The Campaign Builder's Guild

[ic Grandfather's Tale]Fire burns to ashes, in the deepest shadowed night. As the smoking embers twinkle in the starlit gloom, Grandfather begins to speak. His voice is hoarse from ages past, smoke and cold wearing down the once proud beretone. He's not your grandfather --he probably doesn't even have kids-- but that's what everyone calls him, as though he was grandfather of the forest itself.

"I suppose you'll want to ask about Phaedorás-" the foriegn word sounds odd on his lips, though fitting, as though he was born to speak it. "That's only fair, I suppose." Grandfather pauses for a few moments, looking out into the forest, as though his ancient eyes could see into the absolute darkness. "Honestly, I'm not sure where to begin... It's a world, you know, not a story. A story is easy, it has a beginning. But a world... that's a story too long to tell. I'll begin, I guess, with the basics.

Phaedorás is like nothing you've ever seen, except perhaps in dreams. It's like an echo of this world, where everything has changed and yet nothing has. This fire, for instance, would be the same, but the wood that burns would be different. And I don't mean it might be apple wood where this is pine, in Phaedorás we might be burning wood from the mighty Ãfenneh trees, which grow to be as tall as towers. And yet, they're still trees - familiar. Everything is different - new - the plants, animals, rocks, stars, people, language... everything.

There's still a sun though, and a moon. The days last 24 hours and the moon goes through phases. Fire, like I said, works the same, and it rains and snows just like on earth.

There's a kind of magic to Phaedorás though, that you don't find on earth. It's hard to describe. When I say magic, you may think of illusion, like turning invisible or reading someone's mind. It's nothing like that... it's a feeling, like the world is alive. You climb to the top of a mountain and you don't just feel the wind and enjoy the view, you can see things happening around you; life, death, change.

In the old tongue Phaedorás means "land of spirits" because the people of the world have a strong respect for the essence of all things. There are shamans there who say that each living thing has a spirit, and that each spirit resides in a second world, invisible to us but existing on top of Phaedorás. When you feel the warmth of the fire and the power in your heart, they say you feel the blessing of the guardian spirit which watches over the flame. I don't know if I believe it all, but when I'm there...

The people of Phaedorás aren't human. They call themselves omaku. Beastial, feral, primal... the omaku are like beasts made into men. Fangs, horns, tails, fur, wings and claws are worn without notice, and each omaku belongs to a specific bloodline which determines it's general features. The omaku are anything but uniform, however, even within their own blood. Mutations are very common, and things like eye and hair color are wild and unknowable.

For most respects though, omaku are human, they almost all walk on two legs and have two eyes. Five fingers adorn both hands and all of them have the same ears, like ours but pointed like a bay leaf. Their teeth are almost identical, too, though they usually have larger canines. So whenever I discuss an appearance, just assume that any details I overlook are like those of a human.

I do need to mention one more major point, and then I'll let you pick a region to go further in-depth. Phaedorás is amazing in many ways, but technology is not one of them. The most sophisticated device I've seen there was an aqueduct, and that was in the heart of the greatest civilization on the planet. Even decent metal hasn't been around for long, so things like swords are rare. Spears are much more common, and there are some places that still use stone tools. Don't look down at the omaku as stupid, however, as you'll soon find that they learn fast and are as cunning as you or I.

Alright, I suppose that covers general knowledge. What region would you like to know more about?"

Kyobazu (http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?38927.0) - The Islands of the South
Ulabul - Island of Secrets
Melseh Ubau - The Empire
Lün - The Great Forest
Many more to come...[/ic][ooc]Welcome to Phaedorás. After reading this post, feel free to read any of the "Books of Phaedorás" linked to above. There is no "right" order to read the books, so pick the one that sounds the most interesting and enjoy! This thread will also contain the glossary and bestiary, both of which are entirely optional reading.

Please do not post in this thread.

Instead, say what you'd like to say in the General Discussion Thread (http://www.google.com)[/url]. Thank you.

[spoiler Disclaimer]This thread contains posts that have strong sexual references and explicit drug discussion. Please do not continue if you are not comfortable with either subject. I consider this thread to be PG 13, but please be your own guide.
[spoiler Bullet-point lists of worst-case scenarios][spoiler Sexual worst-case]

Referencing the sexual act
* Light discussion of incest
* Discussion of virginity
* Possible reference to homosexuality (not sure on this one yet)
* Reference to rape
* Descriptions of fashions which include partial or full nudity (no body descriptions)

[/spoiler]
[spoiler Drug worst-case]

The invention of fictional drugs
* The explicit use of these drugs
* The discussion of these drug effects, including the beneficial effects
* Possible glorification of these drugs by association with heroic figures

[/spoiler]
[spoiler Violence worst-case]

* Explicit descriptions of violence
* Glorification of violence through a heroic lens
* Discussion of cannibalism
* Discussion of human (omaku, really) sacrifice, including living sacrifice
* Light discussion of mutilation, including flaying and dismemberment

[/spoiler][/spoiler][/spoiler][/ooc]

[ooc]List of pending  glossary entries:

Elders, The
* Elewi
* Karakuloe
* Jhoguza
* Jhoguza's Well
* Twimi
* Jamim
* Tobinu
* Kimuk
* Kunoviera Sea, The
* Eku (Fabric)
* Saralu (Clothing)
* Yawazu (Clothing)
* Kaluku
* Melseh Ubau
* Thitae
* Roseflame
* Yulosaza Waesu
* Sebayet
* Ubin
* Uyamim
* Morimikan
* Jachkamital
* Minya
* Minayan
* Yamini (Language)
* The Great Rift
* Niyam
* Khovas
* Phsaen
* Vlas
* Ala
* Rone
* The Gift of Uyamim
* Jhasi
* Terifazun
* Matal
* The Tobinu Crags
* The Deep Swamps
* The Shadowlands
* The Highlands
* Vuu
* Val-Okk
* Okk
* Aitaix Mountain
* Othipha Nikamyn
* Atphokaal
* Menthyn Volcano
* Menthyn Temple
* Uyamim Ka Utherys
* Lun
* Phsaedonai
* Yaiguul (Demon Queen)
* Echryn (Language)
* Hokutch (Language)
* Lunan (Northern) (Language)
* Nadatu (Island)
* Tulazu Nobanu (Island)
* Erakamae (Island)
* Ulabul (see: Erakamae)
* Latoe (Morimikan for Ship)
* Shien (Anima)
* Chkaj (Language)
* Jachkamital
* Ushai (Sub-bloodline)
* Echmorak
* Ouchkim
* Itspar
* The Liomarteh (Council of Mind)
* The Library at Ouchkim
* Kalat-Kai (in Itspar)
* Hinshilu
* The Imperial Sea
* Rathin mishjha Yaigmal
* Hajik
* Hajikas
* On Lopoj (The Lovers

[of Things]) (Totwimi)
* Gor
* Sadumao
* Demon
* Krananu
* Yaiguul
* Gholvuuk
* Falox
* Balaen
* Leecha[/list][/ooc]

Glossary: A through F
[ic Anima]One of five fey so mighty that they are liken to gods. Each anima is said to protect and bless certain groups of omaku bloodlines leading to the belief that anima have a direct impact on the physical features of a sub-bloodline. Presented below are the animas and their associated domains.

Terifazun '" Anima of the sun. Said to be patron of life and kindness.
Phsaen '" Anima of the moon. Said to be matron of deception and betrayal.
Gor '" Anima of the mountain. Said to be the patron of strength and dedication.
Khovas '" Anima of the storm. Said to be the patron of passion and speed.
Jhasi '" Anima of the void. Said to be the matron of mind and soul.[/ic]
[ic Bloodline]A group of omaku classified by a common ancestor. There are seven known omaku bloodlines named after the seven children of Loihu and Linui in the most common creation story. Each bloodline shares a dominant physical trend, often mimicking a class of animals. Presented below are the bloodlines and their associated traits.

Ala '" Feathers, wings and other avian features, including lightweight bodies.
Ix '" Humanoid skin with occasional hair, three digits on each appendage, glossy eyes, abnormal skeletons
Kin '" Small bodies, fur
Rone '" Fur, occasional horns or antlers
Shien '" Scales
Ord '" Humanoid skin without hair, multiple eyelids
Vlas '" Gils, fins, tails instead of legs, other fish traits.[/ic]

Glossary: G through L
[ic Hadan]A garment resembling a long cloth poncho with a large hood, typically made from eku and of drab color. Commonly worn by niyam of Kyal-Yabazu Nobanu.[/ic]
[ic Hysyt]A plant named by the niyam of the southern isles, more commonly called eku.[/ic]
[ic Jakmatazu Zami]The Bay of Bones, a large inlet on Nadatu island. Jakmatazu Zami also serves as the home of port of the totwimi city of Thitae. It is called the Bay of Bones because it is said that it was originally the graveyard of mighty sea monsters. All bones have since been removed from the waters and traded to many peoples, but it is said that there are still more bones to be found deep under the sands.

Roughly thirty years ago, there was an epic battle on the Bay between the Covenant and pirate invaders. Some say that the pirates were led by Juzoe Toyakumoe, the dread pirate, while others insist that he was the only pirate on the bay. Regardless, the pirates sunk the entire Covenant fleet in a stunning victory and proceeded to sack Thitae. The Covenant ships have never been found since, adding to the haunted feeling of the murky locale.[/ic]
[ic Kamawuni]An abstract quazi-goddess respected by the totwimi. Translates from Morimikan as 'mother-ocean.' In totwimi legend, kamawuni gave birth to the omaku and later sacrificed her consciousness to seal the great rift.[/ic]
[ic Kin](KEEN)

The first trickster. Youngest son of Loihu and father of Twimi and Jamim.

Kin is a legendary trickster who is present in many different cultures and ranges from deep respect to downright hatred. Of all the stories regarding the first age, the stories of Kin are perhaps the most common and the most diverse. It is generally accepted, regardless of tale, that Kin was very small, clever and musically talented. In most tellings he fathered two sons by a wind spirit and died or disappeared shortly thereafter. The minayans insist that Kin found an entrance to the spiritworld and managed to cheat death, but the morimikan totwimi hold that he was transformed into a swarm of Kinmathae (Hawln).[/ic]
[ic The Kyal-Yabazu Nobanu]A large chain of volcanic islands in southern Phaedorás, home to the jachkamital, morimikan totwimi and niyam of Uyamim. Translated from Morimikan as The Fire-Mountain Islands.[/ic]
[ic Linui](lee-NOOEE; rhymes with ennui)

The first woman. See Loihu.[/ic]
[ic Loihu](LOY-hoo)

The first man. Along with his wife, Linui, he was the first omaku. The myths and tales regarding the beginning of the omaku peoples are diverse and inconsistent, but nearly all of them have some form of Loihu and Linui. In the tales, Loihu and his wife had seven mighty children which became the seven principle bloodlines of Phaedorás.

Despite - or perhaps because of - their universal place in the creation myths, Loihu and Linui are very rarely described physically. Instead, they are usually described only by personality or action, representing paragons of parenthood.[/ic]

Glossary: M through Q
[ic Nistha Pha]The island-niyam name for Kyal-Yabazu Nobanu. Roughly translated as "The Spine of Rock" or "The Spinelands," the name originates from an old myth that tells of the islands being the back of some great beast which sleeps beneath the waves.[/ic]
[ic Niyam](NEE-yahm)

A bloodline of omaku said to be born from the union of Rone and Phsaen, the anima of the Moon. Niyam are a diverse people, cursed to live nocturnal lives in fear of sunlight.

Niyam stand approximately five and one-half feet tall, weigh, on average, 120 pounds and have a lean, tight-muscled frame built for speed and agility. The body of a niyam is covered with fur ranging anywhere in between white, black, red, gray, and tan, with stripes of contrasting color not uncommonly found along the limbs and spine. Niyam have stiff, semi-prehensile tails, aiding greatly in balance and acrobatics. Unlike other omaku, the hands and feet of the niyam are not tipped with hard, overlarge nails, but are instead home to thin, extendable claws, sharp as knives and long as the last digit of the finger. The niyam face is human in shape except for their large, leaf-shaped ears and overly-large canine teeth. Niyam longhair (the hair on the scalp) is fast growing and almost always worn long and free. Niam do not have facial hair.

Niyam have amazing senses, including the ability to see in very low light. Daylight, however, is deadly to the niyam, as it causes a horrible itching which eventually builds into body-wracking convulsions that transform the niyam into a monster with amazing strength, fangs, giant claws and perfect reflexes. This transformation occurs faster when sunlight is entering the eye, and looking directly into the sun causes a nearly instant morph. While beasts, niyam have no memory of their lives and will attack the nearest creatures with an insane bloodlust.

Niyam live all over Phaedorás. The largest pureblood niyam civilization is that of the phsaedonai, who live within the Shadowlands and are ruled by the demon queen Yaiguul. Phsaedonai speak Echryn. Larger than the phsaedonai, the Southern Kimuk civilization of Minya which includes a good proportion of niyam and totwimi-niyam crossbreeds. Minayans speak Yamini. North of Minya lands are the Kimuk Highlands, which are home to various niyam tribes. Highland niyam speak either Hokutch or Lunan (northern). On the other side of the world, on the western edge of Tobinu, there live many tribes of savage niyam which have become incorperated into the culture of the vuu and consequentially speak vuun. Lastly, the islands of the south seas are home to a number of small, primitive niyam tribes. The language of these tribes has no name, and is not taught to outsiders.[/ic]
[ic Omaku](oe-MAH-koo)

The solitary sentient species of Phaedorás. Omaku, while technically a single race are so physically diverse that they are rarely though of such. Omaku are always very humanoid, though they can easily be classified as 'feral humanoids,' sharing many characteristics with animals and beasts. Omaku can be generally grouped by bloodline, though crossbreeds are fully possible. Omaku lifespan varies based on body size, but is usually around 25-65 years. Omaku typically reach adulthood at around 10 years.[/ic]
[ic Phaedorás](FAY-doe-ras)

The world of the omaku. Used interchangeably with 'the known world.' Someone from beyond Phaedorás might thus be a sailor from beyond the great seas.[/ic]
[ic Pholur]A skirt reaching from the waist to the feet or knees, typically made from eku and of drab color. Worn by the niyam of Kyal-Yabazu Nobanu, and intended for both men and women.[/ic]

Glossary: R through T
[ic Rin](RIN; rhymes with pin)

A reed native to the Deep Swamps and southern Tobinu. Found in rivers and wetlands, rin is the staple crop of Melseh Ubau, representing approximately 60% of the average diet of an imperial citizen. Rin has a verity of uses in addition to producing a highly nutritious cereal. Dried rin has many different applications, including clothing, mats, flutes, baskets, and papyrus.[/ic]
[ic Spirit]A broad category encompassing fey, ghosts and essences, all of which being generally called spirits.

Fey are the guardians of the world. Living within the spirit realm, the fey are magical beings, which watch over specific domains in the physical realm. Larger domains warrant more powerful fey. Fey watch over all plants, flames, bodies of water and winds. Fey rarely use their magic in obvious ways, but instead are said to curse those who interfere with their domain. When bound in a totem, fey are the most destructive of spirits. Animas are the most powerful of the fey, and are said to rule the spirit world. Non-anima fey are said to appear to spiritwalkers as female omaku of the bloodline of the viewer who exhibit characteristics of their domain (fiery eyes, green hair, etc).
A typical fey: Spirit of that kabratu tree on the beach.

Essences are the spirits of dead animals. When an animal on Phaedorás dies it's essence returns to the spirit realm where it waits to be reborn in the flesh. While in spirit form, an essence possesses the wisdom and knowledge of all it's past lives, though they will rarely bestow wisdom on a mortals, and even when they do, it is often cryptic and vague. The magic of an essence typically effects the body, though they rarely work their power without a spiritbinder present.
A typical essence: Essence of a balakae.

Ghosts are the spirits of omaku that persist after death in the spirit realm. Little is known for sure about ghosts, especially regarding the fate of those who cannot be contacted after death. Like other spirits, ghosts posses limited magical power, though the power of a ghost seems to depend on the love they are shown by the living. Ghosts of legendary figures are mighty indeed, while lost souls are typically weak. Ghosts typically remember significant events about their lives and possess great wisdom, which is often sought by shamans. Additionally, the magic of ghosts effects the mind.
A typical ghost: Spirit of Loihu[/ic]
[ic Takuba]A legendary spirit which wanders the world in the form of a two-headed kulu with golden eyes. Takuba's right head has the power to look into the past, while the left head can see the future. Takuba appears in several myths as a guide or councilor and is well known in the south. Perhaps most famously, Takuba helped the vuu find their "paradise" by instructing Val-Okk, king of the vuu, upon the summit of Mt. Aitaix. Takuba, while a generally helpful figure, never says anything obvious, but instead speaks in riddles to help the hero find his or her own path.[/ic]
[ic Totwimi](toe-TWEE-mee)

A sub-race of omaku born from Kin's bloodline and the protection and guidance of the anima Khovas. Totwimi are a sailor-people characterized by their fierce spirits, small stature and love of the open ocean.

Totwimi stand around three and one-half feet in height (females a bit shorter) and weighing around 45 pounds. Their short, thick fur ranges from black to tan. The totwimi face is almost entirely human in shape, except for their large, leaf-shaped ears and overly-large canine teeth. Totwimi longhair is identical in color to their fur. It grows rapidly and tends to be straight or wavy. Totwimi do not have especially long facial hair, though the men have much longer sideburns than females. Lastly, totwimi possess thin tails at the base of their spines which help with swimming and balance. Totwimi tails average at about eighteen inches.

The word totwimi in Morimikan means 'son/daughter of Twimi.' Other omaku often casually refer to the totwimi simply as 'twimi' though this is mildly derogatory.

The Kyal-Yabazu Nobanu are home to the 'morimkian totwimi' which are the most common. These totwimi can be found in most ports and riverside towns, especially along the Kunoviera. Not surprisingly, morimikan totwimi speak Morimikan. In southernmost Kimuk, there live a separate group of totwimi and totwimi-niyam crossbreeds called the minayans. Minayans are biologically totwimi, but are held separate by nearly everyone. Minayans speak Yamini.[/ic]

Glossary: U through Z
[ic Wusodu Wumozuki](woo-SOE-doo woomoe-ZOO-kee)

A small totwimi port in the Kyal-Yabazu Nobanu. Wusodu Wumozuki translates from Morimikan to The Port of Mirrored Waters. It draws this name from the high concentration of bashozuku on it's beaches and the effect of viewing it through the shallow water surrounding the island.

Wusodu Wumozuki's exports are bashozuku and obsidian, though most wealth is obtained from the services provided to ships and sailors who stop at the port. Niyam savages are major antagonists to the settlement.[/ic]

[ooc]List of pending bestiary entries:

Balakae
* Olumai (wolfbat)
* Kianae
* Lakurae
* Adauran
* Uladae (fish)
* Kyalotwae (fish)
* Joshitwae (fish)
* Zihadae (fish)
* Abrax
* Yatwae
* Kinmathae (see Hawln)
* Hawln
* Shatajulu (tree)
* Bashozuku (glitter sand)
* Bashisini (sand flower)
* Hizashudatae (hissing spiderclaw)
* Kabratu (tree)
* Sikasae (screamer bird)
* Wythul (tree)
* Thesilin (tree serpent)
* Yelan Plant
* Amyth Plant
* Shakinu (Seaweed)
* Lilik
* Ghaluth (Gargantuan Vine)

[/ooc]

Bestiary: A through F

Bestiary: G through L
[ic Karythak]Another name for jhokaigul, used by the niyam of the Kyal-Yabazu Nobanu.[/ic]
[ic Kokylu]The name islander niyam use to refer to zihadae.[/ic]
[ic Kulu]The kulu is a quadrupedal animal that most closely resembles a deer or antelope. It's fur is a very dark blue-grey, with the exception of a white crescent shaped mark on it's brow that's points curve over the kulu's eyes. The kulu may share a generally deer-like body, but it's three-toed feet and long, cat-like tail give it a more predatory appearance. Two jet-black horns shoot up from over the kulu's eyes, long and curved like that of a sable antelope. At the shoulder, the average kulu stands eight feet tall, granting an additional three feet to the top of the horn. Kulu can climb, in dire need, but prefer to leap away at high speeds. Kulu males are identical to females except for a mane of black hair around their neck, not anywhere near that of a lion, but still noticeable.

Despite their big size, kulu are entirely herbivorous and can be quite friendly when tamed. As nocturnal animals, kulu have amazingly good senses of smell and hearing and can see quite well, even in starlit jungle. The kulu's nose is especially powerful, and niyam of the shadowlands often keep kulu as alarms to alert them to the presence of other beasts. Though kulu are both docile and large enough to carry a person, they move by bounding and leaping and any rider will quickly fall off in the calmest of situations. Kulu make no cry, though as children they can make a clicking noise with their tongue to call for help.

Kulu are plentiful on Kyal-Yobazu Nobanu, as well as all of southern Tobinu. Kulu are one of the few natual creatures to thrive in the shadowlands, though it is unknown where they find food or water. Kulu are also found, with less frequency, on the slopes of the Tobinu Crags, where they rarely grow to more than six feet.

Though they do not move as a group, kulu form herds which stay generally near one-another. During the day, kulu find a sequestered spot and congregate to rest. The number of individuals in the group helps ensure safety, and kulu can wake instantly at a single whiff of a hostile scent, alerting their kin. The kulu is a favorite game animal wherever it is found, though males in heat easily go berserk and try to gore hunters. The horns and pelts of the great animals are quite valuable, and a single kulu can provide for an entire tribe of omaku. In Melseh Ubau, nobles will often arrange great hunts for the animals, driving them again and again from their sleep until they can be caught unaware.

In legends, kulu represent wisdom and benevolence. Kulu are also typically associated with Phsaen and with the moon. The niyam tell of how Matal, their ancient king and father, was carried to safety as an infant by a kulu to the shadowy corner of the world. Many Tobinu cultures also tell of Takuba, an ethereal kulu with two heads and golden eyes. Takuba's right head is said to see nothing but the past, while the left sees nothing but the future. In the vuun story of their great pilgrimage to the southlands, they say that their leader, Val-Okk, found the true path for his people by receiving the council of Takuba upon Aitaix Mountain.

Kulu spirit-magic gives speed and enhanced senses and can be warped into causing fatigue and weak bones.

[spoiler My Cruddy Picture](//../../e107_files/public/1184776987_9_FT33185_kulu_color_.jpg)
[spoiler B&W](//../../e107_files/public/1184777028_9_FT33185_kulu_bw_.jpg)[/spoiler][/spoiler][/ic]
[ic Kyalazae]The Morimikan name for Unikaal[/ic]

Bestiary: M through Q
[ic Nyni]The name for bashisini in the language of the islander niyam.[/ic]

Bestiary: R through T
[ic Rys]The name for tawinae that is used by the niyam of the Nistha Pha (Kyal-Yabazu Nobanu).[/ic]
[ic Teyan]Name for Kulu in the tongue of the niyam of Kyal-Yabazu Nobanu.[/ic]

Bestiary: U through Z
[ic Unikaal]The unikaal I've given the English name 'fire serpents,' though they evoke a much more draconic feel. Imagine a snake roughly four feet long covered with rough, thick scales colored like red brick with black splotches, now add 24 pairs of centipede-like legs along it's body and two huge bat-like wings spanning over six feet on it's back. Unlike the centipede, an unikaal's legs are supported by an internal skeleton, but they still end in a single tiny claw, rather than foot. The unikaal's wings are supported by two pairs of "limbs" which leave the spine shortly after the skull and again halfway down the body. Each limb has a number of fingers, like a bat, and the unikaal's skin is stretched between them. Unlike a bat, the unikaal lacks the muscle mass to gain altitude, and is limited to gliding down from trees or rock ledges. The unikaal's head is blunt and covered by the same stiff, dull scales. Within two sunken pits rest the unikaal's slitted, red eyes, ever hungry and unblinking. The unikaal, unlike a snake, does not have the power to unhinge it's jaw, and it's mouth is filled with small, serrated teeth rather than fangs. The unikaal are related to the larger thelisin of Lun, though their wings and mystery hold them apart. Unikaal gender is indistinguishable.

The feeding habits of the unikaal are as fantastic as their physiology. Carnivorous, the unikaal's many legs give them supreme agility when hunting prey and their tough bodies are built for combat with large animals. Amazingly, the unikaal is a pack animal. Congregating in swarms consisting of four to twenty individuals, the unikaal will lurk upon a precipice or within the upper canopy of jungle trees and wait for a large animal to pass by before swooping en masse to kill the larger animal. Cold blooded and capable of waiting extreme periods of time between meals, unikaal hunt whenever there is available food, day or night. Only able to see motion and lacking eyelids, unikaal have even been known to spot prey while asleep. Even more fantastic is the unikaal's primary means of attack. While swooping, the unikaal will belch up a stored pocket of gas and exhale quickly while generating a tiny spark with an organ at the end of their tongue producing a stream of concentrated flame that lasts around four seconds and can reach two feet in length. This rapid exhalation is almost always accompanied by a horrifically loud screech. The entire colony will thus glide in from above and breathe fire upon the startled animal before landing on or around it and biting at it's face or burrowing into it's belly.

Unikaal, being highly social, are surprisingly intelligent and can communicate with a whisper-like hissing or, during mating season, by screaming. Happy to attack omaku, even in small groups, the worst sound to hear in the jungle in the low hissing of an unseen swarm of unikaal about to swoop.

Unikaal are only found on the Kyal-Yabazu Nobanu.

Despised as terrors by the totwimi and jachkamital, the unikaal are sacred to the niyam of the islands. According to their high-priestesses, the unikaal will not attack those who are pure of heart, body and mind, and those who have been made into priestesses seem to be able to control unikaal swarms through force of will.

After the jachkamital surrendered and became part of Melseh Ubau, ubin nobles have occasionally taken special trips out to the isles to hunt the monsters. Most never do so again. Because of this, the unikaal pelt as a status symbol fetches a very high price on the imperial market. The liver of an unikaal is also said to heal heartburn and it's blood can be mixed into a poultice to heal burns.

Unikaal spirit-magic gives protection from fire and can be warped into causing sores and blisters.

Unikaal, in the niyam tongue, means Fire-Monster.[/ic]
[ic Wakabae]Morimikan name for Kulu.[/ic]

[spoiler Old post][ic What to Expect]Phaedorás is a world that is both totally strange and strangely familiar. It is an alien world, one with new plants and animals, new stars and new languages. This is a world where there are no elves, dwarves, orcs, or men, but instead, Phaedorás is populated by a single, yet incredibly diverse people called omaku. Omaku are broken down into seven known bloodlines and five patron fey, called animas.

Bloodlines:

Ala
*Ix
*Kin
*Rone
*Shien
*Ord
*Vlas

Animas:

Terifazun
*Gor
*Khovas
*Jhasi
*Phsaen

The combination of anima and bloodline determines the general appearance and personality of omaku, though specifics depend on heritage and a large degree of chance. All omaku do, however appear more or less bestial, as though they were animals who became like men.

Now, the omaku of Phaedorás live much as humans do, though culture and technology is very different. The known world, at this point in time resembles the early bronze age, though certain areas are more advanced than others. The dominant weapon is the spear and most people belong to a tribe or village which lives off the land.

Wherever you are in Phaedorás, there is always a sense of natural beauty. The land is filled with strange and wondrous things, waiting to be discovered, though one must always be wary of the massive beasts that roam the wilds. Monsters are rare, but dangerous and demons even more so. Only the greatest warriors dare face such terrors, and their feats live on in legends.

Though Phaedorás is a world imbued with an inherent magic, the omaku cannot wield any magic themselves. Instead, omaku spiritcallers contact that which cannot be seen to make miracles occur when needed. Some even whisper of dark shadowbinders who draw their power from the great beyond, and some mighty warriors boast arcane relics from the ancient time when the elder ones walked the earth.

Whether you are a great hunter, warrior, trickster, spiritcaller or wanderer -- Phaedorás awaits![/ic]
[spoiler Marks of Omaku]Blood
Thought
Change
Roads
Death
Leadership
Fury[/spoiler] [/spoiler]

[spoiler Old Post][ic The Totwimi]All things must have a beginning, and thus my tale of Phaedorás begins on a tropical island, or more specifically a small village thereon, called by it's inhabitants Wusodu Wumozuki, which, in English translates to "The Port of Mirrored Waters." The tropical island in question is but one of a hundred tiny volcanic islands in an enormous chain called the Kyal-Yabazu Nobanu, and like many others in this chain, Wusodu Wumozuki serves as a place where ships and boats might make safe harbor to rest, restock on supplies or dodge storms. The omaku of the port, and all ships in the area call themselves the Totwimi, and are masters of the seas.

The totwimi are a small people, usually standing around three and one-half feet in height (females a bit shorter) and weighing around 45 pounds. At first glance one might appear human, but up close their bodies are clearly covered with a very short, but thick, fur ranging from black to tan. Like other omaku of their kind, the totwimi face is almost entirely human in shape, except for their large, pointed ears shaped like bay-leaves and their overly-large canine teeth. Despite their fur, totwimi have a full head of hair, identical in color to their fur, which grows rapidly and tends to be straight or wavy. Totwimi do not have especially long facial hair, though the men have much longer sideburns than females. Lastly, totwimi possess thin tails at the base of their spines which help with swimming and balance. Totwimi tails average at about eighteen inches.

Omaku, unlike men, are particularly prone to physical mutation and appearance is quite fickle even within a single family. Particularly, eye color is very diverse, branching all over the spectrum and even including black. Totwimi eye color is usually a bright blue, green or yellow, but anything is possible. Other mutations that are common for the totwimi include fangs, extended claws (most totwimi have thick and sharp fingernails), and webbed fingers/toes.

When it comes to skill, the totwimi are near-unsurpassed in their sense of balance, climbing ability and mastery of swimming. Some claim that there is something in the totwimi blood that enhances their acrobatic ability, but it is more likely the result of their upbringing. All totwimi children, according to ancient cultural traditions, must be born on the waves and spend their first two years off life never putting foot on solid ground. During young childhood, totwimi are allowed on land for short periods, but their home must always be the waters of Kamawuni, the sea-mother. During this time, children play at being sailors, scurrying up and down the rigging and swimming for long periods when anchor is weighed. Thus, by the age of 9, when totwimi come of age, both genders will have an intimate knowledge of the seas and of shipcraft.

Despite their wishes to the contrary, the totwimi cannot stay out at sea for long. Though their vessels are perhaps more advanced than anything else on the face of Phaedorás, a storm, disease or shortage of fresh water is all it takes to cripple or destroy a ship. Because of this, ports like Wusodu Wumozuki exist wherever the totwimi sail, waiting to provide visitors with whatever they need in exchange for valuable goods from afar. The Port of Mirrored Waters itself is composed of two main areas, the dockside and the village proper. The dockside is composed of a wooden pier, a lighthouse and a palisade, all built from Shatajulu, a tree native to Kyal-Yabazu Nobanu. The coastline around the Wusodu Wumozuki dock is covered and made of a large quantity of glitter-sand (bashozuku), the result of decades of sand-flowers (bashisini), a crustacean with a highly iridescent shell, making their home on the beach. For at least thirty feet, the waters around the dock are remarkably shallow, and when the sun is overhead, the reflective beach shines out like a beacon. At night, a magnificent fire is built in the lighthouse to signal to incoming ships.[/ic][ic The Niyam and the Anima]The village center is also protected by a large palisade and a deforested stretch of road is maintained to the waterside. At night, sentries are posted all around the wall, for the totwimi are not alone on the island. Night is home to many terrors, but the most fearsome are undoubtedly the savage niyam who call the islands of Kyal-Yabazu Nobanu their home. Beings of shadow and evil, the niyam are indeed a form of omaku, though perhaps they deserve to be discounted. The niyam are found across Phaedorás, but on the isles they have become even more twisted and soulless. The light burns the niyam of the isles, so they make their homes in shadow and only travel by night. Each of their eyes glows pure white like Phaedorás' earth-like moon and it is said that they can see in absolute darkness. Wherever the niyam exist on the isles, they wage war on the totwimi without provocation or warning, killing indiscriminately and leaving a wake of blood.

Thus it is that the totwimi of the isles never truly feel at peace. Even on nights without conflict there is an eerie sense of evil pounding out from the darkest heart of each island and come daybreak, signs of the savages can be seen in the surrounding woods. In faraway lands, where the niyam are more civilized and good, the totwimi even trade with them, though always with a hand on the knife, for the dark ones have been an enemy of the light since the ancient days. Each omaku, you see, belongs to an anima, a great and powerful spirit from the beginning of time. And so, while the totwimi belong to Khovas, the anima of the winds, the niyam were ever the favorite children of Phsaen, the moon spirit, master of treachery.

Khovas, to the totwimi is more than just a mighty anima, he is the bringer of the tradewinds, master of tides and maker of storms. In the age of spirits, it is said that he gave the totwimi sails so they might explore the world in his name. When he is angry, no people suffer more than the they who live upon the waters, and thus he is often the recipient of sacrifices and offerings. Khovas is their patron, but the totwimi pay equal respect to the ocean-mother and her children, for that is where life began.[/ic][ic The First Omaku]The totwimi say that in the time before time, when the elder race did rule, Kamawuni, the ocean-mother did weep, for the elders ruled with fire and stone and did not love her. The spirits of the world heard Kamawuni's songs of pain and came to her together. Each of them, wishing Kamawuni nothing but happiness, gave up a part of their essence to her and said to use their gift to create children who would know and love her. And so, from her body came Loihu, the first of the omaku and his wife Linui. Kamawuni was overjoyed and she brought her children to the spirits so that they might see the wonder of their gift made flesh. The spirits were pleased and they blessed Loihu and Linui with the power of creation so that they might one day rival the elders. For years, the ocean protected and loved her children and they were happy. Loihu and Linui had seven children, which would become the seven major bloodlines of the omaku.[/ic][ic Kin, the Trickster]Kin, the youngest son of Loihu, was his father's pride and joy. Ever clever, Kin was the first to make music by hollowing out a rin reed and turning it into a flute. Kin, however was very envious of his siblings, especially Rone, who was the oldest boy. One evening when he was feeling especially angry, he formulated a plan to trick Rone and all his siblings and show them that he was the most clever of all. That night he ventured out into the jungle and collected a hizashudatae, a terrible spider-like animal which gave off a loud hiss when it upset. Sneaking back to the coast where his family slept, Kin released the hizashudatae right next to his sister Ala and hid behind a boulder. When the beast began to hiss, Ala awoke and gave off the loudest scream ever heard. It is said that after that night, the fear stayed with her and she could never speak in a low voice again. Kin's plan, however, was working perfectly. Reaching up, Kin snatched the scream out of the air and trapped it inside the shell of a kabratu nut. Later, when things had returned to normal, Kin journeyed once more into the jungle and found a sikasae, an animal similar to a four-legged bird and he told that sikasae that if it helped him, he would give it a voice. Kin then took the sikasae deep, deep into the woods and into a cave and fed it the kabratu nut that contained Ala's scream. Giving the sikasae a piece of vine, Kin instructed it to call out when it felt a tug. Running back to his family, Kin was overjoyed to see that his parents had left to go swim and had left Rone to take care of things. Kin then sweetly approached his sister Ala and said to her.

"Dear sister, I know how much that hizashudatae must have scared you last night and so I made a present for you to help you feel safe again. It's out in the jungle, won't you come see?" Thus, he led his sister away from the camp and to a little grove where a necklace of shells that he had made lay suspended by a single vine. When Ala went to take the necklace she pulled on the vine that was held by the sikasae so far away and it, so very impatient to try its voice, let out a terrible scream identical to that of a terrified Ala. Rone, back on the beach heard the scream and ran out into the jungle to search for what he thought was his sister. Meanwhile, Kin acted as though he had no idea what was going on and suggested that Ala go out into the jungle and find the source of the scream, as Rone was sure to have gone looking for it too. Ala foolishly trusted in Kin's advice and when she set off, he ran back to camp and began to steal all of the food. Wouldn't Rone look foolish when he returned with nothing and all the food was gone. Kin would then simply find the food himself and become a hero!

Alas, as he was busy piling up all the meats and fruits of his family, his sister Vlas came out from the foliage and said. "Oh brother, you think yourself so clever having tricked Rone. But I did see you walk off with Ala and I am no fool. You seek happiness by defeating others, but always will that make you more angry." Well Kin certainly did feel angry, for he had worked very hard to make this plan work and Vlas has ruined it all! In his anger he rushed forward and shoved Vlas into the sea, where she was quickly pulled down by the weight of her clothing. Kin watched her sink and did not move to help her, but her grandmother, Kamawuni, did feel her drowning and sent Loihu on one of her waves back to the camp to help. When his father returned, he found Kin stealing the camp's food. Furious, Loihu disowned his son and cast him into the jungle as an exile. Poor Vlas, however, remained trapped at the bottom of the sea where she was quickly dying. With all her strength, Kamawuni imbued Vlas with the essence of the fish so that she might live. And so, Vlas returned to the surface and found she could not live outside the embrace of her grandmother. Foreverafter Vlas' entire bloodline has been bound to the seas, rarely interacting with the other omaku.[/ic][/spoiler]

[spoiler Old Post][ic Kin, the Outcast]But what of Kin? After his exile, Kin traveled the world and had many adventures. It is said that while he was away he grew lonely and gave a bit of his voice to each animal 'till at last he could speak in nothing but whispers. Tales also tell of how he learned to talk with each living thing and how he taught the first balakae (a small primate-like animal) how to steal and hide.

It is even told that once, when Kin was out in the jungle looking for food he was caught by an elder. Kin begged to be let go, but the elder could not hear him and instead placed him in a gigantic prison made of clearest crystal. Despite all his skill and wit, he could not escape. After a while, the elder left and Kin began to get hungry. From his pack he took his flute and began to play. After a short while a kianae (a blue and green bird-like animal similar to a sikasae) landed on the edge of the prison to listen to him play. Kin called the kianae down to him and said to it "My, your plumage is beautiful. Surely you must be the second most beautiful creature in the world!"

The kianae, like all its kin, was ever proud and vain and so to hear that Kin thought it the second most beautiful creature was an unbearable agony. Kin knew how the kianae would react, of course, and so he said soothingly "Oh, I'm sorry! I could be mistaken you know. It's just that I was sure that the lakurae who ride atop the adautran had the most beautiful feathers of all." Now, the lakurae is an ugly thing with soot-black feathers and mottled-red skin, the kianae became even more indignant that anyone could think a lakurae was more beautiful that it. "We could always go compare you to a lakurae, of course." said Kin with a smile. "But, alas! I am trapped here and will surely die." The kianae was small and had no hope of freeing Kin, but it decided that if he couldn't leave, it would go and bring a lakurae to him. Before long, the kianae returned with an adautran carrying two lakurae, each of them fighting over a fire-beetle they had found on their mount. Now in these days, adautran, quadrupedal animals with leathery skin and large, round feet, were not gigantic, but were still strong and tough. Kin said to the kianae "Oh, how wrong I was! You are by far the most beautiful creature. Just to be sure though... could you tell the adautran to come closer so that my weak eyes might see better."

As the adautran came closer, Kin greeted it and made a proposition. "I see how strong and mighty you are, old one, but you are not yet the biggest beast. You are wise and mighty and I cannot trick you, so I must offer you a trade. I come from a strong and mighty family and each of my brothers has grown up to be healthy and tall, and yet I myself have not yet grown to my full height. If you free me from this cell, I will give you the size I am due, for I prefer to be small and inconspicuous." The audautran, pleased at this notion, charged the prison and shattered it with his mighty skull, freeing Kin. In a rare show of honesty, Kin gave up his strength and size to the adautran, which, even today, towers above all else. Kin then ran off into the jungle, never to be captured again by another living thing.[/ic][ic Twimi and Jamim]At many points on his adventures Kin met spirits and fey, but none could compare in his eyes to Elewi, the spirit of the breeze. Many times Kin met Elewi, and many times she escaped his grasp. Kin fell madly in love with her, but she was fickle and cared not for him. The only way Kin could ever charm her was through his music, but after each song, she would grow bored and fly off. Kin tried his flute, but he ran out of breath. He invented the drum, but soon grew tired. Frustrated, Kin invented the harp, which he loved most of all. Elewi was ever enchanted by its melody, but Kin could do nothing but watch her while his fingers moved over the strings. In a flash of genius one day, Kin constructed a pinwheel and attached a reed to it. Placing his harp behind the wheel, it would be plucked by the wind, freeing Kin. As Elewi approached the sound, Kin wooed her and made love to her in the forest. Afterwards, Kin slept to the sound of his harp, but Elewi was afraid, for she loved Kin, but had always fled his advances because she was promised to Karakuloe, the lord of thunder and snow. Fearing what her betrothed might do to Kin, Elewi stole Kin's whispering voice so that he might never tell and she ran to her father, Khovas, and begged him to transform Kin, so that he could never be found and she would not know temptation. Khovas agreed and transformed the trickster into a hundred kinmathae, a crystalline animal with a soft, white glow. Kin's dagger became the kinmathae's fierce stinger and when each awoke, they leaped into the air and began to float along, ever seeking Elewi. Even today, the kinmathae drift in Elewi's gentle caress, playing their own music on tiny harps and fearful of the harsh power of Karakuloe.

Kin never returned to his family, but his bloodline lived on, for Elewi bore twins within her womb and as much as she feared what might happen, Elewi loved Kin and kept her unborn children safe and hidden. Elewi, as the time of birth grew near, fled into the mountains and hid within a cave. She enlisted the help of her cousins, the spirits of snow to hide the cave and keep her safe. Unexpectedly, Elewi also received help from a great fire spirit named Jhoguza who opened a well to the center of the world which radiated light and kept her warm. Jhoduza also created the abrax from molten rock to guard Elewi and his well. Before long, Elewi gave birth to two sons whom she named Twimi and Jamim. The boys were as healthy as could be though they were small, like their father. Knowing that she could not raise the children with honor, Elewi thanked Jhoduza and her cousins and left her hideaway. On her way down the mountain, she saw a nest of baby olumai, bat-like creatures, because in those days the animals had not yet spread out across the world as they now have. Elewi, knowing the nobility and honesty of the olumai, placed her sons in the nest and blessed the family with all her power. Nearly as soon as she had gone, Karakuloe, who had been seeking his wife for months came across the nest. Karakuloe knew not why, but the babes held within sparked his anger and he picked up the nest and hurled it like a giant discus far into the sky. The nest sailed through the clouds and over the Kunoviera Sea all the way to the land of Kimuk. The blessing of Elewi kept the nest and both babes from immediate harm, but during the nest's flight Twimi fell and splashed into the water. Jamim landed safely with the family of Olumai, but this story concerns the life of Twimi, though the waves of the seas threatened to bring him to an early death. Luck would have it, however, that a school of yatwae was in the area and the kind creatures rescued Twimi and taught him to swim. Knowing that he was of omaku, the yatwae carried Twimi for weeks on a great journey back to the homeland of his people. On the way, they taught him how to fish and how to dive, but most importantly, they taught him how to love the sea.

At long last, the son of Kin was brought to Loihu, and a great feast was made to thank the yatwae for their deed. Twimi was raised among his aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins, but always his mind stayed on the sea and it was he who built the first raft and learned to master the waves. At his coming of age, Twimi was told of his father and the crime he had committed. As an adult, the first act of Twimi was to apologize to Ala and her children, then to his uncles and their descendants. Finally, Twimi apologized to Vlas and to Kamawuni, whom he loved dearly and as a show of his devotion, he cut his right hand across the palm and let his blood return to the waters where it began.[/ic][/spoiler]

[spoiler Old Post][ic Totwimi Custom]The legends of Kin are famous far and wide, but the age of spirits is long gone and such myths are left by the fireside when real work is to be done. Despite their fantastic nature, however, such stories are important to the totwimi and certain traditions echo the tales of the old days. Totwimi children are encouraged to learn to swim before they learn to walk, for example, as Twimi did. Yatwae are sacred animals to the totwimi and it is customary for each person to cut their right hand and let the blood return to the water each time a yatwa pack is seen following a ship.

In regards to totwimi culture, no ideology is more unique to the totwimi than the belief that the soul of a being is retained within the being's body. What this means is that the totwimi believe that after a person dies, their body continues to be the house for their soul, even though their life force is gone. If the body is destroyed by fire or rot, the soul is freed and travels to the spiritworld, but if the body is eaten than the soul becomes one with whatever consumed the body and lives on with the host. Unlike many people - though not entirely alone in their belief - the totwimi generally do not believe the spirtworld to be a wonderful place, nor do they believe in any afterlife. Instead, spirits of the dead are said to live a half-life like that of an eternal dream and eventually fade into nothingness. Shamans, those who can contact the spiritworld, are uncommon amongst the totwimi and usually have a better opinion of the spiritworld, though they rarely deny the idea that that which consumes becomes, for no totwimi who has been eaten after death has ever been found by a shaman.

Because of their ideals, the totwimi eat the dead; they are cannibals. The soul of the dead is said to have healing powers and as it lives on in he who consumes it, there is much fuss made over the rights to the bodies of the slain. Totwimi killed in battle always belong to their slayer, and it is not uncommon for great totwimi warriors to have large feasts after battle, eating the hearts of each foe. Totwimi that die of natural causes are given to their families, with the best portions given to the eldest. Totwimi that die of disease are "fed to Kamawuni" and tossed into the ocean. When a warrior wishes to make peace with the family of his opponent, as well as other situations, the body of the slain is shared between one or more parties. The heart is said to be the best portion, followed by the brain and then the liver. Excess portions, or those which are unfit for consumption are thrown overboard. Though the cannibal nature of the totwimi is based on spirituality, it is not unknown for totwimi to develop a craving for the flesh of others. A strong social stigma surrounds those who get into duels or other fights to the death just to taste the flesh of another omaku.[/ic][ic Totwimi Society]The totwimi live and die on the waves. Totwimi ships are often praised for their amazing design and size because to the totwimi each ship is a home. The totwimi have many different kinds of vessels, though most fit a general mold of cargo, fishing and transport. Other races are often amazed to see children, mothers, elders and cripples on board ships, and even more shocked to note the sheer versatility involved on a vessel. Ropes are woven onboard and nets are mended. All totwimi sleep in hammocks composed of extra netting, usually in spaces which can be converted into cargo holds. Each ship usually boasts an internal kitchen where caught fish and seabirds are cooked and prepared. Eku, a cotton-like substance, grows on the Kyal-Yabazu Nobanu (island chain), and it is often woven on-board into clothing and sails. The deck of most totwimi ships is surrounded by a ring of wooden spikes, which can support cloth which catches rainwater. Despite all of this, totwimi ships are also prized for their speed and are usually the fastest way to travel.

The crew of a totwimi ship share a bond which could only be described as family. Although hereditary family structures exist, for most part a totwimi's family is her crew. The captain of a ship is always the most respected member of the crew, and in most cases will give up their position if they lack the support. Marriage is prohibited within a ship with one exception, each time a totwimi ship boards another under peace, an exchange of crew is made. The youngest non-married  female adult from the boarding ship (with the exception of the captain) is traded for the youngest non-married male adult on the receiving ship (also unless it's the captain). The traded individuals undergo a short ceremony and are forever after treated as siblings. A totwimi traded in this way is expected (not forced) to marry on their new ship to cement their new relationship.

Disputes and crimes are settled and enforced by the captain of a ship. In most cases the family-like nature of a crew prevents anything too harsh from occurring, but when certain lines are crossed, totwimi punishment is severe, usually involving mutilation or death. The totwimi are a fierce people who love with a passion. As an alternative to captain-mediated conflicts, many young totwimi are beginning to solve their disputes with duels, sometimes to the death. These duels have mixed reactions from elders, and some captains even encourage it. Even more violent is the emerging concept of vendetta, a tactic rarely used except between ships. A totwimi who declares vendetta is swearing to enact vengance, often murder, on the target and their family. Vendettas have quickly led into brutal feuds, and ship-to-ship combat is not unknown in the south seas.

Totwimi settlements behave similarly to ships. In most cases, a town is treated like a ship, in that all citizens belong to the same "crew" which is led by a captain (mayor). The major exception to this equivalence is that totwimi within a town may come or go as they please and may marry whomever they choose as long as they have no blood relation. When a ship docks at a port, there is no exchange, but rather any individual seeking to leave the ship for good must have the blessing of the captain, as does any individual seeking to become part of the crew. Large ports or cities are usually composed of a collection of "ships," each with their own leader. The captains usually come together to make political decisions regarding the town, but there is no legal bond between them. This chaotic free-for-all often scares leaders from other cities, as the consent of one captain might mean nothing in the eyes of another.[/ic][ic Totwimi Fashion]Living in an almost universally coastal and tropical region, the totwimi of Wusodu Wumozuki and other ports and ships enjoy clothing which is open and reduces heat. Bright colors, especially white, dominate totwimi dress and all clothing is made from woven eku, the same fabric used to make their sails. Light skirts and draw-string pants with wide legs are common on land, but out at sea the most common form of dress is the saralu, a tight-fitting piece resembling cycling shorts or some forms of bathing suits. The saralu is preferred by both genders for the freedom it gives the legs and the lack of resistance while swimming. Upper body wear usually consists of a yawazu, a large, sleeveless shirt with buttons all the way up that resembles a loose, over-sized vest. Totwimi do not wear shoes as a general rule, though hats, caps and bandannas are very common. Hats often have wide brims and resemble sombreros or tricorn hats and are usually made of straw or rin.

The totwimi of the isles typically enjoy wearing their hair in dreadlocks or braids. Rings of precious metal are often woven into the hair as a sign of wealth. Warriors occasionally cut their longhair short, though not as often as in other cultures. Piercings are particularly common on the islands. The totwimi love to flaunt their wealth, so the flashier the better. Both genders of totwimi will collect earrings and nose-rings, though only females get lip-rings.[/ic][/spoiler]

[spoiler Old Post][ic Piracy and the Covenant]The totwimi are everywhere. Without a doubt, they can be found in nearly every major coastal or river city in the world. With this proliferation comes increased opportunity to make a profit off of the isolated nature of other races, and the totwimi are quite good at it. While a good number of ships stay near home ports, fishing and whatnot, the majority of totwimi vessels sail the seas looking for routes to sell news or information, trade with natives and transport wealthy individuals. A good number of totwimi captains have made their riches as merchant lords, commanding wealth and power beyond their station. But with plump coffers come greedy ne'er-do-wells, and in the case of the totwimi -- pirates.

Outlaws of the seas, pirates began to spring up in large numbers about fifty years ago, roughly a dozen years after the rise of the Kaluku dynasty in Melseh Ubau. Lacking any sort of unified government or navy, the first merchant ships were caught quite unprepared. Each ship had guards, of course, but attack on the open sea was something altogether new to the totwimi people, something more akin to war. Fearing for their lives, the greatest merchant lords of the Kunoviera joined together to form the Safe-Trade Covenant. All known pirates were added to a great list which soon became known as the Scroll of Ghosts and the Covenant offered a running bounty for the heads and ships of those on the scroll. This sparked the birth of a hundred new pirate hunters, determined to snatch up the Covenant's riches as well as those of their prey and go down in history in the process. Many pirate hunters, and often the best, were in fact, ex-pirates who managed to escape the scroll of ghosts. The punishment for piracy was decreed to be burning, dead or alive, and thus the spirits of slain pirates are said to haunt the world forever after, trapped in the nether. The battle between Covenant and pirate has been long and fierce and is still continuing even now. The high seas are a place of danger, even ignoring the storms and sea serpents.[/ic][ic Juzoe Toyakumoe]Battles have been fought and heroes, villains and scoundrels have come and gone over the years. Perhaps the most terrifying of whom was the infamous dread-pirate Juzoe Toyakumoe, who singlehandedly burnt thirty ships on the Bay of Bones and proceeded to sack the great city of Thitae. He even looted the great Covenant storehouse within the city, made off with the entire bounty held within and burnt the first Scroll of Ghosts. It is said that he went quite mad with the treasure and hid it somewhere on the Kyal-Yabazu Nobanu. When he was found, sailing alone over the waves, it became clear that the madness had driven him blind, yet he could sail better than any and managed to defeat seven opponents before being defeated and taken alive. Juzoe was best known for his grin, for he wore a set of false teeth made from various fangs of all lengths and it was said that his smile could frighten off both man and beast. When he was captured and taken before the Covenant's leaders to be burned alive, rumor has it that his false teeth came alive and chewed their way down his neck and ate his heart in front of his captors. The teeth thus became the vessel for his crazed soul in addition to whatever evil magic had possessed them to begin with and even now they rest within the Covenant's vaults, alive and deadly, waiting to be unleashed upon the world.[/ic][ic Warfare and Weapons of the Waves]Totwimi weaponry and tactics have changed greatly over the past half-century. Before the age of piracy, the totwimi were a relatively peaceful race with no experience in combat outside of small skirmishes. If threatened, the totwimi could easily flee to the ships and move to greener pastures. Even before ship-to-ship combat, however, the favored weapon of the totwimi was the sling. Light-weight and easy to come by, the sling is easy to wield even by the small of stature and the totwimi still favor it for hunting seabirds that stray too near a ship. Recently though, slings have been replaced by shortbows on combat vessels. The domain of naval-combat is one dominated by ranged weapons and the increased range and deadliness of the bow soon made it a mainstay. Flame can be also added to arrows to devastating effect, though it is rare to see such a tactic in practice due to the horrible loss of wealth should the enemy ship catch fire and sink.

Within the past few years there has been another major innovation in totwimi war. Ballistae have been developed and implemented on many ships to devastating effect. Manned by two to three sailors, totwimi ballistae resemble horizontal greatbows mounted on swivel-stands. After notching a bolt, two operators pull back on the cord using metal hooks, building up energy until both hooks are released. Because the hooks have a tendency to fly off when released, they are usually bound to the wrist of the operator by a rope. The ballista's increased range and power has dramatically increased the demand for tactical sailing, as closing into bow range with a ballista-bearing ship can mean the difference between life and death.

The backbone of mêlée combat for the totwimi has always been the longknife. Used as an everyday tool and an optimum dueling arm, the longknife is easily carried by anyone and has a multitude of uses. Totwimi warriors also occasionally learn to use throwing daggers for even more versatility. Hatchets and shortswords are also major choices for pirates or bounty hunters, though the main war-weapon of the totwimi is actually the flail. Originally developed as a means for breaking the shells of Zihadae, a huge crustacean, the first flails were nothing more than rock-filled bags on the end of ropes. In modern combat the flail can add much needed length and power to the totwimi arm. Shortspears and javelins do appear on totwimi ships, though neither have caught on, perhaps due to their unwieldy nature in close-combat situations like hallways or rope-nets.[/ic][/spoiler]

[spoiler Old Post][ic Yulosaza Waesu / Sebayet]The past century has been very, very important for the totwimi, and in fact, very important to Phaedorás as a whole. For you see, the modern date is nearly the centennial anniversary of the greatest technological jump in the history of omaku. In the old days, after the spirits faded from the world, omaku waged war with stone and wood, not metal. Gold, silver, roseflame and lead were all present, but even when people learned to craft them, only roseflame and silver were hard and light enough to shape into armors and none could hold an edge. Thus it was that for years uncounted, blades were brittle and spears ruled the world. Woodcraft was held back too, as saws would dull on the best wood and nails would bend or break. Then, 100 years ago, the stars did cry tears of silver flame and the world was changed forever. Over all of Phaedorás, both sea and land, the heavenly boulders did fall. Homes were destroyed and lives were lost, as, for three days and four nights, the endless torrent of flame turned the sky into a crimson haze. In the aftermath, the stones of white fire were found to hold a secret metal. Dark blue in color and dull in sheen, the metal was called many things by the many people who found it. The totwimi came to call it yulosaza waesu, but I will hereafter call it by it's Ubin name: sebayet, the star-metal.

In the years after the great event, omaku over the world learned to forge sebayet. Lighter weight than the heavy metals but stonger, harder and more brittle (the key component for edges), sebayet sparked a revolution in every technology from warfare to farming and quickly became the most desired material on the planet. Sebayet blades were in especially high demand and the art of sword-craft had it's genesis in the time of the great-grandfathers. Victors in battle would take the chipped and war-torn blades of their opponents as prizes and trade flourished, influencing the rise of the totwimi merchant lords. As the decades past, the once-plentiful star-metal became harder to find. Raw impact sites have become very rare, and prospectors of all bloodlines push the edges of maps and wander the wilds in hopes of stumbling upon a natural treasure trove. While much more common than gold or silver, sebayet has become a precious metal simply because of it's demand. A soldier's most prised possession is his blade, while the poor are reduced to spears and stone weapons. Despite it's near miraculous qualities, sebayet is not the end-all of metals. Even the most talented smiths have been unable to create a durable sword over 36" in length and sebayet armor is far too heavy and expensive to wear as plate.[/ic][/spoiler]

[spoiler Old Post][ic The Niyam]While the advent of sebayet sparked a rapid evolution in warfare, not all lands were effected by it's arrival. Elsewhere on the Kyal-Yobazu Nobanu, the savage niyam still fight today with obsidian, jade and flint spears and axes. What they lack in technology they make up for in demonic strength and speed. And on the darkest nights, from the top of the wall, the silver, glowing eyes of niyam warriors can be seen in the forest like tiny pairs of fallen stars.

Though the totwimi might fear the niyam as demons, their body structures are generally similar. Niyam stand approximately two feet above the sailor folk (5'6") and have a lean, tight-muscled frame built for speed and agility. The body of a niyam is covered with fur ranging anywhere in between white, black, red, gray, and tan, with stripes of contrasting color not uncommonly found along the limbs and spine. Niyam, like totwimi, have tails, though the tail of a niyam is stiff and semi-prehensile, aiding greatly in balance and acrobatics. Unlike other omaku, the hands and feet of the niyam are not tipped with hard, overlarge nails, but are instead home to thin, extendable claws, sharp as knives and long as the last digit of the finger. The niyam face is humanoid and are nearly identical in general shape to that of the totwimi, though male niyam lack sideburns. Niyam longhair (the hair on the scalp) is fast growing and almost always worn long and free. The niyam of the Kyal-Yobazu Nobanu also have one major facial characteristic which greatly distinguishes them - their glowing, silver eyes. The island niyam's eye is devoid pupil and takes on a uniform appearance like that of a mirror. When alive, the silver eyes glow with an internal starfire, granting the niyam a terrifying and supernatural visage. Possible niyam mutations include antlers, giant size, fangs and large, non-retractable claws.

Over Phaedorás the niyam are a common people, but only the niyam of the islands possess the eyes of silver flame and though all niyam are nocturnal, only the island niyam have the potential to see in absolute darkness. This ability is one of many that are part of "The Gift of Uyamim," an eldrich transformation that is done atop the volcanic crags upon infants during their first new moon. Tall tales of these arcane rituals are whispered among the totwimi, but the rite of passage is an important one for the niyam. But alas... before I continue with my tale of the islanders I must first tell of the days of old, when the niyam were not feared and hated as they are now.[/ic][ic The Moon Queen]Before the coming of the shadow, or even the end of the elders, the children of Loihu and Linui lived in harmony with the land and with each other. Rone, the eldest, was made chieftain when he came of age and was a just and kind leader. As the greatest of the omaku, Rone was given choice of any woman, fey or mortal, to be his wife. To cement the bond between omaku and spirt, Rone sought to marry an anima. But Rone in those days was young and proud, and when Phsaen, anima of the moon who would one day create the stars, was taken before him, her beauty was so great that he couldn't even notice Jhasi, her sister. Thus it was that Rone the mighty was wed to Phsaen, the Moon Queen. Rone however, as young as he was, was not foolish. Phsaen was ever at odds with Terifazun, anima of the sun and Lord of Day, and by marrying her he was risking losing the blessing of the mightiest of fey. So, on the night of their wedding, Rone swore an oath to give his first born child to Terifazun to become steward of the light. Though Terifazun was pleased, Phsaen was wroth and within her grew a seed of hatred for her husband, though she was a master of her emotions and kept her outrage in check.

All too soon Phsaen gave birth to a son - Matal. Phsaen's jealousy regarding Terifazun's splendor may have been the spark of the conflict, but at Matal's birth Phsaen found that her love was so great that she couldn't bear to even think about giving up her son. Knowing the powers of her husband and the Lord of Day, she covered her son with a cloak made of liquid night and sought to hide him until she could be with him. She then gave her babe to a kulu (wakabae in Morimikan), a giant stag-like animal, and told it to take Matal to the edge of the world and wait for her there. Some say that Phsaen then tried to kill her husband in his sleep but he had a warrior's senses and he disarmed and subdued her as she loomed over him. Others claim that Rone discovered her deed and beat her. Regardless, Rone locked her in a hollowed Wythul tree and summoned Terifazun to impose judgment. The Sun Lord looked down with fury upon the Moon Queen, but the law of the fey prevented him from harming another anima. Unable to touch the mother, he turned his wrath to the baby Matal and though he could not see through the cloak of night, he cursed the infant and stated that in his eyes Matal was nothing more than a beast, the bastard offspring between omaku and animal. When night fell and Terifazun lay down to rest, Phsaen turned into a moonbeam and sped across the land to the edge of the world. Matal had survived and was healthy, to her relief, and so she stayed and raised her child in secrecy, far from the other omaku.

Matal was healthy and strong and would sire the niyam race in his mother's shadow. The curse of Terifazun was never forgotten though, for the sun's light would awaken a hidden force within the niyam and transform them into mindless monsters unable to remember or feel anything. The niyam grew to hate day and all associated with it, and even after Matal's death, when they crept from the shadows to rejoin their kin, they swore to defeat the Sun Lord and his people whenever opportunity might arise.

After many years, the animas, along with all fey, were driven to their kingdoms in the spirit world, never again to return to Phaedorás. Phsaen, as much as she loved the niyam,  could not stay to watch over them, and so departed with a final blessing. Her children mourned her absence and made their way over the world to make lives of their own.[/ic][/spoiler]

[spoiler Old Post][ic Othipha Nikamyn]As the tribes of niyam settled the far corners of Phaedorás they were spread very thin, and soon became isolated from one another. In this isolation, new trends and ideas were born and many of the old ways were forgotten. Even Phsaen was eventually forgotten by many. Among those who had lost their way were the primitive tribes of the southern islands. While the totwimi explorers would later call the islands the Kyal-Yabazu Nobanu, the native name for the island chain was Nistha Pha, translated as The Spineland, for the niyam have a myth that a great beast of rock and fire sleeps beneath the waves, healing it's ancient wounds, and the islands are it's back.

In the days long before the totwimi cannibals and their massive ships arrived, there lived a young niyam girl called Othipha Nikamyn who was the only child of the great war chief Atphokaal. Enraged at his lack of male heirs, the mighty chieftain sought to sacrifice his daughter to the spirits to rid himself of his "curse." The young Othipha was brought to an ancient ruin atop Menthyn Volcano where a swarm of fire serpents (unikaal) made their nest. The ruin was made of the smoothest obsidian, as though it had been channeled into a mold, and as the young girl approached, she could see the burning eyes of the winged serpents watching her from the black pillars. Her captors drew back and prodded her with spears, forcing her into the lair. As she walked forward, however, the beasts could feel her pure heart, body, and mind and could not bring themselves to attack. Because of the serpents, none had ever ventured into the heart of the structure's cold, dark halls, but Othipha heard a song within and crept slowly deeper. In the center of the greatest hall it is said that she found a tablet with many strange runes of a forgotten tongue that danced upon it's surface and glowed like little creatures. As she approached, a spirit burst forth from the tablet, and though the spirits had gone long ago, this one stood with cool radiance, watching the daughter of Atphokaal. Somehow knowing the way, Othipha strode forward and the spirit placed it's hand on her head and cast into her mind a vision. Many great things were shown, not meant for the unpure, but when Othipha strode from the ruin, her eyes were filled with silver light and her voice was like the thunder. The fire serpents followed her, as though slaves to her will, and on her brow rested an obsidian circlet, adorned with diamonds as fine as stars. The warriors that had been sent to kill her turned and never looked back.

After two nights, Othipha returned to her father, though none could see the innocent girl she once was. Atphokaal was a warrior, and he faced her on open ground as her serpents coiled around her feet. Though he stood twice her height, his face held a look of fear that could not be hidden. When she spoke, it was as if the world spoke.

"You sought to kill me, father. But you have not done wrong. On the summit I was shown the truth of existence and the way of the goddess. Though I was once the little Othipha, I am no longer. I am Uyamim Ka Utherys (the voice of Uyamim), and my words are the will of she who is master of the stars, the moon and the flames of omaku. Though I could in an instant, I will not kill you, father. I will let you live and help you bring my word to all other tribes, for they must be shown the way." And with her final word, the many unikaal around her looked toward the starlit heavens and let forth their flaming breath so that none would challenge her power.[/ic][ic Uyamim Ka Utherys]Years passed and the tribe of Atphokaal became ever stronger, fueled by the intense zealotry and divine might of their new goddess. As one of her first miracles, Uyamim Ka Utherys transformed the waters of a mountain spring into liquid silver and commanded all the tribe to drink of them. The waters contained the gift of Uyamim, and all who drank of them gained the same glowing eyes that let them see as though it were day. In addition, the gift of Uyamim changed the threat of daylight. When a niyam is exposed to the sun's rays, he or she feels an itch which grows and grows until it becomes an unbearable force that wracks their body with pain and transforms them into a beast capable and willing of killing whatever companions or family are nearby. Those blessed with the gift, however, no longer suffered the threat of transformation, but instead are burned by the sun's rays, as though they were magnified ten times. Diseases and curses were also cured by the priestess, and even the few mighty shamans of Nistha Pha could not compete with the works of the goddess.

Tribe after tribe fell to the warriors of night, and with each new tribe, Uyamim Ka Utherys would pick a girl to be taken to the ruin which was now called Menthyn Temple to become another voice of the goddess. Some remained at the temple, guarding the sacred place with the help of the unikaal (serpents), but most were returned to their tribes to rule. Though their canoes paled in comparison to the shipcraft of the sailor folk, the niyam went between islands, slaying and converting those who clung to the old ways. It was found, in those years, that those spiritbinders who drank from the sacred waters could no longer feel the spirit realm or use any of their powers. The many Uyamim Ka Utherys denied the reality of such magics, claiming that the truth of the goddess was that such things were no more than tricks that the holy water revealed to be false.

Decades of rule under the Uyamim Ka Utherys brought the savage people into a new age of peace and enlightenment. Temples were built, with magnificent gardens and statues of the great goddess. On Menthyn, the sacred temple was surrounded by a great palace of stone, and many slaves were taken from conquered tribes to build and maintain the structure. At about the same time that niyam canoes made their way into the southwest and found the reptilian jachkamital, the first totwimi explorers landed upon the shores of Nistha Pha. Warriors were sent out to capture the outsiders, for it had been generations since other omaku had been seen. The prisoners, speaking in foreign tongues were taken to the Uyamim Ka Utherys, who commanded that the day-lovers were so impure that their very presence on the islands must be cleansed, and their unholy blood given back to the ground. The captured totwimi were beheaded and fed to the unikaal and it was declared that wherever these new people came, they would be taken before the statues of the goddess and sacrificed to her might. Canoes were sent out under the cover of darkness to bring these words to the many tribes and the preparations were made for war.[/ic][/spoiler]

[spoiler Old Post][ic Niyam Fashion on the Kyal-Yabazu Nobanu]Islander niyam have a number of different clothing styles, coving various social activities and genders. But during the day, where the sun's evil rays can cause third degree burns or even kill with prolonged exposure, there is little choice, so most commonly, those few niyam awake during the day wear a hadan, a long poncho-like garb with a  large hood and a pholur, a skirt for either gender that is tailored to just barely touch the ground. Both of these are usually made from eku, which the niyam call hysyt (heeseet). To prevent burns on the hands, elbow-length leather gloves are worn. Hysyt moccasins with leather soles are the most common shoe for all niyam, day and night, occasionally covering the ankle. Niyam clothing is usually gray or brown, preferring generally drab appearances.

During the night, the bulky necessity of day can be cast off, though some enjoy to wear pholur or hadan during the night as well. More typically, niyam males do not wear clothing on their upper bodies and will wear a half-length pholur on the legs. Those in roles of power, such as chieftains, will typically wear decorative sleeves held up with a necklace for social events. When preparing for war, niyam men eschew their pholur for a loincloth and typically add their gloves and leather breastplates or at least shoulder cops. Female niyam typically wear dresses, which are considered highly effeminate. Niyam dresses are typically secured by shoulder straps and come up right below the breasts. Dress length is variable, and depends much on station, age and marital status, with shorter dresses being allowed for girls, and young women.

The Uyamim Ka Utherys have their own specific fashion, and are never allowed in the daylight except in extreme cases of emergency. Priestess garb is always red, and is typically adorned with rubies, bloodstone, or unikaal scales. As Uyamim Ka Utherys are taken as virgins and never allowed to marry, their dresses are made so long that they trail on the ground. Their dresses are also made to cover the breasts and neck and always have an elaborate cape of a darker red that also drags on the ground. As part of their ceremony, the priestesses are given a circlet of polished obsidian which is never removed. Such circlets, or crowns or other like headgear are taboo on non-holy individuals. When traveling through the jungle, the cape and dress of a priestess is often carried by a handmaiden.

Jewelry, especially necklaces, though also including bracelets and anklets, is very popular among the niyam. As metalworking is unknown to them, beads of jade, obsidian, painted wood, or more commonly, shell, are staples for jewelry. Niyam hunters often wear teeth and claws of their triumphs, though they usually choose to leave noisy jewelry behind. Piercing is fairly uncommon, though the adornment of wooden spikes in the cheeks or nose is known.

Niyam wear their hair long and loose, even in battle, but hunters often tie it back with cord. The length and quality of someones hair is usually a good indicator of their lifestyle and is often a mark of pride.[/ic][/spoiler]

[spoiler Old Post][ic Women and Children]Children of niyam, as said earlier, are not born with the Gift of Uyamim, and are susceptible the to curse for the first few weeks they are alive. On the new moon, all newborns are taken to a high summit or temple and given the silver waters of the goddess as part of a great ceremony. After this, the babes are returned to their mothers with the blessing of Uyamim. Men are considered to have no place in raising a child, and are encouraged to forget any bonds that may exist naturally.

As children grow, they remain under the care of their mothers until age 10 for boys, or age 15 for girls. Boys are given a spear on their 120th new moon (as the niyam work from a lunar calendar), are exiled from the tribe and told not to return until they have some form of game animal. When they return, they offer the animal to the tribe chief (not priestess) and he is to be welcomed by the chief as a new man.

Even though men are encouraged to separate themselves from their children, marriage is a very important part of niyam society. Each man may have any number of wives, which in turn may have any number of children, but each woman may only have one husband. Women and children are not considered property, but they have fewer rights than men, and cannot legally leave a husband unless he disowns them. Girls are able to marry at age 10, but are still considered children, and no man may marry a child without the father's consent. At the age of 15, girls are given free will and are considered separate from their fathers, able to marry whomever they choose.

Unlike many cultures, niyam have very little in the way of incest taboo, and a man is perfectly able to marry his own daughter, even before she has the right to refuse. The only real way a woman or daughter has of becoming free, other than begging the father to release them, is to convince another man to marry them. Dueling is a reality on the isles (though none would compare it to the posing and leaping style of the totwimi) and when a man is defeated, all his wives and children are given to the victor. Thus, it is not unheard of for wives to tempt young men into challenging their husbands. Old men often simply give their wives when confronted, but more commonly, the two men will wrestle, for in a duel, no weapon is allowed save tooth and claw.

In addition to having very few personal freedoms, tribal law is very severe when punishing women. Adultery is particularly frowned upon, as it is considered unpure and evil. If a married woman is found unfaithful, she is punished by the holy fire of Uyamim's serpents, or simply being thrown into a firepit, neither of which is intended to be fatal. Women with burn scars are as good as widows, for their husband will almost always disown an unfaithful wife, and another marriage is very unlikely. Men caught sleeping with the wife of another man are at the husband's mercy, though punishment is usually mild, as the punished man still has the right to duel the husband, with victory allowing the punished man off the hook (as he is now considered the husband). A man caught sleeping with an unwed woman is simply forced to marry her and keep her for a year.

Much importance is placed on a girl's virginity, by both men and the church. Women who are virgins often have the last resort of seeking to become handmaidens of the Uyamim Ka Utherys, and virgin girls are considered much more attractive wives than those that have been married in the past.

As children, boys often form small gangs and practice wrestling and combat. Older boys who show skill are often taken aside by elders and shown advanced techniques, which cause them to become leaders of their packs. Even before they are given their fist spear, many boys watch and practice the art of bowmaking and spear making, in addition to archery and spear throwing. During the day, some boys have been known to play a nasty game where one person is held down and pushed slowly into the light feet-first. Those who are prisoners are forbidden from crying out to their mothers, for those who do are thought "weak" and lose major social rank, often being mocked for days or weeks. The "winners" of the game are often taken out of the light after only a fraction of a minute, though even that is usually enough to cause burns so bad that the skin peels and the child is left unable to walk.

Overall, children are taught the misogynistic, violent, old ways and the values of strength and toughness are etched into their personality. The priestesses are thought to generally disapprove of such barbarism, but refuses to antagonize it's followers, and instead limits its domain to war and justice, encouraging a fierce devotion to the one goddess.[/ic][ic Drugs, Diet and the worst drink in Phaedorás]Because neither the hunting and gathering niyam or the nomadic totwimi have taken the plunge into serious agriculture, neither of the cultures have a strong taste for alcohol. What little drugs the totwimi take are often taken with hot water, like tea and coffee, and are obtained through their extensive trade routes. The niyam, however, are partial to smoking, and have learned to enjoy the leaves of the yelan and amyth plants, both of which are only found on the isles. The niyam smoke amyth before battle to heighten their senses and bring them courage, while the yelan is smoked as a relaxant and aphrodisiac. Smoking yelan coats the mouth with a blackish pigment, and with repeated use can cause permanent discoloration of the tongue and gums.

Just as totwimi survive primarily on fish, the niyam eat mostly wild game. Teyan (Kulu) is a favorite, though rys (tawinae) is much more common and the tribal people will even eat karythak (jhokaigul). Wild berries and roots are often collected by women and children to supplement the meat. Occasionally, shellfish, including nyni (bashisini) and kokylu (zihadae). Before each meal, a portion of meat is thrown into the flames to show respect for Uyamim.

Totwimi may eat fish morning, noon, and night, but sickness soon sets in with such a forced diet. Seabirds are a welcome change of fare, as are any terrestrial animals traded at port, but to truly ward off disease, most totwimi trade for large quantities of dried seaweed (collected by totwimi ports), specifically shakinu, which is usually mixed with dishes, despite it's potently bitter taste. Some totwimi prefer to avoid shakinu in food, and instead drink down a concentrated dose of it each morning along with a large dose of spices to kill the taste. These drinks have become famous for their horrific flavor, and are occasionally served in the empire, with a raw bird's egg and a large portion of alcohol replacing the water, under the premise of being "exotic."[/ic][/spoiler]

[spoiler Old Post][ic The Wilds]Even though the united niyam tribes of the Nistha Pha have entered a new era of enlightenment and warfare, they are realistically nothing more than a horde of barbarians. The totwimi may fear them as monsters, but the true monsters are much worse. It is not unknown for a ship to dock at a port, only to find it decimated beyond mortal means, without a body to be found. By the moonlight, the natives listen to the sound of thunder that is not thunder that echoes from the darkest thickets and they give thanks to Uyamim for her protection. There are tales of dead omaku that walk again, and move like beasts, and legends say that within the hearts of the volcanoes live titanic demons of fire and rock, with wings of ash and an unsatable hunger for the living. Despite all that goes on, the wild is stronger than ever, constantly threatening to destroy all, regardless of bloodline or faction.[/ic][ic Thitae, the City of Sails]Two hundred miles from the Port of Mirrored Waters is a much more notable place, one that does it's best to bring civilization to these lands of savagery and beasts. On Nadatu, the biggest island in the Kyal-Yabazu Nobanu, the great city of Thitae was founded by totwimi explorers roughly ninety years ago, just after the falling of sebayet. These settlers were not driven by promises of riches, but are thought to have been exiles from Kimuk seeking a new home. On rafts and longboats, nearly nine-hundred totwimi, including family members, sought refuge on the big island. After seeing the dangers of the sea, the pioneers are said to have come together and made port in a large bay. Fantastically, the bay was found to be a graveyard, for the bones of colossal sea creatures were found in the waters and on the calm beaches. The bay was named Jakmatazu Zami, the Bay of Bones, and despite the eerie welcome, the harried settlers made camp on the edge of a mighty river. The city of Thitae, which means "Newcomer," soon became a center of trade in the south, as totwimi traders became more prolific and wealthy.

The ancient skeletons were quickly cleaned up and added to personal collections,  and almost a century later, Thitae, aptly nicknamed the City of Sails, is the largest pureblood totwimi city. Home to more than three thousand totwimi, the city is composed of twenty-two separate political groups, called latoe, each ruled by a captain. A citizen belongs to only one latoe (ship) and need heed no laws but those of his or her captain. This does not mean that the totwimi are given free reign to do what they will, however, as fewer laws mean quicker blades, and each man woman and child would be fool to walk about without a blade.

In the harbor, ships from every sea make port under the safety of the Covenant, for no sane pirate on the Scroll of Ghosts would dare sail within fifty miles of the home of the Covenant storehouse, the massive fortress that holds the Covenant's treasure. Within it's walls are said to be more artifacts, treasures and relics than could be held on a hundred ships, and none are allowed within the inner walls save the captains of the Covenant, each given a key to the vaults which they guard with their lives. The storehouse itself is akin to a castle made of wood and stone that perches on a hilltop in the center of town, and ringed by a circle of towering pillars. Any soul who sets foot on the lawn beyond the pillars without permission is shot down by unseen archers on the stronghold's walls.

The city itself is a much more joyous place that the somber seat of the Covenant. Games, drink and feasting is common within the city, day or night. With the unblinking eye of the Covenant and the massive stone wall that protects the town from the horrors of the jungles, the citizens and visitors of Thitae are gifted with a rare sense of safety. Trade flourishes on the docks, with hundreds of ships popping in and out with all manner of goods. Shipbuilding and carpentry are the city's biggest exports, and the demand for timber fuels an ever-escalating need to venture into the wild to feed the fire of trade.

Of course, with no overarching laws and a huge flux of trade, Thitae has more houses dedicated to the trading of illegal, stolen, or rare materials than anywhere else in the known world.[/ic][/spoiler]

[spoiler Old Post][ic Three Islands]The Kyal-Yabazu Nobanu is composed of hundreds of islands, but most are simply barren sandbars or hardened lavaflows. Three large islands form the basis of the island chain: Nadatu, Tulazu Nobanu and Erakamae. Of these, Nadatu is the largest, covering roughly twelve-thousand square miles (a bit larger than the combined area of Hawaii), it is thus aptly named "the giant" in Morimikan.

Smaller than the other two (about 1/3 the area of Nadatu) is Tulazu Nobanu, or "Fang-Island." Tulazu Nobanu is home to a single, colossal, active volcano usually called "the eternal fang" (Tulu maroets) that rises above the sea like a pillar to the heavens, easily breaking the clouds. Nearly three miles above sea level, it is one of the largest mountains in Phaedoras. The entire island is generally avoided as bad-luck, and no totwimi settlements exist there, possibly due to a large set of deadly reefs that encircle the island like a halo.

Furthest to the southwest is the island of Erakamae; the only island that is recognized as part of the Melseh Ubau empire. Erakamae, in Morimikan, means "Stranger," for it is home to the children of Shien or more specifically, the jachkamital. Though the island itself belongs to the empire, totwimi ships patrol it regularly and are relied upon for trade and transport. The jachkamital of Erakamae call their island Ulabul, which means "Homeland" in their language; Chkaj.[/ic][ic The Jachkamital]The jachkamital are an old people, older even than the empire. Cold and wise, they live by the simple maxim of "might through mind" and often intimidate outsiders with their reserved, calculating nature. The jachkamital are also the only known lorekeepers of the world, and other peoples travel from all across Phaedorás seeking their records and council.

Unlike the bloodlines of Kin or Rone, the children of Shien do not grow hair, but are instead covered in scales from head to toe. Some areas of the body, particularly the face and hands have smaller scales which resemble skin more closely, while other scale patches are rough and overlapping. Jachkamital are in fact part of a meta-bloodline called the ushaix (singular: ushai), which also includes roughly 95% of all imperial citizens. The ushaix are very humanoid, standing around five-and-a-half feet and having the same proportions of body. Totally hairless, ushaix are most different in their facial characteristics. The nose of an ushai is flat against the face, terminating in two semi-horizontal nostril slits. The ushaix posses the standard omaku ear; pointed, leaf-shaped and covered in very fine scales. Aside from the lack of hair or fur and the flattening of the nose, the face of an ushai resembles that of a typical omaku, with humanoid eyes and teeth (large canines). Ushaix have stiff, slender tails which usually extend about thirty inches from the base of the spine. Ushaix have a number of common mutations, including small size, fangs or claws. Scale color ranges from olive green to chartreuse to black and comes in many patterns.

The jachkamital enjoy a luxurious society built on slave labor and heavy importing. No known barbarians live on Ulabul, though it's difficult to tell, as imperial law forbids outsiders from traveling anywhere outside the main port city without permit. Ulabul itself is largely unexplored, with jachkamital civilization occupying the northwestern half. It's a strange fact for a society of explorers, spies and librarians, and rumor suggests that there exists some dark force on the southern portion which frightens them. It is this, they say, that keeps outsiders from landing outside of port, though any direct questions are ignored.

The only port city, Echmorak, is a city of secrets. Travelers from over the globe congregate under the imposed peace of the empire to buy information from the Liomarteh (Council of Mind), an elected body given the task of meeting with outsiders and selling them whatever secrets they desire... for the right price. The Liomarteh is also in charge of a vast network of spies and rangers called by many "The Web of Eyes" which collects data from all across Tobinu and major Kimukan cities, feeding it back to Ulabul by a number of routes. Information that is collected is sifted by the council and then transcribed onto rin papyrus. The scrolls are then sent from Echkmorak to the smaller city of Ouchkim which is located further up in the mountains. Ouchkim holds a great library, the only one on Phaedoras, which holds decades worth of records on every facet of life from around the globe. The library itself is maintained by an elite group of scribes called the Keepers of the Scrolls, and no others are ever allowed within the dusty halls. Last of the great jachkamital cities is Itspar, the City of Candles, which is home to a great field called Kalat-Kai, or "The Center." Each year, the jachkamital families of the island congregate on Kalat-Kai to debate politics and feast. During this time, the members of the Liomarteh are elected by popular vote and major political decisions are decided upon. Though the jachkamital of Ulabul have long since surrendered to the might of the empire, they demand a political independence that sets them apart from the mainland.[/ic][/spoiler]

[spoiler Old Post][ic Early Contact]Eighty years ago, during the birth of the sebayet age, Emperor Hinshilu XVIII sent explorers from Melseh Ubau south over the Imperial Sea to find new lands for the great nation. After being hit by terrible storms and losing more than half of their company, the explorers set foot on the Kyal-Yabazu Nobanu and eventually made their way to the big island of Erakamae, where they were found by their ancient brethren, the jachkamital. To the explorer's surprise, the "primitive" culture they found possessed an amazing knowledge of mathematics, astronomy and life science and would later learn of amazing developments in philosophy and politics. Unlike nearly every other society encountered, the jachkamital had never been exposed to spirit magic and after the initial language barrier was broken, they remained atheistic to the spirit, insisting that "there is only one world. One body. One mind. Anything else is beyond reason." Though the explorers were watched like thieves, they were eventually allowed to return to the mainland after answering many questions about the outside world.

In the next thirty years, the Hinshilu dynasty collapsed in a violent coup that turned the empire's eyes inward for a time. On Erakamae, the once sequestered jachkamital were left for an entire generation to ponder the existence of the outside world. Youthful islanders were consumed by a passion for the outside, but ironically they thought not of building boats, but instead of studying and analyzing the records that were made. Around the rise of the Kaluku dynasty, totwimi from Thitae landed upon Erakamae with hopes of building a new port to accommodate the rising number of merchants traveling to and from the empire. What they encountered instead was totally unexpected. Jachkamital poured out to meet them, speaking grammatically atrocious greetings and a slew of questions about everything. Hours were spent trying to clear up the confusion, and eventually the totwimi managed to escape from the islanders with the promise of "returning soon," for the sailor people had long ago learned to fear strangers. Neverless, the tale of the strangers spread and merchants soon arrived at Echmorak seeking exotic wares. Eager for the contact, the jachkamtial were open and friendly, learning much and giving more, allowing the totwimi to gain great knowledge on stellar navigation and weather patterns.[/ic][ic The Alliance]Soon, however, Emperor Kaluku the First began to look toward the outside world with the fires of conquest in his heart. The foolish totwimi were too stubborn to sell their ships to outsiders, and so Kaluku ordered a fleet to built to carry soldiers to bring "civilization" to the isles. First on his maps was Erakamae, for he believed that the jachkamital, being fellow ushaix, would willingly submit to his rule if presented with a strong enough force. Two years later the jackmital watched the half-starved fleet make landfall on the beach of their homeland. Trade with the totwimi had given them advance warning of Kaluku's schemes and many jachkamital had since left the island, some mingling in the heart of the empire, right under the emperor's nose. It was there, at the beach, that the power of knowledge was proven, for the jachkamital did not attack, but instead sent gifts of water and roast beast to the sea-worn soldiers. The troops feasted, thinking that the primitive people had welcomed them with open arms. By the next morning, all but one-hundred were dead. The gifts were tainted with the blood of the lilik, a poisonous amphibian from the jungle. The hundred survivors were soon surrounded, but the imperial troops, with sebayet spears and greatshields, stood their ground and fought with such fury that it took three days and two hundred lives to defeat them. Only one soldier was able to be taken alive; Rathin mishjha Yaigmal. After it was done and the dead were buried, the jachkamital came together and discussed what to do. Debate was inflamed to heated argument, but it was eventually decided that if only a sliver of the empire's might could defeat their greatest warriors, nothing could be gained from fighting.

Rathin mishjha Yaigmal was sent back on the next ship to dock at Echmorak with a message for the emperor. When he returned, he was taken before Kaluku, where he spoke of the battle and of a proposed alliance with the empire. The jachkamital agreed to surrender and become an imperial province under a few conditions. The jachkamital demanded that they be allowed to govern themselves and that their people were to tolerate no imperial law when on Erakamae. Additionally, no more than one soldier per hundred jachkamital would be allowed on the island. Rathin was immediately beheaded for his incompetence, but Kaluku eventually decided to allow the alliance. Though he did not want to admit it, the cost of so many ships and soldiers was too great to take the isles by force. As he told his scribes to send word to the islanders, one of his concubines came forward and revealed that she was a jachkamital spy, and that she would tell her people herself. Kaluku was so impressed that he made her master of secrets and commanded her to tell her people that as tribute to their new rulers, they must share their knowledge openly with the empire. Since this time, the empire has lived off of the words of the jachkamital, though some say that the jachkamital hide much of what they learn and only tell what they must. Regardless, the alliance has been profitable on both ends, and Erakamae has become a solid part of Melseh Ubau. Unfortunately for many, however, the rise of imperial involvement has pressured the jachkamital into secrecy, and outsiders are no longer as welcome as they once were.[/ic][/spoiler]

[spoiler Old Post][ic Hajikas Schooling and Jachkamital Childhood]Living in the seat of wealth, jachkamital children are predisposed toward arrogance. Slavery is so common on Ulabul (Erakamae) that there is approximately one slave for every two adult jachkamital, and so children are taught that they are better than nearly a third of everyone they see. Every day, without exception, each child above the age of four spends the day in school, only being released after the afternoon meal. Schooling is an artifact not of the imperial presence, but of the days before the first contact with the outside. The jachkamital philosopher Hajik, who coined the maxim "might through mind," was the first to establish mandatory schooling and who lived most of his life as a teacher. School for the jachkamital can best be described by Hajik's words, "Learning is life. Everyone learns things all the time. The question is not how much someone learns, it is what he learns." and "Introduce a child to a flame and they learn about fire. Show them glyphs and they become literate. We don't need to help our children learn, they're very good at it already. We need to protect them from learning authority, for when you do something without question, you cease to question things more and more." Schools do not segregate by age, lecture, or even stay indoors most days. Fields near settlements are paved into plazas where all the children are brought day after day (unless there is a major storm). The school plaza is home to socialization most of all, as the children run around and play games or pick on each other. Teachers then thread their way through the plaza performing "hajikas" which means "Hajik's [method]." Hajikas involves asking interesting questions such as "What is the most perfect shape?" and then refusing to provide an answer the question that day, insisting that the child ask on the morrow. Other questions are answered to the best of the teacher's knowledge, and all students are encouraged to ask questions of their own design. Hajikas also means doing interesting things, like writing, in front of the students without directly interacting with them, forcing them to guess at things or ask other teachers about specifics. Dramas and duels are occasionally enacted in the center of the plaza by teachers, and special events are done regularly. Most famously, is the annual "triumph of the small," a tradition of bringing a bound beast of some sort into the plaza and letting a child cut it's throat. The child is pre-selected by teachers, and it is widely known that only the most inquisitive, active and bright students are chosen to do the honors. If the beast is suitable for eating it is prepared on the plaza under the curious gaze of the children. Jachkamital hunters, or nobles who are permitted access to the island, are thus rewarded well for bringing back live game from the jungles. As children near their eleventh birthday (adulthood), they are pressured by authority figures to prove their knowledge of mathematics, writing, politics and science, as well as ability in a profession.[/ic][ic An Island without Trade]Even though contact with the empire has demanded it, the jachkamital eschew money whenever possible. Instead, trade is a matter of gift-giving, where no payment or trade is given. The jachkamital insist that this is the only way to avoid greed, or "lopoj eth," a trait they've come to associate with the totwimi, whom they often call "on lopoj." It's socially frowned upon to request gifts, however, so to keep the farmer in good relation with you, you must give the farmer lots of gifts in hopes that they give you food later on. This often annoys citizens from the mainland, who end up giving money to jachkamital only to have the islanders thank them for the gift. Slaves are some of the most valuable gifts, and are traded often, so in this sense they are the most common form of money on an island without trade. In Echmorak, where the Liomarteh sell information, outsiders must give many "gifts" to even meet the council, and must then continue to present gifts until the council offers the information. In some cases, the Liomarteh will even outright deny to share their secrets, continuing to accept gifts until the giver leaves port. Because of this, the Council of the Mind has many enemies, and each member is typically guarded by a personal escort.[/ic][ic Spirits and Philosophy]While increased exposure to the outside world has reduced the number of jachkamital atheists to a minority, most still scoff at the tales of Loihu & Linui and other "tales of fancy" that have "disbanded logic and reason" in so much of the world. Spirits may exist, but jachkamital insist that "any resemblance to the deceased in this realm of demons is the product of trickery and drug-induced hallucinations." The claim that spirits walked the land during the old age is likewise dismissed, though the jachkamital easily accept the existence of the elders, who left their relics and buildings behind. Thus it is that jachkamital shamans are about as rare as totwimi with fear of the water, though some claim that jachkamital witchdoctors exist, using their magic totems to work their way into the minds of others.

Instead of myth and legend, the jachkamital present a number of theories regarding the origins of life. Most popularly perhaps is the idea that time is a great hoop, and just as a person dies and their children go on, omaku are the children of older beings, who are in turn the children of even older beings and so on. The ruins of the elders are used to support this claim, as many jachkamital believe that the elders created omaku to inherit the world after they were gone.[/ic][ic Architecture and Fashion of Ulabul]The houses of the jachkamital are typically made of wood poles arranged in pattern and meeting at the top. Ghaluth is then planted around the base of each pole and watered heavily. Within a week, the galuth's gargantuan vines will have climbed up the poles and around each other. The vines are then killed, and wither into brown webs, sometimes a foot thick. mud is then applied to the surface and dried. Wooden stakes are set into the side and more galuth is planted around the base and allowed to climb over the entire structure. Inside, the mud and galuth form an impressive shield against the sun, keeping the building cool and protected from the outside. Most houses are built by connecting three cones, though it's possible to connect dozens, creating a maze of conical rooms. Buildings in Ouchkim, including the library, are more typically made of stone, and imperial architects are often encouraged to visit there to share their knowledge.

Jachkamital love to dress in the fashions of outside cultures, especially the empire. Traditional clothing, which is often worn at gatherings, is usually dark in color and airy. Sleeveless tunics are favored by men and boys, while women usually wear drab dresses with long sleeves for modesty. Elders typically wear light robes that are decorated with splashes of color to denote their authority and wisdom. Jachkamital almost always wear some form of hat, whether dressing traditionally or not, due to the danger of sunburn. Traditionally dressed jachkamital wear turbans with veils that cover the neck and shoulders.

Piercing is rare among the jackamital, being replaced by tattoos. Tattoo artists on Ulabul are famous for their intricate drawings of animals and glyphs, and many jachkamital wear their tattoos proudly. Most common is the glyph of wisdom tattooed onto the forehead, though it is occasionally replaced by a sun with jagged rays. Bracelets and anklets are becoming ridiculously common on the island, with the number that are given as gifts to the Liomarteh. Rings are also common, though not as often worn, and necklaces have become so common that they have fallen out of fashion and are usually given to the totwimi to sell. Most jachkamital prefer, however, to simply display their wealth through wearing exotic clothes and costumes. Masks, ranging from the simple to the decadent, are worn by the Liomarteh, and are reserved for them alone.[/ic][/spoiler]

[spoiler Old Post][ic The Fall of the Elders]I apologize, for my tale began at a small port, and I have quickly left it behind. But I will return one last time to hear a tale which has been told and retold in a dozen languages. In a small house near the edge of Wusodu Wumozuki, there is a wise woman who they say is blessed with some magic in her old bones. She has no name, and so is simply called Mar. Too feeble to keep house, she looks out toward the coast and longs to hear the ocean's song as the jungle's bugs crawl into the walls of her hovel and make nests in the corners. Herbs are hung to dry in great strings throughout the building's single room, and between them hang the shimmering silver strings of silkjumpers and weavercrabs. Once the old omaku speaks, however, the shadowed walls and pungent air fade into the shrouds of the past, and the mind's eye expands to see what once was.

In the days before remembering, when the elder folk ruled the world with arcane powers beyond comprehension, the two worlds -- that of mortals and that of spirits -- were one. Loihu may have been chieftain of his children in the shadow of the elders, but his children did marry fey, and when Rone, his son, became chieftain, the omaku tribe was protected by the five animas, even Phsaen (though she despised many bloodlines). The omaku flourished in those years, and the many bloodlines were formed. The one tribe became many, and with the blessing of the fey, they spread out over the lands and seas. Then, when all the tribes were many, the elders disappeared. No mortal, nor fey, nor animal could say why, but across the land, the elders had gone. Their great cities, temples and towers were left, and within them lay untold artifacts with spell runes and massive tools made for their giant hands. Though no body has ever been found, the elders were quite clearly -- dead.

Few sought to delve into the empty halls, for the source of the elder's destruction no doubt lay within. Thus it was that the great cities fell into ruin and were smothered by the land, as though the dirt and the trees sought to cover up what had once ruled them. The omaku stood as champions over the world, but as the jungle, forest, swamp and savanna gorged itself of the elder's domain, the beasts of the shadows soon became the real rulers. Too few and spread out, the omaku, who had lived in the safety of the elder's civilization soon became isolated and afraid as the writhing wilds came and brought an age of fear and darkness. Many years passed, and even the great animas could do little to aid their people.[/ic][ic The Great Rift]On the darkest day, it is said that the day turned to night, and Terifazun was smote from the sky to crash into the sea. The sky boiled and clouds became fiends which tore through the air and brought fire and lightning to the world. In the heavens above opened the great rift, a chasm between worlds, and from within came the scream of something beyond imagination. From the rift poured mighty demons and evils for which there are no words, and they descended upon the world with a great hunger. The tiny omaku lay stunned, but the spirits did not, for they knew of the darkness from before the birth of the world. Phsaen was the first to act, for her love was as mighty as her hate. From the edge of the world, where she stood watch over the niyam, she took from her children a stone knife and thrust it into her breast. Reaching into the wound, she withdrew her heart, which was liken to a great diamond and so radiant that it instantly blinded those who looked upon it. Taking a stone hammer, she struck her heart and cried out in pain. Though it was cracked, she took her heart back within her, and gathered up the dust that had been cast off from the breaking. With her magic she breathed life into the dust and a thousand winged warriors sprang into being, each glowing with righteous power, for they were the stars. The warriors took wing to the heavens and made war on the demons, slowing their decent.

Khovas was the second to act, for he saw that Terifazun lay wounded in the sea and would be unable to fight. With the help of the wind fey he charged over the heavens battling the clouds and demons with thunder and snow. Gor, the titan, anima of mountains, stood over the weak and wounded during the battle while Jhasi, his sister, tended to them, bringing comfort and healing. The mightiest of omaku fought alongside the fey of fire and wood, but for every demon slain, ten heroes lay dead.  After an entire day of fighting, nearly all was lost. The great rift had opened to engulf the entire sky, and though Khovas himself continued to fight with fury unbounded, almost all the wind had died, for it was beaten. Even as Gor fell from exhaustion, and all looked lost, Terifazun rose up from the sea on a mountain of coral, for his wounds had healed and he was renewed.

Rays of flame and light burst forth from atop the island and the demons fell back in fear. The stars regrouped at the Sun Lord's feet, and with a mighty roar, they pooled their light into a great sunburst that turned the sky pure white for what seemed like days. The demons who had come to the world hid themselves from the horrifying attack, spiriting away to caves and hollows where the light would not reach. When the flare faded, only the rift remained.

Mar, the storyteller becomes hushed at this part of the story, for to her people it is a sad moment. As she whispers in the dark, her eyes almost seem to glow with a cool blue light that is reminiscent of an ancient power that is no more, for she speaks of Kamawuni, the ocean. Some say that Terifazun closed the rift with his attack, but the totwimi know the truth.

While the battle was fought, Kamawuni was awakening, since the first days her power had been waning, and she was not as swift as she once was. It was she who healed the Lord of Day, and imbued in him the strength to save the world, and it was she who lifted the great coral mountain from the sea floor to be his vessel. But as the rift spun in the sky, devouring the world, Kamawuni summoned her greatest strength, for she could not bear to watch such a thing. From the waters she rose, and when she did Gor was to her as a pebble is to a boulder. Her body seethed and frothed with the fury of a thousand waves, and her eyes were like boiling craters of energy. Arms held high, the ocean herself pulled the rift smaller. At the end, the same great scream issued forth, though it was met this time by Kamawuni's deafening roar as she slammed the crack into oblivion.

The demons had been defeated, though not destroyed, and the rift sealed. A cheer rose up from each survivor, whether fey or omaku, niyam or totwimi. The effort had cost too much though, and the Ocean-Mother fell once more into her waters. Though she was not dead, for her waves are always alive, she could do no more and was forever silenced.[/ic][ic The End of an Age]After all was done, the stars and Terifazun made a pact to guard the sky, should the rift ever re-appear. During the day, while the Sun Lord took flight, the many stars would come to the island of coral to rest, and during the night they would hold a constant vigilance while the anima did rest. The island of coral was crafted into a mighty palace by the star warriors, and it became known as Sadumao. In the years of rebuilding, after the terrible battle, Sadumao became a haven from the darkness of the world, and was a place full of wonders.

Despite the victory of the spirits, many demons still walked the world. They dared not come out into the day, for they feared Terifazun's wrath, but by night they walked abroad, working evil and tainting the land. Above the lesser demons were four demon kings and two queens, each of which worked evil in their own way.

Stupidest of the kings is Krananu, who is nearly the size of the titan, Gor, though ten times as fierce. He takes the form of a mighty, horned lizard which exhales smoke and spits ash. The embodiment of fury, Krananu would destroy all that he saw and attack without fear, for no weapon could pierce his hide. Very soon, however, the wrathful monster was found by Khovas, who unleashed his fury on the demon king. Battered and broken, Krananu was carried to a frozen peak and locked within a glacier. Though imprisoned, his rage keeps him alive, to hate the world for all eternity.

More clever than her brother, the queen Yaiguul patiently hid in the jungles and waited, weaving plans of conquest. From time to time she appeared before omaku as a giant, yet graceful and elegant figure of shadow and smoke. Around her shoulders hangs a cloak of pure darkness, which is said to allow her to move anywhere at night, regardless of wall or distance.

King Gholvuuk is called The Terror, for he is made of nothing more than a massive mouth and a hundred emaciated arms which claw over floor and wall like a abomination of nightmare. Gholvuuk can do nothing but cackle insanely, though legend says he can make himself heard in the minds of others. Eternally hungry, Gholvuuk gorges himself on everything he can find, be it animal, plant or rock. What he consumes can never be remade, and something, once bitten, will never heal. His one weakness was his cowardice, which drove him underground, for he was afraid of the stars and the sun and all things mighty. Eating his way through solid rock, he prowls the caves of the world, looking for fools who dare enter his domain.

Sickness and plague were brought to Phaedorás by the demon king Falox, who's presence caused not only death, but endless torment. His lairs would bend and warp reality, causing waves of suffering and nausea, and he created the many beasts and animals who feed upon the dead. As he walked the world, he appeared as a massive worm with a face that bled from the eyes. Gor, anima of vigor and might, was ever his mortal enemy, and for years the titan would following the trail of disease as it worked its way into the land and left death in its wake. Gor finally caught Falox, and in his rage he took the demon in his left hand and crushed it. Falox's blood and bile seeped into Gor's fist, warping and killing the entire arm. Forever after, the mighty one was plagued by unending pain, until his face became cruel and hard. Gor once tried to sever the corrupted limb, but was warned by his dear sister Jhasi that should he do so, the limb would become a creature in its own, and Falox would return.

For the omaku though, nothing could compare to the damage done by Balaen and his wife and sister, Leecha. Known as the king of lies, Balaen is a shapeshifter, taking whatever form best suiting him, while his sister appeared as the ever smiling, flayed corpse of a small girl, animated as though it were a doll. Balaen could never be found unless he chose it, so he walked openly during the day, and lived with the omaku for years, sharing meals and laughing at jokes. In their ears he whispered secrets, jealousies and falsehoods and sewed seeds of evils that would arise forever after in the hearts of the omaku. Leecha's magic was in corruption, and whatever she touched became a new demon, whether it was animal, plant, omaku or spirit. From her caress came forth hundreds of new terrors which would haunt the world for hundreds of years. Her voice seduced countless omaku into leaving their kin to learn the art of accessing the darkness just beyond the sealed rift and channeling it through the body to become real.

Feeling the surge of new evils, the animas came together once more at Sadumao to hold council in the hall of the stars. It was during this time that Balaen led the corrupt omaku back to their kin to harvest the fruits of his lies. Jealousy was his tool, for the omaku could now see the magic that they could not touch, but the spirits could. Pride was his tool, as his audience began to rage at the injustice of it. Wrath was his tool, for, with the help of the shadow channelers, he led a great army of omaku across the land, and where they went, the spirits fell and were placed in living bonds expelled from the bodies of shadowcallers. Bound like pets, the omaku forced the spirits to do their bidding, and many drank the blood of the fey, seeking to claim their magic essence. The spirits became living weapons, forced to shape their magic into tools of war and darkness. Together with the demons, the omaku sailed to Sadumao and sought to siege the last of the great fey.

Terifazun rose up and sought to smite down the darkness, but Leecha had become so very powerful, and she took his light and corrupted it into a second sun, which she used to battle the first. Khovas quickly flew at the host with his spear and lightning, but the many winds of the world had been captured and he was buffeted on all sides by the tortured magic of his children and friends. Gor strode out into the water to destroy what he could with his one good arm, but evil sea demons rose up to do battle. The many stars came forth and launched their arrows at the many omaku, but they too were struck down by overwhelming numbers. Phsaen came to the siblings to make peace, but Balaen saw that she sought to betray them, and he brutally beat her to the edge of life with his warhammer. All seemed lost, for the shadow had grown too strong in it's twisting. It was at last, that Jhasi, the anima of void, sat alone within the carved coral halls of Sadumao. She did not weep, but simply sat and became one with the world. In her enlightenment, her body awoke and moved as though all time had stopped. She went outside and saw the horrors that had come. To each omaku she went, and she kissed each upon the brow. Within the kiss was the simple gift of conscience, which would cause the warriors to see with clarity what they had done. When she was done, she faded from being and become a part of the world.

All at once, each omaku, man or woman, warrior or slave, became aware of themselves and of good and evil. The spirits were released, and in an instant Belaen and Leecha were attacked from all directions by their allies. Terifazun took Leecha's distraction to his advantage and smote her with all his power, blackening her body and causing her false sun to erupt into an explosion of fire which killed many. In the end they found Phsaen's beautiful body lying broken, but alive. Belaen could not be found. What monsters remained, fled, and an eerie peace settled over the coral palace.

Khovas came forth to meet with the many omaku chiefs, and at his side came Terifazun and Gor, though all were brutally wounded. Khovas saw the gift that his sister had given the omaku -- the one thing that they needed most. Though they had betrayed him, he could not face the omaku with anger, and so he explained what Jhasi had become. When she became part of the world, the essence of the world split. The land was mortal, while she was fey, and while the omaku could see nothing, the world of the spirit was quickly fading to become something of its own, and they would go with it. Too much darkness remained in Phaedorás for them to survive, and so they began to go, and the omaku would finally be alone. Each anima faded with a blessing, and wished the young race happiness. Even the great omaku chiefs wept as the stars began to fade as well, with only their light remaining. When all was done, the stars returned to the heavens and a great quake struck Sadumao, breaking it apart and sinking it beneath the waves.

In the years to come, shadow channelers were hunted down and killed, along with those who refused to share Jhasi's gift. For the first time ever, the line between right and wrong was drawn. Time passed and the tribes grew. They became stronger and more mature, facing the dangers of the wild with determination and bravery. Wars became common, as the lies of Belaen wormed into the hearts of leaders, and in time, most forgot of the spirits, for their world seemed forever lost, like the elders, into the mists of time.[/ic][/spoiler]

[spoiler The Morimikan Language][ic Introduction and Specific Grammar]"Pol paeni, kaisu udan saladaen titwan shok witma-wundaenopi palastul?"
is translated roughly as
"Girls, come here, won't you? You'll get wet otherwise."

Pol paeni =  pol + paen+i = some + child+female = Some girls
kaisu udan = kais+u + udan+emphasis = here + approach+question empahsis = [you] come here?
saladaen = conjoining word indicating that the first clause results in the second clause
titwan shok = titwan + shok = is + in the future = will be
witma-wundaenopi = witm+awundaen+op+i = you+wet+not+female = dry, female you
palastul = is it not so? = please won't you?

In total:
Girls, + [will you] come here? + yields + will be + dry girls + please won't you?
or
Girls, come here, won't you? If you do, you'll be dry in the future.

As can be seen, Morimikan, the primary language of the totwimi is one of the most complex and difficult languages on Phaedorás. The language is rarely learned by outsiders, due to it's complexity, despite the fact that totwimi settlements can be found in nearly every coastal city on the Kunoviera. The totwimi tend to have high-pitched voices and speak quite quickly, thus to the untrained ear Morimikan is nearly impossible to understand. Like most languages in Phaedorás, Morimikan lacked a written form until very recently when the invention of pictographic language was introduced by the legendary Uslar Worldstrider.

Totwimi is odd among languages for its "connector" words. These words bridge two sentences to form two clauses with a conjunction-like center. Furthermore, it is theoretically possible to continue linking sentences indefinitely, though even native speakers will in practice never use more than three at once. There are only eleven connector words in the Morimikan vocabulary, each with a specific relation. These words are part of what to blame for the speed at which Morimikan is spoken, as connected sentences have no natural pause between them. Below, each connector word is presented in order of general frequency. The terms [A] and will be used to refer to the two sentences fused by the connector ([A] connector [B).

Saladaen - The most common connector. Denotes that [A] results in or is responsible for .
Example: [I will walk outside] sladaen [the traps will be sprung.]

Lasunat - A simple conjunction. [A] and .
Example: [I will go to the market] lasunat [I will meet my brother.]

Hatwot - Also simple. [A] but .
Example: [You have the advantage] baenot [I will slay you.]

Saemar - One of the most abstract connectors. [A] is relevant to the topic because .
Example: [The sky is red] saemar [the army cannot move after sunset.]

Kaket - Why does [A] cause ? Note that this is one of the three words in Morimikan that directly states that a question is being asked.
Example: [We have no rations] kaket [the kidnappers will escape?]

Jod - if [A], no question is implied. This one is hard because the word order stays the same, but the logic is reversed.
Example: [Ulawoe found the ring] jod [the city was destroyed.] (The city would be smashed if Ulawoe found the ring.)

Baenot - [A] is or more roughly [A] is the same thing as .
Example: [We will find the rogues] baenot [we will do our duty.]

Halmot - The reverse of saladaen. [A] only happens or is the result of because of .
Example: [I can't move] halmot [my legs are stuck.]

Lanem - Similar to halmot. [A] is indicated by or is probably the result of .
Example: [We are lost] lanem [I've seen that tree twice.]

Loeratwem - Also similar to halmot, loeretwem is grammatically identical but carries the suggestion that there is something to blame in [A] being caused by .
Example: [There's no way we can afford that] loeratwem [you lost our coins.]

Lanatin - A very rare word, most likely an archaic form of lasunat. [A] and . Note that [A] and should both be considered separate groups with this connector, even though they are grouped verbally.
Example: [I am a healer] lanatin [I am a father.][/ic][ic General Morimikan Grammar]Morimikan follows the general sentence structure of [Object] [Verb] [Subject].
Thus when we might say "You are here." In Morimikan the correct phrase would be "Here are you." (Kaisu titwan witmae.)

Morimikan only has one prefix in it's entirety. If a name is preceded by the prefix "to-" it means "descendant of". This is used for naming, as one might say "I am Yatinoe Torumatsoe." or "Yatinoe, son of Rumatsoe." Totwimi literally means "child of twimi."

Nouns in Morimikan always end with a vowel. The vowel chosen indicates the gender of the noun. Morimikan has five genders, in total. Each of these is outlined below: [note Twimi is Female?]Astute readers will notice that in Morimikan, Twimi is a girl's name. While this is a confusing point for some totwimi children, it is important to note that Morimikan was developed significantly later than the name "Twimi." Twimi, is a loan name from the ancient tongue and is considered an exception to the standard naming conventions. Twimi remains a common boy's name amongst the totwimi even today.[/note]
-----
(a) = Both
Example: Baenota = Men and women.
(oe) = Male
Example: Baenotoe = Man.
(i) = Female
Example: Baenoti = Woman.
(u) = Object
Example: Baenotu = Manikin.
(ae) = Unsure
Example: Baenotae = Person.
-----
When defining nouns, I will place a (?) at the end of the word if the gender is not fixed. Some words have fixed genders, such as bodies of water, which are always said to be female. Most plants use the Object gender, with the exception of flowers which are always female. Animals are traditionally referred to only by the Unsure gender, even when the sex of the animal has been determined. Loan words from other languages, including names, can have a gender added, but not always. Using the Unsure gender when referring to a person is a polite way of asking them to identify their gender.

The Morimikan language is heavily agglutinating. This means that adjectives and adverbs are presented as suffixes which are directly glued onto the base word. For example, "The small, green flag" is said "Tataetasiyamanu." Prepositions also come in the form of suffixes and are always added after all adjectives or adverbs. The gender of a noun is added after all suffixes, and all suffixes must then begin with a vowel and end with a consonant.
Example: Tataetasiyamanu = Tataetasiyaman(u) = Tataetas(iyaman)(u) = Tat(aetas)(iyaman)(u) = Flag(small)(green)(object)
In some cases, when a word becomes too unwieldy, a speaker will break it up into segments by adding a pause between logical word groupings. These pauses often come just after vowels and will be noted with a hyphen. The suffix "-op" indicates the opposite or negative of the word-part that came just before it.
Example: Witma-wundaenopi = Witm(a-wundaen)(op)(i) = You(wet)(not)(female) = Dry Woman

Morimikan breaks from the convention of agglutination with plurality and tense. Particles indicating tense (when) may be added after any word, though they are often omitted. When omitted, tense is usually considered to be present, unless context indicates otherwise.
-----
Klots = In the past
Example: Titwan Klots = is in the past = was
Yoets = Now
Example: Titwan Yoets = is right now = is
Shok = In the future
Example: Titwan Shok = is in the future = will be
Dasklots = Perhaps in the past
Example: Titwan Dasklots = Might have been
Dasoets = Perhaps right now
Example: Titwan Dasoets = may be
Dashok = Perhaps in the future
Example: Titwan Dashok = might eventualy be
Marklots = Since the beginning of time
Example: Titwan Marklots = has always been
Maroets = Eternal (always has been, always will be)
Example: Titwan Maroets = is, was, and forever will be
Marshok = Forevermore
Example: Titwan Marshok = will forever be
Dasomarshok = May Forevermore
Example: Titwan Dasomarshok = may become eternal

Plurality is also usually omitted, and thus in most cases there is no linguistic distinction. In cases where it's important, one of four words may be placed just before a noun to change the plurality. Morimikan has no native method for counting (numbers were a concept borrowed from the Melseh Ubau Empire) and so these plurality words are basically the only way of defining quantity.
-----
Mod = One
Twot = Two
Pol = Some (3+)
Sud (Sood) = Many more than pol

Questions in Morimikan are almost never explicitly stated. Instead, the speaker will imply a question by slowing down and emphasizing a word. Because non-native speakers are usually slow speakers, totwimi find their speech hilarious, as though every word they say was a question. To illustrate, consider the English phrase "You're going for a walk by yourself?" By emphasizing different words, the topic of the question becomes clear.
"You're going for a walk by yourself?"
"You're going for a walk by yourself?"
"You're going for a walk by yourself?"
There are three words in the Morimikan language witch explicitly state that a question is being asked. One is the connector word Kaket, described earlier. Another is the word Lanid, which should only be used by itself and roughly translates to "Huh?" The last one is the Palastul, which is is added to the very end of a sentence (not just a clause) and roughly translates into "don't you agree?"[/ic][ic Morimikan Sounds and Pronunciation]Morimikan, though it has no alphabet, uses 25 different sounds to compose it's words. Of these, 7 are vowels and 18 are consonants. As I write words in Morimikan I will always try to make the letters match up with the sounds on the following table. Some words which are common in Morimikan are actually loan words from other languages. For the pronunciations of loan words, read up on the original language. [note Missing Sounds][th]Notable Absences[/th]

"f" as in "fun"

"g" as in "grape"

"v" as in "victor"

[/note]

[table Pronunciation Guide][tr][th]Character[/th][th]Pronunciation[/th][/tr]
[tr][td]a[/td][td]"a" as in "father"[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]ae[/td][td]"ay" as in "play"[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]ai[/td][td]"ie" as in "pie"[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]i[/td][td]"ee" as in "tree"[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]e[/td][td]"e" as in "bed"[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]oe[/td][td]"oe" as in "toe"[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]o[/td][td]"o" as in "pot"[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]u[/td][td]"oo" as in "boom"[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]b[/td][td]"b" as in "body"[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]d[/td][td]"d" as in "dot"[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]h[/td][td]"h" as in "hat"[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]j[/td][td]"j" as in "jump"[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]k[/td][td]"k" as in "king"[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]l[/td][td]"l" as in "last"[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]m[/td][td]"m" as in "mouse"[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]n[/td][td]"n" as in "now"[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]p[/td][td]"p" as in "power"[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]r[/td][td]"r" as in "rowboat"[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]s[/td][td]"s" as in "sun"[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]sh[/td][td]"sh" as in "shout"[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]t[/td][td]"t" as in "ten"[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]tw[/td][td]"tw" as in "twice"[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]w[/td][td]"w" as in "win"[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]y[/td][td]"y" as in "yarn"[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]z[/td][td]"z" as in "zeppelin"[/td][/tr]
[/table][/ic][ic Totwimi Names]The totwimi of the isles have single names which are gender-specific. As an additive, one may add "To____" after their name, where the blank is their father or distinguished ancestor. Female totwimi are typically named after flowers, plants or colors. Men are typically named after animals or weapons.

Male Names: Twimi, Tuloe, Yatinoe, Waetakoe, Juzoe, Sikasoe, Kyaloe
Female Names: Shami, Kabrati, Elewi, Udati, Isini[/ic][ic Accent]Totwimi have a number of accents, which change and meld as different ships adopt the languages of other cultures. The typical totwimi voice is high pitched, though male and female voices are still recognizable. Morimikan's frantic style tends to cause a slurring of consonants and rapid speech, especially among islanders (those who don't travel to distant lands), who are characterized by their addition of a 'W' sound after 'T's (e.g. "twotwimi").[/ic][/spoiler]