Editing Other kingdoms
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==Petty Kingdoms== | ==Petty Kingdoms== | ||
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Heliade is known as the Amber Kingdom. It is located on the Pleione river, which flows from the south, and borders on the marsh ruins of the Thousand Flowing Waters. Its inhabitants scour the river and marshes for spells and spirits frozen in amber from ancient times. These talismans are valuable wealth for trade, and Heliade is often subject to tribute to one of the three great cities of the north. Occasionally they go to war over this imposition of tribute, but although their archers are armed with devastating amber-tipped arrows, they are no match for the sorcery of the three cities on the battlefield. | Heliade is known as the Amber Kingdom. It is located on the Pleione river, which flows from the south, and borders on the marsh ruins of the Thousand Flowing Waters. Its inhabitants scour the river and marshes for spells and spirits frozen in amber from ancient times. These talismans are valuable wealth for trade, and Heliade is often subject to tribute to one of the three great cities of the north. Occasionally they go to war over this imposition of tribute, but although their archers are armed with devastating amber-tipped arrows, they are no match for the sorcery of the three cities on the battlefield. | ||
− | Heliade magicians take dross amber and make use of it in many ways. It is dissolved into amber lacquer that hardens their armor against danger. It is used to trap images within, that may be seen at any time by peering into the amber. It is also melted down and gathered into vats of molten amber – through which, they hope to peer into the spirit-world. There is a belief in Heliade that there is another | + | Heliade magicians take dross amber and make use of it in many ways. It is dissolved into amber lacquer that hardens their armor against danger. It is used to trap images within, that may be seen at any time by peering into the amber. It is also melted down and gathered into vats of molten amber – through which, they hope to peer into the spirit-world. There is a belief in Heliade that there is another Crystal Tree – this one, of amber, weeping jewels – and the Heliades believe that if it is found, their city will rise to preeminence. |
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Occupations: Ambergleaner, Archer, Flower-Warrior, Lapidiary, Merchant, Amberwright | Occupations: Ambergleaner, Archer, Flower-Warrior, Lapidiary, Merchant, Amberwright | ||
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Suggested Spells: Capture Image In Amber (IQ/Average), Smelt Amber (IQ/Hard) | Suggested Spells: Capture Image In Amber (IQ/Average), Smelt Amber (IQ/Hard) | ||
Rumor: In Heliade they have learned to enter the spirit-world through vats of molten amber. Therein they say the spirit-world is upside-down; you walk upside-down with the ground above your feet and the sky below your head. However, they have not discovered how to leave the spirit-world, and as the amber hardens, the explorer is trapped, entombed alive in a block of amber, upside-down. | Rumor: In Heliade they have learned to enter the spirit-world through vats of molten amber. Therein they say the spirit-world is upside-down; you walk upside-down with the ground above your feet and the sky below your head. However, they have not discovered how to leave the spirit-world, and as the amber hardens, the explorer is trapped, entombed alive in a block of amber, upside-down. | ||
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--Kakita Kojiro | --Kakita Kojiro | ||
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==Barbarian Tribes== | ==Barbarian Tribes== | ||
− | === | + | ====Bammenides, nomadic barbarian tribe==== |
− | The Bammenides are one of the nomadic barbarian tribes of the northern taiga. They live on the edges of the northern glaciers. They are known as the “painted men” to the Twin Cities, because they tattoo their bodies, faces, and hands in bright colors. They tend small herds of | + | The Bammenides are one of the nomadic barbarian tribes of the northern taiga. They live on the edges of the northern glaciers. They are known as the “painted men” to the Twin Cities, because they tattoo their bodies, faces, and hands in bright colors. They tend small herds of megaloceroi elk, from which they get milk, meat, fur – and most importantly, transportation. Their megaloceroi are domesticated and trained to pull sleighs large enough to transport an entire Bammenide family and all their goods. Their clans migrate south in spring and summer to graze and mate their herds. As rivers freeze and snow covers the ground, they migrate north and stay the winter snowbound, keeping the herds safe from the hungry predators of the south. In spring many clans gather in huge meetings to mate their herds; this is when the Bammenides trade with outsiders. In winter they live in homes built of snow, while their herds are hidden in sheltered valleys with some vegetation, or forage brought by their herders. |
Shamans of the Bammenides work their magic through wands of many kinds. Each shaman has an assortment of wands of antler, bone, or wood, which must be carefully chosen for each specific purpose. Most shamans eagerly trade for wands made of metal from civilization. One of the few spells that shamans need no wand for are their eating magics. When someone in their clan suffers bad luck, or is afflicted by illness, or haunted by ghosts, the clan’s shaman will ritually consume the offending spirit. They can often scare off troublesome spirits with demonstrations of their eating prowess, by eating stones and other formidable things. | Shamans of the Bammenides work their magic through wands of many kinds. Each shaman has an assortment of wands of antler, bone, or wood, which must be carefully chosen for each specific purpose. Most shamans eagerly trade for wands made of metal from civilization. One of the few spells that shamans need no wand for are their eating magics. When someone in their clan suffers bad luck, or is afflicted by illness, or haunted by ghosts, the clan’s shaman will ritually consume the offending spirit. They can often scare off troublesome spirits with demonstrations of their eating prowess, by eating stones and other formidable things. | ||
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--Kakita Kojiro | --Kakita Kojiro | ||
− | === | + | ====Makhlyes, nomadic barbarian tribe==== |
− | The Makhlyes are one of the nomadic barbarian tribes of the western grasslands. Their ancestors followed | + | The Makhlyes are one of the nomadic barbarian tribes of the western grasslands. Their ancestors followed brontotheria herds, but the great herds from ancient times are no more, and only solitary beasts survive now. They now follow synthetoceras herds across the grasslands. They are frequent trading partners with the Twin Cities, bartering furs and hides, ivory and horn, in return for civilized goods. Every few generations their warriors band together with other barbarian tribes and raid and pillage into civilized lands. |
The shamans of the Makhlyes are known as Inverts because they live their lives as the opposite gender. Because of this, they are regarded as spirits by their people – and also regarded as spirits by spirits. Once each year in the spring, all the hunters will dress as the opposite gender as well, for the sacred Inverse Hunt. Their magic allows the hunters to hunt the now-extinct herds of megafauna as though they still roamed the grasslands. The hunters bring back much meat and many trophies from an Inverse Hunt, but every year one hunter does not return from the hunt. Because of these strange customs, people of the Twin Cities think that all Makhlyes change genders, and take precautions against touching them, lest this is contagious. | The shamans of the Makhlyes are known as Inverts because they live their lives as the opposite gender. Because of this, they are regarded as spirits by their people – and also regarded as spirits by spirits. Once each year in the spring, all the hunters will dress as the opposite gender as well, for the sacred Inverse Hunt. Their magic allows the hunters to hunt the now-extinct herds of megafauna as though they still roamed the grasslands. The hunters bring back much meat and many trophies from an Inverse Hunt, but every year one hunter does not return from the hunt. Because of these strange customs, people of the Twin Cities think that all Makhlyes change genders, and take precautions against touching them, lest this is contagious. | ||
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--Kakita Kojiro | --Kakita Kojiro | ||
− | === | + | ====Gorgades, nomadic barbarian tribe==== |
The Gorgades are one of the nomadic barbarian tribes of the distant steppes to the west of the grasslands and mountains. They are known as the “hairy ones” to most outsiders, because they do not cut their hair. When meeting strangers, they also veil their eyes with their hair so as to not make eye contact, and they will also not look into mirrors. They claim that all these taboos protect them from spirits – and, curiously, they believe that the inhabitants of the Twin Cities are actually spirits who lie about their true natures. They rarely trade with the Twin Cities, but their leather goods often make their way east through trade with other barbarian tribes (such as the Makhlyes). | The Gorgades are one of the nomadic barbarian tribes of the distant steppes to the west of the grasslands and mountains. They are known as the “hairy ones” to most outsiders, because they do not cut their hair. When meeting strangers, they also veil their eyes with their hair so as to not make eye contact, and they will also not look into mirrors. They claim that all these taboos protect them from spirits – and, curiously, they believe that the inhabitants of the Twin Cities are actually spirits who lie about their true natures. They rarely trade with the Twin Cities, but their leather goods often make their way east through trade with other barbarian tribes (such as the Makhlyes). | ||
− | They have actually domesticated herds of | + | They have actually domesticated herds of megafauna, and roam the steppes to move their herds to new grazing. Each clan in the tribe typically has its own type of megafauna that it specialized in. Clans often take the opportunity to raid the herds of other clans while nearby, to eat some of their enemies’ beasts instead of their own. Their shamans wear headdresses of the skull and hides of their clan’s beast, and generally know a very odd assortment of spells. |
Occupations: Herder, Hunter, Raider, Trapper, Shaman | Occupations: Herder, Hunter, Raider, Trapper, Shaman | ||
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--Kakita Kojiro | --Kakita Kojiro | ||
− | === | + | ====Nethsras, nomadic barbarian tribe==== |
− | The Nethsras are one of the nomadic barbarian tribes of the western Steppe Wastes. They range further west and south than many other tribes, and so while only rumors to the Twin Cities, are better known in the Spice Kingdoms. They specialize in hunting | + | The Nethsras are one of the nomadic barbarian tribes of the western Steppe Wastes. They range further west and south than many other tribes, and so while only rumors to the Twin Cities, are better known in the Spice Kingdoms. They specialize in hunting hornbeasts with bolas from ambush. Their clans roam following the hornbeast herds, living in well-hidden temporary camps. Although they have joined barbarian hordes in times past, they are generally peaceful and not warlike, and usually maintain good relations with neighboring tribes. |
It is an oddity that the Nethsras have no shamans among them, and claim they are never troubled by ghosts. This is because, they say, all Nethsras are the same souls of all the Nethsras who ever were, and those souls reincarnate as Nethsras after their death. They know exactly how many Nethsras souls there are, and each clan tells the others of deaths so that they know which souls to look for when new children are born. In times when their birthrates fall below deathrates, though, they must send scouts to nearby tribes, and even into civilized lands, seeking the newborn children that have souls from their tribe. Once identified, the scouts either buy (from other barbarian tribes) or steal (from civilized lands) these newborns and return them to their true people. The worst thing for Nethsras is when their birthrates rise above deathrates – for children born then will be born soulless. In such times it is traditional for the Nethsras to seek some pretext to go to war, so that there will be souls for the newborns. | It is an oddity that the Nethsras have no shamans among them, and claim they are never troubled by ghosts. This is because, they say, all Nethsras are the same souls of all the Nethsras who ever were, and those souls reincarnate as Nethsras after their death. They know exactly how many Nethsras souls there are, and each clan tells the others of deaths so that they know which souls to look for when new children are born. In times when their birthrates fall below deathrates, though, they must send scouts to nearby tribes, and even into civilized lands, seeking the newborn children that have souls from their tribe. Once identified, the scouts either buy (from other barbarian tribes) or steal (from civilized lands) these newborns and return them to their true people. The worst thing for Nethsras is when their birthrates rise above deathrates – for children born then will be born soulless. In such times it is traditional for the Nethsras to seek some pretext to go to war, so that there will be souls for the newborns. | ||
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-- by Kakita Kojiro | -- by Kakita Kojiro | ||
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