Sleep

[Hibou]

OCEAN OF GHOSTS

Walls.

In any direction you will find them. They are beyond the thatched rooftops, the luscious hillsides and the shimmering treelines. They are beyond the lakes and the mountains, and beyond the sandy shoreline. Out there, in the far reaches of the Ghostsea, they lurk. They bar our passage to what may lie beyond, be it Heaven, Hell, or only more of this dreaded Nightmare. They rise from the very water as great walls of violet mist, trapping us. We have never known a day without them. It is my worry that they will enclose Vilydunn for all of time, leaving us to our fate at the hands of those who hunt us.

We are trapped, my friend. Trapped.
-Yuhanre, Sea Master

The Ghostsea

Truly an ocean, the Ghostsea is a place that mariners and drunks often tell tales of when in port. It surrounds the entire outer rim of the Nightmare and is bounded at its farthest reach by impenetrable walls of mist. It is an ocean haunted by explorers and exiles, and folk who have sought to find land beyond its dark depths and never returned - alive. Tales often tell of ghost ships looming on the horizon, and spectres of lost sailors both appearing on ships that have not been taken by the sea(yet). They say that just as the sun begins to fade, one can see the sunken wrecks on the bottom of the ocean, faintly glowing in the darkness.

The Ghostsea is home to a myriad of unique marine life not found closer to the continent of Vilydunn, and is not lacking in stories of massive creatures that draw entire fleets into the deep. The Ghostsea is poorly charted as well, both because of people's fear of being there and the difficulty in navigating it. Islands and archipelagos that lurk in the Ghostsea are good places for one to hide, but many risk becoming lost there and unable to find their way back to the mainland. Some distance from the coast, fog begins to permanently cover the waters of the Ghostsea, and it gets progressively thicker the farther from shore one sails. There are likely things other than islands hiding among the waters...

[Hibou]

THE GOLDEN AGE

The prophecies have come true!

In the west, beyond the Ghostsea's farthest reaches, the great walls of mist have dissipated. They have opened to show us other realms like our own, haunted by wicked things that prowl the forests and corrupt the mind. The explorers call one of these lands Nussur Ethara. Things supernatural roam there in the shadow of the two peaks that rise from the land's center, which are visible from every point on the island. The culture of Agalanath is different from ours, but they seem to share a past.The prophecies of our ancestors have spoken of this newfound land for ages, but few believed in them until now. Stepping onto the shores of Nussur Ethara, I look with excitement as my fellows greet the inhabitants of this land, and realize we have entered the Golden Age. But something strange and fearsome cripples my optimism - something primal.

Something here is terribly wrong.
-Lucarn, Harvaiish explorer

[Hibou]

TEHRALE, THE EASTERN ORACLE

Uaun stressfully scanned over his charts and diagrams, an answer his needle in a haystack of deception. In all his life, he had not believed the Church's claims that Vilydunn was a walled-in world of no hope for discovery outside its boundaries. He had not believed that there was nothing beyond the mists and what little land existed was a flat realm of darkness and terror. And now, he would reveal that he was right.

Tossing aside hundreds of sheets, he frantically looked for the one equation that would reveal it all. It had been one of his earliest derivations of previous scientists' toil, and while they had been right, Uaun was becoming more and more convinced by the second that his own was wrong - but he knew how to correct it.

Finally, he found the paper, and without drawing a breath grabbed his ink pen and scribbled down  new lines to an equation. Variables disappeared, and new ones were added, and quickly he came to a product. With awe, he looked onto his calculations: they  worked. Rushing to his illumiscope to view the stars again, then returning to his desk, he shouted in joy.

Vilydunn wasn't alone.

Nation Statistics

Population: approx. 2,540,000

Government: Theocracy/Republic

Chief Deities: Vary from city to city

Prominent Organizations: Sea Keepers, Spellhunters, Stormseekers, Hallowed Order (unconfirmed), Technocrats, Guild of Merchants, Sons of Hyrxames, Visionaries

Capital: Vlherwust, approx 998,500 people

Resources: Lumber, Fish, Game, Furs, Ore, Livestock, Wheat

Imports: Weapons and armor (Faelunas), Exotic Furnishings (Harvandor), Southern Fruits (The Veruhn Sea and Gulf of Jivyl), Fabrics (Faelunas)

Exports: Wheat, lumber, precious metals, furs, artwork, wines

Military: Small

Notable Inventions: Illumiscope, Cannon, Fogbombs, Clocks

Allies: Faelunas, Harvandor


Tehrale is a land of prosperity, invention, and hope. Long has it stood with its twin nation Faelunas as a leader in innovation and knowledge, marching into the future with strength.Through its people, its discoveries, and its history it has inspired and reassured the masses, and is guaranteed to continue to do so - if it can survive the trials of the wicked world it is in.

Tehrale's origins lie in the remnants of the fallen empire of Verkemy, like its twin nation. Out of the anarchy that plagued the land for many years after its fall, centers of commerce gradually rose from nothing and became the basis for nations of today. Much of its architecture and culture resemble what monuments are left over from the past or what knowledge is known. Its people favor such pastimes as the study of astronomy and history.

 Government, Military, and Trade

[spoiler]

Tehrale's government is not just run by the Church, it is the Church. In the Eastern Oracle, only longstanding members of the Grand Priesthood are eligible for a seat in the parliament representing the people. The wisest and oldest of the hierarchy's members, the High Curates, each oversee a particular part of the government and decide upon the passing of a new law or change in an existing one. In addition, one other well-respected member of the Church is elected Archon of Tehrale (many call the Archon by King, Queen, or any number of other monikers, but Archon is the proper title), who serves a partially ceremonial role as well as having some power in the passing of new laws. At any time there are five High Curates and one Archon, all of which are elected by the people. The 300 members of the political houses are then appointed by their superiors to their more specialized roles in the government.

Tehrale's military has for many years been small, due to both the kingdom's popularity and its greater focus on technological advancement. The Eastern Oracle's armed forces consist mainly of city guards and sailors that patrol the coasts near Eruqwar and Werrundwar. Tehrale's last major battle was with a now-dead kingdom called Malumereq, which is now governed by Harvandor.

Trade is a vital activity in Tehrale. The Eastern Oracle has long been known for its magnificent wines that folk from all over the continent greatly desire, and the inventions that have come out of the nation are equally popular. Its soil is very fertile, allowing for many fruits and vegetables to grow easily - making it one of the larger exporting regions for fruits and vegetables. Tehrale's wheat fields are a national symbol and its greatest agricultural resource.

[/spoiler]

Entertainment

[spoiler]

Tehralese folk are a jovial people. Their nation's culture is famous for its dance and their music is generally upbeat and energetic, with tempos and keys that change anywhere from one to four times during a song. Dance halls and musical schools are a common site even in the smaller villages, and the Tehraleans have crafted some of the finest musical instruments in all of Vilydunn.

People of the Eastern Oracle are also patient and generally content. When not taking part in more upbeat activity, the average Tehralean is found reading, debating, and gazing at the stars. Astronomy has been a passion of Tehrale and its predecessor centuries, and the creation of gadgets such as the Illumiscope only reinforce the link between the culture and the science of astronomy.

[/spoiler]

Important Figures

 Vaera, Archon of Tehrale

[spoiler]
Vaera is the recently appointed Archon in the Eastern Oracle, but so far she has not held the position effectively. She is quick to act and has temper, though her wisdom and judgement help to keep her from going overboard. The Curates have faith in her, though some of the populace has its doubts. Regardless, Tehraleans have no outward dislikes of the Archon. She is quite young (the second youngest Archon ever), and despite the wrinkles that suggest a greater age, she still possesses a form of gentle beauty. Her green eyes at first glance make her seem docile and weak, but her voice and presence in any conversation quickly show otherwise.
[/spoiler]

  Uaun, Harvaiian Scientist

[spoiler]
Born Harvaiian but a longtime citizen of the Eastern Oracle, Uaun is well known in Vlherwust for his involvement with the Technocrats (an organization based in the nation's capital that frequently create and test inventions and ideas against countless trials) and the Visionaries (a group of historians, religious scholars, and curious adventurers who make it their goals to unravel mysteries and discover new things). Uaun is a very dedicated person who spends most of his waking hours leaning over his desk, looking over his many charts. He is a firm believer that Vilydunn is larger than it seems, and through his countless calculations he has helped to back up his theory, using mathematics to lend hope to those who will listen. He worships Morne Heurefaith piously. His lighter skin causes him to stand out in a crowd, since in Tehrale the majority of people are of Nusan descent.
[/spoiler]

 The Sons of Hyrxames
 
[spoiler]
An organization almost solely based in the city of Armaalaht, the Sons of Hyrxames are devout warriors of willpower who frown upon unwilling servitude and the inability to defend oneself. The Sons of Hyrxames are folk from all backgrounds who sport often unbreakable wills (some simply call them stubborn). They live their daily lives as their peers do as if they belonged to no sects or brotherhoods at all, but they make it a personal responsibility to help others strengthen their self-esteem and their mental strength. All Sons of Hyrxames wear tattoos in the center of their upper chests just above where a shirt would open, making fellow members of the cult easily recognizable to each other.
[/spoiler]

 Apoch Ruiar

[spoiler]
Apoch has been dead for many centuries, but his memory as a hero of the East has lived on in the hearts of the Nusan people. Celebrated on the Day of Apoch (the 72nd of Spring), he is found depicted in countless busts and in statues built in gardens and city streets. His bloodline has been traced carefully through the years, and his descendents enjoy good lives.
[/spoiler]

 Khauthi, Sea Mistress  

[spoiler]
An aging woman whose sharp senses defy her age, Khauthi is an esteemed citizen of Windport. For eleven years she has held the title of Sea Mistress, a prestigous affix given (by the rulers of the kingdoms themselves) to those whose skill on the open sea is truly remarkable, and she wears it proudly. Khauthi has a sharp wit and a fair sense of humor, but acts first to get important tasks completed before taking part in leisurely events. She is highly respected in her city of residence, and works as a tutor for in-training seamen and explorers. Khauthi also is known for making surprise journeys with random crews when they go out into the Ghostsea or into enemy territory to the southeast. Danger interests her in her middle age.

[/spoiler]

-----


History

Though many contest the fact, Tehrale's official history begins in 271 AE, when both it and is sister kingdom were founded from rowdy, unorganized territories with no true rulers and no governments. The terrors of Vilydunn had kept them that way until the Sons of Hyrxames emerged and vanquished fear, lending the people of the East the courage to unite under a banner. The Sons have since then been heroes in the eyes of the people, rivaling the Hallowed Order in public interest.

[spoiler]
214-268 AE - Called the Sunless Days, the fifty-four-year period was a time in the East when the Nusan people began to make a realm that they could call their own, but had to constantly fight the nightmares that hunted them. Even during seasons other than Wae, it was very cloudy and foggy for years, and the people of what would become the Eastern Oracles survived by operating from concealed underground bunkers. The Sunless Days was the title given to that period due to the dreary conditions they had to endure.

268 AE - The Sons of Hyrxames are reborn after several hundred years of hiatus. Quickly taking matters into their own hands, they work alongside the Hallowed Order in a battle against the things from beyond the reaches of goodness.

270 AE - Also known as the Year of Apoch by Tehraleans, this was the year when wicked humans were pushed from the East by a warrior named Apoch Ruiar and other members of the Sons of Hyrxames. With the relative calm that ensued, Nusan people were finally capable of building more than nomadic camps and hidden bunkers.

271 AE - The founding of the twin kingdoms Faelunas and Tehrale, and the simultaneous crownings of the Eternal Caesar Mlaumoch and the First Archon Illanerue, in the border city of Ymas-Thur.

285 AE - First major cathedral established in the East, built in Armaalaht. Prior to this, places of worship in the Oracles consisted of household and roadside shrines, and in the ruined temples of the Verkem and Ayrmaric civilizations.

343 AE - War begins between Tehrale and Werrundwar, which at the time consisted of two feuding nations, Chevsica and Ehrmel.

347 AE - The war with Werrundwar ends.

349 AE - Invention of the cannon, which for many years is a Tehrale-exclusive article of weaponry.  Illegal sales to other nations slowly brought them to the other warships, until Tehrale's Archon of the time sold the first set of cannons to Faelunas, approving the exporting of the technology.

382 AE - Faelunas is the first present-day kingdom to restrict the use of magic in any way, and it quickly gains Tehrale as a second for its opinion. The use of any magic without a license or not in wars with outside threats now presents a fine of anywhere from eighty silver stars to seven years in a prison.

428 AE - the second and third major cathedrals are built simultaneously in Tehrale, one in Vlherwust and one in the seaside city of Windport.

474 AE - Tehrale joins the other nations in the outlawing of magic. Later, it would banish users of magic altogether and kill many of those who did not leave immediately.

532 AE - The Entertainers become a secret power in the East, building their first headquarters somewhere in the Eastern Oracles. Some say they are based in Calahaye, others in Windport, and still others claim they hide in the mountains on the western border of Tehrale.

596 AE - Vlherwust becomes Tehrale's capital.

700 AE - Some people begin to speak of a fallen angel that roams the countryside at night, and use many mysterious and dreadful occurences to back up their mad claims. Many are lost to the evening and never heard from again, causing Tehrale's Archon to issue new laws and regulations in order to better protect the people.

784 AE - The Church merges into the government, altering the form from monarchy to a theocratic republic. Archons are still elected as despots of sorts, governing specific areas of the Tehralean rule.

860 AE - Mutual efforts are made to reach the fabled land of Grugast by land and sea, Tehrale joining Faelunas in its ventures by water. They attempt to sail through the northern Ghostsea, but do not make it past the Cimilaic coastline. Durastic temperature fluctuations and deadly storms kill many unprepared sailors, and others are forced to turn back unsuccessful.

909 AE - Many practitioners of magic(good and evil) are banished from the Oracles and some are executed. These folk had all been involved in the Eastern Church, but the the Tehralean government would allow no exceptions for fear of corruption. If there are wielders of the Forbidden Art now, they are careful not to reveal their capabilities.

992 AE - The Spellhunters become known in the East.

1000 AE - Present day.

[/spoiler]

[Hibou]

There's all I'll be posting for Tehrale at the moment. Vlherwust will wait for a bit as I finish porting stuff over from WotC and tidy things up.

I'd also like to note that if you read my WotC thread, and this one, please note that if something here conflicts with something there, whatever is on the CBG is the correct info.

:)

Additionally, if there's something you'd like to know about that I didn't clearly explain or haven't yet explained, let me know and I'll be happy to clarify :)

[Hibou]

THREE'S A BLOODBATH

Vilydunn, or The Nightmare as it is more commonly called, is only made more fearsome by the realization that humans are alone among the Dark Dream. They are the slaves, the peasants, the merchants, and the nobles. They are the warriors, the priests, the oracles, and the saints. They are the good, the love, the peace. They are the taint, the wickedness, and the shadow.

Humans

While humans may be the only mortals to walk Vilydunn, they are not without their own diversities. Some are born bearing different appearances and tend to have certain abilities based on their cultures.

The Tulsi

A people who are fond of uniqueness and individuality, the Tulsi are far from being restricted to one mind-set and one way of life. They are both great lovers of open water (their name comes from the Tulsun Sea in Bryynaldor), and also fond of gentle forests and breezy hills. They can be found mainly around the Tulsun Sea(which touches Bravila, Sundayr, and the south of The Forbidden Swamps). Their skin is a light brown, and their hair is usually black, very dark brown, or rarely, blond. The eyes of a Tulsan human are usually green or hazel, with rare specimens being a violet color. They otherwise appear much like most other humans.
The Tulsi are inhabitants of one of the most prosperous regions in all of Vilydunn, so it is no surprise that they tend to have the widest variety of careers available. For all of their occupational grandeur, however, they are gripped by a great vice: a plethora of superstitions. The tulsan people are often recognized as the most isolationist and radical of the three human sub-races, as the nation of Sundayr proves time and time again.

The Aust'ene

The Aust'ene are aggressive and don't take so kindly to outsiders, but unlike their southern kin, they are this way out of love for their homeland and fear of invasion. Some folk from the south and eastern regions consider them primitive, but they are not so - making advances in some areas of life that Sundayr and other nations have been suffering in for centuries, including medicine and hygiene. The Aust'ene are found almost exclusively in the mountainous lands on the northern edge of Vilydunn, beyond the Forbidden Swamps. Their skin is fair, their hair blond, brown, or red, and their eyes blue, green, hazel, or gray. They are much taller than other humans, generally reaching 6'0 in height in the males on average, with women slightly shorter. The Aust'ene live in a cold climate and have adapted to living in such conditions.
The land of the Grugast is an isolated one, located far from what most would call 'civilization', and both it and the lost roads to it are riddled with legends and superstitions. Travel to and from their land is scarce, and when it does occur tales and rumors of a traveler's fate are spread for weeks. Were it not for the occasional adventurers and other strange things that came out of the land, Grugast would be only a legend in obscure tomes locked deep within grand libraries.


The Nusa

Found on the Eastern ends of Vilydunn in such countries as Faelunas and Tehrale, the Nusa are a very contemplative people who take strongly to science. The Nusan people are fond of philosophy, art, and architecture, and many Nusans will go great distances to intermingle the arts and the sciences together in everything they do. They are a peaceful people, but nevertheless make basic combat training part of almost every citizen's education so that few in their society are unprepared for war. Nusans have black skin and dark hair, with eyes that are generally blue, hazel or turquoise. They are slightly taller than the Tulsi, but not as tall as the Aust'ene.
The Nusans can be found throughout the eastern parts of the Great Forest, and in Faelunas, Tehrale, and parts of the Star Desert, also reaching as far north as the mountains that separate the rest of the land from Cimilrin, the Fallen Kingdom. The Nusans do not venture there for reasons that none discuss. Nusan lands are the pinnacles of architectural magnificence, and many of Vilydunn's greatest wonders are located within them - many even joke that the Heavens are hidden somewhere in the Eastern Oracles. They take pride in the mastery of this art perhaps above all others. The Nusans learned what they know from the remnants of the grand empire of Verkemy, which left many relics of their time behind - most notably the Great Seeing Spires.

[Hibou]

THE CURSED

They are hunting me.

The moonless night's moaning winds play with the feeble limbs of the trees, dancing about me in the inky doom surrounding. It may mask the sounds my crashing and half-muffled cries make, but I know they will find me anyway. They always do. And they will discover me again soon. Already my mind is mocking me as if it were one of them, leading me to believe that I see dark shapes gliding amongst the twisted growths and the leaves that glitter golden even in the most shadowy of eves. Indeed, I would never hear them coming if they did not speak to me, and even so the words that slip from their lips give me little insight as to their whereabouts. They hover hushful above the earth and the flora and fauna wisely part for their woeful presence as they pass. Their ubiety alone brings the most damning of fears to the hearts of those that breathe, and their sight freezes blood in the veins and pierces the mind with a spike of pure malevolence. They are the Ombra, those who see and do not at the same time. There is no hope left for me now, for I am trapped in this wood with only those who would deal me death. I hear their whispers once more and know they are close.

They are here.

[Hibou]

I live in this place where the Sun rarely shines, where rain besets the days and the moon chokes the darkness of the midnight sky. Here the cries of the dying and the howls of the wicked take shapes as true as the very trees that stand woefully upon the blistered earth. The rivers run silent in fear of the things that would steal their voices from them and leave them to weep inaudible for what once was. The mountains loom uncaring over the fields and forests as if not even time could defeat them, too proud to move for anything but what may lurk below. And the dead who we once loved so dearly fail to show like compassion as they terrorize their loved ones from a final rest not so confirmed. This place is truly a hellish nightmare.

This place is Vilydunn.
-Qlaveq, Aust'ene Warrior

VLHERWUST, CITY OF RAIN

 In the distance, two massive spires rise from the wooded hills near Tehrale's southeastern shores, joined together by a sturdy bridge that spans their gap as a symbol of unity. They are two of the Great Seeing Spires built by the Verkem long ago and survive today when they did not as awesome structures surrounded by mystery and intrigue. They are called The Two, and mark the location of Vlherwust, the largest city in all of Vilydunn.

 Welcome, traveller. You have ventured to a place where your mind will run amok with impossible ideas and intangible dreams.
-Vaera, Archon of Tehrale

 Vlherwust is a massive city known for both its trade and the remnants of a past civilization that it encloses. A population of nearly one-hundred thousand allows the city's inhabitants to take much more diverse and focused professions as the economy booms and technology soars ever higher into a sky filled with promise. Those who have dreams of fortune and prosperity find the City of Rain the perfect place to live. But even a city as wonderful as Vlherwust has its secrets, and some of them are true nightmares.

 Trade
 [spoiler]
 Though not a port town, Vlherwust's shipments of goods enter and leave the city limits frequently by day, with caravans sometimes manned by hundreds travelling from the City of Rain to  Windport (which is a short distance to the southeast on the coast), Armaalaht, smaller agricultural communities, and other locales out-of-country. Over the years the goods to be found on its markets have increased exponentially to include just about anything anyone could seek (though like many major cities, it has a black market for many items that the government of Tehrale does not sanction the use or possession of). Its major sources of food come from the outlying farms that ring its walls, and the harvests that come in from the countryside are used for a plethora of different things.
[/spoiler]

 Society
 [spoiler]
 Vlherwust's society is faring nearly as well as its economy, as a major percentage of the population is fairly well-off, and many laws are in place to keep the range of wealth from becoming too great. Some government employees monitor the incomes of all the people in the city, and a certain amount of one's earnings must be donated to charities (such as ones for the homeless and medical research) annually (though this rule hardly keeps everyone from staying at the same level, and there is still an unofficial 'upper class' in Vlherwust).
 
 Song and dance are almost vital to the society of the City of Rain, and generally if a citizen is not good at one they are good at the other. Public balls and musical events take place quite often throughout the year, where those who wish to showcase their talents on stages across the city. The majority of Vlherans attend the festivals at some point during their schedules, as do many out-of-towners or travellers from other nations as they journey through on their ventures.
[/spoiler]

 The Two: Remnants of the Verkem
 [spoiler]
 The Two are towers that have been standing for far over a thousand years along with several others across the Nightmare, and they make Vlherwust a larger attraction than it already is. They appear as two massive obelisks nearly a mile high and about a quarter mile apart from each other at the bottom, beginning with a large round base that slowly becomes smaller as it gains altitude, evening out about halfway up their reaches. Even when their diameter becomes constant at the halfway point, they are still as huge as many dozen castles stacked atop one another, making them truly expansive on the inside. The bridge that connects them is also quite large and is about seventy feet wide, allowing for several men to walk comfortably side-by-side across it.

The incredible size of the Two causes their insides to be labyrinths of countless floors that are difficult to patrol and maintain. As a result, there are many folk hired to police the hallways and the entrances, and a large portion of both towers are off limits to the public. The East Tower  is of greater concern in this respect, as many people have gone missing in it, and now those who wish to travel to the top via complex vertical transportation mechanisms that were built into them by their creators must be placed on long waiting lists, and are accompanied by guards to and from the bridge level. No one is allowed into the few floors above the bridge level, and there is a large amount of speculation as to what, if anything, goes on in them or in any other unapproved areas of the Two. However it is not only the uppermost floors that bring questions to the mouths of everyday folk, but all of the rooms, for there are places such as great feasting halls, living quarters, galleries, treasuries, prisons, secret passageways, and great indoor balconies that make up the inner sections of the Seeing Spires.
 [/spoiler]

  Establishments, Shops, and Celebrities
 Being such a large city, Vlherwust is littered with taverns and shops that sell just about anything anyone could seek, and is also populated by a mass of people that is well marbled with heroic and enigmatic figures. Thus there are none listed here, but rest assured that there are many.

[Hibou]

WARNING: major setting spoiler ahead. If you read Vilydunn as a player and a 'Dreamer', not a DM/GM/critic, you'd best not read this post. Something is about to happen here that might change a few theories regarding Vilydunn from way back on the WotC boards...

[spoiler=The Lies That Lay Waste]

We do not deny that we are evil.

Long have those that we fight called us vile, malicious, and wicked, and we only take pride in such things, if you can call it pride. There are no words in any mortal language I have known since my birth that can explain why we are the way we are. "Evil" barely brushes the surface, and is better restricted to a less defiant mind such as that of a Dying man. The Ombra perhaps describe us best: "those whom we see even though we are blind, burning their unknowable desires of blood into our very souls". Ah, the Ombra. They are one of the most amusing of the Middle-Dwellers, so naive yet free of many curses others must accept. 'Tis truly a shame they must all die, like your kind. Indeed, you are going to perish in our wake as well.

What of the Warlocks, the Na'ril Dum? They are pawns, nothing more. They fail to see that their dark masters, The Damned, use them in a covert war forgotten by all but us and them, sources of power in a struggle that never ends. We sometimes lift the Warlocks from the spiritual purses of The Damned, offering them untold power in exchange for the sentience they retain even after their transformations. Our primary focuses, however, are the hearts of those who are pure and foolish enough to forsake one of the only weapons they could wield in futility against us: magic. The followers of that weak Holy Star have given away all their weapons - except for faith - and they pay dearly for it. The only of their kind that we must watch are those who have excluded themselves from the claustrophobic ideals of the Church and discovered the eldritch power of magiks not granted by ourselves or The Damned, but by someone even we do not know.

We have no fear of the giants, the faeries, or the dead (whom we both value and degrade). They are weak in our eyes, childishly mischevious creatures who do not understand what is happening. Our greatest threats in Vilydunn are the things known as dragons, who hide in their elusive lurks and reveal themselves only when they feel they must. They are planning something now, we are sure - and our greatest leaders do not yet know what it will take to stop their assault, should they make one directly. We spy on them nervously, even though we are aware of some who claim allegiance to our legions. There is no trusting a dragon.

We know now that there are ancient relics of the Verkem and civilizations prior - lost tools of war and whimsy - that threaten to show the mortal kingdoms a vantage point too great to bypass. Many human legends speak of fae-hunting weapons that reveal the veiled door into a land we have named Lnumenwun, a place delightfully lacking in complete days with nights ruled by two twisted moons. We have forged our own ways into this land, creeping into the world from the depths of the earth. Here they know the powers of the divine and the cryptic all too well, and if the people of Vilydunn were to ever find their way to Lnumenwun or its inhabitants to the Nightmare, they may find their dusky existences illuminated. They will come to realize what happened before the Verkem vanished, and they will know a day where they shall stand against us fearless. We cannot let this happen, and we will make sure it does not. We have a world to conquer.

We are Demons. Beware.
-Vuzaxanam, Captain of the Charred Eyes
[/spoiler]

[So-Keher]

beautiful, an inspiration at the least. your expans eof information is breathtaking. *bows in worship*
any chance you could give me  alittle advice for my world: Astraea?

[Hibou]

Thanks :)

[Hibou]

Hmm... where do you most need help? Private Message me with what your biggest concerns are and I'll try and help you hone your setting :)

[limetom]

Was the name Tutsi intentional?  There is a real world African ethnicity called Tutsi.

[Hibou]

No. Tulsi was randomly created (as most of my stuff is at some point or another). I had no idea the Tutsi ethnicity existed :)

[Hibou]

THE EMPIRE OF SHADOWS - FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK

I know they're here. They're here among the dunes and the blistered earth, watching. Waiting.

I have seen the signs since I was a child - boot treads marking the sand, dark shapes on the horizon, whispers beyond the windows. They're here somewhere, evading our discovery. But they cannot hide forever. My sister and my most beloved friends were lost once outside the walls of our great city Sunerec, and I know they did not lose their way on a midnight dance. My mother and father went mad searching for them, and were likewise doomed to be unretrievable beyond the safety of the walls. I am alone now, the heir to a throne I cannot find the courage to mount. I am afraid only of accepting defeat, and to take that seat would be to believe my father, Merancarn, King of Sunerand, eternally insane and dead. I will not accept that.

Within the deep foundations of this ancient city, I will find the answers to the disappearance of my family and friends, and I will bring them home. Those who are responsible will pay.
-Amasahn, Self-Exile

----

There's a little introduction for a character I will likely be using often in the future to convey new information about the Nightmare. He and his homeland are inspired a bit by the Prince of Persia series, so there may be a few similarities. If you follow along in the future you're likely to see Amasahn both detailing various inhabitants, places, and legends of Vilydunn as well as getting the chance to read sections of adventures he has. :)

[Hibou]

THE INSTITUTION

Screams erupted from every room as madmen ravaged the patients of the St. Placsne Infirmary. Something had gone wrong in the Carsus Wing, a series of individual holds that seemed more like a dungeon used for housing the insane. As a result, the worst of the crazed folk of Sundayr were free from their confines, and the guards who had tried to stop them had been overrun and mutilated. They were not simply neurotics; they were monsters. Horrible, unstoppable beasts bound within human forms.

The screams slowly died down as fear set in not as a passing breeze, but like a thick fog that hungered for every inch of undisturbed air, refusing to disappear as the minutes passed by, and the terror of being hunted set in. The few staff left who had not had their eyes gouged nor their stomaches torn open hid wherever they could, but it was inevitable: despite the hospital's gargantuan size, the maniacs that prowled the halls would find them. There were at least a hundred of the lunatics housed at St. Placsne, and whenever one of the terrified people who remained attempted to escape, they would quickly be caught, and their screams sent cascading from wall to wall as they were rended. The horrific events that were occuring were too unimaginable and cliche to accept as real. Yet they persisted.

Hours passed, and the silence of the building only added to the distress of the dwindling numbers of hospital staff and patients well enough to run. They learned to overcome claustrophobia and discovered how to hold their breaths for previously unmatched lengths, for their hunters frequently came within only an arm's reach of them, separated only by closet and loft doors and blankets that displayed them as deceased. Even some of those who hid very well were unveiled and massacred through the demonic hunger that drove the things that could not be called humans.

Then, as the last dying strands of daylight disappeared, noise truly became absent. There was nothing. No cracking wheezes, no creaks of doors, no creeping footsteps across the floor. Only the sound of their own restricted breathing could be heard. Something had happened to the monstrosities that patrolled the hallways. Perhaps they had gone, or maybe they were just waiting. The most daring slowly opened the cupboards and slid out of crawlspaces they were hiding in, hoping that those wicked madmen had gone.  

One man, a patient wrapped in a crimson robe, creeped silently through the room. He was alone, he realized, as he passed by a table surrounded by overturned chairs and smashed plates broken by one of the insane men who had only an hour prior laid waste to the enclosure. His expression was colored with relief, but showed alarm seconds later as he realized the door was ajar, and he thought he could hear something beyond it. Frightened, he darted as silently as he could to the wall, away from the direct sight from the crack, and slowly made his way along the barrier. Sensing there was no presence directly outside the portal, he pushed it open slightly only to fall prone as a bloodcurdling cry of excruciating pain erupted from somewhere far down the lengthy corridor. He recognized the cries somehow - those of a nurse who had tended him only hours prior to this horrific incident - and it only increased the fear that plagued his soul.

Only seconds went by before the patient became overtaken by panic, and he climbed to his feet frantically. His judgement and fear of discovery out the window, he threw the door open and practically hurtled down the stairwell that lay only a few feet from the room he had been hiding within. Several stories he descended, until he realized he had ventured past his means of escape - the building exit was now two floors above him. Yet through all of the apprehensiveness, curiousity now beset him. He had never been this far below the main floor. The Carsus Wing was on the other end of the St. Placsne Infirmary, meaning this was not part of the mental area. This was something else. And the darkness of the stairs here told him that it was not meant to be publicly viewed.

The man snapped out of a stupor as the staircase began to grow lighter. Daylight was not coming - it was much too soon - and there were no windows on this level regardless. It was coming from below. Someone was coming. A multitude of feelings washed over him as he worried that the approaching being was hostile and hoped it was someone who could help. Then, the light reached the flight just below his. Anxiety held him paralyzed as he watched. What he saw terrified him more than the madmen above.

A humanoid shape draped in a shadowy violet cloak ascended the steps, an oil lantern hanging in his right hand. He immediately succumbed to dread as he felt the evil of the person that turned to face him, its hood hanging low over its face. The person's head gazed straight ahead as if the person did not know the patient was there, but it was certain he did. There was a long silence as the figure simply stood motionless, and the escapee swallowed hard as he struggled to breathe. As he was about to speak, however, the figure before him hastily drew back his hood. The person was definitely male, with untamed hair and eyes that must have been inky black, for the patient could not make them out. As the man raised the lantern up, however, the awe-struck man realized that the figure had none.

The patient fell backwards, striking his upper back upon the stone stairway, his mind overcome once again with fear as the figure before him began to grin. That cold, heartless, evil stare destroyed any wall of sanity he had within, and he began to babble uncontrollably. The cloaked man looked beyond the patient now, his grin wider than ever as a massive executioner's axe sliced viciously through the air, downward into the babbling fool. The cut drove clear through him into the stone beneath his body, splattering blood across the walls. The cloaked figure never lost the crooked smile as he stepped past the twitching body of the man. There were others he sought.