Della Divina

[DellaDivina]

Della Divina, The World of the Great and Divine Mother, is a fully developed fantasy world. This is the Information Thread. Please do not post here. There is an OOC thread. Our IC thread is here.

(I have permission to use this world, from a friend, but I did not create it. I did run it through a spell checker, and streamlined the system a little, but otherwise I am using it as a reference work.)

Welcome to the world of The World of the Divine Mother. This is a free-form role-playing game set in a unique fantasy world. The World is one created by a Great Divine Mother Goddess. She formed the mountains, the oceans, the trees, the animals, the people and the oceans in her womb and gave birth to them. She has sustained and nurtured Her World with love.

A threat has been abroad in The World for centuries though. An ancient evil has rebelled against The Mother and seeks still to usurp Her position. The characters in this game will take the parts of those who want to fight this evil and of those who are just out to make a buck.

This is a complex world with well-developed cultures. Please visit take a look at our maps and then take a look at our cultural files. There are also some essays on religious issues related to The World. If you wish to join, please take a look at our OOC thread. Thank you for visiting!


The rules are as follows:

- You must post a minimum of ten sentences per post, in the third person past tense. (Like a novel)
- You must post a minimum of every two days, to keep things moving along.

REGIONAL CHEAT SHEET (uses Earth cultures as LOOSE reference words- do not make the mistake of thinking it is that culture)

Empire of Get- Islamic, Medieval Europe, Male Dominated, Slave State, Militaristic, Reject Mother Goddess, Monotheistic, Hates Odeland
United Kingdoms of Ketholl- Democratic, Asian, At Peace, Educated, Innovation, Ancestor Worship
Odeland- Medieval Europe, Female Dominated, Sacrificed Goddess, Carneval, Sea Traders, Hates Get
Parkik- Celtic, Mother Goddess, Animal Totem, Berserkers, Female Druids, Blood Rites
Tarabethia Islands- Hawaiian, Peaceful, Oppressed, Youth Training For Rebellion
Forest of Emdoor- Rugged, Hunters, Circle Of Life, Trolgs (Trolls), Snow, Tribes
Tar Mountains- Frozen, Goblyns, Tribes, Human Appearance (though green)
The Womb center of creation
The Desolation of Lister desert, dangerous, destroyed

http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae274/Romana1969/worldsmall_zps325dd52f.gif

More Maps

OTHER TOPICS OF INTEREST

Creation
Magic
Languages
Deities

 

[DellaDivina]

Creation

A Brief Theological Treatise On Creation

-By Mother Ella, Cardinal of the Holy Womb, by appointment from Her Holy, Divine Pureness, Esmeralda Odella Brianna Blackfler, Queen Mother of all the Children of Odella and Sovereign of the Lands of Odella's Creation


In setting about to write a treatise on creation, it must be recognized that the author does not intend to supersede Holy Scripture. This treatise is merely a humble attempt to relate the events contained in the scriptures in such a way that the true meaning of their words would reach into the hearts of our children and cause them to have some affection for The Divine Mother.

Often we have been persecuted, and ostracized by foreigners for our reverence for Odella. They claim that we neglect the true worship of The Mother and instead elevate her daughter Odella above her. Wars have been fought and people have died over this principle.

I believe that we must take an honest appraisal of our hearts. We give great honor and worship to our goddess and do not speak ill of her Mother. Is this enough? If a child were to realize that her mother's mother had violate her very being, and yet that mother was forgiving and even would offer the kiss of peace, would this child also not be willing to do the same? There was enough received by the mother from her mother that she still would give forth affection, despite her hurts.

Did our goddess ever curse her Mother? Did she ever spur her people away from giving decent and solemn prayer to The Mother? No. She encouraged her children to be respectful and reverent, even when The Mother wished them destroyed. Instead of rebelling again her mother and raising an arm against her in anger to demanding justice, our goddess lay down her very life for us.

Therefore, I say that we must do the same. We must recognize the debt that we owe to our Creator and give her decent and serious worship at temple, even as our hearts long to sing songs of joy to the One Who Appeased for Us.

To that end, I write this treatise to remind our flock of the life and care given us by The Great Divine Mother, so that we may do what is right.

In the beginning there were the goddesses. Creation of many worlds sprang from their wombs. Each world was brought forth by the pain and labor of a goddess. In the bearing of children, their daughters echo their pain and also their joy in creating.

No one knows, or can know, the nature of the father of these worlds. How can we even beginning to comprehend his nature or existence, when we cannot even comprehend that of The Mother? It is a mystery that we must accept, though human logic would have us take its measure.

When there was no world, The Mother took a lump of clay and formed a vessel, like a serving dish. She chose the nature of the vessel and formed it with her two hands. Into this vessel were poured all the fluids that were her life. The vessel held the essence of The Mother. From these fluids she formed all that is and was. All the creation shouts out her origin in the waters of life of The Mother.

A womb was formed. From this sacred womb, creation poured forth. All that is or was or will be sprang from there. Even now the womb still lies at the center of creation.

The Mother created the animals and the plants, the oceans and the mountains, the sun and the moon, the stars and wind that drives our sails, and men and women. All this she created and loved. Still, She wanted companionship. None of these creations were worth.

The Mother decided to create a race of servants that were closer to her essence; who had a spark of her creative power. Five goddesses and five gods were born. These divine being sprung from her womb in their full glory: Odella, Mendolin, Jasp'ta, Mala, Daria, Lister, Horris, Barkus, Peltan, and Brock.

She gave command of her creatures to these children, commanding them to mold them and make them worth servants, for her glory. Each one was given charge over a part of her creations. To aid them she also created a multitude of servant spirits and beings.

Men and women flourished under the care of the goddesses and gods. They multiplied and started settlements. They raised crops and herded sheep. They showed a true capacity for love and for hate.

All was well until the youngest of the gods and goddesses, Lister, made a fateful decision. He decided that all that separated him from equal status and nature with The Mother was her power of creation. He himself held some of this power, but it was not absolute, like his Mother. Not merely content to mold and shape his charges, he pushed his worshipers to lend him the prayers and praises that would give him the strength for his task. He sought to tap into and control power such as his Mother possessed, convinced that he was as wise as her.

The children of Lister, commonly called The Cursed Ones in the common vernacular or the Lissen to be proper, sought to take for Lister a power that was not his to take. Not only was he not wish enough, as if anyone accept The Mother could be, but he also did not have a womb from which that which is new could spring. Still he persisted, obsessed with the though of original creation.

His people manifested his directions and his power in their beings, seeking to be a conduit by which he could create. First he tried to create new animals. After multiple attempts, all he could manage were bad distortions of animals that already were. These horrid abominations still populate the wildernesses of The World.

Still not willing to admit his mistakes, Lister next tried to create new peoples. From these failed experiment sprang the Trolgs and the Gobyns in turn. The Trolgs were a big brutish race, barely human in appearance and intelligence, with the temperament of caged Badgers.

Though the Gobyns were actually a well-formed people, capable of love and wisdom, as well as hate and malice, they were not new but merely a careful breeding of the old. If wolves be breed to protect sheep, instead of feasting on them, are they then a new animal? No. In the case in question though, it is like unto taking a sheepdog and creating a wolf. The wolf may still be affectionate to her children and her mate, but she will kill the sheep without mercy. Of the two distorted, abominable races Lister created, the Gobyns are the only ones that may possess souls. It is hard to say if they are whole children of their twisted father, or if they remain children of The Mother. Only She will be able to answer that, on the Day of Reckoning.

Lastly, Lister and his children tried to create beings of pure spirit. This also failed, resulting in foul and dark spirits that hindered, rather than helped man. From these two were created that were so terrible that the world weeps still over the moment of their shaping. It is not right to speak their names, nor put them into writing. They were a great and terrible distortion of the natural, gentle spirits that The Mother sent into The World to serve Her god and goddess children.

These two whispered lies to Lister and his children. They told them The Mother had been deliberately aborting their attempts at creation, because she was jealous. She did not want her children to see that they to could create wholly original creations.

Lister and his people rebelled against The Mother. They used the stillborn wretches that were their "creations" to enslave the races of humanity. The Great War lasted many years and cost the lives of over half of humanity.

The Great Divine Mother loved Lister and was patient, but his open rebellion and destruction was too much. She open up her womb and drew back into herself everyone tainted through the use of this false creation power. From every direction, north, south, east and west, they were compelled to come to the Sacred Womb. On ships and boats they came. Over land to the sea and then on over the waters they came. Those with no boat swam, and drowned. Lister himself was drawn in.

The place where his people had lived she obliterated, killing everything that moved, drank or soaked in the light of the noonday sun. To this day it is a desolate and barren land. This was done so that the taint of false creation magic in the very rocks and trees would be destroyed. The creatures she let be, pushing them all into small areas away from her children. Though they were deformed, she did not blame them for having been created. She knew that the false magic remained in them, but after so much death, she could not bring herself to take their lives.

The children of Lister, and the god himself, she intended to unmake. She intended to absorb the fluids of their life, both physical and spiritual, back into herself, their very essence could be reused to make a new and holy people, free of evil. The taint was too strong though.

As she drew Lister back into herself, his taint infected her as well. With a cry of anguish, she felt her Divine Womb ruptured. No more would new creation spring forth from it. All The Mother could do now was reshape the creation that already was. No new souls would be born.

Before this, She would have absorbed a being back into her fluids, soul and all, after it died. The soul would have dwelt with her intact until the Day of Reckoning, when it would be judged. Now she had to re-use the souls, or see her world empty of life. She had to take each soul and shape a new form for it. This is why we must suffer the pains of war, famine and death. For each one that is born, one must die. Death is not real. Death is merely the hand of The Mother molding us into another shape for a time. With each life, we have another chance to prove ourselves worthy to be judged righteous on the Day of Reckoning, so we can become one with The Mother for all eternity, rather than be obliterated.

Realizing she could not absorb anymore taint into herself, with further damage to the womb, she begged one of her divine sisters to take these people. She pleaded and her sister did, pulling them out of this world and into her own.

Her sister rejoiced at receiving these people. Though larger and more powerful than her sister, she lacked the finesse to create such intelligent, beautiful beings. She worked hard to push the taint from them.

On her world these exiles created a shining city on an island in the sea and prospered. Their taint drove them again to try and usurp the creation powers of the goddesses. Malformed fiends and creatures were unleashed on this new world as well.

In her wrath, the sister goddess sank their shining city below the waves, never to be found again. She was not as forgiving as her little sister and removed the very existence of these rebellious people, save two. These two, a man and a woman, had the least taint of evil in them.

She suppressed their taint as best she could. Despite her power, she did not have the fine touch for beauty her sister had. In these two people, she saw her last chance to have a people of her own. She was lonely and could not stand the though of killing them.

Nothing else is known of this other world, though legend speaks of beings from it that have come to The World from time to time. Whether they are agents of chaos and evil is not know, but one would guess that they would be.

Our Divine Mother realized that the rupture was massive and would not heal. Left unchecked she would surely die and her creation would stop existing. She could never again allow a taint to enter her world. She commissioned her nine children to watch carefully over their people and to seek out corruption and false motives where they could.

The evil spirits and forces let behind could not be unmade or banished. The Mother was too weak. Since that time she has had to watch her creation suffer under the damage that was caused by the disease of misused creation power. She fears that someday the taint will spread again and rip her womb apart.

In her pain and fear, she lashed out at Odella with a might anger over the minor transgression of sleeping with mortal men. She demanded the death of all Odella's mortal children, so that they could be reborn as children of another goddess. Odella, horrified at the thought of her own children dead lying around a bloody altar, threw herself on the altar and took their place. When The Great Mother's hand reach down and smote, she thought she had killed them. Odella's bodily fluids were enough to equal all theirs. When The Mother realized what she had done, she wept and repented.

One can see the suffering that The Great Mother suffered. We need to consider how She that was All Wise and All Compassionate was changed by this trauma to Her innermost being. She no longer had the ability to think with compassion and wisdom toward her daughter Odella, due to her agony and bleeding.

How then can we not forgive her? If a mother, in a moment of extreme agony and grief, were to hit a child, would they not forgive her? The Mother realized her error and brought her daughter back to life as best she could, by taking what was left of her spirit and instilling it in Odella's oldest mortal daughter Ophelia.

Odella herself, through her queens, has asked us to forgive and once again bow our heads in honor to The Great Mother. If we cannot lover her with a warm and tender affection, as once we did, we can at least do what is right and offer her the kiss of peace and a bended knee.

I ask you then to consider the pain and anguish that drove The Mother too transgress against our sacred founder, the Goddess Odella. Can we not forgive her, as a child forgives her mother? When next you go to your temple, or church, offer up incense to she that formed you in her womb and then praise Odella, who saved you from destruction, with loud shouts and songs.


-Signed this Year of Our Pardon, 945, by the hand of Mother Ella, Cardinal of the Holy Womb

 

[DellaDivina]

Magic

MAGIC

When creating a magic using character, keep in mind that this campaign world is a low magic world. Most magic will require extensive rituals. Pray can give more immediate results, but is at the whim of the deity being petitioned. This is not AD&D and you will not be hurtling fireballs and such with-in sixty seconds.

There are few true magic items. There are some holy relics out there (Earth examples- splinters from the cross of Christ or the bones of a saint and such items as Excalibur), but they are not just created by any magician. They are sacred and special items that carry responsibility and a touch of the divine or of evil. Your character will NOT own one of these off the bat, unless I tell you differently or you convince me. A character with skills in ritual and with the right concept might have minor ancestral items.

Magic, Religion and Witchcraft

If you choose to create a character that will use magic of a sort, you can go by way of four different routes. The first is magic ritual alone. This will give your character skill in rituals that will bind the spirits of the world to his service.

The second is prayer/piety. This gives your character the ability to effectively pray to the deities. If this is combined with religious ritual, it can put the person in a frame of mind that can make their prayers more effective.

The third is witchcraft. Witchcraft is a natural combination of magic ritual and religious ritual. You still need piety/prayer to have witchcraft work. Witchcraft calls on the deities and also on the spirits. It assumes the spirits are agents of these deities though.

The fourth and most dangerous path is to combine the piety/religion path with the magic ritual path. A fallen priest who delves into forbidden magic would take this path.

Keep in mind that pure magic and even witchcraft may be dangerous knowledge. Local villagers may tolerate witches, since they still have piety, but magicians are usually seen as foolish, impious men or women.

Also, be aware that the use of black magic is dangerous. The Wiccans have the concept of The Rule of Three. I am a Christian by religion, but I really like the concept. I am adopting it for the use of magic in general. If you keep cursing people and generally being a magic menace, the evil you send out into the world will eventually come back to you three fold.

Healing, Herbalism and Alchemy

Healing can be specialized to such skills as midwifing, animal husbandry and surgery. Healing covers barbering and dentistry as well.

Alchemy is not as powerful as in games like AD&D. You may be able to create potions that can aid with healing, potions that explode, drugs to kill pain and brain cells or even potions that help unlock the potential limits of a person's strength. You will probably not be turning friends invisible though. Alchemy is an early science and an art.

 

[DellaDivina]

Languages

LANGUAGE

The language of Get and Odeland are very similar, but not identical. Both Odeland and Get use the same alphabet. It is a picture-based alphabet that requires years to learn.

The Gobyn tribes have a distinct language that is spoken somewhat differently from tribe to tribe. It is a reasonable sophisticated language for such a primitive people.

Parkik is very different from them. Different clans have different dialects, but they also have a common set of words that are a language in and of themselves. There is no written language for the Parkik languages, but they have a tremendous oral tradition.

Tarabethian is a separate language. They have a form of writing that is done with notches carved into slender clay sticks.

The tribes of Emdoor speak a language that is very similar to Parkik. They too have no written language, but have a good oral tradition.

Their neighbors the Trolgs have a primitive language of about five hundred words that uses a combination of spoken words and hand gestures.

Northern and Southern Kethol are totally different languages, though they share a few words. They both use a twenty-letter phonetic alphabet. Northern Kethol is spoken at court across the United Kingdom.

Trent's Corner has a language that is strongly related to Southern Kethol. Skill in it or in Southern Kethol will automatically grant skill in the other language at one level less.

There is a common trade language that most sailors and merchants have adopted throughout The World. It only has about two thousand words, but it is very effective for trade. There is no separate written language for it.

There is also an ancient, language common to all the languages. It is almost a lost language, with an alphabet of its own. Even if you take it, no one remembers it enough to be fully fluent. It would come in useful for some religious and magic rituals and in historical and occult research.

There is a forbidden dead language spoken by the people of Lister. It is somewhat like the Get/Odeland family of languages, but the common man or woman of those countries would not recognize it today.

Some languages do not have a written language.

 

[DellaDivina]

Deities

Here is an alphabetical list of the deities of The World.

Barkus the Hunter- He is the god of the peoples of Emdoor. Barkus is pictured as a mammoth man the size of a bull. He has flowing blonde hair, a beard down to the middle of his barrel chest and arms and legs the size of tree trunks. He wears only the carcass of a black bear the size of a buffalo and thick black boots. The bears head sits on top of his own. He carries a wooden cudgel the size of a sapling. Barkus is known as fiercely protective of his people, the forest and the animals of his forest.

Brock (St. Brock)- Brock is one of the lost deities of Get. The Church of Get considers him a saint and not a deity. He is pictured as an averaged sized man with blue eyes, long blond hair and is often shown wearing light brown robes and the cowl of a cleric. He is thought to be peaceful and thoughtful.

Della- She is the goddess of the sea and sailors Della is the only god or goddess who is not tied into a specific people or land area. She was commanded to care for all those who traveled on the sea and all the creatures that dwell in the sea. She is pictured as a nude, green skinned woman with moss for hair, webbing between her toes and fingers and small scales over her whole body. She is know as capricious and dangerous, but also merciful at times. Her figure is often carved on the prowl of ships, or on other points on the ship. Sailors often wear a medallion of her, or have her tattooed somewhere on their bodies.

The Divine Father- Get Only- It is not lawful to make images of The Father. He is known as the Creator. The citizens of Get see him as beyond human understanding. His ways are mysterious and unknowable. Every person's destiny is to serve Him or to die.

The Great Divine Mother- She is pictured in many ways by many cultures. She takes on the look of each people and each image is valid. Sometimes she is old and sometimes she looks like a child, but always she is smiling an enigmatic smile. She is the true Creator.

Horris- Horris is the god of the Kethol Empire. Horris is pictured as a muscular man wearing a golden skirt, sandals and a red sash. His hair is long and black and his body is muscular. He is often pictured with an inquisitive look and a grin. Horris is known as intelligent, curious and humorous.

Jasp'ta (St. Jasp'ta)- Jasp'ta is one of the lost deities of Get. The Church of Get considers him a saint and not a deity. He is pictured as a towering, muscular man with dark eyes, long black hair in braids and bronze skin. He is shown wearing tight black clothing, full chain mail armor and a mighty two handed sword. He is the patron saint of all true warriors of Get. He is fierce in battle and loves honor above all else. He protects the weak and kills all enemies of The Divine Father with holy vengeance.

Lister the Cursed- Desolation of Lister is the destroyed land that belonged to Lister. He is usually pictured as a devastatingly handsome man, with pale white skin, full lips and perfect black hair, shrouded in a black cloak. He is thought to be cruel and totally evil by most. He was exiled to another world, but there are always rumors and prophecies about his return.

Odella- She is the goddess of Odeland. Odella is pictured as a petite, fair skinned woman with large brown eyes, flowing brown hair and graceful movements. She is pictured in a variety of outfits. Her people see her as self-sacrificing and perfect. The direct line of female queens from Odellas mortal daughter carries the spirit of the slain goddess.

Mala- She is the goddess of the Tarabethian Islands. Her people's representations of her show her as a plump, wide hipped woman with dark skin, flowing black hair and a pleasant expression. She is seen as a gentle, peaceful goddess, though her anger can build over time.

Mendolin (St. Mendolin)- Mendolin is one of the lost deities of Get. The Church of Get considers her a saint and not a deity. She is pictured as a tall, thin, ebony woman with closely cropped kinky black hair. She is most often shown wearing simple black robes that flow down her lanky frame. She is known as serious and honorable.

Merrick- Avatar of The Divine Father- Merrick is not a true god. The direct line of his male descendants continue to act as avatars of The Divine Father. They hold His spirit, but are still human. Merrick is only honored in Get.

Peltan (St. Peltan)- Peltan is one of the lost deities of Get. The Church of Get considers him a saint and not a deity. He is pictured as a short, sturdy man with a fearsome grin, short brown hair, a thick beard and blue eyes. He is thought of as an adventuresome sort who loves a good beer and a good drinking song.

 

[DellaDivina]

The After Life

Life After Death

There are two major prevailing theories on The World as to the afterlife. One is held by the citizens of Get and the other by most of the other people groups on The World. The Gobyns hold another view entirely, but it is not a well know one. The tribal groups in Emdoor also have a distinct belief about the afterlife.

If you have not read the Brief Treatise On Creation please go read that first and then return to this discussion. After you read it, come back here.

Basically, at the beginning of creation, when someone died, they were drawn back into The Mother, to be held until the final days until The Day of Reckoning.

At some point in the future, The Mother would stop making new people with new souls and bring back to life all the people who had died. Each one would be judge ask to if they had lived their gift of life in a worth fashion or not. Those who had not would simple stop existing. Those who had would be with The Mother, as Her children, forever. She would heal the creation and let them live in it, with Her, in peace.

She would take bodily form and walk among them.

You may ask why She allowed the world to be as it is. Why allow people to live, die and suffer? This was so they could prove their worth. If The World started out perfect and beautiful, then it would be easy for anyone to live a good and worthy life. It is in the suffering and struggles of life that worth is proven.

When She drew the taint of Lister and his folk into Herself. This taint was so strong that it ripped Her womb. No longer could She create new souls. She knew that She could bring the Day of Reckoning right then, and judge all souls, but She would not be strong enough to heal the Creation and to recreate them as perfect and undying beings. She could still manage to create new mortal forms for old souls to go in though.

If She did nothing, the people would all die eventually, with no new births taking place. She did not know when and if She would ever heal enough to be able to create souls, or heal the lands fully. The lands might lay empty for century upon century. She could not bear the thought.

The Mother decided that all of the souls, living and not, would be reborn upon their death. This would give them each multiple life times to prove their worth, and provide Her a world that was not dead and silent. Someday, when She heals, the Day of Reckoning will come.

This means that the population of The World does not fluctuate. As new infants arrive, other must die to make room. Wars, disease and famine all play their part to keep things in balance. The Mother does not see this as cruel, since the dead will be born again.

The people of Get see things differently. They believe that anyone who serves The Father and proves himself to be His true servant will go to be with The Father upon his deaths. He exists in a wholly other realm. His realm is a beautiful, endless palace with any possible pleasure for the faithful. Those who are against Him and die outside His will, go to be slaves to the faithful forever, serving in the afterlife, as they should in this life.

They believe that when all the true faithful have been harvested, The World will be destroyed with fire. When The World belongs to them, and all the unfaithful are dead, then the time will be fulfilled and they will all be swept up to be with The Father, before He destroys The World.

They also believe that Lister was evil, because he strove to be like The Father. They believe he was simply an evil magician. All gods and goddesses were mere mortal, historical men and women who faithfully served The Father, until their followers distorted their teachings.

The Gobyns believe that if they die in battle or through exposure to the elements, that they will walk as spirits across mystical mountains in a sacred land. They may be able to see their descendants, since the mystical mountains are overlaid over the real ones, but they will not be able to touch this world in a physical way. Still, they will be able to give guidance to their children and their children's' children.

The tribal groups of Emdoor believe in a sacred hunt that any faithful hunter, or hunted, human or beast, will be a part of forever after death. There is a fuller discussion of this belief in the section on Emdoor.

 

[DellaDivina]

Emdoor Region

The Emdoor Region

Located in the south of the western most continent, this region has extremely long winters and only a few weeks of true summer each year. A forest of ancient evergreen trees covers the area. There is also a mountain range in this area that is always covered with snow.

The Trock

There are small, scattered tribes of people living in the forests and mountains. They simple call themselves "The Humans", which in their language is Trock. The peoples of the forest are of a similar stock. They are a broad and strong people, with hair and skin ranging from light to darker. They were probably merged with some different peoples in the primitive past, since both darker and lighter individuals can be found. Despite intermarriage, the variation in coloring continues. The coloring does tend to run to certain shades within different bands, but they do interbreed.

These tribes live very primitive lives. Their shelters are earthen works and they have no knowledge of metalworking. The men make spearheads and arrowheads from stones. Despite this, their weapons are well crafted and expertly wielded.

The Trock survive on hunting. The animals are sacred to them for the life they provide. They make their clothing and tools from the skin and bodies of the dead animals.

They hunt along the coasts as well, in long bark canoes. Hunting parties have been known to catch all sorts of ocean dwelling animals, including the massive ice snakes. The oil they can get from these snakes hold much of the nutrients they need for life and can also be used stone lamps, for weatherproofing clothing and for other uses.

Whenever a kill is made, the hunters thank their God Barkus, the Hunter. Their religion is primitive and not elaborate. They rely more on their own strength and stamina, than on divine aid. Still, they thank Barkus for providing the animals that allow them to hunt.

The Trock see the animals that they kill as being gifts from their god. They also see these animals as having souls and tribes of their own. It is the order of things that the animals must die to feed the human tribes, but they still mourn for the tribes of the slain animals. They usually leave a portion of the animal behind for other tribes of beings. This honors the sacrifice the animal made and shows that they to are willing to share in the order of things. When a wild animal or a Troll kills one of the hunters, they simply see this as a part of the order. That person is honored for their sacrifice. Animals slain have a place of honor as the eternally hunted in the hereafter. If they are a prey beast, such a wolf, they will have a place in the eternal hunt.

They do not weave, but they are very skilled at using the hides of killed animals for clothing. Most men and women wear buckskin pants and shirts. Over these they layer heavy furs. Their buckskins are decorated by burning elaborate patterns of hunting scenes from myths, legends and recent hunts.

Both men and women have long, very thick hair. Women and men both hunt, but when a woman is expecting, she is protected and not allowed outdoors. There is little or no separation of tasks between the genders, except when women nurse the young. When a new child is born the whole tribe helps care for her. She knows who her parents are, but everyone is family.

The Trock mate for life. Life is short and hard though, so it is not uncommon to have more than one mate in a lifetime. When a mate dies, his brother, or her sister usually takes them on as a mate, unless they are already mated. In this case, the widowed one can look for another mate if they wish. Their children may go with men who leave for a new mate, or not, as they wish.

Despite their love of the hunt and skill with their weapons, these are a peaceful people. Warfare is virtually unknown. They kill because it is the order, but can barely understand killing without a purpose. No one has ever tried to conquer them. This is probably because no one really wants their frozen lands.

On the few occasions that one of them has started killing for no reason, or outsiders have come through and done the same, they were killed. Those who kill outside the order of things are no longer part of the order themselves. They must be killed to preserve the order. This is always a sad and somber act. The offender or offenders are captured, stripped naked, tied up and left out in the snow. They are left within earshot of the camps, since their suffering is not only a lesson for all, but so those who must perform the act that kills the offender are not removed from the consequences of what they had to do.

The Trock believe in The Divine Mother. They do not have a concept of the soul being reborn in another body. Instead they believe that all who follow the order of things faithfully become part of a great hunt after death. They believe that all who live for the hunt, and so for the tribe, deserve a place with The Mother, as do all living beings that follow their place in the order. In the hunting lands of the mother, they will hunt, or be hunted, for all time. This will fulfill the nature of their being. Those who break the order do not deserve a place in the hunt. Their fate is much debated.

There is great fluidity among the tribes. Each tribe has no more than twenty people at a time and as little as ten. When a tribe gets to small, it will merge with another tribe. When a boy is of marriageable age, he will look for a mate among the other tribes. When he finds her, he joins her tribe. There is no real conflict among these tribes since they see themselves as one big family.

Some of the tribes have sent trading parties out. These parties leave with furs and come back with steel axe heads and knives. A few in these parties can speak the trade tongue. The future is slowly coming.



Trolgs

There is another kind of people in the Mountains of Emdoor. They are a massive, powerful people called Trolgs. These humanoid beings are descended from human stock, but stand an average of seven feet tall and are as strong as bulls. The Trolgs look distinctive in more than size. They are a hairy people and have upturned tusks coming out of their mouths or rows of sharp, beastlike teeth. Though is not known if a troll and a human could conceive a child, and no one is likely to try and find out.

Very little is known about these people, beyond the facts that they live in caves, use very simple stone tools, and make crude garments from the hides of killed animals. They have never been known to use bows or slings, but do use clubs and stone headed spears. Isolated bands have been known to attack humans, but generally they avoid contact. Wild tales of their evil natures and disgusting habits have circulated for years, but no one is sure if the tales are true, or mere fabrications.

From the one or two scholars that have dared to live among the Trolgs we know that they do have a spoken language, but it is a small, practical language that uses many gestures in conjunction with the words. There is no tense but the present, perfect tense. Trolgs have little or no sense of history or the passing of time. The scant research of one of these researchers is on record, but he was only among them for about three days, before he was forced to make an escape. The males had taken to tossing him back and forth between them as a form of sport.

It is thought that the Trolgs may have some form of religion. They bury their dead under piles of stones after covering the body with pine branches and singing long mournful songs that have no understandable words.

 

[DellaDivina]

The United Kingdoms of Kethol

The United Kingdoms of Kethol

Appearance

The people of Kethol are a slightly built people of medium height. They have black hair and very dark brown eyes. The top lids of their eyes form a slight protective fold. They have somewhat broad faces. Their muscles structures tend to be long and lean. Most peasants are thin, but some of the merchant and noble classes are fat.

There is a wide variety of dress among the noble and merchant classes. Styles are ever changing. Silk is the most popular fabric though. The only true rule is that nudity is a taboo. Not even the most brazen would wear something that exposes their private areas.

The peasants generally dress in loose, functional clothing. Both sexes wear durable trousers, tunics that are drawn closed with a sash and sandals. Hats made of straw are also common when working in the fields. Even the farmers are doing well at this point in history. Most can afford two sets of clothing.

Basic History and Government

The United Kingdoms of Kethol is made up of three kingdoms. They are Selta with her capitol city of Great Lakes, Massunica with her capitol city of Lorado and Ulach with her capitol city of Carson. Selta is ruled over by High Queen Tabina of the House of Romana, Massunica is ruled over by King Rocklar of the House of Kear and Ulach is ruled over by young King Odeon of the House of Theet. High Queen Tabina is the ultimate authority in the United Kingdoms. The other rulers pay tribute to her and defer to her judgment.

The capitals each have a beautiful palace made from stone, bamboo and wood. These palaces are easy to defend. There are walls around the cities as well, but they are very fair out. Kethol has been at peace for so long that these walls are in disrepair.

Each capital city has a parliament. The members of this parliament are voted for by all of noble birth in each kingdom. The parliaments advise the rulers. They can overrule the decision of a ruler, with a two-third-majority vote. The members of each parliament hold their position for life. This system has been in place for about three hundred years. It was established after the nobles of the three kingdoms rose up and rebelled against the corrupt High King Hugo.

The three kingdoms became united under the rule of the high king, or queen, over seven hundred years ago. The Queen Moab blazed a path of destruction and death across the whole of the three kingdoms, until not one noble house was left. She appointed new houses to the nobility, drawing on the middle class merchant houses. They supported her against the cruel, evil leaders of their lands. She united the kingdoms under the banner of her house, the House Romana.

As things stand now, a council, under the authority of their respective shire councils, rules each town and village. The shire councils are under the authority of the three royal councils. The local level councils get members through a vote of everyone in the circle of their authority. Every farmer, herder, woodsman or craftsman has a vote. Men and women both can vote, as can any child over the age of fifteen. These local councils can pass laws and appropriate tax money. They must still follow the directives of the councils above them though.

Citizens can pass from kingdom to kingdom as they wish. There are border guards to help regulate trade, and impose tariffs and taxes, but they do not stop the free movement of citizens. Most citizens never leave their home village though.

Each noble and ruler has a small standing army, but there is not national army. There has not been a war, or even a civil struggle, for about fifty years. These small armies act more as honor guards and bodyguards, than as armed forces. Still, there are trained militias that can be called up in emergencies.

Economy

The farmers frequently own their own lands. When the first High Queen took over, she redistributed the lands. She gave every family in her realms a plot of land to work. As time has gone on, the local lords have bought a lot of this land back. They waited until a farmer had a bad season, then lend him money. When he could not pay the money back, they took his farm and then allowed him and his family to stay on as sharecroppers. There are still some independent landowners though. Even the sharecroppers live a good life, compared with the peasants of most kingdoms.

The mountains are a rich source of gems and minerals. There is also gold in many of the lakes and streams. The UK of Kethol is a wealth Empire. They also do a brisk business trading with other nations by sea.

Education

Kethol has one of the best educational systems in The World. Each village and town has a school with a full-time teacher. Each child has the opportunity to go to school from age six until age twelve. They are taught reading, writing, arithmetic and history. Even the lowest peasants send their children, hoping that they may become merchants or craftsmen. There is more movement among the social classes than in any other nation. Still, it is likely that a son or daughter will follow in the social footsteps of his or her parents.

There are many universities and colleges in the capital cities and even a few in the bigger towns. Both women and men can enroll, though there is discrimination against women in these schools. Many professors still make women sit in the back row and a few make them sit in the hallways.

Gender Distinctions

Kethol is generally a male dominated society, but within the past two hundred years women have won the right to vote, the right to an education and the right to own and operate businesses. A woman can now legally make a living and own land. Still, there is no such thing as affirmative action. Each woman must fight her own battles. It has always been possible for a woman to ascend the throne, if there is not male heir.

Technology

Kethol has many technological advances over the other nations. Kethol produces the best mechanic devices in The World, including clocks, crossbows, horse drawn agricultural devices, simple printing presses and wind powered grinding wheels. They have even begun to experiment with an explosive black power and using steam pressure to move mechanical parts.

Arms and armor


Kethol allows citizens to carry a single, visible weapon. The most common weapon carried is a cudgel or staff. Still, many young men and some women have started using long, thin, pointed steel blades called foils. The crossbows being produced in Kethol are now so powerful that they punch right through chain mail armor. Many are abandoning armor and long swords in favor of the newer fighting styles that emphasize these new kinds of swords and the quick, deadly fighting style that has developed around their use. This style of fighting has not spread much past Kethol's boarders yet.

Family Structure

Every person, from the High Queen to the lowest sheepherder, is a part of a house. The house is lead by the oldest living male member. Most villages are made up of one or two houses. These houses can have hundreds of members.

Children continue to live with their parents throughout their entire lives. When a woman marries, she leaves her parent's house and becomes a part of her husband's house. It is forbidden to marry within one's own house, even if the one you wish to marry is a second cousin.

All children stay with the women until they are about eight. After that the boys go with their uncles and fathers to learn the family trade. This has changed a bit among the merchants and craftsmen. It is now more common to see girls learning the trades of their fathers. There is also more mobility among the classes. Houses of a higher social level sometimes adopt well-educated young farmers. Their families work long and hard to buy them a place in these classes. These social shifts have only been legal for a few hundred years.

Housing

Most houses and building are built from bamboo stalks and thatched roofs. Some richer folk use wood as well, but even their houses use bamboo for their basic frameworks. Despite the nearness of Emdoor, much of Kethol has warm, almost tropical weather. Many higher-level nobles do use stone to build their homes though. There are also beautiful stone temples and shrines through the three kingdoms.

Religion

Religious leaders can be men or women. All religious leaders are part of special orders. They are pledged to remain celibate and in poverty. Many live in temples or local shrines, but some travel the land begging. Some orders are very formal and structured and others are very loss. It is even know for someone to declare him or herself a new order and go around trying to recruit members.

The people of Kethol worship the god Horris. He is known as the quietest and most philosophical of the gods and goddesses. They also pray to their family members that have passed on. They believe that these family members watch over them and have the ear of Horris.

They do believe that a soul can be re-incarnated, but they do not think that EVERY soul is. Most simple watch over the family and wait until the Day or Reckoning. Still, some are so good and holy that The Divine Mother and Horris decide together to send them back. Many of these re-incarnated ones are the heads of religious orders.

Seagoing

Kethol used large ocean going ships. They use up to three masts and are the envy of the world. They are a peaceful people, without much of a navy. There are some commissioned coastal defense vessels, but they do not send naval forces out into wide-open oceans. Still most merchants arm their vessels with powerful arbalests. Some even have small, deck-mounted cannons. Their crews are armed with clubs, cutlasses and powerful, compact crossbows. They are not an easy target. Some rich merchants even have started to carry primitive, experimental hand held cannons.



Kethol has been trading peaceful with the Tarabethian Islanders for a long time. In recent years, they have clashed with Get. Odeland and Get have been at war over control of these Islands. Kethol has sided with Odeland, but still has not committed naval vessels. They have been slowly driven out, but the current Queen has not seen fit to commission more naval vessels.

Trent's Corner

Trent's Corner is a large, independent town. People that came from Kethol about four hundred years ago populate it. They were fleeing religious persecution by the King of the time, King Korr.

They believed that praying to ancestors was blasphemous. They refused to participate in public religious services that King Korr required, because they contained such prayers. Specifically, King Korr had ordered the people of his kingdoms to gather in public to pray to his father and his ancestors. He tried to claim that they not only had Horris' ear, but that they were avatars of Horris. He himself claimed divinity.

The people of Trent's Corner, under the leadership of Trent Maomi, were persecuted. The King had them arrested and publicly tortured and then killed. They all hide, but he sought them out. Almost two thousands of them died.

His sister Jenna murdered King Korr. She took his throne and abolished his religious requirements.

It was too late for the people of Trent's Corner though. They had fled the evil king. The remaining five hundred or so managed to make it past Emdoor to the empty South of the continent. They founded their own settlement.

The people of Trent's Corner are a very devote, very simple folk. They reject ancestor worship, violence and technology. They believe that living a simple, reverent life is what is required. They worship The Divine Mother, Her son Horris and The Mysterious Unknown Father. They are the only other group besides Get that actively worship a father figure. Their worship focuses mostly on The Mother though.

The people of Trent's Corner use simple horse drawn tools, live in sturdy wooden houses, wear sturdy brown clothing and do not use any ornate decorations. The unmarried women and all the men wear their hair long and tie it back when working. The men wear mustaches when they become married. These mustaches are allowed to grow long. The mustaches of the old men pass down to their chests. The married women put their hair back in buns. All use simple leather ties for their hair.

The people of Trent's Corner do little trading with the outside world. They horded metal tools carefully. They have smiths, but have no available source of stock. Once every fifty years or so, they send a party North to trade for metal. They take some of their fine cattle. Everything else they grown or raise themselves. Their wood comes from the forest to the North and their living comes from the soil, and from chickens, sheep, pigs and cattle.

 

[DellaDivina]

The Tarabethian Islands

The Tarabethian Islands

The Tarabethian Islands are a chain to the South of The Womb. They are lush and tropical, with sandy beaches, palm trees, jungles and volcanic mountains. Many small animals populate these islands. The biggest are the small, black wild cats.

The people of these Islands are a muscular people, with smooth rounded muscles and dark skin. They have curly black hair and dark eyes. Traditionally most have worn little more than skirts made of grass. The men and the women both wear them. This has changed as foreigners have moved in. Other types of clothing are more common now. Thick, black tattoo are common among these people.

The Tarabethian Islanders are a generally peaceful folk. They live simple lives fishing in their double canoes, hunting in the jungles and doing simple agriculture. The men have traditionally fished and hunted and the women have taken care of the children, grown gardens and prepared food. It is not uncommon, or forbidden for a man to take on a woman’s role, or the reverse for women. Some men choose to help with the children and the food preparation and some women choose to go with the hunters and fishermen.

The Islanders have little concept of wealth or of saving for the future. Their gardens give crops for most of the year, the trees are always full of tropical fruits and the hunting and fishing is always good. Still, in the areas that Get has moved in a taken over, the resources are stretched to feed everyone. The Empire of Get has generally abused the local environment. Some species are all but extinct on some of the islands due to over hunting.

They live in huts made from bamboo with roofs covered broad jungle leaves. They weather is usually sunny and hot, so not much more is needed.

The Islanders have had metal tools for a few generations. They have their own metal workers now. They use steel headed spears for fishing and have other metal implements. Arrows are still made in the traditional way. They are sharpened sticks dipped in a minor poison that knocks the animal out, if the shot does not kill them.

The Empire of Get has built many more substantial houses though, in the areas where it has taken over. There are two towns that are both outposts of Get. They each have a wood post walled fort and use the locals for cheap labor.

Odeland, Get and Kethol all send ships to the Islands to trade for, or just take, spices, tropical fruits and animals, and even precious gems that are found in some of the mountains. Get uses the method of just taking over and using the locals as slaves, but Odeland and Kethol have done more peaceful trading. Odeland has been fighting Ethels hold on the area.

The people of get worship the goddess Mala. She is known as a beautiful, peaceful goddess. Her people have always emulated her. They were never warriors. This has made them easy targets for the Empire of Get. Recently though, Odeland and Kethol have sent in trainers to secretly train as many young people as possible. The next generation will not be so peaceful.

Traditionally, each large family group has had a headman and a head woman. They are voted on by the tribe and sustained by an annual vote. The man oversees male issues and the woman female issues. They are an actual couple that must be voted on as one. If they are elected, they serve together and if one is voted out, they both are out. They meet together to discuss joint issues. Foreigners have called these men and women "kings" and "queens" and their children "princesses" and “princes", but in reality they are not. The misconception may be due to the fact that a couple is only rarely voted out once they start serving and that it is common for their son or daughter to take their place when they die.

There is little formal religion. The women and men each have their own rituals that are used through the day as a part of normal work. There are joint dances done to drum beats on sacred days throughout the year. There is not really any formal shaman, but the headmen and head women do preside at these dances. Each man or woman is responsible to teach their religion to their children and their sibling's children.

Children are held in common through the whole of an extended family. The children are aware who their parents are, but any adult commands their respect and they may sleep in the hut of any adult who they wish to. Uncles and aunts have as big a role in a child’s life as her actual parents.

 

[DellaDivina]

Odeland

The Lands of the Children of Odella (A.K.A. Odeland)

Odeland is a busy kingdom that trades with those outside her borders. Her merchant ships are her primary link to the outside world, owing to the dangerous mountains surrounding her Northern and Western borders. While Odeland willingly trades others for goods and accepts visiting scholars, they are very strict about their religion.

Odeland believes that her people are all direct decedents of the Goddess Odella. The citizens do not hate or fear strangers, but they do not tolerate evangelistic efforts for other religions or gods. They believe that other gods have rule over other lands, and reverence them, but Odella is their Goddess and only she is to be worshiped by her people. Intermarriage is out of the question, because it would pollute the true bloodline of Odella. Those who intermarry, and their offspring, are banished forever.

At the same time, Children of Odella do not try to proselytize those of other countries. There would be no point, since only those of Odella's true bloodline can be her true children.

Her capital, Odelsburg is a port city surrounded on three sides by farmlands. To the east is a bay leading to the ocean. There are tall stonewalls surrounding the whole city. The city is divided into four sections by walls. At the center is a round walled area containing the palace. The outer areas of each section of city are poorer. The closer you get to the palace, the better the homes and businesses are. In the east, there is a busy port. The wall extends to this section also, but it has more points of access because of the amount of commerce coming in.

Each of the sections to the north, west and south has a massive gate leading into the city, with guard towers. There are inner gates between the sections as well. There are two gates into the palace area, known as the Womb. These gates are in the port side and the western sections. The harbor to the east is protected by gigantic crossbows that the size of station wagons.

In buildings in the cities and large towns of Odella are almost all made from bricks or stones, with thatched roofs. Rich merchants and nobles usually have true tiled roofs. Peasants usually have earthen dwellings. These dwellings are very comfortable though, with fireplaces and skins over the windows and doors. The roofs of these dwellings are thatch. Many villages have a stone inn and church. The village knight always has a stone house with a tile roof, though richer knight may have actual manor houses.

Races

A typical peasant son of Odella is 5' 6" tall and weighs 160 lbs. There are many larger specimens out there though. They are a rugged and enduring people with long lanky muscles. Their coloring is light, with blonde and brown hair predominating.

There are no minority races in Odeland. Foreigners are only allowed in the eastern section of the city, or into the Womb if they have an audience with the queen. Visitors cannot own property in Odelsburg, but can rent houses and buildings. No foreigner is allowed to stay for more than a year. Registration is strict and passes are given for how long a visitor can stay based on their business. This does not apply to sailors who stay on their ships, though the ships themselves are registered and given a time frame for departure as well. The church police regulate all of this.

The church police strictly control relations between visitors and Odellans. It is illegal for an Odellan to sleep with a visitor. The penalty goes from ten lashes to imprisonment. The punishment for an Odellan woman having a child by a foreigner is for the mother and child to be banished from Odeland. The church does not want half-breed children to dilute the sacred blood of the goddess.

The Queen and Religion

Her Holy, Divine Pureness, Esmeralda Odella Brianna Blackfler, Queen Mother of all the Children of Odella and Sovereign of the Lands of Odella's Creation.

Odeland has a state religion. Everyone, From the Queen to the most common laborer, worships the Goddess Odella. Everyone has worth, because they are all her direct descendants. There are monasteries and churches throughout the country. Every village has a holy woman. Every large town has a massive church or cathedral. The church holds much sway over society and holds grants to some lands within the ducal areas.

The Queen is head of the church. She appoints church officers from among the nobility. The officers and clerics of the church help support the agendas of their Holy Queen Mother.

All of the upper church officials and local holy people are true daughter of Odella. There are monastic orders for men as well. Each ducal area has a cardinal. The Womb is ruled over by the Queen herself, in the religious arena. The Queen is also the ultimate authority of the church. She is the living embodiment of the Spirit of Odella.

Odella is the only goddess or god worshiped in Odelsburg. The citizens know that there are other gods, including the Great Mother of the World, but they worship Odella. She was out of favor with The Great Mother when she started her own people. Her people are more loyal to her than even The Great Divine Mother.

The Mother can take the form of the world herself, with the oceans, lakes and rains being her blood and other fluids. She is also a spirit who knows everything happening in her world. She can whisper in the wind or speak into the hearts of men and women. Lastly, She can appear in the physical form of a beautiful woman.

She created sub-gods and sub-goddesses to help her shape and guide the people of her world. These goddesses are not the land. They are spirit as well and can take human form.

The Mother also created many other servants for the goddesses. These servants either were pure spirit, or had only physical form. There are immortal, physical being in her world. The gods and goddesses were commanded to use these servants, and only these servants, to satisfy their physical longings. Relations with mortal humans were forbidden.

One of the goddesses was the flirtatious Odella. She broke that commandment and slept with mortal twins named Devlin and Damien. Odella bore two sons from the first union, Gerdon and Gerlow, and three daughters from the second, Mona, Teressa and Hallow. The Mother was extremely upset with her and took away the people she was to rule over. She gave these people to the care of the god Brock, who would one day be thought of as a mere saint by the people of the Get Empire.

Odella was left with only Devlin, Damien and their children. Her Mother forbade her from ever sleeping with mortals again, but had pity and let her keep her own children and let their fathers stay with them as well. The lands of her people stood empty. She continued to bear the twin's children, until she had over ten boys and fifteen girls. These children started to marry each other, cousin with cousin, and a new race was slowly born.
After a time, The Great Mother again took action again to punish Odella for her constant violations of her laws. She demanded the bodily fluids of the children be spilled to atone. Odella was horrified. She sacrificed herself on an altar, to appease her Mother. The Mother was horrified. She regretted driving her daughter to such an action. Odella's children were in mourning, as was her mortal lover Devlin.

Odella was now only spirit and could not take mortal form. Her spirit form was now so weak that she could not even speak into the hearts of her children to guide them. The Great Divine Mother took pity on her and her children. She gifted Odella's oldest daughter Ophelia with the ability to hear the voice of her mother's spirit, by actually putting that spirit in Ophelia's physical body. Odella's spirit co-mingled with Ophelia's, though it did not overwhelm it.

The Divine Mother allowed the Children of Odella to remain a people. They prospered and multiplied until they were a nation. The spirit of Odella has been passed down from mother to daughter for generations. When the Queen dies, The Mother puts Odella's spirit in the heir.

Because the children of Odella have the blood of a goddess in them, they are all direct descendents of Odella. This does not make them a stronger, or wiser people, but there do seem to be many miracles that happen to even the most base and despised citizen. The Children of Odella still worship her for the sacrifice she made for them. They acknowledge The Mother as the creator, but they worship Odella as their mother. This strikes many other nations, especially Get, as being heretical. That heresy part of the reason Get and Odeland are old and bitter enemies. The other reason is that they are in competition for a rich farming area and ocean trade routes to the spice rich Tarabethian Islands.

Get believes in a Divine Father who used the Mother to bear her seed. They believe in an Avatar called Merrick who bore the Father's spirit, but do not believe he was born divine. The oldest son descended from him is still seen as an Avatar of the Divine Father and speaks with his voice, but is mortal. They view the other gods and goddesses as being saints, but believe only in the worship of the Divine Father.

During the spring all Odeland celebrates a weeklong festival called The Festival of Rebirth. During this time, in celebration of Odella's rebirth, they don colorful costumes and disguises and pretty much go crazy. The Queen presides in public parades and passion plays in which she plays the Goddess Odella.

There is a priestess in each village. Everyone attends sixth day services. The priestess can commission deputies to deal with violations of church law. The knight runs the administration, but it is the priestess who is in charge of trying legal cases. A knight cannot remove, kill or imprison a priestess and would be executed by the Queen if he or she did.

The Dukes and Lords

Odeland is almost a city-state. A queen who lives in the city of Odelsburg rules her. There are four dukedoms that divide the capital city of Odelsburg and the lands around. The dukes are always men. These dukes are responsible for enforcing the queen's will. They each have a defensive castle on the boards of Odeland.

The four dukedoms of Odeland are called by the cardinal points of the compass. For example, the dukedom to the north is called The Northern Domain. Its duke is called The Duke of the North. The city walls actually divide the four parts of the city. The dukedoms extend beyond the walls to the boarders. In the center is a rounded area containing the Queen Mother's palace and gardens. It is merely called The Womb.

These dukes have knights under their service, to enforce their will. The knights have sway over small village centers in the countryside surrounding Odella.

There are other minor lords within the queen's court, but they have very minor or no holdings. Instead they are given leadership of various guilds, are in charge of the palace guards, or are given other commissions from the queen. These court nobles simple hold the title "lord".

The Queen can elevate anyone she wishes to noble status. She cannot take away their noble status, but can banish them, or kill them in cases of treason. Nobles must be careful not to cross the Queen. She could take the title of duke away from one, whenever she wanted, and raise someone else in his or her place. In turn, the dukes can appoint knights to rule at their discretion, but they must choose someone the Queen has already granted the title "lord" to.

Both men and women use the same titles of nobility. If a woman named Amanda Lockhart were made a knight, she would be called Sir Lockhart. If she were made a duke, she would be Duke Lockhart.

This means that there are only three hereditary titles of nobility, the queen, the duke and the knight. These titles are passed down to the first-born child of the previous holder. If there is no first-born child, then there is no heir. The heir of a knight does take on the responsibility for her father's rule over a village area, but the queen can remove her if she does a bad job. She would not lose her nobility, but would be known only as "lord". To be a knight is to be an active ruler over a regional area, as it is with being a duke.

If a landed lord has no living heir, then his oldest sibling’s oldest child is the heir. If he does not have any nieces or nephews, then the queen chooses a new lord to take his position, upon his death.

The children of a duke or knight who are to the direct heir still hold the title "lord". They frequently go to the court to try to gain an appointment in the Queen's government. All the officers of the navy come from these lords. The officers of the standing army are all lords, not knights. The top officer of each region, north, south, east and west, is called The Marshal. This is not a landed position.

In times of war, the knights will be put in charge of the local militias from their villages. The militia units of neighboring areas are assigned a regular army officer who commands the knights during wartime. This can lead to hard feelings. Do not think of a knight as being a guy in armor, jousting as much as the administrative lord of a village.

Military and naval officers are lords who have proved their ability as soldiers. The dukes appoint the marshals and the marshals appoint the army officers. Commoners can hold the rank of group leader and be the head of a small unit.

Because any legitimate child of a noble is automatically a lord, there are more lords than there are government positions, military commissions, or guild leaderships to be had. This leads to a very competitive environment at court and in the military.

Each duke has a large trade town, with a castle, at the boarders of Odeland in each of their respective directions. They serve as trade centers for the surrounding areas, but they also are defensive and sit on the borders of Odeland. Each town has a standing guard, barracks, a command post, boiling oil post, and battlements. There are towers on each wall corner. The first courtyard of each castle can be cut off and defended against, if invaders take it.

Besides villages governed by knights, there are also small settlements with defensive keeps at key points along the borders of the country. Soldiers from other areas and small groups of permanent residents who serve their needs inhabit these settlements. An army officer always has authority here. The knights in the area must support these keeps, so that they do not have to grow their own food. This keeps the permanent residents at a minimum. There is usually a village close enough for the soldiers to blow off steam when they have the need.

The Geography and Infrastructure

Mountains take much of it up to the north, the west and some of the south. To the north and west there are farmlands between the mountains and the seas, with some forests thrown in. The south is very fertile and grows more exotic fruits, such as Odeland's famous red grapes. To the east lies the coast. Parts of it are rocky, but there are bays and inlets, as well as some long beaches. The capitol city, Odelsburg, lies by a large bay and has a busy harbor.

To the north there are forests, as well as farmlands. The farmers grow potatoes, wheat, alfalfa, barley, beans and other common crops. The northern forests are rich with wild berries, fruits and mushrooms. Some of these forests are royal hunting preserves. They are carefully tended, since Odeland has limited sources of fresh lumber and wild game. In the northern mountains are coal and copper mines. There are also a few scattered mines of more precious materials, such as jewels, gold and silver. There are not to many hills leading up to the mountains, in the north.

The northern ducal town sits near the ocean and under the mountains. It contains artisans to work the metal from the mines and is a place local farmers can trade. It also serves to defend against tribes of goblyns that raid into Odeland.
Each of the dukes employ defensive forces comprised of foot soldiers and cavalry. The cavalry generally wear heavy, studded leather armor, with the richest chain. Few, but the highest ranking army officers can afford full chain outfits. They can fight with spears, but in a close melee they quickly switch to long swords, maces and short flails.

The foot soldiers wear a combination of quilted and leather armor, with steel, open-faced helmets. They are drilled to fight in formation with short swords and shields and with longer pole arms. Select groups are also trained as archers. Crossbows are just starting to be used, but their archers are quite skillful.

The knights of the villages are encouraged to train and maintain local militias. There are groups of archers throughout the countryside who train when they can, but farm most of the time. Local men are also trained to use whatever tools and implements they have. Many spend the winters training to fight with the cudgel, the staff or the sickle. They train with wooden short swords and shields as well, in case the army needs to conscript them. The training in their own tools is against the day that the country is invaded before she can arm them properly.

The south boasts very fertile farmlands. Apples, peaches, grapes, vegetables of all varieties and a few tropical fruits can be found here. There are also a bit of more common crops, such as alfalfa and wheat.

The southern ducal town is a thriving trade center for local farmers, though much of the goods are shipped up canal to the capital. A canal has been dug that extends through the southern wall of the capital city and then out toward the port. Fine wine and beer is a product of this area. Apples, grapes and peaches are grown also. The end of the mountain range is in the south, though it is only the tip. The south has a few salt mines, though much of the salt must be imported from other countries.

The south borders the Empire of Get. Odeland and Get are ancient and bitter enemies. They have fought over ocean trade routes and fertile land for generations. There is a truce at the moment, but both countries have encouraged pirates to attack the ships of the other. The governments secretly endorse these pirates. As it stands, Get sends ships south to trade and Odeland sends them north. The amount of Get pirates to the south is too strong. The duke of the East has been building up his navy though and there have been rumblings.

To the east, about twenty miles out, there is a very rocky island. On this island lies the Castle of the Duke of the East. It is a strongly defended spot. There are scattered smaller islands that are home to fisher folk. They are all beholden to the Duke of the East.

The eastern ducal town is smaller than the others. The island the town is on is very rocky and easy to defend. It has a bay with a port. This port is a good shelter in storms. Most of the warships of Odeland are stationed here. . The northern town is only twenty miles from the capital. It brings in supplies from the mainland. It mostly makes money from services to sailors in port, but the north duke is allowed to tax the ships coming into the capital and receives grants to keep the small, but well trained navy, strong. There are gigantic crossbows that the size of station wagons protecting the harbor.

The navy of the eastern ducal town is made up of easy to maneuver sloops and powerful frigate. The sloops have a low profile in the water; so can miss shoals and reefs that would gut deeper ships. They can sail rings around galleons and even large warships. Mostly they are used to keep the waters around the capital free from pirates. They also protect fishing fleets and guard against invasions.

The Frigates are massive warships that have mounted arbalests and archers with fire arrows to attack other ships. Gunpowder has not been invented on "The Earth". Sailors generally carry short, heavy cutlasses. The officers wear long swords, breastplates and helmets, though some now carry the foils and rapiers that have become fashionable at court. The ships also carry marines that wear light quilted armor and carry short swords and round shields.

Because wood is at a premium in Odella, merchant ships and navy ships are highly valued and well cared for and protected. Most buildings are built from clay and straw bricks or stone. Coal is a very common heating supply, as no one would waste wood on heating, unless they live very near the forest and wanted to risk being caught by the Queen's Rangers.

The southern ducal town is a thriving trade center for local farmers, though much of the goods are shipped up canal to the capital. A canal has been dug that extends through the southern wall of the capital city and then out toward the port. Fine wine and beer is a product of this area. Apples, grapes and peaches are grown also. The end of the mountain range is in the south, though it is only the tip. The south has a few salt mines, though much of the salt must be imported from other countries.

To the west, before you reach the mountains, you mostly find farmland. The area of farmlands is not terribly large and is some swampland to the south of this area. The farmers grow most common crops, though only potatoes and beans do well here. Though most farmers in Odeland raise some pigs or chickens and own a cow or a goat, there are few true herders. However, there are some sheep farms in the hills leading up the mountains in the west. The mountains have some iron and coals mines. There are also granite quarries that provide good stone for construction.

The western ducal town contains metal workers and serves as a trade center for sheepherders and farmers. It has good weavers and leather workers. It serves to defend against marauding tribes of gobyns as well.

Family

Family is very important. A wife and her husband or husbands and their children spend a lot of time together working, and playing (mostly in winter for the last one.) Sex is a very open and honest subject and permitted between consenting adults, in private, but once you are married, infidelity is frowned upon.

The spring fertility rites are the only open and public displays of sexual activity, though it is talked about the rest of the year.

First marriages come about through arrangements, but parents often take their children's' wishes into account. There is no dower system, but most people marry within their own class. There is always a contract spelling out what each family is giving to help the new couple. Families compete for the honor of helping these young couples or trios.

A woman can marry up to four husbands, though commoners do not do this often. She can choose all her future husbands, after the first. Her first husband helps her select the future ones and has authority over them.

Family names are passed down on the maternal side. The first born of their sex is the heir. There are dowry gifts from both sets of parents when children get married. The new couples either live with the wife's family, or build a new dwelling, depending on the situation.

Among farmers, everyone helps to raise the crops and animals. The wife does most of the cooking, but the men are not exempt from keeping the house clean. The children must learn to do everything that is needed. The wife is in charge of finances and is considered head of the family.

Extended families often live together. The oldest married female takes the role of head of the family.

Heraldry and Clothing

The national flag is a rectangle of white cloth hanging like a banner. In the center of the white cloth is a stylized black rose.

Odeland's coat of arms is a beautiful maiden, clad in a white gown, holding a black rose in her right hand, with her left hand on her swelling stomach. Her blonde hair is long and free. A lion sleeps at her feet.

Each noble family has its own coat of arms. Newly made nobles also are given heraldic devices. When a lord of any sort goes to fight in a war, she has a major device from her coat of arms put on her shield and on her surcoat. Lords will often have his coat of arms, or that singular device, sewed onto the left breast of his garments.

Nobles at court dress richly. The men wear tights and tunics. Over these tunics they wear ornate topcoats. They generally wear their hair long and tied back.

Women at court wear long, slim dresses that flare out at the bottom. They are richly decorated. Collars often extend to cover their entire necks, with open areas underneath. The display of cleavage is common. There are a lot of different fashion trends that run through court, so trying to pin down a style is difficult.

Merchants, court servant and crafts persons in the city and ducal towns wear long fabric pants, button down shirts and vests. Women may wear dresses on formal occasions, but otherwise dress like the men. There is a great deal of diversity in hairstyles among this class. The richest merchants dress like nobles, hoping to actually gain patents from the Queen.

The commoners wear dull, serviceable clothing in earth tones. Both men and women wear durable pants and large, simple tunics that extend to mid-thigh. They wear heavy work boots as well. The women generally keep their hair back in buns or braids. The men wear it short.

Seasons

(All seasons and months are called commonly by one word, though the proper title always includes "Odella's".) The seasons and months are symbolic of the birth, life, sacrifice and rebirth of the Goddess Odella. Ultra strict religious orders have short services every three hours, through the day, to reenacts the story. They don't get much sleep. Local churches will have services at dust to represent Odella's death and at dawn to represent her birth and rebirth. These are well attended by local peasants, who wish a blessing on their fields, animals and families.

The days of the week are merely called first day through sixth day. The seventh day is called Odella's Day. It is common to use the second word in the name of the month alone in conversation, such as "It is the 37th day of Labor. Rebirth is just around the corner!"

Odella's Rebirth (Spring)
Month- Odella's Labor
Month- Odella's Rebirth

Odella's Youth (Summer)
Month- Odella's Babyhood
Month- Odella's Childhood

Odella's Adulthood (Fall)
Month- Odella's Maidenhood
Month- Odella's Womanhood

Odella's Death (Winter)
Month- Odella's Sacrifice
Month- Odella's Grave

 

[DellaDivina]

Get

The Glorious and Shining Empire of Get

Get is a powerful, relatively young empire. The people of Get live under a monarchal system. There are many smaller people groups in the Empire, but all are under the leadership of local lords. These lords are under the Emperor.

The current Emperor of Get is the iron handed Malcom Cantron. His is known as the Royal Lion and has a rampant lion on his shield. The hands of his great, great, great grandfather forged a mighty empire. This man's name was Merrick. The many small kingdoms are now one. Malcolm wears a simple silver circle on his head, when on his throne, but at other times wears no adornment. A secret branded birthmark identifies him and his heir, the Royal Prince Maximus.

Outside the borders of the Empire of Get, there is war. Get and Odeland are in direct competition for trade routes to the Tarabethian Islands. They are also at war over the actual control of these islands. The rivalry is especially bitter due to the religious differences between the two nations.

Get believes that all gods and goddesses are not divine, but merely saints. Merrick was an avatar, of a sort, but not a true incarnation of The Divine Father. He was a mouthpiece and held The Father's essence, but he was human when he was born and went back to being human in the afterlife. The theology is pretty complex.

Odeland not only believes in her own goddess, Odella, but also in The Divine Mother. She acknowledges the possibility of a father type figure impregnating The Divine Mother, but reserves worship for this Mother. She refuses to speculate on the nature of any father figure. Besides this, she also is a female centered society, as opposed to Get, which is male oriented. This is the cause of the many, many wars that have gone on between these two empires.

The People

The people of Get are varied in their looks, because they are from different stocks. The emperors have forced intermarrying and integration, so there are no set racial features anymore. All the people of Get support the Emperor and the State Religion. Most of the people of Get are farmers. There are also many craftsmen and merchants. Get controls the trade routes through the Desolation of Lester.

The people that were conquered to make up the Empire of Get worshipped different gods and goddesses. There were actually four for the various peoples who were conquered. These gods and goddesses were Peltan, Brock, Mendolin and Jasp'ta. They have been relegated to being saints. It is heresy to worship them as divine, though some still do. Still, they are respected saints of the church.

The Northern most people under the care of Saint Peltan are a short, stocky folk. They are a hardy and adventuresome folk.

The folk in the middle area under the care of Saint Mendolin are a very dark people, with curly black hair. They are tall and lean as well. These people are somewhat nomadic and travel the deserts on camels. In recent centuries, they have become merchants, traveling the dangerous desert between the Northern and Southern half of the Empire. They also farm along the river that cuts through the desert.

The folk to the South West under the care of Saint Brock are a people of medium size, with generally light coloring. They are a quiet, contented folk.

The folk to the South East under the care of Saint Jasp'ta are a tall, muscular folk. Their skin is tanned and their hair is black or dark brown. They are fierce warriors and very devoted to the cause of winning The World for The Divine Father.

All of these folk have been breeding together for generations now. It is common to see the features of a Northerner on a Southerner and also the reverse. The Emperors have moved whole villages and towns to different parts of the Empire, in an attempt to create one people. It has always been thought that if the whole population is mixed enough, they will stop fighting amongst themselves. This seems to be the case, since even the most base and common folk are committed to the cause of converting all The World by the word or the sword.

The State Religion

The people of Get worship Merrick the Undying. They believe The Divine Father and sent only one true avatar of himself to The World, in the form of a man named Merrick. The Divine Mother worshiping nations of The World do not accept Merrick. He died leading a holy war against Odeland. Emperor Malcom Cantron is his direct descendant. They believe in "the Mother", but reason that she was merely the seed carrier for The Divine Father. She is divine and a goddess, but is not the Creator. The Holy Gettan Church supports prayer to many saints who have the ear of The Divine Father.

His followers believed that he returned to life and is now ever living. They believe he waits for all true believers in a better world. The Emperor of Get is the guardian of a sacred trust. He is commissioned to spread the worship of The Divine Father, through the worship of Merrick, to the entire World. This has traditionally been done by military conquest.

Some heretical scholars and monks claim that Merrick did merely was using prophesies of the one who would bring peace to claim divinity. They say he only used this claim to consolidate his Empire, in the name of peace, or the Peace of Get. These heretics are usually burned at the stake, or ripped apart by monster in the arenas.

The Nobility and Army

Many Lords and Under Lords govern the Empire of Get. The Under Lords also have Knights under them. The Knights are charged with the defense of the Empire of Get. They form militias and train them whenever they are not farming or fishing or what have you. The Knights are also excellent heavy cavalry. There are also some standing armies and a massive standing navy.

These knights are all male. The first-born male son will inherit his father's title and lands. Daughters can heir if there is no male son, but when they get married (and they are expected to get married) their husbands become the new heir.

Every man is considered a part of the army. All carry long daggers or short swords at all times. All of them are drilled during the winter seasons in formation fighting. The entire Empire is an army. Most men receive a long fighting knife when they turn fifteen and are of age. It is common for them to receive quilted armor and a shield as well, since most spend a few years in the army.

Those who serve in the actual armed forces are heavily trained in formation fighting and are trained to use short swords, pole arms and crossbows. These forces commonly have quilted armor. The upper level sergeants sometimes have studded leather. A far few may have some simple chain elements to their armor.

The knights and other nobles use swords, spears and lances, excellent chargers and various other hand weapons. Plate armor is virtually unknown as of yet. Most knights will wear chain mail or some variant. Small bits of plate mail are just starting to be used, but would only be available to kings. Many young noble lords do little else with their time than train for battle. They travel around the countryside fighting each other in brutal mock combat, looking for gallant quests to complete, each one hoping to make a name for himself. They have their own code of chivalry that extends to fighting for The Father, protecting the weak and the innocent (or at least those who acknowledge the Father) and using any excuse to initiate combat with other noble knights.

Cities

There are three large cities in the Get Empire. To the North is Barkus. To the South West is Kent. To the South West is the capitol of Mogg. All three cities are surrounded by massive stonewalls that contain throngs of humanity. The poor, the sinners, the holy, the rich and the insane dwell within. Each city has a palace of the Emperor. He travels from city to city every year or two. His chief residence is in Mogg. It is an ornate golden palace covered with angels, saints and gargoyles.

Economy

The economy of Get is built on the backs of her surfs. Most of the population is dirt-poor farmers, working the lands of the landed nobles. There is some sea trade as well, but not to the extent that Odeland trades. It is virtual slave labor that makes Get mighty. Get also uses actual slaves. Gobyns, Tarabethian Islanders and captured Odeland citizens are used for dangerous and backbreaking tasks such as mining and monument building. Even the surfs can look down on the slaves. Some of these slaves are also used in the households of the nobles. Some of these slaves can read and write and are treated almost as members of the family, though they are not truly free.

There is a skilled merchant class in the cities and the large towns. These merchants have their own guilds and can grow quite rich. There is distinct gender separation when it comes to professions. No one "crosses over". Even skilled female weavers are under the direction and control of the males of their family.

Young boys are often apprenticed to their own fathers, but second and third sons are apprenticed to men of other professions, if they family business will not support the extra workers. There are new businesses starting all the time though. Some of these young men go to sea as well. When a boy is apprenticed to another man than his father, he actually becomes a part of the other man's family. The other man pays a substantial price to the boy's family and adopts him as a son.

There is a major trade route from the North to the South, through the desert. Metals come from the north and fabrics and spices travel north. The trade route through the desert is controlled by the dark nomadic desert folk and is a safe route for the most part.

The South grows many warm weather fruits and crops. The South also produces spices and good fabrics. The minerals and metals that the expanding Empire need come from the mines to the north.

Women and men can mix with each other in the streets, but it is men who do most business dealings. Women do dealings with other women in secret, by sending their children as go-betweens. They could not do it openly in the street. They can walk the streets, but there is little point. When walking in the streets, the women avoid looking at or talking to men. Even in buying food for the table, the women must rely on their children or their men. Girls can do business until they are about twelve, and then they have the same restrictions as the women.

Clothing

The people of the Get Empire dress in very similar clothing across the Empire. Men and boys all wear simple brown or black tunics and boots. Even the Emperor wears such attire, though the quality is vastly better than even that of a merchant class man. Adornments are not used. When armor is worn, black or brown cloaks are still worn over the armor. The only exception is the desert, where white is a common color. This is considered the respectful and sober uniform of a citizen of the Get Empire. All males over fifteen are considered a part of the military and are required to carry a long, curved knife at all times. Only knights and other nobles can carry long swords, but any man can carry a short sword and a buckler. Headscarves are also worn. They serve to cover the head in bad weather. The richest of men can afford the cloth needed to wear true wrapped turbans.

Women wear similar garb, but their tunics are longer, extending to below their knees. They also wear slacks under the tunic. They wear leather shoes or sandals, depending on the terrain. The women also wear the headscarves and keep their heads covered when in public. They do not hide their faces, but do keep their heads covered, out of respect for their men. Many carry short, lethal knives in their sleeves. Even the richest of women are not allowed adornment, but their clothing is made of fine silk and trimmed with lace. The richest of women can afford tunics that are almost sheer and weight next to nothing.

Slave wear whatever they were wearing when they became slaves, until the day that they die. If their clothing was expensive though, it is taken from them and they are issued cast-offs of dead slaves. Life is short for most slaves, so new clothing is not much of a concern.

Family

Family life revolves around the father. He is the lord of the household. Everyone obeys him. He is the first to eat and gets the best portions. The role of the wife and all the children is to obey and serve the father.

When the sons come of age, at fifteen, they are given the same respect as the Father, but they must still obey him. Until the father dies, his sons will still obey him. The oldest son becomes the new patriarch upon his father's death.

Extended families live with everyone in the same house. Quarters are cramped for the poor. When a girl gets married, usually before she is sixteen, she leaves her family and becomes the "burden" of her husband's family. Her family pays a dower to cover the "trouble" for her new family.

Inheritance always goes to the first-born son. He must watch over all his brothers and their families though. When a family gets to big, then usually send the extra sons off to be soldiers. These sons stay with the army, winning honor for their families, and hopefully dying honorably. This keeps the population down. It is a largely hidden practice, but it is legal for a father to kill an unwanted daughter if he has to many. It must be done before she is two weeks old though.

Slavery

The Empire of Get uses slavery. Slaves come from captured enemies, the Tarabethian Islanders and the Gobyns. Some Parkik clan members are also slaves, though they are a tough people to conquer or raid. Criminals and outlaws are also commonly sentenced to slavery, if they are not executed. These criminals are not slaves for life though, but are given sentences. They still hold themselves above the other slaves and are still considered children of the Father.

Get is willing to free any and all prisoners, except Gobyns, who will swear allegiance to The Divine Father and His Avatar Merrick. They become brothers and are absorbed into the surf population if they are commoners, or the lower nobility if they are nobles. The same is true of lands captured by the Empire. If they will swear allegiance, they are spared and even allowed to keep their homes and livelihoods.

The Gobyns are not believed to be human and therefore do not have a soul. They are considered evil beings created by the monster Lister. The conditions that they live under are terrible and inhuman. Those who will not swear allegiance are seen as agents of evil and kin to the Gobyns. They are treated the same.

Some Gobyns are used by rich and idle noble houses as servants. This is not really approved of by the church, but for the nobles it is another amusement in their otherwise pointless life. Some even amuse themselves by educating these "beasts" and treating them like they belong to the family, but it can end at any moment, if the novelty wears off.

Slaves are considered fair game for rape, murder and any other amusement that the slave masters may cook up. On a boring winter’s night, many a master has been known to have his dogs and a slave fight to the death. On the rare occasion that a slave actually manages to kill or serious hurt one of the dogs, he is filled with bolts to protect the valuable life of the dogs.

Housing

Nobles and wealth skilled workers generally live in heavily decorated stone houses with good tiled roofs. In the South West, adobe is used, but the houses are still ornate. Despite still having simple unadorned dress, the rich have houses that are filled with marble, gold and silver. Get is famous for it's intricate tiled floors and skillfully painted walls.

The poor live in decent, but simple housing. Adobe is used a lot in the South West and sod is used in other places. The nomadic desert dwellers use well-constructed, heavy-duty tents that are large enough to hold whole extended families.

Slaves live in horrible conditions. A simple ditch is all they can expect some of the time. Sometimes they are given simple blankets and sometimes not. The best of masters may build simple huts, but only to protect their investment. The mortality rate among the slaves is very high. Slave traders are constantly looking for new ones.

 

[DellaDivina]

The Tar Mountains

The Tar Mountains

The mountains of Tar are an inhospitable place. They are covered with snow in every season. Passage across them is almost impossible. There is not time for any other thought than survival for anyone who finds him or herself in the mountains.

The mountains of Tar are home to tribes of humans called the Gobyns. They can interbreed with other peoples. The children of such unions are considered outcasts by the Gobyns, but are generally allowed to live. Human communities frequently kill the children of such unions, or render them incapable of bearing children and then abandon them in the woods. There are some half-breed sailors and pirates though. Sailors are usually outsiders and outcasts anyway, so it is the one profession that an outcast may find some acceptance in.

Gobyns are a short people. Adult males stand at an average height of five feet. They are not an unattractive people, but they have a green cast to their skin that sets them apart. Their hair color ranges from blonde to black and their eye color varies greatly. Most Gobyns are very heavily muscled, though their muscle structure is very wiry.

The Gobyns tribes live in caverns and caves that they find the mountains. These are a primitive people who cannot tunnel for themselves. They have no knowledge of metal work and use stone tools and weapons. There are many caves and large caverns though and each tribe controls a system of caves.

The tribes usually avoid contact with outsiders, but when conditions are tough, they tend to raid down into Odeland. Both the men and the women are fierce warriors who abandon themselves to battle. Sometimes bands do try to trade with humans are successful, but there is a hatred and fear of Gobyns among the people living by and in the edge of the mountain range.

The Gobyns are not inherently evil, but they do not worship a true goddess. They worship all sorts of local spirits and mystical beings. Each band has a shaman who is the go between. He or she helps the tribe to avoid trouble with the local mystical beings. Each tribe has certain spirits that they are loyal to. These spirits are all tied into the actual land. In their understanding these spirits and beings have little influence beyond their immediate area of control, whether it be a certain mountain, a certain cave or a certain stream. These mystical being have been known to manifest themselves in physical form.

The Gobyns speak many similar, yet distinct dialects. No know human knows the Gobyn tongues, but the bands have taken up a broken form of the common trade language to communicate with other tribes.

There are some Gobyns who are well educated and well spoken. Most of these are all slaves in the Empire of Get. The majority of these slaves are used for force labor though. A few Gobyn have been seagoing merchants and sailors, but they spent their entire lives as strangers and outsiders in every land. The sea is their home. A few Gobyns have established trade with Odeland, mostly using furs and pelts as their currency. These fur traders have more knowledge of human language and some even read and write.

Both men and women hunt. Gobyns are mostly carnivorous. They can live for years on only meat with little health side effects. The mountain sheep of the region have a layer of fat that contains many of their nutritional needs. Children are taken on the hunts from the time they are born, strapped to their mothers' backs.

The ritual of adult hood occurs in the tenth spring of a child's life. The girl or boy is left with not food, tools or weapons in an area well away from their tribe, clothed in nothing up a thin tunic. They cannot return until they have killed an animal big enough to clothe them. They then can return wearing its hide and hauling the meat. Needless to say, even young Gobyns are hellishly quick and strong.

Gobyns generally wear the furs and hides of the animals they kill. Some also wear the hides of fallen enemies. Bones are common decorations. They are worn around necks, around wrists and as piercings. Nudity is a strong taboo. The cold mountain air leads the clothing to be heavy. Some tribes have a small knowledge of weaving and use simple fabrics. Other tribes get fabric through trade. Some tribes trade for simple jewelry and beads and use these instead of bones. These tribes are rare though and humans who see Gobyn traders often attack them, mistaking them for raiders.

 

[DellaDivina]

The Parkik

The Parkik

Parkik Island is a hilly area, with small, scraggily forest of evergreens. The winters are and long and hard, though the summers are very pleasant and all four seasons are present. The land is more suited for herding than farming. The Parkik people are mostly sheepherders. They also have a few coal mines and metal mines in the mountains and fisher folk on the shores and lakes.

The Parkik are tall and lean. They have fine features and fair skin. The coloring of their eyes and hair ranges from blonde and blue eyed to dark brown and browned eyed. Very few of the Parkik have red hair though. Their hair tends to be straight to slightly wavy. I will discuss hairstyles later.

Most of the clans dwell in earthen huts with thatched roofs. The huts hold single families. There is usually a central village where there are more huts and a market place. The craftspersons of the clan live here. If the clan herds sheep or farms, then extended families live around the perimeters of the village. In the case of the fisher folk, everyone lives in the village.

If the clan has hunters that go out, they will either carry cloth tents, rubbed down with animal fats, or they will build quick shelters of branches and leaves, and then abandon them.

There are a few rich clans that build stone buildings with thatched roofs. In any village, there may be a stone building or two. There is usually an inn in each village, with stonewalls. The men meet at the inn to drink and discuss matters.

Clan Identity

The Parkik people live in large family clans. Each clan identifies itself through the use of tattoos. There is a ritual when a young man or woman reaches fifteen. They are tattooed with the things that they are known for or are skillful at. A fierce young hunter might have a mighty stag tattooed on his chest. As they go on in their lives, they continue to receive tattoos to symbolize the events and celebrations of their lives. It is more common for men than for women to continue to receive more tattoos, though everyone periodically does.

The tattoos are colorful and primal in appearance, but are still stylized works of art. Each clan has an animal that they especially identify with. A small representation of this animal is always tattooed on a child during their maturity celebration. It is always in the same place on the body. The right or left forehead is very common, as is the back of a hand. Each tribe has its own way.

The Parkik word for clan is "talok". In identifying his or herself to a stranger, a Parkik clan member would say their personal name, clan and then the word talok. For instance, Brenna of clan Dorn, named for the black crows that inhabit their clan lands, would say, "I am Brenna, Talok Dorn. What Talok holds your life?" A child's name will go with him or her throughout his or her life. Only the clan name may change, if another clan takes a girl. An individual banished from a clan carry only their personal name followed by the word "Bedge", which can be translated as "dead to us".

The animal totems of the clan are seen to represent the spirit of the clan. They see them as true soul brothers. These animals are not seen as good spirits or gods themselves, but merely kindred souls. All the clans worship and honor The Great Divine Mother alone. They are one of the few peoples on The World who do not worship a demigod who is the seed of The Mother, but worship her directly. She gave them their animal companions to help her guide them. Frequently a clan's totem animal will deliver spiritually important messages and omens, or even protect clan members in danger.

The Wise Women

The clans each have a group of holy women who are set apart due to their great wisdom. They meet together to pray to and worship The Mother. They are the conduits for her love and guiding to the tribe. When they meet for their rituals, their totem animals seem to crowd near in worship also. Often the revelation comes from such an animal.

These women are a set apart lot. They must learn long oral traditions that relay all the myths of their people. Their tattoos are visual aids to the myths and songs. All of their myths can be sung in ancient tunes that have not changed in a thousand years.

The Parkik build ritual stone circles to mark the movements of the sun and the moon. They believe that the sun and moon are the right and left eyes of The Mother. Whether it is day or night, she keeps watch over her people. On the winter and summer solstices, the shortest and longest days of the year, all the peoples gather at the stone rings to be examined by The Great Divine Mother. If she finds them worthy, then they are blessed until she judges again. If not, She punishes them with longer winters or bad harvests.

Sacrifices are given for the transgressions of the people. Animal sacrifices are most common, but if great transgressions have taken place in a clan, a wise woman may choose to sacrifice herself for the good of the people. She must spill her own blood, unto death, upon the altar. To deny this appeasement of life giving fluids will bring the wrath of The Mother on the people. The woman who does this does not think of herself as dying. She is merely merging again with the sacred life fluids of The Divine Mother. She must make this sacrifice voluntarily and without the aid of others. The sacrifice is performed before the entire village. She will take narcotics that will bolster her resolve. If she cannot go through with the sacrifice, someone must take her place, or The Mother will not be pacified for the peoples' terrible transgressions. This sacrifice does not take very often. It is when extreme cases of incest, rape and pedophilia are rampant in a tribe that such a sacrifice is needed.

(Note- Blood is used in many rituals, but not to the extent of the ritual above. The shedding of blood is symbolic of the birth waters of the divine mother. A mother's milk and sexual fluids are also considered sacred. Both sped blood and sexual unions can be used to bless the crops.)

Anyone who is found to have violated one on of those three restrictions (incest, rape and pedophilia) must be held captive and put to death on the altar at the solstices. If they kill themselves, someone else kills them, or die of natural causes, before the next solstice, then someone must take their place or the clan will suffer. These kinds of crimes are not common among the Parkik, but in the memory of every generation there is always self-sacrifice. The extreme pain caused by the needed sacrifice of a person on the solstice, to, in attoinment, causes most people to really think twice about these sins.

Whenever a wise woman dies, the next female born alive is seen as bearing her spirit back into the world. This child will be set apart to learn the ways of the wise. She will live only with the wise women. They have their own shelters, set at edge of the villages. Each clan has between five or six to fifteen or twenty wise women, depending on the size of the clan. The needs of these women, for food, shelter, clothing and kindling are meet by the people of the village. The wise women tend to the clan's spiritual needs as well as growing and making healing potions and performing other acts of healing. They also make charms and spells to help with everyday needs, as well as arbitrate in disputes.

These women do not take husbands, but are not chaste. When a family receives a special blessing from The Mother, a wife might send her husband off to the wise women for a night or two. She sacrifices her right to him to honor The Mother. The blessing the family received is given back to The Mother in the form of the children the wise women may bear. It is thought that a woman who refuses to share her man for such a short time, in thanksgiving, shows that she is not grateful for the blessing she received. The Mother may snub such a one, who would snub her gifts.

The Passage into Adulthood

In the spring, between the two solstices, the celebration of the transition to adulthood takes place. During the week before the celebration, the boys and girls who will make their passage wear feathers in their hair and special ceremonial clothing. The clan is on high alert. The clans raid each other to steal away the prospective females. There are not usually too many taken, but it happens every year. These girls are then inducted into their new clan and never get to live by their fathers' hearths again. There is visiting between the clans though, so they do visit.

The men who steal the girls are always unmarried. They take these girls, who are soon women, as wives. There are ritualized forms of these raids within each clan. The new women must run and hide from the new men. If they can stay hidden until sunrise, then they will not be married until the next year. If they are caught, then they must marry their captor. Many young people in love arrange for one to catch the other, but sometimes hearts are broken and men kill other men who stole their lover. The girl who is caught has adult possessions, such as clothing, jewelry, sowing tools and small household goods. The rest the husband must provide.

Women and men continue to participate in this game each year until they find a mate, or grow tired of trying. Women of thirty five have been known to run ten years after they gave up, because a widower has been flirting and hinting with them. Such a woman is brought to great shame if he does not follow through and catch her. Most widows and widowers make such arrangements. Occasionally an older widower will catch a young lady more than half his age. This union is legal, but can lead to very great trouble in the clan.

Gender Differences

The Parkik are a fierce and proud people, but they love their families and treat their children well. No child has to wonder if it is loved. The whole village takes a part in raising a child. The children hear tales of their people from the wise women and from their parents. The fathers have the most influence over their sons, as the mothers have over the daughters. The families of the village work together to herd sheep, or fish, or harvest crops, or hunt and prepare animals.

There is a division of labor between the sexes that is very strict, but no one sexes' work is seen as more important. The men generally procure crops, or fish, or animals, or wool and meat from sheep. The women prepare these things, as well as making clothing and growing vegetables and herbs.

The men tend to have a bit more free time. They spend this time wrestling, fighting and drinking. There are frequent clashes with other clans. Blood feuds are common and whole clans have been wiped of the face of The World. Generally they try to take their aggressions out playing a violent game in which they use the head of a sheep and large wooden clubs. They try to get the sheep's head across a meadow to their own side, while the other side does the same. The game results in many broken bones and sometimes death, but is better than outright slaughter.

If a blood feud goes on to long, and cannot be resolved, the wise women of the villages may call for one big game between the men of the two clans. The game lasts all afternoon. The winning clan is declared in the right and can carry off female children of near adult age as their spoils.

The women do not have a lot of free time for recreation. They are too busy working. If the women of a clan live close enough to other families, they will share their work and share in watching the children. This time together is full of tales of what is going on in the clan and tales of the foolish things their men folk are up to. When the men have such talks, it usually is about their latest kill, or how hard they lay with their wife the night before.

The girls work right along with their mothers and are great helps from an early age. The boys stay and help also, until they turn five. When they turn five, the fathers start to train them to fight, to drink and to do men's work. By the time a boy is seven years old, he spends all of his time doing the work his father does.

The men of the clans wield short, heavy bronze blades, which are inscribed with runes and spells of protection. The blades are useful tools for a variety of herding tasks, as well as being weapons. They often wield a blade in either hand or carry a small leather bound wooden shield. Their style of fighting is short and direct. A fight between two men does not last long. Boys are taught the art of blade fighting through the use of clubs. These clubs are the ones used to play the Hit The Sheep's Head Game. These games take on strong elements of training in warfare.

The men do not wear armor, but do wear padded wool jackets that offer some protection in combat. During raids some wear simple bronze helmets. Their leather kilts also offer some protection.

There is a special, set apart class of warriors called the Taken Ones. They are possessed, or taken over by the can totem's spirit during battle. They never carry a shield or wear a helmet. Many don't even wear their leather kilt, but run into battle naked. They frequently paint themselves to look like their animal totem. These warriors wield long, two-handed swords. They go into a berserk rage. They care only about killing. They are not concerned for their own safety. Such a man is seen to be what he is almost from birth. The wise women act as oracles and instruct that he be raised as a Taken One.

The Take Ones must each live apart from the tribe. They live alone at least a half mile from the village. Groups of warriors bring them their food and other needs. They are with the group during rituals and are free to come and go, but it is considered too dangerous for them to live within the tribe.

They do not marry. They are forbidden casual lovers, upon pain of banishment. Such a union would likely result in their lovers accidental death. They are "serviced" by wise women who come to them once per week. First a group of warriors must bind the Taken One hand and food and burry his sword a foot down. Then the wise woman services him, while the warriors stand around with clubs, ready to beat him into submission if he goes into a rage while laying with the wise woman.

A girl child cannot become a warrior, BUT she can be set apart as a Taken One. She must live as they do. She is not seen as female any more. She is simply a vessel of the Totem. Such a female Taken One lives the same as a male Chosen One, including never marrying or having children and only being "serviced" by the wise women.

Garments and Hair Styles

Men generally dress in short, leather skirts called a "yet" or "yeth" for the plural form. A man's yet will have decorative metal plates sown on it bearing images of the clan's totem animals. The decorations are more elaborate during festivals and warfare. The men wear wool jackets and cotton shirts in cold weather, but go shirtless in good weather, to show off their tattoos.

The women wear skirts of woven cloth that are knee length, in good weather. In cold weather they wear full-length skirts. These skirts can be plain and functional, or ornate and beautiful, depending on the situations they will be worn in. They also wear wool jackets and shirts in cold weather. In warm weather they often go shirtless as well, when doing their daily work, so as to show off their tattoos. A clan member's tattoos tell much about the life she has lead. Some older or more modest women wear midriff level, sleeveless, thick woven bindings when the weather is extremely hot and humid, rather than going topless.

The Parkik do not see anything wrong with upper body nudity. It is not a social stigma. The body below the waist and above the knees is another story. Except during certain fertility rituals, a clansperson will not expose him or herself to a member of the opposite sex who is not their mate. Members of the same sex will go off together to swim though.

The wise women dress in pure white for ceremonies and brown the rest of the time. They wear full-length habits in cold weather and full-length skirts in warm. Their clothing is never ornamented and they do not wear the jewelry that is common for other clanspersons of both sections, except during ceremonies. Whereas women of age bind their hair in braids, the wise women let their hair flow free, as if they were still children. Unlike children though, their hair hangs long.

When a boy becomes of age, at eighteen he will start to braid his hair. Girls start to braid their hair earlier, starting at age twelve. The style of braiding varies by clan and is often different for the two sexes. Children always wear their hair free, though their hair is chopped short until they are around twelve summers old and then it is never cut again until after it reaches an adult length.

Some tribes braid the entire length of the hair, while others will merely create small braids at different points.

Clan Leadership

The strongest of the men is the Ratgar, or War Father. He leads the men in raids on other villages and initiates the actions to take blood revenge. He also carries out executions and other sentences of the wise women, such as sacrificing rapists and the like on the solstices. Any man can become the War Father, if he can beat the current one. The form of combat is chosen by the War Father and can go from wrestling, to clubs to blades. The challenges do not always lead to death but can. The Ratgar does hold some sway over the women of a clan, but not over the wise women. They are the ultimate authority.

The oldest wise woman is the Supreme Wisdom, the Matom Noke. She can speak for The Mother to the tribe and must be obeyed. No one argues with her. This does not mean that they may not resent her decisions.

Clan Names

Sithrock- Frog- small
Sithron- Snake- small
Sithrat- Fire Drake- small
Sithka- Dragon- tiny
Miter- Beetle
Mitma- Scorpion
Mitlim- Crab
Takma- Fire Fly
Taka- Butter Fly
Hedrin- Sea Bass- large
Hedmet- Dolphin- small
Hedka- Shark- medium
Hedat- Whale- small
Salde- Fox- small
Salma- Weasel- medium
Saltar- Rat- small
Salfen- Rabbit- large
Salhobin- Field Mouse- medium
Salham- Skunk- small
Saltro- Otter- large
Salket- Beaver- large
Beret- Deer- large
Berma- Moose- medium
Berser- Horse- large
Talka- Black Bear- small
Talok- Badger- small
Talrem- Wolf
Dorn- Black Crow- large
Dorlin- Robin- medium
Dortit- Sparrow- tiny
Dorret- Kestrel- small
Dorum- Hummingbird- tiny
Dorta- Owl- large
Dormena- Hawk- medium
Dorra- Eagle- medium
Dorhan- Sea Gull- small

tiny= 20-99 members
small= 100-399 members
medium= 400-999 members
large= 1000+ members

Please note that there are a few towns on the map in this area. These towns are areas where a number of tribes have come together and established settlements. These "towns" use inter-tribal councils of wise women and war leaders to govern.

Special Clan Profile: The Badger Clan

There are well over thirty taloks inhabiting the Parkik lands. They have lots of common ties, but also great differences. I will give a brief description of the one clan that most deviates from the normal pattern.

The Sharlot Talok (The Badger Clan) is the most vicious of the clans. They do not trade with other clans or work farm. They get everything they need to survive through hunting and raiding. They have no set village, but keep on the move through the forests.

The Supreme Wisdom, or Matom Noke, of the Badger clan is nothing but a yes man, or in this case yes woman, for the Ratgar. He has the power of life or death over his people. Any weakness is punished.

The Sharlot Talok goes into battle naked. Their women fight as well. They are fierce some to behold, with their stark, black tattoos that cover their bodies. They tattoo their faces to look like black bears. Their wear the skulls and teeth of their enemies, and of badgers, around their necks as well. The adults cut their hair short and bristly and dye it to match that of a badger.

Children as young as ten are involved in raiding other clans. The moment a child draws first breath, it is in a struggle to survive. The mortality rate of children under five is fifty percent or less. There is also rampant sexual abuse by all the adults against the children. (This will NOT be play out in game, as all characters must be adults.)

The Sharlot Talok does not worship The Mother. They worship a powerful evil entity that has presented himself to them as one who can free themselves from the moral restraints of The Mother. He appears in the form of a giant badger and frequently culls the weakest of the clan. His whole philosophy is that strength justifies any action one might take and the weak do not deserve to survive, accept to serve the strong.

Almost all of this clan exhibit, to some degree, the nature of a Taken One. If they did not, they would not survive. They do not set themselves apart though. Life is short and brutal.

 

[DellaDivina]

The Womb

The Womb

In the center of The World is an ancient and mysterious area known as The Womb. This area is also never entered or even approached deliberately. It is said that to approach this area, invited or not, leads to death.

Sailors unlucky enough to have sailed in sight of the womb say it is a massive stone ring. Little is know about what is at the center of that ring, or how one could enter it.

The consensus of scholars from many countries is that The Womb is the literal birth womb of The Great, Divine Mother. Many have argued that if this area is Her literal womb, then the whole of The World must be her body. Others have argued that The World came forth from Her womb and she lives in the sky, touching The World through her womb.

Some heretics say that The Womb is not the literal womb of The Great Mother, but merely a symbolic place in which Her act of creation can be worshipped. Some of these heretics have sailed off to prove their point, but never returned to verify their claims.

What is known for sure is that the whole World is holy and should be reverenced and The Womb is especially to be reverenced. We should all consider the loyalty and love we owe to our Mother and bow in the direction of The Womb to say our midday prayers.

-Father Jes Meltom Norm , High Father of Lorado City in the United Kingdoms of Kethol

 

[DellaDivina]

The Desolation of Lister

The Desolation of Lister is a vast and changing desert. There are some rock formations in it, which are covered and uncovered with the shifting sands. These rock formations can offer shelter during a sandstorm, but the very shelter one seeks may become ones tomb.

The Desolation of Lister is a mostly barren and foreboding land. It is a dangerous place to travel through. There is little water and little life. Still, there are established trade routes through the region, which are well patrolled. It is not wise to venture away from these routes though, or to travel alone. Many rumors and legends of horrible, inhuman monsters abound among the caravan drivers.

There is talk of a few mysterious, murderous, nomadic tribes in the Desolation of Lister. Nothing has ever been proven though. Most believe them to be stories made up by the merchants to scare other merchants off of their routes.

To learn more about how The Desolation of Lister came about one should read A Treatise on Creation penned by Mother Ella, Cardinal of the Holy Womb of Odeland. It would be wise to go and read that essay in full to gain a full understanding of the situation. This is only a very quick summary.

The basic story is that a minor god named Lister wanted equality with The Divine Mother. He wanted the power to create. He was not able to truly create though, but could only twist her creations. His followers tried to enslave The World using these creations. The Divine Mother sent them packing and destroyed the entire area they had occupied. She did not kill all of their creations though, but took pity on them. Instead she gave then isolated homes throughout the area she had obliterated.

 

[DellaDivina]

Maps

http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae274/Romana1969/worldsmall_zps325dd52f.gif

http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae274/Romana1969/worldmed_zpsdce1d481.gif

http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae274/Romana1969/largeworld_zps52abffbf.gif