Hexx, Land of the Lich

[Llum]

Overview

This is the setting I'm doing for Enlil after samwise7 asked for participants. I'm mostly cross-posting the various things to try and get more feedback. Also just so everyone can get a look at it without registering for another forum.

The lay of the land

Hexx is a dry land. Save for a small mountain range that holds the Sky Lake, Hexx is a desert,  large and barely habitable. Luckily for the races other then Dry Lichs, ancient stone ruins are scattered across Hexx, from settlements the size of small villages to the three major city-ruins, all more then a mile in diameter, to the massive city-temples, like Ouros, there are plenty of places to stay in the shade and out of the heat.

The Sky Lake is a large pool of water near the top of the mountain, it's fed by snow melts and storms but is blocked from flowing into the central area of Hexx by a massive dam. This dam is similar to the city ruins, carved of stone with massive statues and melding naturally with local caves and waterfalls.

Sky Lake is built above a massive cave system that is said to lead to the bottom of the mountain. Exploreres have been getting lost in them for hundreds, if not thousands of years. It's even rumored some of the stranger and more reclusive variations of Lichs reside deep in the bowels of the mountain, away from the three suns.

The Suns

Hexx has three large balls of light that float above the desert that act as suns; periodically they turn on and off. The first, named Omega, with a daily on/off cycle is white in color. The second, named Psi, with a weekly on/off cycle is very faint with a slight blue tinge.

The third and final, named Tau, which is only alight every seventh time both Omega and Psi are off. Tau is special that is only casts light above and below the visible spectrum. While the races of Hexx don't know why but all kinds of Lichs are capable of see'ing as if in broad daylight during these nights.

[Llum]

Bestiary

Fauna

Nyorlythek

The Nyorlythek is a strange and dangerous beast. It lives under the sands and is invisible until it surfaces. Physically it looks like a creature made from the blackest tar with small pin points of light moving under its skin, like stars in the night sky. When it surfaces it attacks with long rope-like tentacles trying to ensnare those who wander too close.

While some claim there's only a single Nyorlythek, it has been reported to be in two places incredibly far apart within hours. Ether there are multiple creatures or the Nyorlythek is much, much larger then anyone knows.

Panderbacks

Panderbacks are large, armored creatures with blunt tapered snouts and large diggin claws. Their feet are webbed to help them dig through the desert sand. Omnivores they'll eat anything so their habitat spans nearly all the whole desert. The most impressive thing about Panderbacks is their ability to shoot small jets of flame from hydrogen sacks buried in their flesh. All this in itself is formidable, but the most dangerous thing about Panderbacks are their taste in food.

Panderbacks favor eating magical animals, plants and objects if need be. Most Panderbacks bodies are chalk full of magical plants, animal parts and other miscellaneous things. While this makes killing a Panderback a great prize, it is also an extremely difficult one. They often burn incence herbs by accident granting them magical abilities. Their hides often are embedded with magical gems, stones and other things for more protection.

Panderbacks have a fondness for eating Lich phylacteries, sometimes after they accidently eat an Ash Cactus they can easily find these items and try and gorge themselves on as many as possible. The danger involved usually depends on what the phylactery is made of, organic and some non-organic phylacteries are often destroyed leaving the lich vulnerable. Sometimes a lich with a truly resistant phylactery will feed it to a Panderback for safe keeping, hoping to get it loged in the beats gut.

Flaura

Incense herbs

There are dozens if not scores of different incense plants that grow in Hexx. They can be found sprouting in the desert, in the ruins, in oasi and near Sky Lake. Each different species of plant has its own specific properties. When burned, incense herbs create magical effects.

Ash Cactus

Ash cactus are a physical avatar of Gray Cactus when it walks the land. In the open desert where lots of death has occured in a short time these strange cacti will sprout up forty-seven years later. The most common place to find them is around dried up oasi, pillaged settlements or long lost caravans.

The fruit that grows on these trees lets whoever eats them see past the veil of death. This has a few effects, first they can identify phylactey immediatly due to its swirling otherwordly glow. They also let you see the more powerful servants of the Gray Cactus, who rumor says will answer any two questions you have. One with the truth, one with a lie.

[Llum]

Races

[note]I use the word panian instead of humanoid because there are no humans in the setting. I can't bring myself to use the word humanoid to describe something without humans to serve as a frame of reference. [/note]

Ozlings or Orelings

Ozlings, sometimes known as Orelings, are a small race of panians that have brightly colored metallic skin. Common tones are a burnished rush color or a deep steel blue. Under their skin they a have thick metallic carapaces that makes them resistent to percing and slashing weapons.

Ozlings say they were created by Grandfather Ore at the dawn of time. While there are many ancient tomes that associate the Ozlings with Grandfather Ore, there are no mentiones of them before roughly 1000 years after the start of recorded history.

Drakes

Drakes are tall panian reptiles. Covered in fine scales, they have large wings and long snouts. Scale colors come in various shades of light green and pale cream. Drakes are capable of flight.  Drakes are lean with wiry muscles and long whip-like tails.

Drakes tend live alone compared to most races, this is because their gaze causes paralysis in other living creatures. This ability is mainly used to help the drakes hunt for food. Most Drakes form small communities built on the roofs of the highest ruined towers, hundreds of feet tall.


Dry Lichs

Dry Lichs are one of the two major Lichs species that live in Hexx. They favor the empty deserts between the ruins of cities. Dry Lichs avoid the Sky Lake at all costs. Most Dry Lichs are fond of drying out the oasis that randomly appear in the deserts, making them bitter enemies of nomads and travelling merchants.

The Dry Lich congregate in a hidden tent city in the deepest region of the desert. Here is rumored to stand the home temple to the Gray Cactus, deity of death, survival and the desert.

Rat Lichs

Rat Lichs are the second mahor Lich species that live in Hexx. They tend to be smaller in size then other liches and favor the immense ruins over the sprawling empty desert. Rat Lichs form the largest population is Ecks, the second largest ruin city.

[note]While there are many more variants of Lichs then just Dry and Rat, the other variants are considerably stronger/stranger/less populous and do not form their own racial communities. (Example of stronger/stranger/less populous variations of Lichs are Time/Slime/Chalk respectively)[/note]

Eidolons

Eidolons are the oldest and newest race that live in Hexx. Created by the same mysterious people who made the city ruins, Eidolons are formed from carved stone and crystal. Eidolons are the oldest race because they hail from the time of the ruin builders, but they are also the newest because they were left in a dormant state till the year 1667 when a massive earthquake split open their hibernation chamber and let them into the world.

Physically eidolons are panian, they tend to thin torso with stocky arms and lower legs. The exact composition of eidolons varies from individual, the common trend is for chest, shoulders and hands to be stone and the rest of their body to be made crom crystal. Eidolon composition is rarely exactly symmetrical with some having left arms completely of crystal while the right is mostly stone.

Eidolons have no faces just a blank slightly curved surface instead. Spirals, eye markings or other abstract symbols are often carved into their hides as a sort of jewelry. Patterns usually flow from the face, down the along arms and across the chest.

Culturally Eidolons have a fascination with the ruins, none can remember their long lost creators and so they stick close to the remnants left behind. Of all the races the Eidolons are the least likely to live in the open desert, they tend to congregate in ancient ruins. The largest Eidolon population is to be found in Vayn, the largest ruin-city in which their hibernation chamber is to be found. New Eidolons are still being awakened to this day with the full extent of the hibernation chamber unknown.

[LD]

Nyorlythek

The Nyorlythek is a strange and dangerous beast. It lives under the sands and is invisible until it surfaces. Physically it looks like a creature made from the blackest tar with small pin points of light moving under its skin, like stars in the night sky. When it surfaces it attacks with long rope-like tentacles trying to ensnare those who wander too close.

While some claim there's only a single Nyorlythek, it has been reported to be in two places incredibly far apart within hours. Ether there are multiple creatures or the Nyorlythek is much, much larger then anyone knows.

Eidolons

Eidolons are the oldest and newest race that live in Hexx. Created by the same mysterious people who made the city ruins, Eidolons are formed from carved stone and crystal. Eidolons are the oldest race because they hail from the time of the ruin builders, but they are also the newest because they were left in a dormant state till the year 1667 when a massive earthquake split open their hibernation chamber and let them into the world.[/quote]
It would be nicer to have a more in-depth description of how they look and their society and their values... Are these basically just golems?

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

panians

What does this word mean?

[Llum]

panians

That's funny your the one to ask that, maybe you just want clarification. I think it means humanoid, based off the word pan genus (aka chimps I believe). I think you used it to described races in one setting, not liking the word humanoid. I agree entirely, I dislike the word humanoid, especially in a setting without humans. That was the main reason I used it, no humans, ergo the word humanoid doesn't fit.

Now if you don't like that I used your word, that's fine. I'll change it to humanoid. As I said, the thought stuck with me so I used your word because I thought it quite fitting for the setting (due to no humans).

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

That's funny your the one to ask that, maybe you just want clarification. I think it means humanoid, based off the word pan genus (aka chimps I believe). I think you used it to described races in one setting, not liking the word humanoid. I agree entirely, I dislike the word humanoid, especially in a setting without humans. That was the main reason I used it, no humans, ergo the word humanoid doesn't fit.

Now if you don't like that I used your word, that's fine. I'll change it to humanoid. As I said, the thought stuck with me so I used your word because I thought it quite fitting for the setting (due to no humans).

Hey, I'm thrilled that something I created is getting used.  I just wasn't sure it was my word because you use "humanoid" in the following entry on the lizard people.

[Llum]

That's funny your the one to ask that, maybe you just want clarification. I think it means humanoid, based off the word pan genus (aka chimps I believe). I think you used it to described races in one setting, not liking the word humanoid. I agree entirely, I dislike the word humanoid, especially in a setting without humans. That was the main reason I used it, no humans, ergo the word humanoid doesn't fit.

Now if you don't like that I used your word, that's fine. I'll change it to humanoid. As I said, the thought stuck with me so I used your word because I thought it quite fitting for the setting (due to no humans).

Hey, I'm thrilled that something I created is getting used.  I just wasn't sure it was my word because you use "humanoid" in the following entry on the lizard people.

That's actually a slip on my part, thanks for letting me know.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

You should probably also include a note mentioning it's meaning near the racial section or more people are going to be confused.

[Llum]

Excellent advice, I just did. Thanks again.

[Llum]

The Ruin Cities

Vayn

Largest of the Ruin Cities, Vayn is where all Eidolons are born. It houses the labyrinthine hibernation chamber under the city. These catacombs go on for miles, with an undetermined number of floors. The top floor is fully explored, empty of hibernating Eidolons and houses many businesses that are there to handle and take advantage of the new borns.

Currently Eidolons are being awaked on the second floor, at least six floors are known of. Eidolons of a less and less panian nature start to appear on lower floors, sometimes awake.

Ecks

The City of Rats, Ecks plays host to the main population of Rat Lichs in the world. Built between three massive hills on a massive oasis. The city is full of sewers and aquaducts that gather water from the underwater river and funnel it out to farms in the sorrounding area.

Ecks is a colorful city reknown for two things, cuisine and dyes. Many types of lichen and fungus grown in the moist caves that are harvested by the brave to make the most vibrant dyes in the known world. Cuisine is famous in Ecks because of a single person, Phontix Mantylla, the Devourer.

Grand Tuk

Grand Tuk is set roughly in the middle of the known desert. As such it is a hub for all merchant caravans, wanderers and vagabonds of ill repute.

[Ghostman]

Cuisine is famous in Ecks because of a single person, Phontix Mantylla, the Devourer.

Now I'm curious: who is this 'Devourer' and how does he/she make the local cuisine so famous?

I'd also like to know more about the liches. Are they like intelligent zombies or something? Why are there so many different types of them?

[Llum]

Cuisine is famous in Ecks because of a single person, Phontix Mantylla, the Devourer.

This 'Devourer' happens to be the one and only Famine Lich. His presence has kinda warped the culture of Ecks around himself.

I'd also like to know more about the liches. Are they like intelligent zombies or something? Why are there so many different types of them?

Dry Lich are mummified husks, drained of all moisture (in there usual form). They cannot magically conjure fire, air or metal.
*Rat lich hunched, wear rags and usually have lots of splintered bones. They tend to be secretive and have a rapport with animals (living and dead) that other lichs don't have.
*Slime Lichs look more like gelatinous cubes with a skeleton on the inside. No one understands how they think, or why they do the things that they do. Usually their bodies are quite acidic.
*Chalk Lich are ghost white and have soft powdery flesh. The most empathic and at the same time the bitterest of all the lich. They can only just defensive abjuration magic, this includes healing magic.
*Time Lichs are semi-corporeal, often wearing elaborate robes (its an ego thing). Haughty and arrogant they serve as a kind of spoiled noble for lich kind.
*Probability Lichs look alive one instant and are swiling storms of dust and light the next. They're all mad. Their magic is chaotic and scholars are unsure if they even know what their magic will do.
*Gold Lichs look like golden skeletons, often encrusted with jewels. Greedy to a fault they prize things to put into their Collection. Most of their magic deals in trasmutation, sand to water, lead to gold, corn to rubies etc...
*Blood Lichs look like a skeleton in a swirling maelstrom of blood. Much too fond of the living.
*Hat Lich, sometime known as a Rag Lich. Known for wearing ensembles of clashing styles. They always have a hat on them (hence the name) regardless of what else their wearing. Probably the most easy going of all lich kind. [/list]

As you see, there are so many different types because aside from a few unifying traits physically, magically and psychologically they vary quite a bit.

The basics of being considered a lich are a couple things; First of all being dead, second of all some kind of distinct physical anomaly that developes after death and finally some kind of innate magical ability that is limited in some form or other.

[LordVreeg]

I am just going to have to infer that becoming a lich is very easy here, and that since it beats being totally dead, many of the people prepare this way before they pass on

[Llum]

I am just going to have to infer that becoming a lich is very easy here, and that since it beats being totally dead, many of the people prepare this way before they pass on

For a quick answer, yes. A lot of people do, that's why there are so many Lichs. I'll elaborate after work. It isn't for everyone though.