Amala-Kahtar, Desert-Dreaming

[Wensleydale]

Magic

Magic works by the interaction of two forces - Amenta and Soul. The Invoker uses his soul - or Ka - to break through the barriers to magic and allow forces through. Not really magic, but more concentration, this form of supernatural attack is a dangerous one.

Spirit Walking is slightly different. It allows your soul to go questing alone, free of your body. This too is powerful in its own way.

[Wensleydale]

Languages

Kahtar: Kahtar was once widely spoken. The universal, mixed tongue of the Kahtar Empire, it is the basis for many modern languages. However, it is no longer common as a language alone, instead, fragments are used. The only race still known to use it primarily are the Sat-uk-Mayan, and theirs is a corrupted form. Kahtar's alphabet is a curved set of syllabillic letters with a complicated set of pictograms for single words, and is written either spiralling (for formal writing and poetry) or backwards.

Dus-Uk: The language of the Dus-uk-Surat, Dus-Uk is one of the few unique languages remaining in Ashaya. It has its own harsh alphabet of dots, slashes and lines, whilst its words are soft and smooth. In its spoken form, Dus-Uk sounds like one continuous line, one single word. Written in our alphabet, it would be hyphenated.

Ashayan: Based heavily off Kahtar, almost all races speak Ashayan. It shares an alphabet with Kahtar (although it is written left-to-right instead of right-to-left). It is a mix of several languages, including Dohyi Nomadic and Dohyi Common, but derives its greatest bulk from Kahtar.

Dohyi Nomadic/Dohyi Common: Coming from a single root, these languages are favoured by the various tribes and cities of Dohyi. They use Kahtar words and part of the Kahtar alphabet, but the majority of its vocabulary comes from an ancient Dohyi source from before the Kahtar empire.

[Wensleydale]

Dohyi and the World





Ashaya is a small country in a colossal world. Although it's large in its way, neighbouring Dohyi is larger than hundreds of Ashayas together, and even Arya and Dashi dwarf it. However, although Ashaya is... united in its own way (the dwarves and humans, the two land-owning races, having a tentative truce), as are Arya and Dashi, Dohyi's name literally means 'ununited' in Kahtar. Whilst in the west, Ashaya's and Dohyi's deserts lie close together, bound by the mountains around, to the East Dohyi becomes plains and forests. From the west come Smallborn, and Elfborn wander there too. In the West, the peoples of Dohyi bicker and argue. In the North, the would-be-ruler of Dohyi, Samalu-Dohra, holds court. In the South, Arya and Dashi attempt to steal Dohyi's wealth and land. All this makes for a cultural melting pot where Aryan is as common as Ashayan and Dohyi's six or seven languages can be heard all on one street...

[Fatum]

All in all, I think the setting has promise though it is very disorganized and disjointed. It is hard (for me anyhow) what the overall feeling and setting for this world is. Couple of suggestions:

1. Perhaps a general description of what the setting is or what the intent of it is. From what I gather, it is a desert-like survival, very barbaric place. A better description of the religion I think would also help as it can really define the outlook of people. What exactly is the Way and the Path? Why are they different and what are their tenets?

[Wensleydale]

Ouch.

Sorry, you're right there. I have a lot of stuff written up on religion in a word document - I'll post it up tomorrow.

Yup, it's desert survival. The only cities you're gonna get to in Ashaya are either full of hyper-religious members of the People or confusing, manipulating dwarves.

[Fatum]

I wasn't meaning to be mean in my reply, just what I thought when I was reading it was all.

Are the "People" human or a different race altogether?

[Wensleydale]

I've decided to leave that a mystery for now... until I do something else on them, that is. ;)

[Wensleydale]

The Way and the Path

The Way and the Path are two fundamentally different things - but they are also one. The Way is that which an individual follows personally to find their way to Ha-Uh-Mala - paradise with the creator. The Path is a belief of the People - that there is a preset Way which they should all follow, shown to them by the Prophet Immortal. Those who belief that this Way is wrong, that the Path is not the right Way or only one of many Ways, have been branded heretics by the Prophet Immortal. The Elfborn follow the Way but not the Path, and thus go as they see right to the Creator. Whilst the Elfborn have no priests, just the occasional Wise Man, in the People's society the Children of the Prophet act as his arms, shepherding The People along the Path.

 The Great River  

The Dwarfborn religion follows the Great River. To them, the River is their god, their goddess, their ruler, their lord. The Riverborn is constantly reincarnating, the body of the old buried in the mud far beneath the river and the new being born above it. The Riverborn may be male, or female, but always the incarnation of the river.
The religion of the Great River shows many things about the Dwarfborn - the Seven Incarnations of the river all demand one thing from them, and knowledge of this can be a useful tool when dealing with them. The Seven Incarnations are the Riverborn (see below) the Scholar, the Invoker, the Warrior, the Honourable, the Truthspeaker and the Mother. What they demand is as follows:

The Riverborn: That you follow the other Incarnations' laws.

The Scholar: That you seek knowledge wherever you go.

The Invoker: That you treat the Amenta and its beings respectfully.

The Warrior: That you defend your home when you can and fight for your people when possible.

The Honourable: That you keep your word to the letter.

The Truthspeaker: That you do not directly lie (although this does not prevent you from telling half the truth or a different truth altogether).

The Mother: That you never harm a child.

Of course, the Incarnations' requirements are followed by all true Dwarfborn. However, ways around and through these requirements have been discovered by Dwarfborn throughout the ages, and so a wary negotiator should not think a Dwarfborn trapped by these laws truely...

Each of the Incarnations has an animal to go with it; a Dwarfborn for the Riverborn, an Ibis for the scholar, a Falcon for the Invoker, an Eagle for the Warrior, an Elephant for the Honourable, a Crocodile for the Truthspeaker and a Rhinoceros for the Mother. Statues to them inside their separate temples (the only buildings dedicated to all are small shrines) are always fountains and always use that animal, and their priests often wear masks or tattoos resembling that animal. Each Incarnation also has its own portfolio over the Dwarfborn:

The Riverborn: The Dwarfborn people and their nations and cities.

The Scholar: Knowledge, tutelage and writing.

The Invoker: Summoning, Invokers, the Amenta, and the creatures of that place.

The Warrior: War, battle, soldiers and smiths.

The Honourable: Judges, law, justice and bankers.

The Truthspeaker: Nobles, politicians, administrators and traders.

The Mother: Animals, life, love, couples, children and parents.

The Riverborn is the only Incarnation seen in the flesh - he or she is the River's Will made living and real, and is thus a near-god and ruler of the Dwarfborn. His or her power is not absolute, but there is little that he or she cannot do.

[Wensleydale]

Dohyi and its People

Dohyi is vast, taking up almost the entire continent of Amala-Kahtar. Once the seat of the Kahtar Empire in Amala-Kahtar, it is now a sprawling almost-nation with little in common between one point and the next. More than six different languages are spoken by the humans of Dohyi, from Dohyi Nomadic in the far West Deserts to Dahamin in the far East. Dohyi is little more than an immense trading nation, with a throne that hasn't been held for thousands of years and will likely never be again.

Religion: Dohyi's religions are many. Whilst in the west the Way and Path are common, even with a few of their number following the Dwarfborn religion, in the more central and eastern parts of Dohyi the Church of the Eye and the Church of the Sun Reborn hold a lot of sway. Several other lesser religions have emanated from Dashi and Arya.

Politics: Dohyi is held together by trade and trade alone. There is no central ruler, and the entire place is little more than a mass of city-states all calling themselves Dohyan (although few know Dohyi's literal meaning - divided). Although Dohyans have a strict sense of national identity, this doesn't mean they don't fight one another frequently. In the deserts to the east, Elfborn Nomads hold sway along with Dwarfborn diplomats, rubbing shoulders with human wanderers and Smallborn traders. In the west, humans move alongside Assissa. The dominant races of Dohyi, the humans and Sahiya, oppose one another and work alongside one another both. How Dohyi will shift next is something unpredictable to even a Dwarfborn.

Currency: One of the few things that holds Dohyi together is its currency. Ataya, gold coins, are spent by traders and nobles, whilst Itaya, silver coins, are spent by the middle class. The poor trade in Halum, small rings made of copper. Barter is still common in many areas of Dohyi, but the currency system is used on a much greater scale.

Races: The Elfborn, Dwarfborn and Smallborn all have their own lands, cities and peoples in Dohyi, but the Humans and Sihaya are the most common. The humans live everywhere, whilst the sihaya generally keep to their home - the jungle. Sihaya are a cultured bird-people known for their skills with poison (a sac of which they have themselves) whilst humans are known only for their speed of breeding.

Languages: Kahtar, Sihayan, Dohyi Common, Dohyi Nomad, Dus-Uk, Amaya, Aryan, Ashayan, and Dah-Shi are all spoken in Dohyi as first languages. The most common, however, are Dohyi Nomad (the language of most of the western peoples), Dohyi Common (across most of the central expanse), Amaya (the secret tongue of aristocrats everywhere in Dohyi), Dah-Shi (the Dashi language, which the country was named after, and spoken in the far east) and Kahtar (the language of the ancient empire, spoken almost everywhere by scholars, elfborn and a few city-states).

   

[Wensleydale]

The Sihaya

Once savages in the treetops, the Sihaya are now civilised and deadly. Famed as assassins and bounty hunters, their poison, sense of smell and sharp eyesight are all powerful tools for them.

Religion: Sihaya mainly follow the Church of the Eye, although there are many religions amongst them. A few hold to the old Spiritualist beliefs.

Politics: The Sihaya have carved out their own niche in Dohyi - that of advisors, bounty hunters, and administrators. They are many, and their colonies are in the hundreds, but their leader goes by the name of Takuk-Sayum, the Flight-Queen. She doesn't have absolute power, but she does lead the Council, who themselves must make the decisions on the Sihayan future. Sihaya are matriarchal.

Currency: Sihayan currency includes almost anything, but wing-bones from dead Sihaya and beads treated magically are their two main forms, both valuable.

Physical Description: Sihaya generally stand around five feet tall, with long, sleek feathers, catlike, slitted eyes and a birdlike bodily structure. They can glide but not fly for more than a few moments, and are adept at jumping, sneaking, and hiding. Their wings are wide, and beneath their chins male Sihaya have a small poison sac. Females also have these sacs, but they are inside the body, behind the throat. They appear in all respects as a humanoid bird with arms, hands and feet as a bird's and perfect poise, wings spreading from their backs.

Cities and Lands: Sihaya prefer it in the treetops. Near the centre of Dohyi is their city that they constructed long ago - in the immense jungle, platforms stretch out from the trees, joining the entire settlement together, far above the ground. Around the jungle, though, an almost-impenetrable mountain-wall surrounds on one side, and if you enter from the other, death surely awaits you. Few are allowed into the Sihaya jungles, and those who are should count themselves lucky if they return alive.

Languages: Most Sihaya never leave their jungle home, and their own language, Sihaya, is all they speak. Even the Kahtar could not enter the jungles of the Sihaya at the height of their glory, and so the language remains untouched. Those that do leave usually learn Dohyi-Common.

Other Races: The Sihaya distrust every race other than their own (and the females distrust even their OWN race). They occasionally work alongside humans, but only occasionally.

* Monstrous Humanoid Type.
* +2 Dex, -2 Cha.
* Base Land Speed 30ft, Fly 40ft (Good).
* Medium size.
* Racial HD: A Sihaya starts with 2 levels of monstrous humanoid. This grants it 2D8 HD, saves of +0, +2, +2, a BAB of +2, one feat, skill points equal to 5x 2 + Int Modifier, and proficiency with all simple weapons.
* Low-Light Vision (a Sihaya does NOT gain Darkvision out to 60ft).
* Oddly Shaped - Sihaya require that their armour be specially made because of the odd shape of their bodies. Armour (other than chainmail shirts and cloth armour), helmets, gauntlets, backpacks and boots made for a Sihaya cost 4x their regular amount (except in Sihaya enclaves and other places where Sihaya-made armour is common).
* Spit Poison (Ex): Once per day as a standard action, a Sihaya can spit a glob of poison. The Sihaya must succeed on a ranged touch attack to administer the poison. Sihaya Poison: DC13, Primary Damage 1Con, Secondary 1D2Con. Sihaya Poison cannot be harvested, as it becomes useless within one round of a Sihaya's death.
* Flight (Ex): A Sihaya has a fly speed of 30ft (Good). It cannot fly whilst wearing medium or heavy armour or carrying a medium or heavy load. It can fly unhindered for a number of rounds equal to its constitution modifier (minimum 1) before having to make a fortitude save (DC11). If they succeed on this fortitude save, they can continue flying for another round. For each consecutive successful save, the DC increases by 1. Failure on a save means the Sihaya drops to the ground, taking falling damage as normal, and is fatigued. After completing a flight, a Sihaya is winded for 1D6 rounds. Whilst gliding, however, a Sihaya doesn't have to take a fortitude save.
* Natural Attack: 2 Claws (1D3).
* +3 Racial Bonus on Balance, Climb Hide, Jump and Move Silently checks.  
* Scent (Ex).
* +1 on Fortitude Saves against poison.
* Automatic Languages: Sihaya.
* Bonus Languages: Dohyi Common, Dohyi Nomad, Kahtar, Dus-Uk, Amaya.
* Favoured Class: Stalker.

[Wensleydale]

Invoker semi-finished, take a look.

[beejazz]

Loving the races.
Loving the dervish.

No offense on your invoker, though. I just get bored with alternate magic.

[Wensleydale]

:) Bah, the invoker's not bad, but it's your choice what you review. :P I'm just trying to develop a more "you can use these powers alone, but infinitely" thing. Coming up: Church of the Eye, Church of the Sun Reborn!

[Wrexham3]

Looks really good Golem.  Sorry I cant be more constructive than that but I had ten minutes to skim through it.  I was wondering, would it be possible to blend this setting with some of your others to form one uber-setting?

[Wensleydale]

The Church of the Eye



The Church of the Eye follows a single god - the All-Seeing. The All-Seeing is omnipresent and omnipotent, and is shown as a humanoid, hooded figure with a face made completely of eyes. His priests often totally remove theirs, relying on the All-Seeing for their sight, and it is said they can see as if they were he. Whether this is true or not, the Church of the Eye has a relatively large following, and is thought to be based off the Amalukan Spiritual beliefs of Amar.
The Church is one of the few organised religions in Amala-Kahtar, each Priest staying in contact constantly, and it is led by Ashaba-Ulam, a reformed Sihaya assassin. There are a few factions within the Church, but the most well-known are the Seer Inquisitors, hunters of heresy within the lands north of Amar. They have few successes, as those they are hunting are hardly weak, but those that they do are celebrated across the land by members of their faith.

 Feat: Prophet of the Eye
 Prerequisites: Blindfight, must cut out both your eyes, Knowledge (Religion) 10, Profession (Priest) 10, Must be accepted and raised into the Priesthood of the Eye.
 Benefit: You gain Blindsight out to a range of 30ft, and you can use the following spells 1/day: Detect Magic, Detect Secret Doors, Locate Object.

 The Church of the Sun Reborn  



The followers of the Sun Reborn are rarely zealots, but there are hundreds of them. Behind only the Wayfaiths in numbers, the Church worships one thing - the Sun. Golden disks, prisms, and mirrors are all sacred objects to the followers of the Sun Reborn. They see the Sun as a Creator who dies every night, enters the Amenta, and rises in the Akhet (lit. the Place Where the Sun Enters the Real World) the next day. It then proceeds to move slowly across the sky, bringing life to all, before dying again in the night.
Priests of the Sun Reborn can be recognised by prisms and mirrors, which they wear constantly, and/or golden disks (which they wear around their necks on necklaces). Their carvings, such as the one above, often show their most important religious ceremonies: the Funeral of the Sun and the Raising of the Sun. The first occurs at Sunset, as the dying rays of the sun are slowly lost, and water and wine are offered in remembrance of the day. Contemplation and meditation over the day's events usually occurs at this time of the day. After the sun finally disappears, however, music begins, feasting starts and the whole congregation will become happy, remembering the sacrifice of the Sun.
In the morning, the raising of the Sun occurs. The Priests alone enter the Raising temple, usually just a small building with a clear view of the East and the Akhet. A solemn ceremony of worship is begun as the Sun rises, and once the Sun is truely up, they leave and the people also pay their respects. Of course, this usually takes place in a person's home, leading their family in their own short service. Only on the Funeral and Holy Days do the entire congregation gather together, but when they do, feasting is in order!

Feat: Prophet of the Sun Reborn
Prerequisites: Must possess a consecrated item of the Sun Reborn, devote yourself to the faith, and be accepted into the Priesthood of the Sun Reborn. Knowledge (Religion) 10 Ranks, Profession (Priest) 10 Ranks.
Benefit: You can cast the following spells once per day: Endure Elements, Heat Metal, Searing Light, Fire Shield.

Note: The Prophet feats described here are meant to be used only for exceptionally devoted priests in the service of the respective deities. No normal priest should have these feats, and if a player wishes to take these feats, he must devote himself to the cause of the church. He loses all benefits of these feats if he turns away from the cause or performs acts against his deity's wishes (DM's discretion).