedicated to Debell, the Violet Moon Husband.

Debello is a city in AurUrbis dedicated to the Debell, the Violet Moon Husband. Located on the Fretum estuary is the city closest to the lands of the Zathurians. As such it has a long history of combating and defeating the alien incursions of those odd people. Debello is always built low and defensively with multiple walls, high watchtowers and KiMentas engineers and sorcerers work

The Octaminist Clipper Race

Every 16 New Year (8 Old Year), there is the Octaminist Clipper race, where some of the fastest merchant vessels race around the Sea of Brass from Parkhesh City to the city of Duxi in AurUrbis, carrying 10 tonnes of purest Parkheshi intigro. Who can carry the spices the fastest is the official point of the competition, the prize is the ashes of the bones of the black pirate, Zambala Whichever city wins the race plays host to the shrine of Zambala where the rogue is honoured for his final act, that of rescuing a child of the prince of [???] from a devious and cunning pair of trained QuatzHunds. Many merchants pay pilgrimage to his shrine. Zambala is said to be an aspect of one of the 8 Lords (though all of the 8 cults lay claim to him). During the race, the Parkheshi galleons, AurUrban frigates and Gwailan Union ships are not allowed to assist in any fracas between any merchants. The race is hotly contested by AurUrban,

The AurUrban Church of Gwenthia is a polytheistic faith that worships the Goddess Gwenthia as the inspiration that helped humans free themselves from the oppression of the Devourer after he had stolen the human race from their rightful home. They honour the Seven Orbs as the husbands of Gwenthia who aided the humans to free Parkheshi, Gwailan Union and Cromaigne merchants. Most others will not put to sea themselves. The faith is open, tolerant and welcoming to other species as children on the during the competition, unless they are Seven, but keeps initiation and membership taking part. limited to pure bred humans and the KiMentas There is most certainly rivalry in the who serve her. The Human Church of Gwenthia Octaminist Clipper Race. Amerain builds fine ships, and has entered one of its finest is a friendly schism.
racing clippers 'Argamon's Seal' in the past two contests - narrowly losing in each race. Amerain has every intention of winning the next race, and its shipwrights are busily engaged in ways of refining the 'Seal's' capabilities to ensure victory.

AurUrbans are devout worshippers of Gwenthia as the Earth Mother. The KiMentas form the priesthood; the High Temple is both at and is the City of Gwenth in the Mountains of Gold. Within that each city favours one of the Seven Gods of the Moons as its patron deity, and views it as the But why is it that the mysterious Black Ships, that Husband God of Gwenth in that city, to port themselves close to Menerain Harbour, and have AurUrbans all the Seven Gods are male.
no known crew, seemingly taken an interest in the Octamonist Clipper Race? For the past three races, the ten Black Ships have been spied in the open waters where the race takes place, maintaining a discreet distance, as thought watching proceedings? At the conclusion of each race, they return to Menerain, assuming again their silent, sinister vigil over Cromaigne waters. - Telgrin KiMaritim, Merchant at Large.

Gwenthia has seven celestial bodies, known in AurUrbis as Seven Gods of the Moon Husbands. Seven can be seen clearly in the sky, and an eighth is believed to exist but to be dark. The Moon Husbands are the husbands of Gwenth, who freed humans from the evil Eighth Moon God. The Eighth Moon is Dark, its occupant cast down for his role as the Devourer, the bringer of the

Void. The Dark God, Devourer, Fallen One is worshipped and propitiated only by dark and death cults. It is said by the KiMentas that when the Devourer was cast down from the Sky he shattered into 47376 pieces, and that should people turn to sin again those 47376 pieces will come together and the Fallen One will rise again. The Orbs are worshipped by the people of AurUrbis in the AurUrban Church Of Gwenthia as husband gods to the Goddess Gwenthia, each Moon Husband allied to a city. Most men in AurUrbis worship a Moon Husband, not always the one associated with their city, and there is friendly rivalry between the cults. Women worship the Goddess Gwenthia in some form, save for some who choose to worship a Moon Husband more for reasons of trade or preference. Many farmers concentrate on worshipping the Goddess directly. Only KiMentas may be priests, and they can do so without necessarily meeting the skill requirements, replacing the skills with more priestly skills where appropriate. The core catechism of AurUrban faith is:

Aeran the Runner is the Moon Husband of the Goddess Gwenthia most associated with speed, determination and athletics and is the patron god of the city of Aeros in AurUrbis . After the Fall Of The Dark Orb when the Night Spawn crawled from the Sea of Brass and slithered and stumbled toward the Goddess in the City of Gwenth it was Aeran who set off to warn the Goddess and all the people, running like the wind and reaching the city in no more than a single hour although the distance was more than a horse could gallop in a week. Thus does Aeran always hold a place in his heart for those who exert themselves in physical tasks for the service of others. Many KiDelan worship Urthos across AurUrbis, but he is also called on by messengers, heralds, merchants, athletes and sportsmen. Zhar, the Masked Tailor is a contemplative and skilled god, tales tell of how he won the Goddess Gwenthia 's heart with beautiful clothes, skilled hands and the careful manipulation of his rivals. After the Fall Of The Dark Orb when the Night Hag threatened the Goddess, Aquan's love for her was so great that he made masks all his brothers and he wore them as well as the Goddess. When the Hag came she killed and slew many of Zhars brothers but the Goddess was safe. Many tailors, craftsmen, jewellers and artificers worship Zhar, and so do young and old men who wish to dress well and seduce their lovers. Aquan the Swimmer is the Green Moon Husband of the Goddess Gwenthia most associated with sea, trade and fishing. Aquan is shown as a merman, with the distinctive webbed fingers of the citizens of Aquos in AurUrbis . After the Fall Of The Dark Orb when the Night Hag threatened the Goddess, Aquan's love for her was so great that he became a giant barracuda and hunted down and ate the Night Spawn as they swam towards the Goddess. In doing so Aquan has had trouble with his stomach ever since, as such those who are troubled with chronic ailments often call on him for help. Many sailors and fishermen worship Aquan across AurUrbis, but he is also called on by merchants and healers.

The Church was the prime mover in the overthrow of the Octaminist Church and the Octaminist Crusades.

The Goddess Gwenthia

The Goddess Gwenthia is the deification of Gwenthia. An Earth Mother who led Humans and/or KiMentas from the slavery of the Dark God, bringing the Eighth Orb crashing to the ground. The Goddess is integral in the religions of AurUrbis, Meravaenia and the Khalesh. She is worshipped by the Aur Urban Church Of Gwenthia, the Human Church of Gwenthia, the Churches Of The Sharvan, the Jester and Friend is a jolly and convivial god, tales Chain and the Khalesh Religion. tell of how he won the Goddess Gwenthia 's heart with humour, laughter and friendship. After the Fall Of The Dark Orb when the The Seven Moon Husbands Night Hag threatened the Goddess, Sharvan's love for her was so Urthos the Bull God is the Moon Husband of the Goddess great that he hid the Goddess behind his great belly and when the Gwenthia most associated with passion and war and is the patron Hag came he laughed at her and belittled her with jokes and jeers, god of the city of Urthan in AurUrbis . After the Fall of the Dark he befriended many of the Night Spawn and made them whole Orb when the Night Hag threatened the Goddess, Urthos' love again, under his laughter the Hag shrank and shrank but as she did for her was so great that he roared and bellowed and took the so she lashed out with sarcasm and to this day Sharvan has a form of a great bull and charged the minions of the night, goring maudlin side that can come out once in his cups. Many publicans, and trampling them. When he reached the Hag he gored her in vintners, inn keepers, cooks worship Sharvan, and so do young the stomach, but in doing so he was seared and scarred. Thus and old men who like to laugh, drink and be good companions does Urthos always hold a place in his heart for those crippled or and friends. hurt in war or defence. Many warriors worship Urthos across Dux, the Farmer is a thin and careful god, tales tell of how he AurUrbis, but he is also called on by dancers, singers, lovers and won the Goddess Gwenthia 's heart with productive soil and a orators. careful eye on expenses. After the Fall Of The Dark Orb when

the Night Hag threatened the Goddess, Dux's love for her was so great that he buried the Goddess in his beet field and when the Hag came he refused t let her on his land until she had paid him a toll, when she offered him coin he spent so long counting out the change that the Goddess escaped. The Hag cursed him and to this day Sharvan has an Debell, the Defender unwholesome love for coin, which he often hoards and treats as if it had real value and was not a simple tool for trade. Many farmers worship Dux, and so do those who trade, mint and handle money.
Copyright Richard Hubert 1981

seemingly developed for thought above artifice. This strikes a deep chord within. Spharain, whilst not engaging in mercantile trade, is very keen to exchange ideas - of philosophy, history and religion. Prince yrGael has despatched emissaries to AurUrbis with precisely this intention - much to Menerain's concern, as they have been strangely cut-out of the high level AurUrban/Spharain discussions. Parkhesh is one of AurUrbis major trading partners and also the nation that has been to war most often with the city states. The olive skinned Parkheshi are often seen in Aquos and other eastern cities in AurUrbis, where they compete well for goods and services. Imports from Parkhesh include the exquisite intigro spice that AurUrbans have become as used to using in food as the Parkheshi themselves. Currently tension is rising between the Parkheshi and Aquos over a band of Parkheshi pirates who have been preying on shipping in the Sea of Brass from pirate ports believed to be in Parkheshi waters. Parkheshi are viewed with great suspicion as natural economic and military rivals, but also due to the failed Third Crusade and the slide of Parkhesh back into Octaminist beliefs. AurUrbis views the upcoming Republic of Telbrin with both a great deal of respect for their strong social structure and government, but also a cautious fear that the state could threaten AurUrban borders if it continues to develop military power as it has been recently. The development of Telbrini skyships has been most worrying to the Golden Council and KiMentas engineers are known to be working on the problem now.

Debell, the Defender is a robust god wielding a shield and hand weapon. Tales tell of how he won the Goddess Gwenthia 's heart with his silent loyalty and protective manner. After the Fall Of The Dark Orb when the Night Hag threatened the Goddess, Debells love for her was so great that he planted his feet in the Fretum Estuary and took a cloud from the sky to use as a shield. The Hag and her Spawn crawled from the sea and battered on Debell's shield until his legs and body were buried in the mud and all that could be seen was his shield and head. Even to this day Debell is known to position himself too statically and get stuck when he tries to move again. Many warriors worship Debell, and also those who are builders, carers for children, and guards.

Famous Individuals

The Prince of Urthan in 995 is Lar SaUrthos, a large red-haired general who has served in AurUrban campaigns in the Badlands and against the Tharux with valour and distinction. Now 55 years old he is losing his strength and the KiMentas of the city have warned that soon his days will be over. The family of SaUrthos has ruled the city of Urthan from 789 NC to the present 995 NC. International Relations They took it upon themselves to protect the city when the AurUrbans often have an arrogant attitude to outsiders; the previous council failed to defend the citizens from renewed KiMentas have a paternalistic and patronising attitude to humanity outbreaks of Shasteen Horrors. Lars heir apparent is Sed that is benevolent but eventually tiring. Much of AurUrban SaUrthos, head of the local Haghunters chapter, member of the influence in the past has fallen prey to this attitude but also the Golden Council and sworn enemy of Chli-Mestis-Han and his reluctance of KiMentas to dwell outside of the Golden Isthmus. Steel Wheelers. AurUrbis led the great Octaminist Crusade which destroyed the Evening Culture. Now the AurUrban state and church train and send forth the Haghunters , an elite body of men and women dedicated to rooting out and destroying dark cults across Thurian. Menerain has traded with AurUrbis for almost two centuries, and the rival kingdom of Amerain is attempting to forge direct trade links, rather than rely on the overpriced imports Menerain is happy to sell. Cromaigne finds AurUrbis to be a reliable, if somewhat odd, trading partner. The KiMentas are fascinating to the Cromaignians: a race

Badlands
Bandit Country

he Badlands lie on the north coast of Thurian, east of AurUrbis, west of Parkhesh and north of Meravaenia. The land is a blasted wilderness of marshland and blighted hills. The region has been fought over repeatedly in Thurian history, and the battle magic unleashed across the terrain have altered it. Rain falls heavily in the winter, creating quagmires, and the sun draws it out in the summer to produce a humid atmosphere. Strange magical storms rage across the area for days, and whirlwinds and other freakishly magical weather episodes are common. The region is a border zone between three major powers, and is under the control of none. Petty bandits elevate themselves to the status of princes and use the regions as a base to mount raids into

neighbouring areas. Many pirates sail from the Marash Coast to plague shipping in the Sea of Brass. Mutants and warped humanoids eke out a murderous life in the Badlands. It is said that a Zathurian sorcerer dwelt there in ancient times; that an Evening Culture sorcerer dwells there still, and that the Army of Mutants had it's last stand in the Badlands. On the borders exiled and outlaw Parkhesh, AurUrban and Meravaenian robbers and rogues mingle in shanty towns. The Badlands is the main producer of Tanzgrin Root, a mild euphoric, and Badlands Root, a related and yet highly intoxicating and addictive drug. Of note is the King Of The Snake Hill, Turgan Grotskiller, a

vicious mutant leader but sane, and Chli-Mestis-Han, an insane Night Hag cultist. Lidin, Traders Cant and Parkhsi are spoken widely, as are many others from across the world. Currency is largely stolen, although the King of the Snake Hill has a working mint that produces adulterated coins. People in the Badlands are either deeply irreligous or fanatically devout. Mystical, apocalyptic and dark cults often find congregations amongst the scum of Thurian, often they are genuine, often they are just more thieves on the make.

To the east lies the White Spider River, which passes from Parkhesh through the Badlands to the Sea. This area was annexed by Parkhesh many years ago and the town of Spiderport was established at the mouth of the White Spider River. The river acts as a natural border and troops patrol the northern bank and lands to keep out mutants. A number of small forts were built along the river to act as staging posts and look outs. they form part of the incomplete Parkhesh Wall which stretches for two thirds of the Parkhesh-Badland border. A legion of Undead once set off from Spiderport into the Badlands never to be seen again.

The Badlands southern border, with the Republic of Telbrin, is relatively well defined, as along much of its length runs Modrin's Border raids from the neighbouring states are not uncommon, and cult hunters such as the Haghunters often infiltrate the area to Line, a chain of simple fortifications linked by a broad wall built in the early days of the City States of the Upper Hallex River to repel track down and eliminate Dark God worshippers. the raiders from the Badlands. As often an impediment to One notable region of the Badlands is the Rust Valley, a desolate punitive raids into the Badlands as it has been a defence against gorge criss-crossed by seasonal rivers, known locally as Slime raids from the Badlands, Modrin's Line has changed hands on a Adders, due to their propensity to appear from nowhere as great number of occassions and continues to be the source of tensions muddy surges that strike dead any foolish enough to be camping between Telbrin, AurUrbis and Parkhesh. within their rock strewn banks. Rust Valley gains its name from the huge rotting hulks of nine Tharux Grind Wagons, which have sat here for the last twenty years. It is believed that they were destined for Parkesh but never made it, being overcome by Badlands natives. Several families of bandits have taken over the monstrous vehicles cabins as their lairs, though none have yet mastered the mechanisms to get the great machines to work again. The large number of burial cairns around each machine suggests this is not for want of trying! The Tharux have never attempted to reclaim their lost treasures, perhaps because they have forgotten about them, or because they have great faith in their booby traps.

Bad Men of the Badlands

The King of Snake Hill
Otherwise known as Turgen Grotskill, a dirty, violent mutant who rules a dirty violent den of piracy and scum on the Marash Coast. When Chli-Mestis-Han sent an emissary to discuss a temporary halt in their vendetta, Grotskill had the fellow turned inside out, dipped in salt, and returned to Chli-Mestis-Han still alive. Turgen Grotskills savagery is thus legendary, and his name is surrounded by rumours of the nastiest, most unpleasant kinds. Yet he remains an enemy of the Night Hag, and has been known to aid Knights of the Rose and other Haghunters who have ventured into the Badlands to root-out the like of Chli-Mestis-Han and other Night Hag renegades.

Chli-Mestis-Han
Chli-Mestis-Han, a warlord of the Badlands and Night Hag worshipper rules from his enchanted Wagon of Doom, a giant enchanted wagon of 30 wheels and iron skin which has navigated the Badlands long before any can remember. Chli-Mestis-Han and his Steel Wheelers seized the Wagon some five years ago (990 NC) and have begun a crazed crusade of evil that is horrifying even to the numbed sensibilities of the inhabitants. Tall and lithe, it is said that Chli-Mestis-Han has the hips of a woman, the locks of a dancer, the muscles of a wrestler and the voice of a man. He/she is sworn enemy of the King of the Snake Hill.

The Steel Wheelers

Through some insane sorcery of ChliMestis-Han these most depraved of Badlands Night Hag worshippers have undergone crude chirurgery and their lower halves replaced by a single steel wheel upon which they can move at speeds faster than the swiftest Khamul or Shamul.

Cromaigne
Isle of Three Kingdoms

ROMAIGNES PAST IS one of violence and struggle. Its present is one of uncertainty and confusion as its three kingdoms attempt to reconcile their separate ways of life with the legacy of the Evening Culture. Cromaignes history starts with the Evening Culture; the island provided them with sanctuary from the ostracism of the Meravae Empire. But the island has a much deeper history that precedes the Evening Culture and is known to only a few (specifically the KiMentas and Prince yrGael of Spharain). For thousands of years before the Evening Culture arrived, Cromaigne was inhabited by the Iqari of the central mountains, the birds and beasts of the forests and moors, and the nature spirits that personified every forest, river, stream, rock, mountain peak and moorland of the island. The spirits drifted between their own world and the physical world, using Cromaigne as the channel. Their very presence was intensely magical, and their lifeforce precisely what was needed to power the levels of sorcery the Evening Culture was experimenting with. It is believed that the Evening Culture was deliberately guided to Cromaigne (then known simply as The Green Land) by the Night Hag herself, so that the spirits of the island could be exploited to her own, twisted ends. Whether this is true or not, the Evening Culture pursued a policy of exploitation with utter abandon, and used its sorcerous talents to capture, imprison and enslave the peaceful nature spirits, turning their intrinsic magic to power the Evening Cultures schemes and machinations. Cromaigne is thus a land that is forever associated with power magical and otherwise. The spirits; the Evening Cultures pursuit of the Night Hag; Prince yrGaelclose to four thousand years old and perhaps immortal; the power of the Human Church of Gwenthia; the seat of the Crusades; and the Croman people themselves: long-lived, survivors, and deeply aware of their past and how it has been shaped. In many ways Gwenthia is unsure of how to view Cromaigne. It respects its history and special properties, and with Menerain as the seat of the Human Church of Gwenthia, is a place of pilgrimage and reverence for many. Yet on the otherhand, Cromaigne is distrusted, and especially insular Spharain which doggedly refuses to integrate with Gwenthian society at large, despite a thousand years of shared cause and concern.

The Island is green and fertile, with a wide sweep of central plains perfectly suited to agriculture, and rolling hills forging out to the coasts that are perfect for rearing sheep, goats and other livestock that take to the high ground. In the north, the land is undulating, gentle and thickly forested, especially in the north east, where forest does not break for several hundred kilometres. Wild life is especially plentiful red deer, boar, fox, otter, beaver, squirrel and wolves, for example but the Great Forest is also home to many small settlements hidden amongst the trees. In the south east, two huge escarpments burst from the landscape and plough their way, wave-like, towards the southern shores. The larger of the two, known as The Shifts is characterised by a vast, natural marshland on the northern side of the escarpment that is eerily beautiful and extremely dangerous. Not only does the marsh contain treacherous bogs and quicksand, it is home so it is said to a race of half-ghosts that dwell in the deepest recesses of the marsh and control the ebb and flow of the mists that cling to the ground. The island has few natural threats to its inhabitants. The Iqari fierce, man/eagle creatures inhabit the highest of Cromaignes mountains, Scarclimb Rise, and hunt both animals and, occasionally, Cromaignians; but they tend not venture far from their mountainous territories. Cromaigne is not volcanically active, and neither is it subject to earth quakes or tremors. The western sea lashes the coastline mercilessly throughout the year, but the temperate climate does not lead to hurricanes or tidal waves, and thus, the island of Cromaigne is green, pleasant, and a rich harvest for its occupants.

The Climate
The island is humid, and it is common for overcast skies, drizzle for days on end, and thick inland and coastal mists. But, when the sun punctures the cloud, it casts brilliant rays on a country that is breathtakingly beautiful. The mountainous central territories have deep, green valleys, countless lakes, and imposing cliffs that create small pockets of shelter that are idyllic in their natural simplicity.

Green against green A thousand shades of green growing Against the grey of sea and stone Surf on rock, river against reed, restless And flowing to a point, a presence Reflected in deep faces, deep waters I saw an island, lush and green, break through the mists as the boat cut towards the great port of Menerain. Captain Kr, standing close, asked for And secrets to tell, in hushed voices Gentle against the green my opinion. A land of beauty, I said, for no other words would come. And the grey of sea and stone

The Geography

Beauty. The captain sighed and rubbed at his eyes: he had not slept since wed driven away the pirate vessel that had attempted to sink us. Beauty, aye. But beware, my friend. Cromaigne has a dark heart. Darker than you or I can possibly know. From the Journals of Ranyart Finn, Traveller and Wordsmith.

From A Song of Cromaigne (author unknown)

The Language(s)
I like to think that I have a way with language; an understanding of its nuances and idiosyncrasies, but nothing could have prepared me for the aural assault of the tongues of Cromaigne. In its formal state, poetry and music; in its colloquial, a sing-song rapture. But to study it! To learn its rules! On that, I must admit to being tone-deaf. From the Journals of Ranyart Finn, Traveller and Wordsmith. Cromaignians speak two languages: the island-wide language of Ijiin is a formal language, used for official texts, academic study, trade, contracts, and so forth. It is a soft, sibilant language with a very formal grammatical structure, and has its basis in the formal tongue of the Meravae Empire. Iajaan is the common, informal language of the island and was developed by the Cromaignians following the destruction of the Evening Culture. It is based on Ijiin, but is much looser in grammatical form, and includes hard consonants to complement the smoother, more poetical formal language. Iajaan also includes other Gwenthian influences (although heavily modified over the years), and a great deal of colloquialisms belonging to each of the three kingdoms. Iajaan is what all Cromaignians use in everyday speech; however, dialects across the island differentiate and identify the speaker. The dialect of Amerain is a rounder, almost American-like dialect with a rising inflection at the end of each sentence or statement. Menerains dialect is broader and flatter in sound, with many common constructions abbreviated for convenience. Spharains dialect is a soft, rounded brogue; quiet and precise, with little abbreviation and greater formality in pronunciation.

Where two is are found together, the pronunciation is EYE-een; and as, AY-arn. Ijiin is thus pronounced Ye-JEYE-een and Iajaan Ye-Ah-JAY-arn. Names Names are many and varied. Male names tend to end in a hard consonant, such as l, b, g or k, and female names in soft consonants or vowels but this is never a hard and fast rule.

The Kingdoms
Cromaigne is divided into three kingdoms. These were, originally, purely administrative regions developed in the years after the First Octaminist Crusade, to help rehabilitate the Croman after decades of Evening Culture persecution. But with time, and political scheming, the three regionsAmerain, Menerain and Spharain (named for the three surviving cities) - became autonomous. This transition was not without struggle. The KiMentas sought to retain control of Amerain and used a combination of puppet rulers and the extensive, arcane, Traditions, to fashion a culture that appealed to the isolationist tendencies of the northern Cromaignians. In the eastern lands of Menerain, the Merevae Empire sought to take control, and largely succeeded for a short period, only to find that the Croman of Menerain did not want anything to do with the Meravae (which had largely stood back during the Evening Culture purges) and, instead, adopted some of the more humanist teachings of Amerain. In the south, Spharain fell to the control of Prince yrGael, a man considered by many to be Cromaignes saviour. YrGael rejected all notions of external influence, arguing that Cromaigne should be one nation. This single nation philosophy gained a huge deal of support amongst

The Evening Culture

Cromaignes history begins with the mighty Meravae Empire of central Thurian, and the sect within it that called itself The Evening Culture. The members of the Evening Culture were both Forerunner and Human, and were amongst the first to experience the vivid dreams of the newly awoken Night Hag. Perhaps seduced by the promise of greater powers than even the Meravae held; perhaps enslaved, the sect grew until it openly worshipped the Night Hag and learned how to summon and commune with the Night Spawn, the Night Hags demon children. The Evening Culture increased in membership and power, reaching into thousands (both Forerunner and Human) of members, its knowledge of the powers of darkness developing to the point where the Emperor himself realised that the Evening Culture posed a real threat to his power. The Evening Culture was forcibly removed from the empire. Those who refused to leave were executed. The refugees fled west, travelling across the Sea of Circles until they reached the western isles. Two islands were colonised: the smaller was named Karvarian, and the larger, Cromaigne. The Evening Culture worshipped the Night Hag unhindered for 1,300 years. It built four great cities, assisted by the magics of the Hag and her spawn, and Forerunner and Human sect members began to interbreed something forbidden within the Meravae Empire. As their knowledge of the Night Hag grew, so did their capabilities, and beneath the surface of Cromaigne and Karvarian, the most powerful members of the Evening Culture created laboratories where science and sorcery became indistinguishable, guided by the Night Hags immense knowledge. Very few recall what the Evening Culture created or unleashed in its underground laboratories, but it was truly terrible to behold, and many of the Evening Culture experimenters were driven utterly insane by the results of their research. The results of Forerunner and Human interbreeding were far from horrifying, but no less intriguing. The children of the two species were human in appearance, save for several, notable, differences. First, all the children possessed six fingers on each hand. Second, it became rapidly apparent that the Cromaigne childrenknown as Cromanwere naturally resistant to most diseases and genetic conditions. Finally, as the Cromaigne children became adults, it became highly apparent that they did not age at the same rate as human adults. The True Cromaignians, as they called themselves, aged much more slowly, although faculties of intelligence and comprehension, developed at human rates. Cromaignians can thus reach much greater ages than the human range: it is not uncommon for Cromaignians to reach 150 years, and even 200 years has been achieved.

Why

The Evening Culture believed that it was acting as the herald for a new empire, controlled by the Night Hag, that would see the Dark Orb restored and the Seven Orbs defeated. This would be the Empire of the Night and, as every night is preceded by the evening, so the Evening Culture took its name and philosophy.

the Croman, but was rejected by the KiMentas and Meravae, neither power wanting to lose the power they had established on the island. What prevented Cromaigne-wide rebellion against the Crusaders and Meravae was religion. Many Croman in the north and east had wholeheartedly adopted the Human Church of Gwenthia as a religion. Conversely, YrGael and the Croman of Spharain, rejected not just the worship of Gwenthia, but the worship of all gods. YrGaels aim was to restore Cromaigne to the Spirits that originally inhabited this land, and to many Croman, that was tantamount to heresy. While such deep-rooted divisions of belief prevail (and they are still as deep-rooted, if not more so, in present-day Cromaigne), Cromaigne would remain divided.

Amerain is ruled by a combination of forces. The ceremonial head of the country is the royal family: the House of yrAzurt, which relies on primogeniture for the selection of its monarchs. The monarchy is based in the fabulous Azurt palace on the northern side of Amerain City, and it extends patronage in the shape of Duchies throughout the kingdom. The Dukes of Duchesses of Amerain (and there are seven duchies), fulfil the administrative duties of the kingdom. They are responsible for collecting taxes, maintaining a militia, and conducting local judicial duties. The real power, however, is in the hands of the KiMentas. Ever since Amerain was established as a separate region of Cromaigne, seven KiMentas have been based in the kingdom, and specifically in the city of New Urthan, which was built to provide them with a semblance of comfort. The KiMentas are the High Priests of Gwenthia the Goddess in Cromaigne, and have very close links with the Human Church of Gwenth, based in Menerain. The KiMentas exercise social control over the kingdom through the mechanism of The Traditions. This is an immense series of codes of behaviour, law, lore and etiquette supposedly devised by the Moon Husband Urthan himself. The Traditions codify most aspects of social interaction: types of greeting, forms of address, modes of behaviour, social and sexual taboos, criminal and civil law, religious observations, and standards to be observed within society. Only the KiMentas know (and understand) every single Tradition intimately, and Amerainian society is generally expected to understand the principles and essential requirements of the Traditions, rather than every word and detail. Still, all Amerainians undertake rigorous study of The Traditions, and those with the deepest commands and understandings of them

Amerain
Occupying the north-west of the island, Amerain is hilly, heavily forested in its northern regions, and has the most spectacular coastlines of the island along its western edge. It has three major cities: Amerain City, Foundation, and New Urthan. Amerain City was built by the Evening Culture, and retains its ominous, distinctive architectural style. The city overlooks a wide, deep, natural harbour that is fenced from the open sea by a line of small islands. Foundation and New Urthan were built after the First Octaminist Crusade, and are thus AurUrban in style and feel. New Urthan is an exact replicaalmost down to individual bricksof its sister city in AurUrbis, and was raised by KiMentas magic in the space of eight days. Ruling House

Croman Character and Psyche

Due to their long lifespan, Cromans live at an unhurried pace. The kind of urgency and bustle found elsewhere on Gwenthia is either curiously absent or much less frenetic in the towns and cities of Cromaigne. Cromans are not prone to reach snap decisions or to act without full consideration of the facts, options and outcomes. Reaching decisions on trade, politics and even relatively straightforward issues can take hours, days or even longer. Between Cromaignians, this isnt a problem; but for nonCromans it can be frustrating and irritating especially when the decision or answer appears to be clear-cut. By nature Cromans are very calm and quietly spoken. To hear a Croman raise his or her voice, or even lose his or her temper, is a rare occurrence and usually only after the most extreme provocation. Cromans place great store by their actions and most of their philosophies are based around thinking calmly and rationally about matters instead of leaping to conclusions or judgements that might prove to be illfounded later. To outsiders, Cromans thus appear aloof and humourless, but this is a misleading perception. Cromans are fond of social interaction and laughter, but their unhurried approach to life means that casual socialisation and jocularity does not come easily to them. However, if time and patience is invested in developing a relationship with a Cromans, one inevitably finds a warm, loyal and considerate friendship results.

occupy some of the highest places in the seven Duchies, the Royal come to visit the Seven Moons Cathedral, the ports of Menerains Court, and in the service of the KiMentas in New Urthan. coasts hum with shipping activity, and with it, trade. Religion has been good to Menerain, and the wily merchants of the mercantile Society houses and the Illustrious Guild of Merchant Venturers, have Given the presence of The Traditions, one might expect Amerain taken full advantage of the opportunities. to be a dull, lifeless place that is beset by ritual and adherence to Ruling House the Law. Far from it; the cities bustle with life, enjoyment, and frequent celebration. Amerain enjoys extremely good relations Menerain is a true monarchy. Queen urLeyn has ruled for ninety with AurUrbis, and is a centre for AurUrban trade. KiDelan years and is a popular monarch. She has relaxed trade restrictions, merchants and settlers mingle with Croman freely, and the city of introduced measures to ease bargaining, and refuses to impose Foundation stages an annual recreation of the First Octaminist taxes on certain imports, knowing that such a lax approach makes Crusade during Founders Week. This is not some bloody affair, Menerain far more prosperous than without them. Under urLeyn, but rather an abstraction of the Crusade, using games and contests the Illustrious Guild of Merchant Venturers has truly flourished, to recreate the battles of the time. Athletes and aesthetes alike are becoming a trading power in its own right. Queen urLeyn takes drawn to Founders Week, and the attendees are now drawn from its counsel, but has a close cadre of political advisers of her own across Gwenthia making this a truly international celebration. that assist in the wise decisions Menerain has made consistently under her rule. Amerainian society is thus open and friendly, although it is lawabiding and driven by etiquette and social graces. Many leads are Menerain is, like Amerain, administered under a system of taken from AurUrbis, certainy in terms of dress and social Duchies. Unlike Amerain, Menerain operates to a feudal system: fashions, but the Croman traits of reserve and emotional lands are the property of the Queen, and worked, for payment, by repression are very much in evidence throughout the country. the populace. A seventh of their yield is paid to the Duke, who in turn pays a seventh to the Crown. In return, the Crown offers Relations with Menerain and Spharain protection and security to its people, and provides a just system of laws and safeguards. Although Amerain enjoys close relations with AurUrbis, it is somewhat jealous of the trading position occupied by Menerain, Society and the religious position it enjoys as the centre of the Human Church of Gwenth. There appears to be a growing feeling that Menerain society is cosmopolitan and progressive. Of all the Amerain is too much in AurUrbiss shadow, matched with a people of Cromaigne, Menerainians are the most gregarious and distinctly growing animosity towards Menerains prosperity. least reserved. Its taken several generations for this nature to Whilst relations are cordial, Amerainians see Menerainians develop, and the outside influence of wider Gwenthia has no somewhat as upstarts and imitators. In recent years, Menerain has doubt helped. Menerain fosters a spirit of achievement, and gained some significant wins during Founders Week, much to personal success that is founded partially on the teachings of the Amerains chagrin, and what was once friendly rivalry is becoming Human Church of Gwenth, but also on the harsh lessons of more than a little soured. Cromaignes history. Menerain does no want to be a pariah, like the Evening Culture, or pursue a single ideal, like Spharain, or be Spharain is viewed with absolute distrust. Spharainians are seen as enthralled to one nation, like Amerain. It wants to forge its own bigoted monoculturists that have failed to adapt to a changing destiny, and this philosophy is reflected in the ambitious attitudes world. The personality cult of Prince yrGael is viewed with found in Menerains society. disdain and suspicion, and there is no wish for Amerain to become part of yrGaels single kingdom of Cromaigne. Political The streets of Menerains cities therefore bustle with activity and and trade relations do take place between the two kingdoms, but trade. People from across Gwenthia can be found: traders from they are, and always have been, strained, with neither kingdom Telbrin; sailors and rigging-hand Arboreals from Quatzadua; wily seeking to become sympathetic to the others views and beliefs. Parkheshi merchant princes; and the machine-clans of the Tharux. All are welcomed, and Menerains society thrives as a result.

Menerain

Relations with Menerain and Spharain Relations between the neighbouring kingdoms are tense. Menerain believes itself to be the new, rightful, leader of the Cromaigne hegemony, challenging Spharains ancient position and Amerains religious centralism. Menerain is openly disdainful (yet privately fearful) of Spharains conservatism, and constantly seeks to undermine Amerains religous position by forging ever new markets across Gwenthia.

Sprawling across the centre of Cromaigne, Menerain is a vibrant, prosperous land that enjoys its religious status as the home of the Human Church of Gwenth, and also its increasing status as an international trading and political power. Much of this is due to Menerains active mercantile houses, such as the sprawling Dro clan, which controls a great deal of shipping and coastal trade. As many Heptaminists from across Gwenthia

Evening Culture Influence Despite the presence of the Human Church of Gwenth, disturning reports have emerged from Menerain of a variety of Evening Culture-inspired sects that worship the Night Hag in secret. For the Croman this is sheer, abhorrent, heresy. Such reports are vague and based in hear-say rather than absolute fact, but so far, official denials of such eviol have been similarly vague and casually dismissive. Both Amerain and Spharain have different reasons for establishing the truth behind these rumours, but ultimately the same goal. Political or mercantile dominance is one thing, but for that dominance to be supported by the sorcery of the Evening Culture would plunge Cromaign into civil war - with the likely consequence of yet another, destructive, crusade.

and the two are indivisible. Ruling House There is no royal family in Spharain: simply Prince yrGael. He has refused to be known as King until Cromaigne is a single, unified kingdom. There are no heirs and no claims to the throne; only yrGael and the Council of the Seven. Society Spharain is insular. Economically and agriculturally, it is selfsufficient. Its population is small - less than 1 million - and its needs few. YrGael has gifted the lands of Spharain to his people, and the Council ensures that taxes are fair and land allocated equally. Disputes are heard by the Sheriffs, itinerant magistrates appointed by the Council of Seven to ensure equality amongst the people. Socially, Spharainians are content to remain in their kingdom, and few travel widely. It is as though yrGael is nurturing them from a distance, protecting them with the power of his personality and dreams. For the people of Spharain cleave to yrGaels ideal of a single Cromaigne, with the structures imposed by the crusaders dismantled, and Cromaignians free from religion and outside influence. This ideal is ingrained in the Spharainian spirit, creating passionate, single-minded, obstinate people, who are clearly at odds with their fellows in Amerain and Menerain. Relations with Amerain and Menerain Relations with the neighouring kingdoms are cursory. Spharains buys and sells little, and has rejected all notions of trade agreements, or free markets. Menerainian merchants are allowed to trade in Spharain, but the guilds and other structures that support their powerbase are fobidden. The religious piety of Amerain is rejected outright. Spharain worships no gods, and does not accept the Gwenthian church in

Spharain
Spharain is the only remaining province from the days of the Evening Culture. It occupies the southern third of the island with control centred on the ancient citadel of Spharain itself. Spharain citadel is located in a wide lagoon and built on a series of some fiftenn islands, interconnected by bridges and walkways that stem back to the Evening Culture itself. The architecture is still that of the Evening Culture: high, complicated spires with intricate carvings and flowing, interconnected runes. The citadel is protected by a high curtain wall accessible by a single, massive gate, erected during the First Crusade. Spharain is yrGaels kingdom, and has been for 4,000 years. YrGael is very, very rarely seen in public, and all day to day business is performed by the Council of Seven - ministers picked by yrGael personally to administer the business of the kingdom and protect Spharain from harm. The Council of Seven is said to be in constant psychic contact with yrGael, sharing his dreams and taking instruction on all domestic and international affairs. The Council of Seven conducts all its business in yrGaels name,

The Croman Legislative

With the destruction of the Evening Culture, the question of who should rule Cromaigne lingered. Prince yrGael asserted that the Octaminist Crusaders should leave, and let the Cromaignians take charge of their own fate. He was opposed by Princess Jharethen? of the northern lands of the island, who wanted the help of the Octaminists in reconstructing Cromaigne and along Octaminist traditions. In the east of the island, Lord Menervar?, a victorious general of the Meravae Empire, and ally of the crusaders, declared that he had no intention of relinquishing the lands he had captured and would happily contest his position forcefully if necessary. In a bid to resolve this stalemate, the KiMentas diplomats of the Crusader occupiers created the Croman Legislative, and its intention was to reach a peaceful, but decisive, settlement on how Cromaigne would be governed. The Legislative took two years in its deliberations and failed utterly in its goals. Prince yrGael declared southern Cromaigne a separate kingdom - Spharain? - and Lord Menervar refused to relinquish any rights to his lands. He spent much of the time fortifying the city of Menerain and creating a line of fortifications along his western and southern borders (the Menervar Wall?, as these fortifications are known today). Only Princess Jharethen reached agreement with the Croman Legislative, and the result was the creation of the northern kingdom of Amerain, which was administered by the Princess and a specially appointed group of KiMentas advisers (the KiRisan? - 'Those who think and guide') which continues to serve the Royal Family of Amerain to this day. As Cromaigne was separated into three kingdoms, war naturally followed. Spharain attacked Lord Menevar's lands in a series of bloody conflicts that saw Menevar's position consolidated, and Prince yrGael's diminish. Eventually Prince yrGael agreed to a truce, and devoted his time to hunting down remnants of the Evening Culture that had fled to both Gwailan and Thurian, and to opposing the

The Spirts of Cromaigne and the Spirit Purge

When the Evening Culture fled to Cromaigne, they found a verdant land that was the refuge of countless nature spirits; ethereal creatures that gave life and power to all that was the island itself. The spirits bathed the island in beauty and harmony and were strong in the ways of magic and understanding. Naturally, the Evening Culture had to enslave them. So began the Spirit Purge, which continued throughout the Evening Culture's dominance of Cromaigne and ended only with the Evening Culture's destruction at the hands of the first Octaminist Crusade. Groups of sorcerer-warriors scoured the island for signs of spirit focus and, upon finding them, carved the Night Hag's runes and symbols into the spirits' contact points with the material world, thus slaving them to the will and torments of the Night Hag and the Night Spawn. In this way the Evening Culture sorcerers gained the ability to command magic even at the height of the Moons or the brightest days of sun, and the Night Spawn walked freely in the daylight hours. No spirit was safe: Father Scarclimb, spirit of the Great Mountains, took 800 years to enslave; Gashu'an, Lady of the Great Lake, fell to treacheries from the tributary spirits of the rivers who sought their own safety. The Grey Spirit of the southern escarpment fought for centuries and eventually departed the realm of Gwenthia, leaving behind the marshes of the Shifts, which are his tears. Even the spirits of the Iqari were threatened; and as the Evening Culture grew in power, so they sought out the well-hidden and
Meravae Empire in its heartlands. Lord Menevar named his lands Menerain?, and it became a focal point for trade with the Meravae Empire and many other old and emerging Gwenthian nations. Amerain, under the rulership of Princess Jharethen and the KiRisan consolidated its links with AurUrbis and began the development of The Traditions?, which govern its society totally, and established the Human Church of Gwenthia as its formal religion.

protected spirits of the Eagle-Men. When Father Scarclimb fell to the Evening Culture, much of the Iqari's protection was compromised, and so began the war between the Evening Culture and the Iqari that became known (to the Iqari) as the 'War of First and Last?'. The final battle of the War of First and Last was the Battle of Falling Tears?, where the Iqari assisted in the destruction of the Evening Culture during the Octamninist Crusade. It was their victory that brought to an end the Spirit Purge of Cromaigne, although, even 1,500 years later, many of the island's spirits are still enslaved; some driven mad by their imprisonment, and others now corrupted totally to the Night Hag's cause. The Spirits Today Following the destruction of the Evening Culture, many spirits were released from bondage, only to dissipate with the trauma of their ordeal. Many had been driven mad, and refused to be released. Others fled the plane of Gwenthia, returning to their myriad homes parallel to Gwenthias realm. Many spirits returned to their Gwenthian refuges and lead quiet, solitary lives, refusing contact with Croman or human, save for those who demonstrate the affinity to Spirit Walk. Some spirits are still trapped, held fast by Evening Culture runes and awaiting rescue: no-one knows how many, or what their state of presence will be when released. The Human Church of Gwenth views the spirits as an anachronism: a remnant of a Gwenthia long gone. These days, the spirits are remembered only in prayers and nursery rhymes by the Amerainians and Menerainians. Yet in Spharain, the spirits are venerated. YrGael has made it a

personal crusade to find and liberate all the spirits of Cromaigne, and return them to their lands. A united Cromaigne means a land where flesh and spirit live together in harmony and shared power. As a consequence, Spharainains are taught that nature is to be cherished and nurtured. Spirits are worshipped as trusted neighbours and friends. Shrines and offerings abount at those places where (sane) spirits are known to exist. Ghost Fences and Snake Stiles mark those areas where spirits are insane or hostile. And Spharain still identifies and trains Spirit Walkers - those who seek-out the trapped and lost spirits and seek to guide them to freedom. These individuals are naturally attuned to see the spirit world and identify the nature, power and complexity of the spirits of Cromaigne. As they grow in experience and stature, so they grow in power as they learn to call upon the powers of their spirit allies.

vociferously that it does not have a problem with Night Hag Cultists; and, even if it did, it is more than capable of dealing with them. Amerain, on the other hand, has unearthed evidence of cults in several of its settlements, and tries to keep the information secret something the Knights of the Rose have exposed. The issue for both kingdoms is that the Knights of the Rose are a throwback to the Evening Culture Witch Hunts initiated by yrGael following its demise a period in Cromaignian history many would prefer to forget. The Knights of the Rose maintain networks of agents in their areas of operation, and thus have access to a superb base of information (and paranoia) to draw upon in their investigations. As Night Hag cultists sometimes have Night Spawn demons at their command, the Knights are equipped with Dark Moon? fragments that provide a range of powers that are effective against these monsters. The Knights of the Rose contrast with the Haghunters of AurUrbis. Whilst believing in a common cause, they are sceptical of each other. The Haghunters' scepticism is deeply-rooted, and they refuse to believe that worship of the Night Hag ceased with the destruction of the Evening Culture; they also believe that Prince yrGael has made secret bargains with the Night Hag in return for his extended life. The Knights of the Rose believe that the Haghunters are ineffective and ill-equipped to deal with the horrors the Night Hag creates. In reality, these two agencies are both very good at what they do, and share a ground that is more common than they realise.

The Knights of the Rose

Spharain maintains its own agency to investigate and track-down Night Hag and Dark God Cultists: The Knights of the Rose. These philosopher-warriors are hand-picked by Prince yrGael and charged with scouring Cromaigne for evidence of the Night Hag and destroying it. Despite not being recognised by either Amerain or Menerain?, the Knights of the Rose still operate in these kingdoms, usually in covert cells. Their presence, and the scale of power accorded to them by Prince yrGael, has created significant tensions between Spharain? and its neighbours. Menerain states

Roleplaying Ideas
A Spirit to Die For A street vendor on Amerain city has a Spirit Map for sale. Possession of Spirit Maps has been illegal since yrGael wrenched power from the Evening Culture over a thousand years ago, and most these days are fakes. But this seems genuine. It also seems to point the way to the Enchainment Place of jhur-ghar-jhur-ghar The Father In The Rocks - if so, it holds the key to one of the most powerful fettered spirits that the Evening Culture could never command. Whoever commands jhur-ghar-jhur-ghar commands, they say, the secret of the Seven Moons. That would explain all the AurUrban assassins, Knights of the Rose, and a dozen Hag Worshippers of Chli-Mestis Han's sect; but why is the Royal House of Queen urLeyn so interested? Falling Angel Coldacre Farm is like so many in the Scar foothills; isolated, small, nervous. When the Iqari attack, the people have learned to hide and let them winged bastards take a few cattle - better than losing a life. So what do you do when a wounded Iqari lands in your barn? What do you do when that Iqari tries to communicate? What do you do when that wounded Iqari defends you from the foothills bandits who prey on the lonely farms and saves your life? What do you do when man/bird and man begin to form an understanding? And what do you do when the Iqari Hunters come looking for some easy raptor blood? Lodestone Get me a present, she says. Get me shiny things. So I wander the canals of Spharain and find this jewelry barge with some strange black glinting things that REALLY catch my eye. Decent price. Buy one. She goes mad! Best sex ever! Now we're having nightmares. Now we're seeing writhing things in the dark. Sex is still great but becoming frantic, and the bite marks on my shoulder don't look like her mouth put them there. And I'm really afraid. House Party Chulithor-wan of the Amerain KiMentas is holding his annual house party. Various dignitaries from the High Guilds, the Middle Sects and the Low Quarters are invited. Archery, dance, poetry, fine food, fine wine and song are the orders of the weekend. And then the body is found in the Observatory, eyes burned out and telescope trained on the Green Moon. Suddenly Chulithorwan has bolted the doors and is playing detective. Someone's

guilty: someone is going to pay. Chulithor-wan commands more power than the King, so punishment is a moot point. No option then... the Game is Afoot!

Gara-Dien
The Harmonious Empire

niquely, the Harmonious Empire of Gara-Dien does not take the name from the peoples who constitute it instead it records the name of one of the most prominent figures of Central Thurian history, Gara'Dien, often known as the Theurgist. The Empire owes its origins solely to his influence, genius and power, although he always pointed to the one behind him, the divine being who sent him to Gwenthia The Lady of Doors. The Empire's approach to thought, magic and belief set it apart from the other states and peoples of Thurian a society driven by the power of the idea.

however, are they beholden to the Petty Princedoms of Meravenia. Where the Ellys river descends from the uplands there is the strange and un-natural Nilman Desert, a blasted region of coarse sands and gravels. No life can survive long in this harsh environment, undisturbed by wind or magical energy and home to fearful legends of ghostly legions. The source of the Ellys river is further east, high in the lands of the Hash-Takk Marg, a mountainous region which is home to the strange and disturbingly insectile Hash-Takk. It is a land pocked with (pre-dominantly dormant) volcanoes, bubbling-hot mud pools, geysers and hot springs, all contributing to the lingering smell of brimstone. Few humans live there. Directly to the south of the Hash-Takk Marg are the rich lands of the Felloxore River valley, where the Oxore built a mighty kingdom in past centuries, and now serve as a buffer between the Empire and Quatzadua. Mistrust and ill-feelings between the Empire and its eastern neighbour leave this a tense and uneasy border. Most of central Gara-Dien, that portion south of the Thurian plains, comprises deeply dissected plateaux, pierced with several larger mountains, all of which are covered in lush forests and woods. Innumerable small rivers drain this region. Those which drain northwards feed the Viorxe, the Aenthkiang and the Sifthros, all tributaries of the Ellys. The Sahn, Huam, Shaa (itself fed by the Linbayan) and the Oxore (fed by the Aragra) all drain south into the Great Gara-Dien Bay. The descent south from the plateaux is noticeably easier than that to the north, resulting in a tight common identity between the peoples of the plateaux and those of the coastlands. Bordering the Great Gara-Dien Bay the southern coastlands are fertile and grassy, with the coastal plains merging almost imperceptibly into the lower steps of the inland plateaux. The natives of this coast look as much to the seas for their food and wealth as inland, and have given rise to skilled mariners, wily merchant adventurers and not a few slave traders. In recent years it is these mariners who have driven the Gara-Dien dreams of expansion to the Isles of the Kitar, not just confining themselves to the conquest of the numerous lesser islets, but the main land itself, Kitarinik.

The Geography
Gara-Dien is located in the western half of Thurian, sharing a common border with Zathuria along the course of the river known to the Zathurians as the Charrux, and the Gara-Dien as the Ellys. The lands draining into this river form a low, rolling shallow bowl, ideal for the plains-dwelling nomads from which the True Gara-Dien are descended. While the river has acted as trade route, allowing the penetration of traders deep into the heart of the continent the plains have been the site of numerous battles and wars. Further to the east the Ellys river is overshadowed by the immense mountains of Meravenia, which are harsh and uninviting to the Gara-Dien peoples. Although there are a number of flourishing independent settlements to the north of the river they do not fall under the direct authority of the Empire. Neither,

Issues of Temperature and Climate

"Gara-Dien is at about the latitude of West Africa, but possibly cooler and probably somewhat drier." Average temperature in the 20-3ooC range on the coasts and hills, reaching maybe the midupper 30s in the northern savanna, and even higher in the Nilman Desert.

The Language(s)

While each of the tribal groupings from across the Empire subscribe to a broad language family in accord with their ethnicity, the harmonising nature of the Empire itself promotes a form taken predominantly from the original members of the empire The Harmonious Empire of Gara-Dien covers a large area, and as and referred to simply as Garasuch contains numerous human tribal groups and one non-human Dien. Thus although there may be a number of languages spoken species. The resident humans can be broadly divided into three within each province it is in the geographically-based categories. These are the True Gara-Dien Citizen of Eastern (natives of the Charrux-Ellys River Valley), the Surlz, or Southern interest of all to learn this form as Gara-Dien (an inadequate term referring to the hill, mountain and it is a prerequisite for citizenship. coastal folk who were later in This official language is a technically precise one, like modern joining the Empire), and the native German. Multi-syllabic compound words are common, especially peoples of the Isles of the Kitar (a for specialized tools or items. For example, a sword might be group of spirit-worshipping tribal called a sword, but a greatsword would be called a large sword peoples far from integrated within that is used to remove the heads from enemies at several paces. the Empire). Spoken, it can sound harsh and guttural or soft of sibilant based on inflection. Its alphabet and vocabulary are both bloated and There are a large number of subconvoluted, making it almost incomprehensible to non-native divisons within these groupings, speakers. As such, Gara-Diens have a flair for other languages, such as the Mid-Tai pygmy folk, which they view as almost childish in their relative simplicity. who are a sub-group of the True

The Peoples

Gara-Dien, not forgetting the growing number of citizens referred Gara-Dien Jade to as Mongrel Gara-Dien and arising from the mixing of tribal populations in the burgeoning cities.

Gara-Diens usually have large, complicated named composed of their birth name (Roger), family or house name (Stevens), occupation (the Blacksmith), caste (artisan), major accomplishment (forger of the Sword Bloodbane) and nicknames (Foe-render). Each addition comprises part of the persons whole, real name, including nicknames. So, in the The average Gara-Dien is a mixture of smug superiority and a desire to make life better for non-citizens. They always want the example, this persons full name would be Roger Stevens, Artisan, the Blacksmith who forged BloodBane, also known as best for themselves, and are typically willing to go to lengths to Foe Render. What you would call such a person in every day life get it. However, their society is progressive and allows much upward mobility; by following the precepts of the Jade Path, even would depend on what the speakers station was. Another artisan would call him Roger, a nobleman might call him Stevens, a slave can become a wealthy, influential person. They view while his wife would call him anything she wanted. During expansion as their Birthright, and are stubborn when it comes to introductions, it is considered polite to only mention enough of conflicts. your name to let the other person know what to call you (so if The non-human species are the Hash-Takk, alien creatures of youve got a million nicknames, you neednt mention them all.) disturbing form and mind. Each Hash-Takk is different from any It would appear that the Hash-Takk do not possess a native other, as their mixture of insect blood produces strange and language as such, since as near as Imperial scholars can tell, the uneven hybrids. They are mostly bipedal, although quadra-and hexepedal Hash-Takk are known to exist. Their insect features are Hash-Takk dont actually have names for each other, and only use verbal communication when dealing with other species. It is carapace-like exoskeltons, diaphanous wings, segmented eyes, assumed that they communicate with each other via some sort of generally beetle like shape and movement. Their more human features are of pale skin and hair, long slender fingers, tapered ears hive-mind or telepathy, but there has yet to be any serious study about this. Individuals often adopt Gara-Dien words as names, and small mouths. They speak in melodious whispers. Their but do so seemingly at random. For example, a Hash-Takk might minds are not as linear as human minds, and are capable of have a use-name of Pliers or Crowbar, or even something like making leaps of logical and intuitive thinking that astound most Leather. Those that have become Imperial citizens adopt the Imperial scholars.

naming conventions of their new country, complete with appropriately lengthy nicknames.

The Provinces of Gara-Dien

The Ellys Confederacy, with its capital of Saareng, is the largest navlacht of Gara-Dien, a vibrant mix of the fierce Lyshian nomads (sworn enemies to the Zharaan across the border in To allow the most efficient growth and government the Empire is Zathuria), the Bee People of the Honeyed Coast and lowlands and divided in a hierarchical manner, while taking account of ethnic the Chav-Chin tribe of the hills. The Lyshian nomads willingly variations. The Emperor presides over the Imperial Senate, whose raid the neighbours across the border for slaves, in support of senators (darintang, singular darin) are drawn from the eleven ancient custom and defiance of Imperial Policy, while the ChavImperial Provinces. These provinces (navlacht), and the one Chin are the guardians of the sacred mountain from which Imperial Protectorate, are accountable to the senate, and each Theurgist Gara'Dien is alleged to have departed this plane at the overseen by an Imperial Governor, directly appointed by the behest of the Lady of Doors (as opposed to his more public Emperor. departure outside Maragrim City). The ownership of the CharruxThe senate has the power and responsibility to propose laws and Ellys River delta, also known as the Great Sudeg Marsh, has been policies, which the Emperor, as ultimate authority, may approve, contested for centuries. However the ever watchful presence of veto or amend. The Emperor is also Commander-in-Chief of the the Black Angels, the so-called Charioteers of the Zathurians is military. The senate is a place of intense rivalry where individual enough to prevent direct military action. Senators often act under the table. There are a number of factions The cradle of Gara-Dien, The Primacy of Throseka is at work within the Senate, often cutting across provincial or separated from Ellys by the Viorxe river and dominated by the regional lines. Each Senator and the Emperor hold tremendous capital city of Moorvia. Beyond the cosmopolitan city, and its power, but are expected to keep the Harmonic Principles of extensively irrigated croplands and orchards, the small settlements justice and compassion in mind when making decisions. of the Tuoeka people dot the scrublands, while still paying their Each province is divided into a number of smaller units, the traditional homage to the Fifthros nomads (a group closely related regions (xivlacht), each of which is represented by a senator. to the Lyshian and sharing many traditions and customs). Typically each navlacht is composed of 4-8 xivlacht, and, Intermingled among the Tuoeka peoples are small communities of therefore, 4-8 senators. The smallest unit is the land division Tharux, descended from roving traders and, by and large, (domosalio''), each of which is under the oversight of a apparently ignorant of their relation to their kin further north. commissioner, (fu'geth), who is accountable to the appropriate Iorxiland which spans the upper reaches of the Viorxe River is regional senator. home to the tribes of the Iorxi Confederacy, a small, widelyIn addition, the reality of the process of assimilation of states and distributed tribal grouping whose guardian spirits were defeated in peoples into the Harmonious Empire has rendered large areas a magical contest by the theurgy of GaraDien, at the site of the which are technically within the Empire unrepresented at the land current capital, Viorsden. While the rule of the Harmonious division or even regional level, effectively rendering the residents Empire may have changed their faith perspective somewhat and as subject or protected peoples and not yet incorporated into the the educated Iorxi recognise the importance of balance, their empire as citizens. Naturally the Gara-Dien do not advertise this traditional way of life has remained largely unchanged. (And fact to outsiders as a general rule, although some provinces (such heavy-handed attempts to do so have led to bloody protests) as the Xunli Freehold) mimic Imperial practice in assigning a Most of their agricultural practices emphasis the burning of tree guardian (halpanxiv, or little father) with equivalent cover to create the fertile ash which enriches the soil something theoretical standing to a senator or commissioner, depending of this destruction to bring fertility and life ethic seems to have upon the area covered. Some of the most vicious politicking in the shaped their penal and authority systems. senate is over the formalisation of official regions or land The Amnuzan Junta rule a damaged land (where most magic divisions from these areas, as these threaten to endanger the seems to be reduced in power and effect). The Chamnu, a taciturn balance of power between the various factions. and war-like society hold power over a semi-nomadic mongrel Alongside this system are the Dominions, tributary states of the population (the admixture of local Mnid, Tuoeka, Fifthros and Empire which are allowed a greater degree of autonomy. Their Tharux bloodlines). This was the area most affected by the Plains rulers are directly answerable to the Emperor alone. Typically this Wars and still bears the scars. The Chamnu, are not an ethnic form of governance is applied to powerful regimes that are not yet group so much as a meritocratic warrior elite and are based in the ready to be fully incorporated into the Empire, or more fortified city of Ninefold. These warriors are fanatic Gara-Dien commonly, where a degree of flexibility is in the Empire's loyalists, renowned for their bravery and loyalty. They await the interests. day that the Emperor will order them to swarm across the Ellys River and burn the Zathurian city of Demna to the ground, a day

Political Structure

which many expect to be imminent. The navlacht's eastern border is marked by the River Sifthros, the west by the Aenthkiang River.

myth. Since the coming of the Jade Empire this rivalry has been channelled into matters of trade and prestige, rather than of blood. One result of this is the splendour of their capital city, the Tyath County lies on the coast, adjoining the Ellys Confederacy, great Pnajinn Hua. Imperial Citizens from the League dominate and is comprised of the majority of the former Greater Tyath Gara-Dien's trading endeavours with the rest of Gwenthia. Their Magistracy. After their expulsion from the Honeyed Coast the ships are superior to all others in the Great Gara-Dien Bay (and Tyath joined the Empire (by choice) and the Magistrates still wield far beyond), much to the chagrin of the neighbouring Sheshaan. impressive day-to-day power from the city of Athsahnduk. Despite their past history of conflict the Tyath now enjoy far The Sheshaan Canonry built it's power on conquest and slavery, better relations with their neighbours than they ever did in preselling many such captives to their longtime allies, the Oxore. Imperial times. After centuries of such practices they were finally conquered by the Jade Empire by the forces raised by the Xunli general and Tiaen Hills Province is home to the pygmy Mid-tai hill people, convert General ChentPin after a hard fought campaign (146who simply wish to be left alone. One of the earliest nations to 158). The Sheshaan have since redirected some of their energies follow the way of GaraDien they are secretive and little-known, into a centuries-long fight for dominance with the neighbouring guarding their borders against all comers. It is whispered that they League of Jinnahn. They are at a serious low point in this contest await the summons of the Theurge himself, when he returns to at present. Membership of the Empire and the ways of the Lady rule Gwenthia at the left hand of the Lady of Doors, and that only of Doors have not completely outlawed slavery, but have seriously then will their mighty power be revealed. Any Mid-tai known damaged the Sheshaan economy and confidence, and their large beyond their land are either powerful sorcerers or bedraggled fleet is in poor condition, as is their capital of Neshaanah Hurn, outcasts. Few who enter their lands return, although their headless reflecting their current poor fortunes. Worse still the recent spate corpses may be seen drifting down the river Aenthkiang into the of attacks on Sheshaan Slave ships is making matters worse... Charrux/Ellys basin. No formal capital has been designated for this province. Always thinly settled, the lands of the Xunli found new strength and identity after General ChentPin was awarded the post of In the central hills of Gara-Dien stands The Viridian. For many Imperial Governor of the newly-formed province, the Xunli years these lands were shunned by the tribes of Thurian, but now, Freehold after his successful defeat of the neighbouring with the coming of the Gara-Dien these forested hills have been Sheshaan. His mausoleum dominates the capital city of Isemidi. opened to settlement in a great experiment. Amidst the ancient ruins the landscape is being tamed and settled by colonists according to the wisdom of the Lady of Doors and the Theurgist Gara'Dien. Leaving behind their previous cultural identities the While many of the Hash Takk follow the Jade Path and the brightest and best are building The Viridian, and its shining capital teachings of the Jade College, they are not technically-speaking Demegal. All know that The Viridian is a triumph of the Jade citizens of the Empire, as the lands of the Hash Takk Marg are Path, and it produces goods and agricultural produce of the counted as the oldest dominion. The Hash Takk queen is a highest order, yet it exports no particular items of artistic or personal ally of the emperor, not to mention having memories of cultural merit. Its inhabitants, when met beyond the navlacht, the Theurgist. In addition to controlling her realm she also rules seem contented and healthy, but are otherwise totally the relatively few hardy humans who dwell on the surface of her unremarkable, except that is, for their unstinting devotion to the inhospitable domain. In common with the other Dominions the Lady of Doors. Hash Takk have observer status at the Imperial Senate.

The Dominions

The Koijo Pact is a land controlled by a number of City-Leagues, the most powerful of which is the City of Hako. This navlacht may well be one of the oldest existing governmental organisations in the region and harbours an intense suspicion of the Tharux. No one knows the origin of this, but certainly there have never been any Tharuxi allowed within the walls of the City-States and the region escaped the horrors of the Night-Blind Plague, at least in part due to this policy. The agricultural produce from the Pact is exported far and wide. The League of Jinnahn is home to the adventuresome and wealthy Jinnahn, the mercantile adventurers ''par excellence'' of Gara-Dien. They have a centuries-long history of conflict with the neighbouring Sheshaan peoples, the origins of which are lost in

Second oldest is The Oxore Dominion having been a dedicated satellite of the Empire for over 300 years. After defeat in The Baton Wars the Oxore have been allowed to retain an autonomous tributary status. This is a pragmatic response, rather than a particularly generous one, not unknown in Gara-Dien history. By allowing the Oxore Dominion to retain a degree of autonomy Gara-Dien has a powerful satellite on its sensitive border with Quatzadua in the Ill Winds dispute. Any actions undertaken by the Oxore are plausibly deniable, with the Imperial consuls of each of the regions being protected from total responsibility. The dominion is composed of three regions, which are being closely modelled on the navlacht of the Empire.

Empire can recommend courses of action it cannot compel slave owners to do so. Some of the more enlightened masters are known to employ former or trainee Imperial Assessors to teach Upper Oxore marks the heartland of the dominion and certain portions of the Path, such as Body Harmony to their is ruled from the city-fortress of Maragrim City by Prince slaves, and thus to enhance the Dimensional Magic pool of the Tangjin, a fearsomely powerful warrior-magician, state without unduly diminishing their labour pool. reputed to be several centuries old even at the time he was affirmed as head of the dominion by The Theurgist Any slaves who do attempt to surreptitiously gain literacy are usually seriously punished by their masters, since once they himself in 674. achieve the required minimum standards they can appeal to the Chejit Province was a tributary kingdom at the time the nearest Imperial Assessor, who is empowered to grant provisional when Prince Tangjin was appointed by the Empire and citizenship on the spot. still retains the same ruling house to this day. This can be turned into a form of competition between slave and The Kingdom of An Kitar is the latest dominion, under the loyal non-slaveholding groups. The Liberty Brigades of the League of Kitar tribal leader Bobanagaradinena, who has been proclaimed as Jinnahn are known to subsidise certain branches of the Jade King of An Kitar and charged with the awesome responsibility for College within the neighbouring Sheshaan Canonry, giving them continuing the conquest and assimilation of the island from the the resources to house and keep provisional citizens until capital city of Balembarneho. citizenship is formally granted. Lower Oxore was subjugated centuries ago and enjoys strong links with the Sheshaan peoples.

The Economy
The Empire promotes a mixed economy, encouraging competition in many cases while retaining a degree of control over a range of basic items. The prices of those goods deemed to be essential, such as staple foodstuffs, are pegged throughout the Empire, subject to review every five years. With every such review there tend to be a number of items added or dropped from the list, at least partly as a result of senatorial jockeying to support each of the province's intrests. The practical upshot is that the citizens and dependents of the Empire remain fed, and thus content, while some goods are available at below market price to the benefit of any who wish to purchase them from within or beyond the Empire, while others escape from the protected category and encourage entrepreneurial importers.

Currency
The standard currency is the Imperial Bunt, supplied by mints in most of the provincial capitals. Each bunt is solid and round, about 2cm across and marked with the image of Gara'Dien's Epiphany on one side and a design dependent on it's denomination. One bunt coins are made of silver alloy and show the image of a citizen typical to the originating province. Similarly, ten bunt coins show an assegai, sword, drums and harp, symbolising the militrary and cultural strength of the Empire. One hundred bunt coins are of gold alloy and display the Emperor's regalia, his circlet, staff and sceptre). For smaller purchases each bunt is divided into 100 Rings, copper based coins the same size as each bunt but with a hollow centre and simply insribed with Gara-Dien on the reverse and 1 on the obverse.

As befits a state that would control the world Gara-Dien dislikes the need to import too many goods from outside, especially those it considers of vital strategic interest. Thus there are a number of a Dominions retain their own currencies, pegged to the bunt and tarifs imposed upon certain imported goods, the value and choice usually of similar design. of which are similarly imposed in five year cycles. The penalty for receiving and supplying such goods ranges in severity from a hefty fine to death.

Religion

Slavery
The practice of slavery is not unknown within the Empire, although its prevalence is slowly decreasing over time. This area represents where idealism and economics intersect. Slaves are still the most economical due to their reduced labour costs, and it is illegal to keep a citizen as a slave. Imperial policy explicitly encourages all residents to join the Jade Path, and thus become citizens. Since part of the full teaching of the Jade Path is that of literacy, and literacy is a pre-condition of citizenship, most slaves are forbidden from attending the Jade College, and while the

The Jade Path.

While many speak of the Jade Path in terms of the state religion of Gara-Dien the terminology is somewhat ambiguous; the Jade Path being as much a philosophical and ritual practice as a religious one. The practice of following the Path is akin to an act of worship, but in a very matter-of-fact manner. It is simply that which is done rightly. While it is true that the Lady of Doors is viewed as the focus of all devotion, mediated through the truth as revealed by the one she sent, Theurgist Gara'Dien, and the lesser Lords and Ladies (or demiurges), she herself is an enigmatic and distant figure, and speculation about her nature and purposes are

discouraged. The Theurge himself clearly taught that she is only to be known by those who succeed in the treading the Path to the extent of leaving the known sphere through the Green Door, and they are precious few in number. These individuals are believed to be chosen of the Lady of Doors as emissaries, so that her worship can spread to other worlds. The practice of The Jade Path comes in two forms: The Workers Path and The Warriors Path. Both paths are seen as integral to society, and are given equal, but firmly separate, standing. It is common knowledge that everyone exists to operate within one of these two paths, and only certain rare people can switch paths during their lives. People naturally fall towards one of these paths, which means that life is pre-ordained - a practice which is decried by both dissidents and external critics alike as little more than a social control mechanism.

In every domosalio, and every town, there are at least two externally appointed Imperial Assesors who maintain a branch of the Jade College, part school and part temple. In some backwater villages, if there are any Assessors at all they will be lowly, but literate individuals, teaching to the best of their abilities from their own home. In bigger cities the Colleges are correspondingly greater in size and grandeur, all seeking to emulate the headquarters of the Jade College are located in Moorvia, reputedly the site of Gara'Dien's appearance. Known as The College of Colleges, this Jade College is vast and dominates the city - with the Emperor's Palace and the Senate house located within its precincts.

Whatever its size the College is the place in which all are offered instruction in the Jade Path at a given time on a given day. Although attendance is not mandatory a surprisingly large proportion of the populace do attend, since the instruction tends The vast majority of people walk the Workers path. This tradition to be valuable and useful, if only as a chance to escape from the trains people to perform any tasks that are not directly involved in chores of work and meet friends and neighbours! fighting for conquest. This includes such jobs as smithing, farming, and husbandry. It also includes surprising occupations, Each family is presented with a copy of the basic precepts of the like government positions, religious orders and craftspeople. Jade Path in the form of Theurgist Gara'Dien's Concise Green There is also a Magicians Path in the Path of the Worker, where Scroll, spare copies of which are freely available in the library. students learn magic not specifically related to battlefield use Larger branches of the College will have copies of his complete (research, investigation, other practical uses, although some work, the Great Jade Codex, available for reference. offensive magic is taught.) Since there is mandatory military training for almost everyone in Gara-Dien, the basic precepts of the Warriors path are well known. The martial training given to students includes mind and body control exercises, akin to terrestrial tai-chi, and rudimentary weapons training. In all places the weapon taught is the quarterstaff, although instruction in the spear is also widespread. If a student shows promise (s)he receives the best instruction the Imperial Assessors can give, and free travel to the nearest large academy to train in the Path of the Warrior. Those that do so can become warriors of almost godlike ability. They are weapons of the Empire, used to enforce its ideals through might of arms and energy. However even the rest receive lectures on military theory, which are largely wasted on people who have never fought, and will never need to fight. The Jade Paths religious teachings are that each person walks a blessed jade path during their life, and the energy they great and give off as they grow feeds those around them and also feeds the archetypal demiurge called the Lord or Lady of that particular path. For example, the Lord of the Path of the Soldier is called Marturu, a figure of dark armour and strength of arms. Those that walk his path are given aid in battle, and are said to be able to overcome any odds. All of these Lords and Ladies in turn petition their favoured followers to the Lords of the two main paths. The Jade College is the instrument by which the rudiments of the Harmonious Empire's ideology of the Jade Path is propagated among the people.

The Old Faith.

While the Jade Path is the state religion of the Harmonious Empire, it is also an alien faith, brought to Gwenthia by the sorcerer GaraDien, the person from whom the empire and its people take their name. During the Empire's early days of expansion, nomadic quahti & dromal herders who lived in large family groups populated the mainland of Thurian. These groups all had slightly different religious faiths, but each faith was part of a larger central belief system that began and was perpetrated by the nomads for generations. Fragments of these faiths still remain in the Empire. Imperial scholars collectively refer to these oppressed religions as The Old Faith, a disparaging term that implies that these faiths are outdated and no longer valid. The Old Faith is a polytheistic religion. A tribal Totem, which was typically seen as a personified force, oversaw each family group. You could, in theory, run into them at a gathering, or find them wandering the grasslands and woods. These beings were expected to protect the family and intercede with the 8 Orbs on behalf of the family. In exchange for these services, the family would make offerings to the totem, the nature of which would vary by the needs of the Totem in question. The Totem was served by a series of attendant spirits, and by its human agents. What these agents were called varied from family to family, but they invariably wielded great power, both mystical and political.

Also, the Orbs would send instructions to the Totems, who would convey the instructions to their agents, who would in turn instruct the family. In this way, people could be made to fulfil the will of the gods. It is said that, when the 8th moon fell, all of the Totems that served it, and their families and attendant spirits, went to the underworld to join it. The Empire holds its genesis in these nomadic groups. When Gara'Dien appeared out of the air, he gathered families around him and taught them his Path. The Totems said the Orbs were displeased at this turn of events, but Gara'Dien brought strange and powerful weapons with him, and the nomads couldnt stop the relentless expansion. They were subsumed into the Empire, effectively destroyed and eaten. However, the Totems servants still live, spreading the will of the Orbs through the slums of the Empire, festering in hidden groves and dens, plotting and scheming their way into the hearts of good Imperial citizens. This, at least, is what the Jade College teaches, and many of these groups have become as ruthless as the Imperial line declares. There are, however, tight cells of Old Faith members who want only to live their lives and worship their Totems in peace.

tree described in the verse) but cannot perform the spell themselves. Thus talented individuals may escape detection, either by deliberate deception or simple garbled teaching - not to mention the possibility of aptitude being activated later in life. Some are hidden by the Old Faith and made into Totemic servants or taught the spirit language of the Kitar. Some even wind up on the Sorcerers Path from the Path of the Worker. Some magic users, however, do not make it into one of the formal schools. These people are either terribly fortunate or sadly dangerous. They may continue to develop their magical skills, but are much more self directed. Without the safeguards of an established tradition, these mages can overextend themselves (indeed, almost all do at least once) and cause substantial harm as their magic rockets out of control.

At its core, magic is the ability to take magical energy, and manipulate it with the mind towards an end function of some sort. It is also relational; magicians who know their targets intimately will find it easier to channel energy into them, and will be able to produce bigger effects with less expenditure of power. Magicians also develop the ability to infuse a commonly used tool or weapon with their own energy, so that, when striking someone with the weapon, or using the tool for its desired purpose, it Nevertheless, any person suspected of being a member of the Old counts as being part of the magician. Magicians who travel in Faith is typically arrested and tried. If found guilty, the penalties groups and know each other well can also use magic to augment are the same as for treason and sedition; Death by Hanging, individual group members, and the group as a whole. For this Burning or the Sword. Even if absolved of all charges, the victims reason, magicians on the same Path or of the same tradition find it good name is indelibly marked, which is sometimes worse than prudent to have a core group of fellows to act with, as well as being guilty. belonging to a larger organizing body that can collect dozen or hundreds of magicians to produce staggering magical effects.

Magic

The Gara-Dien view is that magic is an inborn trait that all humans, and most other races, can do instinctively from birth. However, while this skill is like any other, some people are much better at it than others. Most people have only a little natural talent, and cannot progress to greater magic. Anyone who shows real aptitude is capable of learning any of the different schools of magic. Magical instruction in the local branches of the Jade College is usually limited to the teaching of a set of eight spells rather more complicated than the common cantrips passed down from parents and grandparents. This octet is taught by rote as a set of uplifting verses, with no mention being made of the purpose, other than general education. Magical aptitude will result in one or more of the spells working, and mark the individual out for further attention at a larger academy. Virtually any person living within the Empire who displays an aptitude for magic is immediately immersed in one of the Empires religious traditions, where their magical abilities are filtered through the religions world-view. Usually the Assesors are not magically adept themselves. Rather they know what will result should an individual have the talent (the most common being a simple illusion of the flowering Tcheri

Beyond that, everything is just theory. There are as many ways of using energy as there are people who can use it. Even within an established tradition, individuals manipulate this energy in different ways. The major magical traditions of The Jade Path are given below, both with their proper and their common titles.

The Path of The Warrior

The Thrice-Sharp Instrument (The Weapons Masters). This tradition teaches that magic can be used to sharpen the mind and prepare the body for combat. Magic energy is used to increase the users fighting prowess. They train with all weapons known, although most specialise in only a few. The Falling Wrath Practice (The Battle Mages). This tradition teaches that magicians are the masters of power too immense for others to use. They channel energy to become arcane engines of destruction. Others of this path prefer to be subtler. In any case, these are magicians of action. The Golden Harvesters Association (The Assassins).

The best generals know that depriving an enemy force of its commanders is the surest way to victory. The Assassins are the tools for this sort of work. Members are trained in using magic to get close enough to a target to attack, and to make sure the target stays dead. The Hawk's Roving Eye (The Outriders). The masters of reconnaissance. Members of this tradition use magic to gather information, to speed through enemy held lands, and to make sure what they know can get to those who need it. The Broken Cord Brotherhood (The Saboteurs). Battles are not only won in the field, but in the disruption of supplies and the sapping of morale. Members of this tradition are skilled at sabotage and psychological magics. The School of Uncounted Dragons (The Artificers). Members of this tradition are the alchemists of the time. They use magic to create noxious globes of gas, siege engines, and clockwork or steam powered engines of war to aid the Empire.

This secret society gains control of an area by using magic to influence the political process. Their area of control is spreading out, and cropping up in distant parts of the empire. They seem to be consolidation their power, but for what purpose? Members tend to be charming and working their way into influential positions.

History
Theurgist Gara'Dien was destined to make an impact in the area, not least stemming from the manner of his arrival high in the skies above Morvkraal, the ancient and holy site of the Fifthros nomads of central Thurian. Within three years of this epiphany the Theurgist, who was acclaimed by many as being not of Gwenthia, forged an alliance and instituted a pattern of worship which today dominates a large swathe of the continent, and proclaims its inevitable victory throughout the world.

While the existence of Gara-Dien can be dated to -1250 BP, with the signing of the Emerald Compact in Morvkraal, records and histories of the folk of the Charrux-Ellys Basin can be reliably traced back to around -3500 BP to the so-called Plains Wars and the foundation of the Great Ellys Confederacy. Theurgist Gara'Dien consciously modelled the Emerald Compact and the The Jade Perfume Masters (The Secret Police). emerging Empire upon the remaining memories of the earlier A magically enhanced policing unit that helps keep an eye open on Confederacy, thus placing it within a line of greater history and enemies to the Empire. Not all members have magical talent, but prestige. those that do use their gifts to help ferret out the truth, no matter The nascent empire quickly spread through the lands of the how occulted. Charrux-Ellys basin, cementing the plains tribes of the Lyshian, The Flesh Weavers' Guild (The Healers). Tuoeka and Fifrthros in an iron alliance that won the allegiance of the like-minded and drove the hated Zathurian minions, the A sect dedicated to the health and well being of citizens of the Tharux, across the Ellys River and thus established a boundary Empire. They use magic to heal the body and the psyche. Their that has been firm to this day. Shortly after, in -1248 BP, the techniques are a closely guarded secret, and it seems as though Theurgist returned from a personal mission into the hills of the they use technology beyond the grasp of most of their patients. feared Mid-Tai, announcing the creation of the Taien Hills Province. Less than a decade after the Compact was signed (that The Invisible Hand Societies (The Thieves). is, by -1243 BP) the Empire covered the whole of the southern While not an officially recognised part of the Jade Path, there are a side of the Plains, as far upriver as the edge of the eerie Nilman number of thieves guilds that have been taking in runaway mages Desert. Pushing south, down to the coast the Lyshian, having and using their magical energies to fuel larceny and corruption. enthusiastically adopted the Path of the Warrior beside their already war-like nature, finally subdued the Bee People of the The Benevolent Cloak (The Untaught). Honeyed Coast and displaced their Tyath overlords in -1221 BP. This is the path taken by magically able people who study by It did not take long for the neighbouring Tyath people to themselves, or go into a Path that doesnt have a magical tradition. acknowledge the prosperity and power of the Jade Path, resulting Also called The Sorcerers Path, a term which is coming into in the palace coup which overthrew the Prime Magistrate of the favour by the increasing presence of pro-Sorcery magician lobby Tyath and the appointment of his brother as Imperial Governor. in the Senate. They reject the assertion that theyre somehow This acquisition marked end of the initial phase of imperial inferior. In most of the Empire, Untaught who do not walk growth and ushered in a time of consolidation and internal another Path are seen as dangerous weapons that can explode at growth, as well as the establishment of formal relationships any moment. between the Gara-Dien and the Hash-Takk of the inhospitable mountains to the east. The Shadow Masters (The Body Politic).

The Path of the Worker.

The next two centuries were years of peace and development for the Empire, as the institutions and practices taught by Gara-Dien were gradually put into place, such as the spread of the Jade College. Nevertheless, by 120 the Sheshaan Dominate, a militaristic and slave-holding society to the south-east, was a growing menace to regional stability. In 146 ChentPin, a convert to the Jade Path from the neighbouring Xunli tribe, brokered the intervention of the Empire into the low-level war in which the Xunli & Sheshaan were engaged. The power of the Sheshaan was broken, resulting in the admission of both groups into the Empire, with General ChentPin as the first Imperial Governor of the Xunli Freehold. The mercantile League of Jinnahn, alarmed at the greater economic success of their neighbours and rivals, the Sheshaan, formally embraced the Jade Path in 165. The landlocked Koijo Pact, responding to a combination of economic pressure, missionary activity and political opportunism joined the Empire as a self-governing dominion in 248, before joining as a province following the plebiscite 50 years later. After this period of expansion the empire once again entered into a time of peaceful internal growth as districts and land divisions were organised through the newly-acquired territories, the only notable incident being the magical Wager War between the Brin and Erifest Schools of the so-called Assassins' Path. In a dispute to determine internal supremacy the schools engaged in a campaign against the very spirits of Iorxiland, culminating in the intervention of the Theurge himself and the subsequent annexation of the Iorxi Confederacy in 461, not to mention the discrediting of both the schools. More recent growth has not been driven by any single discernible plan. The Baton Wars between the Empire and the Oxore resulted (in 674) in the foundation of the Oxore Dominion and the subsequent ascension of the Theurge. To mark the 1000th anniversary of the Empire the Viridian was created in 745 as an experiment and demonstration of the virtues of the Jade Path in lands formerly held in superstitious awe by many of the local peoples. The last major phase of expansion was initiated in 837 when after decades of relatively peaceful coexistence conflict flared between Kitar natives and independent settlers from the League of Jinnahn in Gara-Dien. These Gara-Dien citizens appealed to the Harmonious Empire for assistance, and with remarkable speed the Great Armada left mainland Gara-Dien to begin the Conquest of the Isles of the Kitar, a process which is still to be completed, leading many to contemplate the real state of the power of the Empire.

perhaps hunting down Fallen Totem agents) to high-powered (a group of Jade Path Warriors seeking out the Empires enemies.) Adventure Seed: Readin', Writin', 'Rithmetic, and Redemption! A Jinnahn Liberty Brigade seeks scholars to infiltrate Sheshaan slave farms and plantations to educate the slaves in the rudiments of the Jade Path, and warriors who will assist the slaves in contacting the Imperial Assessors. There are a few main things to consider when deciding on a GaraDien campaign: Politics. The setting is rife with the best and worst sort of political manoeuvring and machinations. Players might be diplomats in a foreign country, trying to convince the powers that be to aid in a military effort, or perhaps play a role in discovering which Imperial Senators has designs for the Emperors Throne. War. As an Empire built on conquest, invasion and retribution are constant threats. Players might be grunts trying to make their way to the front, or members of an elite Warrior Path unit fighting for the Empires growth. Desperation. Perhaps the players are Hash-Takk sorcerers, trying to hold on to their minds while seeking out secrets from their fallen civilisation, or Fallen Totem agents who want to establish a worship base for their Totem before it drive them mad. Rebellion. It is not just among the Kitar, that there are reservations about being made part of the Empire. Perhaps the PCs are part of the underground rebellion effort, or Imperial investigators looking for dissident groups. Exploration. There are vast tracks of land in the Empire that have not been thoroughly explored and documented. Indeed the Viridian was built upon the remains of an ancient civilisation, and their ruins still dot the land and delve far underground. Who knows what relics from ages past still lie in wait, ready to be plucked from darkness and brought back into the light of the present day? Do terrors lurk beneath the soil, waiting for freedom to rend and slay? A spiritual journey. The Empire is a land of many faiths and paths to enlightenment. While many live their lives of toil and sweat, many others walk the world seeking knowledge, salvation, or just a place in the larger world. Are the PCs warriors seeking to be the perfect weapon, agents desiring true intimacy with their Totems, or spirit talkers who wish to elevate their own spirit to the god-like levels of power found in other spirits, either for the good of the Kitar or

Roleplaying Ideas
Gara-Dien is designed with versatility in mind. There are enough different races, factions and ideologies in place that a character is spoiled for choices. This also give the GM great flexibility about what sort of game he or she wishes to run. The setting supports both low-powered gaming (regular people serving the Empire,

personal gain? Will you eventually gain perfection and let the Lady of Doors move them to another world to spread their faith? The nature of magic. Magic is a strong presence in Gara-Dien, and it exists in many forms. Are the players magically adept, and if so, how does this Talent for energy manipulation manifest? Evading Pursuit. The characters might be wanted for a number of reasons, and existing with the Empire is difficult of Imperial forces are seeking them. Will they run to the frontier, or hide in plain sight?

Meravaenia
The Roof of the World

t the heart of the continent of Thurian lies the vast Meravae Plateau, bounded by towering mountains to the north and south, steep cliffs to the west and narrow valleys to the east. Once the seat of an ancient inhuman Empire (the Meravae Empire), for millennia seen as a backwater and obstacle to trade and commerce across the continent, and occasionally as the source of religious fanatics and barbarian hordes, the last half millennia has seen the emergence of a new power, the Republic of Telbrin, and changed the wider worlds perception of the Meravae Plateau forever. The Telbrini have found strength and knowledge by delving deep into their past. This has brought them unprecedented economic wealth and contact with the nations of Gwenthia: a new age of prosperity and enlightenment has dawned for the inhabitants of the crossroads of the world.

them for the sake of their own aggrandisement, depending on ones point of view. They have printing presses (hand carved wooden type), Skyships (recently developed from knowledge recovered from Meravae sites on the high plateau), passable steel (Western Europe, circa 1400) and are currently considering equipping elements of the Cohorts, the volunteer military of the Republic, with early chargers (simple pre-cursor of the matchlock, the first musket): once they can reliably forge larger barrels, they will have the capability to make cannons, and will have added a new capability to their formidable, if small, army.

The Republic of Telbrin itself seems ripe for external conflict: it seems inevitable that it will clash with either Parkhesh (with whom cultural, geographical and historical antagonisms run deep) and or Gara-Dien (given their expansionist nature and the mutual problem of the Petty Princedoms region of the Plateau), and border squabbles with AurUrbis have been a feature of relations along Modrin's Line. At present relations are cordial with AurUrbis: both are involved, discretely, in supporting the Khalesh The Republic of Telbrin occupies the upper reaches of the Hallex via a trade route through the City of Shalkan and the River, with the Confederation of the Children of Xantir occupying Loparankwari. the north-western plateau, just east of the Manas Mountains. The Internally the Republic suffers the old tension between the dizzying heights between, including the towering peak of Mount mercantile adventurism of the Great Houses and the conservatism Keril (one of the natural wonders of Gwenthia) are the home of of the Churches and Cohorts, and this is being complicated by the High Kingdom folk, the tribes of the Merav Nation. The new divisions between the orthodox faithful of the Churches and central plateau is divided up into many petty principalities and the new secularist (currently in the ascendant). And while debates kingdoms, some no more than a fortified village. These are rage in the Moot and Senate (and in the Philosophical Clubs, known, somewhat unflatteringly, as the Petty Princedoms. The Cohorts mess halls and the House refectories), the Republic of further south and west the more lawless, but also sparsely Telbrins rampant embrace of technology such as the waterwheel, populated the plateau becomes. The Smoking Hills, where the Dragon Peaks with their active volcanism really begin, is a baleful edges the Republic towards an industrial revolution whilst generating a new underclass of the disenfranchised and country, rarely travelled and mostly shunned by the plateau folk. impoverished; some rabble rousers, pamphleteers and The people of the plateau are almost universally human, albeit the revolutionaries even claim that this is deliberate, part of some Mountain Folk (as human population of the high mountains are sinister plan by dark forces that have subverted the very known) are so well adapted to their mountain home that they government of the Republic itself. suffer reverse altitude sickness at anything approaching sea level. The Children of Xantir on the one hand seem as old as the The people of the Upper Hallex River Valley and other lowing laying parts of the region are known as River Folk or Valley Folk. mountains they inhabit - there have been religious houses in these lonely valleys for millennia, the prayers wheels endlessly spinning There are pockets of non-humans rumoured to dwell in the high out a thread of words entreating salvation and mercy through the valleys, but even the Republic of Telbrin isnt heavily populated, unending years. The political landscape and history of Xantir, the and the high plateau boasts some remarkably strange wildlife (theorised to be left over from Meravae Zoological collections). It High Kingdoms and Petty Princedoms, and indeed the City States of the Upper Hallex River Valley (Now united as the Republic of is now generally accepted that there is an Iqari population on Telbrin) are tempestuous and complex, and indeed poorly Mount Keril, although details are sketchy, and what relations are understood. like between the ferocious flying beings and their human "neighbours" is unknown. On the Plateau, the status quo is in turmoil. The Telbrin Cohorts are pushing ever west and north. Relations with the High The Republic of Telbrin is young, vibrant, assertive: a nation newly forged in the heat of innovation and discovery with its eyes Kingdoms appear civil, but those who know the Merav Nation to the future but grounded with a sense of respect for the history well are worried that the tribes have withdrawn guides and seasonal workers from the latest Telbrini expeditions, and confess of its forebears and a true appreciation of natural justice and the right of men to freedom, commerce and just self-governance free themselves worried over rumours that the Conclave of Tribes has been called for the first time in generations for High Summer. of tyranny and oppression... ...or possibly they are grave-robbing opportunists bent on imposing their views on everyone around

Overview

Within the Confederation of the Children of Xantir, tensions run high over how to respond on the one hand to the Republic of Telbrins overtures of friendship (a pretext for access to records and Meravae ruins within Confederacy lands in most peoples opinions) and rumours of Telbrini approaches to individual states of the confederation; and on the other hand, the bandit raids from the Petty Princedoms have risen to an unprecedented level in recent years. Added to which, a major theological dispute has arisen amongst the clerics of the Xantiric Sects (regarding the poverty or otherwise of Xantir) and words like heresy are being bandied about. And now rumours have spread of a new warlord in the Petty Princedoms who claims a divine right to conquest and to whom an increasing number of the scattered polities bordering Gara-Dien and the Smoking Hills are bowing. That all these lands were, millennia ago, the heart of the Meravae Empire, is not disputed, and that Caer Abrin, high on the flanks of Mount Keril, was their capital seems, given Telbrini finds in the two centuries they have held and excavated Caer Abrin, equally certain. But who or what the Meravae were, what happened to trigger the fall of their empire, these are unknown to the general populace, and generally the topic of myth. Many expeditions, both government sanctioned and not, seek the next major discovery amidst Meravae ruins both on the Plateau and beyond.

The Meravae Empire

A political entity, centred on the Meravae Plateau of central Thurian that dominated Thurian history between 7000BP and 2300BP, apparently run by the non-human (but distinctly humanoid) Meravae, a Forerunner people. The bulk of the empires population seems to have been human, but scholars remain fiercely divided as to the exact relationship between the Meravae and the humans within the empire. Whilst the term "slave" is often used (and found in the few extant texts) it appears to be an old usage from a non-Meravae language. Indeed, some scholars have suggested that it was originally the Ancients term for the Forerunners, transliterated in to Ur-Merav.

The Empire was founded in prehistory as part of the ancient conflicts between the Ancients, the Forerunners and the Eighth Orb. It is said that 7000 years ago the Forerunners rose again to challenge the Ancients, and that in response the Dark Orb called across the omniverse to Humans to aid him. On arrival the human magicians betrayed their summoner and sided with the Forerunners, and this alliance, which is believed to have beaten the Ancients, was to become the Meravae Empire. Another major Forerunner race, the Geneweavers, took an increasingly antiThe Republic of Telbrin is NOT the first "successor" state to the human stance and moved from autonomy to secession from the Meravae to arise on the Roof of the World, and at less than three Forerunner Collective, which increasingly became the Meravae Empire centred on the Meravae Plateau. Thus the dominant centuries old it isn't even the longest lived. But its enthusiasm, cultures in Thurian and Gwailan around 5000 years ago were the rampant commercialism and (some say) ruthless exporting of ideas makes it far more dangerous, or likely to survive and prosper Zathurian arcologies and Meravae Empire in Thurian and the (depending on point of view). The Telbrini will trade with anyone, Geneweavers in Gwailan. The two Forerunner forces warred extensively, and although Telbrini and AurUrban records record and appear to bear no grudges for any historical slights that may that the Empire won, there is no evidence of extensive have been dealt in the past... at least, that's the official position: domination or colonization of the northern continent. The Republic citizens from tribes with old conflicts however don't Geneweavers continue to be a major force on the northern seem entirely comfortable with the new regimes banning of revenge and feuding (traditions with a LONG history amongst the continent, so perhaps the conflict was more a stalemate on continental lines. tribes of the Roof of the World...). And the Tharux Traders are accorded at best a chilly welcome in most of the lands that follow The Empire extended from the Golden Isthmus where a new the Church of the Chain, which still promulgates the 3rd Kolspecies emerged (4000 years ago) to build the province that sheks prohibition on members of the faith entering Zathur. That eventually became the nation of AurUrbis. Around 5000 years ago decree has in Telbrin itself been recently enshrined in civil law, the Tual are reported to have left the Empire to follow the Seven but whether as a sop to the hard line conservative elements within Stars, so it can be assumed that the lands of the Eastern Thurian the Churches of the Chain, or for other reasons is unclear. were not part of the Empire. At some stage the lands that later Very little info is easily available about the Meravae in the present: become Parkhesh were part of the Empire, certainly by the time of the Third Octaminist Crusade. It is not know if the lands that the Republic of Telbrin has beaten a path to the door of anyone are now Quatzadua or Gara-Dien were ever formally or who advertised such knowledge and shadowy factions within the informally part of the Empire. Telbrin government are tireless in their quest to eliminate any source of information about what really happened to cause the Meravae Empire to collapse... The religion of the Empire, certainly by the fifth millennium BP, was Octaminist, given the known religious split between the Empire proper and the radical AurUrban Church of Gwenthia. To what extent these traditions continue in the practices of the Churches of the Chain is unclear. The corrupt practices of the Evening Culture worshipping the Night Hag emerged in the

Empire some 4,500 years ago. The cultists were expelled to settle Cromaigne, but the tales of Prince yrGael and the later two Octaminist Crusades suggest that Dark Moon worship was endemic in the society even if suppressed officially. Equally problematic is the exact political structure and division of power within the empire. The emperor was Meravae and always from one bloodline: but the degree to which the Meravae, even at the height of the empire (for example during the war with the Geneweavers circa 5000BP) actually "ruled" is unclear. The overwhelming majority of persons identified from the scant archaeological (and even scanter historical records) as actually 'doing' anything are humans "doing the will of the Emperor". And often those opposing the empire, such as Tual, appear to have been human as well. Even in the twilight of the Empire, its most active agents appear to have been humans; albeit the Evening Culture was unquestionably Meravae in origin and some figures are clearly Meravae. The Empire was riven by schism and rebellion from about 3,200 BP when the AurUrbis city-states declared effective autonomy and began the First Octaminist Crusade to end the Evening Culture. This autonomy and growing power was further enhanced when Prince yrGael of Spharain came to court in 3,100 BP and started a personal crusade against dark cultists with the active support of KiMentas priests. By 2,900 this has become outright rebellion with AurUrbis forces occupying Parkhesh and yrGael overthrowing the Emperor and tearing down all temples of the Octaminist Church. The society was in decline and by 2,250 BP with the Exodus of Slaves the Empire was a spent force.

Nations of Meravaenia
Confederation of the Children of Xantir
The Confederation grew out of the shattered remains of the Xantiric Theocracy after it spectacularly imploded some 1800 years ago. Its founding date is hard to tie down, but most scholars agree that it pre-dates the Ensellati Horde by a century or so; others have seen the Confederation as a delayed reaction to the Horde, and argue that its founding is much closer to 1500 years ago. Telbrini scholars remain frustrated that the most fruitful records for research, those of the Children of Xantir, remain closed to them. The Confederation is not a unified polity, but rather a loose confederation of tens, possibly over a hundred, small states which share the common feature that a religious sect of the Church of the Chain has special political pre-eminence (they might directly rule in one state, and in the next valley over be merely the prime advisors to a feudal King), and that all those sects respect the authority of the spiritual power of the Kol-shek dVanan, the divine living heir of Xantir who (as part of a particularly baroque peace treaty negotiated some ten centuries past) must spend at least 12 (but no mare than 56) days at a time in each of seven of the major principalities of the confederation each year. The Confederation itself is little more than a gaggle of diplomats from the most powerful principalities that troops around the high mountain valleys in the train of the current Kol-shek, with little

Wonders of the Meravae Empire

supported, given its relatively hostile and inaccessible location? No roads lead to Caer Abrin, something that still baffles Telbrini Where the River Astrav (also known as the Blue scholars, as even with Skyships, the city would Serpent River) tumbles down from the high The Ruins of Caer Abrin were discovered by surely have needed roads? plateau of Meravaenia to form the northern explorers from Telbrin some 300 years ago on Also known as The Ruins of Light due to the border between Nhi-Tual and Telbrin lies the the High Plateau and were believed by them to intensity of sunlight at this altitude, the Ruined largest civil engineering work in Thurian (outside be the seat of the Meravae Empire before its fall City is an eerie and baffling legacy - more Zathur): the half completed Astrava Bridge. It and the mysterious disappearance of the Meravae comprehensible than The Astrava Bridge and yet leaps out in a single gravity defying curve of over two thousand years ago. The largest intact more troubling: there are no recognisable flawless marble across the Astrava Falls where ruins of that era known to survive in Thurian, temples, and as with other Meravae sites, the river plunges down from the high plateau and Caer Abrin was also apparently largely disquieting echoes of architectural styles and stops halfway across, forever incomplete, most untouched by the looting that followed the decorative motifs seen elsewhere on Gwenthia. striking reminder of the mysterious fate of the disappearance of the Meravae race and scoured The region of the High Plateau around the ruins Meravae... most other Meravae sites clean. is also home to the largest concentrations of Important questions remain unanswered about "crypto-zoological anomalies" as Yashin Caer Abrin: how did the ruins of a metropolis Daibrun Oltan Halvas, has called them: surviving that once sported a population of some quarter escapees from Meravae zoological collections of a million souls remain undiscovered so long? abandoned during the fall of the Meravae How was such a large metropolitan population Empire or later when the Meravae themselves vanished.

The Ruins Of Caer Abrin

The Astrava Bridge

real direct power, no standing military force to speak of and usually largely ignored by the Princes, Dictators, Holy Leaders and Despots of the various disparate principalities of the To this day the Children of Xantir, whilst theoretically at least Confederation and High Kingdoms. politically united in a loose confederation, are still divided, almost village by village, in to slightly variant sects of the Church of the Since the great crusade initiated by the 6th Kol-shek, some 1500 Great Chain, although most acknowledge the spiritual power of years ago, which brought most of the modern Meravae plateau into the faith of the Great Chain, at least for a while, the Kol-shek the Kol-shek dVanan. has directly intervened in Confederation Politics only three times. Whilst the Confederation never achieved sufficient coherence to On every occasion, the Confederation has overnight turned in to a form a military threat to the other peoples of the plateau, the remarkably unified, determined body. missionaries of the 6th Kol-shek dVanan were an invasion none expected, nor thought to counter until far too late. Ostensibly a Crusade against the heretical Cult of Rathkul, dispassionate scholars now believe the crusade of 1500 years ago was always a Amongst the secular folk of the Confederation of the Children of plain and simple religious annexation by the ambitious Kol-Shek. Xantir, names are fairly simple. One is named for ones village, any The Church of the Great Chain thus spread throughout the distinction to separate one within the village (if there are two plateau and is now the dominant religion throughout the region wood carvers for example), and then a personal name. So and most acknowledge the Kol-shek dVanan as the ultimate Cerynwyd, who has a face like the back end of a bus and is one leader of the faith; in general however, outside the confederation, the four hunters from the Village of Galstaff, is called Galstaff religion is not as all consuming and does not dominate peoples Hunter Cerynwyd the Ugly. Within a community, where it would lives in quite the fashion it does amongst Xantirs Children. But be unambiguous, the polity and role are used (Galstaff Hunter, throughout the former Meravae heartlands, one is never far from your opinion?), and amongst friends the use name and descriptor the rattle of the prayer wheels and the constant flutter of the would be used: Cerynwyd the Ugly you old goat, you owe me a prayer flags. skin of fermented Yaks milk! In general the ecclesiastical population of Children of Xantir abandon their given personal names when they enter a religious house, and are universally known by the sect name, house name and station within sect (with The High Kingdoms is a rather deprecating Telbrini joke at the a numeric descriptor to distinguish between them). So a expense of the northern clans of the Plateau region, who survive wandering Monk from the Eternal Veil sects House of Cheltin in the bitter cold and harsh conditions of the high Keril with the rank of Novitiate (and at the time he left that house, the Mountains at little more than subsistence level. Primitive hunterfifth such novitiate) would be Eternal Veil Cheltin Novitiate-Five. gatherers at first appearance, they trade exotic skins and their skills as guides for metal tools and the like from the lowlands, and tenaciously guard the secrets of the high mountain homes including the hidden valleys where they farm various crops and The Confederation and those states of the Petty Princedoms raise herds of hardy mountain goats and Munath (a smaller, stable enough to consider trade are generally pre-industrial hardier variant of the SuiTh found in northern Nhi-Tual). The economies, relying on labour intensive methods. Hand weaving is Kingdoms are actually seven tribes (named for the links of the the usual method of producing cloth and it is died in small Great Chain) scattered through the high mountain valleys. Each batches, producing the distinctive multicoloured clothes of the tribe is ruled by a Chieftain, who is advised by the Hand of Elders plateau. Wood is much sort after in trade, with the plateau itself named for the Five Messengers (Teller, Hunter, Talker, Knower producing skins, copper, ice and fulgurites. and Dancer). The tribes collectively refer to themselves as the The Children of Xantir have a bizarre hodgepodge of coinage, Merav Nation, albeit it is nearly 200 years since the nation was tokens and promissory notes, although the Church coin is gathered in conclave, and even in high summer it is unusual to see universally accepted. This consists of heptagonal metal tokens, more than a single tribe gathered in a given valley. with a hole in the centre, in alloys colloquially known as copper The Tribes of the Merav Nation are skilled hunters and tenacious (cl), brass (brl), bronze (bzl) or silver links (sl). One silver link is mountain folk, but they have little time for deceit or conniving: worth seven bronze links or forty-nine brass links or three they live in an environment where such double dealing can be hundred and forty three copper links. (1sl=7bzl=49brl=343cl). fatal, and see no honour in such behaviour. Blood feuds and None of the coins is pure metal (they would be too soft in some personal duels are common, but within strictly codified lines, and cases) and have knurled edges to help avoid counterfeiting. shedding blood of tribes folk outside the sanctified times, or more

History and Character

Names in the Confederacy

The High Kingdoms

The Confederacy Economy

general warfare, is unheard of amongst the tribes (and its existence plateau. Wood is much sort after in trade, with the plateau itself amongst the lowlanders taken as proof that such folk are all mad, producing skins, copper, ice and fulgurites. living so far away from the Ladies of Air and Rock). The Petty Princedoms currencies are if anything even more chaotic than the Confederations, given the frequent collapses of Names amongst the High Kingdom central authority. Barter is very common, and usage of Church The Folk of the High Kingdoms (or the Merav Nation, as they and Telbrini coins is more common than the local currency style themselves) name folk for their Tribe, Clan within the Tribe, (whatever it is), except of course in those polities where use of Mothers given name and their own given Name. Whilst travelling foreign currency can get one executed. on the Plateau one might be formally introduced to Mist Snow Leopard Heralva Xian, a warrior named Xian born of a woman whose given name was Heralva, of the Snow Leopard Clan in the Amongst the folk of the Petty Princedoms names are a simple Tribe of Mist. The tribes are named for the Links of the Great matter. One is named for ones village, any distinction to separate Chain, and the Clans usually for their Totem Animal. Informally within a nuclear family one might use sibling status or given name, one within the village (if there are two wood carvers for example), with emphasis showing degree of familiarity etc: so Xians brother and then a personal name. In this they follow the same pattern as the Confederacy of the Children of Xantir. might address him as either Xian or Third-son. Within ones clan, the typical usage is Mothers Name, Own Name, so our Snow Leopard warrior would be Heralva Xian.

Naming in the Princedoms

Telbrin

Telbrin or more formally, The Republic of Telbrin, is a recent nation state that has emerged from the City State of Telbrin in the The High Kingdoms have no currency, understanding only barter. Upper Hallex River Valley in the last few centuries. It now lays claim to the entirety of the Upper Hallex, as far north as the The Merav nation dress in and trade mainly furs and skins to the lowlands, and show little interest in most trade good, even salt and (recalcitrant) City State of Renbril and has for some time been other commodities not easily found in the high mountains. Good pushing west onto the high plateau of Meravaenia. The City States of the Upper Hallex River Valley freed themselves by various steel, especially in the form of knife blades are highly prised means (including violent revolution, peaceful protest and sheer however, as are sea shells for some inexplicable reason. patience) from domination by Parkhesh (whose attention was elsewhere) some six hundred years ago. They rapidly established a thriving community of independent city-states bound together by The Petty Princedoms of the Central Plateau region combine the trade and shared ideologies of democracy and individual rights of worst aspects of the Confederation of the Children of Xantir, the citizens. Predictably, this harmony lasted precisely as long as the past of the Upper Hallex City States and the caricature of the equally good harvests, and then the Hallex states fell to bickering High Kingdoms: a group of tiny, mostly feudal, kingdoms, and skirmishing amongst themselves. With Telbrins annexation endlessly squabbling over tiny scraps of barely fertile ground, of Helbricht, the Telbrin political model began to subsume that of forever squandering lives and resources on petty jealousies and the other states and is now dominant, even in the three city states imagined slights to little gain and much suffering. The Kol-shek is that joined the Republic later. paid lip service to here, but these lands are little better than bandit kingdoms. The more westerly occasionally raid in to the GaraDien region, but more often turn their attention northwards The structure of the Telbrin state is a republic with a bicameral towards the Children of Xantir or the ever-encroaching western system (Common Moot and Senate) with an executive branch border of the Republic of Telbrin. The presence of Dragons, the Hash-Takk and the ill reputation of the Smoking Hills discourage (Consul Primus). The executive is elected by the two branches of the legislature from an aristocratic elite (the Five Houses) with the any adventures south and east towards Nhi-Tual or Quatzadua. approval of the military (Cohorts). This system was codified in the Declaration of Telbrin, written some 260 years ago.

Economy of the Merav

The Petty Princedoms

Government

The Princedoms Economy

As in the Confederation, those states of the Petty Princedoms stable enough to consider trade are generally pre-industrial economies, relying on labour intensive methods. Hand weaving is the usual method of producing cloth and it is died in small batches, producing the distinctive multicoloured clothes of the

The Common Moot represents the interest of the common free citizens (those of no recognised house) and sits for one month a year in late spring/early summer. Its role is to review the matters passed by the Senate and Consulate the previous summer and either accept or protest them. Protest is common, change of legislation is not.

The Senate represents the interests of the Five Houses, the Churches (each of the Seven Churches of the Chain has representation in the Senate) and the Cohorts (the army of the Republic: retired Hlegio automatically get a seat in the Senate). The upper house sits for three months a year and approves legislation, can veto decisions of the Moot, ratifies the choice of vice-Consuls and call the Consulate or Consul Primus to account or to resign. The Consul Primus is elected from one of the Five Houses by the Senate and approved by the following Moot. The term of a Consul is indeterminate, the post is at the behest of the Senate and as such any Consul can be asked to stand down or be impeached. Political reality and the disposition of the military has a great effect on the term of Consuls.

have had in recent years cause to regret this as the Consulate (enthusiastically backed by the Great Houses) elected to create a new structure, independent of the Cohorts entirely, to build, operate, maintain and man the Telbrin Sky Fleet; despite vehement Cohort protests that the Sky Fleet should be properly integrated in to the defence forces of the Republic. That certain Skyships have been seen leaving port with Maniples on board has fuelled speculation that some rapprochement has been reached between the crusty Hlegio of the Cohorts and the dashing Sky Marshall of the Fleet. Note that there is no distinction in Telbrin between new (i.e. young, recent) Houses who have achieved their status through mercantile enterprise and the established (i.e. older, historic) Houses that chart their roots back to the early days of the Republic (and in several cases beyond). Trade has always been a respectable livelihood and age is not an automatic passport to respect. Heritage on the other hand, does have some weight: the five Founding Houses (also known as the Great Houses) have a unique and special status in Telbrin politics and culture.

Economy and Culture

Telbrin is primarily a mercantile power, and is largely driven by thoughts of profit and aggrandisement, although even here the tendency is to think of ones House before ones self. The Telbrin Cohorts are a standing army of well-paid volunteers with an enviable reputation for the quality of their training and equipment. They are however not numerous enough to support more aggressive adventures by the Telbrin government, and are notoriously conservative. Merchant Houses have largely given up trying to persuade the Cohorts to defend their mercantile enterprises, and Telbrini Merchants make extensive use of mercenaries to protect their foreign ventures (and several houses actually run Mercenary Companies as a business). The Cohorts

Mountain Folk
One of two broad ethnic types of human found throughout the Meravaenia region. The Mountain Folk are found predominantly among the High Kingdom tribes and on the Plateau itself. They are generally short, stout, with almost exclusively black hair and brown eyes, physically well adapted to their harsh homeland and capable of incredible feats of endurance in the biting cold and thin air of the high valleys. Mountain Folk that travel far a field can

Telbrini Cohorts

This section outlines the organisation of the legions of the Telbrini land based armed forces, also referred to as the Cohorts, the Blue and Green or the Blues, although the latter term is strictly a reference to the infantry legions.
There are two types of legion; infantry and cavalry. Often legions are paired, one of each type working together. Equally, it is not uncommon for a legion (or paired cavalry and infantry legions) to be dispersed over a wide theatre, especially the Blues who can (and often are) broken down in to single maniples to deploy to specific locations. This structure is what is known as the Telbrini model army and was instigated in the City of Telbrins forces some 350 years ago and used as the basis for the Republics military since the declaration of the Republic. It should be noted that as of 995NC all of the legions are under staffed owing to

recruiting difficulties. Overall, the Cohorts are around 7% under strength. The totals given in the two sub-sections below are of fighting men. There is a substantial requirement for support staff.

thus has 711 men (including officers). The legion consists of 7 cohorts, and is commanded by an Hlgeio (legate) with a staff of 14 men (7 Jostan and 7 Selgaunt). A legion should therefore have 4991 men (including officers). In general, the typical Legionaries in the Infantry will be equipped with lamellar hauberks with ring mail trews and sleeves and a full helm and carrying a halberd (or short re-curve bows if archers) with a falchion and buckler as back up side-arms. The Infantry legions are referred to as the blues, due to the distinctive colour of the oil-quenched steel used in Infantry munition lamellar hauberks.

Infantry Legion
An infantry legion should be made up as follows: Each legion is divided into cohorts, which are in turn divided into maniples. A maniple consists of 140 men (organised in 10 files of 14 men). A maniple is commanded by a Coasantl (corporal), giving a total of 141 men. Each file within the maniple has a Coas (file leader) and his second (il-Coas), responsible for the other 12 (and theoretically capable of splitting the file in to two half-files, one each under the Coas and il-Coas. A cohort consists of 5 maniples. It is commanded by a Jostan (captain), with an il-Jostan (junior captain) and 4 Selgaunts (sergeants) to assist him. A cohort

Cavalry Legion
A cavalry legion is much smaller than an infantry legion, reflecting the expense and scarcity of combat trained Lopar. The Telbrini Cohorts are at present deeply sceptical of

have real difficulties adapting to the thicker air and temperatures campaigning brought the rest of the Upper Hallex cities in to the away from the plateau and are in general not great travellers: albeit Republic within a century and a half. they make the best crews for Telbrin Skyships. Mountain Folk are Helbricht notoriously superstitious. Helbricht is the second city of the Republic of Telbrin and was the first of the City States of the Upper Hallex River to join the The River Folk or Valley Folk are the second major human ethnic nascent Republic some 260 years ago; albeit "join" is generally type typical of the Meravaenia region. They are generally tall, lithe accepted as a euphemism for "black-mailed under threat of military action after a generation of political manoeuvring and of build and tend towards straight hair and light colourings, although their close kinship with the Mountain Folk shows in the intermarriage between key Great Houses in Telbrin and Helbricht". The treaty that detailed the union of the two cities is predominance of black hair and their slightly Han appearance. known as the Declaration of Helbricht and is accepted as the They are found in greatest numbers throughout the central founding document of the Republic. plateau and the Upper Hallex River valley and represent the

River Folk

mixed population descended from the original inhabitants and the Meravae Empire's human population. In general, River Folk display a degree of inquisitiveness and adaptability greater than their Mountain Folk kin, but are perhaps not quite as hardy or well suited to the extreme conditions of the high valleys.

Renbril
Renbril is the most northerly of the cities of the Republic of Telbrin, close to the northern borders with AurUrbis and the Badlands. Notorious for its involvement in (some would argue precipitation of) the "Sword Wars" of the 3rd Century NC when it launched an assault on the southern AurUrbis city of Mull, Renbril has always been the most warlike and aggressive of the Cities of the Hallex River Valley, being a leading force in the secession from Parkhesh in 221 NC and frequently leading or launching its own expeditions in to the Badlands. Renbril was conquered by joint AurUrban and Telbrini military action in 875NC and (over AurUrban objections) the city was annexed by the Republic in 880NC.

City States of the Upper Hallex River

The City States of the Upper Hallex River were a number of independent, human city states that arose from the mingling of the river cultures and the mountain folk in the upper reaches of the Hallex River to the east of Meravaenia. Freed from domination by Parkhesh after a series of bloody secession wars begun in 221NC, they existed as a loose association, as often in conflict as allied against their common enemies until the City State of Telbrin annexed the neighbouring City of Helbricht, leading to Modrins Line the Declaration of Helbricht and the founding of the Republic of Modrin's Line is a continuous wall, some 400km long that runs Telbrin, in 735NC. Subsequent political, economic and military eastward from the city of Mull in AurUrbis and roughly defines
horses, and have as yet no experience of them in a military context. The smallest discrete unit in a cavalry legion is a file of seven mounted soldiers, lead by a Coasantl or il-Coasantl. Two such files form a maniple of 14 riders, with the Coasantl in command, seconded by an ilCoasantl. Five maniples form a cohort of 75 men and mounts, including a command group of one Jostan and four Selgaunt. 7 cavalry Cohorts comprise a standard Cavalry legion, again led by an Hlegio with seven Jostan and seven Selgaunt. This gives a total of 540 men (including officers) in a Cavalry legion. In general, the typical Legionaries in the cavalry will be equipped with lamellar hauberks with ring mail trews and sleeves and a full helm and carrying a Light lance (or short re-curve bows if archers), with a cavalry Falchion and Buckler as a back up side arm. The cavalry legions have traditionally been referred as the greens, due to the distinctive short green capes issued to cavalry

Cavalry:
The Merav Light Company The Hallex Heavy Company The Telbrin Guard

Order of Battle as at 995NC

The Cohorts of Telbrin currently consist of seven legions: four infantry and three Cavalry. The Legions are: Infantry:
The Hammer (1st Legion) Northern border and Badlands operations The Hallex River Valley Irregulars (2nd Legion) Home defence in Republic The Helbricht Company (3rd Legion) Southern and Eastern borders (and perhaps beyond) The Fourth Legion (Modrins Legion) Plateau posting.

Telbrin Skyships
Telbrini scholars had long suspected that the Meravae possessed some means of practical rapid transport. Research led to the discovery of the remarkable properties of Serin wood and eventually to practical Skyships. The Republic Air Fleet is the worst kept secret in modern day Thurian politics.

the border of the Badlands and Telbrin. It was built by the war leader Modrin of Renbril, to defend the City States of the Upper Hallex River from raiders from Badlands between 234 and 242 NC.

Geographical Features
Meravae Plateau

Shalkan

The Meravae Plateau dominates the northern centre of the continent of Thurian, forming a vast table of land in the middle of Easternmost of the great cities of the Republic of Telbrin, also the chain of mountains that runs from the Golden Isthmus in the known as the City of Proud Knives, heavily influenced by north to the very southern tip of the continent in Quatzadua Loparankwari culture. A city of transitions from the relatively between the Falls of Cozar and Corxax Sound. Like the High sheltered and fertile Hallex River valley to the arid grass lands of Pampas region that occupies a similar position in the southern the Western Plains region of Parkhesh. Shalkan marks the half of Thurian, the Meravae Plateau is a large region of elevated southernmost extent of easy navigation on the Hallex, and then terrain. Unlike the pampas however, the plateau is not widely only by shallow draft riverboats. Southwards the river is too regarded as particularly hospitable and has a wider variety of savage and unpredictable, trapped in steep gorges and coursing terrain, from the towering peaks of the Manas Mountains and through extensive rapids and cascades as it rushes down from the Keril Mountains in the north to the active volcanism of the mountains. It is also a city of cultural transition, its streets Astrava Mountains that divides the plateau from the High Pampas thronging with the robed tribes folk of the Loparankwari and in or the twisted vales of the great glacial valley that divides the recent years merchants from further a field. Shalkan petitioned to Mana and Keril Mountains and the wide tundra of the central formally join the Republic in 879NC, nine years after the Republic plateau. and allied forces from Tovril liberated the city from occupation by the forces of Renbril.

Mount Keril

Tovril
Southernmost of the great cities of the Republic of Telbrin, also known as the City of Stairs and The City of Granite, Tovril has a unique character. The cities of the Republic are usual characterised as cities of the Hallex river valley Tovril is a mountain city, the river (not the Hallex, but a tributary) being entirely un-navigable. Tovrili are renowned as miners and crafters of metal and stone. They are also regarded as more superstitious and parochial by the other cities of the Republic not unreasonably given the large segment of the cities population that is Mountain Folk. Tovril allied itself to Telbrin in 794NC and formally joined the Republic in 879.

High in northern Thurian stands the headstone of Meravaenia, or the anchor of the Golden Isthmus, depending on point of view. The northern most of the great peaks of the Keril Mountains that form the plateau, Mount Keril literally dwarfs all the other mountains in the known world. Local legends say that its peak kisses the Orbs as they pass. And certainly unsupported humans cannot survive even on its "lower" slopes. The Merav Nation tribe folk regard the mountain as holy ground, and discourage outsiders from trespassing. There are unsubstantiated observations of extensive ruins at over 8000m (estimated by observation from a much lower altitude) by Telbrini explorers before they were abducted by Merav Nation tribe folk.

Loparankwari
The tribes who live on the plateau that borders the west of the Red Desert and the east of Meravaenia are known by the Lopar beasts they ride. The Loparankwari (Lopharkwan by the Parkheshi and Khaleshi) are the descendants of a group of people who migrated eastwards from the high plateaus. The Red Desert stopped their migration so they settled in a wide plain of arid grasslands where they live off the Lopar. The city of Shalkan (Easternmost of the cities of the Republic of Telbrin) is the only city that many Loparankwari will ever visit, though southern tribes and caravan guards will venture to the Khaleshi cities (notably Khalut). Many Loparankwari are hired to guard the caravans that carry silk from Khalesh to Shalkan and the trade goods from Shalkan to Khalesh (including weapons for the Khaleshi to fight the Parkeshi).

Astrava River
Name on the Meravae Plateau for the river whose upper reaches forms the Republic of Telbrin's border with Nhi-Tual. Also known to the Khal as the Blue Serpent River and the Tual as the Kha'ta'la River, as the lower reaches form the border between Parkhesh and Nhi-Tual. Astrava is believed related to the UrMerav root for dragon.

Flora and Fauna

Aerial Fauna Of The Meravae Plateau
The Meravae Plateau, for all its extremes of altitude, supports a surprising variety of life. Whilst the domesticated (and semi-wild) flocks of Lamox dominate the "civilised" regions of the high

plateau, and the lower reaches boast herds of the hardy mountain Lopar, long ago imported (possibly unintentionally) from Quatzadua, in the less settled regions of the plateau many strange creatures are known to survive: legacy of by gone times, descendants of zoological specimens escaped from Meravae collections with the fall of the Meravae Empire, or the result of some mad sorcerers tampering with the Chain of Being.

herbivorous members of the Aerial Fauna of the Plateau, swarming in "flocks" or "shoals" of hundreds and more at 33500m around sources of water and stands of Serin Trees, the fruit of which are their primary food source. Most Sipperlins are small, 3-18cm in length, typically around 9cm. Flat in body shape, they have two eyes on raised stalks at the front of the head for binocular vision and a recessed beak for teasing out berries from shrubs and trees. Sipperlins are exotically coloured with a wide One sub group of species is well known across much of the variety of skin patterns and colouration. There are unconfirmed plateau, but only above 3000m: a whole ecology of flying creatures reports of chameleon like sub-species that can change their that most strongly resemble fish of the ray or skate type thrive in markings to impersonate other species. Several subspecies build the thin mountain air, grazing on the hardy mountain grass and nests, mostly in inaccessible locations, although some ground shrubs, predating on each other and the mountain Lamox. dwelling species have been reported. Although most species rely Telbrini scholars have yet to exhaustively catalogue the creatures on numbers and flocking behaviour to protect them from and some expeditions to the plateau have made outrageous claims predators, some can be quite aggressive and have been known to regarding large, and as yet unclassified, specimens that are hotly mob perceived threats. Several hundred beaks can inflict debated in the Philosophical Clubs of Telbrin. considerable damage, making them a known risk to lone travellers who blunder in to a nesting shoal. All the species so far recorded share some basic characteristics: they are found, as previously noted, only above 3000m and are exceptionally rare below 3500m. The smaller herbivorous species seem particularly fond of the Serin Tree, and a number of other as yet unclassified shrubs native to the high plateau. The carnivorous Seskerlin are larger, more aggressive and carnivorous relatives of the Sipperlins. Three main subspecies of Seskerlin have so far and scavenging species favour the aerial herbivores, but will also been classified by Telbrin scholars: prey on birds (which are somewhat scarce on the plateau) and land bound creatures (Lamox flocks are known to be a favourite), The True Seskerlin: the first species identified, a lone predator including it has recently been acknowledged (after the sensational that typically reaches 40-50cm and predominantly preys on return of the Shelvrin Expedition) unwary humans. All the fauna Sipperlins, although will scavenge to supplement its diet. have a weirdly translucent flesh vaguely reminiscent of glass or Raven's Seskerlin: a pack predator, typically only 25-30cm in gelatine that unless correctly treated decays rapidly after the length. It is one of the fastest of the aerial fauna and possessed creatures death in to a foul smelling slime. Correctly preserved (a of both a sharp hooked beak and barbs at the end its "wings" technique of the Merav Nation tribes) it sets in to a firm almost hook prey. cheese like consistency and some species are edible. The skins of The High Mountain Seskerlin: one specimen has been brought some species produce (again when properly treated) a fine, down from the high Plateau of something recognisably translucent and iridescent leather-like material. Other species can Seskerlin in body form, but 1.2m in length. It is speculated to provide a tougher material suited to making armour, and which be another lone predator. What it preys upon is a mystery. the Merav Tribes are known occasionally to fashion somehow in to rigid translucent plates to form remarkably effective personal armour. Jolvedrin's Killer is an unusual ambush killer that specialises in Those species so far recognised are: trapping Sipperlins. Unlike its prey Jolvedrin's Killer has a muted Sipperlins colouring and camouflaging markings that allow it to lie in wait, Seskerlin concealed amongst foliage or an outcrop until such time as prey Jolvedrin's Killer passes by. It then sprays a unique mucous from glands either side Hunter of the Air of its mouth onto the victim. This forms a sticky mass on contact Unconfirmed reports have also mentioned: with air, trapping the prey for the Killer to consume at leisure. The slime is strong and sticky, but atrophies in to a brittle form Dancers of the Clouds after a few hours. Some species are rumoured to produce a toxic Old Man of the Sky or envenomed form of slime. This is unconfirmed as are reports Arboreal Cephalopod of Merav tribesmen eating the slime...

Seskerlin

Jolvedrins Killer

Sipperlins

Sipperlins are not a single species but rather a group of related species with similar characteristics. They are the smallest

Hunter of the Air

Although no specimen has yet been seen whole by reliable witnesses, the Merav Tribesman refer to a large predatory species and have shown teeth and other hard body parts from an aerial species that is estimated to bulk roughly equivalent to a large wolf or smaller big cat in size. From the teeth and bones seen, it is assumed to be a fast, sleek killer, roughly analogous to a shark or Manta Ray, with the typical "flat" body shape. Several Telbrini expeditions are currently outfitting to attempt to secure a whole and, if possible, live specimen for study.

considerable distances, the accounts seem to indicate that these creatures prefer the cover of trees and undergrowth. Several expeditions have attempted to search for specimens, and whilst none have as yet been secured, serious scholars concede that it remains a possibility.

Religions of the Plateau

The cultures of the Plateau of Meravaenia are Hectaminist and all adhere to some form of the Church of the Great Chain of Being. They share a belief that the seven Orbs somehow represent or embody certain fundamental aspects of existence which together are the links of creation that make existence possible.

Dancers of the Clouds

Merav Tribal accounts, and unreliable witness statements from the higher altitudes of the Confederation of Xantir and Petty Kingdoms, speak of a large (dolphin or porpoise sized) omnivorous or possibly herbivorous creature that frequents the higher altitudes (a lower threshold of around 3750m is estimated from the evidence) - fast, playful and curious, these creatures feature prominently in Merav Tribal folk tales and are clearly identified with Dancer, the folk-hero unique to the High Kingdoms baroque shamanistic (and possibly Octaminist) take on the Great Chain of Being common to religious beliefs throughout the region. Credence is give to the tribal accounts as such a species would logical provide possible prey for the Hunter of the Air

Churches of the Chain

The Churches of the Chain are also known as the Children of Xantir, the Xantiric sects or the Churches of the Seven. The Anchor of the Chain: Mother Gwenth

Old Man of the Sky

Even more circumstantial than the evidence for the Dancers of the Clouds, most serious scholars believe the tales of the Old Man of the Sky to be just tales. Leaving aside the plausibility of an aerial creature some two meters from nose to base of tail that resides only above 4000m, the folk tales frequently refer to these creatures also appearing as unnaturally tall old men, wrapped in long cloaks, but to date no material evidence has been found to support these stories. Since the Merav Tribes guard the reported range of these creatures (the slopes of Mount Keril), few expeditions have had a chance to confirm the stories.

The Links of the Chain: Lady of Stone: Rock, Purple Lady of Air: Wind, Orange Father of Fires: Sun, Yellow Lord of Waters: Sea, Blue Weaver of Mists: Mist, Grey The Green: Plants The Red: Predator, Prey and Carrion The Companions of the Chain Teller: Direct Dominance, Giving Orders, Conflict and Revenge Hunter: Subtle Dominance, Manipulation and Survival Talker: Trade, Communication, Co-Operation Knower: Knowledge, Learning, also Sorcery and hidden wisdom Dancer: Sky and Spirit

That which is outside the Chain, the Broken Link Void: Darkness and Devourer

Arboreal Cephalopod
If it exists, the Arboreal Cephalopod is certainly the strangest creature on the plateau. Telbrini scholars however, as with other claims, maintain a healthy scepticism, supported by the absence of any specimens, despite numerous expeditions to the High Plateau region. If this creature (or group of species) exist, they are a variety of mollusc-like creature with many (probably at least six, may be as many as twelve) tentacles that serve as both ambulatory and manipulator appendages (there may be some differentiation by role, but oral accounts are imprecise) and are arranged at the base of a large (medium sized pig equivalent) ovoid body, surrounding a sharp beak. Although capable of gliding

Civilised folk (or those who like to think of themselves as such) throughout the Plateau worship the Great Chain of Being and in general most favour the Church of the Lady of Air, or the Lady of Stone (also sometimes known as Mother Gwenth). The links of the Chain are regarded as abstract forces / principles and although ascribed a gender in some cases are not viewed as anthropomorphic personifications particularly. The Companions are similarly viewed as somewhat abstract, but more like archetypes and astrologers of the Chain can (apparently) predict much about a person's life based on precise charting of the position of the Orbs and the Companions at the time of their birth. This practice is not part of official church doctrine, but it is

remarkable how many organisational structures in Plateau cultures use a unit of five. The tribes of the High Kingdoms pay most direct attention to the Red and Green, but their shamanic tradition is markedly different to the Churches of the Red and Green found in the rest of the Plateau, and heavily influenced by the Companions of the Chain. Indeed, the Republic of Telbrin is becoming openly hostile to the violent rights of the Beast Cults in the Hallex River Valley, and the Kol-shek dVanan has indicated his displeasure as well. In general, the Republic is moving increasingly towards a secular state and the Churches of the Chain are increasingly marginalized but the first overt hostility has been against the Beast Cults so the other churches have perhaps not realised the extent to which that hostility is symptomatic of wider anti-religious sentiment in the Consulate of the Republic. Whilst Telbrin, like most of the followers of the Xantiric theology of the Great Chain, are respectful of the Kol-shek dVanan, the seven Churches of the Chain in the Republic are independent of the direct authority of the Kol-shek dVanan. Xantir teaches that the spirit (that which is bound by the chain) must be free to move along the chain at death all sects teach the Words of Releasing the Spirit, to be said over a dead body and which cause the body to burn to ash, releasing the spirit to continue in the cycles of the chain. All the Meravae Plateau cultures regard life clinging (spirits remaining housed in dead flesh) with great repugnance. The spirits of the Honoured Dead however (those ancestral spirits released from the shackles of material existence that choose to return to guide their descendants) are treated with great reverence and much folklore revolves around the ambiguities and difficulties of placating angry or upset ancestral spirits. Even the poorest family will have a shrine to their ancestors, and woes betide the family abandoned by (or that abandons) their Honoured Dead. Void (also known as The Dark, Darkness, The Devourer, The Eater of All and a variety of other names) is feared and reviled throughout the plateau, although in Telbrin is generally regarded as a metaphor rather than a reality. It is generally identified with/conflates the Night Hag and the Dark God so often found in Thurian belief systems, and quit clearly in pre-Octaminist Crusade beliefs of the region was the Eighth link of the Great Chain... Dancer is a mercurial figure in Xantiric theology, largely marginalized and ignored, but a central figure in folk myths and old wives tales throughout the plateau and the primary myth figure amongst the Merav Nation, being both the first Shaman and the primary ancestral figure of all the tribes, each of which is governed by a Hand (Teller, Hunter, Talker, Knower, Dancer) of Elders.

Children of the Fire

The Righteous Order of the Children of the Fire are a martial order in the Republic of Telbrin affiliated with the Church of the Father of Fires (the Yellow Orb). It was established in the Meravae Empire after the imposition of the Church of Gwenthia on the population of the Empire by the KiMentas as a result of the Third Crusade. The order was originally formed as a sister group to the HagHunters of AurUrbis, concentrating on fanatical opposition to "life-clinging" and other forms of Necromancy. The order is dedicated to the cleansing fire of the Father of Fires and believes that Gwenthia must pass through fire to be redeemed and the great chain reforged. Publicly (and internally amongst the lower orders of Novices and Lay Children) this means eliminating all traces of the Night Hag and its spawn from the surface of Gwenthia. The true elite of the order (in what are known as the "Hidden Hands") believe that doing this will actually allow the Yellow Orb to heal his brother the Dark Orb, and thus restore the Chain. The order itself has no priests but maintains an ascetic tradition and could be characterised as an order of warrior monks. It organises itself in companies of five Children: a commander, a scout, a 'speaker' (communications), scholar (intelligence) and a jack of all trades fifth. A 'hand' is publicly seven companies (35) and at full strength the official commissioned strength of the order is 'a hand of hands' (245), ignoring ancillary staff and Novice and Lay Children not yet qualified to leave the Orders training Houses. In fact, there are also the companies of the hidden hands, such that the actual strength is 320 operational troops (an eighth company in each hand, plus the secret Eighth Hand forming the hidden 'hand of hands' of an additional 75).

Languages of the Region

Ur-Merav
Ur-Merav is a dead language: known only through scholarly conjecture and fragmentary inscriptions. Several modern languages of the Plateau region are derived from it: Priest Tongue in particular.

Ur-Keril
Ur-Keril is conjectured by Telbrini scholars to have been the root language of the human slave population of the Meravae Empire, and is thus the parent language of several of the languages and dialects of the Meravae Plateau.

Priest Tongue
The only full language in current use derived from Ur-Merav, is the Priest Tongue of the Confederation of the Children of Xantir,

in which the Holy Scriptures of the Churches of the Chain are written, and which is used for all official documents of the faith and things like prayer flags etc. This language appears to have been remarkably stable for a considerable period of time as far as Telbrini scholars can estimate (texts discovered in ruins from the Ensellati Horde era, some 1800 years ago appear virtually identical to modern texts in usage), although most of the Confederation of the Children of Xantir (the innumerable religious sects of the Church of the Chain) are deeply hostile to allowing Telbrini scholars access to their holy books for appropriate study. Scholar Tongue as it is also known is a complex, tonally sensitive language with a complex glyph based written form that is notoriously hard to master. The quality of writing can have importance in certain religious and formal social contexts (applying for a merchant alliance, proposals of marriage etc) and throughout the Confederation and Republic talented calligraphers can command high salaries.

Traders Cant that blends Lidin, Priest Tongue, Telbrinese and elements of as yet unidentified languages (perhaps Elucen or more likely the mysterious Tribal Tongue of the Merav Nation tribes) is the common means of communication. The two varieties of Traders Cant are largely incompatible, although fluent Lidin speakers have some chance of making themselves understood in either, suggesting that actually Lidin may be the root language of both (or the most recent linguistic overlay).

Elucen
Elucen is language of whistles, as much a signalling system to communicate across the high mountain valleys as a true language, albeit it helps explain, to some degree, how rapidly news travels amongst the tribes of the High Kingdom.

Tribal Tongue
The Tribal Tongue of the tribes of the High Kingdoms? is forbidden to those not of the tribes, and little is known of it by lowland scholars but it is conjectured to have similarities to Priest Tongue and is thus believed to be another derivative of UrMerav

Telbrinese
Ur-Keril has innumerable derivatives, although it is itself also a dead language, and many of its children have drifted a great distance from their roots. The most commonly encountered UrKeril derived language is Telbrinese, or River Tongue, the official language of the Republic of Telbrin and the predominant lingua franca of the Upper Hallex River Valley for the last thousand years. River Tongue is a fast, clipped language of short distinct phones often concatenated in to apparently long single word multi-syllabic statements, but actually possessed of a predominance of low syllable count words. Mountain folk joke about River folk gabbling; River folk say there isnt enough air in the high mountains for the Mountain folk to talk at a sensible speed and think.

Traders Cant
Traders Cant is the name for a number of languages of similar function, and in some cases related linguistic roots, found throughout Thurian in lands once ruled by the Meravae Empire. All have their roots at least partly in the dead language of the Empire, Ur-Merav, but have mingled with other languages to create a wide variety of disparate languages that are effectively distinct, despite their common origins. The two languages most often referred to as Traders Cant are spoken along the Hallex River Valley and in neighbouring regions. Common in the lower reaches of the Hallex River Valley and in the Badlands is one form of Traders Cant, an ugly polyglot mix of Ur-Merav, Telbrinese and Lidin with many loan words from Parkhsi that barely functions as a general language but has immense richness and subtlety for the pursuit of the best price for a brace of Yak or the merits a bundle of hunting javelins. It is also quite effective for insults and intimidation. In the Upper reaches of the Hallex River Valley, and on to the Meravae plateau itself, another variant of

Nhi Tual
The Dragon Chosen

hi-Tual nestles between the realms of Meravaenia, Parkhesh and Quatzadua, in eastern Thurian. An island, L-Tual, is part of the Tual lands and is located a kilometre or so off the east coast in the wide bay of the Golden Sea. It is a dry and barren land, battered by harsh winds and extremes of heat and cold, but was once lush and verdant, with an abundance of crops, fruits and wildlife to support its people, the Tual. Watched by the Seven, the gods who ensured Nhi-Tual was a land of plenty, the Tual grew and prospered. Around 3,000 years ago, the Goddess Khur-Ishida came to NhiTual and challenged the Seven, exposing them as trickster demons that had beguiled the Tual and led them away from the only true path to enlightenment and happiness. She drove the Seven from Nhi Tual and returned the land to its rightful state: hard, harsh and unforgiving, a place of winds, drought, and the constant threat of famine. And now, the Tual give thanks to this most benevolent Goddess, for helping the scales to fall from their eyes, and understand that life is never without suffering, and that every scrap of food and drop of water must be fought for with sweat, tears and blood. A detailed history of the Tual people can be found under the History of the Nhi-Tual.

with their harsh environment. Despite the hardship of their existence, they are a well educated people, being taught skills and crafts from early age. The land is hot and semi-arid, and the Tual people scratch a meagre living by driving livestock along feeding trails. The Tual are seminomads and split into four tribes: Shikn, Hkurik, Mutsmo, and Takda, with each tribe consisting of several different Clans. There are a handful of permanent settlements along the Nhi-Gha River, which are no more than villages made of simple primitive wooden structures, surrounded by a wooden palisade. Each settlement is controlled by one of the many Clans, who only grant access to the village to kinsman and recognised traders. Since the land along the river is more fertile, and rife with vegetation, a few Tual have set up permanent farmsteads, but these are rare. Where the Nhi-Gha River meets the sea, there is one major seaport, called Gha-Shasta. This is the main hub of the river; where goods from all over NhiTual are gathered for trade and barter. Each tribe controls a region of Nhi-Tual, and possesses its own unique customs and beliefs. The tribes, through the clan structure, have the military might, or economical power, to maintain control over the smaller, lesser Clans. The only thing the Clans have in common is the worship of the Goddess Khur-Ishida. The Shikn tribe is the smallest numerically. They believe in racial purity and are unbending in their beliefs, unwilling to accept even the slightest change. This makes them rather insular and xenophobic. They are devout in the worship of the Goddess, imposing their religious view points on others, and are quick to put heretics to death. The second of the tribes, Hkurik, is the largest and most cosmopolitan. They are looked down upon by the others, because they are quick to adopt new customs and to accept outsiders. Quite a lot of their customs have been inherited through marriage and trade with people from Quatzadua. It is believed by the other Tual that the city of Nhiaquat was founded by members of this tribe. The Hkurik dwell in the southern and central

The People
The Tual are a hardy and vigilant race of humans, living in the lowlands and flats of Nhi Tual. They are of stocky build, with black hair, usually worn cropped, and a skin with a reddish hue. They are sturdy, used to a life of toil and conflict, and wrestling

regions of Nhi-Tual, in regions less suitable for agriculture. This has forced them to drive cattle along feeding trails, which often brings them into confrontation with the other tribes. These meetings can often be bloody, and has forced the Hkurik to trade their meagre livestock and belongings to hire mercenaries for protection. Mutsmo are known as the River People. They dwell along the banks of the Nhi-Gha River, and on the coastal regions of NhiTual. They are excellent fishermen and boatmen, but poor warriors. They have built up an economical power based on their resources. They control much of the trade along the Nhi-Gha River, levering a hefty duty to those merchants that wish to do business. It was the Mutsmo that built the town of Gha-Shasta on the mouth of the Nhi-Gha River, creating a hub for rivertrade. The other tribes have become envious of the wealth that Mutsmo has acquired, often plotting to bring them down. It is only fear that prevents them from doing this, as Mutsmo can use its economical might to buy mercenaries. Takda are a militaristic people. These are the true warriors of the Tual. As infants, boys are trained in the arts of archery and swordsmanship. They are excellent riders, taming and riding the Targheth Lizards that live on the plains. They are the most Nomadic of the people, and make a living as Mercenaries, hiring themselves out to the other tribes. At sometime or other in the past, each of the other clans has hired members of Takda. They believe in honour, living their lives by a strict code of conduct. But this hasnt stopped them in the past from butchering women and children. Women of Takda are the ones that choose their husbands. Not the other way around. Usually the most powerful of the eligible women will select the strongest and bravest of all the warriors. Finally, there are the Monks of L-Tual. The Monks live a simple lifestyle, spending much of their time in prayer to Khur-Ishida. The Monks do not hold allegiance to any particular clan. They welcome one and all to the island of L-Tual, even traders from other nations such as Quatzadua, Gara-Dien and even Spiria. The Monks of L-Tual would never trade with the Parkhesh or the Tharux. The Parkhesh are devils, and insult the Sleeping (the Tual term for the dead), raising them from their eternal slumber as slaves. The Tharux were blighted by the power of the Night-Blind Plague, which the Monks believe was sent by Khur-Ishida, as a sign of their wickedness. However, many Monks believe that the recent She-Eth incursion on L-Tual is a sign that they are becoming complacent, and too reliant on material wealth. This has led to the rise of a new Cult, who sees the invading She-Eth as a sign of redemption.

past to a number of small tribes being wiped out in a terrible bloodbath. Since many of them hold no allegiance they have been known to swap their loyalty to another in the blink of an eye. Usually, because they are threatened, paid off, or they feel that they will better off with the new ally.

Tual Lifestyle
The Tual are a hardy race, scraping a living from the harsh environment, in which they live. Many of the Tual would be considered poor, and living in poverty, to the more civilised eyes. Any onlooker drawing such a conclusion would be mistaken, as the Tual are abundant spiritually, and care little for wealth or material gain. The Tual are content to live this way, as the teachings of Khur-Ishida tell them that happiness comes through toil and labour. Not all the Tual are nomads. It is true that some are seminomadic. But a lot of the Tual live in permanent settlements, especially where there is fresh water. A few settlements have sprung up along the Nhi-Gha River. Not all of these settlements were built by the river people, the Mutsmo, but by other Tual in search of fresh water, or because the trade is well developed along the river. It is true that the Mutsmo control the rivers. But they prefer to live on their houses-boats, moving up and down the river, chasing the fish-stock. The people of the Mutsmo spend much of their day fishing. If they are not casting their nets, they are repairing them, or mending their boats. The settlements inland tend to be small villages, farmsteads, or forts. There are no sprawling cities in Nhi-Tual. The richest of the Tual live either on lavish estates, or in the unofficial capital, GhaShasta. There are those that do dwell with the ancient ruins of the long forgotten Tual cities. But such people are shunned, and looked upon as heretics and blasphemers. In the desert that covers the eastern regions of Nhi-Tual, only the nomads live, driving their Targheth lizards along the feeding trails and in the mountains in the west, the Suith herders scratch a living on the bleak slopes. One of the few tribes that build permanent settlements is the militaristic Takda. These are usually forts, and are built in areas to safeguard the Takdas own interests. Many settlements have sprung up around these forts, and are built by members of the other tribes, usually for mutual trade and protection. This is good business for Takda, who can control the trade in the area, and raise taxes for their military campaigns. When not on campaign, warriors of the Takda will carry out duties, such as building, herding animals, and farming.

There are many smaller, lesser tribes. However, they are not large enough to control vast territories, or hold economical or military power. They associate with one of the four larger tribes depending Settlements belonging to the Shikn tribe are normally built up on the region they inhabit. Often, they are forced to choose sides around shrines and temples to the Khur-Ishida. Being a very in disputes between the main tribes, which have often led in the zealot people, the act of worship takes precedence over all other

activities. So temples and shrines are always at the centre of Shikn society. It is a meeting place, where the Shikn come together to discuss important matters that affect the settlement. A deep, booming bell, the signal for the call to prayer, can often be heard ringing out from a Shikn village. All Shikn pray at least three times a day: at dawn, at midday, and finally at dusk. Prayer takes priority over food or work. Anyone who breaks this tradition turns their back on the blessings offered by Khur-Ishida. Being the most cosmopolitan of all the Tual, the Hkurik have adopted a lot of the traditions from the other tribes. The same could be said about their settlements. Each village will have a shrine or temple, a market place for trade, and even a fortified structure for a militia to be stationed. Some settlements even have permanent structures, built from stone. The further south you travel, foreign influences start to creep into Hkurik settlements, especially close to the boarder of Quatzadua. It is quite common to find shrines to the Earth God in the boarder settlements, and for intermarriage between the two peoples. The majority of the Hkurik are farmers or herders; so many farmsteads surround these southerly settlements.

mercenaries, to keep the She-Eth threat at bay. Like many Tual, the monks believe in spiritual wealth, and the rewards the afterlife has to offer. They believe that greed and corruption is blasphemy in the eyes of Khur-Ishida. But they do encourage open trade, for the prosperity of the Tual people as a whole.

Impure Metal
Since all metal is seen as impure, the priests of Khur-Ishida decree that the Tual are forbidden to handle or even use anything made from metal. Where this strange tradition originated from is not clear, but some outsiders speculate it may have something to do with Tuals past use of Tainted Silver. Any Tual who even touches anything made from metal is automatically considered unclean. Only those who have been ritually cleansed by the priests of Khur-Ishida can handle metal. However, this has led the Tual to find alternatives to using metal, such as Targheth bone or tusks, bamboo, and sometimes even stone. All metal must be ritually cleansed before they can be handled by others. This is a lengthy ceremony, and takes many days to perform. The person who wishes to handle the metal has to be cleansed first, using specially prepared oils, before bathing in sanctified water. During this process, prayers are said over the person. Once the ceremony ends, the Tual can handle the metal, which he places in a specially prepared bowl to be sanctified for use. The metal is left in the bowl of purified water overnight, while priests watch on offering up prayers to Khur-Ishida. At first light, the metal can be removed and then taken to a specially prepared room in the temple. Depending what the metal is to be used for, the next ceremony will vary. Prayers are offered up as the metal is melted. To the priests, melting the metal is just as much as the purification ceremony, as they believe that metal is only pure in its molten form. Once the metal is to be cast, forged into weapons, or minted into coins, specific prayers are offered up. This depends on the purpose of the metal. Once the metal has been turned into its desired shape, it is cleaned once again in water, before it leaves the temple.

Trade and Economics

Since most of the population are farmers of one variety or another, the basis of all trade in Nhi-Tual is agriculture. This ranges from crops, such as cereal and bamboo, to livestock, hide, or meat. This produce is transported all over Nhi-Tual, via caravans, to wherever it is needed the most. A lot of it ends up at Gha-Shasta, to be later transported to Topax for trade with merchants from other nations. Since fresh water can be rare in some places, it can often become a vital piece of bargaining power. The Mutsmo have taken advantage of this, and exchange fresh-water for precious minerals and natural resources. This has led to the Mutsmo accumulating vast wealth, which they use for trade with foreign merchants. Since only a handful of Tual use any form of currency, most of the goods are bartered for. A village will often exchange plentiful goods they have for another they are lacking. Only in the major settlements, such as Gha-Shasta is money used. The coin used in Nhi-Tual is the Rhl, a large circular coin, made from silver, with a square hole cut into the centre. The larger the hole is, the less value the coin has, (due to the amount of silver used in its minting). The coin isnt widely accepted for various reasons, as many Tual would rather barter the goods they want, in exchange for what they have to offer. To make matters worse, metal is considered impure, and many refuse to even handle coins. There is a saying amongst the Tual, "Never trust a money lender." The monks of L-Tual do not believe in profiteering. It is true that they do tax the traders that come to Topax, but it is not for finical gain. Usually this money is used to restore old temples, or to build new ones. In recent months, it has been used to pay for

Tual Technology
Due to the belief that metal is impure, and the denouement of Tharux machines, many believe that the Tual are technologically backward. This is not the case, however. The Tual have found ways around the absence of metal, by using Targheth bone and cartilage. Targheth bone is extremely strong, and can be turned into a variety of different things, from arrow points to cutlery. The cartilage is extremely flexible, whilst retaining a similar strength to the bone, making it good material for things such as composite bows. Metal weapons are forbidden and can only be carried by those who have been purified by priests of Khur-Ishida. It is very rare

to find someone carrying a blade made of metal. Those that do are considered to be people of high prestige and honour, and usually bear a dragon name. Any Tual who handles a metal weapon and has not been cleansed, is seen as unclean, and immediately cast out from Tual society. The most commonly found weapons amongst the Tual are bows and spears. These are made from either wood, bamboo, or Targheth bone, or a combination of the three. The majority of bladed weapons are usually finished off with a lacquer transported from Spiria. Prized composite bows are highly sort after, as the Targheth cartilage and bone increases the firepower and range, making it superior to a bow made from wood or bamboo. Targheth tusks are just the right length and shape for making into scimitars and as the ivory is especially tough, can be sharpened to a superb edge. Especially fine examples known as Targu blades - fetch massive sums in some parts of Gwenthia. Of course, only the females have tusks, and as females are prized, Targu blades can be rare. The Targu blade is the chosen weapon of a Warrior of KhNhar. One is often presented to a Warrior, by his Master, after he has completed his Apprenticeship.
Copyright 198 1 Richard Huber.

Each settlement, with the exception of Gha-Shasta, is governed by a Headman. Each Headman is selected by their respective clan Elder, and is responsible for the day to day running of their community. It is their job to make sure that everyone in their village adheres to the laws of the clan, and do the work they are supposed to be. They have to make decisions that affect their village, remediate in disputes, and enforce any decrees passed down by the Elder. The position is very important and failure can be costly for the Headman; who can be quickly replaced if necessary. The Constable is responsible for the law and order. It is their duty is to keep the peace, punish wrong doers, and organise the defence of their community. Each Constable is selected by their clan Elder, and answers directly to the Headman of their village. They are usually in charge of the local militia, and are responsible for selecting deputies to help them enforce the law. Their other duty is to act as arbiter, deciding the innocence and guilt of anyone thought to have committed a crime, and pass down a sentence on those found guilty. Finally, Gha-Shasta is governed by a Magistrate. The Magistrate is probably the most powerful man in all of Nhi-Tual, if not the richest. As the governor of one of the busiest sea ports, the Magistrate controls all city business and commerce, raking-in a huge fortune through taxes. The Magistrate is duly elected by Clan Elders of the city, and serves for a seven year term. Corruption is rife and many elections are rigged, with voters being bought off. Usually this means that only the richest and most influential can run for Magistrate.

The Hierarchy of the Tual

Throughout the Tual tribes, the makeup of the hierarchy is very similar. Each tribe is made up of their respective clans, which are governed by an Elder, who answer directly to the tribes Chieftain. The Chieftain is the most powerful member of the tribe, and is the overall ruler. The Chieftain is selected by the various clan Elders, and is taken from one of their number. This is a life long position, which demands respect from all within the tribe. The Elder is responsible for the running of their particular clan, and is usually elected from the oldest or wisest of its members. The Elder is the leader of their clan. Their word is law. They command the respect of the lowliest peasant to the mightiest warrior. Different tribes will have different ways of electing someone to the position. In the Shikn tribe, the clan Elder is selected from the most powerful of the priests. In the Mutsmo it is the richest member of the clan. Amongst the Takda, it is the most prestigious of the warriors that is elected and in the Hkurik the position of Elder is hereditary.

Language
There are three principle languages: the first is Ishid, which is a derivation of the Quatzaduan language, and spoken by the majority of Tual. The second are the clan dialects. Each clan has its own dialect, but they are similar to one another, and can be usually understood by members of other Clans. The Clan language is used in communicating formal clan affairs and for ceremonies; the everyday language is Ishid. The final language is Celestial, or the tongue of the Dragons. It is said that Khur-Ishida spoke it, and the Monks of L-Tual are fluent in it. Not many Tual can speak this rather strange dialect, which is made up of a high pitched hissing and spitting. But there are rumours of it being spoken by the She-Eth invaders.

Names
Names consist of three parts: the family name, the given name, and the Clan name. Family names are no more than two syllables: a stressed consonant followed by a short, vowel/consonant combination (Tsua; Hsha; Vesk, for example). Given names are three syllables and softer (Shaleena, Junatas, Korhinir, for example). The Clan name is simply the name of the particular Clan of birth (for example, Hasta, Kotu, Mosata) People that have proven themselves in life, such as great warriors, high priests, chieftains, will often have a Dragon Name. The Dragon Name is always three syllables: Khar for males, followed by an annex (Khar-Shadasher; Khar-Jigeren) and Khur for females, again followed by a three syllable annex. A typical name might thus be: Shaleena Tsua Kotu In most cases, the given name is the usual name used, but sometimes the full title or even the Clan name might be used, depending on the import of the situation. A typical Dragon name could be: Khur-Jigeren Tsua Shikn.

invulnerability. The Shasteen can turn a fatal wound into a superficial one, allowing its host to escape death. This is the reason why Shado Kun is long-lived and Daku Arashi has survived many duels. Both men cover their faces with cowls or masks to disguise the greenish pallor which would betray the Shasteen presence.

Khar-Jigeren Tsua Shikn

Khar-Jigeren Tsua is the military leader of the Shikn tribe. He is a tall man, even for a Tual, and sports many hair-braids, representing his many achievements in battle. He is also a master of KhNhar, and believes in the ancient traditions of the martial art. Recently has he taken an apprentice, but only after he had voiced objections to the school being opened on the island of LTual. Currently, Khur-Jigeren Tsua is believed to be on L-Tual, conducting the on going battle against the She-Eth. Hidden Secrets: Being opposed to the School to train KhNhar, Khur-Jigeren Tsua plans to bring it down any way he can. His fanatical view point as led him to perform some rather underhanded tactics, such as murdering a vocal priest who was a strong supporter for the School. (Many blamed a She-Eth attack for the priests death). What his next move will be is still unclear to his followers. But whatever it will be, it will be bloody.

Nhi-Tual Personalities
Shado Kun
A resident of L-Tual, the mysterious Shado Kun claims to be a spiritual leader of the Shikn. The very few people that have meet him say that he is very pious about his beliefs in Khur-Ishida. It is rumoured that he is a master of an ancient martial art, known as KhNhar. He is often flanked by his protg, Daku Arashi (see below), his right-arm and trusted friend. Shado Kun has never shown his face in public, and speaks only through Daku Arashi. Spiteful rumours claim that Shado Kun is in fact the Dark Magus. Nothing has been proven, however.

Khar-Shadasher Kotu Takda

Khar-Shadasher Kotu was chosen to head the school of KhNhar, because of his priestly upbringing, as the son of a Warrior-Priest. He is a pious man, but also a formidable warrior, being a Grandmaster of KhNhar. His rival is none other than KharJigeren Tsua, and the two have never seen eye to eye. This rift

Daku Arashi Shikn

Daku Arashi is a master of the ancient Tual martial art of KhNhar. He has earned a fierce reputation through surviving over one hundred duels. This has earned him the nickname Hando Chi, The Blooded Hand. He is a member of the Shikn tribe, and believed to be a devout follower of the teachings of Khur-Ishida. In deference to both his nickname and the battle of Kha-Sanata, he wears a suit of red leather and bamboo armour. Despite heavy scarring to his face, he radiates a charisma that commands respect. Due in some measure to this scarring, he speaks rarely and then only in a soft husky voice. He is the loyal protector of Shado Kun, and he is never far from his mentors side Hidden Secrets: Both Shado Kun and Daku Arashi have been infected with the Shasteen Horror. How this happened is a mystery, as they rarely stray from their temple. Whatever the ambitions are of these collective entities is also unknown. So far their intentions appear peaceful, aiding the Tual in their struggle against the She-Eth. The Shasteen grant their hosts with limited

between the two men has only grown wider, ever since KharShadasher decided to head up the School on L-Tual. But KharJigeren would never dare to openly challenge Khar-Shadasher. Khar-Shadasher Kotu prefers his priestly pursuits to his military lifestyle, and has taken up permanent residence on L-Tual. Hidden Secrets: In the past Khar-Shadasher Kotu was a drunk. He drank heavily of both wine and beer and was often found passed out in one of the local drinking houses. This shameful secret is not known to many, including is rival, Khar-Jigeren Tsua. If the truth ever got out, the shame would dishonour KharShadasher. This is the reason why he wishes to pursuit a priestly existence, so that he can stay clear of any impure influences, such as alcohol.

allowing all Tual to ascend to the heavens as dragons and to join her in her Celestial Court.

Dragons of Nhi Tual

The Gold Dragon of the Sun, whose light shines down during the day; the Silver Dragon of the Winds, who breathes life into NhiTual ; the Red Dragon of the Mountains; and the Blue Dragon of the Sea, that washes away the impurities of the people. Upon death, the Tual believe that the soul is transformed into a dragon of great power that flies to the Celestial Court and takes-up residence in true paradise, awaiting the time when the final battle is upon the world, and Khur-Ishida calls upon the Dragon-kin to deliver the world into a new, golden age.

Khur Ishidas Awakening

In the Distant past, the Tual were ruled by Seven Demons, who demanded to be worshipped as Gods. In return, Nhi-Tual (which means Land of Tual), was kept vibrant and fertile. Thanks to the reign of the Seven False Gods, the Tual became a technologically advanced people, building great cities and wondrous machines. The rule of the Seven False Gods went unabated for thousands of years, despite several rebellions, incursions by other nations, and the Crusades against the Night Hag. But four warriors rose up against the Seven False Gods, and overthrew them, with the help of mysterious Goddess, Khur-Ishida, who appeared in Nhi Tual shortly after the eighth moon disintegrated in the sky. The Tual realised that they had been tricked by the seven false gods into believing that the world was a nurturing place, when in reality, it was harsh and bleak, only overcome by toil and struggle. Awoken from a dream, the Tual would no longer accept any other Gods, save for Khur-Ishida (or Dragon Mother). After the four warriors drove out the false gods, Khur-Ishida transformed them into the four Guardian Dragons of the Tual. The four major clans of today are made up of their direct descendants.

Cult of the Metal Grinders

One of the consequences of the L-Tual rejection of the Tharux Traders is that Nhi-Tual has been prohibited from accessing the advanced technology of those people. No sane minded Gwenthian would sell Tharux machinery to a Nhi-Tual for fear of Zathurian repercussions. This has condemned the people of the land to scrabble around in a dark age culture of technological poverty. To the Monks this is a blessing. They are clear that Tharux machines are blasphemous and must be destroyed. The Cult of the Metal Grinders (Cha-Ead) seeks to actively smash foreign inventions that enter Nhi-Tual's borders. Their numbers are normally drawn from the Shikn clan. The only way into the cult is by invitation. They wish to keep their ranks pure. Only the most holy and fanatical are allowed to join.

International Relations
During the rule of the false gods, the borders of Nhi-Tual were closed to all outsiders. When the Goddess came, the Tual opened their borders to the rest of the world although not all nations were to their liking. The Hkurik have had good relations with Quatzadua, allowing them free access to their borders, and it has been known for the Takda to trade with the Khal in southern Parkhesh. On the island of Lo-Tual, the Monks welcome traders from as far away as Spiria.

After the Awakening, the Tual people left their cities and technology behind (which had become symbols of their decadence), and became nomadic. The Tual returned to the simple life, scratching meagre livings by driving their bipedal Targheth along the feeding trails, or cultivating what little fertile The majority of the Tual distrust Parkhesh, who raise the dead as land there was. For the next thousand years, the Tual moved from mindless slaves, denying them their Dragon death-right, and the area to area, rarely settling in any one given place. Zathurians, who the priests of Khur-Ishida claim to be the enemies of the Mother Dragon, and servants of the false gods. Indeed, Tharux traders from Zathur were driven away by the deadly Night Blind Plague, sent by Khur-Ishida as a warning. For thousands of years, the Tual were forced to worship the Seven Demons. When Khur-Ishida came down from the havens, she chose seven warriors, and empowered them with the ability to overthrow the Seven. The four surviving warriors reward was to It is forbidden for the Tual to practice any sort of magic, under be transformed into the four Guardian Dragons of Nhi-Tual, and the teachings of Khur-Ishida. Many Tual break this law, and study all Tual believe that they may be given the Dragon mantle when in secret (like the Dark Magus and his circle of apprentices). Of they die. The Tual thus believe Goddess brings eternal life, course such people are seen as heretics. It is believed that the

Religion

Magic

power of the Dark Magus is taken from various sources; from She-Eth artefacts, to secrets stolen from the Seven False Gods. Other practitioners of magic are likely to have gained their knowledge with the help of outsiders. Rumours have it that one or two Parkheshi or Quatzaduan sorcerers are willing to teach a Tual their secrets. Only KhNhar comes close to any form of magic. This is an ancient marital art that employs the use of Ki like abilities, which draws upon a persons inner strength. The technique was first employed by the priests of Khur-Ishida for meditative purposes, but later grew into a martial art. Many priests still practice KhNhar, but it is now mainly used by a chosen few warriors. Those that practice KhNhar have been seen performing fantastic feats, such as leaping great distances, cutting arrows from out of the air, and even subduing an opponent with a single touch.

Orb. The Tual were quick to build temples around the stones, and great cities around the temples. The first great Tual Kingdom was born. For 500 years, the Tual people paid homage to the Seven Stars, worshipping the fragments like gods, and offering up sacrifices to them. Then came the time the Tual called The War of the Stars. Around -4,000 BP, all the races of Gwenthia went to war with each other, to either to gain control of the fragments of Eighth Orb, or to destroy them. For many years, Nhi-Tual was at peace. The war never once spilled over into Nhi-Tual. This changed however, when a Tual pilgrim was captured in western Nhi-Tual, by a Meravae war band seeking pieces of the Eighth Orb. After being subjected to torture, the pilgrim revealed the existence of the Seven Stars. The war band Chieftain decided to march on the nearest city.

History of the Nhi-Tual

For the first time in 500 years, the Tual people were to encounter an outside threat. The Tual were a peaceful people, and didnt possess many weapons, or have a standing army. All they could do Tual history begins with a period known as the exodus. Around -5,000 BP, a small group of refugees left the Meravae Empire, and was close the gates of the first city, and offer up prayers to the Seven Stars. The war band lay siege to the city and, for many headed out into the unknown parts of the Thurian continent. They had seen a sign in the heavens, the destruction of the Eighth weeks, pelted the walls and inhabitants with rocks from their catapults. The people within the walls were starving, and disease Orb, and they followed what they called the Seven Stars. They slowly ravaged the population. travelled for many decades, following the Seven Stars, not knowing where it would lead them. In the seventh week, things changed for the worse. The wall to The refugees were led by a man called Tual, the Astral Magus, for the city was breached by a hundred warriors from the war band. Facing very little resistance, they cut their way through the he had studied the heavens all his life. Those who followed him inhabitants. Their intention was to reach the gates and open them. were his seven children, his fifty-four grandchildren, and his one However, they miscalculated their route, and found themselves in hundred and twenty three great-grandchildren. They were the Temple of the Star. Awe-stuck by what they found there, the accompanied by their wives, retainers, servants, and bodyguards. warriors lowered their guard, and they were struck down by the Tuals descendants continued to follow the Seven Stars long after fanatical priests. As the last one lay dying, he reached out and the death of Tual himself. In fact it was 500 years before they touched the Orb Fragment, with his bloody hand would reach their destination. By then, Tuals family had become It is written in the ancient scriptures that the stone drank his a small Nation, which comprised of seven tribes. They witnessed blood, began to crack, and broke open to reveal the first of the they seven stars fall to earth in an uninhabited region of the Seven Demons. It is written that he was wreathed in flame, carried Thurian continent. This was the place the Tual believed that the Stars were leading them too. The land they entered was bleak and a spear of jet, and wore a crown of silver. The First Demon offered the Tual people victory over their enemies, if they would barren. There was little vegetation, and only strange, bipedal bow down and worship him. The priests immediately did. It was lizards occupied the plains. after this, the First Demon is said to have marched out of the city The Meravae Empire had not colonised this small part of the and slaughtered the war band. world. The Tual people believed it was because of its harsh and The First Demon told the Tual how to summon his Six Brothers. fruitless environment. Little did they know, the land that would Like the first, the blood of the enemy was spilled over the six become their home, had once been the homeland of the soulless Sh-Eth. Remnants of the She-Eth empire were scattered all over other Dark Orb fragments, and in turn a Demon appeared. Each, like the first, wanted to be worshiped like the Stones before them. the land they dubbed Nhi-Tual, (Land of the Tual). But the Tual In return, they would protect the Tual from their enemies. could salvage nothing of use. Fanatical as they were, the priests agreed. However, a small group The leaders of the Tual people decided that the seven tribes of Priests felt that there was something wrong. Deep down, they should split and search out the Seven Stars. Each tribe travelled knew that the Seven Demons were false gods, and did not deserve the length and breadth of Nhi-Tual, trying to locate where the the worship they were being offered. Seven Stars had fallen. One by one, the tribes discovered the stars, little knowing that they were, in fact, fragments of the Eighth

The priests retreated from Nhi-Tual, and set sail on a small boat. A terrible storm erupted, and the boat and its passengers were washed up on the shores of a small, uninhabited island. There they found a mountainous paradise, covered in lush green vegetation. The water was pure, and the food was bountiful. It was this moment that the priests realised that the true world was harsh, and that the power of the seven false gods was but an illusion. It was nature that provided for the people, and not the gods. Over the next 500 years, army after army marched into Nhi-Tual, in search of Dark Orb debris. Each in turn was either driven away or massacred by the Seven Demons. After the wars came to an end, an era of peace began for the Tual, under the ruler-ship of the Seven Demons. This period is called by the Tual today, as the Years of Blindness. During this period, the Tual prospered, and their Kingdom flourished. It became green and lush, and there was an abundance of raw material. The Seven cities thrived, and grew into bustling metropolises. The Tual built marvellous machines, and created many strange wonders. The Tual wanted for nothing. However, this was also a period of isolation. No one dared venture into Nhi-Tual, as rumours of the Seven Demons of Death were widespread on the other side of the boarder. This peace prospered for 200 years, until a Crusading army marched into Nhi-Tual. It is said in the Tual scriptures, that the Crusaders were turned to stone. There remains are said to be very standing stones, in the valley known as The Plain of Stones.

Prince yrGael personally slew the three generals in combat, which lead to the Khur-Ishida defeat that day. Upon hearing the defeat of the three armies, and their kinsmen, the remaining four warriors became even more determined to rid their homeland of the seven false gods. What followed a year later was the Battle of Kha-Sanata; the bloodiest battle of the war. The city was the base of Prince yrGael and his Army of Cromaigne and AurUrban forces. This formidable force was the only thing that stood in the way of the Khur-Ishida followers and over throwing the seven false gods. The four armies of Khur-Ishida lay siege to the mighty city, and for waited for yrGael and his forces to enter battle. When the two huge armies finally clashed, it was a bloody affair. The death toll on both sides was tremendous. In the Khur-Ishida scriptures, one of the four warriors, Takda, duelled with Prince yrGael. Whether the next part is accurate, it is unclear. It is written that during the fight, Takda cut off yrGaels sword hand. Historians do believe that yrGael was gravely wounded, and was forced from the field of battle. This event changed the course of the battle. Leaderless, Prince yrGaels army was quickly defeated. But as victory was in the grasp of the KhurIshida followers, the seven false gods manifested themselves within the walls of the city.

From all accounts, the seven false gods laughed, before the sky turned black as night. The ground shook with a powerful earthquake, and a mighty wind raced across the battlefield. There followed another period of Isolation. In the many years that Fearing that it was the power of the seven demons, those who Monks remained on the island of L-Tual, they prayed that a stood living on the battlefield trembled. But those who did dare to messiah would come down from heaven, and liberate the Tual glance upwards were met by the sight of a silver dragon: Khurpeople. About -3,000 BP, of dedicated prayer and patients, a great Ishida herself. In one breath, she blew fire over the city, utterly Comet fell from the sky and into the sea. What arose from the destroying it. The Tual watched as the seven false gods burst into waters was a beautiful sight to all that beheld it. According to the flame, before they were reduced to ash. scriptures, it was a large silver dragon; its tail stretched for over a the four warriors into the four Dragons of Nhi-Tual: the Gold mile, and its shadow plunged the island into darkness. This dragon Dragon of the Sun, whose light shines down during the day; the was the Goddess Khur-Ishida. Silver Dragon of the Winds, who breathes life into Nhi-Tual; the Then followed what the Tual call the War of Restitution, when Red Dragon of the Mountains; and the Blue Dragon of the Sea, the follows of Khur-Ishida waged war on the seven false gods. that washes away the impurities of the people. It also promises the The goddess called forth warriors from each of the seven tribes. Tual that upon their death, the soul is transformed into a Dragon She empowered them with the ability to defeat the seven false of great power that flies to the Celestial Court, and takes up gods. The seven warriors returned to the mainland, to gather residence there, in true paradise, awaiting the time when the final support for their cause. Many flocked to the banners of the seven battle is upon the world, and Khur-Ishida calls upon the Dragonwarriors, and seven armies came into existence. Then the war kin to deliver the world into a new, golden age. After this, Khurbegan. There followed a decade of brutal warfare between the Ishida ascended back to the Celestial Court. follows of Khur-Ishida and the seven false gods. The once fertile plains of Nhi-Tual started to die. What was left In the scriptures it is written that Prince yrGael of Cromaigne had been ravaged by a decade of war. The truth had been shown came to Nhi-Tual, and sided with the seven false gods, to them by Khur-Ishida: the world was a cruel place, and survival proclaiming that Khur-Ishida was a version of the Night Hag. He was born through toil and struggle. The survivors left the cities, called upon the Tual to follow his banner, and strike down the and gathered under the protection of the war warriors. However, heretics worshipping her. The scripture speaks of a great battle, each had differing ideas of how to make a living, and how to where three of the seven armies were defeated. Many believe that worship Khur-Ishida. This led to the dividing of the Tual people;

each choosing a separate path to take. This was the birth of the four tribes of Nhi-Tual. The island of L-Tual then became a religious centre for the Tual. Pilgrims from all over Nhi-Tual would make the journey to the sacred site where Khur-Ishida first appeared. The Monks built monasteries, shrines, and even a religious centre; a settlement filled with temples called Nhi-Ishida. The Monks chose to lead a peaceful existence, spending much of their time in study, meditation, and prayer. The Monks would mediate in the disputes between the tribes, and offer consul for travellers and pilgrims. The island became a sign of unity for the Tual. Not many insignificant events were written down by the Tual. Out of a small handful of such incidences, only one is remembered. That is the birth of a very small and insignificant cult, called The Cult of Rathkul. The cult became a joke amongst the Tual, and even to the present day, it is the butt of Tual jokes. As quickly as it surfaced, The Cult of Rathkul vanished. But there are many tales still told to this day, from speculation to what happened to the cult, to why the cult arose in the first place. The biggest question asked by the Tual is: why were they lost? This has become a hot topic of debate amongst the Monks of L-Tual. Over the next few centuries, many nations came to trade with the Tual, including the Tharux. Trade with the Tharux went unabated for decades, until Khur-Ishida discovered that the foreigners were under the thrall the Zathurians. In her vengeance, Khur-Ishida struck them down with the Night-Blight Plague, and they were driven from Nhi-Tual. After this, many traders feared going into Nhi- Tual. To the Tual, trade was important. It was a lifeline in the desolate world. During this period, the Monks of L-Tual opened the island to traders. They built a harbour and the small settlement of Topax, allowing for merchant ships to dock, and do business with Tual traders. Thanks to this, the island prospered, and many people came from as far away as Spiria. Unfortunately, this led to the first encounter with the Parkhesh. After seeing their ships filled with the walking-dead, the Monks were horrified. The Parkhesh were denying the souls their birthright to descend to the Celestial Court. Faced with such as terrifying concept, the Monks refused to trade with the Parkhesh. They even turned violent and attacked the ships. Word quickly spread of the Parkhesh to the mainland. The leaders of Shikn quickly whipped up support for a Crusade against the Parkhesh, and many pilgrims, warriors, and priests travelled to the northern borders of Parkhesh. There they formed a massive army, and marched into the Red Desert. Ill prepared for such a journey, the Crusaders never met the Parkhesh in battle. All succumbed to the Red Desert, dying from thirst, diseases, or the blistering heat. Many other Crusaders followed, but none of them returned. It is written in history that all the Crusaders were defeated in battle.

That they died trying to save the souls of the Parkhesh. None of the Tual knew the true story, as no one survived from the long march into the Red Desert. Believing the Parkhesh armies to be invincible, the Tual never crossed into the Red Desert again. Instead, the Tual purists would brutally kill anyone they thought to be from Parkhesh, or crossed over the northern Nhi-Tual border. However, despite succumbing to such a terrible fate, the dead Parkhesh were buried in the traditions of the Ishidaian faith, thus granting them a chance to ascend to the Celestial Court. In the south, things were different. Trade with the native Quatzaduans had flourished, and peaceful relations between them and Hkurik were cemented. This led to the construction of a permanent settlement, Nhiaquat, over the boarder in Quatzadua. Both peoples lived peacefully, side by side, co-existing and trading their goods. This custom continues to this day, and has led to inter- marriage between Quatzadua citizens and members of Hkurik. Over the last few centuries, Nhi-Tual has been relatively peaceful. There has been civil unrest between the dominate clans, due to their cultural differences, and their differing view points. These often have a peaceful conclusion, but sometimes can lead to bloody confrontations. The peace is kept by the Monks of LTual, who use the principles of the Ishidaian faith to keep order, which unites the Clans. In recent years, a new enemy has arisen, one that is a threat to all Tual: the She-Eth. This has unified the clans against one common enemy.

Parkhesh
Ancient and Octaminist
Parkhesh
human race of peoples who have no love for the Parkheshi. It makes for a fractious land. Below is a map showing the different arkhesh is in north east of the continent of Thurian - caught political areas. Note that the islands of Kaipor and Shumtira are in a war at one end, but peaceful at the other. To the north equivalent in size to England on Earth (that's without Wales and Scotland). of this region, is the province of Parkhesh itself, the dominant human power of the region. To foreigners, the whole region including the province of Parkhesh, the Red Desert, Duresh, Ju'Gara, Phasarna, Tu'Kresh, Shumtira, the Loparankwari Parkhesh is a large state of heterogeneous geographic nature. Lands and Khalesh are all known as Parkhesh. Indeed at one time Running along the north and east coast are various chains of in the ancient past this region was a unified province of the mountains (The Zotcharakh Olakha literally the Backbone of Meravaenian Empire. The authorities in Parkhesh City still like to Olakaha) which feed rivers to the land on either side. On the believe that they hold sway over parts of the Red Desert, but that north and north-east coast the city states, dominated by Parkhesh has always belonged to the mysterious and ancient nonhuman City, live off the produce from lush fertile strips of land. To the peoples known as the Red Desert Nomads. To the west of the south-west is the arid Red Desert, a large basin of rolling red Red Desert are grass plains which sweep up to the Meravae dunes where an inland sea once lay. However, microclimates are Plateau, where the Lopar Riders (who call themselves the sustained near the mountains, along the coast, and oases in the Loparankwari) make their home. To the South East lies the Red Desert. City States dot the wide River Khatala (The Blue province of Duresh, settled by the exiles from Durustan who Serpent) bordering with Nhi-Tual, its climate similar to Egyptian came here long ago after an epic voyage to find a new homeland. Nile valley on Earth. Further city states lie on the south-east coast They partially displaced and intermixed with the indigenous Loand around the large island of Shumtira (derived from a nonTak barbarian tribes. In the inner heart of Duresh live the Ralami, Parkheshi name) off the south east coast of Parkhesh. The inland and some tribes of the Yakhmi, both nonhuman races whose slopes and valleys of the mountain chains are home to tribes of numbers are in sharp decline. To the South and South West of the peoples who owe allegiance to Parkhesh City. In the south east is Red Desert lies Khalesh which broke away from Parkhesh a few a wild bush like land very akin to the outback of Australia and the centuries ago; the Parkhesh City League has currently annexed Savannah of Africa. To the west of the Red Desert are dry but part of their lands on the border with Duresh. Off the coast to the fertile plains which rise up to the Meravae Plateau. south east, is the large island of Shumtira - peopled by another

The Geography and Climate

The Flora and Fauna

At first glance, most of Parkhesh may seem to be lifeless, but the Oases abound with insects, reptiles, birds and small mammals, and even the desert has an ecology. Zoologists at the University Of Parkhesh City are still wondering how so much life managed to brave the deserts to reach the Oases. The answer lies with the Red Desert Nomads who actively foster life in the Oases and the history of the Red Desert. At one time all the Red Desert was a lagoon with many tropical islands which are now sites of ancient ruins. These oases are sacred shrines to the past. Life has always been there and the oases are still islands, islands in a desert. In the South East, in Duresh, the vegetation is much more bush like. On the coasts the City States have groves of olive like trees which they press for an oil that they use for lamps, food and other uses. Animals include the Dureshi Buck and Dureshi Hog. Before the appearance of horses in the stables of the elite, imported from Cromaigne at extreme cost, the only animal for fast travel was the Shamuul. The Shamuul is a sleeker cousin to the Khamuul, faster, more agile, smaller and more elegant, but without the

of a polyglot of peoples now collectively known as the Dureshi (they are exiles from Durustan), on the crossroads of trade routes, who pay tribute to Parkhesh City in return for protection. These cities are allowed much freedom by Parkhesh City and are, for all intents and purposes, autonomous states within the Parkhesh City League (or Empire). The non human races in Red Desert Nomad Parkhesh are very unlike the human community. The Red Desert Nomads are some seven to eight feet tall with web feet and fingers. They are descended from an amphibious race who swam in the warm lagoon that is now the desert. . Along the east coast of Parkhesh and the Pirates Teeth live the Zimkhlor, descendants of the amphibian race who once lived in the lagoon. In Duresh there are the Yakhmi who are lion like centaurs (human torso on a lions body) and the Ralmi who have three forms each unable to mate with one another but all having once been one people split by a curse (a lion form, a humanoid lion form and a human form). The Ralame and Yakhme despise each other, the latter believing themselves the purer form of a race that both descended from.

water saving hump. As a consequence, the Shamuul requires frequent watering. In the West the Loparankwari ride the llamalike Lopar, larger than the Terran species. Up in Tu'Kresh, Ju'Gresh and Phasarna, heavily irrigated lands provide lush agricultural terraces and lands sloping down to the ocean. In Tu'Kresh the spice Intigro is cultivated. In Khalesh, herds of Targarth lizards can be found along the banks of the Blue Serpent River and in some cases these lizards have been domesticated and used as meat animals or beasts of burden. These creatures are sacred in Nhi-Tual, a potential source of conflict on the few occasions Tual and Khaleshi meet.

The People
The peoples are varied in stock. To the north and east the people are much more olive in skin tone (like Arabs in appearance). These people are an old race called the Parkh, with Parkhesh City being their cultural capital. This is the region that is rightfully called Parkhesh, the heartland of what used to be the Parkhesh City League. The southern river cities of Khalesh have traded with the Parkh for millennia but they are more Mongolian in appearance, calling themselves the Khal (Blue or River People) and share many cultural traits in common with the Nhi-Tual to the south, though they pride themselves in their independence from that state (helped by living on the north of a very wide river). They became part of the part of the Parkhesh City League about 800 years ago but regained their freedom through bloody rebellion about 350 years ago. The south-eastern corner of Parkhesh is peopled by a dark skinned hardy folk known as the Lo-Tak (the tribe from which the conqueror Aran hailed), various tribes who live in a Savannah like bush environment. The south-eastern city states consist

The Language and Names

Parkhsi is the spoken tongue of the Parkh peoples who originate from the north of Parkhesh. It became the main Parkhesh language some 800 years ago during the dominance of Parkhesh City in the Parkhesh City League but an older archaic form of Parkhsi was used back when the whole region was a province of the Meravaenian Empire. Khalian is a mix of old Nhi-Tual languages mixed with Parkhsi and Meravaenian and Loparankwari speech. The Parkhsi script is cursive, made of many curved lines and dots (similar to Terran Arabic or Ancient Egyptian Hieratic). Spoken Parkhsi is also much like Arabic or ancient Egyptian with a stress on the penultimate syllable like in Spanish. The Kh is like the Scottish Ch in Loch. Parkhesh is pronounced Par-Khesh with stress on Par. Khal is Kh-al with stress on Kh, though Khatala is Kh-a-ta-la. Shumtira is Shum-ti-ra. Zotcharakh Olakha is Zotcha-rakh O-la-kha. Most of the peoples of this use the cursive script, except the Nomads who have an oral tradition without writing consisting of their own language.

Parkhsi Male

Middle Parkheshi speech consists of words that are generally contractions of phrases in High Speech. Where High speech will always pronounce the separate words in a phrase, Middle Speech will make a word out of a phrase. Phrases are contracted by the dropping of vowels or the dropping of an ending. The word for Lord in a phrase Khaot can have the ot dropped to form Kha, or the a dropped to produce Khot. Both Kha and Khot mean Lord but only when they form part of a contracted phrase. A Parkheshi will always pronounce the word Lord on its own as Khaot (unless they are from the lower classes who are not educated enough to know the difference). Laziness in the language is shown in the dropping of Kh and a from Ma'tikh'khaot to form Matikhot. Parkheshi names sound very much like Arabic and Turkish. Parkheshi names tend to be 2 or 3 syllables in length.

is usually too involved with domestic affairs to get involved with any other sovereign power.

The Regions, Provinces, Kingdoms and Cities

Parkhesh consists of eight regions (nine if you include the autonomous Loparankwari). These make up Greater Parkhesh, a land that outsiders recognise as an entity more often than the constituent parts!

Parkhesh City League

The five provinces of The Parkhesh City League (sometimes called the Parkhesh Empire) are Parkhesh, Tu'Kresh, Ju'gresh, Duresh and Phasarna, which are the original City States that formed the Parkhesh City League under the conqueror Aran. The League also includes the internal regions which sit between the Zotcharakh Olakha mountains. Parkhesh itself is the Imperial Up until about 850 years ago, Parkhesh was a fractured region Capital of the Parkhesh City League situated on the southern with many city states which coalesced into City Leagues for coast of the Sea of Brass on the north east of Thurian. Many mutual protection, but all that changed 850 years ago when the travellers have been amazed by the beautiful minarets, large conqueror Aran managed to unite the Duresh region along with the east, north east and north of Parkhesh in a series of campaigns squares with fountains, canals and Parkhesh gardens. known as the Parkhesh City State Wars. At about 800 years ago the self appointed Prophet King Maluja added Khalesh to the Parkhesh dominance and then Shumtira was added shortly after Although a loyal part of the Parkhesh City League, the South East that. A period of peace reigned in this region up till 350 years ago province of Duresh is so populous and far from the northern when Khalesh overthrew Parkhesh rule and started what is known Parkhesh cities that it enjoys considerable autonomy. It consists of as the Parkhesh Civil Wars. the City States of Khasan, Duresh City, Dara'lea, Harsan, Dizhun, Caran, Khilzuda, Dhilkhan and Matan. Khasan is the Parkheshi Parkhesh City, is situated on a river mouth on the north coast of administrative capital of Duresh, though Duresh City is seen by Thurian and it soon became apparent that each Province needed the locals as the capital (it was the city first conquered by Aran). to have an administrative capital, Parkhesh City was too far away for effective rule. However, the peoples of the South of Parkhesh still have ideas of their own and bandits and such still roam the southern desert of Parkhesh and the inner valleys of the Zotcharakh Olakha mountains close to the Red Desert. Those that owe allegiance to the Parkhesh League are formidable desert fighters - guarding the caravans of desert beasts of burden from the occasional Red Desert Nomad raid.

Political Structure and History

Duresh Province

Every year there is a Meet of the League at Parkhesh City. All debate their taxes and how much men and resources they will contribute to the League. Much politicking takes place, but it seems to work. It has been known for Parkhesh to send an undead legion to bring a recalcitrant city state to heel. An unfortunate waste of resources from a Parkheshi point of view as the dead from the besieged are usually beyond the point of mummification and thus useless in the army. The two main strengths of Parkhesh is in it's Navy and in it's Legions of Undead. The Navy (originally a merchant fleet now military in nature) is a vast group of fleets dominated by their War Galleons which often spat with other navies. However, Parkhesh

Parkhesh City

stopped their migration so they settled in a wide plain of arid grasslands where they live off the Lopar. The city of Shalkan The Island of Shumtira lies off the south eastern coast of Greater (Easternmost of the cities of the Republic of Telbrin) is the only Parkhesh with various cities of its own. The people here are a mix city that many Loparankwari will ever visit, though southern tribes of Parkheshi, Khalesh and Quatzaduan, Nhi-Tual, interbred with and caravan guards will venture to the Khaleshi cities (notably Khalut). Many Loparankwari are hired to guard the caravans that a short hairy indigenous race whose primitive interior homeland has not been pacified. Shumtira has a key role as a trading post for carry silk from Khalesh to Shalkan and the trade goods from Shalkan to Khalesh (including weapons for the Khaleshi to fight coastal trade from and to Quatzadua and on to Gara-Dien. The the Parkheshi). wild hinterland also provides a steady flow of skins, furs, exotic raw materials for drugs and medicines, all primitive products no longer found on the mainland.

Shumtira

International Relations

Khal City State

Whilst outsiders often do not understand it, the Khalesh people are not Parkheshi, and view themselves as an independent state. Just north of Khalesh is the Red Desert and Nhi-Tual is to the south (above the cliffs to the southern border of Khalesh). This is the nation through which the lower Blue Serpent River flows. It is a lush land inundated with silt when the Blue Serpent River bursts it's bank every spring. The peoples of Khalesh are dark tanned with mongoloid appearance. A peoples of much intermingling, they were once conquered by the Parkheshi but rebelled and have fought an almost constant war (with long periods of truce) with Parkhesh. During the 450 years of Parkheshi rule, their language was suppressed so that the majority of the populace speak a pidgin form of Parkhsi, with other languages and some original Khalian words, often called Khalsi by the Parkheshi. They are Hectaminists and are doctrinally as well as racially different to the Parkhesh. The Khal have various treaties with the Red Desert Nomads, trade with the Loparankwari to the west of the Red Desert, and trade with Telbrin. Some contact is with the Nhi-Tual but it is very limited.

Parkhesh has strained relations with nearly all its neighbours, and if it was not for its huge size and internal conflicts it would strain them further. The nation detests and fears the Zathurians. NhiTual despises nearly all Parkheshi even though Parkheshi have nothing against Nhi-Tual, except the Khalians who are distant kinsmen. AurUrbis and Meravae are involved in supporting Khal in its war against Parkhesh. Having said that, merchant ties with Parkhesh abound between Cromaigne, AurUrbis, southern NhiTual and further afield.

Economy
The north and north east Parkhesh provinces produce spices (such as Intigro), grains (like rice) and fruits of varying kinds. The lush fertile terraces provide a green and fertile land in stark contrast to the arid interior of Parkhesh. Oil was first found in Parkhesh, where pools of it are found in the Red Desert, it has a religious significance in Parkhesh where they believe it is the blood of Olakha, the 8th Orb. Parkheshi have come to this belief because of the spectra of light seen on the film of oil and in Octaminist belief, the destruction of the 8th Orb was precipitated by that of the seven other orbs. Parkheshi forces have used it on occasion in warfare but with much ceremony and magic. Oil can be found in other parts of the world but in very small quantities and requiring quite a bit of engineering to secure it, thus only the Tharux nations have learned to extract it from the crust of Gwenthia. Trade occurs across Parkhesh. Caravans wind their way from the South to the mountains to the north, reaching Parkhesh City via a number of passes. Merchant ships ply the seas to the east and north of Parkhesh and trade routes reach Quatzadua to the south and Aur Urbis to the north and beyond. The Parkhesh navy is very strong, consisting of large Battle Galleons which guard the shipping lanes and patrol the Pirates Teeth, a string of islands scattered from north east Parkhesh to the island of Kaipor. Every 8 years the Octaminist Clipper race is held between all the nations of the East of Thurian and from the northern continent. Some of the fastest merchant vessels race around the Sea of Brass from Parkhesh City to the city of Duxi in AurUrbis, carrying 10 tonnes of purest Parkhesh Intigro. Who can carry the spices the fastest is the official point of the competition, the prize is the ashes of the

Red Desert
The Red Desert belongs to an ancient race, The Red Desert Nomads, who once served the Forerunners. A law unto themselves these peoples shift allegiance like the desert sands. The Parkheshi may consider them part of their territory it is not clear that the Nomads view it the same way. Parkhesh has used the Nomads on various occasions as mercenaries or as a buffer against foreign invaders. Oil has been recovered from open pools in the Red Desert by intrepid explorers, many of whom have disappeared without a word. The Nomads do not help such exploitation, some suspect they secretly oppose it.

Loparankwari
The Loparankwari are the Lopar riding tribes who live on the plateau that borders the west of the Red Desert and the east of Meravaenia. The Loparankwari (Lopharkwan by the Parkheshi and Khaleshi) are the descendants of a group of people who migrated eastwards from the high plateaus. The Red Desert

bones of the black pirate, Zambala. Zambala is said to be one of the aspects of the The Invisible Lord. Parkhesh tries to control the amount of goods reaching more northern climes by sea from the southern states, but all seafaring nations have a naval force. The KiDelan of AurUrbis can as easily travel via the western route - something which the Parkheshi would prefer to discourage. The Parkheshi War Galleons are pretty ponderous against nimble small merchant vessels but have a significant arsenal and fighting force against a flotilla of ships meaning harm to any of Parkheshi ports or trade routes. The Parkheshi merchant vessels are smaller than the Galleons and though they might pack the odd gunpowder device, they would much rather compete with the trading competition than fight. The Khal City States rely on the rich alluvial deposits of the Kha'ta'la river. They have an agricultural economy with meats such as the Khamuul, sheep and river fish. Currently their sea route has been blockaded on and off by Parkhesh for 350 years so they trade mostly with Nhi-Tual, Meravae, the Loparankwari, Quatzadua, the Nomads and distant AurUrbis. Currency Parkheshi coinage varies from province to province, but the Gold Signet is the main coin. Parkhesh has invented paper money in the form of IOUs. A limited quantity of this cash is issued by the various Parkhesh banks (all owned by mercantile families). Precious metals are still the best way to transport or store wealth.

seven colours are seen as reflection on the surface of Oil which is believed to be the blood of the eighth Moon. Red - Bikhon - Fauna sphere and God of Insects, Infestations and War. Red is the colour of blood and the life giving fluid. Blood is spilt in war. God of insects and infestations it is Bikhon who is also the bringer of diseases, bringer of pestilence and plague. A dour god but also a God with the joy of life. The hunter and the hunted, the joy of spring, and the misery of winter. Orange - Ralashon - Flesh/Body - I Parkhesh the skin tone is a deep browny red - almost orange. Orange is used in Parkhesh to portray the gods skin. Statues in temples have orange gold for their skin. Ralashon is god of courtesans and those who seek to affect the minds of people. Often given a feminine aspect as a doe giving birth. The midwife and a fertility goddess. Yellow/gold - Yakhmetra - Fire sphere - A war god in some parts of Parkhesh associated with the torching of enemy strongholds. This god is associated with the anger of fire, the blaze of a bush fire in the heat of summer. Closely associated with the Sun, a body with no direct religious significance in the orb-centric society of Gwenthia. God of civilisation, the small sun in the hearth. A god of blacksmiths (who also worship Olakha) as he is the rage of the furnace. He is the blazing sun in the desert, brings light to plant life, banishes the night hag and vampires from day. He is also the trickster, mercurial and deviant, ever shifting, showing his light here and then there. Almost like illusion he plays with light. His female aspect is the warm bosom. Green - Gibrash - Plants sphere - closely aligned with Blue and and Black. God of agriculture and horticulture. Also the despoiler of history, the expanding bush and the seeming hatred of the plant life for the ruins of civilisations. It is Gibrash who is invoked to blot out events from history. God of farmers, healers (because of healing plants) and anyone who has dealings with plant life. An elemental god not very clear in its communication. All who tend plants are blessed by him. God of gardens and palace grounds, the tree lined boulevards of civilisation. His female aspect is the goddess of blossom and of spring. Without Gibrash most of humanity would starve. Blue - Zim'a'al - Water sphere includes the sea. Goddess of the spiteful sea and of sailors. Merciless lady of the depths. She is sacrificed to before leaving land and while at sea. Except at the Dark Watch when Olakha is sacrificed to. Zim'a'al is also the one who quenches one's thirst, the god of Oases in the desert. She also provides the cool plazas in the towns and cities as her fountains provide cool spray to cool the air. She is also the god of merchants who rely on her waters to pass in their ships. Bringer of winter in the high mountains, she is the maker of ice and glaciers and together with Khalut can make the cold climes inhospitable. Indigo - Parzhur - Air Sphere - identified with the heavens / stars - also identified with sky - bringer of rain - seen as former consort

Religion
Parkhesh City League
The Parkheshi Religion is actively Octaminist. They worship the eight moons and view the Dark Moon as still extant yet invisible. Parkshi Octaminists acknowledge sixteen moon related deities two for each moon. For them the Dark Moon is seen as being the moon with two diametrically opposed halves. Black - Matikhot/Olakha - Earth sphere Red - Bikhon - Fauna sphere. Orange - Ralashon - Sphere of the Flesh Yellow/gold - Yakhmetra - Fire sphere Green - Gibrash - Sphere of Plants Blue - Zim'a'al - Sphere of all Water Indigo - Khalut - Air Sphere Violet - Stakhat - Keeper of the Dead Black - Matikhot/Olakha - Earth sphere - In Parkhesh this sphere is also given the colours Silver/crystal/white and is identified with the eighth Moon - which all other cultures see as being Dark or having no colour. Parkhesh see the eighth sphere as the Master of all Magic. Octaminist priests see the proof of this in that the other

of the 8th Moon as it's full glory is revealed at night. You can see the true nature of Air when the sun is set. The colour of twilight and the sky at night. God of storms and tempests, but is also worshiped by sailors to provide wind in the sails. Without Khalut no one could breath. Birds rely on her for flight. The provider of cool breezes but also responsible for the cold of the night. Khalut is also the ice maiden - the bringer of the cold winds in the mountains. She stole the ability to produce water via rain, from Zim'a'al. They now despise each other. Violet - Stakhat - Spirit/Keeper of the Dead - in opposition to 8th Moon who allows the veil between the dead and living to fall away. The Parkheshi don't believe that the souls of the dead go to a mythical underworld - that realm belongs to Matikhot (not Olakha who is in charge of the Earth and not the Underworld) who is the god of the hell like underworld. God of illusions and the spirit realm the astral plane. When priests travel in spirit form they travel in the realm of Stakhat. Gwenthia is the Earth mother. There are two aspects to her wife to Olakha as the holy parents Earth Mother and Earth Father but there is a sinister side to her. She is also married to Matikhot as the Witch of Hell, the barren yet fertile mistress of Matikhot. It is her who the Parkheshi believe is the Night Hag in her association with Matikhot. She is the great mutator, the spawner of beastmen and weird creatures of the night. She rides the Dark Watch with Matikhot. The four maidens are the female aspect of Gibrash and Ralashon as the maidens, the full bodied bloom of Yakhmetra and Gwenthia, and the old hag of Gwenthia married to Matikhot. There are Five Messengers, they are identified with interactions between people - to express the fact that they are messengers. They are independent of the 8: War, (domination by aggressive means); Seduction (domination by subtle means); Trade/diplomacy (co-operation); Knowledge, (communication or education); Sorcery (inner knowledge uncommunicated). The Parkheshi hold the eight moons, five messengers, and Gwenthia herself as the fourteen Gods. Each God has a number of saints associated with it oversees a part of everyday life. Each saint has a number of orders. Nearly every Saint has one or more military orders associated with it and a number of minor orders or guilds. Examples of orders: Order of the Scarlet Scimitars - military. Order of the Silken Veil - courtesans. Watchers of the Night - Night Guard. Guardians of the Gates of Dawn- The Day Guard. Order of the Severed Skull - One of the Mercenary Orders. Order of Matikhot Undead Legion.

The Third Crusade was waged in Parkhesh against the Octaminist Church in the northern Parkheshi city states (at that time part of the Meravaenian Empire). The Crusade was quite ineffectual and yet it forced the Octaminist church to adopt a Hectaminist cover. To that end and to this day Parkheshi will often talk of the Invisible Lord as a euphemism for Matikhot/Olakha, and any Parkheshi abroad is very careful to avoid discussing the eight way nature of their beliefs. Khal Religion The Khal are Hectaminsts who fled from Nhi-Tual when KhurIshida expelled the worship of the Seven Demons (orbs). They worship the benign aspects of the Seven Orbs in much the same way as the people of Meravaenia alongside the Goddess Gwenth, Khalut the Ancestor God of the Khal people and Olakha the Benign God. The Khal lived under Parkheshi occupation for some time and in a mirror of the Third Crusade were forced into Octaminism. To this day some Khal temples have altars to the 8th Orb, but this Orb is associated with Khur-Ishida and ritually shunned by the Khal. Khalut is the Ancestor God of the Khalesh people, husband to the Goddess Gwenth and father to Olakha the Benign God. He rides the heaven in the Indigo Orb and protects his children from above. Khalut is also father to the Night Hag who he fathered against his will when a succubus came and sucked his seed from at the time of the Great Ice Darkness. Khalut is the ancestral father of all Khalesh Olakha is seen as a benign god in Khalesh and not linked to the 8th Orb. This is in keeping with the belief that Olakha is the progeny of Gwenth and Khalut. The Night Hag and Matikhot are seen to be evil twins, half sister and half brother of Olakha, and their worshippers are ostracised and stoned on sight. Those that worshipped such malign entities were exiled and fled up the Blue Serpent River to the Upper Valley beyond Khalesh, somewhere in Gara-Dien or Meravaenia. Other Religions It is simply not known if the Red Desert Nomads have religion at all. The Shumtiran primitives have suitably primitive shamanistic and totemistics beliefs. The minority religions of note in Parkhesh are a small but vibrant Hectaminist flock in the northern city states within the Human Church of Gwenthia, and the Parkheshi Gnostics.

The Undead in Parkhesh

The Parkheshi faith believes that the body has 2 souls. The Mind soul and the Body soul. It is the mind soul which departs the body and enters into blessed communion with the eternal saints. The Body soul is that which makes the body stay alive and it is not considered to be as important as the Mind soul. It is the body soul which is used to reanimate the dead, as it lingers in a corpse for 8 days after the death of a person. Generally, the Parkheshi do not see the use of the dead for mili-

tary purposes as corrupt. They see the bodies of those that are low in class as expendable resources. Mummification was practiced long ago (2000 years ago, at least according to written records), and it became widely practiced as the City States grew in wealth. Maluja, was the first Mortuary Priest to use arcane means to animate the dead so that he created the first Legion of the Dead about 800 years ago (which lead to the rise in influence of the Temple of Matikhot over the City States). Each successive 'King' has utilised these loyal forces to varying effect in the later dynasties, adding to the undead legions. The bodies of the low caste are the ones used for undead legions and as the undead rowers of the Galleons. These are also filled with the ranks of dead foreigners who are slain on the battlefield. The bodies of those who are considered to be high born, or even who are rich enough to pay for exemption from mummification, have their bodies burnt on pyres. The ashes of those of high status are placed in canopic jars which either form part of the travelling tabernacles of the Legions or are interred in the bow of a galleon - the galleon then being named after that person. The burning of a body is seen as a way to release the body soul from the decay that is inevitable if the body was allowed to rot. The ceremony performed at the cremation captures the body soul and it forms a spiritual complex with the ashes of the deceased.

first Order to be established and has some of the earliest Legions to be founded in the Parkheshi empire. The Order of the Severed Skull is an order set up originally for Mercenaries containing the 34th Foreign Legion, which consists of non-Parkheshi soldiers (those not from the province of Parkhesh) seeking to become citizens of Parkhesh - and contained the Legions drawn from the different Cities in the Parkheshi City League. With time, as each city became part of the Parkheshi Empire (still called the Parkheshi City League) the Legions still stayed within the Order of the Severed Skull. The order of Matikhot was set up by the First Prophet King, Maluja, and caters for all the Undead Legions. The military also provide the engineering skills for the Parkheshi Empire and are responsible for building and roads.

People of Note
Maluja

Maluja was one of a long line of Prophet Kings. He first began his career in the priesthood as a follower of Olakha but at 30 he changed allegiance and joined the Temple of Matikhot to become a Mortuary Priest. He rose rapidly through the temple hierarchy, abandoning his priestly career to become a Temple Sorcerer by entering the eighth College where he studied the darker arts of Sorcery deriving from the Dark Orb's malign aspect. He soon caught the eye of a newly appointed Grand Master, Vazhan who Each order or professional Guild provides personal magic named him as one of the new council of master mages in the provided to it via the Saint and God associated with it. Warriors eighth College, which only consists of eight sorcerers led by the will have access to fighting magic, Courtesans to love magic, College Grandmaster. When the Grandmaster died, a contest was tailors to magic that will aid their trade, and so forth. The magic is held among the council of eight. Only the survivor of the contest localised. More powerful magics are wrought by the Seven became the Grandmaster so as long as two Masters of the Inner Colleges of Priest-Mages using Parkheshi Sorcery. Each college, College were abroad, the position could not be filled. Only one associated with one of the eight orbs can create powerful magics could survive and the rest had join Matikhot in the Underworld, related to that orb. In Parkhesh, all the seven visible orbs are seen for such powerful sorcerer priests would constantly seek to as aspects of the eighth Orb - the Invisible Lord who is also undermine their peer who had become the new Grandmaster. As associated with Gwenthia with which it merged when it fell to soon as the new Grandmaster had been appointed then eight new Gwenthia. To Parkheshi the seven orbs are slaves to the eighth, so masters were admitted to be trained by the new pontiff to replace their magics and influence are slaves to the eighth Orb. The him when he should pass to the Blessed Underworld. All would temple of Matikhot has the secret eighth college which has access be trained in the potent shard magics which relied on shards of to the magics which only the eighth Orb can provide - the Shard moon rock from the fallen Dark Orb, more valuable than the Magic. Maluja was a member of this College. largest cut jewel, or the most precious metal.

Magic

Military
As mentioned in above, most Parkheshi civilian life revolves around the Parkheshi Orders and the patronage of a particular saint. This permeates through to military life as well. Orders will have one or more Parkheshi Legions attached to it. The number of a Legion denotes its age (the lower numbers being old Legions) and can not be repeated or duplicated - when a Legion is destroyed it is struck from the lists (very much like the Roman Legions). The Order of the Scarlet Scimitars is an order for Soldiers founded by Aran, and it consists of some 53 Legions. The Order of the Scarlet Scimitar has the honour of being the

Arak
Arak was a great chieftain who united the Lotak during the arrival of the Dureshi back in . The father of Aran he was cut down by a Doru phalanx during a battle that saw his son take the throne. He is believed to have found the Bronze Sceptre of Ruin in an ancient Forerunner ruin.

Aran, son of Arak

With the Bronze Sceptre of Ruin, found by his father, Aran took the throne of the united tribes of the Lotak in what is now

Duresh. An astute man, and great general, he brought the Duresh City States to a honourable truce, allowing the Doru exiles and their Parkhesh allies to settle in the Lotak lands in return for mutual support against other hostile factions in the region, such as Nhi-Tual, Shumtiran raiders, Red Desert Nomads and the Khal to the west. He realised the power that the City Leagues would bring and he helped to create the Dureshi City States even though he was a barbarian king and fought in the Parkhesh City State wars which culminated with the taking of Parkhesh City. Aran was murdered in 172 NC by his camp followers. His united empire fell into the hands of the Temple of Matikhot.

Quatzadua
Land of the Earth God

uatzadua covers the southern region of the Thurian continent of Gwenthia. Lush tropical rainforest, high grassy heath-land and low-lying plains and deltas make up the majority of Quatzadua. And, whilst ancient ruins dot the landscape, the culture is relatively young. Only in the past two thousand years have its disparate peoples come together under the common banner of the Earth-God. Under his guidance they have grown into a confident, inquisitive trading nation. Though not expansionist, they are happy to integrate other cultures through peaceful means and ready to defend themselves when necessity dictates.

four year crop rotation in all, the last being fallow). The Southeastern shores are home to the City of Taxica, which grew up as a place of barter but is now the main Easterly centre for export and trade. Lying in almost the last of the navigable ports heading west before the central cliffs, this boasts a natural harbour which is sheltered from the prevailing Easterlies. West-North-West of Taxica lays the City of Nhiaquat, which nestles in a valley surrounded by the lightly forested foothills of the High Pampas. On the first stretch of the Thexadin River navigable by larger vessels, the city is an amalgam of Quatzaduan and ancient Nhi-Tual architecture. From here, the Thexadin flows eastward and empties (eventually) into the Golden Sea. The midsection rises swiftly from Nhiaquat to a high, central undulating plain (the High Pampas), which ends in the sheer cliffs to the South; is covered by light rainforest to the North-East; thick crevasse-filled rainforest to the West and rugged mountains weaving Northward towards the high plateau of Maraevaenia. Northward along this rugged trail lies the ancient city of Terexta. Home of the Xatahople (pronounced Zatahopple) League and the Tarazon, a living God in his own right, as well as being the sole representative of "The Earth God". This Temple/fortress is built into the slopes of Mount Terexta, from which it takes its name. The Western lands mainly consist on deep rain-forest as well as

Geography
The country is a juxtaposition of high mountains, steaming tropical jungles, high pampas and sub-tropical grass and wetland. To the East are verdant pasture and wetland. Fed by the water and minerals washed down from the mountains and high pampas to the west, these do not see regular rainfall. Expansive freshwater irrigation (including aqueducts) are used productively by the populace for the cultivation of rice, Pineapple, reed and hemp. Arable land is also maintained for the cultivation of Maize, God Fruits (potatoes), and pasture for the long-haired Camelids (a species reminiscent of a short, long-haired llama) which are farmed both for their fine flaxen fur and for their meat (making a

Two varieties of Bullet Bulb have been engineered, both of which are triggered by the application of water. The Bullet Bulb proper the cities of Xzanpthia and Pazzoxa. The former is built on a site can be held in the palm of the hand and is the Quatzads weapon of religious significance; the latter is the main Western trading of choice. The aperture is inserted into a hollow metal tube port. All cities are linked by wellmaintained stone roads, with way(originally bamboo, which led on numerous occasions to major side wells a common sight along their routes, as well as boarding splinter-damage injury) and fires a sharp lozenge-shaped seed. At establishments and the occasional tavern/Inn. ranges of under sixty feet, this can easily pierce the hide of a Dromal (discussed below). The second variety produces a The main exports of this region include metal goods, sustainable beautiful lilac flower. The bulb is also much larger (around the softwoods, spices, Citrus fruit and camelid products (such as size of a football) and so, less practical in combat. This fires glue wool, leather and ivory), as well as small quantities of coffee, which sets on impact. Whilst both are devastating weapons, they cocoa and hardwood. do not travel well and are unusable after around three to five months of storage.

The Climate

Quatzadua has a tropical climate and although temperatures tend to remain fairly constant throughout the year, tropical storms are not unknown in the west during the fall. This region also has a high level of humidity during the spring and summer months. Above 2000ft, low cloud and cool rain are common from autumn through to late spring; especially around the central peaks and High Pampas. The height of this region tends to attract rainfall, meaning that areas Eastward are drier; hence the North-Easterly desert regions. The East of Quatzadua is less humid and enjoys a dry heat when exposed to South-Easterlies. In the main this is due to the desert conditions north of the Thexadin River in Nhia-Nual. Good water supplies though keep it lush and green.

Another plant of note is the Ground Pitcher. These thrive in light soil or boggy areas around rivers to the west of the High Pampas. They grow below ground and can attain a size of about three feet. A single camouflaged hole (enough to trap a foot and lower leg) is the only surface sign of these dangerous plants. Any living matter falling into the interior are broken down by powerful acids, from which these plants gain their nutrients. Xatahople league scouts (see "the People(s)") have been known to seed unfriendly borders with these. They are easily "sniffed-out" by QuatzHunds though. A number of grasses and fruits are also cultivated. Amongst them are reed, hemp, Maize, potatoes, rice, coffee, cocoa, cineapple and citrus fruits. Birds of note.

The Mauk is a flightless seabird that stands at around 3.5' tall. Found in large rookeries on rocky outcrops The varied geography of Quatzadua makes for numerous habitats, below the Southern Cliffs, these each with their own unique ecosystem. For simplicity, only plants sociable creatures are ungainly on and animals of note are recorded here. land but powerful swimmers. Their Quatzads are born horticulturalists and have cultivated several bill is ideally suited to catching large plants over many centuries and put them to practical use. Cork, quantities of sand-eel and fish, up to Balsa and other softwoods endemic to Quatzadua are grown and the size of a mackerel. This bill can also deliver a vicious blow. As exported. So are some sustainable hardwoods. they were once hunted for their meat and eggs, they now have The natural environment of Rubber Trees (Hevea Quatzadiensis) are little trust in humans and have been know to attack en masse when threatened. low-lying regions of the Kafax River. These are now cultivated in many places. Rubber is vulcanised and used in the foundations of The Tagooer or Dagger Bird is said to be related to the Mauk. buildings to enable them to endure minor earthquakes. It is also This huge flightless bird (standing at 7') is now all but extinct in used (along with leather) to create flexible containers for bullet the wild. Its natural habitat is the deep jungles of Western bulbs. Quatzadua, where it feeds on small animals, fruit, nuts and carrion. Its decline has been due in equal part to hunting by Bullet Bulbs are a product of the Bromid plant. In the wild, these humans and QuatzHunds (see Mammals, below). All is not lost flower in the high canopy before dropping their bulbs onto the for this bird, however. Their survival has been assured in a semidry ground, far below. These bulbs are weighted and always fall domesticated form. Farmed in the Western lands, their flesh and with a sealed aperture facing upwards. High rainfall sets off a eggs are both treated as delicacies (some are fed a diet of mainly chemical reaction in them, at which point a sticky-coated seed is Pineapples to create a sweeter meat). Additionally, they are shot at high velocity back into the canopy; there to create a new sometimes used as steeds by Arboreals (see the People(s)). plant. Another bird of the Western jungles is the Thistle-Billed Macree.

Flora and Fauna

This colourful, large, tropical starling is highly prized for its much like sheep. Resident in both the High Pampas and the rich imitation skills; especially the male of the species. For although grassland to the East, they are farmed for their soft flesh and fine their song is completely innocuous in the local parlance, their fleece. mating calls bear a striking similarity to a deeply offensive obscenity in the tongue of the Nhi-Tual; which makes them highly prised by the warrior caste. The term "Quatzaduan" can be applied to any of the human subMammals of note. species residing within its borders. Confusingly however, it is also The Bellow-Head Pathoxa is a curios fresh-water dolphin uniquely used to differentiate true Homo sapiens from the Arboreal and Shade sub-species (two distinct but sexually compatible human found in the silted waters of the Kafax River. It is said to be groups). Whatever the differing racial origins of Quatzaduan nearly blind, relying on sonar to seek its prey. Perhaps the humans, millennia of inter-breeding, along with climactic strangest thing about this aquatic mammal is the scaling on its conditions have evolved them into the recognisable peoples they back, which is reminiscent of Pangolins, Khamuls and to a lesser are today; Tanned skin, dark hair and dark eyes being prevalent in extent Dromals (see below). all. That's not to say that there aren't differences in facial shape Standing at over four feet tall, the QuatzHund is a native and overall build, as shown by the following images. marsupial beast. Generally they hunt in mated pairs, and are cunning and vicious predators of any soft fleshed creatures. Often South-Western stock tend to be of slighter frame than those found in the High Pampas and mountainous regions around found tracking herds of Dromal, they also hunt wild pigs, Litopterns (strange gazelle-like Tapirs) and humans in the jungles Terexta, who are wide-shouldered and more stocky. In the Northof Quatzadua. Often raised from pups by Arboreals, mated pairs East and along the southern borders of Nhi-Tual, centuries of of QuatzHund make a fierce pair of fighting guards. The difficulty cross-border interaction has led to the populace having a more is catching a pregnant female QuatzHund to steal the pups from. eastern appearance and one would be hard-pressed indeed to differentiate between many of them and their northern The Dromal is neighbours. the natural prey The most wide-spread of the sub-species are the "Shades" (Homo of the sapiens chameleus), who are found in QuatzHund. all regions. Also referred to by Closely related some as "the bright ones" (due to to the fierce the females' golden-red pallor Khamul of when in season), both names Zathuria, these derive from the races' natural more docile beasts are found ability to subtly change their skinwild across most tone to match their surroundings (a of the low-lying useful ability - where minimal open and lightly clothing is required). Where it not forested areas of for this ability (along with the six proto-filaments growing over the ears and into the hair-line), Shades look all but human. It is the Thurian continent. Many have been domesticated. They are prized as pack- rumoured that they are the children of the first Tarazon . animals, as well as for their meat, leather, ivory and milk, which is Arboreals (Homo sapiens arborealis), make up the majority of the made into a rich cheese. population found in the thick Western jungles. Pure-breds are easily recognisable by their wide eyes and long arms. Standing at In higher altitudes the Dromal is replaced by Llamas. Quatzads only around five feet on their short legs, these light-boned have bred these for thousands of years, so that now, along with hominids are equally at home on the ground or in the trees. Their the (now rare) wild Llama, two distinct breeds have been sharp eyesight, coupled with their ability to easily traverse the treedeveloped. line, make them much sought after by mariners; though by nature, The Lopar could be mistaken at a distance for a horse, as they most have a natural aversion to the ocean. In speech they tend to have the same height and build. Used by both Quatzads and use the common Quatzaduan tongue, although in private they still Nhia-Tualians as steeds, some consider them more versatile than use their own "short-speak"; a medley of calls, clicks and whistles horses, as they are more sure-footed in rugged terrain and make which are reminiscent of the native fauna and said to carry for ideal pack animals. miles when required.

People

The Lamox is the second species. These are shorter and herded

Arboreals tend to be more secular but some do frequent towns

and cities. Where the two races mingle, intermarriage is not unknown. Both in looks and abilities, their offspring range greatly, some appearing no more than their common ancestor, Homo sapiens. Others inherit abilities from both parents. The latter are often persuaded to join the elite Xatahople league. Trained to the peak of fitness and skilled in the use of both traditional and "natural" weaponry, they make up the private guard of "The Living God", as well as being highly prised scouts and soldiers in general. There are also rumours that an inner circle exists, made up of highly intelligent assassins.Those that look like humans are treated fairly in the major Cities (and as a consequence tend to congregate there) but still face occasional persecution and derision in some of the more remote settlements. Names Suffixes normally denote the sex of a person; Ta- being male and Na- being female. Therefore Ta-Tarazon III would be male.

tribes. The nation of Gara-dien lies to the North-West, the Felloxor river forming a natural boundary between the two. Relationships have always been strained, although peoples from the Oxore Dominion and their neighbours from the Sheshaan Canonry are tolerated and even invited into the country (see Emerald Order). Quatzaduans have adopted Lidin as the language used during trade negotiations, peppered with the odd words of Parkheshi, and Merav Trader's Cant. However, Arboreals still prefer to use their own tongue.

Economy
Bartering was the common currency until around 150 years ago; and is still in use today by Arboreals dwelling deep in the western jungles today. With the coming of the written word, currency has evolved. Originally, coinage was loosely based on the trinkets exchanged with visiting explorers in return for goods.

Political Structure
Quatzadua is an Imperialistic Theocracy with a central puppet bicameralistic (locally elected representatives) Senate. A Senate will sit for five years and rubber-stamp the will of the Tarazon. Within these five years, Senate members are also indoctrinated into the church and leave as priests of the "Earth-God". Families and Clans of the Arboreals living in heavily-rainforested areas still have representatives but follow more of an Anarchocommunistic lifestyle. For example, several groups may unite to quickly build rope bridges across deep canyons or share locally grown speciality foodstuffs. Large gatherings (or Moots) happen every spring. Every fifth year they decide who amongst them will next represent them in the Senate.

Religion
The Earth God and the Tarazon
The religion of the entire country is regulated by the priests of "The Earth God". Early temples were no more than open-cast mines, where the Gods riches were reaped by his followers. Later examples are more lavish. Some being shaped into amphitheatres or inverted pyramids, surrounded by ornately carved pillars or pagodas.

The Earth God has provided guidance for his people of Quatzadua through his mouth-piece the "God's chosen" or "Tarazon"; his sole representative on Gwenthia. The Tarazon resides in Terexta and is instantly recognisable by his dark leathery To the East, Quatzadua trades with Parkhesh and the Gwailan skin and glowing red eyes. Union. Its North-Easterly neighbour Nhia-Tual is home to the Guarded by the desert nomads, known for attacking the trade caravans that travel Xatahople league and the between Parkhesh and Quatzadua. The sea route (via the Golden high priesthood, the Sea), is therefore preferable. Tarazon is blessed with an The most sympathetic of Nhia-Tual clans is to be found on the extremely long life-span island of L-Tual (know in parts of Quatzadua as Topax). (the current incumbent is Standing alone in the middle of the Golden Sea, this is their said to be over two spiritual home and their only real settlement. The monks welcome hundred years Quatzads but distrust Parkheshies, although it is used as a staging old).Although long lived, post for commerce between all three countries. no Tarazon has yet made his/her 400th birthday. Quatzadua also enjoys good relations with the "Lake People" of The first was warped in Terex-Gha on the Nhi-Gha river and in North-Eastern parts, his 372nd year into a Quatzad humans have nearly fully integrated with the Hkurik, "Living Totem"; an oracle the largest and most cosmopolitan of the four major Nhi-Tualian

International Relations

of sorts, which resides to this day unmoving - in The Temple of the Oracle in Xzanpthia. Upon the death of following Tarazons, the Senate have two great duties to perform. First, the old Tarazon is taken to Xzanpthia and the body laid to rest at the base of the Oracle (see People of Note). Secondly, they chose a replacement from amongst their number. The candidate (invariably a Shade), with much ceremony steps through Terexta's "Smoking Mirror". If they are not deemed worthy by the EarthGod, then they disintegrate on contact with this. If they step through successfully then they are accepted by their God and become the next Tarazon. The age of a Tarazon can be deduced by visiting many of the temples. Major historical events and religious teachings are kept on permanent record there, in the form of wall paintings, murals and pictograms (see below). Text has only been added over the past 300 years. The Priesthood is made up of the Senate and the fanatical WordBearers. The latter travel the land spreading the true word of God which is tattooed into their skin, to avoid any ambiguity. Prior to 540 years ago the Quatzads followed their own calendar based on the position of the sun and seven moons. The last Tarazon changed this by decreeing that the common calendar of Gwenthia be observed. Each day is 32 hours long, divided into 8 watches named for the Orbs in the sky. The 8th watch, which is the only time when the sky is fully dark, is the Black Watch. This is a time of the creatures of the night but revered equally with the others in Quatzadua. The Year consists of 7 months each of 35 days (each of 5 weeks of 7 days) and a shorter 8th month (the Dark Month) lasting 10 days. The 8th month is a time for celebration in Quatzadua, as here it represents the darkness of the earth. To recap, the year is (7x35days) + 10 = 245 days of normal months plus 10 days of the Dark month.

which attacks anything which stalks its shadow. a feral Iqari. A story from the years before Terexta was built recounts a hunting party of Lord Xocotal the head-taker. His expedition was chasing a pack of QuatzHunds into the mountains, when they came upon a strange multi-hued creature slaughtering the carnivores. Before they could act, the furious animal assailed the human hunting party, despite its many injuries from the `hunds. The savage onslaught killed all seven of his loyal bodyguard, till mortally wounded it faced Lord Xocotal alone. Having no place to run, the Lord decided to stand up to his nemesis and slashed with his jade sword, as the murderous creature tore off his left arm in return. Although mutilated, Lord Xocotal lived, and was deeply impressed by the animal which had butchered both his entourage and a pack of quatzHunds without hesitation or acknowledgement of its wounds. He immediately ordered a shrine to be placed upon the mountain to mark the spot, and from then on trained all his personal head-hunters to fight like the creature had. With warriors who each fought like five, Lord Xocotal started the great unification which eventually led to the formation of Quatzadua. According to the fragments left by Lord Xocotal, no one knew the name of the strange animal so he named it himself; Murazcoatl, the fearless, feathered death. The secret philosophies of the cult continued to be passed down through the head hunters of the region until the time of the first Tarazon, when many were drafted into permanent armies. It is still actively practiced, with only trusted warriors being invited to join the cult if they display the right character. The tenets of the cult are heavily based upon close study of Murazcoatl, and chanted as a mantra during its rituals. Roughly translated, it goes;

The Cult of Murazcoatl, the Fearless, Feathered Death

In the northern mountains of Quatzadua lies the ancient city of Terexta. This city complex is built into the slopes of Mount Terexta, the highest peak in the area, and is home of the Tarazon, the sole representative of "The Earth God". But despite the authority of the Tarazon, other secretive sects worship in the mountains. Foremost amongst these is the cult of Murazcoatl, the Fearless Death. Originally created by the high altitude head hunters living in the region, the cult has slowly been subsumed by the warriors of the Xatahople League including members of the Tarazon's personal guard. The cult of Murazcoatl does not worship any deity, for that would be unfaithful towards the Earth God. Instead the cult teaches the stoic warrior path inspired by a strange animal, a vicious beast

Eyes which never part from your foe, Heart which never beats with fear, Body which never feels pain, Claws which never fail to taste blood, Mind which never knows death, I am Murazcoatl With such a ferocious beast as its totem, the cult members are sorely tested during their membership and the incidence of

disappearances or fatal `accidents' is unusually high. However, the cult is prevalent in the upper echelons of those legions raised in the mountain areas, and those who seek command rank usually become initiates if they wish to progress further. Initiation is the first step. Only those who display bravery, skill and stoicism are invited to join, and only using veiled references in case the offer is refused. If accepted the aspirant is granted several weeks leave of absence for some plausible reason (death in the family, superior performance, legion holiday lottery, etc) and is then taken with a group of other candidates to one of the many secret shrines hidden in the mountains. The journey is made blindfolded, and takes strenuous paths to increase the suffering of the sightless. Any who complain about the treatment are marked for later segregation. After several days spent walking circuitous routes, the aspirants are finally delivered to the temple. Such buildings are small, and located near a croft which raises Lamox used for sacrifice to the shrine's guardian spirit. At first a ceremony is held to induct the applicants with the cult tenets, after which they are taken into the shrine which comprises of a chamber and a large pit. Within the pit is the guardian spirit a feral Iqari - which is deemed to be the physical manifestation of Murazcoatl. At this point all those aspirants who complained during the harsh trek are then thrown into the pit, and the resulting carnage is used to educate the remaining candidates as to Murazcoatl's prowess. With this shocking start to their training, the aspirants are warned that they have set foot on a path of no return, and their silence is held in trust of their lives. They are then shown to sleeping quarters and allowed to rest in preparation for their trials. Any who attempt to flee after this point are tracked down with trained quatzhunds and torn limb from limb. The next days are spent being taught cult fighting techniques inspired by Murazcoatl; such as the leaping death, the scything claw and the screeching terror. The candidates are also taught that fearlessness is the key to success in battle, and that a brave death will allow the soul of the warrior to be reborn as an avatar of Murazcoatl. They are trained together as a team, and forced to rely upon each other to overcome challenges during the days. At the end of a week, the aspirants are tested. Separated, split into teams of two (carefully selected by the priest and higher initiates), the candidates are forced to prove their mettle by slaying their partner. This not only tests dedication, but also prevents the aspirant from ever informing on the cult, since they now have the blood of a friend on their hands. It is a potent, and yet deeply philosophical, ordeal which forces the survivors to many months of self analysis afterwards. Those who complete the task are granted initiation, and have a many coloured feather tattooed upon their upper arms. Those who refuse are fed to Murazcoatl. The cult has three levels of initiate, indicated by the number of feathers in their tattoo. To gain the second rank of initiation the

aspirant must defeat a quatzhund in single combat, and to achieve third rank they must slay a mated pair. Both tests are conducted by the cult and performed before the eyes of their brother worshippers. Higher rank not only commands greater respect (and possible promotion in the military), but also allows access to further levels of martial training. Beyond initiate lies only the rank of priest. There is only a single priest per shrine, and only those who have achieved third rank may attempt to claim it. The test is simple. The initiate is thrown naked into Murazcoatl's pit armed with their preferred weapon. If they survive they are deemed worthy of priesthood. A priest is marked by having a specially cleaned and disinfected Murazcoatl feather placed under the flayed skin of their chest and the skin sewnback in place, a process during which they must utter no noise.

Magic
Incantations and books of spells are not the magic's found in Quatzadua. The natives prefer instead the blessings of their benefactor "The Earth God". This comes in the form of natural magic; such as sleep poisons, projectile firing plants and the fruits of the soil. That's not to say that other magic's don't exist, it's just that the populace are generally ignorant of them. Many Arboreals, for example, prize amber talismans which contain preserved life forms. They believe that they are gifts from the Earth God and the wearer will be imbued with the abilities of the creature therein contained. Sadly, the majority of these have no charm on them at all, although genuine examples do exist. The most powerful "magic" is the preserve of the priesthood. Temples exist which contain strange "Smoking Mirrors" which are held in great reverence and guarded fiercely. The one in Terexta is covered by two ornately decorated doors and only opened at the behest of the Tarazon or, following his death, a new candidate. Another is in Xzanpthia and is said to lead to the afterlife. The prepared bodies of high-ranking officials are ceremoniously pushed through this particular mirror to join their God in the depths of the earth. Tarazons who have passed on however are treated differently (see Role-Playing Ideas).

Quatzaduan Cities
Nhiaquat
The city of Nhiaquat lies on the southern banks of the Thexadin River (which acts as a natural border between the countries of Quatzadua and Nhi-Tual). Although the city rests on the Quatzaduan shore, it is thought that the city was built by the Hkurik, the largest and most cosmopolitan of the four major Nhi-Tualian desert nomad tribes.

Pazzoxa
Pazzoxa is the most Westerly of the cities of Quatzadua. Starting life as a fishing port, the natural wide but sheltered bay led to it evolving into the thriving and cosmopolitan trading centre found today.

Unlike Taxica in the East, Pazzoxa has had relatively few internal struggles of its own. Though that is not to say it hasn't seen strife. It's proximity to the Gara-Dien border has led to it being besieged on numerous occasions and the city is in a constant state of alert. There are thee main armies in Quatzadua, made up of the Sharing its defence with the local militia are several units of the following parts: fell Obsidian Order.

Being the oldest inhabited city of the region, it was all but destroyed round 2,000 years ago by an invasion of Hash-Takk from Gara-Dien (see time-line). Stirred-up by the Zathurians, the true target of this attack was the destruction of their renegade member Ta-Tarazon I. Although besieging and laying waste to the city, this objective was thwarted by their inability to penetrate his arcology, along with a decimating ripper-plague, rumoured to have been sent by the Earth-God himself.

Quatzaduan Armies
The Amber Order

Taxica
To the east of the high Southern cliffs of Quatzadua lies the last navigable port of Taxica. Rebuilt following its rebellion in 907 MC, the modern city is a thriving hub of commerce. Quatzaduan exports from as far a-field as the High Pampas leave here for destinations in Parkhesh and AurUrbis. Despite the years that have past since its internal troubles, the Amber Order maintains a huge military presence here.

The Amber Order defends Eastern-Quatzadua, and includes the Quatzaduan navy and customs functions. Formed 308 years ago (908 MC) following the Taxican rebellion, the Amber Order even to this day, maintain a strong presence in the city.

The Emerald Order

Unlike the Amber and Obsidian Orders, the Emerald Order is an army of slavers, imported slaves and criminal chain-gangs. They work as sappers; building roads, bridges, aqueducts and forts. The Order was officially recognised in 722 NC but was in existence for The city complex of Terexta is built into the slopes of lofty Mount at least fifty years prior to this. It was originally made-up of Terexta in the northern mountains of Quatzadua. Close-by, the disaffected slaver types from the Oxore Dominion (who were Terex river runs east to Lake Terex-Gha in Nhi-Tual. Trade formally inducted into a tributary relationship with Gara-Dien in between the "Lake People" and the city is substantial and has been 674 NC) and their neighbours from the Sheshaan Canonry. built up over hundreds of years. Indeed their ranks are still bolstered from time to time by further migrs from these conquered lands. Despite the city's geographic location (and the appearance of a fortress), Terexta could be considered the Spiritual centre of It is worth noting that whilst slavery of the indigenous population Quatzadua, as it is home to both the Tarazon, sole representative of Quatzadua and their neighbours in Nhi-Tual is punishable by of the Earth God and The Cult of Murazcoatl (the latter of death, the powers that be do not recognise the rights of imported whom's shrine is said to be its oldest building). slaves. Initiates of both use tatooing to denote rank and it is thought that The official line for the order's name is that it fits neatly with it was developed by the head-hunting tribes who once ruled the those of Amber and Obsidian, although most believe it to be a lands hereabout. Most famous of these was Lord Xocotal the veiled insult to Gara-Dien. head-taker, originator of The Cult of Murazcoatl. It is said that he started the great unification which eventually led to the formation of Quatzadua. The Obsidian Order act as both the police and the defenders of Western-Quatzadua. Being the oldest of the armies, it was founded by Lord Xocatal and counts amongst its leaders members Xzanpthia is a city of major religious significance to Quatzads as it of the Cult of Murazcoatl. Not surprisingly, only the hardiest of houses both The Oracle of Xzanpthia and a Smoking Mirror troops make it. The majority of Quatzaduans both fear and which leads to the afterlife. The city lies on the Kafax River respect it in equal measure. It is made up of Humans (around surrounded by the dense jungles of Western Quatzadua. The city's 40%), Arboreals (around 35%) and Shades (around 25%). origins lie over 3,000 years ago. It is home to the "Oracle", a column which contains the combined wisdom of the past Tarazons.

Terexta

The Obsidian Order

Xzampthia

People of Note
The Tarazon
As "God's Chosen", the Tarazon breeds with humans. (the first was a Zathurian Charioteer). Offspring are the Shades. In Xzanpthia. The Oracle of Xzanpthia - The Oracle began life when the first Tarazon (a renegade Zathurian Charioteer) evolved into a pillar around 2, 520 years ago. In making him the first Tarazon, The Earth-God was able to change his genome, enabling him to mate with humans and father the Shade race. Within his own Arcology (now covered by a stepped pyramid), none but his offspring are able to approach. This has led to all following Tarazons being either Shade or Shade-Arboreal crossbreeds. Over time, the evolved column has grown. On the passing of each successive Tarazon, their bodies are placed at the base of the column and slowly subsumed mind and soul - into it, leaving only an effigy of their faces, through which the Oracle occasionally speaks.

Lord Xocatal
Lord Xoxcatal is famed in Quatzadua as the man who brought unification to the country. Before the city of Terexta was built, he ordered a shrine to be placed upon the slopes of mount Terexta to mark the spot where he had fought the fearless Murazcoatl. With warriors who each fought like five, it is unsurprising that those who opposed the one armed head-taker were swiftly silenced. Despite this, he is fondly remembered as a man of peace.

Spiria
Home of the Mountain God

piria, the island neighbouring Cromaigne, is one of peaceful (and sometimes profitable) aspects. Being isolated from the other nations of Gwenthia, Spiria generally prospers by following its own political and social structures without the hassle of bordering nations presenting conflicting ideas and lifestyles. For an Earth equivalent of Spiria, it would be a mixture of Scotland (for the climate and landscape) and Roman Italy (for the style in which most of the cities are built). The island is alive with much of its land mass being covered for forests and mountainous, rocky areas. It may be because of this that the island is as sparsely populated as it is, yet the cities thrive with social lively hood and trade

medium sized animals and attach themselves to tree roots, leeching any nutrients they suck up. Regardless of this, some of the settlements on Spiria (particularly Montemphis) purposely plant Snap Trap seeds in neighbouring woods as a form of defence from any attackers. There is a large variety of wildlife in Spiria, but land based wildlife tend to dwindle in numbers, particularly in the heavily wooded areas around Mt Oreas (due to the high population of Snap Traps there). Wildlife includes squirrels, wolves, foxes, boars, beavers (particularly on the River Elzix)... similar to that in Cromaigne. Even Iqari are known to fly over to Mt Oreas. Sea creatures are few, but do exist, mostly around ports and Lake Atrox. These include extremely fresh water fish and small algae eating lizards that tend to stowaway on ships and feed off the moss that grows on them. Spiria is also prone to earthquakes, but not volcanic activities. Spiria rests on a fault line that runs horizontally through Gwenthia, hence its mountainous nature. This is another reason why Spiria is sparsely populated for the most part. The Climate Being a part of the northern hemisphere and close to the equator of Gwenthia, Spiria doesnt have a set climate and its weather changes seasonally. Its hot during summers and cold during winters, but not extreme in either case. Snowfall sometimes occurs earlier during the year, but settles very thinly.

The People
Although Spiria is known to be home to a small number of humans, the island is mostly populated by a race called Lapithians. Lapithians are bi-pedal mountain dwelling creatures that stand at an average height of just over six feet tall and are covered in longish fur (usually grey) except for around their mouth and nose, s. hands and feet. They have long snouts, big eyes, small ears and hands slightly bigger than that of a human. Lapithians also have long tongues Spiria is well known for its incredibly fertile soil and rare plant life. which they use to get into small In fact, the fertility of the soil in Spiria is unusual as theres no obviously logical reason as to why the soil is so fertile because the cracks in mountains and most fertile soils are covered in forest areas, however, a lot of feed off small people believe that the source of this phenomena emanates from insects they find in Mt Oreas as the majority of plant life on Spiria grows around its them. If a base. This makes Spiria a popular choice for agriculture and Lapithian fails to Spirian fruits can vegetables are usually of some of the finest quality in Gwenthia and is often used in trades with other nations. find any insects residing in the Agricultural produce include sweet rubies (apples), potatoes, mountain cracks, their saliva is capable to dissolving the salts in oranges, carrots, cabbages and grapes. the mountain rock and they can use this as a form of sustenance. Although Spiria is well known for its wealth of high quality Over years, this can cause the rocks in the mountain to become agricultural produce, it is also known for its dangerous plant life brittle and this causes caves to form within the mountain face such as the parasitic Snap Traps, which are known to eat up to itself, which female Lapithians usually reside in during their

The Geography

pregnancy, as they have quick access to the nutrients needed to keep their babies healthy. The Lapithians and the Humans that live on Spiria have been known to co-exist, but only largely in Spirias capital city of Montarul. Other than that, Lapithians and Humans generally keep to their own species. This is not because of racial hostility or xenophobic tendencies, but more because of differences in social structure.

Names in Mountain tongue

Lapithians and their cities are the only ones that are generally given names in accordance to the Mountain tongue. These names generally follow one of two trends (or sometimes both). The first and more common trend is that the names generally contain one or more Ss and/or th in their name somewhere. The second trend is usually reserved for Lapithian nobles and major cities, and its where the name is made up of prefixes and suffixes of meanings used in the Mountain tongue. Names using the less common prefix/suffix method are generally vague in their meaning and are only used as a rough guide to the background of the person or city involved, for example, Skepatis could mean Kingdom of virtue if given as a name to a city, whereas if it was given to a Lapithian, it could mean Virtue of the kingdom, and both meanings could also apply to a city or Lapithian with the name Virtuinion. Examples of names given by those speaking the Mountain tongue include names such as Spethia, Animtoris, Gorderyx, Elthis and Balthaxs.

The Languages
There are two languages spoken within Spiria: Common and Mountain tongue. Spiria is a known as a nation divided by language as the Humans rarely speak in Mountain tongue and the Lapithians seem to struggle with some of the pronunciations in Common tongue. Spelling Shu She Sha Th Eigh Pronunciation SS-hue Sa-he Sa-ha Tee Ay

Political Structure
Each city/village of Spiria has its own governor or its equivalent, which decide on any major political decisions that occur within the city/village itself. Usually these governors will be accompanied by councils of varying sizes to help them finalise on any major decisions they need to make, however, smaller and more barbaric cultures tend to be centralised solely around one particular figure of authority. Most governments within Spiria are friendly towards each other; however, some of the smaller villages are known to hold grudges over resource distribution or some other reason of similar relevance. Trade connections between different cities and villages are very common, particularly those who gather a lot of a specific resource, and are usually managed by council members of each government involved.

Words pronounced in Mountain tongue are usually pronounced very differently to how they would be in common tongue for the most part, although there are a few similarities in the way some words are pronounced. Spelling Ph X Letter F K

On top of these spelling pronunciations, some spellings and letters are also pronounced as specific letters. For example, Montemphis would be pronounced Mon-tem-fis and Lake Atrox would be pronounced At-rok. Prefix Mont Gord Virtu Skep Cap Auri Anim Fili Iphi Suffix Eryx Emphis Atis Inion Arul Terra Ferro Auris Ola Meaning Mountain Guardian Virtue Kingdom Capital Earth Courage Son Daughter

Montarul
The capital city of Montarul is the political central point in Spiria. Whenever a political issue of such importance that it involves the whole of Spiria arises, major government officials from different cities come to Montarul to make a final decision on how these issues are to be handled. These meetings usually consist of a good mixture of Humans and Lapithians, and are usually headed by High Priest Sherba or, if hes not available at the time, another member of the Mountain Temple.

Other than these slight differences in pronunciation, Mountain tongue uses the same words as the common tongue does.

International Relations
The people of Spiria, particularly the Lapithian population are very sceptical of the Southern continent of Gwenthia due to the

xenophobic nature of the Zathurians, who are located so near to the Southern shores of the island, however, Spiria has strong trade connections to the Northern continent and Cromaigne. The Lapithians, in particular those with connections with the Mountain Temple are very anxious to please the people of Cromaigne in hopes they will help them with their Iqari problem on Mt Oreas.

are still many people in Spiria who believe the Mountain god is not dead, but rather choosing a more natural physical state from which to take care of his people. Because of this, the Lapithians (who are believed to be a direct creation of the Mountain god) regard Mt Oreas as sacred ground and fanatically believe that only they should set foot on the mountain. High up on Mt Oreas; facing Montarul lies the Mountain Temple, a place built by Lapithians as a shrine to their god. Within this temple reside the clerics and sages of the Mountain god, as well as the Augwatey and the spiritual leader of Spiria, High Priest Sherba.

Economy
Spiria is a nation that thrives off trade between cities and nations. Although some of the finest goods go straight to the leaders of Spirias communities, much of the population depends on its trade to make money. These trades very often include things such as blacksmithing, masonry, building, seafaring and merchant, but the list is not limited to these particular trades. Most of the economy is handled by government officials. Trades between cities and villages go through them, but particularly big trades (especially trans-national trades) go through the Mountain temple in Montarul, and even then, most merchant ships are only authorised to leave from their ports.

Magic
Although magic isnt practiced throughout most of Spiria that is not to say that magic does not exist in Spiria. In fact, there are many aspects of magic that exist throughout the lands of Spiria. It is said by Vulcanologists that the earth in Spiria, particularly around the base of Mt Oreas is incredibly and unusually fertile and full of nutrients that arent found in other parts of Gwenthia. Whereas these same Vulcanologists put this down to previous volcanic activity within Mt Oreas centuries ago, the Lapithians and the members of the mountain temple remain insistent that this is because of the Mountain God rewarding his worshippers for their faith in him.This unusually fertile soil has attracted particular trades to move to Spiria for further benefits and studies. Most notably are farmers, however, it has been known for Alchemists to move to cities and towns relatively close to Mt Oreas to study and use the nutrients found in the unique soil found in that area for their experiments. Most of these alchemists try to secure homes at Montarul so they can be as close to Mt Oreas as possible, however, if this is not possible, they will settle in Belinthus. As well as magic practitioners migrating into Spiria, it is known that High Priest Sherba and the other members of the mountain temple possess magical properties. Its not known to any specific extent what these properties are, but many rumours say that they have connections to the spirit of the Mountain God hidden deep within Mt Oreas, on which the Mountain Temple stands. Sherba in particular also wears an amulet around his neck called the Eye of Oreas. The amulet is about 9cm in width, 6.5cm in height, looks to be pure gold and seems to glow a mysterious red colour. Members of the Mountain Temple claim that they forged this amulet from a mysterious metal they found deep within Mt Oreas which they believe was a part of the armour the Mountain God wore when in battles with other gods. Sherba has never been seen without it around his neck.

Currency
Spiria doesnt have a set name for their currency. Instead, merchants will call the currency by one of the types of coinage (most commonly they will call their currency the Regal). The coinage names go like below: 1 Regal = 50 Imperials 1 Imperial = 10 Quartz 1 Quartz = 10 Pennies A Regal is about 5cm in diameter, whereas an Imperial is about 3cm in diameter, a Quartz is about 2.5cm in diameter and a Penny is a mere 1.5cm in diameter. All coins appear a brass colour, except for the Imperials which are silver. In real-life equivalents, 1 Regal is the equivalent of about 25.

Religion
Religion is the foundation of most of the Spirian societies and constitutes many of the laws and lifestyles on the island, particularly in Montarul and Montemphis. Specific beliefs vary between different people and different cultures; however, most of the islands population (particularly the Lapithians) have a firm belief in the Mountain god of Spiria. According to the believers of the Mountain god, back in the dawn of Spirias birth, the Mountain god created all the landscapes and life on the island. During a particularly vicious battle, the Mountain god was badly injured and transferred his life force into Mt Oreas in order to keep his island fertile and prosperous. Many people within Gwenthia regard the Mountain god as a dead god; however, there

History
In the beginning of Spirias life, the Lapithians were the only known civilisation on the island. The Lapithians have always lived as a peaceful community, totally devoted to their Mountain god and good natured to anyone they met; however, there was a great burden their race had to bare along with their settlement on the island: The Iqari. The Iqari used the Lapithian sacred grounds (Mt Oreas) as nests and often dropped Lapithians from great heights, wiping out big chunks of the race on each flight over from Cromaigne. In defence, the Lapithians were forced to forge weapons and armour and took up arms to defend themselves against their winged attackers. For a while, this worked and the Lapithians endured a period of great peace that is until the Iqari learnt to use their flight to drop boulders from a great height. For decades, the Lapithian population suffered a decline in numbers. Many had lost hope until Humans from the northern continent discovered Spiria for the first time. The Lapithians and the Humans set up an alliance and the Lapithians used designs the Humans had constructed for weapons to use against the Iqari, most notable are the ballistas. In light of this, many Humans decided to live in separate settlements in fear that they would constantly be attacked by Iqari. Some even took a major disliking to the Lapithians, seeing them as arrogant zealots worshipping a dead god and left them to their own devices. As time went by, the cities flourished, and the Lapithians had built the city of Montemphis (which is now the islands military capital) as a training ground for Lapithian warriors and templars, leaving the rest of the population to revert back to their original, peaceful life. Spiria is still a growing nation, there are still many events yet to happen in its future.

the requests of the Mountain god as a prophet until something else requires his presence. Kind, calm and wise is just a few words that have been used to describe Sherba. Sherba also has an eerie habit of knowing peoples true intentions when confronting them. Many say this is just one of the powers granted to him by the great Mountain god, whilst other sceptical people put this down to incredibly good judgement. One thing is for certain though, nobody other than the members of the Mountain Temple and Sherba himself really knows much about him or his connections with the Mountain god and Mt Oreas.

The Augwatey
The Augwatey are seven warriors chosen by High Priest Sherba to protect Mt Oreas from any defilers, such as the Iqari. They are chosen for their skill, courage and strong belief in their god and are very often recruited from the Lapithian barracks set up in Montemphis. They are dressed in armour and cloth adorned with the Mountain gods symbol and are said to be vicious defenders of Mt Oreas.

People of Note
High Priest Sherba
Sherba (Pronounced Sa-Herb-A in Mountain tongue) is the religious and political ruler of Montarul and all other Lapithian cities and towns within Spiria. Sherba resides in the Mountain Temple high up on Mt Oreas, overlooking the Spirian capital city of Montarul. He dresses in a white cloak made of the finest silks available within Spiria and brown undergarments, and always wears the Eye of Oreas around his neck, giving a mystical glow around his person. Sherba is rarely seen outside of the Mountain Temple, let alone outside of Montarul. Some Human non-believers of the Mountain god say this is arrogance on Sherbas part, but many Lapithians (particularly those who have had the honour of having an audience with him) believe that this is because Sherba is fulfilling

Zathuria
Immortals & Manipulators

athuria is a land of three distinct cultures living together in an uncomfortable symbiosis. It proclaims itself to be the most ancient land in all the world, ruled by immortals that remember when the gods walked upon the earth and man flew in the heavens like seraphim amongst the stars.

itself is a place of myth, shrouded by impenetrable fogs and haunted by the monstrous servants of the Zathurians. Only the rare sailor-priests of the Zathurians cross from the holy city of Dhasham to Khranpur, were they enact their strange rituals amongst its ageless temples.

Geography

The Konastorm Sea is mist shrouded and dangerous water, where the only time clear skies are seen is prior to one of its torturous The realm of Zathuria occupies the north west corner of Thurian. sea storms. Many ships have been becalmed and lost in these It is bordered by the Sea of Circles to the north, the Great Ocean waters, and legends of sea devils, entrapping weeds and to the west, by Gara-Dien to the south, and shares eastern borders mysterious vanishing islands abound. Yet the hardy Tharux ply these waters in their noisy clanking and smoking vessels, in search with AurUrbis and Meravaenia. The northern coast of Zathur of trade. known as the Zathuri Marg, it is formed of smashed and broken rocks that tear at ship keels and are strewn with the remnants of To the far west of Zathuria the coastline is dominated by the ancient conflicts, lost civilisations and arcane ruins. Karamakan Desert, whose shifting sands have swallowed many a shipwrecked sailor. The coast has become known as the Ships On the high cliffs above these deadly reefs stand the six of the Graveyard, and its shore is littered with the bleached skeletons of great cities of the Zathurians, each surrounded with torturous vessels from all over Gwenthia. Those who survive the vast dunes forest and deadly wilderness, filled with all manner of exotic and stagger into the windswept Charmedi, an expanse of rubble lethal creatures. Their last city stands on the island of Khranpur,

strewn hills, where little water flows, the only vegetation is thick forests of Tang Thorn and the winds scour the skin from the bone.

called the Aurval Seeps. Only the marshland is traversable, as the force of the river is too great to ford or sail, only the Clanking Ships can cross it, however the Tharux have recently begun to construct a great bridge across the river, however so many slaves In the north-west of the land sits the impossibly vitrified desert of have died from Seep Rot that the project may never be Aktalar, a tortured landscape of blasted glass, where only the most completed. The Mana Mountains stand over Zathur like sombre pitiful creatures tread its burning surface. This region was formed rusty gods shrouded in cloak of crisp white cloud. The mountains when the gods turned their wrath upon the sinful city of the Sky are rich with mineral deposits , most notably iron, cinnabar and Touchers, a fanatical cult of men who believed it was their right to diamond. This combined with the gold deposits found in the walk amongst the heavens. The desert is like a shimmer cancer of Gorva Hills have been extensively mined by the Tharux. The baking death, the hottest regions of the desert is the great crater of Mana Mountains were once part of a great chain of volcanoes, the Akanda, where the air shimmers both day and night. The region largest of which blew its top and created the majority of the seems to cause severe mutation in anything trying to live in it, Konastorm Sea and the island of Khranpur. many of its weird and deadly fauna and flora are unknown in Gwenthia, and do not survive beyond the deserts borders. Yet Throughout their sparsely wooded sides can be found foul despite the trials of the environment people do come here, smelling sulphurs pools and steaming streams, that suggest that seeking for ancient secrets amongst the impossibly melted ruins of the mountains may only be sleeping and not yet dead! Throughout the land. Zathur can be found strange megalithic structures, creations of the Zathurians themselves, these structures form a complex The southern lands of Zathur are the Zharaghal, an arid grassland networks of invisible roads along which the Zathurians travel in where water is scarce and what does exist must be sought their Wind Chariots, it is taboo to travel along these pathways, but underground. The rocky plains, narrow valleys and wind blasted many people follow their routes in order to cross the land more hills are the home of the Zharaan nomads. Many herds of wild effectively. Khamul, Zagoro Gazelle, Zebrax and Jankabeest roam the land, hunted by the wily tribesmen. The large island north of the Zathuri Marg is called Rasen and is jointly governed with the Cromaignian kingdom of Menerain. The divide between the arid Zharaghal and more temperate Rasen is famed for its Great Market, the size of a small city, that Tharagax region is the Grieve Hills, a region of vertebrae like rock acts as the trading hub for most of Thurian and Gwailan, subject formations, many of which are riddle with ancient caves and to the consensual laws and tariffs of the Zathurian/Menerain sinkholes. The Central Tharagax region of Zathur is by trade council, The Rasen Concord. Given the Zathurians' comparison to surrounding lands an oasis of fertility and plenty. It reticence to involve themselves in mundane affairs (usually is criss-crossed with many rivers, and the well irrigated fields of handled by their proxies, the Tharux, Rasen is a successful and the Tharux can provide two harvests a year. Drought is a factor in dynamic example of Zathurian enterprise and shrewd the life cycle of the Tharux, but their fortified hill top cities are manipulation. well prepared. The region expands from the eastern hills of the Charmedi to the roots of the Mana Mountains in the east and encompasses the Gorva Hills, and Torendi coastlands. Most of the land is flat grassland with occasional patches of forest, but The western coast of Zathur is blasted by powerful winds, the air agriculture dominates the regions around each city. At present the is unnaturally hot, and above the Aktalar is unbearable throughout lands of Zathur extend as far as the great rivers of Charrax in the the year, these same winds blast across the Zharagal making it south and Aurval in the east. The Charrax is a vast river, which warm here throughout the year, although temperatures can plunge moves slowly across the land, except when it floods, and then its below freezing during the winter nights. The north-east of Zathur great bores and torrents make is treacherous to all around. The is more temperate, with hot summers, and cool wetter winters. waters of the Charrax originate far beyond the borders of While the northern coasts are lashed by winds from the Zathuria, and it is used as a trade route by the Tharux and Konastorm Sea, this rain settles across the lands of the Tharagax. Zharaan alike. Its banks are home to several Tharux cities, but the many ruins along the rivers length suggest that another, possibly inhuman race once dominated the region.

Climate

The People
Zathurians

The Great Sudeg Marsh is formed by the floodplains of the Charrax, it teems with wildlife, but most predominantly Black Fever carrying mosquitoes. It is also the home to the Ghazazi People, a secretive folk, possibly descended from the Zharaan. The Aurval River is a raging white water flow, which bursts from the Mana Mountains and then slows into an oozing marshland

The Zathurians are an alien race, not native to Gwenthia. They claim to have Strode across the cosmos to be here. Their true origins are only known to themselves, but they are called the Children of the Moons by many cultures. They are a xenophobic and agoraphobic race that dwell in sealed cities of great age and

advanced technology. They have access to devices and knowledge far beyond the rest of Gwenthia; they are masters of science, and yet they seem to dwell in a state of arcane stasis, never progressing in their development. Their equipment appears overly ornate, and an items function may be heavily concealed, or appear irrelevant to the viewer. Their weapons seem crude, but are deadly in the hands of their warriors. They work in materials that seem organic or alien to the touch, their strange way stones are the most common example of their technology and can be found across Gwenthia.

The Zathurians are not human, but are humanoid. They come in several different varieties. The skin of all Zathurians is black and stone like it is burnished with colour, much like the carapace of a black beetle, they are capable of changing this colour (seven colours in total) and with their sensitive eyes they can read each others moods, leading people to believe that they are telepathic. The eyes of the Zathurians have seven nictitating membranes, each capable of viewing a different colour of light, allowing for good night vision. They are uncomfortable in normal Gwenthian environments, preferring their bizarre self contained cities. A Zathurian who remains in his city does not age, although they may It seems that the Zathurians mourn the loss of their ability to physically develop and alter. However once they leave their cities travel the heavens, and that is their only desire, to leave the world the ravages of time soon attack their bodies. The most commonly and return to their home. The Zathurians claim that when they met caste is the Zachara or Charioteer, they are tall elegant came to Gwenthia that all men were but primitives dwelling in creatures, with long graceful necks and limbs, smallish heads, with trees. They used their science to upgrade them and educate them, a human like face, their heads are topped with fine wiry tendrils until humans stood as equals with their masters. The Zathurians that look like hair but move and sculpt themselves into elaborate talk of an idyllic period, known as the Era of Joy, when the two hairstyles. The fingers and toes of the Charioteers are capable of races worked together in harmony, and Gwenthia was filled with manipulating tools, but it is unseemly to use the feet. The their combined wonders. However, humans tried to steal the Charioteer is the fertile stage of the species; they leave the secret of Star Walking, and tried to touch the gods themselves, community to breed and to carry the messages of the higher their actions were a blasphemy and resulted in the Eighth Moon castes, at this stage the Zathurians visibly age and change form. being murdered and cast from heaven. The Zathurians were After some undefined period the Charioteer undergoes a forced to turn upon the humans is a bloody and holy war, every metamorphosis into one of three forms, either a Varda or piece of human technology was destroyed and men were cast back Warden, which is their warrior caste, a Zavaar or Savant which is into the forest. Then the great city of men was destroyed by a their intellectual caste or a Zazathiss or Heavenly, a defunct and heavenly bolt, and became the Aktalar Desert. Over the aeons the redundant caste. Zathurians have sought-out the pieces of the Eighth Moon in an attempt to return his body to the heavens. They have never The Wardens are burly forgiven men for their treachery, but still enslave them as useful creatures, with faces like tools. carved stone, their necks have all but disappeared into Throughout the aeons since their arrival the Zathurians have ruled colossal shoulder muscles over seven great nations, however they have become dissatisfied and their head tendrils all with each and have destroyed them. It seems that each of these but disappear. Their eyes are nations became technologically advanced from their close much larger and they have proximity to the Zathurians, which their masters allowed, but very acute movement there is some trigger in this process that causes the Zathurians to perception and night vision. descend upon their slaves like a plague of locusts. The Zathurians They fight with vicious seem to be extremely jealous of any race that seeks deeper hooked swords, ornate understanding of the cosmos, and through history they have been archaic spears or sometimes known to assail other nations to remove this knowledge, such strange weapons which can attacks are always absolutely lethal. Lesser purges are known such sear the flesh of their foes at as when they destroyed all the telescopes (and their creators, their a distance, they are families and their homes) fifty years ago. The relationship between thankfully rare. the Zathurians, Tharux and Zharaans remains relatively stable at present. Each year the Zathurians take slaves to serve them in The Savant is tall, their their cities from both people, these people are never heard from movements are very controlled and restricted. Their faces become again. They also seem to sow their seed amongst both nations, long, almost goat like and their head tendrils become rigid, maintaining control through subtle devices. They remain in the forming crowns above their heads. The Savant also develops eyes of both nations as living gods, a fact that is rarely dismissed noticeable earlobes, and a second series of tendrils that hang by most other nations of Gwenthia, and one it seems that the down from their chins. They are great thinkers and spend decades Zathurians are more than capable of proving. pondering deep secrets. They seem to issue commands to the Wardens and Charioteers. Many think they are the ruling class of

the Zathurians, but this is incorrect.

The next social rank is the Hagovens, made of thinkers, scientists and engineers. The Ramovens is made up of a warrior hierarchy, The Heavenly is a strange creature, its body is almost completely and is extremely militaristic in its make up. The Tarovens are fused, with no movement in its neck and wrists. The rest of the landworkers, farmers and petty crafters. Finally the Domvens are body becomes sheathed in a hard carapace from which multiple landless peasants, who rely upon to good will of their masters for tendrils extrude, the head tendrils become very long and whip like. survival. Foreign slaves are a common sight in all Tharux clans, all When a charioteer transforms into a Heavenly it instantly enters a castes apart from the Domvens maintain slaves in their coma like sleep and cannot be communicated with by any modern households. They have enslaved all the people of Zathuria, apart means. They are placed in great catacombs beneath the arcologies from the resilient Zharaan and their cousins the Ghazazi, however and left to their eternal slumber. The Zathurians believe that when this in not for want of trying. Slave markets are a common feature the time comes for them to walk in the heavens again the of their cities. Heavenly will be their guides. Tharux favour the wearing of ornate, tight fitting clothes, gold There are two more transformations known amongst these jewellery and flowing cloaks. They are a technologically strange creatures, Wardens sometimes change into the unmoving sophisticated culture; their warriors carry crudely rifled guns, use Guardians, which look like great black columns of carved organic ornate war machines and cannons against their enemies and don flesh, these can be found in and around all of the Arcologies. sturdy steel armour for war (when the hot weather allows). They Their powers are unknown, but believed to be deadly. The Savant have made good use of irrigation, water wheels and have begun to can also transform into the ruling caste, known simply as Thu or develop steam power, especially as a means of crude propulsion Thoughts, they become part of the living city on the island of for their Clanking Ships and Grind Wagons. They have developed Khranpur. Only the Zathurians have ever looked upon these rudimentary understandings of electricity, although its application organic entities, and even they do so with fear in their hearts. is strictly for religious purposes. Their knowledge of chemistry and physics is possibly the most sophisticated amongst the The Tharux City Folk humans of Gwenthia, and they are renowned as alchemists, and The Tharux are a rich dark brown are the only known producers of gun powder in all Gwenthia, skinned people, noted for their slim which has become their major export in these troubled times. frames, tall stature and quick However the Tharux are immensely secretive. They do not allow movements. They are great thinkers, anyone into their workshops, and if they do sell their technology and have a natural affinity with they disguise its working and function beneath deep layers of science and technology, a gift they superstition, religious hokum and some very nasty anti-tamper claim was bestowed upon them by booby traps. Those who purchase their machines often discover their Zathurian overlords. Their eyes that they have very limited life spans, and then the Tharux charge are black, as is there hair (which extortionate prices for the devices repair. many of them shave off or braid into locks in emanation of the Zathurian The Tharux greatly revere the Zathurians and each year offer head tendrils). Long necks, small forth their brightest children to serve their demi-god masters. heads and thin limbs are their ideal of beauty and many Tharux They hold great festivals in the honour of their lords. It is law that use neck rings to extend their throats to a pleasing length. It is no man may speak badly of the masters, and the penalties for such also common for women to cut their earlobes into pleasant forms. indiscretions are extremely harsh. Amongst men the ideal form is to possess a large head, with long stretched earlobes, both being a sign of intelligence and wisdom. The Zathuri Marg is deemed a holy land, taboo to enter on pain Head moulding is common amongst both genders, and many of death and the cities of the Zathurians are portals to heaven, older Zathurians can have greatly lengthened skulls, this practice is which are looked upon from the sea with great reverence and of course enforced by parents on their children. piety. The incursion of the Charioteers into Tharux lands, bedchambers and holy places is always believed to be acceptable Some Tharux carry Zathurian genes, and possess nictitating and just. If called to war the Tharux will rise to the challenge membranes or the ability to adjust skin colour, or perhaps natural without mutter or grumble, you and old alike, even if it means features that makes them more like the masters of the land, such certain death and hardship. children are destined for greatness. This emphasis on appearance has lead to a caste system developing amongst the Tharux. The The Zharaan Nomads ruling nobles form the highest caste, their inbreeding has lead to them developing extremely Zathurian like characteristics, they rule These surly brutish people are all of desert stock. Like the Tharux the clans which form the backbone of the nation. their skin tends to range from dark black to golden brown, with keen black eyes and strong hooked noses. They are a powerful,

barrel chested people, heavily muscled, with well proportioned limbs. They are great survivalists; they have to be based on their harsh environment. Like the Tharux they to can display Zathurian characteristics, however the role of a child born with these features varies greatly, if the features lead to strength and increased survival then the child will live, some characteristics such as the ability to change skin colour will lead to the child being adopted by the Zharaans animistic priesthood. However weak children are left to die. The Zharaan have a natural affinity with the wilderness, they are uncomfortable in cities and towns. All Zharaan are trained to tame and herd the fearsome Khamul, a powerful armoured camelid that is indigenous to Zathuria. The Zharaan are ever restless, travelling about the Zharaghal as the grazing and the seasons lead them. Men and Women both have distinct, but equally important roles in Zharaan society, but both can become leaders. They hunt actively, wearing cured animal skins and living in animal skin shelters. They only come to the cities of the Tharux to trade their meat and skins for metal or if a Tharux leader is seeking their employ as mercenaries, for they are feared warriors renowned throughout Gwenthia. In times past the Zharaan made war against the Tharux, now they live in a strange symbiotic truce, which was forged by the Zathurians. Each year the Zharaan are visited by a great floating obelisk, a servant of the Zathurians, it demands blood sacrifice, gives gifts of strange artefacts and takes special children to the Blessed and Gilded Cities of myth. The proclamations of the so called Finger of the Gods have immediate and long last effects upon the culture of the Zharaan, and no war chieftain would work against them. Sometimes the obelisk is escorted by black angels who enter the womens huts and bestow their blessings, when this the birthing of special children increases ten fold.

The Languages
ZaLaj This is language of the Zathurians, it is an inhuman tongue that relies heavily on empathy, eyelid movement, body position and concepts beyond normal human comprehension. It sounds like a fluctuating stream of screeches and clicks, and conveys vast amounts of information in seconds. Some Tharux with high Zathurian characteristics in their gene pool can understand this language, but only one person, Thar Andamalaxx the great founder of the Tharux is ever to have reputedly spoken it. The written form of ZaLai is even more complex than its spoken form, and contains some characters so small that they are imperceptible to the human eye. Tha-Yux The Language of the Tharux, it is a language of fast flowing thoughts, interspersed with technical complexities that make it difficult to understand. It caste maintains a vocabulary suited to their social and cultural needs. It written form is extremely effective for making mathematical and technical notation, it is strangely cuneiform in nature. Zharag The language of the nomads is a strangely flowing tongue, with beautiful musical overtones, and is well suited to poetry and saga a like, it is a shame that only the Shamans of this culture use it in such a manner. Zharag does not have a written form, but the Zharaan uses ornate symbolism to support their oral traditions.

Political Structure
The Zathurians are above the petty politics of humans, their interactions with each other and those outside of the communities seem unfathomable. If they act for or against another nation it is because of their own agendas and has nothing to do with feelings or relations with other. While they are the lords and masters of the Tahrux and Zharaan, they seem to treat them more as pets or children than as equals to debate with. Both races know the consequences of conflicting with the Children of the Moons, but to comprehend the actions of their masters they have deified them, a role which the Zathurians seem to tolerate and some foreign commentators have suggest relish. The Tharux operate a feudal system, defined by their strong cultural castes. The Zathurians are at the top of this order, being defined as living gods. However it is the Three Brother Kings and their lords that control the actions of Tharux society, with the lower social ranks having little autonomy. The Zharaan are a primitive tribal culture. War leaders, shamans and the tribal circle hold sway over the every day decisions of life, but like the Tharux they are swayed by the whims of the Zathurians.

Lesser Peoples of Zathuria

Despite the strength of the three great nations of Zathuria, there exist several other cultures that dwell amongst them. The Ghazazi are secretive marsh dwellers, who seem to be descended from Zharaan stock, yet never show any Zathurian traits in their genetics. They are renowned psychics and are famed for their prophecy, yet they are rarely seen preferring their primitive existence living in floating reed houses and ply the waters in dug out canoes. The Tegreet are a race of enslaved mountain men who serve the Tharux in their iron mines. They maintain a strong culture of music, religion and language, placing great emphasis on lineage and ancestry (which they trace through the female line). They are small folk, with pale brown/olive skin and remarkably straight hair. Their culture has been enslaved so long that they rarely seek to escape or rebel against their masters.

Cities Of Zathuria
Each Zathurian city seems to maintain its own identity and function within society. They seem isolated from each other as the inhabitants rarely travel between them, but this is due to the

Zathurians ability to communicate over great distances. The city of Khranpur seems to be of great significance to them, this may be as a centre of religion or for some more obscure reason. There are three major regions of the Tharux nation, these are ruled over by the Three Brother Kings. The Kings came into power ninety-five years ago, and due to their high Zathurian characteristics have aged little since their ascension to power. Farux reigns over the western Tharux cities, including Cardaraz in the far south which is only accessible across the Zharagal Plain. This area known as the Faru Marj in his honour is renowned for the quality of its inventions. He travels regularly with his priestly retinue and vast array of courtesans to the holy cities of the Zathurians, he is the leader of the Tharux faith, and is seen as the controller of the soul of the country. Marax, controls the Maramarj, the central and coastal region of the land, he is exceptionally scholarly in his outlook, a renowned philosopher and prudent law maker. He travels little; remaining cloistered in the famed Gardak, Eye of Knowledge his sprawling capital. The Emlin Marj is ruled by Emlinada, and encompasses the eastern most cities. Emlinada invest a great amount of his energy into construction projects, such as the Aurval Bridge and the Mines of Har in the Mana Mountains. Like his brother one of his cities, Demna lies across the plains, but is more easily accessed. Emlinada is rumoured to be planning a great road from the city of Mascatta to Demna, which his nobles fear would lead to conflict with the Zharaan. However despite their differences the Three Brother Kings maintain and deep fraternity and closeness, which has made Tharux extremely stable. The Zharaan tribes are many, each deriving their name from a great ancestor, great act or totem. Their names change and flux as the generations pass and the tribes travel about their homelands. Sometimes a particular tribe seems to gain special dominance of their fellows or several tribes will ally together to combat a special foe, but such power is fleeting.