Haveneast: The Raven, the Horse and the Seven Wolves

[Hibou]

Haveneast


The realm of Anglyrion (Gilbany, Kangdemar, Warskaria and Kesseland) and surrounding territories

The World

Haveneast is a world that is much more connected than our own, where an ambitious seafarer or bold horseman might find themselves in a new, exotic land every day. It is a world whose inhabitants are reminded constantly of the past - not only by the ruins of fallen empires and the memories locked in written word, but also by their beliefs in ancestral spirits that watch and protect their surroundings, tying them deeply to the land upon which they dwell. Haveneast has never seen the centuries of misdirection that ancient superstitions led humanity to on Earth, even though the presence of powerful-yet-dangerous magic and fantastic creatures have fundamentally altered its destiny. It is a world of both balmy and shivering archipelagos, of dark evergreen forests hiding in the shadow of unending mountains, and of great wind-swept plains that merge into savannah and desert, haunted by violent storms; all broken up by mighty rivers that show villages and cities the way to one another.

The narrative of the ages in Haveneast has always been a tale of humanity's struggle against superstition and fear, within the smog of which the creatures of the dark are made strong. It is community, camaraderie, and connectivity between peoples that is the truest way to enlightenment, for all of the faults and conflict that proximity may bring. Fire in Haveneast serves a role as the divine birthright of all mankind, and an allegory for the stand of humanity against the night. It is fire that made humanity different from all other creatures, giving them a weapon with which to retaliate, and saving them from the eternal darkness of wicked spirits that made the world in their dreams. Along with reverence for and understanding of the natural world - it too a child of sinister masters, who threaten to turn it to dust and ash - the kingdoms of humanity surge forward, holding the tools to keep the shadows at bay.

Old Gods and Angels

Dark Angels, Darker Demons

Tarddiad

The people of Haveneast have had many centuries to become different from each other, but ultimately they all hail from one single region called Tarddiad, more commonly known as the Crossroads of the World. It is Tarddiad that countless individuals sometimes make pilgrimage to, seeking answers to crises of the mind and soul. Though it is often a long - and dangerous - odyssey, the significance of the journey to the Crossroads in all cultures is what exigently brings them together, when all the troubles of the world would make them disjoint. As a consequence, the realm is a sacred place of knowledge, meditation, and introspection, the wisdom of which is disseminated by its visitors to the far reaches of the world, seeding all belief systems with common themes.

The Raven, the Horse, and the Seven Wolves

The West is in shambles, and the thrones of Anglyrion are threatened.

It is Autumn in the year 481 AL. Civil war has weakened a once proud Gilbany, which must now answer the call of the Lord Vicar of Hawnil, the steward-philosopher of all the realm. The wooded kingdom of Arcanathraan has been devastated by a plague that arose one year ago, and usurpers from the north, seizing the opportunity to defeat the weakened watchers on the Wall of Ion, entered the kingdom. Pyres are now found burning along the border, serving as a warning to those on the road - and a place to burn the bodies for fear of the plague spreading further. Despite the coming winter, all those not essential to the harvest are called up by their lords to crusade and install House Tybetzk in the Arcanian court once more.

The realm known as Anglyrion sprawls from where the western hills of Arcanathraan meet the pristine plains of Gilbany, past the mighty Kangsaar mountains into Kangdemar and neighboring Warskaria, ending where the tundra roamed by hostile tribes gives way to the great glaciers. King Gangrath, the Prince of Gilbany and High King of Anglyrion is the aging but cunning master of the land, and the ninth king of the warrior-philosopher Megnede bloodline, said to be the one true lineage of the ancient Anglyr. Beset by long-time enemies from the northeast, the kingdoms call all those capable of carrying arms to the front. With the ancient march of Kangdemar, ruled by King Athlanar, guarding the heart of Anglyrion from the increasingly bold tribes in the northwest, and a fever threatening the lives of Gangrath's successors, Gilbany now appears vulnerable. Anglyrion is in dire need of virtuous would-be knights to re-establish its dominance.

Gilbany, the Heart of Anglyrion

[spoiler=Gilbany]
The proud Kingdom of the Horse has stood for hundreds of years as a bastion of chivalry among tumultuous and violent territories, forged from the ruins of the Ingari Empire mere decades after it fell to plague and the predecessors of the same barbaric tribes. Gilbany's land is sprawling and vast because of its fast, powerful SIlvermane horses that allow protection of borders longer than any of its contemporaries. Tolerant and modern, Gilbany appears outwardly superior (sometimes pompous to its adversaries) in many respects, having been the steward in the rise of the philosopher-knight ideal parallel to the sacred Megnede line. Gilbany's enemies are so for countless reasons, but most begrudgingly acknowledged King Gangrath as High King and his family as having the only true claim to the land - at least until the civil war. With the return of the lost heir to the Pinewatch and the High King's most trusted stewardship, the traitorous House Palaxin rallied the disillusioned lords of Anglyrion with an army of Angorian mercenaries and made war on the mainland from Kesseland.

Gilbany's nobility consists firstly of King Gangrath, sometimes called High King to distinguish from the other monarchs of Anglyrion, who are styled Prince or Princess (only by other nobles, even the lower-ranked) as much as they are King or Queen. Beneath each monarch are his Barons, often veteran knights who administer a portion of the kingdom. Beneath them are often a multitude of lieutenants styled as Knights but without the size of holdings or political power of the Barons. These lesser knights are often champions given the duty of protecting a castle and its immediate land. The children of Gangrath are all called by the rank of Prince/Princess, but other nobles' children are addressed simply as lord/lady unless given a knightly status. The lords of Gilbany grant knighthood as much by merit as blood, granting small parcels of land from which their champions can sustain themselves in anticipation of war. Inheritance in Gilbany is complicated and to a lesser extent also depends on merit; the first child of Anglyrish kings is traditionally groomed as a successor and titled Crown Prince/Princess, but the King can declare another his successor as is appropriate (Gangrath's father, Ultrian II, was the third son). In the event of a childless reign, Anglyrish tradition states that the eldest child of the current King's generation will inherit. The breaking of this tradition was one of many catalysts for the civil war, as Gangrath's wicked niece Mortay was married to Colmeron of Palaxin with the expectation that Mortay would take the throne upon Grangrath's abdication; Gangrath would later have a son (purportedly with the aid of magic) by his second wife after his first died birthing a stillborn, overruling Mortay's claim in the process.

Gilbany's resources are plentiful and allow an unparalleled sophistication and civilization in its societies (at least within its cities). In addition to the wide, rolling plains with excellent farmland and numerous herds of wild horses, the kingdom sports many forests along the Kesyg coast and the Kangsaars, as well as rich veins of ore and hills overrun by big game. Gilbany has some of the best roads and well-supplied artisans, and has access to a variety of exotic goods from the southern and western city-states. There are few kingdoms who can truly challenge the power or extent of the kingdom directly, as the size of its mobile forces cannot be matched by any west of the Cyrnal Sea. Gilbany's colors are royal purple and white.

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Kangdemar, the Eyes of Anglyrion

[spoiler=Kangdemar]

Though less hospitable than Gilbany, Kangdemar too is a power of the region and has long been the staunch ally of the Megnede line. Once an opposing kingdom, the great great grandfather of Gangrath made amends with House Alactra and a series of marriages entwined the two kingdoms. The two prosper together now, with the mountainous march protecting the heart of Anglyrion from Skordica, the Alucti tribes and invaders from across the Adenian Ocean. The Kingdom of the Raven as it is known is the seat of the Oracle-Lords, the ancient seers of whom many are sent as advisors to allied kings and the Lord Vicar in Hawnil. Though the Oracle-Lords have not sired a true seer in many decades, they remain valued scholars to all of Anglyrion.

King Athlanar internally has the most stable of the three kingdoms' courts, but only because Gilbany's strength was weakened in the civil war. He and his knights are patient and more religious - the Kangs more frequently honor the old gods and the spirits, while Gilbanians have adopted more raw philosophy combined with their chivalric codes of honor within the cities. They enjoy a relatively peaceful common border with Warskaria owed to the numerous and tall mountains barring all but a handful of major routes through the conifer-crowned hills on the edges of the Kangsaars. Kangdemar is at war with Skordica, as the frigid kingdom allows raiders from across the sea to make the mainland without having to attack the well-guarded shores of Kangdemar, Hawnil and Aquence to the southwest. All the kingdom's land is said to be in sight of at least one purple and black banner flying the symbol of the raven, even on the peaks of the highest mountains where none have been since the men before the Ingari made their tombs in the rock.

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Warskaria, the Bite of Anglyrion

[spoiler=Warskaria]

Though Gilbany is where the High King resides, Warskaria is the eldest of the three parts of Anglyrion and is the true homeland of the royal bloodline - House Megnede was born from the marriage of the Warrior-Queen Harrah to Prince Makkalius I, Son of the Ingari, and their children were the first in Anglyrion to bear the blood of both the ancient warrior-kings and the philosopher-kings of the realm. The Realm of the Seven Wolves as it is known is actually split by seven jarls who swore allegiance to Harrah, and their descendants have at times waned in their relations with each other, but never in times when the High King calls. Only once have any of the princes ever risen in contention for the power to rule any part of Anglyrion in the aptly-named Kingsblood War, but the rebellion was defeated. They now make war primarily with Angorad and the Pevolds in the east, their indomitable warrior-culture fostering a ferocity renowned throughout Haveneast and welcomed by the rest of Anglyrion.

Warskars, like Kangdemar, revere the demon spirits of the wild to a degree, though their reverence is given more to a group of local spirits of blood and fire less known in the south. Their culture revolves around upholding of honor and battle prowess, with a disdain for the use of magic excepting that which heals the land and the sick. Warskar society is split into three castes: Makers, Fury-Shamans and Magi. The Makers are the people that man the forge, till the fields and build the fortifications and castles; the Fury-Shamans are priests of blood who wear the furs of great beasts to better emulate their ferocity; the Magi are the not sorcerers necessarily but are tasked with the keeping of high volumes of knowledge pure within their own minds, to be retold by spoken word. Only the Magi are required to know how to read, with much of Warskar politics and trade revolving around one's honor. All three castes are equally responsible for knowledge of battle and are required by law of the jarls to be proficient at minimum with a dagger, spear, axe and shield, and carry all of these into battle.



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Beyond Anglyrion

Anglyrion's neighbors are numerous and fundamentally somewhat similar to it, although Hemnia and the Deepwood Kingdom of Angorad take a far more xenophobic approach to their southern and western counterparts. Beyond them stretches dark forest broken by lakes and countless rivers that is called many names, but seldom seems to be well-known by anyone who speaks of it. Further beyond them are numerous warring tribes like the Pevolds, all of whom dwell in the shadow of many great frozen mountains. Finally, the naval empire of Ion, where great caravans of ship-villages travel the seas, and possess large quantities of spices rare in the west, obtained from even further away.

Skordica and the Alucti tribal territories are limited in resources but limitless in tenacity, doing much with predominantly wood and bronze tools and weapons, and have held peace with Kangdemar and Warskaria in the past. Skordic lords have frequently made claim to the Kangdemic throne, but have historically made brief campaigns against the east due to a deep tradition of fishing in the late summers.

To the southwest of Gilbany is Hawnil, a quiet country ruled by a council of sages and diviners dwelling in a fortress-city on the great Hawlian River. Hawnil is the last of the large kingdoms for vast distances. South of Hawnil are numerous oasis-dwelling bands, and beyond them many more commerce-oriented coastal states that produce jewellery, exotic fishing, and bizarre music.

To the southeast, beyond Arcanathraan is the great Lake Macat, and then at least one massive kingdom relying on horses for power among its massive plains and lightly-wooded, snaking river valleys. The nearest is Valgyria, known to the people of Anglyrion through the Storm Meet of the central plains, and for the ancient Tower of Quills.

General World and Culture Info

• The year on the world (called Tymatha) is almost exactly 400 days long and is split evenly into four seasons of 100 days. Seasons are equivalent to those of Earth and are referred to most commonly as spring, summer, autumn, and winter in the northern hemisphere, though most regions have other names for them
• It is claimed the world can be traversed almost entirely on foot, and that one can sail along a single coast to encounter nearly all the wonders of the world
• Ghosmian is Russian-sounding and is the common language of Gilbany and Arcanathraan, also being widely spoken in Kangdemar and Hawnil. Old Ingari is the language of the empire that once ruled Anglyrion and the surroundings, spoken by few but used frequently in magic and ritual. Most literature is written in Old Ingari, which sounds somewhat Celtic, and few other languages have definitive scripts (Ghosmian does have one but it has not yet overtaken Old Ingari); a scholar is hardly considered of value in Anglyrion if they cannot read Old Ingari.
• The acceptance and use of magic varies heavily from kingdom to kingdom; in Gilbany there are sorcerers that live relatively quiet, secluded lives unless called upon by a lord, though they are looked at with justified suspicion, as few of them even know the extent of the powers they wield. It is a dangerous yet powerful tool to the Heart of Anglyrion. The act of learning magic is laborious and slow given that so few can read, and thus many instead choose to enter into blood or soul pacts with the Old Gods in exchange for power. This is more common in kingdoms such as Kangdemar where the wilderness is more unforgiving and hides more secrets, and increases the fear and distrust of magicians in these lands. That being said, people can be as curious about a sorcerer as they are afraid, and a handful of guilds and positions of power exist throughout Anglyrion that are always held by wielders of magic.
• Although the head of a noble house may make exception, it is tradition in Anglyrion that the first child is heir, the second becomes a champion and the rest must adopt causes, by themselves or with the assistance of their keepers. A noble child who fails in taking one by age 17 will be stripped of their house association and be given the surname of Ndar-Kyuva ("never-king") to be known as a wanderer forever. Only in the event that other heirs are unavailable, or through a great deed in the name of their ancestors may a Ndar-Kyuva regain their status as a member of the house.
• Common sayings vary wildly in origin and association, but largely reflect ancestor/nature worship and, to a lesser extent, worship of gods or humanity. In Anglyrion and especially Gilbany, "King's beard" and "by the First Bough" are used in the same fashion that "my God" is used. A very common and polite exchange between any two people is "Good morrow, and the first of many" followed by the phrase "Of mine, take one" and a handshake (this is extended to both hands of both participants in the case of a more intimate relationship). Similarly, "Good evening and soft slumber" is used in similar fashion but is most commonly heard in regard to children. "A heart on your shield" is used in the same manner as the phrase "wearing your heart on your shoulder". Although the Coven and other evil spirits are seldom referred to in benevolent fashion, "Megalu's favor" or "Megalu's blessing" expresses the wish that one's endeavors are fruitful.

The Inaershch

The Inaershch, Unearth, or simply Nightmare is the endless dreamscape realm humanity visits when it sleeps, but in the absence of civilization the Dream can leak through into Haveneast, opening a portal (usually temporary) that can be traversed one or both ways. It is the realm of demon-gods such as the Coven but also of angels, giants, and other things. Locations in the Inaershch may be as small as a room or larger than can ever be traversed, even though those trapped in the Unearth do not seem to age. These regions can take on many traits, such as the eternal castle-city of Hydolyn, where mad kings of man and other things stalk the halls and ramparts for their enemies in order to acquire such small territories, or the Plain of Night, where the dull golden grass sways between black savannah trees as dark as the starless sky. The transitions between them can be arcane and hidden, ranging from lone, precarious ladders descending into darkness to two portals barely visible to each other from across a great expanse, to the mouth of a giant dead serpent or a ritual in a specific location; the environment sometimes leaves clues as to how to move to the next area.

Waypoints in the Unearth take the form of simple Fire Totems, decorated pillars typically of 1-6 feet in height, where travellers of the Dream can recover their strength more effectively. No one requires sleep while in the Unearth, but sufficient time spent resting or meditating is still required even at a Fire Totem. These structures can be fortified in a long ritual that requires the seal of a being willing to become the Attendant of the Totem, which can either be a Totem Smith or a Librarian (more below). Fortification in addition provides a barrier that makes a Fire Totem's space truly safe from the denizens of the Inaershch, who can freely attack those resting at unfortified Totems located in unsafe areas. Building a new Fire Totem requires concession of a Nightmare Writ from the master of the particular area, which may only be given up in the event of death. An area can receive a new ruler after a time, bound in a bloody ritual that a Librarian has access to.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Chris Wayan of The World Dream Bank for permission to use his work Jaredia as a base for this reboot of the setting. All credit for the map images and environmental figuring go to him. Also go check out his website, it's great.

Thanks to Nomadic for overlaying kingdom names so I can make sense of it all.

Thanks to everyone else for reading and listening to me blab in the chat :)

[Hibou]

Thoughts on Character Building

In the interest of facilitating players adopting ties to Haveneast's guilds and peoples, it seems to be that a better way than to just require everyone do up a backstory or something that I provide bonuses for associating with different factions. To that end, I'm going to work out a sort of loose guild/covenant/oath system where being a member provides you with a bonus to one or more mechanics. I'll (for now) be working under the assumption that the game I eventually run will be another Pathfinder E6 game with a variety of houserules, so the list below might change in a variety of ways, but I'm interested to see what people say about some of the proposed benefits. Unless otherwise noted, a character chooses two of the three bonuses available.

The Corvian Oath

Bonus 1: Free Weapon Focus (Spear or Mace)

Bonus 2: TBD Skill ranks

Bonus 3: Free 1/day spell-like casting of Touch of Combustion

more to come

[Hibou]

Oaths, Prayers and Codes

Let me not be taken by illness,
Let me always hunger for more,
Let me keep no prisoner but the animal within
I, Sherruor-Kyuva, give my blood for war.
-Prayer of the Fury-Shamans

In the lands of Anglyrion it is custom for every child to swear an oath to a lord, a cause, or (in the case of pagan areas) a spirit by age 10, though many begin preparation for it long before. The apprentice blacksmith might swear an oath to the fire of his forge to keep it fierce and bright; the third child of a noble house may swear to guard a realm in the name of its liege or give their life to Baalras the whale-demon in exchange for the wisdom to protect seafarers. These promises are sacred in a sense and to break one is taboo (and can have more dire consequences in relation to spirit oaths). Most of them feature a verbal prayer which is recited at first binding by all and frequently by the devout. It is said that wise lords encourage simple oaths so that they are never broken.

As for prayers, most people know many and pass them on via spoken word since few can read. Some are listed below:

The Litany of the Coven

This short prayer is an older prayer outlawed in Gilbany, although many still know it. Its use is primarily in forming blood bonds with the spirits of the Coven, which has been banned in favor of physical offerings and silence in modern times.

Man is weak, but can be made strong,
My soul is my offering.
I serve the Coven through fear and awe,
My soul is my offering.
I hear the whispers of the spirits,
My soul is my offering.
There is no blade that can break this pact
My soul is my offering.

The Corvian Oath

This oath is common to the Knights of the Raven, Crow Guards, and the denizens of Ravenkeep (the Megnede stronghold used in times of war). A variant of this oath is sworn by all defectors from hostile kingdoms upon swearing allegiance to the High King.

I am protector and servant of the High King of Anglyrion eternally.
I must be honorable and protect the sick.
I must know no fear.
I must show conviction in my actions and fury to my enemies.
I will serve as judge, jury, and executioner where there are none.
If I know magic, it must be of Fire or Chaos, but not of Fear.
To bend my oath is to be weak; to break it is treason.

[Hibou]

Gods and Religion in Haveneast

There are no direct analogs to any current religions in Haveneast; there are pagan pantheons, animism, and more modern philosophical movements that various nations aspire to (it wouldn't be unrealistic for you to hear a king at coronation declare the country to be adopting a more humanist and utilitarian approach to society). People who worship typically practice expiation, performing acts ranging from the burning of incense to a would-be hero's journey depending on the nature of their desire and the environment they are in; some local spirits may prove particularly malevolent if these needs are not met. Shrines may sometimes be hastily constructed in private locations by unpracticed petitioners; these makeshift places of worship are welcomed by most spirits, but some well-known entities respond with anger or fury.

The reach of the pagan religion is far and yet close in that typically only a few dozen spirits are known over great distances through multiple territories. They are revered prominently in Kangdemar, Warskaria, Skordica, Aquence, Arcanathraan and all the kingdoms of the east, while Gilbany and Hawnil have begun to forsake the spirits in favor of the belief in humanity. This movement centers around the belief that humanity is divinely linked to fire and the chaos it brings, and that the angels are manifestations of man enlightened by its secrets.

The pagan gods listed below are part of the most well-known group known sometimes as the Coven or simply Old Gods. All of these are malicious and otherworldly, beings from a place known as the Inaershch. Each of these gods was born of the wild like their more passive contemporaries and the animals they take the shapes of, but the demon-gods were corrupted by excess and magic, turning them into sadistic, wrathful and murderous things. Their presence in the world is weak but they can still reach it with their witchcraft, often by imparting through dark pacts and curses to mortals or possessing a beast of their house. It is said that only the slaying of a demon-god can end its sway over an area, although without the influence of humanity and more gentle nature spirits, another evil may simply take its place. Civilization is the true enemy of the Old Gods and they strike out against it to perpetuate humanity's submission. A "strong" devotee to the Coven (someone who deals with it and its avatars regularly) is known as a Server and often addressed as such in conversation.

Servers can destroy Fire Totems in the Inaershch.

Megalu, the Turtle

Known chiefly as the god of the harvest, Megalu's likeness is that of a giant, char-black turtle with a shell made of ashen bone and glowing yellow eyes. Megalu is appeased by pagans whose lives revolve closely around the sprawling farmlands, with special importance in countries like Gilbany, Arcanathraan, and the Plains of Storms. A typical sacrifice to Megalu is a small offering of wheat, corn, or another cultivated plant left on an altar to rot.

Abisai, the Horse

The wasting, rotting equine form of Abisai is associated with weather and disasters such as the tornadoes of the plainlands and the fierce snowstorms of the northwest. Abisai's favor is sought when the forests of northern Gilbany are dry and in need of rain to quench the wildfires as often as he is offered sacrifice for fear of the coming storm season. His encompassing relation makes him a well-known and widespread entity whose shrines can be found quite often in the wilderness, particularly at random on the Great Plain southeast of Arcanathraan. A typical sacrifice to Abisai involves a clay vessel to be shattered, but more sinister rituals involve the forceful drowning of small creatures as a gruesome tribute.

Axaycatl, the Coyote

Axaycatl (sometimes pronounced 'axe-cattle') is the essence of pestilence, but also the dark matron of secrets, and appears as an oversized, ageless coyote with wicked features and fur made black by altogether too much dried blood. Savage and wrathful, the coyote demon has wrought plague upon kingdoms seemingly at random. She is particularly difficult to please, as a prayer must be spoken over rotting organic material, but it must be done in Old Ingari, an ancient language few can speak. Axaycatl's shrines are usually small stone structures with small troughs dug in a symmetric pattern on the floor. In the center sits a coyote effigy that must be decorated with the flora of the season. These are often built very close to priests' longhouses in the south, but in the west are found on the edges of small fields in loosely-packed forests.

Umgamet, the Moose

The embodiment of fear, Umgamet is a huge, primal-looking moose with glowing eyes and an unnerving gaze. He is unique in that prayers and offerings are undesired (or at least ineffective), but for fear of the Witching Week and the Night of Two Souls (pagan "holidays"), people sometimes seek to appease him. Umgamet is associated with things that go bump in the night and that lurk just beyond the trees; many a warrior has sought to wear the moose's likeness into battle, and in cooler regions of the West it is considered a rite of passage into adulthood for an adolescent noble to put down a bull moose.

Methecus, the Goat-Man

Also known as the Goat-Witch and Rottinghorn, the demon known as Methecus is the lord of the undead and patron of dark magic. His avatar is a large goat-man whose form is decayed, his fur often hanging unnaturally from the skeleton that remains. Gruesome offerings to Methecus are not unheard of, usually from the distraught or insane but also from warlords who worship him as a deliverer of power. Other than severed body parts or excised organs, the only method by which to summon the attention of Rottinghorn is to burn the rare Ingarian Lotus found growing sporadically throughout the West, particularly on old and abandoned paths.

Hlohovah, the Bear

Hlohovah is the spirit of all things lost, but especially people lost in the Kangsaars and the dark woods beyond the light of civilization. Appearing as a great, rabid bear with bulging bloodshot eyes and bare, festering flesh in some places, Hlohovah's shrines are monuments made in the likeness of the towering beast. People say that the creature is most aware of those who must travel quickly and recklessly, preying upon them unless a hefty sacrifice of raw (preferrably rotten) meat is left on its altar. Hlohovah is the least likely of the greater demon-gods to appear as a premonition or omen, although it sometimes is said to stalk travellers from the corner of their eyes along long-abandoned trails and in forest ruins. A summoning of the bear must be accompanied by a drum, and is initiated by the rustling of bushes or trees in the presence of either a broken bear claw or charred-black game.

Kananotanir, the Hawk

Ghru, the Wolf

Scorm, the Spider

Baalras, the Whale

Ichtaca, the Owl

more coming

Deranism

Deranism is the term for the mixture of animism and totemism (somewhat similar to Shinto) more universally practiced than the fear-worship of the demon-gods but more subtle in its presence. It teaches that everything has a spirit and that the physical form is the anchor for that spirit, even unto death. Deranic practitioners worship the sun for light, the world for its sustenance, the moon for the dark it brings and the mind for its potential. Houses both noble and common choose animals, plants, places or things as symbols and protectors of their line and it is appropriate to pray and offer to them. It relies as much on the understanding of ritual and the spirits' desires as on faith. The most general worship one can give is kindness to creatures and the surroundings, whether through the saving of a wounded bird or the burning of a field of dead grass.

Though many great shrines are built and temples have arisen to worship nature in Deranic fashion, the faithful need simply create an effigy out of crude materials to make communion, although a more tangible and accurate anchor achieves a greater one. The simplest of the true shrines (and the most common one to be found along Anglyrion's roads) is a stone slab two feet to a side, decorated by a pattern such as a stone arch or entwined antlers. The most basic ritual one can perform before the spirits is the burning of incense, which provides a neutral ground for them to manifest. Shamanistic tactics in eliminating more wicked spirits from an area involve offerings relevant to the spirits one wishes to bind, light augury to know the spirits' terms, and construction or location of a suitable anchor within which the spirits may rest. This principle justifies the pagan practice of burying the dead rather than simply burning them, as some kingdoms do; Deranic belief states that the graves of the dead are where one's ancestors reside and lend strength to their kin in the area.

Deranists can build Fire Totems in the Inaershch.

Justaism

Justaism is the loosest of belief systems in Haveneast, more a set of foundations from which modern human morality is derived. It suggests that ancient man was a simple creature, governed by Chaos but powerless to wield it - but then they discovered Fire, and thus the catalyst Knowledge became the driving force behind the rise of man. In their hastiness to unlock the secrets of Fire, however, the Old Evils took notice and tempted them with their powers of Decay, spawing Fear from its corruption of the primal Chaos. Fear is the enemy of the rise of Anglyrion and the tool of all evils, used to sow doubt and weakness in the lines and their kingdoms. Justaism warns to avoid Entropy, as it controls and destroys the lives of humans who foolishly believe they can overcome it by their own will. Fire is the birthright of humanity and a symbol of its prowess and cunning, and decorates the halls of many a king and warrior. Justaic principles are essentially in line with chivalric codes but also includes equality of the sexes, a concern for the well-being of nature and a core tenet that one must always strive to make their lives and their world better.

Justaists can fortify Fire Totems in the Inaershch, allowing the presence of a Totem Smith or a Librarian.

[Hibou]

Legends, People, and Things

Storm Meet

There is a sacred place on the eastern edge of Lake Macat, where ruins have been rebuilt only to be destroyed again eternally by the forces of nature. It is here against all better judgement, in the Obsidian Valley, where noble representatives from all nearby nations meet every five years, under ancient rules of peace. Such occasions are opportunities for alliances to be reformed or created and wars to be suspended, of common policies to be enacted and fortunes to be exchanged. The Storm Meet is typically buffered by months of lessened hostility and increased mobility among the kingdoms. Its validity has come into question over the past decades, as the adoption of Justaism and Deranism in parts of the West have only served to anger the participants from Angorad and its allies.

The Black Wolves of Anglyrion

Among all kingdoms, the wolf has a revered - if not sacred - status, and even their slayings for the sake of a farm's survival are met with some ceremony. There is, however, a tale of evil among the wilds, bringing dread and unrest to the slumber of lords. The Black Wolves are the servants of Ghru the Great Black Wolf, and are seven in number - said to mock the Seven Lords of Warskaria as their shadows, and seed their minds with doubt. The sighting of a black wolf in the wilderness is an omen of misfortune ahead, while one's appearance in or near a settlement is said to foretell upheaval and destruction among the land's authorities. Even those in scholarly or other more quiet roles away from lordship have reason to fear, for Ghru's claws are eager to sow uncertainty and steal knowledge from humanity regardless of its source.

Androfzh Ore and Witch Steel

Androfzh ore is a rare and coveted metal, sometimes found with veins of more common types such as iron and silver. An eerie material whose color can be forest green or midnight purple, it is the ore which can be made into what is called Witch Steel, the legendary material that has been forged into the weapons of kings since time immemorial. Witch Steel accepts permanent enchantments willingly in addition to the steel itself being superior to that of ordinary weapons. In Haveneast there are few gifts more kingly than a take of Androfzh ore or equipment made with it. Sources of the ore are kept secret whenever possible and as a result few are known; even lords in possession of large stores of it are cautious, knowing its presence emboldens their enemies' designs on their lands. To properly create and bind Witch Steel, the blacksmith must have some magical prowess.

Puranantine

Puranantine too is made with Androfzh ore but requires no wizardry to create, though the technique is lost. It is the sacred metal of Justaic belief because of its powers of fire: those who have seen it liken its appearance to a gleaming, dark steel that at times appears to smoke. By properly working puranantine, a master blacksmith can evoke the primal flame of humanity and create a sword that both burns brilliant flames on its own and enhances the power of Fire magic used around it. Only a handful of weapons are known to have been made of puranantine in Anglyrion, the last of which was a massive blade lost in the mountains of Arcanathraan.

The Key-Keepers

The Key-Keepers were a band of heroes "swathed in the light of Justahn" as the totems say, made up of dozens of warriors from every corner of Anglyrion who swore to bring peace to Haveneast on a quest to Hakewzy Mountain to close the Gaping Dream in 350 AL. During this time it is said Anglyrion was under the cloud of the Gaping Dream and a great dragon known as Pesvastaesar reached across and cast his dark magic over the realm. The Key-Keepers journeyed to the corrupt Hakewzy and, in a bloody and daring journey through the depths of the dragon's dreamscape Oolstoor, they distracted the undying evil long enough to destroy the Scroll of Steel and banish the dragon to Drankh, the eternal prison. The remnants of the Scroll were broken into 23 pieces, most of which went to the 19 original Key-Keepers. As the realm returned to normal again and the Keepers grew old and died, they passed on the Keys while forging a sacred tradition of guarding them. Although many have been lost in the years since, 11 of the Keys have known whereabouts and are guarded by descendants of the original Key-Keepers, and the remaining ones cause much unrest and hostility between kingdoms; a few of the known Keys are within the borders of Angorad and its allies.

Recent events in Arcanathraan incite crusades because of fear that the effects of the Gaping Dream are returning and that the attempts to halt the plague only drew the attention of the powers of the Nightmare. It is believed that only uncivilized or remote locations can be opened to the Inaershch, usually by the use of magic or presence of supernatural creatures. It is believed that at least some regions of the Nightmare have corresponding areas in the mortal world, but the Inaershch is far too vast to be limited to Tymatha. The lords of Anglyrion fear that with civilization disappearing under the undead plague, the Inaershch will soon spill over into Haveneast once again, and the chaotic energy that accompanies it will be used along with the lost Keys to revive a fragment of Pesvastaesar's power.

[Hibou]

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[Hibou]

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[Hibou]

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[Hibou]

Reserved. Okay to post from here on out.

[Hibou]

It returns

[Weave]

Yomega. I like the haps.

I'm curious: your Inaershch (which I'll call the Dream from hereon out at the risk of spelling it wrong). Are dreamers in any danger when they visit the Dream when they sleep? It sounds like there's some beasts that lurk within the Dream and you mention it as the place folks go when they sleep. Are they only a threat to those who would travel there by portal?

[Hibou]

Yomega. I like the haps.

I'm curious: your Inaershch (which I'll call the Dream from hereon out at the risk of spelling it wrong). Are dreamers in any danger when they visit the Dream when they sleep? It sounds like there's some beasts that lurk within the Dream and you mention it as the place folks go when they sleep. Are they only a threat to those who would travel there by portal?

Thanks for the reply! Usually they are free from danger when visiting it in their sleep; however there are certainly some unique exceptions. When they physically travel there, it's definitely harmful, and they can become trapped there. That part was honestly inspired by my need to have a mechanic similar to the way Dark Souls treats its players in part of my setting. If your corporeal self dies in the Inaershch, you are reborn at the last Fire Totem you interacted with - unless you didn't touch one at all (and this happens to most "accidental" travellers), in which case you become some form of undead or beast befitting your demise. This can occur over and over upon death, although as a side effect you slowly lose your sanity or take on other curse-like effects. Ironically, with the exception of some rituals, or blessings of powerful denizens of Dream (notably, the pagan pantheon I mentioned in the first post), you can only ever leave again if you completely devolve into a monster.

[Numinous]

It returns

Nice.  Never a bad day for more Haveneast.