The Clockwork Jungle [Old Thread]

[Polycarp]

Okay, I've come up with a question. One thing that I'm finding hard to imagine, and so I want definitely answered. What kind of adventures do you see Our Heroes having in this setting?

I don't think the general answer to this is too different than it would be for any other campaign world, so I'll try to answer it specifically.

This campaign world is the latest in a long personal tradition of mine, that of exploratory worlds.  The ruins that permeate the world are mostly unexplored, providing ample opportunities for dungeon-builders.  Characters could be motivated to discover the secrets of the Ancients, whether that means seeking ancient artifacts and mechanisms, uncovering ancient history, or simply pursuing a love of discovery.

The world also exists in a formative period of history, providing numerous opportunities for political and diplomatic adventures.  The "core area" that I will be focusing on for starting adventures is the Greater Netai/Mosswaste region, which has recovered from the 5th Netai War and is teetering on the edge of another.  Intrigue dominates, not only between the Confederation and the sizable coalition arrayed against it, but within both factions as well.  Diplomats, spies, assassins, and messengers can find employment easily.  Characters may even have their own political pretensions.  Should a DM bring about the 6th Netai War, there are ample opportunities for aventures de guerre.  War in TCJ is especially character-oriented, because "armies" (and "flying navies") of the Clockwork Jungle are small corps of talented and experienced mercenaries or professionals, much like oversized adventuring parties.  A group of characters could find themselves taking a much more central role in the conflict than they would in a campaign where tens of thousands fight tens of thousands and PCs are reduced to running niche errands behind the scenes.

Encircling much of this region is the Mosswaste, where the greatest enemy of life ever known rules unchallenged.  Will the Saffron Moss strike hardest when its enemies are at each others' throats?  Will the threat it poses force erstwhile enemies to grudgingly join forces?  At the very least it provides an especially alien and dangerous environment to explore, and at most an existential threat to all the civilized peoples of the region.

Further abroad, characters could be contracted to seek valuable Lodestone in the distant wastes of the Obsidian Plain, escort caravans through the jungle, discover why a certain Cog has been attacking a village or oppose the machinations of the megalomaniacal World-Queen (whose expansions do not yet threaten the Greater Netai/Mosswaste, but she still makes a good long-term villain).

In truth I don't have a lot of specifics yet, because I've worked mostly on the general rules and environments of the world.  In terms of adventures, however, I don't think this world is any different from any other one - the gravity may be lower, the terrain may be lusher, and the races may be less human-like, but it's not that different in terms of what there is to do or accomplish.

[LordVreeg]

How does dendronautics affect daily life?
Obviously it is not totally safe or common, but within the zone of a specific group, does it speed communications?  Commerce?  Is it the method of choice for trading 'upstream'?  How much would it cost to trasnport a person or people by this methiod?  Is this done?  how many people at once can they carry?  Are their regular routes?

BTW, I like the Starnought. I mean, you had to do it, but I was still glad to see it.  

[sparkletwist]

Oh, this is interesting, I missed it the first time.

I have some questions about gravity. What does "weigh half as much" mean when talking about characters native to this setting? Though they'd be used to moving around in the lower gravity, and thus wouldn't be awkward, they'd likely not be as strong, either.

This means that PCs from a normal-g (1.0g, to us) environment could likely be seen as a bit "brutish" by local standards, as they would be both extremely strong and extremely ungainly and awkward in their movements. As they adapted to the enviroment, they would gradually become accustomed to the gravity, but unless they took special care, they'd probably lose a good bit of strength as well.

Astronauts are always running on treadmills and the like in order to keep up their strength in the zero-g environment, as simply fighting against gravity gives our muscles a fairly decent workout. With half gravity, the effects wouldn't be as dramatic, but would still be a factor. :)

[Polycarp]

How does dendronautics affect daily life?

are[/i] quite common.  Smokeships and the larger vessels are the rarer ones, only because they require substantially more skill to operate safely and effectively.  A Tethership requires a top-notch crew, but anyone can be a mediocre skiff pilot with some basic training.

Magical communication, which tied the world together in the Age of Prophets, is no longer common.  As a result, khautas have become critically important for the delivery of news and information.  They cannot carry bulk loads of heavy goods like a ship or a train of pack animals, but khautas can carry reams of pamphlets, letters, messages, and some books (the printing press exists in this world and is in fairly widespread use, though perhaps not exactly common).  For many villages, dendronautics means the difference between being part of a larger regional community and total isolation.

Rivers are not commonly used for trade and transport because they are often choked with mangrove trees or otherwise rendered impassable, and are also frequented by the Forest's most dangerous creatures.  They are also not reliable, as rivers (especially smaller ones) change their course frequently as the Forest dams them with organic litter or fallen trees.

Commerce can only be conducted by khauta when the commodity is fairly high value, as they can't carry bulk freight.  The primary method of conveying freight is still by heavily armed jungle caravans using draft animals.  A few commodities are valuable and light enough to be carried by khauta, like precious feathers, bark cloth, rare spices, or spider silk.  Khauta trade is much riskier than caravan trade, so khauta merchants tend to be either those who are willing to accept very high risks for very high profits, or those who are too poor to buy into a jungle caravan (as caravan merchants must have enough up-front capital to pay for their share of the draft animals, soldiers, supplies, ammunition, and so on).

As to how many people they can carry, I'm not exactly sure; I'd like to correlate those values with real-world examples of the carrying capacity of actual hot air balloons, but I just don't know that much about ballooning.  Right now I'd say a typical canopy skiff can carry 3-5 people with fairly minimal equipment (like a standard-sized adventuring party with light loads).  The larger the balloon, the more it can carry, but the more fuel it requires as well.  Consequently, smokeships with longer ranges carry fewer people than short range vessels.

There are regular routes, usually not because of trade concerns but because of predominant air currents.  Flying is so fast, however, that Flyers can go far out of their way to catch a favorable current and still get to their destination weeks before a ground party would.  Since most khautas are canopy skiffs that can't do much in the way of flying against the wind, most airborne traffic relies on well-established currents.

I have some questions about gravity. What does "weigh half as much" mean when talking about characters native to this setting?

I suppose it doesn't mean much when considering character strength.  It does mean that (for instance) balloons can lift more, but you're correct that natives might well be commensurately weaker.

Right now I haven't yet considered extra-planar connections, but you're right about the results if a TCJ creature were to find themselves on our world or vice-versa.  Denizens of the forest would be weak compared to creatures from other planes, and the few creatures that live on the Obsidian Plain (the "normal" gravity area) are universally stocky, short, and strong compared to the creatures of the Forest.

It should be noted that the gravity section refers to bonuses from 3rd ed D&D.  With the release of 4th ed and my increasing dissatisfaction with D&D generally, I can't vouch for how stable that information will be.  Right now I'm going pretty much fluff-only until I come to some kind of conclusion about what mechanical system would be best for this world.

[Polycarp]

[ic=Excerpt, 'The Voyage into Darkness']The name 'Obsidian Plain' sounds rather grim.  Only those who have been there know it is an abominable euphemism.  Those who have fled lava flows, choked on brimstone fumes, and nearly experienced simultaneous drowning and scalding in the Great Mud Sea would give their right arm to tread on solid 'obsidian;' Those who have skirted around yawning abysses, gotten lost in a forest of basalt spires, and clambered over foot-shredding ashen slopes would give their left arm to be traversing a 'plain.'  If my prayers to the Grandmother had been answered during my travels in the Plain I would be physically incapable of writing this book.
- Skauk'uk Taku Yim, Gheen Explorer, Cartographer, and Chronicler[/ic]

The Obsidian Plain

To one not acquainted with the Clockwork Jungle, there is little that stands out in a landscape of eternal forest '" only rivers and the occasional sea break the boundless green canopy.  To a native, this is a preposterous idea.  The variation of the jungles is endless, with different kinds of forests, high mountains and low valleys, hidden springs and dark caverns, shady thickets and towering ruins'¦ the list goes on and on.  There is one place, however, where the contrast with the rest of the world could not be sharper.  It is there to be seen, smelled, felt, heard, even sensed.  No creature would ever mistake this place.

The Obsidian Plain is a massive expanse formed from innumerable overlapping lava flows.  Magma seethes underground everywhere in this place, roiling up from cracks in the ground or bursting forth from mighty volcanoes '" the plain is one enormous fumarole field.  Sulfurous fumes spew from underground vents, and pools of lava, hot mud, and seething mineral water are scattered everywhere.  Some are enormous: the Great Mud Sea is a particularly massive feature, where thick, boiling hot mud gurgles and simmers far off into the horizon.  The colors here are blacks, grays, and browns, punctuated only by the brilliant red glow of molten rock and the sallow gleam of brimstone.  Not even the blue sky is often seen here; a perpetual cloud of ash and dust smothers the landscape, sometimes high above the smoldering peaks and sometimes so low that travelers must practically crawl to avoid a painful suffocation.

The Plain is poorly defined.  Really, it exists only as far as its lava fields extend; sometimes new lava does not strike an area for generations, allowing the jungles to creep in onto the rich volcanic soil.  The Forest quickly moves to conquer the barren plains, only to be routed again when the next lava flow annihilates acre upon acre of new trees.  The Plain and the Forest are locked in an eternal struggle for territory that has gone on at least as long as there have been written records, with neither side able to claim any permanent victory over the other.  The outline of the Plain changes constantly because of these 'border disputes,' and as such no accurate map of the Plain's border ever exists for long.

The interior of the Plain, or the 'High Plain,' is more consistent.  Here, lava flows so abundantly and frequently that no growth is feasible.  The pitiful, stunted trees that sprout up from weathered cracks in the Low Plain are absent here, for if the lava flows do not kill them the ashen clouds that block out the sun surely will.  Here, the Plain is ever inviolate.  The High Plain is actually physically higher than the surrounding areas, thanks to the continual buildup of material; the entire Plain can be pictured as a very flattened dome, with the highest territory in the center.

So why go?  Many have lost their lives in the Plain, in this most inhospitable of places, far from their homes and families.  Surely the rewards must be great if the risk is so high?

Most travel to the Plain because of Lodestones.  Rare in the Low Plain, they become increasingly common in the High Plain, until on the slopes of the Grandmother Mountain one cannot take a step without treading on one.  They are heavy, but a single pouch of Lodestones can be worth a small fortune.  The poor and the desperate sometimes see the Plain as their only way out of misery and poverty into a world of luxury.

Others go there simply for the adventure and a love of exploration.  The notable features of the Plain have all been mapped by intrepid individuals and parties that sought knowledge and fame above all else (though they are often interested in Lodestones as well).  Some make a fortune through selling printed tales of their journeys, or by trading information on new and faster routes to Lodestone caches to newcomers.

Still others come as pilgrims, hoping to find enlightenment or wash away their transgressions in the land that purifies everything by fire.  Most consider these people quite mad, but all recognize the Plain as a place of great power and sacredness, and perhaps the key to the renewal and ascension of the spirit lies somewhere over the ash-clouded horizon.

As with the Forest, the landscape of the Obsidian Plain is highly variable '" it is estimated that up to 10% of the surface of the entire Plain is molten at any specific point in time.  A familiar cliff, pit, or lake could be gone in the time it takes a single lava flow to change course.  Generally speaking, however, larger features remain constant.  Volcanoes build up over long periods of time and are usually good landmarks for travel.  Occasionally, however, a sudden shift below the earth will cause a volcano to rise up fairly quickly, or detonate a volcano in an earth-shattering explosion.  These instances are rare, however, so the region's peaks can usually be counted on to guide any travelers determined or insane enough to be here.  Other large features like the Lakes of Dread, the Belching Spires, and the Sea of Repose are also good landmarks, though as their names imply not all of them are fun to visit.

The massive rainstorms that drench the Forest are usually absent here, but occasionally clouds do wander over the Plain.  A downpour on the Obsidian Plain usually results in a great swirling column of steam stretching up into the sky, visible for miles.  Where the hot, sooty air of the Plain meets the cooler air of the Forest on the Plain's edge, storms are frequent, sometimes surrounding the Plain with a veil of flashing lightning and crashing thunder and making life difficult for khauta flyers.

Flying is not recommended within the Plain.  The hot ambient air makes khauta less effective, and the double gravity erodes their usefulness even further.  Flyers on the Black Circle merely dip into th Plain to exploit its thermal resources, and do not stay for any longer than necessary.

Ecology

For the most part, the same plants grow in the Low Plain as in the Forest itself, only stunted by the higher gravity and occasionally charred by a lava flow that came too close.  They are much sparser, however, having to make a living in cracks where some thin soil has accumulated.  Areas that have been untouched by lava in many years can be quite lush, though the plants still appear stunted and perhaps a bit sickly.  Sometimes lava flows cut off areas of vegetation, leaving 'green islands' deep within the Low Plain that can remain for generations until they are inevitably destroyed.

One has a better chance of tripping over an emerald while walking in the Forest than finding a living plant in the High Plain (save for those around the Lake of Repose; see below).  Consequently, the only creatures living here are most unnatural, feeding exclusively on lava, rocks, or unwary travelers.  Natives of the High Plain seldom leave that place.

Cogs are not often found in the Plain.  They are usually associated with ruins, and there are no ruins in the Plain '" if there were, they have long since been destroyed by the eternal deluge of lava.  Some wander in the Low Plain, and their motives are as inscrutable as those of any other Cog.  Cogs do not travel into the High Plain.  Some hypothesize that the concentration of lodestones damages them, while others suggest that the Grandmother Mountain is the place where they were all forged, which for some reason they fear to return to.

[spoiler=Selected Features, in brief]

The Great Mud Sea is an immense sea of hellishly hot mud located in the Low Plain.  The mud is not brown, but a nondescript light grey color, save for a few areas in which sulfur or iron contamination gives the mud a yellowish or reddish tint (respectively).  The roiling slurry forms the largest contiguous geographic feature on the Plain.  The mud ranges in depth and consistency, but it scarcely matters to travelers, who will be scalded to death long before they drown.  Crossing the sea is almost impossible, as watercraft would be difficult to propel through mud, and giant 'mud toads' lurk beneath the surface.  There is a persistent legend among some Iskite villages near the Plain that bathing in this mud is uncommonly good for the scales, but few are willing to try it.

The Lakes of Dread, also known by its Umbril name (Tudain-Ul) are a series of large volcanic lakes in the Low Plain.  The Lakes are actually quite pretty, as for some unknown reason the rock beneath the water is often vividly colored.  Were a traveler to gaze upon the Lakes from a height, he would see an astounding palette of every color in the rainbow covering the landscape in irregular splotches.  This is an unlikely scene, however, because a cloud of steam hangs almost eternally over the entire region, generated by the Lakes themselves, which are quite hot (most are not boiling and can be entered safely).  The Lakes of Dread are so named because of the tendency for travelers to vanish within them.  The simplest explanation is that they became lost in the steam, but rumors persist that there are creatures of some kind that hunt the unwary within the mist.  True or not, those who pass through safely almost inevitably report the intense and uncanny feeling of being watched while among the Lakes.

The Belching Spires are rough, twisted basalt spires that rise abruptly out of the walls and floor of a steep-sided canyon.  The canyon is impressively long and runs roughly along one quarter of the 'boundary' (there is no exact dividing line) between the High and Low Plains.  The spires are sulfurous chimneys ranging between ten and forty feet tall, and they spew rotten-smelling brimstone smoke constantly.  The poisonous fumes are heavier than air and gather at the valley floor.  They cause a creature's eyes to sting and water, and will eventually cause permanent eye damage if the interloper does not protect himself somehow.  If it is to be crossed, the valley must be crossed quickly; eventually, a creature at the valley floor will notice it can no longer smell the brimstone, and at this point it usually only has minutes to live before it accumulates a lethal dose of the foul air.  Fortunately, the valley is so inhospitable that no dangerous creatures call it home.

The Blood Cauldrons are oddly bowl-shaped hot springs in the High Plain, so named because the rock within them looks as if it has been dyed incarnadine.  Most are too hot for normal creatures, but others are not dangerous to travelers.  Despite their ominous name, this region is the safest place in the entire High Plain and a common destination for travelers lucky enough to get this far.  This is because it is the location of a very large colony of Asheaters '" intelligent and massively strong creatures that are also slothful, non-aggressive, and (thankfully) do not eat meat (or the Umbril).  Most Asheaters are indifferent towards outsiders but those of the Blood Cauldrons are somewhat more hospitable, and (when feeling particularly energetic that day) may go so far as to render assistance to those who need it.  As they eat minerals, however, they have no food to offer creatures from the Forest.

The Sea of Repose is a modestly sized inland sea (really more of a large lake) within the High Plain, nestled within a ring of volcanoes.  For whatever reason, this area is devoid of the heat that dominates elsewhere.  The volcanoes around it are dead, and the Sea itself is cold and clear.  The water is drinkable (though distastefully acidic), and a few groves of gnarled, pitiful plants stand in patches around the Sea, somehow able to deal with the water's acidity - they are as white as bone, and cannot be found anywhere else.  It is the only known place in the High Plain where plants grow.  Explorers are well advised to stay within the valley only during the daylight hours.  At night, the Sea and the valley around it are teeming with swarms of Cairn Bats who will strip the flesh off of any living thing they come across.  The valley is dotted with the stripped bones of generations of past travelers and particularly luckless animals who somehow made it here and now give the Sea its fell name.

The Grandmother Mountain stands at the exact center of the Plain.  It is the tallest volcano in the High Plain, and is known best for its association with Lodestones.  All Lodestones 'point' to it, and its sides (when not deluged in lava) are dotted with more Lodestones than all the civilized peoples of the Forest could ever need.  At the top is a seething pool of lava.  Some of the few travelers lucky and foolish enough to travel to the top and survive have claimed that, on occasion, the lava sinks low enough to reveal an island made entirely of Lodestone at the pool's center.  So few people have been to the top of the Grandmother that it is difficult to confirm this myth, but it is known as the 'Shrine at the Center of the World.'  Everybody who has seen it tends to disagree on exactly what is on the island; some have said a Lodestone altar, or a whole palace of Lodestone, and one even reported seeing a flowering tree upon the isle.  This is all dubious information as anyone who has been there is, by definition, not entirely sane.  The most recent known visitor to the top of the mountain was Skauk'uk Taku Yim 30 years ago, and though he is well known for publishing every detail of his many journeys all over the world, he has never written or publicly spoken about what he saw at the top '" if he saw anything at all.[/spoiler]

Symbolism

The hellish nature of the Plain may suggest that it is somehow 'evil.'  Despite all the apparent evidence for this view, the civilized races of the Jungle do not see it that way.  To the Tahro, the Plain and Forest represent the cosmic duality of destruction and creation, neither of which is 'evil,' just complementary parts of the journey of existence.  Many Gheen worship the Grandmother Mountain as the manifestation of risk, venture, and trade '" a journey to the mountain carries great risks, but also hints at the reward of Lodestone, perhaps the most valuable material known.  To the Umbril, the Plain is the ultimate representation of the exertion of will, the one entity that perseveres against the Forest that swallowed even the cities and palaces of the Ancients.  Some say the Plain also appeals to their spartan aesthetics.  The Iskites revere the Grandmother Mountain as the ultimate example of duty and loyalty (as her Lodestone 'children' always face her), the literal and figurative axis upon which the world turns, and see the Plain as the unavoidable primal chaos that complements this supreme figure of order.

Still, the fact that it is not evil does not mean it is a welcoming place.  The danger it presents to even the most experienced and prepared explorer should never be underestimated.

[Hibou]

The Obsidian Plain is awesome. I love the eternal battle that goes on between it and the forest, and its status as a locale for potential wealth that is difficult to survive - a more realistic kind of treasure hunting. I also like how the landscape can morph, making given routes to lodestones and whatnot unreliable at best and making continuous exploration viable. The Lakes of Dread are my favorite of the selective features with that feel of danger.

[Polycarp]

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm starting to narrow my focus on a specific part of the campaign world, the "Greater Netai/Mosswaste Region" (an awkward, if descriptive, name).  Here we have an analysis of the state that out-Byzantines the Byzantines at politics, the Netai Confederation.  The complexity here isn't to flummox or astound, it's meant to give GMs a ready-made framework to construct their own adventures of political intrigue.  Heck, the Confederation even has a congress of secret members!

[ic=On the Court of the Confederation]I have come to believe that the government of the Netai Umbril was specifically designed to be maddening - so maddening, in fact, that it incenses all the civil authorities of the land against their peers until they well and truly hate each other.  Once everyone in power hates everyone else in power, it is impossible to form conspiracies against the people.  Among the Netai, politics is like the arena; the people watch the ferocious beasts fight, knowing that as long as the creatures devour each other they will not turn on the spectators.
- Tsalang, Iskite Diplomat[/ic]

The Court of the Netai Confederation

In theory, the government of the Confederation is chosen by its people (at least, its Umbril people).  Citizens elect the College of Envoys, who make up the Deputation, which elects the Princes, who appoint the Intendant and Conservator.  In reality, however, the practice of politics is murky and all but impenetrable to those who do not make it their profession.  Many offices are buried behind so many levels of appointment, review, and selection that popular influence becomes extremely diluted.  This is no accident, and the system's proponents say it does an excellent job of making the government responsible to the populous while also insulating it from the whims of the mob.

Below is a simplified (yes, you read that correctly) chart of relationships and selection processes in the Netai government.  


[note=Categorization]I've participated in almost every "what kind of government is this" thread we've had, so I feel obligated to try and categorize this one.  Though it's technically a dual elective monarchy, the monarchs don't actually have much power, and it appears and functions more like an Aristotelian "mixed government," comprising elements of democracy, monarchy, and oligarchy.[/note]Noble Offices

The Prince of the Yellow is the pre-eminent Umbril of the Confederation, and is first in the official ceremonial order.  The Prince of the Yellow has some important duties, but they are extremely limited.  He has veto power over the office of the Coronet of Aliens, allowing him to negate a candidate elected by Netai's alien community if the prospective Coronet is unpalatable to the Umbril administration.  Together with the Prince of the Blue, he appoints the Intendant.  Otherwise, the Prince is primarily a figurehead meant to represent the pride and power of the Confederation.  He is elected by the Deputation.

The Prince of the Blue holds second rank in the ceremonial order.  Like the Prince of the Yellow, his duties are quite limited, but highly important.  He appoints the Conservator himself, and appoints the Intendant along with the Prince of the Yellow.  He is the Confederation's spiritual leader, and presides over official ceremonies. Traditionally, he is allotted a grand sum every Red Season by the College of Envoys to distribute to the poor.  He is elected by the Deputation.

The Coronet of Aliens holds the impressive rank of third within the ceremonial order.  His office was established as a way for the Confederation's alien community (that is, its non-Umbril residents, who make up around 30% of the population) to have a role in official politics.  Indeed, his is the only non-military post within the government that can be held by a non-Umbril.  The Coronet is elected directly by resident aliens, subject to review by the Prince of the Yellow (who rarely rejects the candidate he is offered).  He advises both the Deputation and the College of Envoys, and can review and veto selections for both the Assembly of Service and the Intendant-Marshals.

High Administrative Offices

The Conservator is fourth within the ceremonial order.  Traditionally, the Conservator is the grand arbiter and protector of law, public morality, and tradition within the Confederation.  Appointed by the Prince of the Blue, the Conservator is the executor of the Monitorship, the enforcers of Confederation law, and appoints the members of the College of Seekers (whom he also advises officially).  Though he has considerable executive power, the Conservator is irrelevant to policy-making unless he can leverage the College of Seekers to stack the Deputation in his favor.  

The Intendant is fifth within the ceremonial order, which is deceptive given that his office is probably the most powerful of all.  The Intendant has extensive civil and military powers; he appoints the Intendant-Marshals directly (with the acceptance of the Coronet of Aliens) and is the leader of the Deputation, whose candidates for membership he is capable of accepting or rejecting at his pleasure.  Powerful Intendants can use these powers to become almost dictatorial, but a hostile College of Seekers has foiled powerful Intendants in the past by refusing to nominate any Deputates, causing an 'invisible Deputation' (this is a pun, as the secretive Deputation already is 'invisible') and paralyzing the government.  The Intendant serves at the behest of the Princes and is appointed directly by them.

The Intendant-Marshals are the military commanders of the Confederation, chosen (in theory) for their ability rather than any political considerations.  They are directly appointed by the Intendant with the approval of the Coronet of Aliens.  Intendant-Marshals, like all officers in the Confederation military, can be aliens.  They are sixth and last in the ceremonial order.

Legislative and Bureaucratic Bodies

The Deputation is a shadowy committee of Umbril nominated by the College of Seekers from among ranks of the College of Envoys and approved by the Intendant.  The members of the Deputation are secret; only the Seekers, the Coronet of Aliens, and the Intendant are entitled to know who sits on the Deputation (though the Conservator usually knows too).  The penalty for 'outing' a Deputate is permanent exile.  The Deputation has the task of electing the Princes of the Confederation.  They have few other official duties, but because the Deputates are simultaneously Envoys (they retain their seats in the College) the Deputation traditionally acts as the 'secret leadership' of the College of Envoys that influences all policy in the Confederation.  They can anonymously reject candidates elected to the College of Envoys but seldom do so, as this would risk turning the mob against them.

The College of Envoys is the popularly elected legislative body of the Confederation.  One Envoy is sent from every community on the isles.  Besides making law and policy, they select candidates for the Assembly of Service.  They are advised officially by the Coronet of Aliens, the only alien allowed within their chambers.  Depending on how powerful the Intendant and the Conservator are at any one time, the Envoys can either be a very independent decision-making body or a puppet show of the Deputation.

The College of Seekers is a technocratic body drawn from the ranks of the Assembly of Service.  Seekers are traditionally all scholars '" lawyers, administrators, tax collectors, scribes, and other professional functionaries who have been selected for service by the Conservator (who also advises the Seekers).  The Seekers are meant to counterbalance the demagoguery of the College of Envoys with their superior wisdom and knowledge of the bureaucracy, and accomplish this by nominating Envoys to the Deputation.  Their other duties include doing studies and assessments for the Envoys, the Intendant, the Coronet, or anyone else who requires their abilities.

The Assembly of Service is not actually a deliberative body, but rather the sum total of all the Confederation's bureaucrats, great and small.  They do their jobs and have little to do with the working of government unless appointed as Seekers.  Only the Umbril can take civil service jobs within the Assembly, and they are nominated to their positions by the College of Envoys.  The Coronet of Aliens has veto power over any appointments but does not often use it.

The Monitorship is not a deliberative body either, but the order of 'Monitors" who enforce the laws and customs of the Confederation within its borders.  The name and the function of the monitors are adopted almost whole cloth from similar officials in Iskite society who serve to protect order and tradition within the village.  Only Umbril can serve as Monitors.  Monitors are elected locally, and the Conservator serves as the 'Supreme Monitor' and leads the organization.  They have no political role outside the fulfillment of their jobs.

The Smokefleet and the Isle Militia are the two military branches of the Confederation, controlling the sky and the ground (respectively).  Recruited from both the Confederation's alien and Umbril populations, they have no role in politics.

[Polycarp]

[ic=Exerpt, The Lament]I am born anew in the clutches of my adversaries.
- Avan-Avan, Umbril Poet[/ic]

The Umbril

There is a famous story about a Gheen prophet who confronted the dreaded Umbril warlord Enti-Ven Famar.  The prophet rebuked it for all the death and pain it had caused, and proceeded to recount a long list of its atrocities and sins.  When he was finished, Enti-Ven simply responded, 'Only an Umbril may judge an Umbril,' and had the prophet executed.  Though most Umbril are in no way as flippant or violent as Enti-Ven or its comrades, the basic sentiment '" that the Umbril are special and separate from the other races of the Jungle '" is very familiar to most of them.  The Umbril see themselves as unique in a physical, mental, spiritual, and moral sense from all other forms of life, in an unceasing rivalry with all other things that both threatens and strengthens them as a people.
[note=New Umbril]I'm planning a "relaunch" of all the races, and the Umbril get to be first.  Since I still haven't really settled on a game system, it's all fluff, which is what I like best anyway.  Previous statements on the Umbril should be ignored when they conflict with what's here.[/note]
[spoiler=Physiology]Umbril are stocky fungal creatures with a roughly humanoid shape.  The average Umbril stands about four to five feet tall and weighs about 140-180 pounds.  They are not terribly fast or graceful, but are known for their sturdiness and physical resilience.

Umbril have no bones, but a stiff 'stalk' runs up the inside of their bodies, and they have a chitinous, scale-like 'skin' that provides both protection and support.  Their limbs lack interior joints, which accounts for their awkward movement and lack of manual dexterity compared to members of other races.  They also lack digits, and instead have bunches of root-like tendrils on the ends of their legs and arms that grip objects with a sandpaper-like texture.

Their coloration is usually a mottled brown, which gets darker toward their legs and totally black at the lower ends (their 'feet').  Color does not differ much between individuals, but Umbril are able to recognize each other by smell and their chitin patterns.  It can sometimes be hard to tell individual Umbril apart at first, but individuals tend to have distinctive patterns of 'flaking' of their chitin-scales which anyone can recognize (if they're paying attention).

Umbril have milk-white eyes shaped like long horizontal ovals, which are capable of perfect (albeit black and white) sight even in pitch black conditions.  No irises or pupils are evident.  They have poor color perception even in bright conditions, but otherwise have quite good eyesight.

Umbril are simultaneous hermaphrodites; they are all capable of producing and fertilizing Umbril spores.  They have no males or females '" or, more correctly, they are all males and females.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Language]Umbril produce sounds by blowing air through their gills.  In this way, they are capable of complex speech with a characteristic thin, high-pitched, rasping accent.  Interestingly, as their gills are separate from their mouth (which is used only to ingest food), an Umbril's mouth does not actually move when it is speaking.  They have acute senses of smell, but this does not play a role in their language like it does for Iskites.  Umbril are very adept at producing a wide array of sounds at the higher end of the tonal spectrum, and make whistling 'shrieks' when angry or frightened.  Umbril laughter is a breathy, whistling warble that other races don't necessarily recognize as laughter unless they've heard it before.

The Umbril are a very verbal people that enjoy wordplay, poetry, and linguistics.  As a result, they use a broad array of languages, though most have some similarities from the latter days of the Age of Prophets.  Individual communities (the Umbril refer to their villages as 'colonies') may use several languages for different uses, some of which are 'secret languages' never taught to outsiders, even Umbril outsiders.  When interacting with those of other races, Umbril generally prefer to learn the language of the foreigner rather than the other way around, as they feel this gives them an advantage over others.  Most adult Umbril know at least one foreign language unless they are from a truly isolated colony.

The Umbril have no concept of gender except what they learn from other races.  As a result, all their languages lack gender, and they tend to avoid using gendered words even when speaking other languages.  Iskites and Gheen generally use the female gender when referring to Umbril (Tahro languages lack gendered pronouns).[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Life Cycle]Umbril reproduce communally.  They have elaborate social ceremonies where the adult members of the community expel spore clouds that mingle and are fertilized in a choking yellow-green fog that eventually settles like dust on the forest floor.  Only a miniscule percentage of these fertilized spores actually survive into adulthood.  Umbril 'children' are sessile, anchored to the ground and only capable of being moved around (transplanted) by another.  They are conscious some time before they are mobile.  As a result, Umbril are often confused by the idea of 'rebellious' or otherwise troublesome children, because theirs can't go anywhere.  'Sporelings' become capable of rudimentary speech around age 6, mobile around age 10 (at which point they can be called 'Ambulants'), and full adults around age 16.  Adulthood is defined as the time at which an Umbril reaches reproductive maturity, and is able to participate in communal reproduction.

Like Iskites, Umbril do not know or care who is the parent of which child, but unlike Iskites (who purposefully raise children communally to avoid developing family ties), the Umbril could not know this even if they tried.  They consider the idea of a biological family rather strange, but do not consider it necessarily a bad thing like Iskites do; their way is simply different, just like all their ways of doing things.  There is a suspicion among the Umbril that the Iskites developed communal child-rearing because they were envious of Umbril society, something that the Iskites would certainly (and strenuously) deny.

Umbril do have families and family names, but their families are entirely based on adoption and mutual bonds of friendship rather than kinship.  Umbril society is not very trusting or open, and Umbril tend to have few close friends even among their own people.  Umbril that do grow to sincerely trust one another will often decide to form a family.  Umbril do not understand the nature of familial affection, romantic love, or sexual attraction, but their scholars often write about these subjects, much as human scientists would discuss the odd behaviors and mating mechanisms of animals or plants.  Umbril are capable of very strong bonds of friendship, however, once their seemingly genetic suspiciousness is overcome, that are as powerful as any familial or romantic bonds.

An Umbril family (more properly called a Metil, meaning 'web') has only a social purpose, not a reproductive one.  A single Umbril may choose to adopt a Sporeling into his 'family' even if he is the only member of it.  There is fierce competition among Umbril for the most clever and vital sporelings, which are assigned rather haphazardly in a manner that some outsiders have compared to a slave auction.  Indeed, sporelings are basically servants to their adult 'parents' until their own adulthood, even after they have become mobile, and there is frequently no love or even friendship between a parent and child.  The Umbril view each other as means to an end, even their own children, and expect others to treat them the same way '" parents are to be respected, but not loved.  Attitudes on sporeling-rearing differ, however, and some Umbril believe some kind of friendly connection is good for the sporeling, while others say that a harsh environment will better prepare it for a harsh world.  The latter philosophy is more predominant.

Aged Umbril are said to be 'long in the gills,' as their gills do indeed grow and stretch over time.  Very old Umbril begin to take on a slimy texture as the last phase of their life '" decomposition '" begins.  At around 80 years of age, an Umbril's failing vitality and mental acuity lead it to anchor itself in place, where it drifts steadily into a decomposing unconsciousness from which it does not awake.  Dead umbril leave no bones behind, and their decayed bodies make excellent fertilizer, which is used by the Umbril to fertilize the soil in which the next generation of Umbril is grown.  In this way, the Umbril end their lives with one final contribution to the colony, and the circle of life and death is completed.  Exactly how long the oldest Umbril lived is unknown, because there is no precisely known border between life and death.  Umbril death (that is, natural death) is not a moment of loss, but a gradual transition back into the soil.

Umbril life and society being as they are, however, the average life expectancy of an Umbril is significantly lower than their average age of natural death.

The practice of prolonging one's existence through undeath is frowned upon in most civilized cultures, but among the Umbril it is an accepted method by which especially powerful and clever Umbril can cheat death and continue to master others for as long as magic sustains them.  'Telavai,' as they are called, appear as shriveled, desiccated Umbril, as gaunt as normal Umbril are stocky.  The exact process is a closely guarded secret which one Umbril must endeavor to steal from another that possesses it.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Society]Umbril society is complex, murky, and frequently dangerous. Living near the ground and threatened by many jungle creatures, the Umbril do not abide the weak.  Might makes right in the world of the Umbril, and those not strong enough to rule either obey or are eliminated.  They place a high emphasis on ambition, perseverance, self-reliance, and cleverness, but not on compassion or altruism.  One's rewards must be earned and strived for in order for them to be truly appreciated, and to the Umbril, generosity is a vice that devalues hard work and weakens the community.  Others find the Umbril to be secretive, conniving, callous, and pessimistic, but Umbril are also practical, self-reliant, perceptive, and prudent.  They will fight tooth and nail for their survival and that of the close circle of individuals who they have come to truly trust.  Umbril are not quick to make friends, but they will die for those they truly consider their friends and allies.

Since they all exchange spores together without the ability to choose their 'mates,' they believe the culling of weak and unfit members of the community before adulthood is beneficial to the community as a whole.  The Umbril create so many spores that do not survive that they have become inured to the idea of mass infant mortality, and don't understand the taboos other cultures have against infanticide.  To the Umbril, life is cheap, especially young life.  The 'right to live' is something one earns and jealously defends from others, not something one is born with.

Umbril social structure is largely determined by cleverness and deception, though familial membership also plays a part.  Being in a respected metil means that you are good friends with a respected Umbril, even if you yourself are not as admired.  Family membership also makes it more likely that someone will avenge your untimely death, deterring would-be assassins.  The social structure of the Umbril is generally impervious to outside observation, partly because the Umbril enjoy fooling outsiders and partly because it is continually in flux.  One social mistake may cost an Umbril all his social standing, or even lead to his death.

Assassination is frowned upon not because it is innately immoral, but because outright killing an enemy is not very subtle or demonstrative of great political skill.  Still, it is not very rare, especially as one reaches the rarified heights of a colony's real movers and shakers.  It is almost universal for there to be a certain 'grace period' during which an Umbril who knows it will likely be assassinated is allowed to flee the community rather than face death, and most Umbril explorers and adventurers started on their career path after running afoul of the wrong Umbril and 'electing' to leave their colony.  A target of assassination will often be warned ahead of time by the assassins or their masters to afford it this opportunity.

Umbril colonies usually do not have 'formal' leaders, and most have not since the Age of Prophets.  Decisions are made by those with the influence and power to implement them, whoever that might be.  If a single leader is needed, usually to deal with foreign visitors, an Umbril is selected to do so by those in power.  This Umbril typically is not actually one of the more influential ones, though foreigners are led to believe it is.  Actual influential Umbril will pose as servants or advisors in meetings with outsiders, giving them the opportunity to scrutinize the visitor without being closely scrutinized in turn.

Occasionally several villages will come under a unified regime, typically when a particularly strong metil extends its network of intrigue into other colonies.  In such cases, an Ivet (literally 'base' or 'foundation' but usually translated as 'Prince') is sometimes crowned from the ruling family's members, though the actual crowned Umbril may not be the most powerful or influential within the family.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Habitat]Umbril live on the forest floor, in villages designed to utilize the natural surroundings for camouflage and defense.  Most of the settlement is underground in tunnel networks burrowed between the roots of the Forest's great trees.  Umbril families live in individual burrows, which always have multiple entrances and exits, some of which may be hidden.  'Sporeling farms,' where sessile Sporelings are nurtured until adopted and transplanted elsewhere, are hidden away as far as possible from surface entrances.

Umbril settlements are not very well planned, with new burrows being dug only when needed and where there is extra space.  If the colony becomes too big to remain easily concealed, a section of the population is dispatched to form a new colony, usually about a day's journey from the old one.  Very old colonies are often the center of 'clusters' of up to a dozen smaller colonies that have broken off from the original colony or each other over many years.

There are few known Umbril 'cities' in the Forest, though the Netai Umbril are urbanized to a degree that most other Umbril would find surprising.  When they exist, Umbril cities are based in and around isolated ruins, and ancient halls and chambers replace the usual hand-dug tunnels and burrows.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Warfare]Since the Orange Strife, the Umbril have seldom fought offensively, not even to take slaves.  They view slaves as being too dangerous to keep, as an escaped slave could betray secrets about the colony's location or layout to potential enemies.  Their colonies are designed to escape notice altogether, but when they are discovered they typically rely on a large militia of armed citizens rather than the small, semi-professional forces favored by the other races.

A visitor may pass through a colony without even being aware of it because of how carefully burrow entrances and surface structures are obscured.  Visitors will be observed covertly; if they are judged to be interesting or useful '" and more importantly, not a threat '" they will be greeted and brought to a designated burrow or structure where they can meet and trade with select Umbril.  Visitors are not given free reign to travel around the tunnel network, and Umbril 'minders' are with visitors at all times to make sure they do not get anywhere they are not welcome.

If visitors discover a colony by themselves, they will be greeted if they are judged to be non-threatening.  If the Umbril perceive them as a threat or think they may divulge the colony's location to those who are, they will be immediately attacked in force.  The Umbril will fight to capture or kill, as any intruders who escape could communicate the colony's location to others.  Captives may be used as leverage in diplomacy, but if they are not useful they will be executed.

The Umbril prefer to fight on the ground or underground, where their unique visual abilities give them an advantage.  They prefer smaller weapons that can be easily wielded in cramped tunnels, such as trumpet axes, goads, and picks.  Blowguns, bows, and bolas are used on the surface.  Armor is usually light in order to preserve mobility and stealth, though during the Orange Strife iron and steel armor was common in the Umbril ranks.  The Umbril are well acquainted with poisons, and use them liberally in battle.

Umbril can expel a choking cloud of (unfertilized) spores at an enemy, and Umbril often use this to surprise an opponent or effect an escape.

The Umbril also prefer fighting on the ground because most have a prodigious fear of heights.  The Netai Umbril are a notable exception to this otherwise reliable rule.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Art and Music]The Umbril have a spartan aesthetic, and enjoy a simple, functional object more than a superfluous or ornate work of art. They do, however, have a certain fondness for sculpture.  Clay sculpting is a common activity, and most colonies have one or more dedicated sculptors who work with more permanent materials like wood and stone.  The Umbril do not have a predisposition for hoarding wealth and tend to dislike ostentatious displays of it, but wealthier Umbril may keep private statue gardens for their own personal enjoyment.  The subjects of Umbril statues can be nearly anything, though they are usually realistic depictions of objects rather than abstractions.

Geometric patterns are often engraved or set into everyday objects, especially those reflecting spiritually significant numbers or symbols.  This is partly aesthetic, but partly religious as well, as many Umbril believe such patterns and shapes can protect them from malign forces or expand their own spiritual awareness.

The Umbril don't have any tradition of singing, though they can mimic high-pitched animals sounds with some proficiency.  They consider oratory to be superior to music, but do use simple instruments (primarily percussion and wind) to accompany a speech or poem, or during certain religious events.  Music is at most a passing hobby for them, and Umbril colonies have no "musicians" as such.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Food]Umbril live almost entirely off rotting and fermented vegetable matter, though they can eat animal matter as well.  They can consume a wide variety of materials but have difficulty digesting things that are not partially decomposed already.  Umbril colonies maintain 'swamp pits' in which leaf litter, rotting wood, over-ripe fruit, and even animal corpses are layered and compressed until they become sufficiently spoiled for the Umbril to digest and enjoy them.  Umbril consider the food of the other races to be detestably 'under-ripe.'  The Umbril do not cook most of their food, but do consider pickled things to be delicacies.  Caravans that plan to stop by Umbril colonies often bring pickled eggs or fruit rinds to trade for supplies.

The Umbril consider mold to be a spice, and enjoy enhancing many kinds of foods with various mold colonies to accent and complement the natural flavors.  They realize that their cuisine is usually distasteful and sometimes harmful to those of other races, and greatly respect aliens with the intestinal fortitude to join them in a traditional Umbril meal.

The Umbril do not domesticate any kind of animal for food, though many scavenging animals are attracted by Umbril swamp pits.  Rootlings and Giant Scavenger Beetles are often found near Umbril colonies and may be used as guard animals or even mounts.

Alcohol does not affect Umbril in any noticeable way, either positively or negatively.  In fact, alcohol is one of the primary waste products of their digestion, and Umbril blood is usually described as smelling like over-ripe fruit and alcohol.  Some jokingly refer to Umbril as 'wine-blooded' or say that someone is 'drunk as an Umbril,' though Umbril cannot actually get 'drunk.'  The Umbril observe the drinking practices of other races with some degree of unease, and there is a persistent myth among the Umbril that these other races sometimes abduct Umbril (particularly sporelings) in order to drink their blood.  This 'blood libel' has led to sensational violence against non-Umbril before, especially in the Umbril cities of the Netai (which contain sizeable non-Umbril minorities who may be unjustly blamed for a death or disappearance).[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Recreation]The Umbril often compose poetry in their free time.  Umbril poetry is both precise and vague, using carefully selected words and rhymes to convey complex or even contradictory statements.  Avan-Avan, the most renowned Umbril poet of all time, wrote once that the essence of Umbril poetry was 'describing an imperfect world with perfect speech.'  Poetry developed among the Umbril as a means of 'ritualizing' speech and conveying subtleties, and even the most common of Umbril sprinkles poetic lines or rhythmic phrases throughout their normal communication. The Umbril relish subtlety and ambiguity; to them, the more ways a poem can be interpreted, the better the poem is.

Most Umbril poems are fairly short, though there are a few widely known epics.  The archetypal protagonist of an Umbril epic is 'Neven-Il Tebral,' the main character of Zenta-Til's 'The Black Clay.'  Neven-Il starts as a worthless, overlooked weakling who, through its own scheming and charisma, manipulates the powerful members of its colony into destroying each other without Neven-Il ever having to get its hands dirty.  By the end of the epic, Neven-Il is about to become Prince of all the surrounding villages '" but is then assassinated by its own jealous family member, the ultimate betrayal and a lesson to all about the danger of trust.  The beauty of The Black Clay is that Neven-Il is only one of many characters at the start of the epic, appearing to be a mere supporting character until its rise to power becomes unstoppable.

The Umbril are linguistically competitive, and like to engage friends and rivals in riddles or word games.  Conflict is often resolved through an intense, fast paced exchange of poetic improvisation, and a loss to a rival may lead to tangible loss of status and face within a community.  The ability to compose poetry and riddles is cultivated early on, for immobile Sporelings have little else to do with their free time than bandy words with each other in the dim light of their communal burrow.

The Umbril enjoy all manner of other games of skill (they generally detest games of chance), but for the Umbril no game is complete without a verbal component.  The idea of 'respecting one's opponent' by remaining silent and giving them time to think is preposterous to them.  They taunt and ridicule each other with barbs of dry wit, and it often appears that Umbril are more engaged in one-upping each other verbally than winning the game itself.

The Umbril commonly use mind-altering substances, but they believe this to be a spiritual or societal act rather than one of recreation.  Perhaps as a result of their desire to rise beyond the transient physical world, even if only temporarily, the Umbril knowledge of botany and herbalism far exceeds that of any other race.[/spoiler]
[note=Ivetziven]You can find more information about the Ivetzivenid pantheon here.[/note]
[spoiler=Religion]The primary Umbril faith is the worship of Ivetziven, the 'Prince of Fungi,' and its five aspects.  The Ivetzivenid pantheon and its role in Umbril society is detailed separately.

The Umbril are a notoriously superstitious people.  They place more emphasis on sacred numbers and symbols than any other civilized race, and commonly design everyday objects to reflect sacred geometries as well.  They do not believe that such practices will bring them 'luck' as such, but do believe that they will protect them from baleful spirits or encourage friendly spirits to bless them.  The Umbril (like most of the other civilized peoples) are essentially animists, who believe that spirits exist in nearly everything.

Faith in Ivetziven and its aspects does not preclude such beliefs.  While the Umbril praise the Fivefold Fungus as their creator, protector, and patron, they realize that it is not the be-all and end-all of the spiritual realm.  Exactly how this realm is perceived varies widely from place to place, and different Umbril colonies may revere unique panoplies of place spirits, animal gods, wyrms, and Aras Tay (the wild and often ferocious fey of the Forest).  The Umbril sprinkle small rituals and sacrifices throughout their day to placate the spirits with the most influence on their own lives.

Religion is a personal matter among the Umbril, save for the established rites and holy days of Ivetziven and its Fruiting Bodies, which are considered a community obligation.  Umbril colonies typically have a handful of dedicated 'priests,' who are in some sense outside traditional Umbril society '" they are respected as channels to the gods, but also looked at somewhat patronizingly because they do not take part in the struggle for status and influence that most Umbril dedicate themselves to.  They live on the outskirts of the community literally as well as socially, inhabiting burrows or temple mounts near the edge of the colony, where they are allowed to perform arcane and secret rites for the benefit of the colony.  There is a great deal of mystery and secret knowledge in Umbril religion, which is largely left to those few Umbril devoted enough to make a living of it.  The priesthood originally had a more central place in Umbril society, but it became increasingly marginalized as a political force during the Age of the Prophets, and it has never recovered.

The Umbril are more resilient to the infestation of the Saffron Moss than most other creatures.  Most view this as simply a blessing of Ivetziven, but there do exist small and scattered cells of deranged cultists who have turned away from Ivetziven and worship the Peril as their god.  Such cult cells exist largely among the Netai Umbril, situated as they are near the great Mosswaste.  The Umbril do not abide these sick reprobates and will kill any such cultists that they discover, but it is an unfortunate truth that as many Umbril take up the Saffron Mantle as all the other three civilized races put together.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Relations]The Umbril are suspicious of all the other races, and consider them all to be rivals and potential threats.  Still, they realize that other people have things they want, and usually make at least an attempt to judge an individual based on his own merits than writing him off as just another alien.  The Umbril don't like to underestimate people.

The Umbril find the Iskites to be far too stubborn and direct, but respect their work ethic.  They find it hard to understand why the Iskite goal of 'understanding one's place in the world' is a good thing; an Umbril always wants to improve its position and gain in power and influence, not become comfortable and complacent with mediocrity.  The Umbril expect others to be as ambitious as they are, and they find the Iskite lack of societal ambition to be profoundly odd.  Despite these differences, Iskite villages and Umbril colonies tend to get along reasonably well.  In some places, close economic relations have developed between a village and a colony, in which the Umbril provide the agriculturalist Iskites with fertilizer and the Iskites give the Umbril the vast organic waste from their fields, which the Umbril are happy to ferment and eat.  Their relationship deteriorated significantly during the Orange Strife, but it is steadily on the mend.

The Umbril are deeply mistrustful of the Gheen, who strike them as dangerously unpredictable.  The Umbril find their flippant and flighty nature bizarre and barbaric, and the garish ostentation of the Gheen offends their  utilitarian sensibilities.  To the Umbril, the Gheen appear to take nothing as seriously as it should be taken, and the Umbril usually dismiss them as mercurial, irrelevant pests.  The seemingly irresistible march of the World-Queen's armies (referring to Auk Yrta Su'u, a despotic Gheen Empress), however, has made many Umbril re-evaluate the Gheen and see them as potentially deadly foes.  War between the two races would probably be much more common if they shared the same habitat, but even thinking about the dizzying height of a Gheen drey makes most Umbril feel ill, and the Gheen are no match for most predators on the forest floor.  As a result, they seldom interact.  Occasionally an Umbril colony will be established underneath a drey, as the Gheen simply dump most of their trash off their tree platforms, and Umbril have no qualms about eating it.  The Umbril don't advertise their presence and the Gheen usually never know they are there.

The Umbril interact most with the Tahro, who share the forest floor with them.  The Umbril do not have much respect for their cleverness and find them to be rather brutish at times, and are stunned by a culture that relies on reciprocal gift-giving.  The Tahro know very well how manipulative the Umbril can be, but afford them the traditions of hospitality regardless, which often leads the Umbril to believe they are far more naïve or oblivious than they really are.  The two races don't have much to offer each other, but some Umbril colonies have developed a symbiotic relationship with a blood (a Tahr 'clan').  Because the Tahro are semi-nomadic, cycling through multiple seasonal camps on a yearly basis, the Umbril have found them to be convenient middlemen to trade with Iskite or Gheen settlements that they'd rather not approach directly.  The Tahro take on Umbril goods one season, and come back next year with goods from other peoples they met during their migration.  For that reason the Umbril sometimes solicit the Tahro to establish one of their seasonal camps near their colony (though never too near).  The Umbril are better traders and negotiators and typically get the most out of this arrangement, but they must avoid being too exploitative, or the blood will simply pack up and move on.

It is not unprecedented for a non-Umbril to become part of an Umbril metil, since the only requirement for familial induction is close friendship.  It is a rare practice, however, because non-Umbril are not usually comfortable in Umbril society, and because the metil takes on all responsibility for the actions of its members.  If a member betrays the community, by ancient tradition the entire metil is exiled.  The most common non-Umbril members are rogue Iskites, who have been born into exile because their birth was not sanctioned by the state.  Such exiles may spend years earning the trust of the community to gain status and be inducted into a metil, at which point the Umbril generally treat them similarly to any other member of their colony (though they believe that no non-Umbril can ever truly know all there is about being Umbril).  There is a well-known (but probably apocryphal) legend about an Iskite Ivet who ruled over several Umbril villages in the Wash for many years.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Varieties]Though all Umbril vary slightly in coloration, size, and chitin patterns depending on the region they are from, there are some distinct Umbril populations that differ substantially from one another.

The Nevir-Umbril ('Soil Umbril') are the 'standard' Umbril described above, and are the most common variety.  They are most common in the Red Depths, the Flowering Moors, the Wash, and the Lesser Cogsteeth.

The Evne-Umbril ('Indigo Umbril'), also known as the Netai Umbril, live primarily in and around the Sea of Netai and on the edges of the Mosswaste.  They tend to be thinner and lighter than normal, and their coloration is more of a reddish-brown (the 'Indigo' in their name refers not to their color, but the 'Indigo Sea,' the traditional name for the Sea of Netai).  Evne-Umbril eat more meat than others, largely in the form of fish, and lack the usual Umbril fear of heights.

The Vars-Umbril ('Talus Umbril') are a branch of the race that lives in the Halberd Spires and the Ninefold Vale.  They are broader than normal Umbril and have a more grayish coloration.  Vars-Umbril do not live in burrows, but in villages constructed above ground, and are generally more militaristic than other Umbril.  Their chitin secretions are mildly poisonous.

The Ajen-Umbril ('Flame Umbril') are a small but well-known semi-nomadic branch of Umbril who live near the Greater Cogsteeth and the fringe of the Obsidian Plain.  They are more open and extroverted than other Umbril and are heavily involved with local trade in the areas they inhabit.  Ajen-Umbril spores have a stupefying quality when used on other races.[/spoiler]

[LordVreeg]

fIRST OFF, Your template for race characterization is to be considered stolen.  No ifs, ands or buts.  The one thing you are missing is a brief historical sketch do help explain the racial identity a lttle better.

I''m very happy you did not fall into the trap of making them too 'communal', allowing a large level of independence necessary to achieve PC sympathy/empathy.  I am seeing them as somewhat like 'Vegetable Vulcans', very logical, but with the whole 'right to live' philosphy and culling out the weak schtick.  I liked very much giving us their relational insights to other races, since that, in turn, shows us how they view their own place in the clockwork.

and the sub races also really helped e.  I loved the Vars-Umbril, and could see them becoming the mercanary / warrior caste.

[Ninja D!]

There is a lot in this thread to look over.  To be totally honest, I will probably never look at it all.  However, since I already began my commentary on your race called Umbril, via the thread about their religion, I will comment on them in the very least.  As usual, I will do this one part at a time and I will do it as I read.

1. Layout The quote at the top and the picture are both nice touches.  I like that you have made this post and, really, this whole thread half discussion and half sourcebook.  The one thing I dislike about your layout is the heavy use of spoiler blocks.  I understand that you're probably just not wanting it to look like a wall of text but I'm still not a fan of this method.  Also, why are the spoiler sections separated so much?

2. Introduction

Though most Umbril are in no way as flippant or violent as Enti-Ven or its comrades, the basic sentiment '" that the Umbril are special and separate from the other races of the Jungle '" is very familiar to most of them. The Umbril see themselves as unique in a physical, mental, spiritual, and moral sense from all other forms of life, in an unceasing rivalry with all other things that both threatens and strengthens them as a people.

3. Physiology[/b] Since you seem to place so much focus on Umbril being 'different', why are they humanoid?  Even if that focus were not there, why would fungal beings ever end up being humanoid?  Did their gods make them this way?  That doesn't seem likely.  Have you even considered this?  Does it even matter to you?

Your description of the textures and movement of the Umbril, though short and simple, do much to bring them to life in my mind.  In there I have assigned them a tan kind of color with strong hints of pale green and I can see how their movement could even be frightening, seeming so alien to 'normal' races.

The color is something you covered next and I see I was a bit off.  What you describe works just as well for me, though.  I like the idea of them getting darker further down.  It looks good in my mind's eye and puts more of an emphasis on them being plant (fungus) creatures.  You also round out your very basic description nicely with mention of the eyes, their uses, and their limitations.

4. Language Wait, Umbril have gills?  That should really be mentioned in the Physiology entry.  I don't fully understand why they have them, though.  Perhaps you could explain?  You've done well to explain what it is like for an Umbril to communicate.

Now I have another question.  If they blow air through their gills to speak their own language, how do Umbril speak other languages?  It seems that they would not be properly equipped to do so.  I do like that you mention how the Umbril approach other languages different from their native speakers as well as how other languages approach the Umbril.  This is a kind of thing that is often overlooked but seems very important for such an alien race.

5. Life Cycle It is interesting that the first part of the life cycle you discuss is reproduction and the way children grow.  This also seems to put more focus on the Umbril being fungus creatures and not human at all.

You certainly thought out the way that this race handles families pretty well.  It is different and alien but not without logic.  The parent-child relationship is likewise odd but seems to fit very well with the religion followed by the Umbril.

The way you approach death for the Umbril as a kind of fading away is interesting.  It could be terrifying to outsiders or it could seem ideal and peaceful.  I also like that they are used to fertilize the next generation when they die.  This, however, seems to focus more on community than I would expect.  What of Umbril wanting to die alone and not be used this way?  Or even not wanting to take part in the creation of the next generation through fertilization?

I like the undead Umbril.  It could be good for a game and it makes some amount of sense for these people.


That's it for now.  I'll come back and continue later.  Maybe even after you have responded to this round.

[Polycarp]

The one thing I dislike about your layout is the heavy use of spoiler blocks.  I understand that you're probably just not wanting it to look like a wall of text but I'm still not a fan of this method.  Also, why are the spoiler sections separated so much?

My question is simple : Why is this so?  Do the Umbril see themselves not only as different and apart from all other races because they, in fact, are?  Or do they see themselves this way because this is how you see them?  Certainly they are different from 'normal' races.  Then again, I know nothing of any of the other races of your world and so I do not know what is 'normal' there.[/quote]Since you seem to place so much focus on Umbril being 'different', why are they humanoid?  Even if that focus were not there, why would fungal beings ever end up being humanoid?  Did their gods make them this way?  That doesn't seem likely.  Have you even considered this?  Does it even matter to you?[/quote]4. Language Wait, Umbril have gills?  That should really be mentioned in the Physiology entry.  I don't fully understand why they have them, though.  Perhaps you could explain?  You've done well to explain what it is like for an Umbril to communicate.[/quote]The way you approach death for the Umbril as a kind of fading away is interesting.  It could be terrifying to outsiders or it could seem ideal and peaceful.  I also like that they are used to fertilize the next generation when they die.  This, however, seems to focus more on community than I would expect.  What of Umbril wanting to die alone and not be used this way?  Or even not wanting to take part in the creation of the next generation through fertilization?[/quote]healthy[/i] Umbril out in the Jungle by itself will almost certainly be eaten.  Like most creatures, Umbril usually want to end their lives among friends and familiar things, and once they're dead, they don't have much say in whether they get used for fertilizer or not.

There's also a certain religious element to it.  Most Umbril hope to join the consciousness of the Eternal Mycelium upon their death, the community of all fungi, and choosing to spite their own community by removing themselves from the "cycle of life" might jeopardize that.

[Steerpike]

The Umbril - what a great name by the way - are incredibly refreshing: a fantasy race that's not just a random elf or dwarf with an adjective tacked on or an anthropomorphized animal (not that there's anything wrong with anthropomorphic animals, there's just a lot of them running around).  Your attention to detail is really commendable, particularly stuff like the photograph (I notice a similarity to the Saffron Moss photograph... a common source?) and the recreation and food sections, and the Machiavellian undertones to Umbril politics - too many authors and world-builders simply focus on "this is what it looks like, this is how it fights," whereas you've really fleshed out the species properly.  They sort of read like a cross between Vandermeer's Grey Caps and the Byzantine Empire, yet totally different from either at the same time, and utterly original.  I did notice there's not much on Umbril magic - is it tied to their religious structure?  The hints of predominant necromancy is tantalizing.

I definitely like this setting more generally, particularly the overgrown ruins and juxtopositions of high and low technology.  The Saffron Peril is a really compelling antagonist.

Incidentally, the Black Clay epic really appeals to me.  Have you read the Gormenghast books?  I only ask because the protagonist of Black Clay reminds me heavily of Steerpike, the Machiavellian anti-hero who rises from the position of weak servant to master of ritual and finally apotheosizes as demonic adversary.

[Polycarp]

The Umbril - what a great name by the way - are incredibly refreshing: a fantasy race that's not just a random elf or dwarf with an adjective tacked on or an anthropomorphized animal (not that there's anything wrong with anthropomorphic animals, there's just a lot of them running around).

literally[/i] big mushrooms with hands, feet and eyes.  Seriously.  Nothing about them made any sense to me - they were the most boring species imaginable who (a direct quote) "just want to be left alone" and loathed all non-fungal life.  Their life was essentially limitless bland drudgery based on ironclad schedules, and even leadership was considered a burden, causing me to wonder why the whole race hadn't turned to suicide yet.  Even their ecology made no sense - they were fungi, who lived off a diet of fungi.  Fungi are decomposers, but I'll be damned if there was any indication of what it is they decomposed, stuck as they were in the plant-less Underdark.  Certainly their designers didn't seem to care, and I couldn't for the life of me see a PC caring much about them either.

I entirely rejected this as lame, useless, and implausible when I first read through the 2nd ed manual, and forgot about them.  When I started work on TCJ - maybe a decade later - it occured to me that a fungal species might be a good choice for a rainforest environment.  I recalled the Myconid, actually broke out my 2nd ed MM to read their entry again, and endeavored to make an "anti-Myconid," a fungal race that made sense and had vitality, character, and real interactions with others.  My hope is that I've steered clear of the "Myconid gimmick" and made something that players would be interested to have as PCs, friends, and enemies.

Your attention to detail is really commendable, particularly stuff like the photograph (I notice a similarity to the Saffron Moss photograph... a common source?)

I did notice there's not much on Umbril magic - is it tied to their religious structure?  The hints of predominant necromancy is tantalizing.[/quote]Incidentally, the Black Clay epic really appeals to me.  Have you read the Gormenghast books?  I only ask because the protagonist of Black Clay reminds me heavily of Steerpike, the Machiavellian anti-hero who rises from the position of weak servant to master of ritual and finally apotheosizes as demonic adversary.[/quote]
I haven't heard of those.  The Black Clay basically serves as a way to show players and GMs what kind of person the Umbril consider a hero, and in so doing help illustrate their values.  No Umbril epic would be complete without some ambiguity, however, and The Black Clay also has a subversive subtext to it - the main character is assassinated at the end, so was there ultimately a point to all that subterfuge and deception the character is lauded for?

[Drizztrocks]

I love this setting so much. Really, its the best one i've seen on here. But its been up for a while and there hasn't been any stats {other then the races} introduced. Tip: If you are planning on righting out the stats for the cogs, make it a template, so it can be applied to any animal or race.

[Drizztrocks]

Also-you mentioned that the Umbril have gills? What are they used for other then creating sounds? and if they are only used for creating sounds, why are they called gills?