Celtricia

[LordVreeg]

(From Here.)

The Faith of the Venolvian Empire.
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 The Ancient Venolvian Empire really started with the Pirate Lords of Coom Isle, Grace Isle, and the Steel Isle.  They called themselves the Sea Lords, but the plyers of trade on the seas bequeathed upon them the more notorious sobriquet.   Settlements go back  thousands of years on the islands.   There were traces of earlier civilizations in the early Venolvian records.  By -90 RON they were loosely bonded together as the Venolvians, an Anarch term that is translated as "Uniters".  





In these ealy days, the Venolvians had a few primary faiths that they followed.  There was the Church of Direction, the faith for those who wish a clear path to follow and to avoid losing their way, whose main patrons are Germain Vicis, Oblimet, and Arlieng.  The Church of the Balance, where Amerer and Ogleic held sway, was popular migrated from Winterloo to the Venolvians, and a little clan-based devilkin worship were the primary faiths of the early Venolvians.

The Church of Direction was also something of a weather church, where bulls and doves were ceremonially drowned upon the blessing of a new ship, and where a seaman's family would eat only fish for 2 hawaak after the birth of a son or daughter, the proper offerring to create a child who could use weather magic.  

The Church of the Balance in question always depended on how philosophical the particular parish was, or how mercantile.  Ogleic the TradeLord always become ascendent in the areas of wealth; so bankers and traders often flooded to these churches.  

Later, as the islands communicated more and the organization of the Venolvians became more clear, paradoxically, the worship of the Entropic Overlords (Jubilex, Orcus, Hewecar, and Pazuzu) grew in prestige.  perhaps it was the need for release that let in such a strong entropic variation.  And one thing the Demonlords are each known for is ritual and ceremony.  During the centuries when the Etropic Overlords dominated the expanding Venolvian Empire, the days were thick with pomp and paegent.    Births were filled with rituals to Hewecar, Lord of Blood, while deaths included sacrifice and prostration to Orcus, the Keeper of the Way.

In the last century and a half of the Venolvians existence, the Church of the Dark One came into existence.  This worship was mainly popular in certain clans and organizations, and did not really supplant the Entropic Overlords for quite a while, as much as they were added into the churches.  It should also be mentioned that the entropic churches and cults encouraged the arts and representations of their beliefs. It was the Entropics that started the artistic tendency towards wire and tube shaped, stylized sculpture.  The Church of the Dark One, the worship of Thanatos the Ender,created hidden enclaves and monastaries, compared to the larger temples of the Entropic Overlords.

The Church of the Dark Way was a sombre, somewhat macabre form of worship, rife with saints and martyrs.  The Cult of St. Arbor was the best known, and the Klaxik Chaosite priest who converted, Ben Holder Akerickat was also widely followed.


This was over quite a time period.  There is eveidence that the Church of Balance was worhsipped as early as -390 RON, By 23 RON, the Entropic religion had become the dominant one.  The Church of St. Arbor was founded on 290 RON.   And it is a well known fact by those who study the effects of history that Jon of Triston put the last venolvian City, Kulranik, to the torch in 506 RON.

[LordVreeg]

I love it when we have a great Igbar session, and the system (GuildSchool) helps create the right game experience.
Igbar played last night.  Great game in general; in that they finally at least got back and discovered the same ancient temple to Mammon the Lawgiver where the old Grey Legion discovered the vampyre that they unleashed, 5 years ago in real time.  So it was nice to close that loop, even though the Antroo Vampyre is gone.  
Ate dinner as always, someone brought homemade gazpacho, we had local hearloom tomatoes from hanson's Farm drizzled with balsamic, grilled chicken with a honey bourbon glaze, homemade cookies, 7 bottles of wine...that was good.

group used Ringo, their sneaky type, to scout in front of them in the caverns.
I'll share this with you guys, since none of you are playing in Igbar right now.
But sneaking is not that easy in GS unless you are built for it.  However, combat's are very lethal and being able to set up combat's to go the way you want to is something that most groups learn after a while.  GS is not the game to wander around in an adventure.  I think the SIG is learning this.
They were sneaking around some of the ancient stone buildings left by the Orbian exiles...but they avoided 2 combats and found some really cool weird items.
They have also embraced the Bleu Eyes and Bleu Lantern combo.  Most creatures with darksight have 15-30' of it, so this is a distinct advantage.

so they discovered the Antroo Vampyre was not there, and they decided to leave, they actually had the two 1/2 ograks wearing ancient Orbian armor bluff their way past.  It was awesome.

Then, the group actually had a wyvern attack them a few days out...and one of the pcs whipped out a spinnerette spell and actually managed to tangle the things wings when it was swooping down on them...4 ton flying sauroid diving at 50 MPH casue a lot of self damage...love it when a PC uses the right choice and pulls it off.

[LordVreeg]

The Ogrillites

[/size]

'The eight original Planars, called by the Alementary the True Gods, all had within them the creative spark, a part of the Song that allowed them to create.  Even some of the Angels had within them that part of the song.
And in the depths of time, after the Omwo~, after the Stunatu, and even after the Humans, Anthraxus created his Servants of Woe, the Ogrillites'¦'-fragment of the Journey of the Chosen, found in Silverwood.

The Ogrillite peoples were created by Athraxus the Decayed at the end of the First Millenia of the Age of Heroes.  Long after the other Iesueca were created, Anthraxus took and perverted the other races and made them into his own.  The Brutal Orcash, the clever Goblins and Hobgoblins,  the canine Gnollic, the powerful Ograks, the Huge Fomor , and the wise Gartier, all were made as his people and his forces.  Bred for conflict and born to war.
For  thousands of years, these creatures were seen as sub-cultural and bestial, inferior enemies of the other intelligent races.  Yet as with all the races, time wore on and the original designs of the planars became less and less easy to determine.

In the current philosophical mindset of the Celtrician setting, the ability to integrate into a multi-racial culture is seen as one of the tenets of a cultured person.  Over millenia, positive relationships between the various races had become quite normal.  However, there had been a good amount of racism and discrimination practised, even among allies until very recently.  Where the enemies of the various city-states and countries were of a different race, it was often outright ugly.

But a little less than 2 centuries ago, driven in particular by the bold, equalizing, racial independence that the now-powerful and multi-national guilds had brought to the scene, race ceased being a major discrimination point in the Celtrician Cradle area.  The roots of this change can be found in the Bright Lands, where plutocrats in Hobyt Inn started trading heavily with their former enemy, the Blacknote Orcash Tribe a few days north of that city.  By that time within the city of Hobyt Inn, Hobyts, Humans, and Omwo~ had been living with anti-discrimination laws for centuries, although the Orcash were not included.

Though there was great debate, a philospohical movement began in the North-West that was predicated on the idea that one of the primary determinants of a civilized society is the ability to become integrated in a multi-racial society.

Thus, the Bright Lands were the first to open up citizenship to the Orcash and Gartier and also to include Ograk, Goblin and Gnolls as well (this is incredibly rare because of the distribution of the races). However, in a world where Hobyts and Orcash are the most populous races, almost 10% of the Orcash of the world, and almost 25% of the Orcash in the Northern Celtrician 'cradle' area, are 'civilized' and integrated.

In the time since then, most of the Northern (cradle) countries have accepted and adopted this acculturation. The idea has also spread to the Lands of Om in the Far South and most of the west. However, the Ambrellian and Argussian Empires are combating the idea. Some rulers and leaders embrace this change and proselytize it, although many fear it, but nonetheless this tide of change has washed over the lands.

[LordVreeg]

The above post, also found in the game wiki.

One of the themes of Celtricia, that has not been mentioned in years (whish is why I bring it up) is the purposeful twisting of the normal racial tropes, and the way racism is dealt with.  Almost all races cross breed and almost all have, to some degree.

In the far past, celtricia was a more typical fantasy world, where the different races were still fulfilling the exact designs of their planar creators.  Millenia later, the Omwo~ are in remmision, the humans are scattered, all the servant races are not only free, but in some cases (especially the Hobyts) runnin the damn place.
And added to this, the former 'evil' servant races, the bestial tribal races, have started to acculturate and create different identities.  Orcs, bugbears, 1/2 ograks, and thanks to Llum, dog-brothers are all playable races, thoufh with certain levels of racism to deal with in different areas.

[LordVreeg]

Amazing session last night.
Truly a tour de force on the NPC acting area.
the GM spent time as these, among others.

the 1/2 orcash-human SGT Hemptagon of the Scarlet Pilums, a Guard who does not like the New Legion at the Recum Gate.
Samria, headmistress of the [http://celtricia.pbworks.com/w/page/14955290/Alternative%20school%20of%20magic]Alternative School of Magic and Freemage.  Witty and Sharp.
Krans the Boar, Orcash knight of the Armor of Trade, middle aged friend of Sirrah Grobach.
Tibor Transplen, Gnomic Professor (Air, Earth) and freemage of the Altenative School of Magic.
Terrible Billy, Orcash/Human owner of the[http://celtricia.pbworks.com/w/page/14956404/Sweet%20Retreat%2C] Sweet Retreat, wild and crazy and old friend of the group...in a sort of way.
Rex Bin, Omwo~ professor (Death, Necxromancy) and Freemage of the Alternative School of magic.  Frightening and gaunt.
Carl Brocester, of the [http://celtricia.pbworks.com/w/page/14955892/old%20families%20of%20Igbar]Istar of Igbar.  Omwo~ gambler and gentlman, snide and indirect.

Certainly a good time.

Also, thinking of doing an "intro to Celtricia" Thread....

[LordVreeg]

nEW pAGES ON THE cELTRICIAN wIKI...

Inkmisa, the Green Goddes of Love
http://celtricia.pbworks.com/w/page/46041489/Inkmisa

The Rip-Cut Crucible Neighborhood of Igbar
http://celtricia.pbworks.com/w/page/45952578/Rip-cut%20Crucible%20of%20Igbar

[LordVreeg]

The Harou District of Igbar

The South-Eastern corner of the city is the Harou Disctrict of town, where the quaint, introspective social graces of the Harou cultures is observed. Tea service, outdoor porches, and piinut incense in the air are the staples of the area.


This section of Igbar is mainly very convoluted and close, with fewer really legal streets (at the minimum 30 feet wide), with many buildings having built on wooden and wicker porches with trellis' for vines and rotee.  The buildings are low and flat, though sometimes with high cupula.  Small tables and chairs of Shoefel Wood are highly prized, though almost all the wood in the houses of the Harou are heavily polished.  Hegres, the small household shrines particular to Harou, are often visible from the streets.

Many denizens of this district wear the ceramic plaques of duty (Panars) of the Harou duties.  They bear certain symbols of the Harou way, seen as characters of the Omnian or Gwynellian alphabets.  Public assumption of duty is a staple of the Harou Way.


It is also one of the larger neighborhoods, mostly within sight of the south and east walls.   There is a small waterway that wends through one corner of this neighborhood.  

Many Klaxik and wastrian humans make this area home, and the scent of Piinut and Rotee is strong.  The Blue turtles have a small chapter house in the Harou District, which is very empty right now.  There is a large, 9' tall bronze statue of Ishma (in the ancient orbic style, so this statue was moved to this spot) in the middle of a circular boneyard/park.  This is the spiritual center of the district.

There is an element of tourism involved with the Harou area.  Many restaurants and shops, some authentic, some not so much, dot the large neighborhood and her twisted streets.  Esaolio Cietu (Silverwood Omwo~, 'Drunken Beauty') Street has blackwood pedastles hung with old ceramic plaques all up and down it.  That street is commonly called Drunken Lane, and has 4 Harou restaurants on it, all well regarded, like 'Fingers on Back' and 'the Silver Emin'.

As such, this district is considered exotic by deinzens of Igbar.

Though the Eye has some power here, this is a neighborhood where the Blackstripes are ascendant, and in the night, one must be careful of gangs of thugs looking to prey on the unwary.

[Ghostman]

It looks like this paragraph was abruptly cut off:

Many denizens of this district wear the ceramic plaques of duty (Panars) of the Harou duties.  They bear certain symbols of the Harou way.  Public assumption

[LordVreeg]

It looks like this paragraph was abruptly cut off:

Many denizens of this district wear the ceramic plaques of duty (Panars) of the Harou duties.  They bear certain symbols of the Harou way.  Public assumption

yep.  time to find it.  and fixed, thank you!

[Steampunk Knight]

Just spent the last hour looking over your setting and system, and I must say I am rather impressed.  I was reading the races section was wondering if you had any more written any more about the Sauroids and their fallen civilization?

[LordVreeg]

Just spent the last hour looking over your setting and system, and I must say I am rather impressed.  I was reading the races section was wondering if you had any more written any more about the Sauroids and their fallen civilization?

Thank you.  We have a good time with it.  We actually play online on the IRC every Tuesday night if you want to watch ever or dip your feet.

There is a good amount written, but most has not made it onto the wiki, and the pieces that are there are still protected.  The Sauroids were never numerous, never more than a thousand, though they had many omwo~, human and other servants...there were a few other settlements as well, but there was always tensions based on the way that once a dragon changes colors, whatever temprament they have is excaserbated.
Ultimately, the carnage at the end of the Age of Heroes, with the Bard and his Brother, Arbor, enveloped the Northern Dragon settlements as well.

[Steampunk Knight]

Thank you.  We have a good time with it.  We actually play online on the IRC every Tuesday night if you want to watch ever or dip your feet.

Yeah, I would like to lurk during one of your sessions. I do run a 4ed D&D game every other Tuesday, so it wouldn't be until November 1st.  Let me know if that date is cool to lurk. Now I'll I have to do I figure out how to use IRC.

There is a good amount written, but most has not made it onto the wiki, and the pieces that are there are still protected.  The Sauroids were never numerous, never more than a thousand, though they had many omwo~, human and other servants...there were a few other settlements as well, but there was always tensions based on the way that once a dragon changes colors, whatever temprament they have is excaserbated.
Ultimately, the carnage at the end of the Age of Heroes, with the Bard and his Brother, Arbor, enveloped the Northern Dragon settlements as well.

Very interesting. Please let me know when you unlock that information. I would be very interested in reading it.

[Lmns Crn]

Thank you.  We have a good time with it.  We actually play online on the IRC every Tuesday night if you want to watch ever or dip your feet.

Yeah, I would like to lurk during one of your sessions. I do run a 4ed D&D game every other Tuesday, so it wouldn't be until November 1st.  Let me know if that date is cool to lurk. Now I'll I have to do I figure out how to use IRC.

The Steel Isle Game is the sort of thing you can just drop in and play on pretty short notice. Vreeg keeps a couple of ready-to-go characters that anybody can take over, so you don't even have to fuss with character creation ahead of time unless you want to.

[Steampunk Knight]

The Steel Isle Game is the sort of thing you can just drop in and play on pretty short notice. Vreeg keeps a couple of ready-to-go characters that anybody can take over, so you don't even have to fuss with character creation ahead of time unless you want to.

I didn't know that, but I think for my first exposure to the game I would like to lurk. That is if it is still OK with LordVreeg.

[LordVreeg]

The Steel Isle Game is the sort of thing you can just drop in and play on pretty short notice. Vreeg keeps a couple of ready-to-go characters that anybody can take over, so you don't even have to fuss with character creation ahead of time unless you want to.

I didn't know that, but I think for my first exposure to the game I would like to lurk. That is if it is still OK with LordVreeg.

Course.  we often have lurkers.  love to have you.  otherworlders  #celtricia.
Actually, Jomally and Clark often put the game on the big screen during their crafty nights.  They don't want to miss another night of 'haunting' or another 'conversation with a dragon'.

exposure can be dangerous, however.