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| world_history_lore [2025/06/15 19:38] – [Geography and Important Locations] bunny | world_history_lore [2025/06/18 20:40] (current) – [World Concepts] bunny |
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| ====== RETURN OF MAJOR REPUBLIC FACTIONS: ====== | ====== Return of Major Republic Factions: ====== |
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| ====== Geography and Important Locations ====== | |
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| <fs xx-large>Vitaveus: Western Territories</fs> | |
| -->Kaduraas# | |
| <fs xx-large>Geography</fs> | |
| What was once a land of towering trees and fertile soil is now a landscape brought under flame and blade. Kaduraas now exists as a desolate land, a scar upon Vitaveus and a reminder to its people. Kaduraans huddle to the husk of a few standing outposts under the purview and ever watchful eye of the Venerated Republic, yet to do so is futile - Kaduraas is nearly completely lost to the horrors of the Torment. One of the last of these veritable bastions for humanity found within this once beautiful land is Antongrad. All roads from the West lead through Antongrad, and it acts as not only a beacon of hope from those trying to escape the hellish expanse, but also as a reminder that the Venerated Republic will stand in defiance of even overwhelming odds, until the very last man alive. | |
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| <fs xx-large>History</fs> | |
| Kaduraas was one of many territories under the ancient rule of the Collatian Dynasty, standing tall for centuries before the might of the Venerated Republic struck down its heretical teachings and those who would spread them in the hearts of men during the Reckoning. Much of the teachings of the Kaduraan people have been put to the flame, as many of their works were deemed blasphemous and highly heretical by the Clergy of the Decusian Faith. Due to this, what little has survived the flames is solely found in the form of oration and the memory of the spurned. One rather infamous tale that is often shared is the betrayal the Kaduraans suffered at the hands of the Teramer people. For it was the Teramerians who gave the Republic safe passage, fed and armed their Templar with Collatian iron, and allowed them take to blade and flame to the Kaduraan people completely unhindered. Because of this wretched betrayal, Kaduraan and Teremerians still hold ill will against one another, despite such treachery having been wrought centuries ago. | |
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| Kaduraas had once been a fertile land, settled between Teramer and Collatia proper, with abundant forests ranging from taigas to wet tropical uplands. However, the once-bountiful territory has been reduced to ashes in many places, the ending years of the Reclamation having used it for countless front-line battles and skirmishes. In many places, even hundreds of years later, the earth itself is still scorched for miles upon miles, with vegetation, trees and plant-life seemingly refusing to grow back in silent protest of the thousands of gallons of blood spilled upon the cursed soil. In modern times, the concentrations of population in Kaduraas spotted the map of the territory, namely settled around it's various rivers and waterways where at least a semblance of nature has been able to grow back. | ====== World Concepts ====== |
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| Traditional Kaduraan people are a lithe and wirey bunch, with dusky skin and darker pigments of hair, with brown to green colored eyes. However, many of the Kaduraan people are of mixed blood, interbreeding with those from the East that now occupy their once proud nation; a nation that was reduced to nothing more than ash and dried blood long before the Torment ever came to be. The few larger Municipalities that existed in the territory prior to the Torment were merely alive due in part to their Republic garrisons they held, of which were heavily fortified with the means of sustaining themselves inside. Everything from crops and livestock were often grown and raised within these walls, while metals, medicinal supplies and religious goods were brought in through heavily guarded caravans. Life was uncomfortable even within these walls, as everything was rationed to its registered citizenry. Those wayward fools who passed through such garrisons often had to give up a great deal of wealth to even purchase a mere piece of stale bread from those who already have too little to even feed themselves; thus, Kaduraans are often looked upon with a sense of scorn in these modern times. | |
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| Prior to the Torment, magical practice was heavily conducted by the Consortium in Antongrad, one of Kaduraas' largest cities. Antongrad Auditorii are considered to be some of the most blood thirsty and unwavering representatives of their cause in the entirety of Vitaveus, and many believe that the recruits that the Consortium melds into these battle-mages were sent to Kaduraas as their power, temperament and sheer natures would lend them to be executed in any more civilized areas of the Republic. Local Templar Chapters and Legion cohorts within Kaduraas were extremely distrustful of this Circle, believing such wildcard magi could easily stray from the Flame and bring about their ruin from the inside on behalf of the Resolve, yet the Church's power within this blighted territory has never been anything more than a fleeting presence. Due to this rather unique circumstance magi of Kaduraas find themselves within, a certain sense of infamy is enjoyed for any that claim to hail from Kaduraas, for magical users hailing from territory are often considered extremely well versed, practiced, powerful and above all else, dangerous. Of special note is the rather peculiar tendency of these infamous magii and magickin to adopt the ways of the sword as well, which had led to the concept of the Kaduraasian Warlock - a terrifying stereotype of a well-versed mage of whom is also adept in sword-fighting. | -->Technology & Science# |
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| | <fs xx-large>Theoria Humoris</fs> |
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| <fs xx-large>Torment</fs> | Like all things within the Venerated Republic the practice and application of medicine is both heavily tied into and regulated by the Venerated Church and its teachings. The basis of all medical theory stems from High Avatar Felenius, the embodiment of Compassion, who walked alongside Decus himself. It was she who first set out upon the path of curing the ailed and disparaged and was aided in this endeavor by the divine teachings of Decus. |
| The current hellscape that is Kaduraas now lends itself to have been scorched not once, but twice, due completely to the spread of Torment and early efforts to control it. Kaduraas has now been literally brought to the Flame; for it is here that the Republic had tested many of its’ newer technological achievements, to include artillery, cannons, and heavy ordinances in an effort to rate their effectiveness against the Torment. Currently, the Torment is at a critical apex in Kaduraas, with less than a dozen strongholds and Municipalities of Republic forces standing firm against the plague. | |
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| The only true portion of Kadurass that is firmly held by the Republic is that of Antongrad and the road to it. A fortnight's ride into Kaduraas from it's southeastern borders, Antongrad stands as an island within a veritable sea of madness and chaos. Somehow, against all odds, Antongrad still stands, and currently represents the only known habitable stretch of Eden within the Blacklands of Kaduraas. | Her practices were one of balancing both the body and the Virtues, for the soul could corrupt the body as easily as the body could the soul. She was said to possess immense knowledge of medicine and that her compassion alone was able to cure even the most sickly and desolate. |
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| <fs xx-large>Points of Interest</fs> | While her teachings and methods have been lost to the annals of time, one quote would become the very foundation of all future medical practices within the Venerated Republic. Seen as divine scriptures, as wholly truthful and unwavering as the words of Decus himself, she is recorded as having said, “Knitted together of limestone, ash, salt, sulfur, I stand in awe at the immensity of our creation.” |
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| **The Murderfields** | It is upon these words the practice of Humorism was eventually established by the monastic cloisters that would eventually become the Venerated Apothecary Corps. Combining the ideals of alchemical practices that were prevalent during the time with the foundations of Decusian teachings. |
| The fields between Antongrad and the Godspine are known as the Murderfields; a vast expanse of charred nothingness. The road Eastward from Antongrad to the Midlands cuts right through the middle of this desolate and macabre plain, leading those who have made it this far out of the West and further into the arms of the Republic. It was here that the Venerated Apothecary Corps, backed by the Templar and Inquisition, took to their prototype use of pyrotechnics and flamethrowers, setting ablaze every settlement and village from the Godspine to the walls of Antongrad - infected or not. Even today, as the winds sweep the charred hills of the Murderfields, they at times still carry with them the ashes of the dead, choking the air from the lungs of those who would dare walk its wastes. | |
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| **Antongrad** | For centuries these fundamental humors have been the Decusian scientific understanding of the human body’s interaction with the environment, as well as defined the way in which disease and illness work, how emotions fluctuate, and the impacts of Virtues, Vices, seasons, diet, age, and sex on health. |
| Surrounded on all sides by ruin and scorched earth, Antongrad acts as the passage and last checkpoint before reaching the only path safe enough through the Godspine, of which is heavily guarded by Legion forces. Those who make the journey to the City of Skulls as it is colloquially referred to as are greeted with the visage of all those who have attempted to befoul and curse the last bastion of the Empire. Piles of skulls flayed of their flesh line the sturdy and foreboding walls of this city and serve to cast their judgemental gaze upon those who dare enter. Westerners must pass through Antongrad if they are to attempt the roads eastward into the Midlands. Of recent note is that these travelers must be ever mindful of their possessions, as many are searched for any heretical material that they may smuggle East into the Imperial heartland - no doubt due to orders of traumatized Legion officiants whose grips on reality are beginning to fade. | |
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| //**Inspirations and Influences**// | Humorism is the idea that a body of creation is composed of four basic substances: limestone, ash, salt and sulfur. These are also referred to as the four ‘humors’, which are in balance when a person is healthy and become unbalanced when ailed. These substances also have four corresponding fundamental fluids: blood, choler (yellow bile), phlegm, and black bile. |
| Bulgaria, Romania. Traditional example names such as Naiden, Ignat, Rada and Lyubov are common for those hailing from Kaduraas. | |
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| -->Murandesh# | |
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| <fs xx-large>Geography</fs> | For centuries these fundamental humors have been the Decusian scientific understanding of the human body’s interaction with the environment, as well as defined the way in which disease and illness work, how emotions fluctuate, and the impacts of Virtues, Vices, seasons, diet, age, and sex on health. |
| Nestled between the Tempest Ocean and the Eternal Range lies a land full of dense, tropical forest and murky swamps known by the indigenous people as Murandesh. This region is roughly 200,000 square miles in size, kept fed and lush by the many rivers and deltas produced by runoffs from the imposing mountains. The 3,000 miles of coastal territory that is plagued by many ships brought to ruin by the unwavering storms and hurricanes of that given credence to the Tempest Ocean’s namesake. | |
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| Due to the hostile environment brought on from the Tempest Ocean, and the lowland climate of Murandesh, the only true season within the Western Province is hot seasons and hurricane season, forcing many of its native inhabitants to reside on the Eastern side of the Amawrak River. | The humors were also used to refer to four individual psychological temperaments: melancholic, sanguine, choleric, and phlegmatic. This reflects the humoral concept that physical health and individual personality were part of the same whole. |
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| <fs xx-large>History</fs> | These methods extend to nearly all aspects of life, especially those related to the practice of faith and Virtue. Prayer may be prescribed to help balance a choleric temperament and penance for the sanguine. Those who lack or lax in the practice of faith are doomed to find their humors eternally unbalanced. It is believed through the following of Virtue and the good practice of faith one may ensure a balanced temperament, healthy body, and soul. |
| The Murandai is a name given to the indigenous people of Murandesh by themselves as a whole, and the only translation Decusian scholars can assert it to is simply: “The People”. These people, although slightly different from one another in their sub-cultural ways, hold very similar appearances anatomically, and also see themselves as children of a single set of gods; due to this they trade openly with one another, at least until recent times. Due to the invasion of the Venerated Republic, the relationships between the various cultural groups that make up the whole body of the Murandai have been in a hard place, due to each group having their own political views on the encroachment of Republic on their long held lands. | |
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| As a collective whole, the Venerated Republic view the inhabitants of Murandesh as primitive sacrilegious creatures, due to their lack of developed city infrastructure, primitive beliefs in paganistic entities, the lack of written lore, and finally the open practice of cannibalism as a societal right. Many people from the lands East of Prodai and the Eternal Range view the indigenous people from Murandesh as just above the status of animals, useful for nothing more than manual labor. | Due to the difficulty of balancing one’s humors, people tend to have a predominant humor which characterizes an individual’s temperament or ‘complexion’. People who are melancholic dominate present a dark and sad demeanor but are oftentimes creative. Those of the Sanguine disposition are vibrant and mirthful, oftentimes very social. Phlegmatic people are pale and listless, calm in demeanor and tone. Whereas those who present Cholerically are angry and jaundiced. A small amount of disproportion between the humors is expected and seen as perfectly normal and healthy. It is only when that imbalance begins to tip that we may fall ill and it is only through bringing those humor back in balance that one might recover. |
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| However, upon closer review, these people have a rich culture that is unique to its people and not experienced elsewhere in Vitaveus, or in Watanga, the turtle whom we live on the back of, according to the Murandai. | The ideal proportion is stated as: one quarter as much phlegm as blood, one-sixteenth as much choler as blood, and one-sixty-fourth as much melancholy as blood. |
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| <fs xx-large>Torment | The foundation of medical treatment is the use of opposites to resolve imbalances. Treatments seek to target the overabundance, or deficiency, of any given humor and monitor the nuanced changes in the patient towards restoring their physical or mental health. |
| </fs>The Murandai simply view the torment as an “outlanders curse”, a boon of their false man god and his conquerors to bring the true people to their knees, as they are forced to harken the calls of the grand witch, Decus. Due to their cultural views on magic, they see no difference in the Resolve and the Republic, to them, they are one in the same, both figuratively and even culturally. As many in Murandesh only speak local obscure languages and dialects that vary between tribal bands, they have no true grasp of the “common tongue”, therefore, Republic and Resolve even lexically sound the same, therefore are in context, the same. This is further supported in their eyes as members of the Consortium, bearing numbered robes and the Venerated banners of the Republic utilize the evil of magic at their very whims, against the indigenous people of Murandesh. | |
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| The VIC have made numerous attempts to seize the region and to purge the more nomadic bands, however, due to the harsh environment, weapons and armor made of iron are highly susceptible to rust, along with the difficult terrain in which the Republic has struggled with topographically mapping and developing a sound large scale assault on such a mobile, reclusive and minimalistic group. As the VIC struggle with these indigenous people, they also have to battle the efforts of the Torment; the Du’Mela and Lani tribes view this as the Republic is losing its control over its magics, and the Mother Goddess turning their physical embodiments of witchery and sin, against their creators. | These humors can be brought back in balance through a vast variety of different methods, depending on the exact symptoms and cause of the imbalance. It may be as simple as changing your diet, as taxing as relocating to a different climate, or as invasive as the extraction of a limb. |
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| <fs xx-large>Points of Interest</fs> | Each Humor has a corresponding diet associated with temperament; Sanguine (sweet), choleric (bitter), melancholic (sour), phlegmatic (salty). A general health practice is to refrain from eating foods that match your dominate humor to ensure balance; a phlegmatic person would be told to ingest Choleric Foods, a Choleric person would ingest Phlegmatic foods. Melancholics would ingest a Sanguine diet and likewise Sanguine would ingest Melancholic foods. |
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| **Amawrak Rainforest** | |
| The Amawrak Rainforest, named after the great river which runs through it, covers most of the Amawrak Basin in Muradesh. This tropical rainforest holds the most-varied species of plants, animals, and insects found within Vitaveus. It is so verdant with undiscovered life, that explorers may easily walk from their expeditions with a new creature or plant named after them. | |
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| The dense foliage of this rainforest hides many secrets, and it is unwilling to give them up. Ruins of ancient civilizations lay buried beneath silt and tangled vines. Great deposits of precious minerals hide beneath the trees. This rainforest also holds the highest number of unindoctrinated tribes throughout Vitaveus; a number estimated to be about 67. Many Decusians have attempted to bring our faith to these heretics, but none have ever returned. | When changes to lifestyle or diet fail or the imbalance is too great it falls to medicine and more drastic means to bring the humors to balance once again. Common treatments include: Bloodletting, emetics and purging. |
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| | As medical science has advanced, so too has the idea of humors and what they encompass. More advanced medicines and treatments generally become associated with a specific humor. Things like depressants, such as Lidogine, for example, are associated with melancholy, given to patients during surgery so that their choleric humor does not become imbalanced during the operation. Likewise, they may be given to a patient who exhibits prominent choleric traits in order to balance their temperament. |
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| **Amawrak River** | Mutagen, described as the ‘thread’ that ‘knits’ the four humors, is connected to all and is able to unbalance all four humors. Unlike the four humors, there is no ‘balance’ of the Mutagen humor, any addition would lead to an unbalance of the rest of the humors, therefore to be avoided. In order to balance one’s ‘mutagen’ one must balance one’s four base humors. |
| The Amawrak River is the greatest river of Muradesh and the largest drainage system, by volume of its flow, of Vitaveus. The total length of the river, measured by its headwaters in Sulastas to the Tempest Ocean, is at least 4,000 miles. The vast basin it runs though holds the most tributaries and widest floodplains of Vitaveus. | |
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| According to heretical tribes of the Murandai, Murdadesh was once as dry and arid as its neighbor Prodai. During a particularly dry season, these ancient people prayed to whom they believed to be their great creator, known as Whakikoero, for relief. Their prayers were answered by the appearance of the great serpent Amawrak. The serpent burrowed into the earth, causing great tremors, and created passageways to channel rainwater from the raging storms of Sulastas. From these crevices sprung a deluge of freshwater, which gave rise to the fertile marshes and forests of Muradesh. | In more recent times the idea of a fifth humor known as “Mutagen” has begun to cause strife within the medical community. The first discovery of the humor dates as far back as 1214 AS when in the height of the Decusian renaissance when the first Modicum Oculus was created; allowing for observation of things invisible to the naked eye. From such study, an abnormality was observed which permeated throughout the blood – with concentrations within the brain. These abnormalities varied from person to person, and in the infancy of its study, displayed elevated levels of the mutagen with the criminally insane – which were the inventors main source of subjects. |
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| //**Inspirations and Influences**// | For decades after, the study of Mutagen was forbidden by the Church. After the Torment (medically referred to as “Infirmus Aegrotus”) outbreak of 1313 AS it was found that those who possessed high levels of Torment saturation also possessed a heavy imbalance of the Mutagen humor. Only after this discovery did the Venerated Church decide to allow the Apothecary to further its understanding. |
| The Amazon Rainforest. Purutu, Taruca, and Amaru are common for those hailing from Murandesh | |
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| <-- | Mutagen, described as the ‘thread’ that ‘knits’ the four humors by its proponents, is connected to all and is able to unbalance all four humors. Unlike the four humors, there is no ‘balance’ of the Mutagen humor, any addition would lead to an unbalance of the rest of the humors, therefore to be avoided. In order to balance one’s ‘mutagen’ one must balance one’s four base humors. |
| -->Niunas# | |
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| <fs xx-large>Geography</fs> | Curiouser still, the Mutagen humor has been described as mutating when mixed with the mutagens from the blood of other beings of which the Apothecarians derived the humors namesake. The study of this phenomenon and the human body’s reaction is known as hematology. |
| The vast swamps of Niunas stretch seemingly without end, from the western deltas of the loosely labeled province to the Eastern end pressed against the Godspine mountains. There is little variation in the terrain as you enter Niunas and walk its expansive floodwaters and murky bogs. For most of the summer, Niunas is ravaged by hurricanes from the Tempest Ocean. During this terrifying season, the entirety of the region is flooded well past the point of being remotely habitable, uprooting most of the swamps vegetation and trees out into the rolling waves of the Tempest Ocean. Nemus, one of the only infamously known provinces in the entire territory, is situated geographically in an area that is able to endure the seasonal storms, but at a cost to those on the outermost fringes of the province. | |
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| <fs xx-large>History</fs> | The debate surrounding this new science is a contentious one. Conservative minds believe that the future of the Republic should focus on lessening that of the mutagen in the blood, specifically in enriching the soul through Virtuous living. Furthermore, that tampering with the humors to create new, unique mutagen humors is tampering with creation itself, and push the Ecclesiastical Authority to ban the practice outright. |
| Niunas isn’t a land of any particular people, cultures or creeds, mostly due to it's inability to be fully habitable. It does however boast a curious bit of trivial history, as it is named after the Old Collatian word for rage. Due to the terrifying storms that plague most of the warm months that Niunas experiences, along with the lack of any formidable soil to build upon as the deltas quickly give away from the hurricanes, this territory has never truly been a place for a people to reside for any permanent stretch of time. However, if someone is attempting to flee the efforts of Republic law, Church agents or everyday rivals and loan sharks, Niunas represents something of a hidden gem, as many of its habitable areas are in fact nigh impossible to reach without a bit of luck and a whole lot of nefarious know-how. | |
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| The province of Nemus, home to a city sharing the same name, rests against the Godspine Mountains and is a hotbed of criminal minds and scoundrels avoiding the oversight of the ever-watchful Church. Its original inhabitants and founders are thought to have been Collatian dissidents who sought to escape the potential persecution of their native homeland and the Collatian Dynasty, and to do so, threw caution to the winds and attempted to hide within the treacherous Stormborne Swamps. Due to this shared ancestry and ancient hatreds, traditional Nemus culture is a haphazard amalgamation that combines aspects of the Old Dynasty with common practices passed down from thieves and cutthroats who've historically dealt in some of the most illegal acts throughout Vitaveus. However, due to the literal erasure of any vestige of Old Dynasty culture from the face of Vitaveus by the hands of the Republic, it is seemingly impossible to separate customs and traditions derived from ancient Collatia from that of the practices and culture passed down by the criminal element that has permeated through its' society. For this reason, Niunasians as a whole are considered the worst of the worst in terms of Decusian ilk, and are detested, distrusted, and considered tainted from birth. | With limited understanding, the conversation surrounding this humor is varying and ever-changing. Most Apothecary academics agree that an excess of Mutagen is believed to be the cause of delirium, or madness. Studies have shown that the exposure to Vice, or the practice of magic is believed to exacerbate an individual’s exposure to Mutagen. This comes as little surprise to the average scholar, as it is widely accepted in Decusian culture that the Resolve were the ones to re-introducing magic practice to the masses in the early years of Torment |
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| The city of Nemus itself is pieced together by countless hundreds of docks branching out from a central focal point, colloquially known as "The Heart", where the first outlaws established themselves against and alongside the mountain face. The further one finds themselves from The Heart, the newer the inhabitant most likely is, and their knowledge of the inner workings of the city and its unspoken rules more apparent. Newcomers to Nemus rarely last long, and those that do survive only because they listen and adapt to the terms of the cities people quickly. As a city of thieves, miscreants, and human trash, Niunas’ economy provides no real commodities or resources for trade, and thus, the people of the city often reach out into the East towards territories such as Ghaenthgrand for precious resources and at times, luxury goods. | “Knitted together of limestone, ash, salt, sulfur, I stand in awe at the immensity of our creation.” – High Avatar Felenius |
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| <fs xx-large>Torment</fs> | <fs xx-large>Vapos Res Novae</fs> |
| The Torment exists in small pockets throughout Niunas, however whatever creatures that may be affected by the horrifying disease are usually prone to the elemental forces that continually besiege the territory and its’ peoples. Due to the storms continuously sweeping in from the coast, much of the Torment blight is quite literally sucked out into the Tempest Ocean. Therefore, much of the territory, especially around Nemus, is largely unaffected by the disease. However, despite the relative safety one may find from the Torment, Niunas is absolutely rife and rampant with its own threats, of which that have only increased exponentially since the arrival of the scourge. Decusian presence has been completely and thoroughly pulled out from all but the fringe borders of Niunas, resulting in the traditionally lawless territory sinking further into decadency. Niunas is therefore a territory nearly completely devoid of the Republic's influence, and thus, is considered one of the most dangerous places in all of Vitaveus. | |
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| <fs xx-large>Points of Interest | The Vapos Res Novae, translated to common as simply the “Revolution of Steam”, is a phrase that appears to have been coined in a letter dated from the 12th of Flowerbloom, 1321, written by statesman and poet Pierse Octavius (hailing from the Eastern Baronies), and addressed to Foundry Seneschal Lord Kenneth Gambol. In what can only be called sensationalism, Octavius insisted in his missive that the Republic had begun a death march of sorts, crawling slowly towards the inevitable decline of Decusianism proper. Octavius writes: “It is without pleasure that I announce the death of our great Republic’s union between both Country and Faith. Though our efforts have long been aimed at the betterment of Man, it is clear that we are undeniably set upon a path of mutually assured self destruction. For nearly one thousand years, our great culture has struggled to meet the demands of a conquest steeped in religious fervor. Today, centuries into this great conquest, we reap the fruits of our labor; yet it is without joy, applause, or effort, for this fruit is indeed rotten. The Western Territories has all but been destroyed, ravaged by the Torment, and the Baronies is naught but a corpulent beast, assisted in movement by the burning of coal and the labor of a thousand strong backs of Foundry tradesmen. And though we have lived in comfort, it is a sad, decaying thing. It is not by chance that we have arrived at what will surely be an apocalyptic conclusion. Tragically, the Reckoning has, over the countless centuries, paved the way for a wagon that has now run away from the road; for it in our haste to meet the demands of an ever-growing empire, our advancements in both industry and technology has nearly devoured the very faith we claim it was to serve! Because of this, I implore you to place sanctions upon the Foundry and its officials, from the lowly laborer to the Seneschals themselves, lest we wake to find that the Republic has slipped the yoke of the faith and devolved into heresy – all at the hands of this revolution of steam.” |
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| **Stormborne Swamp** | Indeed, the idea of a new social order based upon industry and convenience was popular throughout the Eastern Baronies, a region of Vitaveus that the Foundry has been well represented within, and the area that would become the birthplace of steam technologies. Before the onset of the Torment, and the coming of what many believe to be the Apocalypse, the fledgling beginnings of the Vapos Res Novae, or the Revolution of Steam, had been readily apparent. The experimentation of producing and harnessing steam as an energy source had been toyed with by the Foundry throughout the late 13th century. It had not been until the the early 1300s that a more progressive clerical atmosphere within the Venerated Republic of Decus had allowed for more widespread experimentation and, in some cases, implementation of fledgling steam apparatuses within the Eastern Baronies. This adoption of technology that by it’s very nature had been so alien to the laymen of the 14th century had ignited a practical renaissance of technological advancement and discovery in countless fields of trade and science; a golden-era which is now referred to as the Vapos Res Novae. |
| The thick ichor of this swamp’s bogs and marshlands cover the entirety of the territory for countless hundreds of miles. For a decent part of the year, the swamp itself is a dangerous trek through predatory waters too dense from algae, vegetation and swirling mud. However, in the last months of summer, the storms of the Tempest Ocean pick up to cataclysmic levels and flood the swamps of this region; any poor soul caught between Collatia and Nemus best pray to Decus, for their chances of surviving are negligible at best. | |
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| **Nemus** | While this renaissance was no doubt affected by the emergence of the Torment in 1313, it was in no way cut short. Indeed, the Torment has shaped the demands of society perhaps more than any other single event in the history of the Venerated Republic. Combined with the fledgling sciences birthed from the Vapos Res Novae, this synergy of renaissance and apocalypse resulting in exponential growth in fields dedicated primarily to the survival of mankind, such as medicine, weaponry, personal defense, and of course, biology. As a result of this rather unorthodox fusion of golden-age meets dark-age, technological marvels such as hand-held firearms and personal explosives now litter the Prodaian front, taking the place of unwieldy siege weaponry and heavy cannons. Apothecaries throughout the Republic have made few strides in the treatment of illnesses and diseases, but the invention of the hypodermic needle promises new discoveries, and new ideas. It too, is yet another by-product of the Revolution of Steam, and an exciting revelation to those involved in the field of medicine. |
| Pushed deep and back into the Eastern edge of the Province, nestled up against the Godspine, lies the notorious city of Nemus. It is home to the offspring of Collatian dissidents and outlaws who found the natural protection of the swamp from justice. In modern and recent times, much is unchanged, as those who choose to live in Nemus are nearly all criminals or ne'er do wells who fled their respective homeland territories for the “don’t ask, don't tell” mentality of the famed criminal city. It is said that those who don't wish to go through Antongrad and the Kaduraan Pass for legal reasons opt for guides and routes from Nemus smugglers in dangerous expeditions through the Stormborne Swamp. However, word to the warning, you may lose your coin or your life just as quickly on this route as any other out of the West, for these folk are a conniving, wicked lot. | |
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| //**Inspirations and Influences**// | It had not been until the the early 1300s that a more progressive clerical atmosphere within the Venerated Republic of Decus had allowed for more widespread experimentation and, in some cases, implementation of fledgling steam apparatuses within the Eastern Baronies. |
| Brazil, Rainforests, Everglades. Traditional example names such as Itzcali, Cadmel, Eadrich and Ctialee are common for those hailing from Niunas. | |
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| <-- | After all, one must not forget that it was nearly three hundred years ago, early in the 11th century of our grand Republic, when medical schools were forming in isolated portions in the Eastern Baronies, cataloging and dissecting whatever corpses they could procure. They even provided care to those desperate few with both the courage to go under the knife and the coin to pay for it. Such services offered at these oft mistrusted and maligned establishments included bleeding, leeching, dental extractions, amputations, the removal of cataracts, and trepanning. Today, In the 14th century; this is largely unchanged. Medical advancements in the republic have noticeably lagged behind those of the martial sciences and the predominant method of care for internal medicine relies on an understanding of balancing the Five Humors- phlegm, black and yellow bile, blood, and lastly, mutagen; which is believed to be a toxic element that corrupts and poisons the host’s blood, and even their mind. The most basic apothecary training dictates that these humors must maintain a nuanced balance for a fully healthy specimen, and it is the physician’s job is to bring stability to the patient’s body and mind regardless of what they need to cut off, remove, or burn away. |
| -->Prodai# | |
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| <fs xx-large>Geography</fs> | In a bizarre twist of fate, the Torment has changed how Decusians view medicine and it’s necessity in modern day life, and apothecaries have begun to ply their archaic and arcane trade on a willing populace, learning more about their craft each and every day. Most notably, their grasp of the fifth humor has grown in leaps and bounds with some apothecaries calling for it to be separated into its own category, called a mutation. These forward thinking Medicae have begun to establish a new field of Allopathy known simply as hematology; the practice of purposely bringing imbalance to the humors to enhance and improve physical and mental capacity. Among the more conservative factions of the Apothecary Corps, this practice has been compared to witchcraft and worse as the process purposely introduces mutagen to the body in large quantities- defying every standard care practice, as outside the hematologists themselves, it is believed that the introduction of the fifth humor to a human body is tantamount to becoming ‘of the ill’. These very same beliefs have added fuel to the fire regarding the persecution of mages, as the fifth humor has been found in higher than average quantities among those who practice the arcane arts when studied postmortem. Common theory dictates that these individuals are tainted by their craft, and it is mutagen that leads to the diseases of the mind witches often succumb to. Unfortunately, this has led those mundane individuals afflicted with mental illness and diseases of the mind to be associated with Witchcraft, Dae influences, and even the Ill. |
| Prodai, though a desert climate, once held a wealth of forested lands that hugged the southeastern edges of its mountain barriers. However, over the generations of expansion on behalf of its ancient priest royalty and their great architectures to venerate their wretched, pagan gods, they had exhausted these natural resources completely, which resulted in many of their civilizations and cities to become empty husks where life once thrived. The sweltering desert landscape has swallowed up these ancient places, burying them beneath the hot Prodain sands as time has taken its toll. The Prodai region is predominantly flat at its center, becoming more pronounced as you reach the foothills along the mountains that encompass almost all of its border. Almost in the center of this barren waste is a massive scar that plunges deep into Eden and stretches further than the eye can see; its depths craggy and torn, and one false step could be the undoing of any mere mortal foolish enough to get close to its edge. Boasting the largest territorial claim of any region within Vitaveus, Prodai's legacy is as lengthy and large as it's vast, rolling deserts. | |
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| | In a bizarre twist of fate, the Torment has changed how Decusians view medicine and it’s necessity in modern day life, and apothecaries have begun to ply their archaic and arcane trade on a willing populace, learning more about their craft each and every day. |
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| <fs xx-large>History</fs> | Outside of medicine, progress reigns uninhibited. Factories have begun to spring up in the Eastern Baronies, and though many are now broken shells of wood and mortar in the wake of the torment, their purpose is not forgotten. The human powered assembly line has been introduced by Foundry efforts, expediting the forging process of simple items like nails, and there have even been fledgling efforts at mass producing simple blades from molds or even small metal plates.. With the advancements of metallurgy and forging, the process of getting iron from the mines and turning it into a steel blade to press into the hands of an eager Legionnaire has never been easier. Though trade routes are often cut off and made inert through outbreaks and worse, the Republic is strong, albeit dwarfed in size and scope in the past thirty years of hardship. |
| Historically speaking, Prodaen people had been long isolated due to the lack of horses or mule-like animals in their region to help them overcome the vast and towering mountains that surround their desert lands. Due to this, ancient Prodaen society had to internally rely on their own lands to further their development of civilization. Initially, this was not of concern to the Prodaen people, as their populations were easily manageable; however, as population levels grew, the demand for more resources grew in tandem. Herein lies the conflict that slowly reduced by all accounts a once thriving empire into a ghost of its former, ancient glory. | |
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| The ancient rulers of the Prodaen people, considered “God Kings” by divine right and mandated as such by the priesthood of their society, sought to expand their cultural influence by building over their predecessors and erected great architecture that would stand well beyond their reign. These grand projects, which served as vain tributes to themselves, saw to a mass commitment of an already dwindling supply of natural resources and manpower. For every one of these towering effigies built, a ritual of sacrifice would be conducted, taking the labor-force who were conscripted to build such marvels and murdering them en-masse as a tribute to whatever mad machinations the God Kings had worshiped. | Unfettered growth has led to a mismatch of ethics, and capabilities in the Republic’s ability to shape the war effort, both at home and abroad. Indeed, while weaponry and the sciences have adapted in such a way that the Torment is no longer the overwhelming threat it may have once been, it does not seem to be advancing fast enough to save what is left of the Populi- despite the advent of so called ‘Holy Weaponry’, and technology which in other, more peaceful times might be described as monstrous and inhumane. Such ethical concerns are no longer pressing to the venerated Church of Decus, nor the citizenry that pay it tribute. |
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| The laypeople of Prodaen society eventually revolted against their God Kings, resulting in a bloody coup that would last years. In the midst of this violent and prolonged rebellion, the Venerated Republic visited its war machine upon the territory's borders, bringing with it their Holy Reclamation. Like a hot knife carving through butter, the Republic made quick work of those who would stand against them, be it those loyal to the God Kings, or the revolutionists who see to overthrow their former rulers. Hundreds upon thousands of Prodaen people were slain in the conflict of subduing Prodai, and the Reclamation efforts within the territory would last nearly a decade - the longest sustained campaign of Reclamation the Republic would ever wage. When the dust had finally settled in Prodai, those who would remain were brought to heel before the Venerated Republic, either working predominantly in the countless salt mines that would later become the primary export of the region, or becoming conscripted into the vast armies of the Legion to replenish the staggering losses it sustained in attempting to subdue the region. | In a time where life is cheap, and Ascension is the only solace granted to a dying people, these technologies are a ray of hope. Where some might see weapons of destruction, capable of putting ten to fifteen bodies to the torch in seconds, others see Redemption incarnated. A redemption granted through chemical concoctions brought to the front by the Foundry which has gained unprecedented influence throughout the republic by stepping into the role of technocrat saviors, bringing hope in some of the darkest times the Republic has ever faced. This hope is not without cost, and efforts are driven by what amounts to slave labor, from both willing citizens, and penitent criminals forced into providing what the Republic needs to buy off their sentence. These camps experience horrific conditions, but nearly every worker performs their duties without complaint. Propaganda throughout the Republic sees such individuals as heroes, strong and resilient workers that any man or woman can aspire to be, and for the first time in a millennia, there is pride in taking Civis Vox under the foundry- joining the machine that has driven the steam and clockwork revolutions, aiming to to save mankind from sure destruction. Never mind that the machine requires blood, sweat and tears to turn its wheels- for in some regions with high Foundry presence, such a thing is now viewed as an honor on par with joining the Legion or becoming a Clergyman. This has come part and parcel with the technocratic revolution, and has given rise to a secular brand of Decusianism that is worrying to members of the Church, but is allowing access to the common citizen’s motivations and desires in ways they had previously not managed. Specifically – the poor and destitute; the Everyman. As war machines like flamethrowers, muskets and handheld piston saws move from the factory floor to Legion hands, so too does the heart of the Republic swell and grow- with more and more of mankind turning their eyes to ascension, taking pride in their church and way of life. |
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| <fs xx-large>Torment</fs> | |
| Since the emergence of the Torment, Prodai has become embroiled in a separatist movement founded on ancient cultural beliefs that have become reinterpreted by the indigenous people. Technically, the Torment has not overtaken Prodai in earnest, mostly due to the natural borders that block easy travel as well as the sprawling deserts that are the hallmark of this territory. | |
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| Curiously, for many true-blooded Prodaen people, the Torment isn't looked upon as a plague that affects them, but one that has been called forth by the old, dethroned God-Kings to plague the Decusians and their false angelic God. They believe that the Torment to be retribution for the subjugation of Prodai. As such, numerous pockets of the territory has become unsafe. Public executions, murder mobs and lynching have all become commonplace in this region, and have only been exacerbated due to the dwindling Republic presence in the form of Legion and Templar military units. This separatist movement, formally known as "The Luella", has now reached a level of organization and sophistication previously thought impossible for a rebel group operating within Vitaveus, and has amassed a large guerilla force that has repulsed many of the smaller Legion outposts of the region due to their inability to guard the Province as the Torment threat calls their attention elsewhere. Content on simply keeping the region contained as of the present, the Republic has thus declared Prodai as Blacklands, despite that it is lost more to revolution rather than the Torment threat. | |
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| <fs xx-large>Points of Interest</fs> | |
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| **The Great Maw** | |
| This scar into the depths of Eden is revered by the people of Prodai, but for what reasons has been lost to time. Up until the arrival of the Venerated Republic, Prodean God Kings would ritualistically sacrifice one of their children into this large canyon-like crater upon their ascension to the throne. Today, many Decusian followers left abandoned in Prodai, particularly members of the Clergy, have been executed by being tossed into the Maw as an homage to the Old Ways. | |
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| **Kobo** | |
| The largest city in Prodai, Kobo is positioned at the eastern end of the Great Maw, nestled against one of the few freshwater sources in all of Prodai. It is here where the heart of the territory was founded and built, with countless temples spanning the desert, all stained in a rust-like color from ages of shedding blood upon their sandstone bricks. Nearly all of these temples were brought to utter ruin by the Venerated Republic after the conclusion of the Recalamation, with churches to Archangel Decus having been erected in their place. In proper cyclic form, the Luella have now taken to dismantling these Decusian churches and cathedrals as well, working to reestablish the horizon of Kobo with the silhouettes of countless dozens of temples to the old God Kings. | |
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| //**Inspirations and Influences**// | |
| Ancient Persia. Traditional example names such as Ahman, Srivan, Aida and Shana are common for those hailing from Prodai. | |
| <-- | <-- |
| -->Sulastas# | |
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| <fs xx-large>Geography</fs> | ====== Collection: Atrocitas & Banned Literature ====== |
| The southwestern territory of Sulastas is nestled between uninhabitable Niunas and the ravenously tribal province of Murandesh. On its Eastern edge, the Godspine begins to taper into a large pass leading into Ghaenthgrand; this pass, known as Roenhelm’s Gap, has been the site of many conflicts through the centuries by both the Sulastains and the Ghaenthens. The region is filled with vast jungles with thick canopies made primarily of Kapok trees, which produce a plant fiber that is highly regarded for its ability to be weaved into tapestries and other materials that need to be light, yet durable. The raging storms from the Tempest Ocean only really impact the coastal region, making travel through the interior of Sulastas less hostile than its neighboring territories. Yet make no mistake, Sulastas is a dangerous land even before the onset of the Torment, mainly due to threats of all kinds hiding within the thick canopies of the vast jungles that make up the majority of the territory. | |
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| <fs xx-large>History</fs> | -->A Treatise on Evil# |
| Sulastas was the second to last of the Collatian Dynasty territories to fall during the Decusian Reckoning, and held some of the largest hold-fasts within the western territories. The natives to the region, known as Sulastains, primarily built their settlements among the faults of the Godspine Mountains. Though most Sulastain lands are dense jungles, very few ancient people inhabited them, instead opting for settlement in the Godspine faults. These uninhabited jungles did serve a purpose to early Sulastains however, acting as a major source for cotton, lumber, and exotic animal products ill found anywhere else in all of the Old Dynasty - and thus making the territory keenly valuable to the Collatians. Apart from that, Sulastain ancient society was primarily agrarian, with their peoples having developed a terrace farming technique to utilize the mountains and their exposure to the sun to cultivate plants such as corn, squash and wheat. | |
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| Traditional Sulastains themselves are a short and lithe people, and number among the shortest people in all of Vitaveus. Their skin is of a deep brown complexion and their eyes boasts a wide range of greens and browns. They often dressed in fine loose garments, made from the fiberr of the kapok trees, and wore thick coats and hats to keep warm at the higher altitudes of their homeland. Sulastain people also boast a wide array of body modifications, taking bones, rocks or precious stones, and placing them through their nostrils, ears or even their foreheads. Sulastain society was caste-based prior to the Reckoning, with a scholarly caste at the top of the food-chain, followed by the warrior caste, the trade caste, and lastly, the bound caste. | Excerpt from ” A Treatise on Evil: The Nether Races”, by Azemar Tangus. Unknown circulation era, due to this work being considered illegal. |
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| Sulastas at one point boasted the largest slave market in all of Vitaveus, and settlements and villages from territories such as Ghaenthgrand made up a large part of their ancient slave force. Before the Reckoning and their eventual downfall, Sulastas really consisted of one export: slaves. It is for this reason that the Republic had taken a rather violent and prejudicial hand to Sulastas during the Reclamation, wholly in part to the Decusian belief of slavery being a cardinal sin. It is estimated that less than fifteen percent of Sulastain bloodlines survived the Decusian Reclamation | The daemonic creature, as we have referred to as “the Dae’” earlier in this lexicon, represents one of the most powerful creatures of not only their native realm of Hell itself, yet of the Mortal realm as well. They are beings of pure, unadulterated evil, whose biggest pleasure come from indulging in the suffering of other creatures and races, namely that of the human kind. The Dae’ are an ancient and mysterious creatures, its origins believed to date back to times before even our own human kind walked the surface of Eden. While divine cannon from the Church of Decus define the Dae’ to be creations of the Thirteenth Archangel, the true origins of these diabolical creatures remain a mystery to many. What little we as humans know, collectively, is veiled and kept hidden from public knowledge, no doubt locked away in clerical archives and libraries. It is my duty, however, to relate as much information as I possibly can about the mysterious creatures that dwell below us by providing to you information and facts never before released to the general citizenry of the Republic. |
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| | There is little that is known for sure of the creature dubbed “The Daemon”. Some speculate that the creatures we know of as demons, daemons and Dae’ are simply physical manifestations of true daemons, with their true essences being limited to their native realm, that of Hell itself. Others believe that these daemons are, in reality, flesh and blood creatures whom roam the far reaches of the Eden. Whatever the differing opinions of experts and scholars may be, not one can dispute the ungodly power that such a creature wields. Ancient reports of Templar happening upon rogue daemons during the early expanses of our Republic detail epic encounters. Battles between early clergymen and these foul beasts often resulted in numerous casualties. Described as wielding colossal strength, a wide library of magical powers, and the ability to sustain true fight, it is thought that a daemon is a worthy match for any army of decent size. It is with this power that many speculate they rule over both their enemies along with their kindred with an iron fist. |
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| <fs xx-large>Torment</fs> | Opposing viewpoints aside, a somewhat concrete perspective of the origins of the daemon’s power has been accepted in nearly all research circles since the founding of the Venerated Republic. It has been a widely accepted theory that the Dae’ draw their power from, surprisingly, our own Mortal realm. How is this possible? It is through the commission of certain actions and deeds by those within this physical domain of existence that is thought to actually strengthen the Dae’. Many scholars and priests within the Church of Decus have defined these actions and deeds as vices, polar opposites of the Virtues in which the Decusian faith is based upon. Per Decusian cannon, it is believed that with every action and deed performed by we as men that goes against the sacred eight virtues of the Decusian faith, we inhibit ourselves as a race from “ascending” to a new era of existence. Some within the Church believe that these misdeeds not only inhibit ascension, but also work to fuel the denizens of Hell (namely daemonkin) with the sustenance they so lustfully crave and require. |
| The Torment has fully consumed this province in it's entirety. Pockets of Tormented cysts have been reported throughout the jungles, which has put a stop to the fiber production from the region since early 1320. Roenhelm’s Gap has become a massive quarantine point as of 1340, when a anarchist plot to bring the disease further into the heart of the Midlands was thwarted; however, these diabolic agents in a last ditch effort brought damnation upon the pass, spreading their sickness and infecting the surrounding area. Due to this, Sulastas is considered through and through Blacklands, and little effort has been made to reclaim it in the near thirty years since the emergence of the Torment. | |
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| | It is through the commission of certain actions and deeds by those within this physical domain of existence that is thought to actually strengthen the Dae’. |
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| <fs xx-large>Points of Interest</fs> | These misdeeds, or vices, have long been the object of study by many of priest and clergymen. The most modern and common belief currently within the circles of the Decusian Church is that these misdeeds can be literally defined, specifically as thirteen separate ideas and beliefs that the Dae’ gain power from. Curiously enough, these commissions usually come in the form of spiritual ideas rather than physical acts, as do most of the eight virtues of the Decusian Church. The process of Daemon empowerment through the commission of vices is more complicated than I would lead you to believe, dear reader. The commissions of these thirteen vices, in fact, is thought to only fuel a particular breed or classification of daemon. How does this work? As mentioned previously, the vices in which daemons gain power from are separated and classified into thirteen specific ideals. Rallying behind each one of these ideals is a collective of specific daemons whom draw their power from the commission of only the specific vice that they are bound to. A commission of the act of murder, for instance, may “feed” one daemon of power, but not another. It is this precarious balance and ordering that we now take a closer look at. |
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| **Itzamaatl** | In short, it is believed that the daemon’s most important task in life is to simply manipulate and persuade those of the Mortal realm into committing these acts in order to fuel their “breed”, or similar daemonic entities that draw power from the same sort of vices and misdeeds. How does a daemon manipulate and persuade we of the living breathing world, you ask? This idea is a heated and debated subject amongst all professional circles. Per the cannon of the Decusian Faith, it is believed that our universe as a whole is protected by a series of rules, known to us as the great Doctrine. Within our lore and religious liturgies, it is said that those of both other-worldly realms, Heaven and Hell, cannot directly influence our own mortal realm due to the rules set forth within the Doctrine. The idea of free will, the freedom of our kind to make our own conscious choices, is the principal rule of our universe as defined by the Doctrine. Those within the Church that view the story of the Doctrine to be an unquestionable truth argue that it is for this fact, and this fact alone, daemon-kind cannot and do not affect our will and decisions as human beings. If the dae’ cannot physically alter or manipulate our own realm, how does it ever conceivably gain power from us? The most accepted theory amongst most all professional scholars and priests is the rather disturbing belief that we, as humans, both inadvertently and purposefully provide the denizens of Hell power with every vice we commit. The murder of an innocent person, for example, works to fuel the powers of Hell, even if the murderer took the victim’s life out of simple spite and without intention to strengthen an unseen deity of another realm. On the flip side of this, it is believed that other individuals of our world and race purposefully commit and manipulate others to commit vices to fuel the legions of Hell. Be it a warped belief they will be somehow compensated for their actions, or otherwise, it is a known fact that such “devil worshippers” exist |
| One of the largest cities in Sulastas, Itzamaatl was a hotbed for trade and cotton production in per-Reclamation times. At one point, due to its central location along the Godpsine in Sulastas, Itzamaatl acted as the trade center for the entire territory's slave markets, with travelers from all over what would later become known as the Western Territories traveling there to take part in the auctions. Upon the arrival of the Decusians during the Reckoning, these slave markets were razed to the ground and turned into nothing more than piles of rubble. Nearly all of the former slave masters of Itzamaatl were systematically rounded up and ritualistically executed by Decusian forces following it's capture by Templar forces. Due to this, Republic sentiment amongst the laypersons of Itzamaatl, which consisted mostly of the ancestors of freed slaves, had tradtionally been exceptionally strong for a Western Territorial holding. Unfortunately, this good-will and sentiment was not enough to keep the city safe, and since as early as 1322, Itzamaatl has been lost to the Torment, with tens of thousands of Afflicted that still roaming it's streets to this day. | |
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| **Chat’tumal** | Within our lore and religious liturgies, it is said that those of both other-worldly realms, Heaven and Hell, cannot directly influence our own mortal realm due to the rules set forth within the Doctrine" |
| Once a large slave territory, Chat’tumal is now a ruin reclaimed by nature, and haunted by those who died there long, long ago. During the final days of the Reckoning, a slave revolt took place within the territory, the enslaved seeing the Decusian invasion as an opportunity to strike out against their retreating and weakened masters, in an attempt to free themselves from their wretched bonds. When the slaves revolted, they took to slaughtering everything in their sights that was not bound in irons, killing everyone in their path in so that none were left alive to raise a hand upon them again. Upon the arrival of Decusian forces to Chat’tumal, some of the most battle-hardened commanders of the Republic forces were even left in awe from the savagery they had witnessed upon entering the territory, and had immediately declared Chat’tumal to be uninhabitable for future Decusian purposes. Many to this day think Chat’tumal to be haunted, believing that the foul souls of the slavers still roam its' ruins, looking to exert dominance over the living once more. | |
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| **Roenhelm’s Gap** | ]Representing each of the thirteen vices which empower the Dae’, a disciplined order stand as symbols of their significance and power. Each of the thirteen vices are represented by either a matriarchal and patriarchal system of rulership, or simply a “Throne”. These Thrones serve to fulfill two roles; they act to classify each of the thirteen vices from each other, and the ideas in themselves, and to also offer a form of command and subjugation amongst the Dae’ races. This is achieved through the mythical “Throne Bearers”; daemons of immeasurable power and control who claim absolute dominion over the rest of their race and kind. Each Throne Bearer is responsible for both all Dae’ under their specific vice, or “throne”. For example, a Dae’ commissioned under the Throne of Murder would be strengthened from a murder committed by an inhabitant of the mortal realm. This particular Dae’, for all intents and purposes, would be considered a “Daemon of Murder”. While not ever specifically executing the actual murder of another living creature, the Dae’ none the less draws power from the misdeed. |
| Named after a famous Ghaenthgran hero of ancient lore, Roenhelm’s Gap is the only passage through the Godspine into Sulastas from Ghaenthgrand. At one point this pass held impressive fortifications that near-rivaled that of the Angelspire herself, however, today it stands a shadow of its former glory. It is the only element of Republic power within the entire region, and serves solely to protect entry into Ghaenthgrand from the ruined territory of Sulastas. | |
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| | As we have mentioned numerous times before, it is believed that the thirteen thrones represent that of thirteen ideologies, polar opposites of the eight virtues in which the Decusian Church is founded upon. These ideologies are known as vices, and are listed and precariously defined below. |
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| //**Inspirations and Influences**// | Falsehood |
| Peru, Tropical Rainforests. Traditional example names such as Xoc, Akna, Ah-mun and Nakon are common for those hailing from Sulastas. | (the telling of untruths, unfaithful actions and deeds) |
| <-- | |
| -->Teramer# | |
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| <fs xx-large>Geography</fs> | Hatred |
| Teramer lies against the Northwestern edge of Vitaveus, butted up against the cold and dreadful Caddoch Sea and the Tempest Ocean. Its shores are an anomaly to many that first land upon them and gaze towards their ebony colored sands. The most devoted of Decusians believe that these sands are stained with the sins of Teramer’s inhabitants, of whom taint the very lands they walk upon. The winds from the Caddoch Sea, coupled with the currents of the Tempest Ocean bring with forth a harsh and perpetual rain that turns to ice and snow from Warmwind to Dewfall. Trees are minimal in the lands of Teramer, and thus, wooden effects and trinkets are prized as gifts strictly for those who bear a higher status amongst Teramerian society. Most of the settlements, cities and villages within Teramer are nestled within the Southern reaches of the province, pushed up against the Godspine Mountains. Teramer is a brutal, unforgiving land, and its' spawn possess personalities much the same. | (feelings of intense dislike, anger, hostility, or animosity, and the acts committed from them) |
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| | Cowardice |
| | (lack of courage, or behaviors that shows such a lack; a father leaving his son to die out of lack of courage is a prime example of this vice) |
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| <fs xx-large>History</fs> | Enlightenment |
| Historically speaking, the people of Teramer, known as Teramerians, are a stout and hearty people of light colored hair and very fair skin, with shorter limbs and stocky frames. As a whole, their communities were nomadic with centralized settlements that they had gravitated towards during the harsher snow seasons. Their clans and tribes had taken to herding elk and reindeer, of which provided them with a vast quantity of hides and meats, and are the main resource they thrived off of alongside mining communities that exist along the southeastern borders and the Godspine Mountains. Teramer’s hills are still rich with iron deposits, and as such, most of their settlements were formed out of rock and iron, as the scarcity of wood is saved for more ceremonial effigies and for people in positions of power and recognition. Trade in the past was conducted with the people of Kaduraas prior to the Reckoning, but now, post-Torment, the landscapes of Kaduraas are a ruin and its surviving people now despise those of Teramer for imagined betrayals. | (the enlightening of somebody or a cause of the enlightening of somebody through the means of dark pacts with the throne bearer of this vice itself, i.e. the signing of one’s soul for monetary or other gains) |
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| Traditional Teramerians remain closely knit in modern times, with a singular cultural identity, no matter how far away its members may travel from the Southern settlements. Be it of their own devices, or to simply lead the herds further north in the warmer months, Teramerians are still a part of the Clan no matter how far they may travel from Teramer’s black sands. They are a matriarchal people, their clans structured around the All-Mother, the eldest woman in the clan who also bears the longest lineage of Teramerian offspring. A common Teramerian saying is “From the womb bears our lineage, and to it we give homage”. This simple phrase sheds light upon the Teramerian stance of the All-Mother and her importance to the Clan’s wellbeing; acting as both the giver of life and the rule of law for the clans as they interact with one another. | Sacrilege |
| | (the disrespectful or irreverent treatment of something others consider worthy of respect or reverence, i.e. the defacement of a holy symbol by a follower of its faith) |
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| While largely independent in the years leading up to the Reckoning, Teramer fell for a time under the purview of Collatia, acting as one of many subjects that greased the cogs of the ancient Western power. Due to their smaller population they were easily routed and brought into the heretical dominion by the larger and more imposing nation. Due to their limited natural resources, Collatia demanded exorbitant amounts of hides and pelts from the Teramer herds, along with working some of the Southern settlements into exhaustion for their iron deposits to fuel their city-state. At times, Teramerian settlements would act as the scapegoats for the Collatians, of whom would reave and raid these settlements of their livestock, iron stores, and even of women if they felt their demands were not being met to fuel the already engorged bellies of the Dynasty. These acts, of which compiled over many generations, would leave a lasting impact upon the Teramerian people, of whom would ultimately look for any opportunity to see themselves one day looking down upon Collatia as it fell into the sea. | Covetous |
| | (having a strong desire to possess something that belongs to somebody else, and deeds committed out of this desire) |
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| When the Reckoning began and the armies of the Decusian peoples descended upon the lands of the Collatian Dynasty, a better staging point for their naval forces was sorely needed. Traversing large cohorts and legions across the Godspine would have seen a vast number of their forces dwindled before setting down upon Collatia due to its hazardous peaks and harsh winters. Teramer offered a place for the Decusians to sweep down upon their heretical foes in the name of their God and Savior, and to do so from a staging point that offered little resistance to their efforts; for small bands of nomadic people such as the Teramerians would be easily quelled if they attempted to rise against the Republic. What the Decusians had not been prepared for was that the fact that the Teramerians quickly, and almost fervently, warmed to the Decusians occupation and arrival of their massive armies. | Shame |
| | (negative emotions that combine feelings of dishonor, unworthiness, and embarrassment) |
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| For the Decusian invaders were not seen as enemies to Teramer, but as royalty blessed themselves by the Gods, for they sailed upon large ships far beyond anything the Teramerians could have ever imagined. Instead of rebuking these conquerors, they instead opened their lands to them along with their mines, offering the Republic a means of supplying itself on the front-lines of its Holy War as well as providing a vital staging point that would play a pivotal role in striking down the Western Collatian serpents. As the Western nations fell under the Legion’s and Templar’s swords, many of the Collatian Old Dynasty vowed to pay vengeance upon the Teramer people for their insolence and perceived betrayal. | Pride |
| | (haughty attitudes and actions shown by those who believe, often unjustifiably, that they are better than others) |
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| In more modern history, the Venerated Republic would continue to maintain its outposts and over-watch of the province, taking full use of the mines and the deep reserves they offered in iron and precious minerals. Due to the region being home to the Warbishop Naum Alexandrov himself, Teramer boasts a large Inquisition presence within the capital city of Aleksandrov, named after the Bishop himself. In fact, Teramer is responsible in providing to the Republic upwards of twenty-five percent of the Inquisition’s yearly recruits, whom are regarded to be some of the most physically conditioned and imposing men and women throughout the entire known continent of Vitaveus. Due to Alexandrov’s ascension to one of the highest stations in all of the Republic, Teramerians regard him as a figure of high regard (and at times, even legend). Because of this fanaticism, Teramerians are fiercely dedicated to serving the Church in whatever martial capacity they can, be it through the Inquisition, Templar, or even the Apothecary Corps. It is said that nearly all of Teramerian youth culture is fixated upon this facet of life, so much so that formal education in Teramerian is often neglected to favor that of physical conditioning, martial training and other related disciplines. | Murder |
| | (the committing of murder, tried and true) |
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| | Chaos |
| | (a peculiar vice, one whose deeds are most often than not dictated by the throne bearer itself) |
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| <fs xx-large>Becoming One with the Flame</fs> | Wrath |
| The introduction of burning the dead is something new to most inhabitants of Vitaveus, however, its roots stem from Teramer culture long before the time of the Torment. Due to the permafrost that takes to most of the soil in Teramer, bodies were ill suited to be buried, due to inevitably being summoned forth from the cold ground within a couple years of being interred. This natural act of resurfacing the dead no doubt brought many contagion and disease upon the locals in Teramer. As such, no one is buried in the entirety of the territory, their bodies are burned en-mass when enough of the dead pile up within their honored walls to offset the cost and rarity of lumber; coal is often used to propel the flames where wood may be in short supply, or the dead number many lowborn or criminal folk. | (the vengeance, punishment, or destruction wreaked by somebody in anger, and the fury often marked by a desire for vengeance which causes such other deeds to be committed) |
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| As of late, this practice is now widely used to dispatch the dead in other parts of the Republic, and given a much more symbolic meaning as the fallen is said to be returning to the Flame from which man once came. | Lust |
| | (the strong physical desire to have relation with somebody, without associated feelings of love or affection, i.e. the conductance of adultery or forced acts) |
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| | Hubris |
| | (inordinate pride in oneself or one's achievements above the Eight Virtues, Decus, and Creation.) |
| <fs xx-large>Torment</fs> | |
| The Torment is a problem for all, and although it is not as prevalent within the settlements dotted about the landscape in Teramer, it has however seeped within the soil and the wildlife, where droves of reindeer herds and elk farms have been brought to disease and ruin. Farming and the impact to the Teramerian wildlife has left an impact on the already small population of Teramer, and due to this rampant and deadly disease, many have taken to becoming refugees in other lands, daring to trek over the Godspine and the Republican ramparts that dot it to find safety within its embrace. The people of Teramer believe the Torment is a curse placed upon them by the Old Dynasty of Collatia for their role in their ultimate demise at the hands of the Decusians, however, those Teramerians who leave their homelands to other parts of the world are quite shocked to see that this sentiment is also shared by others outside of Teramer’s lands, albeit somewhat rarely. | |
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| Logistically speaking, nearly 70% of Teramer is currently considered Blackland and lost to the blight of the Torment. Only the most southeastern villages of Teramer that line the foothills of the Galehorn mountains, along with the mega-city of Aleksandrov, remain "held" by the Republic, and only because of the fierce fanaticism of the zealot Teramerians that still serve the Republic. Venturing any farther than a day's ride from the Galehorn is a fool's errand, with those embarking on such a quest never being seen nor heard from again. The remaining holdouts of Republic power within Teramer suffer from nightmarish conditions, and are subjected to constant and harrowing battles against the afflicted and Tormented whom roam the Western Territories in great, unmitigated hordes. Not surprisingly, however, is the unbridled and near-psychotic lust that many Teramerians hold in regards to their current forsaken predicament. | |
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| <fs xx-large>Points of Interest</fs> | As a collective, the thirteen thrones are referred to as “The Pantheon of the Thirteen”. |
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| **Muldr Mine** | |
| A large mine within the Galehorn Mountains, Muldr Mine was a major excavation site known for its mineral deposits that became a vital operation for the Republic post-reckoning. The mine however became abandoned sometime after 1313, when the Torment began to ooze forth across Vitaveus, bringing death and suffering to all it touched. | |
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| **Aleksandrov** | |
| The largest Municipality within Teramer, Aleksandrov is home to the largest Decusian Cathedral and subsequent Templar and Inquisition garrisons in the entire region. Due to being built into the face of the Galehorn peaks, it remains a vestige of power within the Western Territories and Blacklands of Teramer proper. Of particular interest to those from both Teramer and tourists is that it is also the birthplace of Naum Alexandrov, Warbishop of the Venerated Republic, hence the origin of this impressive stone and iron city’s namesake. His prestige is so well regarded in Teramer that many large wooden statues are erected in his honor and image along the rolling hills and in town squares. | |
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| //**Inspirations and Influences**// | |
| Black Sand Beach - Iceland, Siberia, Russia. Traditional example names such as Artyom, Konstanin, Sasha and Nikita are common for those hailing from Teramer. | |
| <-- | <-- |
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| <fs xx-large>Vitaveus: Midlands</fs> | -->Theories on Undead# |
| -->Drolund# | |
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| Geography | Excerpt from ” Theories on Undead”, by an unknown author. Unknown circulation era, due to this work being considered illegal. |
| Gray skies perpetually hug the rolling fields of Drolund, as tall wheat fields run the landscape as far as the eye can see. The hardy climate that sits at a cool temperature year round provides a decent amount of rainfall for this province of the Venerated Republic, the large stocks of wheat grown by the Drodain people feeding them for eons. The region is almost split in two as a saddle forms off the Godspine and cuts right through the heart of the province. On Drolund’s easternmost edge is the beautiful and vast Good Sea, the largest body of water on the continent of Vitaveus. | |
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| History | There are two methods in which the Undead can arise; naturally and artificially. Examining the natural method of creation, the Undead are the byproducts of a combination of an environment’s latent magical energy with one or more moriums of an unrighteous or tortured soul (known as a “dimsoul”). Essentially, the Undead are a byproduct of one or more moriums that have a portion of a dimsoul “leaking” its will upon an area that is either naturally receptive to the creation of magic or an area in which has been saturated with the heavy use of magic. Additionally, in order for the “creation” of Undead to occur, raw humanoid materials (such as corpses or skeletons) are often necessary, but not always required; the type of Undead that can result from the interaction of a dim soul morium and its environment can vary based upon a number of factors. For example, a mass grave site will most assuredly produce Undead that are created from human remains, while a less corpse riddled area may in fact create perverse spiritual entities derived from the nightmares of the dimsoul in which it was spawned from |
| Historically, the Drodain people were farmers first and foremost. The large swaths of land provided them with an ample bounty of wild grasses, that over time, they had learned to cultivate and germinate through ancient methods of agriculture and horticulture. To this day, Drolund breads are prized throughout the Republic, as their stocks of wheat and grains have brought a vast bounty of sweat and delicious breads to all corners of the known world. This reputation Drolund possessed in its' early years had not been to it's benefit, however. Ostenam, a neighboring region and long time bitter rival, spent much of its formative years raiding their neighbor Drodain of their hard earned cultivation. | |
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| Due to the constant threat of the Osteins, the Drodain of the Drolund Plains were forced to take up martial practices to defend their farmlands. Initially their efforts yielded armies of impressive size. When the legions of the Venerated Republic arrived within Drolund when the Reckoning had finally reached their lands, the Drodain were no match for the overwhelming might that the Decusian faith brought to bear upon them. In defeat, the Drodain surrdenders to the Decusians after only two years of resistance, solidifying their position as a major grain production power to feed the well oiled Republican war machine. | ...in order for the “creation” of Undead to occur, raw humanoid materials (such as corpses or skeletons) are often necessary, but not always required; the type of Undead that can result from the interaction of a dim soul morium and its environment can vary based upon a number of factors. |
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| Torment | The process in which a dimsoul spawns Undead creatures is completely autonomous and is not in anyway a sentient act by the soul that inhabits the morium. Rather, it is a peculiar and extremely rare byproduct of a small remnant of a tortured or unrighteous soul that invariably extends its willpower over latent magical energies within an area, thusly resulting in the dimsoul extending its misery, hatred or fear into the mortal realm via. the use of magical power. The larger portion of a dimsoul that a morium holds stored within it will invariably lead to the faster and more plentiful creation of Undead, and coupled with an area rife with previous magical use, can result in a single dimsoul morium creating up to a dozen undead. The actual act of a dimsoul morium creating an undead is but a single spark; a brief but violent infusion of the dimsouls’ misery, contempt, hatred or violence into a suitable host made sentient and whole through the latent magical energies coalescing into a creation spell of sorts. Larger dimsouls invariably create more sentient Undead, but a dimsoul will never pass along it’s former soul's consciousness or memories; only the driving emotions behind what makes it a dimsoul. |
| The Torment is in a frenzy within this region, and the Venerated Republic along with the Apothecary Corps is doing everything it can do to stave off the threat of losing one of its largest grain producers for its Empire. Those of the Drolund fields that still inhabit the region have moved most of their efforts to the Eastern edges of the territory, taking shelter around the Good Sea and the Bloody Basin. It is within these areas one will even find whispers of anti-Western rhetoric, with some whispering about the sudden and violent spreading of the Torment being a plot of the Osteins to try and remove their ancient and long-time rivals without fear of being branded as seditionists to the Republic. For it is quite curious that the Torment is so deeply entrenched within Drolund as opposed to its neighboring territories, a fact that leads many to believe foul play beyond that of normal means of the plague spreading. Due to the violent outbreaks of Torment across Drolund, Westerners who sometimes make it safely through the Godspine find no quarter within these foul lands. Some are even hung along the winding roads of Drolund as warning to other foreigners and wayward migrants that the Torment is at a fever pitch within Drolund. Yet others interpret this message as something else; perhaps a warning to the Osteins that the Drodain trust none but their own in these trying times. | |
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| Points of Interest | Areas that are saturated with Undead through non artificial means are normally the result of numerous dimsoul moriums extending their will into environment (which, for areas such as battlefields, hospitals, mass graves or site of mass casualties, a single human could potentially create dozens of moriums from their passing). It appears there is some sort of resonance effect with multiple moriums in an area in which Undead are actively being created, as other dimsoul moriums are far more likely to infuse the spark of unlife into human remains if the process is already underway nearby. |
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| Bloody Basin | |
| This large body of water is home to a peculiar site for many to witness for their first time. Eden itself is molded around it as though a massive object once fell here, but what is more intriguing is that the rich iron deposits and minerals deep within the hard stone floor of the basin cause a bleeding effect of rust to emerge at the edges of the water where the rock and lake converge. This effect is where its namesake takes place, as the shores look like they run red with the blood of thousands. | |
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| Kaduraas Pass | |
| This pass that breaching from East to West is a major point of traffic for those who official pass through the region on the good graces of the Republic. It is famous in modern times for being one of the last places that the legendary Resolve and their forsaken followers were observed before disappearing into the Western Territories nearly thirty years ago. The pass is lined with outposts and towers that are manned by Legion forces, and of late, have become bolstered as the efforts to beat back the Torment into the Western Territories have failed. People who pass through the checkpoint must reach the next in a series of stops within a specific allotted amount of time stamped on their passage writ due to the area being notorious for illicit activity such as smuggling, human trafficking and more; not to mention the specter of the Resolve. If these times are found to be forged or altered, travelers are often simply executed in the street, with Republic forces citing the offender of having been in league with the Resolve. If times prove to be tardy by an unreasonable amount, the offending traveler traditionally would be set back to Antongrad for questioning and interrogation. However, in such dark times as these, these offenders are often executed as well, solely due to hysteria involving infiltration by loyalists to the Resolve. It is for this very reason many colloquially call this place, the “Mad Dash Pass”. | |
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| Inspirations and Influences | The process of creating Undead within an area can be manipulated artificially through many different means and methods, the most common being seeding an area with extremely strong dimsoul moriums and casting various high power magnitude spells within an area. It is believed there are also spells that can also help jump-start the “leaking” process of a dimsoul morium, thus creating a chain reaction within a suitable area to saturate it with undead. Furthermore, it appears that through the use of these sorts of artificial seedings, the undead spawned forth are sometimes controllable (to a minor extent) by the necromancer responsible for such a heinous and unnatural act. |
| Midwestern United States. Traditional example names such as Colborn, Cade, Kimberley and Nara are common for those hailing from Drolund. | |
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| <-- | <-- |
| --?Ghaenthgrand# | |
| Geography | |
| Those who have traveled the Shimmering Plains of Virrenul will tell you that the grasslands go on forever. Indeed, whether on horseback or foot it is hard to imagine the sprawling plains coming to any sort of end. Yet end they do, as does Virrenul, when it runs up against the Broadwater, which at over 500 miles in length approaches even the mighty Red River in length. If you should chance to cross the river, as the pioneers did long ago, you will find yourself in Ghaenthgrand, the territory which lies at the center of Vitaveus. The Shimmering Plains may end at the Broadwater, but the majority of Ghaenthgrand is dominated by such grasslands and prairies. Save for the west and the south, most of the territory is a vast expanse, broken only sporadically by rivers and forests. This abundance of land only makes what lies further into Ghaenthgrand more breathtaking. | |
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| Situated along the northern border of the region rests Goodsea, which is Vitaveus' largest inland body of water. It is fed from sources all over central Vitaveus but within Ghaenthgrand the greatest of those sources is the Broken-Hearted River, one of Vitaveus' great rivers alongside the Red and Broadwater rivers. Goodsea is composed of freshwater and the lake is approximately 38,0000 square miles in surface area and is a central feature of not only Ghaenthgrand but the entire region. Amidst Vitaveus' flatlands it must seem unique, but the truth of the matter is that while it may be the largest inland body of water, it is not the only one within Ghaenthgrand's borders. One-hundred miles to the northeast one may also find the Lake Volg, another large lake in central Vitaveus. Lake Volg is the terminus of the Broadwater and connects to Goodsea via the Wise Canal, the longest of three channels connecting central Vitaveus' four largest lakes. | -->Vade Mecum Atrocitas# |
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| Despite these features it would be fallacy to claim that Ghaenthgrand is all plains, rivers and lakes. The Godspine Mountains, Vitaveus' tallest range, compromise the western border of the territory, and along with the Godspine comes foothills and boreal forests. Southern Ghaenthgrand is also bordered by rocky highlands; Roenhelm's Valley (better known as the Cauldron) is the southernmost point of Ghaenthgrand and a part of the Eternal Range, a sprawling series of mountains which continues for over 800 miles to the southeast. | Brief explanation of the history and origins of the fabled Atrocitas… |
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| As is the case with most of the territories in central Vitaveus, the majority of Ghaenthgrand's citizens live near the lakes. There are certainly towns and even small cities in the foothills and backlands, but the northeastern portion of the region is far more densely populated than the southwest. Those settlements that aren't near the lakes or the fertile midlands are nearly always a stones throw from the banks of the Broken-Hearted River or one of its tributaries. One such town, perhaps the largest of all the backland towns, is Raven's Bridge. It is opportunely located at the fork where the Broken-Hearted River is joined by Katrina's River, one of its many tributaries. Roughly 300 miles southwest of the Goodsea, Raven's Bridge (and indeed all the settlements in the southwest) are considered off the beaten path. Still, the placement of Raven's Bridge makes it something of a regional capital for the villages and hamlets in the area. Such a designation has brought prosperity to it, and along with that prosperity Raven's Bridge has steadily grown over the years. | The Vade Mecum Atrocitas is a publication that has been in circulation in various forms for nearly a millennium. Thought to have been originally translated from recovered texts of the Collatian Dynasty, the Vade Mecum Atrocitas has subsisted through both ancient and modern Decusian culture despite repeated attempts to scour it from the annals of history. While no modern scholar could accurately surmise what texts or ancient knowledge may have originally served as the basis of the present-day Atrocitas, it is inferred that these recovered Collatian works had been centered around the occult and paranormal. Modern day editions of the Atrocitas, as it is most commonly referred to as, most likely resembles little of what Collatian literature it may of been based upon, simply due to it’s nature of being a collaborative work stitched together over literal centuries. Contemporary versions of the Atrocitas consist mostly of the accounts of first-hand experiences and observations of and with various metaphysical and paranormal entities that are purported by the Atrocitas to have or have had existed within Vitaveus. Ascribed to a plethora of different authors over a varied period of time, the present-day editions of the Atrocitas is a sprawling compendium of information covering a large range of topics and ideals, all of which share common underlying themes relating to that of the paranormal, the metaphysical, the esoteric and the occult. |
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| While Raven's Bridge may indeed be the central town of the southwest, Hegvard is the true territorial capital of Ghaenthgrand. The largest settlement in the territory, Hegvard lies on the shores the Goodsea. Citizens of the eastern territories might share a good laugh when the people of Ghaenthgrand call Hegvard a harbor town, but the truth of the matter is that the title is every bit deserved. Goodsea is perhaps the best source of transportation and food in the region and allows the residents of Hegvard to do business with both Drolund and Ostenam. Access to Volgen via the Wise Canal and Lake Volg further supplements Hegvard's mastery of the region. Hegvard also sees a fair amount of traffic from travelers; the road west leads through Drolund to the Angelspire Traverse, making the settlement a prime stopping point for both those on their way to the western territories or those heading back east. | The Atrocitas, as other works like it, have been a subject of controversy within the Decusian culture since the original publication and distribution of the work. The Atrocitas’ various chapters and treatises cover a wide variety of themes and ideas deemed heretical and even blasphemous by the Venerated Church of Decus, and thus, has been considered contraband for nearly as long as it’s existed in published form. Originally declared to be an illegal work of literature by the Inconcessus Accord of 917 A.S., mere possession of a copy of the Vade Mecum Atrocitas remains illegal to this day. In more zealous periods of the Republic’s history (of which ebb and flow much unlike a unsettled lake), the mere possession of the Atrocitas begot the ire of the Venerated Inquisition, often resulting in outright execution. While it is evident that the Atrocitas is the work of an innumerable amount of authors over various periods of time (notably, both before and after the widespread adoption of the Decusian culture upon Vitaveus), individual works within the Vade Mecum Atrocitas are often attributed to one of a select few recurring individual names and characters. This peculiar form of attribution can be for one of many reasons; the most obvious being the inherent danger of being attributed as an author of inherently illegal literature. Some scholars believe that this peculiar authoring method is a form of recognizing and even honoring the most early collaborators to the Atrocitas, and has transformed into a tradition of sorts. Yet there are a select few that, beyond any logical reason, favor more mystical explanations, particularly that the small pantheon of authors attributed to the Atrocitas are in fact immortal beings, inexplicably adding to the Atrocitas over the course of a millennium. |
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| Depending on their journey, those same travelers often pass through Steelferry as well. Situated some 250 miles east of the capital, this tiny town rests along the banks of the Broadwater at the edge of the Shimmering Plains. The town gets its name not only from the lumbering chain ferries which it operates for those crossing the Broadwater, but also for the majority of its clientèle; Steelferry's barges are often frequented by fresh Legion platoons on their way west. Though the ferry may be what the village is known and named for, in truth it survives off of what most towns in northeastern Ghaenthgrand survive off of; miles and miles of fields. Perhaps the best of such fields can be found in the Rathyn Expanse, the fertile tract of land between Goodsea and Lake Volg. Some 160 miles northeast of Hegvard across the waters of the Goodsea one can find the town of Fieldstone, the seat of power in the Rathyn. Though not as large as Hegvard, Fieldstone served as the capital of Ghaenthgrand until the road west was forged through the territory. Soon after it was outgrown and replaced, though it still likely holds honors as the wealthiest town in Ghaenthgrand due to the value of the surrounding land. Its counterpart, across the Expanse on the shores of Lake Volg, is Tills. | The Atrocitas’ various chapters and treatises cover a wide variety of themes and ideas deemed heretical and even blasphemous by the Venerated Church of Decus, and thus, has been considered contraband for nearly as long as it’s existed in published form. |
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| History | Mysticism and paranormal explanations aside, it cannot be disputed that the Vade Mecum Atrocitas carries with it a plethora of unanswered questions regarding it’s very nature. While obtaining a copy of the Atrocitas can usually be done without an exorbitant amount of difficulty (especially within less regulated areas of the Republic, such as the Midlands or even the Western Territories), the sources of the Atrocitas’ publication are often a heavily guarded secret. One could deduce that a centralized and organized establishment is behind the publication of the Atrocitas, as nearly every decade, a new edition of the work is distributed among the Republic. Yet do to the very nature of the works the Atrocitas purports to document in sometimes meticulous detail, one can never assume that a copy of the Atrocitas is truly genuine, if one can even attribute such a word to a work such as the Atrocitas. Incidentally, simply due to it’s nature of documenting and detailing creatures, events and occurrences that simply do not exist in modern-day Vitaveus, many look upon the Atrocitas as fantastical nonsense. Many present-day scholars have even petitioned the Venerated Church to add the Atrocitas as an exception from the Inconcessus Accord, under the premise that the work represents a masterpiece of Decusian folklore. Despite all of this, the Vade Mecum Atrocitas remains an illegal piece of literature within the Venerated Republic of Decus, whether it be due to superstition, long-standing ecclesial traditions, or simple tried-and-true bureaucracy. Yet in spite of it being considered a work of fiction by the majority of educated, rational members of society, the Atrocitas is considered canon to many elements of our culture. Certain sects and orders of Orthodox Decusian traditionalists look upon the Atrocitas as evidence to the existence of the “Ill” throughout ancient and modern history, and often use the Atrocitas and works akin to it as evidence to support their zealous ideologies. In other parts of the Republic, such as the under-developed Western Territories, the Atrocitas is almost a staple of life, often heralded to be as vital to one’s survival as water or the blade. |
| Ghaenthgrand is unique to Decusian culture, as it is a territory that was sparsely and thinly populated by native peoples upon the arrival of Decusians to Vitaveus. When the first explorers set foot in what was to become Ghaenthgrand and made their way to the shores of Goodsea, you can imagine their incredulity. The year was 477 AS and Arkhess was being settled, while intrepid sailors were already mapping out the meandering shores of the northern Yultac territory. The Goodsea was unexpected, unplanned for, and many had no explanation other than the fact that they were standing upon the beaches of Vitaveus' west coast. It was a rumor dispelled with further exploration, but the seed had already been planted and already people were talking about the sea in the west. | |
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| And so came the pioneers, slowly at first, and then in droves. By 525 AS a full-fledged settlement effort was underway. Those with nothing to lose crossed the Shimmering Plains in Virrenul, which at times proved rather inhospitable, but the majority came from Volgen to the northeast. Many settled on the shores of the lake there, and it was these people who gave the Goodsea its name, claiming it held all the benefits of the Pearl Sea to the east with none of the dangers. One such group was led by Martus Rathyn who, newly wealthy from his land in Volgen, led his family southwest in hopes of even greater success. He discovered it on the shores of the Goodsea when, in 528 AS, he founded a settlement he would call Fieldstone. Drawing others to his banner, Rathyn's town grew and soon became the defacto provincial capital of the Ghaenthgrand region. Eventually all the surrounding lands came to bear his name as well, and the Rathyn Expanse was heralded as a success that many pioneers of Vitaveus hoped to emulate. | |
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| Still, some were not content simply to reach the lake and pressed on into the territory, following the shores of Goodsea and eventually the banks of the Broken-Hearted River southwest. Perhaps the best known was Katrina Yudoras, who in her youth had been a High Deacon of the Decusian Church and a member of the Circle of Illumination. Though she had since retired from the clergy she continued with the research that had propelled her through the ranks of the church, convinced that the mountains to the west held religious relics from centuries past. Along with a contingent of pilgrims she followed the Broken-Hearted River southwest until, in 542 AS, reached the confluence of the Broken-Hearted River and what would come to be know as Katrina's River. There she died of natural causes. Without her leadership the pilgrims faltered. One half of the group decided that with Katrina's death so ended their mission and at that site they founded the town of Raven's Bridge. A smaller second group, led by one of Katrina's outspoken pupils named Walther Roenhelm, continued south along Katrina's River and up into the mountainous valley which came to bear his name. Roenhelm's Valley would eventually take his life and the lives of many of his followers, and though it still draws adventurers those in Ghaenthgrand have all but written it (and Walther Roenhelm) out of history. | |
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| The latter portion of the 6th century brought a radical shift in population to Ghaenthgrand. Many of the territory's current towns were already in place, but settlers were also startling to look west to Drolund. Though it was many years before passage through the Godspine Mountains would be opened the Republic was already thinking of such prospects and in 568 AS started their work on the road west through Ghaenthgrand. Nearly every settlement on the great road grew as a consequence, including a well-to-do town called Hegvard on the banks of the Goodsea. The road proved so prosperous that Hegvard soon became the largest town in the region. Still, most states and districts within the territory continued to operate independently for the next 180 years as the Republic spread throughout Vitaveus. What few decisions concerning Ghaenthgrand as a whole continued to take place in Fieldstone until the official proclamation of the Republic in 749 AS. With Ghaenthgrand's declaration as a territory the capital was moved to the more centrally located Hegvard. | |
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| Aside from some mild rivalry between Rathyn and Hegvard, Ghaenthgrand has continued to prosper throughout the years. | |
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| Torment | |
| Ghaenthgrand has been spared many of the horrors of the Torment, undoubtedly due to most of it's territorial holdings consisting of powerful Prelacy Parish estates and baronies of whom had been able to weather the initial outbreaks with ease. Ghaenthgrand continues to remain stalwart in the face of the Torment, although since the 1320s, numerous patches it's sprawling grasslands have been claimed by new construction - namely in the form of temporary camps, settlements and relief villages for displaced Republic citizenry from both overcrowded Municipalities in the Baronies as well as evacuated Townships in the Midlands.Points of Interest | |
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| Chapterhouse of the Knights of the Walls | |
| Throughout history the prosperous and fortunate have always had a desire for exclusivity, and in Ghaenthgrand those men are found in the Rathyn Expanse. Amidst the sprawling crops and field walls there is a fort where, for all practical purposes, none has a reason to exist. This is the Chapterhouse of the Knights of the Walls, the headquarters of a fraternal organization comprised of influential Prelacy men from all over central Vitaveus. | |
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| Such chivalric orders have existed in many different forms all throughout the Republic. Though holding no power in any official capacity, they tend to draw membership from powerful people in society and in that regard the Chapterhouse of the Knights of the Walls is no different. The group claims to have been founded by Martus Rathyn himself in 530 AS, though due to their unnecessarily secretive ways this cannot be confirmed. | |
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| Much of the clubs traditions and practices are a secret, members rarely speak openly of their involvement, and access to the Chapterhouse is forbidden to anyone but full members. Still, it is hard to point to anything malicious about the group and indeed “the Walls”, as they are colloquially called, are often associated with charitable works in central Vitaveus. | |
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| Principle Falls & Katrina's Tears | |
| The Principle Falls can be considered the headwaters of the Broken-Hearted River. At the falls three rivers which flow out of the Godspine Mountains come together before plunging over a sheer cliff face in a 75 foot drop. Though quite a site, the falls are rarely visited due to their secluded nature. Evidence suggests this may not always have been the case; rough stone steps have been carved into the cliffside leading from the base of the falls to the peak. Who did this or why remains a mystery, but they seem to predate any settlements in the region. | |
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| Stranger still are the similarities they bear to other stone carvings that can be found some 220 miles to the southeast. Katrina's River is not the only geographical feature to bear Katrina Yudoras' name. On its way out of the foothills to join the Broken-Hearted River in the north, Katrina's River passes through a series of lakes that have come to be known as Katrina's Tears. The lakes, collectively much smaller than Goodsea or Lake Volg, are serene, out of the way places that are rarely visited. Again, this was not always the case; stone steps can be found carved into lakeside bluffs and many of the lakes even possess wreckage from what might have been crude stone tables. That such remnants can be found without any trace of actual settlements is a perplexing mystery and one still unanswered to this day. | |
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| Roenhelm's Valley | |
| High up in the Eternal Range, at the northernmost tip of the mountains, there is a place that few venture. It is a valley, some 3800 miles square in area, secluded by a craggy rim encircling it. It is called Roenhelm's Valley, though Ghaenthgrand locals who speak of it (if they speak of it at all) simply call it the Cauldron. | |
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| Though rumors passed on by explorers and scouts had circulated, the area did not truly come into focus until 542 AS, when Walther Roenhelm led a group of pilgrims up into the Eternal Range and then down into the auspicious valley. There was no word for several months until a quarter of Roenhelm's party returned, bringing with them morbid tales of the valley. It was a wonder some of them had made it out alive, for nearly all of them seemed to be afflicted with some type of unknown flux. Fatigued and weary, they took as many as three months to recover from the strange sickness. Though those who tended to the refugees never fell ill, their patients were clearly afflicted with something; in addition to more common symptoms such as headaches and nausea, many lost hair, fingernails and teeth. Even more had strange rashes or discolorations near their armpits, throats and groins. | |
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| Perhaps more disturbing than their unusual malady were the stories they told of their journey into Roenhelm's Valley. With their words they painted a picture of a dusty basin hardly able to sustain life. The plants that grew in the rocky soil were withered and stunted. They had seen no animals save for the dogs and mules they had brought with them. And as they traveled deeper into the valley they claimed Walther Roenhelm himself became more and more disconnected from the reality of their situation. He claimed that Katrina Yudoras was speaking to him from beyond the grave, leading them onward to the site upon which they would build a monastery and unlock the secrets of Ascendance. Unwilling to follow Roenhelm's apparent delusions any longer, the small splinter group left in the night. They were not pursued. | |
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| Despite the ill portents, the tale of Walther Roenhelm and his Decusian monastery live on, drawing desperate men and women from all over Vitaveus to the Cauldron. The Venerated Inquisition Corps has organized missions in 591 AS and 688 AS to put an end to the persistent sacrilege, though each group eventually returned empty-handed. | |
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| The valley remains unsettled and any who venture into it seem to contract the strange malady that afflicted the original refugees. Most recover, though some die suddenly years later to a vicious wasting disease with symptoms identical to the original flux. The Church has quietly declared the area forbidden, though there is no effort in place to stop people from entering. Even if there was, it seems to be a moot point; most who enter seldom return. | |
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| Inspirations and Influences | |
| Anglo-Saxon, Camelot - Arthurian Legend. Traditional example names such as Theobald, Baldric, Bella and Anabel are common for those hailing from Ghaenthgrand. | |
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| <-- | <-- |
| -->Heston# | |
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| Geography | ====== Life in the Republic ====== |
| Heston is nestled between some of the most vibrant and beautiful Provinces within the Midlands and Eastern Baronies, which in turn forms a interesting and breathtaking array of landscape features that bring Heston its unforgettable charm. Large yew trees encroaching from Athaerun, the rolling hills of poppy flowers from Virrenul, and some of the beautiful freshwater springs that run from the Godspine itself all lend themselves to the splendor that Heston claims dominion over. The dales of Heston are something to be admired in the summer and the fall, as the colors change and the vegetation is still in full bloom. The largest quantities of exports such as potatoes, cabbage, onions and tomatoes come from the various agricultural Townships and occasional Municipalities of Heston, which makes the territory critically important to sustaining the Republic with fresh food supplies. | |
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| History | -->Citizenship# |
| Heston is a region that has long been settled by some of the first men to walk Vitaveus. Although the region is named Heston, the people from the region do not call themselves in some sort of variation of the name, as Heston simply implies “from the bushwood enclosure”. They are in essence like the Republic itself, a melting pot of mixing cultures from the surrounding regions, which in part played a vital aspect in their assimilation to the Venerated Republic at the time of the Reckoning. Natives of Heston are often known for their reserved but tempered response, while some may argue that their mannerisms border on the behavior of laziness and lackluster enthusiasm, especially when it comes to the hustle and bustle of cities such as Greatport. | |
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| Historically, the peoples of Heston showed an affinity and admiration of the natural world, and as such some of the more rural areas of the territory had been rife with all manners of paganism and earth-based worship. When it came to the Reckoning however, Heston was conquered in but a few short months. So notorious was the quick assimilation of the region into the Decusian empire that tales still speak of the weak-willed nature of the native peoples, with sayings such as “people from Heston have yellow bellies and lead in their shoes" being commonplace. These sentiments are easily misguided and far from the pulse of what the people of Heston are like in reality - for many rumor that the pagans of Heston were such in tune with their earthly roots, they had foreseen the arrival of Decusians long before they ever stepped foot upon Vitaveus. For this reason, they opted to preserve the beauty of their lands rather than stain them red with the blood of the fallen in a futile attempt to resist the inevitable; indoctrination by the Decusian war machine. | The Venerated Republic of Decus, or “The Republic” for short, is a theocratic-oligarchical nation of hundreds upon hundreds of millions of people. Due to the overwhelming population that is purported by the Republic, living conditions and an average life experience within the nation is dependent on a myriad of qualifiers and conditions. With such a booming population, this broad spectrum can range from luxurious lifestyles to grueling livelihoods of manual labor and exploitation. There are, however, concrete quantifiers that can, with a confident amount of accuracy, determine the general living conditions a given member of the Republic may find themselves within. These include, but are not limited to: upward mobility into the Citizen caste (verses remaining within the Civilian caste), relationship with and involvement within the Ecclesial Authority, and verifiable heritable linkage to the Prelacy. |
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| People from Heston look like an amalgamation of Aedaens, Easterings, Virrenians, and Athaerians; their skins ranging from sunkisses to pale, brown eyes to light blues and greens, and even blonde hair to raven black. Their settlements were typically small and built in naturally open spaces as to bring little disturbance to the natural world; using mud and stone to erect buildings with thatched roofs. In modern times, however, sprawling development of large cities has taken rise, yet a consideration to aesthetics as well as impact on the local environment has always guided any sort of development within the territory. Inexplicably, Heston has retained much of its' grandeur while also bearing home to some of the largest populated areas west of the Baronies. | One of the most basic and common quantifiers of living condition within the Republic is that of the idea of Citizenship. Within the Republic, a bright-line distinction exists between two castes of society; that of the Citizen (High Decusian: civis), and that of the Civilian (High Decusian: paganus). In terms of social hierarchy, a Citizen of the Republic is more valued and revered. Consequently, a Citizen also enjoys a substantially higher standard of living than that of their Civilian equivalents. The Decusian concept of Citizenry and Civilian-hood is an ancient one, of which evidently existed prior to that of the Reclamation, and is based upon the concept of Divine Officium; known otherwise as “Divine Service”. The concept of Divine Service is quite simple – within the theocratic-oligarchical nation of the Republic, service to the state is not only considered a societal honor and a prestigious station, but is further understood to be an act of reverence to the divine itself. Thusly, those whom serve the Republic in a formal capacity are by societal norms considered to be the more devout and zealous members of the nation. |
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| Torment | It should come as no surprise that within the theocratic-oligarchical society of the Republic, those whom can display reverence to the One True Faith with more zeal and devotion than their peers – or benefit from having heritable linkage to the Prelacy or to the Ecclesial Authority – benefit from a higher standard of life. The state’s reward for this comes in the form of Citizenship. Citizens within the Republic are afforded rights and privileges (known collectively as the Beneficium) Civilians are not. While there are literally hundreds of points and concepts that collectively make up the Beneficium, the most revered of these privileges are represented by three rights of considerable importance: The Right of Dissent, the Right of Dominion, and the Right of Lethality. |
| Paganistic groups from the dales have made public attempts to thwart and push back the efforts of the encroaching Torment from more caustic and problematic Provinces like Aedenshyr, Virrenul and even Redholme. However, these practitioners of the Old are no members of the Consortium, and as such are deemed apostates, no matter what good intent them seem to serve. Consortium Circle members have been operating within the dales for a while now, and suspect that these apostates were supported by the Moorwick circle in Virrenul, which subsequently saw to the destruction of its members by the Church and its more devote Auditorii. This in turn as made the pagans who are trying to stem the tide of the Torment hostile to Republic interference, afraid that they may do more harm than good in trying to bring them to the Flame, as the world around them is coming closer to going up in flames itself. Do to this flagrant disregard to Decusian laws and culture, as well as the significance of the territory in terms of pure agricultural worth, the Church has focused a significant effort into flooding Heston with Legion and Templar forces; not because of the Torment, but to systematically eradicate any and all whom would promote or harbor the pagan groups and their wicked magics from the face of Vitaveus. Much to the dismay of many in the higher echelons of the Legion and Church leaderships, tens of thousands of soldiers have been committed to chasing down what amounts to less than a few thousand practitioners, and as a result, has turned Heston into a modern-day witch hunter's paradise. | |
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| Points of Interest | The Right of Dissent, the most prominent of Beneficium privileges, allows Citizens to express their disagreement with the state – of which is more formally referred to as the Ecclesial Authority – as well as their fellow Citizen and Civilian without fear of criminal or civil charge from the Adjudicatory. In regards to dissent against the state, this “expression” is relegated solely to the privilege of being allowed to cast their vote in for representatives – known as Vicars – within the Republic Senate, the deliberative (not legislative, of which is limited solely to the Authority) governing body of the Republic. Vicars are elected to life-time positions within the Senate based upon the size of the Municipality or other incorporated territory they represent, and are only elected by Citizens through the Right of Dissent. Actual, public dissent against the state through communications or actions is considered an illegal act, ranging from being classified as malum prohibitum (wrong by statute) to mala in se (evil in of itself), depending on the infraction. It should come as no surprise that within the theocratic-oligarchical nation of the Republic, those whom can display reverence to the One True Faith with more zeal and devotion than their peers – or benefit from having heritable linkage to the Prelacy or to the Ecclesial Authority – benefit from a higher standard of life. |
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| d’Abre Cour | The secondary benefit of the Right of Dissent is the privilege of having legal standing to express disagreement against one’s fellow citizenry, or civilians, through the act of providing legally-binding testimony to the Republic Adjudicatory for further legal action. This exercising of one’s Right to Dissent is normally conducted in the pursuit of seeking restitution for real or perceived wrongs, the breaching of contracts and other binding agreements, and other legal issues classified as malum prohibitum. As one may deduce, the right to utilize the Adjudicatory for any legal assistance is limited solely to that of the Citizen caste of the Republic; while Civilians are protected under all Clerical and Republic law as equally as their Citizen counterparts, they are unable to initiate any sort of legal proceedings against their fellow Decusians in absences of Citizen status. This inequality often times leads to the disenfranchisement of Civilian caste as it relates to faith within the Adjudicatory, though public displays of it – such as protests or riots – are met with swift and decisive force of the most prejudicial nature. |
| The manor of a once wealth and powerful Prelacy family who held large dominion over Heston, d’Abre Cour sat amidst the rolling poppy fields as they breached out of Virrenul and into the dales. The owner of the manor, a Prelacy family with the surname of Comberstack, began to make attempts to tax goods both exported and imported into the region to assist with the efforts of the Republic in keeping order within the post-Torment territory. However, these efforts were a front, and the Comberstacks were funneling the money to pay for their lavish tastes in heretical literature. When a local Templar Chapter heard word of the Comberstack's deceit, the Chapter seized their lands, and executed all those even associated with the Prelacy family, to include hundreds of serfs. | |
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| Coquelicot | The second of the core Beneficium ideals, the Right of Dominion, is one of the least convoluted concepts of Citizen rights, and consists of two key points. First, Citizens are bestowed the right of land and building ownership within the Republic and a majority of its territories and colonies. This is not to say that every Citizen owns land – or even buildings – within the Republic, as most land and building ownership is entrusted to the Ecclesial Authority or that of the Prelacy caste. Regardless, the act of owning land within the Republic is considered a privilege and not a sovereign birthright, and one that is entrusted only to those of the Citizen caste. The Right of Dominion often leads to the largest difference in wealth equality between the two castes of the Republic, with Citizens having the potential of being able to produce more wealth from owned land and real estate than those of the Civilian caste. This becomes a quantifying factor of living conditions, as Citizens can more easily and comfortably pay their Municipal or territorial taxes, their Clerical Tithes, and any other monetary obligations required to the Ecclesial Authority than their civilian counterparts. Civilians (and, in rare circumstances, Citizens) whom are unable to keep up with their Republic taxes and Clerical Tithes have their debts added to their Fidebes – more commonly known as “Faith Debt”. Escalating amounts of Fidebes is considered a crisis of faith within the Decusian culture, and leads to the forced conscription and/or employment into one of the many factions of the Republic as to “rekindle” one’s faith in the One True God. The Right of Dominion often leads to the largest difference in wealth equality between the two castes of the Republic, with Citizens having the potential of being able to produce more wealth from owned land and real estate than those of the Civilian caste. This becomes a quantifying factor of living conditions, as Civilians can more easily and comfortably pay their Municipal or territorial taxes, their Clerical Tithes, and any other monetary obligations required to the Ecclesial Authority than their civilian counterparts. |
| A small but bustling city resting halfway between the border of Redholme and Keluben, Coquelicot was named after the rolling poppy flower hills that reach into the Province and part around the settlement in a beautiful perimeter display. This settlement is well defended compared to many of the much smaller hamlets that dot the landscape, as the people of Heston make every attempt to not disrupt the growth or natural beauty of Eden; a view expressed very differently from their neighbors to the South in Aedenshyr, who pride themselves on modern advancements in machine and steel. | |
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| Inspirations and Influences | |
| Celtic and Gaelic. Traditional example names such as Bryn, Rowan, Gwyneth and Morgan are common for those hailing from Heston. | |
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| <-- | |
| -->Ostenam# | |
| Geography | |
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| Coniferous trees paint the landscape of Ostenam, with rocks and the forest floors covered in thick coats of lichen. The air is thick with fog that rolls through almost year round, only breaking when the Flame reaches the highest points in the sky. The landscape of the region begins to slope into a lowland when pushing further East away from the Godspine Mountains and the Galehorn Mountains that give Ostenam its sturdy Western backbone. Strong waterfalls off the Godspine fall into the province and form the many rivers that cut through the middle of Ostenam, making their way South by Southeast and forming many of the lakes on their Southern border, including the famous Lake Volg. While mostly unsuited for large-scale agricultural use, the region of Ostenam is important to the Republic primarily for its' mass production and easy transportation via. waterways of lumber. The majority of Ostenam's population hubs are situation around the shores of Lake Volg, but other notable cities can also be found at the base of the Godspine as well. | |
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| History | |
| Ostenam is one of three nations that, until the arrival of the Decusian Faith and the Venerated Republic, was embroiled in constant skirmishes and raids to establish itself the rightful power within Vitaveus among its rivals: Volgen and Drolund. Though not concerned with establishing an outright Empire, the nations of Ostenam, Drolund and Volgen all conspired to exert exclusive rights of rule throughout the region, with their key goals being to establish a form of taxation for both currency and valued good, along with rights to land claims and wild game within the regions. This drive originates from an ancient period of warring tribes that once converged to a singular people, and for many who first visit each of these Midland provinces, the vestiges of these ancient cultures seem one in the same at face value. | |
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| The ancient people of Ostenam were a pale skinned and dark of hair and eyes folk. They remain among the tallest people within Vitaveus, and their frames are usually bulky and big boned, and native Osteins still retain much of their pale skin and dark hair identifiers. Their size however should not dismay someone from thinking they are no more than mere cumbersome bulls, as the people of Ostenam have a rich history of being some of the best hunters and trackers to stalk Eden. Their ancient culture is one of seldom words, and to share such tongues with folks even if a mere single word is a sign of respect in their eyes; “No prey hears its stalker,” as the Osteins (Aws-tee-nhs) say in regards to their shortness from outsiders. | |
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| When the Republic entered the Ostenam during the Reckoning, they had their hands full in dealing with the local populace as their guerrilla tactics proved to be a nuisance to their larger forces and their garrison positions, harassing them at every cost. What seized the region for them was not just their enduring presence or their might in large scale battles, but a single military stroke of luck that saw the thane of an area known as Tills brought to the sword by a small group of Legionnaires who sought revenge for their brethren in battle after being displaced from the bulk of the Legions forces in Ostenam. By breaking through the sentries in the dead of night and slaying the thane in his sleep, the Osteins took this as a sign that they had become prey to an apex predator, the Republic, and agreed to bend the knee to the conquering Decusians on their war path. To this day, the near mythical tale of how Ostenam's armies of thousands were brought to heel by but a handful of Legionnaires is cited ad nausea in basic training of all the branches of the Republic's military programs. | |
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| Post-assimilation, Ostenam found a niche within the Empire quickly. Their capability for conducting quick and brutally effective raids, along with their gifted talents in tracking, saw to their people as being highly regarded among the Legion and Templar. Ostenam itself never possessed a true religion of its own, and thus were able to be adopted into the Decusian faith with little resistance. As such, little of traditional Ostenam beliefs remain today. | |
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| Torment | |
| The Torment is an interesting beast when it comes to the territory and provinces of Ostenam. On one side, the fringes of the territory are being slowly encroached upon by its manic death and destruction from the farmlands of Drolund. On the other, near Volgen, the Lake is showing signs of Torment, where schools of fish are washing ashore in malformed and misshapen husks. Tills, for example, is now being supplied most of its waters through aquifers produced by runoffs of the Galehorn Mountains, however, the disease has shown up in pockets around Tills, where some of the outlying villages have been quarantined or outright eradicated. Despite this, Ostenam remains strong and more than 80% of the region is still inhabitable. Yet while the Torment does not claim this land, another menace does. Reports of neopaganistic activity, situated mostly in the western edges of Ostenam, are commonplace. Some even believe that the uncanny prosperity Ostenam has seen in resisting being wholly consumed by the Torment is due to the dark and ancient magics perpetrated by these blasphemous heathens. | |
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| Points of Interest | |
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| Tills | The secondary aspect of the Right of Dominion is that of the privilege of being able to procreate and sire offspring within the Republic. Citizens are given this privilege without restriction, and may produce as many children as they deem necessary. Civilians, on the other hand, are legally prohibited from procreation within the Republic. Violations of this tenant of Decusian life are based upon the number of prior infractions a family or, in the case of illegitimacy, a mother may hold. For the first few infractions, the child’s estimated Fidebes would simply be added to the family or mother’s debt to the Authority. For repeated, flagrant violations of the law, more invasive penalties are applied – up to and included conscription of the family and child into Republic service, forced sterilization of one or both parental units, and extensive additions to the hereditary Fidebes of a family name or tree, of which requires compensation in the form of tithe or servitude to the Republic by generations of a lineage as opposed to a singular individual. |
| Along the rivers that feeding into Lake Volg and the Goodsea, Tills is a major logging and ferry junction for the bulk of the Republics lumber production throughout the Midlands. Along with serving as the home to countless lumber mills and ferries, Tills also claims to be the base of operations for one of the most important military academies for the Venerated Republic, the Republic Citadel. It is here that many of Inquisitor and Templar forces whom operate in more clandestine operations on behalf of their Empire hone their skills and temper their wit, far from the distracting influences of the Eastern Baronies. The training here is brutal, and it is not uncommon to hear of countless deaths occurring due to it, as troops here can often spend years within Tills and the surrounding regions learning advanced survival skills and training in tracking techniques often taught by the descendants of local Ostein peoples. | |
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| Inspirations and Influences | The third and last Beneficium privilege of any serious consequence is that of the Right of Lethality. The Right of Lethality is an important privilege bestowed upon Decusian Citizens as it governs not only the ability for one to possess and carry a weapon within the Republic, but to furthermore use it in the application of both Letalis Vis (extreme force used against another living being that results in death), and the use of Aeternus Vis (“everlasting” force used against the undying that results in dis-animation). Citizenry of the Republic may carry and possess weapons within the Republic, whereas civilians cannot. Furthermore, Citizens qualify for an affirmative defense – that is, a defense in which indemnifies the defendant regardless of additional facts or knowledge – when applying lethal force (Letalis Vis) against that of a civilian when used in self-defense. Citizens are further granted the right to dispatch the Sempiternal (known by the lay as the “Undying” or “Undead) wherever and whenever they are happened upon. Inversely, Civilians of the Republic are not allowed to carry or even possess martial weapons and are considered in gross violation of Decusian law in any situation that their actions or deeds result in the death of another Decusian, even when performed in the mortal defense of themselves or another. Lastly, the act of applying Letalis Vis upon those of the undead persuasion is illegal as well, for the given Sempiternal may have, in its’ prior state of being, been of a higher caste or station, and thus must be tended to by those of more devout natures. Due to these rather draconian statutes and laws concerning weapon possession and even self-defense, Civilians often rely on the Ecclesial Authority to provide day to day protection – be it in the form the Legion, the Templar, or a local Municipal safety force. This further leads to a lack of proper martial training for Civilians versus that of the Citizenship; civilians are often untrained in the use of the blade, whereas citizens may be quite proficient in it. |
| Tarkine Forest, Australia. Traditional example names such as Isaac, Arlo, Harper and Evie are common for those hailing from Ostenam. | |
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| <-- | <-- |
| -->Volgen# | |
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| Geography | -->The Prelacy# |
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| Volgen is a moorish highland with barren crag-like hills that roll into the Freemantle Range, where the breathtaking Prelate’s Peak resides. It is butted up against the First Province, along with the mountains that border it and Arkhess; to its Northwestern border is Ostenam, along with ones of its largest exporters, Yultac, where most of their wool trade is sent. Within Volgen are a few streams and rivers, but Volgen boasts some of the largest and most abundant bodies of water throughout its Province, the largest of these being Lake Volg. | The concept of the Decusian Prelacy (or simply Prelacy for short) is a societal Decusian concept that is prevalent in all facets of life within the Republic. In the simplest terms, the Prelacy can be considered a caste in of itself, towering high above both the Civilian and even the Citizen when viewed comparatively upon the hierarchical ladder of Decusian society. Unlike the ascension from Civilian to Citizen, however, membership within the Prelacy is not earned through rewards from the Decusian meritocracy or through service to the Republic. Instead, the concept of the Prelacy and earning a position within it is exclusively based upon genealogy, creating what is most readily identifiable as a hereditary aristocracy within the Republic and Decusian culture. |
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| | The term Prelacy refers to that of the original Prelates of the Decusian Church, of whom are some of the most famous and influential founding members of the Decusian Faith proper. Not to be dismissed simply as some of the founding members of the Decusian Templar, the Prelates are considered historically and culturally significant as they were described to be among the most revered and closest disciples to that of Archangel (or, in some texts, Arch Prelate) Decus during his life amongst men in the Mortal Realm. These hallowed men and women were considered to be the closest humans to that of the One True God, and unsurprisingly are credited to significant and epic deeds within ancient history, ranging from leading the first armies of Men, to liberating large swaths of humans from the yolk of slavery, to more fantastical and monolithic feats. In modern-day, post-Reclamation Decusian faith, the Prelates continue to maintain a strong presence as well, as many of the more established and famous Prelates of Decusian history are also commonly associated with representing a moral ideal or custom important to the Decusian way of life. This representation comes in the form of the Prelates acting as a champion or patron of a moral ideal or lesson, such as being representative of a specific virtue of the Sacred Eight, or championing ideal or custom deemed important to the Decusian culture, such as the responsibility of paying one’s Tithes to the Venerated Church. |
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| History | The true number of Prelates that are formally recognized by the Ecclesial Authority are anyone’s guess, as records of these ancient times are closely guarded secrets to the state and Authority. There are however thousands of Prelate ancestorial lines that have been publicly recognized by the Authority and Clergy to date, of which become matters of formal record once proper investigations into the genealogy have concluded. These investigations can sometimes take generations to complete, as the bureaucracy in declaring a Prelate is nigh never-ending. However, when a new Prelate has been “discovered” within the annals of history and crowned accordingly, it is truly an occasion – more often than not, great celebrations are held by the territories and Municipalities that claim a new Prelate, with weeks’ long festivals and feasts held in their honor. This celebratory period is sometimes the only deviation from otherwise dismal living conditions some Decusians may experience in their entire lives, and thusly, it is truly a wonder to behold. |
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| Volgen is one of three nations that, until the arrival of the Decusian Faith and the Venerated Republic, was embroiled in constant skirmishes and raids to establish itself the rightful power within Vitaveus among its rivals: Ostenam and Drolund. Though not concerned with establishing an outright Empire, the nations of Ostenam, Drolund and Volgen all conspired to exert exclusive rights of rule throughout the region, with their key goals being to establish a form of taxation for both currency and valued good, along with rights to land claims and wild game within the regions. This drive originates from an ancient period of warring tribes that once converged to a singular people, and for many who first visit each of these Midland provinces, the vestiges of these ancient cultures seem one in the same at face value. | Along with this rather rare and unorthodox departure from the grim reality of day-to-day life that Prelate Celebrations offers comes a rather curious phenomenon; the perceived honor a Decusian may experience in being a member of a territory or province that a Prelate is credited to have hailed from in pre-Reclamation times. For many of the poor and destitute within the Republic, this fleeting notion can truly impress upon them a sense of kinship with an otherwise inaccessible Faith and Republic, with the less fortunate often adopting whatever mantle a newly ordained Prelate is said to be the patron of, be it a virtue or simply an idea or concept, as a cornerstone to their own personal faith. So influential is the idea and concept of beholding Prelates as patrons of these given ideals that effigies and inscribed monikers of the Prelates are rife and commonplace within the Republic, especially with those of lesser stations and castes, as it is often the only non-confrontational and non-domineering aspect of Decusian Faith these destitute may ever experience in their miserable lives. Violence and strife do however find its’ way even into such innocuous and hope-inspiring rituals such as these. At times, the impoverished amongst the Republic sometimes so fervently championing their patron Prelates and the ideas they represent that they will use force against those who do not share such zealotry. In large Municipalities and Church-Cities, where numerous Prelates may share lineage from, street-gangs have even been known to form with the sole intent to bring martial force against rival neighborhoods that may look upon a different Prelate as their source of faith inspiration. |
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| The Volgen people, once known as the Volgs (Vol-g-z) were a chiefdom clan based group of people who have established their presence within the crag-like highlands on the Eastern end of the Midlands. This region gives little in the form of fertile soil, and as such, most of their harvests come from much more heartier plants that are indigenous to the region and wild growing. Their main form of nourishment that provided them with sustenance were the moor-headed sheep that are still abundant throughout the region. The Volg throughout ancient history, well before the arrival of the Decusian faith, began to domestic these sheep for their benefit. What ancestor they may have shared with the common sheep in the Eastern Provinces today is no doubt lost from breeding, but none the less, Volgen remains known for it's livestock. | In-day, post-Reclamation Decusian faith, the Prelates continue to maintain a strong presence as well, as many of the more established and famous Prelates of Decusian history are also commonly associated with representing a moral ideal or custom important to the Decusian way of life. This representation comes in the form of the Prelates acting as a champion or patron of a moral ideal or lesson, such as being representative of a specific virtue of the Sacred Eight, or championing ideal or custom deemed important to the Decusian culture, such as the responsibility of paying one’s Tithes to the Venerated Church. |
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| Due to the nomadic needs and grazing patterns of these sheep, historically Volg people could not pen them in and thus, early Volg developed a nomadic lifestyle solely; many of the herdsmen and rangers of the Volg spent months away from their hearth and home just to maintain their flock. It is a lonely business for such folk, but they were not without the faithful company of some notoriously famous companions: the Volgen Retriever. This stout and wire-haired beast with a broad but short snout was undying in its loyalty to its handlers, who had grown up along sides these four legged hounds since man the first men walks Vitaveus. They make for great flushing dogs and hunt in packs that seem to indoctrinate their handlers into the pack hierarchy at the apex position. Today, they are not only used to help range in the sheep, but also as Legion sentries, guard dogs and even as pedigree show dogs among aristocratic Easterners of the Prelacy. | The process of ascending the social-economic ladder of Decusian society and becoming part of the Prelacy is no easy task. Only those families who can prove, through exhaustive research and evidence provided to the Ecclesial Authority, that they possess common ancestry to a Prelate can claim the mantle of belonging to the Prelacy. This process is, of course, exorbitantly expensive, and therefore is cost-prohibitive to lesser Citizens and Civilians. It is thought that for every bloodline that is officially recognized as being decedents to the ancient Prelates of the Decusian Faith, ten more may realistically exist but will never garner recognition as they are kept oppressed by inordinate amounts of Fidebes and other obligations to the Authority that prohibit them from ever transcending above the Civilian caste. Despite the exorbitant costs associated with proving relation to a Prelate, Citizen bloodlines and families are continually attempting to prove kinship to them, as being awarded formal recognition of such by the Authority is a guaranteed ticket to upwards class mobility within the Republic, and is a goal that nearly any sensible Citizen maintains. |
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| When the Reckoning took hold of the territory of Volgen, the men and women of the Volg quickly became favored for their extensive knowledge in animal breeding and herding techniques, their hounds becoming quickly integrated into the Legion and Templar forces to act as force multipliers. This importance laid upon their prized hounds brought the Volg people a greater sense of purpose, and hopes to eventually crush their rivals, which became a reality as they bent the knee in homage and absolute fealty to the Venerated Republic without so much as a few months worth of resistance | Bloodlines whom are in fact able to prove relation through genealogy to a Prelate are officially recognized as kin of the Prelacy by the Ecclesial Authority, and with such designation comes power, prestige, and above all else, wealth. These families, of whom span generations, are essentially the aristocracy of the Decusian culture and are entrusted with civil responsibilities and powers by the Authority that easily generate influence and wealth, especially when accounting for generational periods of time. A member of a Prelacy House, for example, would be given priority over that of any other Citizen in considerations of free market or trade, allowing those of the Prelacy to establish generation-enduring farms, plantations, fisheries and trading companies. Furthermore, upper echelons of the various Decusian factions – up to and including the Ecclesial Authority itself – are nearly exclusively populated by those of Prelacy genealogies, and thus often exhibit preferential treatment to other Prelacy Houses when conducting the various aspects of Republic bureaucracy. |
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| | Only those families who can prove, through exhaustive research and evidence provided to the Ecclesial Authority, that they possess common ancestry to a Prelate can claim the mantle of belonging to the Prelacy |
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| Torment | ]Hereditary bloodlines and Prelacy families are often referred to as “Parishes”. A single Parish can span generations and numerous family lines, as consanguinity through marital union is recognized as viable relation as well. A Parish, depending on their size, power and general influence can often carry enough notoriety to be a household name among thousands of Decusians in a given geographical region of the Republic. Serious means of industry, manufacturing and trade that are not owned and operated directly by the Republic Foundry are most always owned and managed by a Parish. Parishes often have their own colors, standards and, depending on their size and wealth, private men at arms – of whom, by official standards, can only be used in the defense of Parish holdings and properties. Parishes have further been known to often adopt and incorporate their ancestral Prelate’s patron virtue or ideal into the fabric of their own existence, often serving to champion such ideas through acts of philanthropy within their communities. |
| The Torment remains a major issue within the region, which isn’t anything new for those living in these dark times. However, the Volg people are beginning to become restless. When The First Province fell, many of it's former inhabitants had begun to flock to the other territories within the Baronies. However, many chose to evacuate further west, namely to that of Volgen. This influx of refugees has put a damper on the herds of sheep the territory is famously known for, as poaching has become a rising threat to the herdsmen and their flocks. The final nail in the coffin for many within the territory has been the contamination of Lake Volg, where many Municipalities and townships are seated around. Thus, many whom reside in these affected cities and villages have begun to blame the refugees that have flocked to their cities and towns for spreading their sickness to the waters, tainting their fish and soiling their water - resulting in a very xenophobic and sometimes violent reaction to newcomers. | |
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| Points of Interest | Of rather special note is that those of the Prelacy that hold positions within the factions of the Republic do so of their own free will, as being part of a Prelacy bloodlines automatically bestows upon future heirs and heiresses the mantle and station of Republic Citizenship without the need of Divine Officium, or Divine Service. Those of Prelacy Parishes that do enlist within the Church Templar, Clergy, Legion, Foundry or any other faction of the Republic often do so with the intent and aspiration to become quickly promoted to administrative positions of power due to their genealogy – with an end-goal of retiring early and safely with a bestowed title of honor as to even further their influence within society as a whole. It is to be deduced that those of the Republic that have been bestowed the official titles of honor ( Magnus Dux/Magna Ducissa, Archidux/Archiducissa, Dux/Ducissa or Prorex/Proregina) upon retirement by their patron Factions are often members of the Prelacy. |
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| Lake Volg | |
| This lake rests as a natural border between Ghaenthgrand and Ostenam, on its westernmost limit. Many of the settlements and cities that the Volg people inhabit are dotted around these lakes; the harsh terrain of the region makes it hard for transporting goods, particularly their prized wools to surrounding nations of the Republic. These lakes and their waterways allow for the Volg people to transport their stocks by boat, however, the trip has become tumultuous, as Lake Volg has become contaminated with the Torment. Fish wash ashore in amalgamated husks, and ferrymen have reported seeing large creatures surfacing from the watery depths to swallow men whole. | |
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| Inspirations and Influences | |
| Yorkshire Moors. Traditional example names such as Albert, Victor, Brea and Fiona are common for those hailing from Volgen. | |
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| -->Yultac# | |
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| Geography | |
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| Yultac is beautiful in all measure of the word; lush green rolling hills, ancient birch trees, and bountiful waterways feeding into the Caddoch Sea from both the Galehorn Mountains and the Lake of Volgan all bring out the natural beauty that Yultac has to offer. This highland territory offers steep plateaus that cut down into valleys and rolling hills that increase in scale as they move Westward against the Galehorn Mountains. Settlements and trade posts litter the countryside, and all roads lead to the North, where the Port of Dwindain resides, the beating heart of the territory proper. | |
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| History | |
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| The Yult people of the Yultac highlands were traditionally a pale flesh people with lighter colored hair and eyes of blue and greenish hues. Compared to the size of other Midlanders, they were slightly shorter build with a coarse hair. Many joke of their excessive body hair, and a common phrase in the Midlands is “a Yult would sell you the hair on his back if it meant an extra copper.” The Yults were a people gifted in trade and commerce, and the early development of their written and spoken language which spread like wildfire throughout the Midlands pre-arrival of the Decusian war-machine is indicative of this. | |
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| During the Reckoning, some resistance was give among the Midlands to the conquests marching upon their homes. The ancient Yults, however, saw the invading Decusian forces as an opportunity to bring about wealth and prosperity to their fiefdoms by opening their borders freely to the Imperial machine, welcoming it with open arms, unlike many other early peoples of Vitaveus. The Yults were also a faithless lot, and as such, had no qualms with taking on the religious and ritual practices of an invading force if it means that further trade can be conducted to better suit their needs. As such, the Decusian faith was embraced with open arms, and all effigies to paganistic practices within less-enlightened provinces of the territory were toppled with little more than a stifled yawn. | |
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| Due to the historical wealth and abundance associated with the region throughout history, many members of the Clergy lavish the opportunity to be sent to the region, as it is far from the eyes of Redholme and Tor, and the Yult traders have no issues with lining the pockets of established church officials in order to get extended favors and indulgences. | |
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| The Yultish Language | |
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| The Yult people were one of the first to develop a standardized writing system along with a pattern of speech that borrowed from many of the surrounding Midland tribal groups and fiefdoms. Due to their extensive trade networks and this development of a common writing system, their language began to spread to the surrounding territories; those who wished to trade with them found the language similar in ways to their own, and quite easy to pick up, borrowing on a similar lexicon of tones and patterns. Furthermore, as many of the surrounding fiefdoms lacked a writing system, relying on oral traditions and recollection, picking up the Yultish writing system only bolstered the capabilities of communication within the Midlands; for both its own politics and religious practices, but also its trading efforts with surrounding regions. | |
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| Torment | |
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| The Torment is beginning to make its way into the Northern reaches of the Midlands, and even though these cases are few and far between, what has hurt Yultac most is that the other surrounding regions are suffering heavily from the Resolvist plague. This has placed a heavier burden on their trade routes, having to take extra measures to protect their traders, caravaneers, and any perishable imports they’ve come across. Provinces like Ghaenthgrand have all but cut trade ties with the Yultian border cities, as their plight with the Torment on the Western front has brought them on the brink of calamity and destruction. Due to all this, many less reputable or skilled traders have been forced to uproot their shops and coteries for better commercial opportunities elsewhere in Vitaveus. | |
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| Points of Interest | |
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| Port of Dwindain | |
| Resting on the Northern edge of Yultac, this port city is the major economic seat of the Yult people and the Republic efforts in the Midlands. During the Reckoning, Port Dwindain was used as a staging point for Imperial forces, as it is the last port on the route West along the Caddoch Sea and its deadly squalls that capsize smaller vessels. | |
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| Edring’s Monolith | |
| A large black obelisk that stands almost squarely in the middle of the Yultac province, Edring’s Monolith has been given its moniker for its unfortunate circumstances. Many Inquisitors who have actually looked upon the stone have felt a sense of dread and unease, claiming it something foul from a time long forgotten. However, as legend and folklore may have it, a foolish and shrewd trader by the name of Edring held no belief in such preposterous things many years prior to the Decusian assimilation of Yultac. As the stories say, to show those in his employ that there was little to fear of such a stone, Edring attempted to carve his name into the obelisk, cementing a message that it was his shrewd trading prowess that should be feared and whispered about, and not some old rock. Those who watched said that when Edring hit his chisel and hammer against the smooth stone, the man turned into a cloud of red mist, never to be seen again. To this day, the Monolith remains untoppled, seated squarely in the middle of a ridiculously large and walled-in containment area that has been patrolled and guarded by Inquisitor Clergies for centuries. | |
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| Galehorn Mine | |
| The Galehorns provide the Midlands with an extravagant amount of minerals and metals that prove vital to both trade and the lifeblood of the Venerated war machine. The Galehorn Mines, named after the very mountains they plunge deep into, have long been abandoned, ripped of any value that Eden once provided. It is now home to many Western refugees, forced to live within the abandoned passages as they’ve little elsewhere to go. Due to this, crime has spiked dramatically along the Galehorn, and thus, many have begun to cite further anti-Western sentiments. | |
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| Inspirations and Influences | |
| Ireland. Traditional example names such as Maxwell, Douglas, Ainsley and Kenna are common for those hailing from Yultac. | |
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| <fs xx-large>Vitaveus: Eastern Baronies</fs> | |
