Threads

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I decided to pretty Threads up and move it over here.  Feel free to post wherever.

The original Threads thread.
The Wiki page.

There might be a Table of Contents here eventually.

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Shades of Gray.
Nothing is truly ever as simple as black and white. From the players to their adversaries, everyone and everything is not easy to pin down to being truly this or truly that. And even among those exemplars of goodness or archetypes of evil, there are shades even among black and white. While some objective standards exist, they are nonetheless open to interpretation.

The Ineffable.
There are things much bigger than the average person. When players walk into places such as an ancient elven grove, it should be a partly ineffable experience, for the Spirit World and the Mortal Coil begin to converge at such places. Likewise, grand wonders of human architecture and engineering would leave many with mouths' agape.

All the World's a Stage.
The players are not always the center of the universe. There are other actors on the stage; some with bigger parts, some with smaller, and all the dramatis personæ have their own motivations. The players definitely make an impact, however their's may not be the biggest, and it is surely not the only. To borrow the old saying, the show must go on, with or without the players.

Grit.
Sometimes a little extra 'finesse' must be used on the part of the players. When this kind of situation arises, both the players and their opponents find themselves truly in a struggle. The players' swords are just as sharp as their opponents'.

Intrigue.
Not everything revolves around kicking doors down and slaying foul beasts, indeed, much of the world is far subtler, from courtly intrigue like the éminence grise or the queen's secret lover, to street-level politics among the various factions in a city.

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A map[/url].

Aduaidh Sea '" The sea to the Northwest of the Kreshi Islands; it comprises part of the Great Eastern Ocean.

Aneas Sea '" The sea to the Southeast of the Kreshi Islands; like the Aduaidh Sea, it comprises part of the Great Eastern Ocean.

Ard Mountains - The smaller mountain range on the main island; several ore deposits.

Coill Forest - The smaller forest on the main island; mixed deciduous and evergreen forest.
Iseal Mountains '" The larger mountain range on the main islands; several large ore deposits.

Loch (Small City) '" The largest city on the north island; a trading port, as well as a major fishing community.

Moira (Large City) - A trading town; central city on the main island, deals with imports from Port, as well as lumber from the Coill Forest, and various rocks and metals from the Ard Mountains.  One road leads south from Moira to join with the road running west from Port towards the Moors.

The Moors - The northern portion is moorland, with the southern portion being a karst-landscape.  Few live in either, with the soil too acidic and wet for farming in the north, and too rocky and dry in the south.  The southern portion sees many livestock herders during the summers.  The road from Port and Moira passes along the coast south of the Moors and heads to Thiar.

Port (Large Town) - A fishing town; also serves as the port for the main island.  One road leads northwest from Port to Moira, and another leads west along the coast towards the Moors.

Thiar (Large City) '" A trading town; the second-largest city on the main island, deals with lumber from the Uaine Forest, rocks and metals from the Iseal Mountains, as well as the large cattle herding areas to the north of the city.

Uaine Forest '" The larger forest on the main island; mixed deciduous and evergreen forest.

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Kaytsak and Mayr
Titles: the Lovers

Typically worshiped as a pair, Kaytsak and Mayr are the most important deities to the Kreshi, and receive veneration from nearly all Kreshi, even if they aren't worshiped as a personal patron. Kaytsak and Mayr hold sway over family, honor, and love, as well as fatherhood and motherhood as individuals.

Jiavari
Titles: the Earth Maiden

Jiavari is the second most important deity to the Kreshi, representing fertility in all of nature and, to a lesser extent, horsemanship and warfare. Like Kaytsak and Mayr, Jiavari receives some veneration from most Kreshi even if she is not their personal patron.

Ver
Titles: the Dawn Maiden, the Dusk Maiden

Ver holds sway over journeys, especially their endings and beginnings, as well as time, especially dawn and dusk. Ver is the mother of both Din and Ratyi, the godlings of the sun and moon.

Saetheg
Titles: the Horned God, the God of Strength and Eloquence

Saetheg is an ancient god, perhaps older than even Kaystak and Mayr, or perhaps their child, or perhaps something entirely different. He represents somewhat paradoxical ideals: not only prowess in battle and the hunt, but also wisdom, charisma, and introspection.

Kawa
Titles: the Fickle Goddess, the Grinning Lady

If Saetheg is regarded as somewhat paradoxical, Kawa is regarded as downright strange. Kawa holds sway over caprice, humor, knowledge, and wisdom. She is a fickle goddess who gives out knowledge that is always correct, but must be correctly interpreted by the recipient.

Kawa's temples always have a statue of her, pointing in a random direction and winking at anyone who views it. Which arm and which finger she points with varies, but one thing is always constant: the finger she is pointing with is always intentionally broken off.

Din and Ratyi
Titles: the Celestial Twins

Din and Ratyi are the son and daughter of the goddess Ver. Din represents the Sun, while his twin sister Ratyi represents the Moon. The endless cycle of night and day is explained as the two godlings eternally engaged in play, both vainly attempting to catch the other.[/note]
Kreshi Religion
Worship of the gods lies at the heart of Kreshi society. They represent the most fundamental aspects of Kreshi culture, governing family and honor, as well as other aspects of import.

Most Kreshi people worship the various deities as a whole, but some choose one they identify with the most as a personal patron. The most common form of worship is informal prayers. Formal worship is typically in the form of periodic burnt offerings of crops, but this is by no means required nor common, especially among the poorer Kreshi people.

Kreshi Cuisine
In general, everyone in a family eats together; sharing a meal is a sign of intimacy and familiarity. Status is displayed by sitting in order from highest status to lowest status away from the door; thus, those of highest status are furthest from the door, while those of lowest status are closest to the door. Tables are low enough to the ground that everyone sits on the floor to eat. Generally, tables are rectangular or circular in shape.

Breakfast is a moderately large meal, and is usually taken early. Lunch is typically skipped, because the Kreshi day typically starts later than most other peoples' day. Among the urban Kreshi people, however, lunch is becoming commonplace, and generally consists of a light, highly spiced meal. Dinner is eaten after sunset, and is the largest meal of the day. Meals, excluding lunch, are a family affair. Family members are only left out if some outside circumstance prohibits them. Snacks are commonplace, generally being eaten at midday. Typical snack foods are cheeses, raw spelt, and dried fruits.

Typically, a two-pronged fork, a spoon, and a sharp knife are used for eating. Many dishes are 'finger-food' and for certain dishes, it is entirely appropriate to eat with your hands.

The typical order for meals is a soup or stew, followed by the main dish, and sometimes a fruit or pastry for desert. In general, water is safe to drink untreated, but many prefer a fermented, mildly alcoholic beverage, with a meal.

Common foods in Kreshi cuisine include breads, made from either spelt, barley, or wheat flours. Cheeses, made from cow's or sheep's milk, or whey, are also very common. Generally, common cheeses are either firm or smoked, because they keep the longest. Soft cheeses are typically reserved for special occasions. Soups and stews are also common; thick soups are more common than clear soups, but the latter are not unheard or, and they served hot and occasionally cold. Various kinds of fish are the most common source of meat among the Kreshi people. Fish are preferred fresh, but drying, salting, or both, are common methods of preserving fish. Poultry is the next-most common meat, with chicken being the most common among the various kinds of birds. Sheep and cattle are other common sources of meat, but their other uses, wool and milk respectively, along with the limited availability of grazing land on the Kresh Islands, limit their usage. In Kreshi cuisine, offal is generally not eaten, with the exception of the intestines, in the form of sausages, the heart, and the tongue. In poultry, giblets are included in stuffing, but are generally not consumed otherwise. Salads are common only during spring, summer and fall. Generally, they contain mainly green leaf vegetables, but are occasionally found with other kinds of vegetables. Common vegetables in Kreshi cuisine include various kinds of beans, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chives, garlic, ginseng, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, parsnips, peas, potatoes, radishes, shallots, spinach, sweet potatoes, and turnips. Common fruits include apples, apricots, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, gooseberries, grapes, pears, plums, pomegranate, raspberries, and strawberries.

Alcoholic beverages are common drinks. Fresh water, while generally safe to drink, is sometimes difficult to obtain. Thus, water is collected and then used to make alcohol so it will last longer. The alcohol content of most drinks is relatively low, but there are some exceptions. Beers and wines are common drinks. Less common are whiskeys, either malted or grain, with spelt as well as barley being used in the latter.

Seasonings typical of Kreshi cuisine include salt and pepper, both typically used in liberal amounts, along with other seasonings, including: bay leaves, caraway thyme, celery seed, chives, coriander, garlic, mint, mustard (black, brown, and white), paprika, parsley, sage, sesame seed, and thyme.

Olives and cloves are popular foods, but must be imported to the Kresh Islands. Fresh olives are almost unheard of in Kreshi cuisine, with olive oil, and to a lesser extent, pickled olives being much more common, though still somewhat expensive. Because cloves are dried, they make their way to the Kresh Islands much easier. To a lesser extent, dried dates are also imported, though these are much more uncommon than olives or cloves.

Holiday food is generally distinguished from normal food by the increase in spices used. Distilled beverages, instead of the more common fermented beverages are served on holidays. Soft whey cheeses, as opposed to the firm milk cheeses are served on holidays The former spoil relatively quickly, thus are not as pragmatic. Stronger alcohols, such as whiskeys, are consumed on holidays as well.

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Elven Appearance and Dress
Elves (or tel Gyzulja, literally 'the People') are a different kind of creature than humans.  Their language is not related to any other known tongue, and they are genetically quite different than humans.

Elven skin color is typically pale, but elves tan fairly easy, especially the more southward the live.  Eleven eye color includes a wide range of various possibilities, and is examined not only in terms of color, but also whether or not their eyes refract light, like a cat.  Common eye colors include blue, green, steel gray, and hazel.  Rarer eye colors include purple hues (typically refracted blues, but occasionally actual purple -colored eyes), pigment-less, or 'white' eyes (when they refract, they are highly refractive and called silver).  Elven hair color, when compared to eye color, is fairly plain.  Typical shades of hair color include blond, brown, and black, with hue generally darkening as one goes further south.  A male elf is typically under 2 meters (6 feet) tall, with Elven women being a several centimeters (a few inches) shorter than Elven  men.

Elven clothing runs the gambit from plain to extravagant; from inconspicuous to gaudy.  Materials used by elves include manufactured textiles, mainly wool and linen and some natural materials, but sometimes cotton and leather as well.  Depending on the individual, elven dress can be highly seasonal, or conversely rugged all-weather gear.  Elven fashion has it's own niche among both certain groups of elves as well as humans, but is outright ignored by other groups of elves.  Like all aspects of elven dress, elven clothing is highly individual.  Some elves wear the gaudiest jewelry to be found, decorating as much of their body in it as they can; others disdain such things.

Elves typically do not engage in any body modification, though exceptions do occur, typically tattoos, brands, and the like.  Piercings are generally not done by any elf.

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