Tyrath

Tyrath

Tyrath is a fantastical world with geography very similar to Earth's, but inhabited by elves, dwarves, and the like as well as humans. Both the magical and psionic arts are widely practiced there.

Mythos of Tyrath

The Beginning

In the ancient days, many generations ago even by the reckoning of elves, the world was made. In those days all was young and wild, and the gods numbered only two: Turana, who rules the untamed world and all its plants and creatures, and her husband Cytan, who knows all that was, is, and may yet be, and cares for the souls of the dead.

It came to pass that Turana and Cytan had four divine children, three sons and one daughter: Solan, Rectren, Fortuna, and Moran. On Solan was bestowed the chariot of the sun and rulership of the skies; on Rectren, lordship over ice and stone and mastery of principle and order; on Fortuna, the silver moon and power over the seas; and on Moran was bestowed a purview like his father's, to collect and guide the newly dead to Cytan's hall, and for a time all was well.

The Birth of the Three Sisters

Now Solan possesses a great affinity for musics, and in those days he often sang at length as he drove the sun-chariot across the sky, and in the halls of his family once night had fallen. One day as he was guiding the sun up over the horizon, the incredible beauty of the world at dawn drew from his heart a song the like of which was never heard before, and has never been heard since. He sang of the growing greens and rushing streams below; he sang of the flashing, crashing storms that rained upon the earth; and he sang of the pure and fiery light of the sun shining on the forests and the mountains and the seas.

As he sang, pouring forth his passion and power, the world answered, and the song became the Three Sisters: Maia Garden-Keeper, goddess of farm and family; Karana Storm-Dancer, goddess of the strong and quick; and Vala Fire-Sword, goddess of the just and righteous.

The Madness of Fortuna and the Birth of the Twins

The goddess Fortuna has ever been one of capriciousness, change, passion, and whimsy but in those early days she had not yet descended fully into madness. That began when she took it into her mind to seduce her brother Rectren and then gave birth to twin sons, Merx and Maleth. They shared their father's affinity for order, but their incestuous conception twisted them to evil. Maleth, the elder, seeks order through brutality, domination, and main force; in contrast Merx employs cunning manipulation of the law as a tool to achieve power and humble enemies.

For this sin, Turana cursed Fortuna, forcing her deeper into madness so that never again would she be able to focus on any plot long enough to bring it to fruition.

The First Mortals

The first to appear were the humans. Alone of the mortal races, humans have no especial divine patrons or forebears, arising as they did from the natural workings of the world. Though they were first, they are counted a young race, both for their short lives and because they were longer a people of the wild than any other.

Once, as Solan lit the world from on high, he spied a band of humans below. This was not a new sight to him, but some whim made him look more closely, and he was struck by their intelligence and, particularly in one case, beauty. The sun-god bade his chariot go on without him, and descended to the earth, singing.

With his song poured forth some of his power, ennobling and empowering that band of listeners, changing the shape of their minds and their flesh. Thus were the first elves made, and Solan took their leader to be his wife, bestowing upon her even greater blessings. She is with him still, Amma Elf-Mother, the Morning and the Evening Star, who sees her husband off at dawn and welcomes him back at dusk.

For a time, Solan and Amma ruled her band together, uniting with others and spreading their ennobled blood and divine gifts. From Solan and Amma came the first line of elven kings, and from her first band came many of their nobles. Over time, many of the gifts of Solan have faded, but they may be glimpsed from time to time in the lines of the elflords.

While this was being done, Vala was in the midst of courting Rectren. Rectren was at first wary, mindful of his sister's seduction and its consequences, but the Fire-Sword was patient and understanding, though persistent. At length, they agreed to marry, and took a great tour of the world, lying together whenever night fell. At each resting place, Vala birthed children of a new race - stern and stoic like their father, but with their mother's fire burning in their hearts. Thus did the dwarves come into being, all across Tyrath, and where they had been born they delved the earth and built great cities in the rock.

The Gnomes, the Orcs, and the War of Undeath

Among the dwarves there were some who were drawn more to Cytan than their divine parents, being as he was the patron of craftsmen. Wanting some mischief, Fortuna loosed her power on them, making them small and clever and sharing more of her sense of humor. These dwarf-kin were called gnomes thereafter.

At about this time, a shadow was growing in the hearts of elves. Moran the Reaper was growing weary of seeing mortal grief and pain, and his elven worshippers grew fearful- some for themselves, some for human friends and lovers. Driven by the Reaper and their fears, a cabal sought to conquer death, and for a time their work was good. From this cabal came all the healing arts and the secrets of resurrection; but it was not enough, for a healed man may still die, and a resurrected one die again. Thus they turned to darker methods, and in foul rituals gave rise to undeath.

This blasphemy enraged the gods, and Cytan and Turana lay down a great curse upon the cabal. But for the pleas of Amma Elf-Mother, the curse would have reduced them to mere beasts; instead, they became orcs, strong and hardy but dull-witted. Alas, even with wits dulled some of the cabal were mighty priests and mages, and they rose up in rebellion against the gods and their uncursed kin.

The orcs were fewer in those days, but in embracing their great strength and dark magics, they wrought great destruction, even driving many of the highest-born elves to flee to lands far distant. After much fighting, the tide was turned when the legendary heroes of the age - Meinrad the Brave, Aelgar the Quick, Vipin the Wise, and Asemar the Repentant - gave their lives to destroy a necromantic weapon-fortress of massive power before it could be used. Even so, its black magic was so powerful as to blast the life from the land for leagues in all directions and raise a ring of mountains at its edge: Moran's Wastes and the Heroes' Wall, as they have come to be known in latter days.

Notable Locations

Enkidu City

Enkidu is an independent city-state located in roughly the same place as Istanbul. It is traditionally ruled by an Elector, who is advised and selected by a council composed of representatives from the city's major power groups - the temples, the city guard, and the guilds and merchant combines. Traditionally, the council has twelve members:

• Commander of the City Guard
• Chancellor of Enkidu University
• Clergy
  • High Priest of Solan & Amma
  • High Priest of Rectren & Vala
  • High Priest of Merx
  • High Priest of Maia
• Guilds
  • Lay Lawmeisters
  • Metalsmiths
  • Shipwrights
  • Bricklayers
• Merchant Combines