Creative Exercise--Aleasana

[Rhialto]

Although not a requirement for membership in the Black Fist Brotherhood, many of them come from a large Imperial nation far to the Southwest that is peopled almost entirely by half-orcs that have bred true for so long that they had almost forgotten about the existence of humans and orcs as their ancient forebears. The Brotherhood, while also a highly profitable mercenary organization, also secretly serves as the advance guard and scouting forces of this Empire, perhaps as a prelude to invasion.

However, observers more knowledgable about Ur-Sai, the empire of the Urukhs, doubt this is the case. The culture of Ur-Sai is reclusive and mystical, placing great value in stability, and the unchanging nature of the Empire. Urukhs have been known to state that Ur-Sai is eternal--that it has seen the foundings of all nations, and will see the fall of all nations. While a few ambitious generals dream of wars of expansion, for the Court in general the work of the army is making sure the borders of Ur-Sai never change. The more restless youths join the Black Fist Brotherhood, quenching their desire for new experiences by sending them beyond the Empire's borders, and calming them by emersing them in the Brotherhood's deep philosophy of order, obligations, and the nature of the universe. For centuries, the Brotherhood has sold its services in Aleasana, while reporting back to the Court as to what occurs there. These days, the Court seems very concerned about Aleasana's steady slide into greater and greater chaos.

Dvergar legends hold that the Urukhs are the crossbred offspring of a mysterious race of "demons" that marched in the armies of a mythical evil figure they call "the Lordling" and the "Tall People" another aboriginal group of Aleasana. Both the "demons" and the Tall People were wiped out in the war, leaving only their children, the Urukhs. The Urukhs' have their own version of their origin, though they don't tell it to outsiders.

 

[Tonguez]

The Dai river is also home to a powerful Water Naga Scorcerer named Shrangea Dai-Khan whom the Bodai consider to be the guardian spirit of the river, and often leave offerings at the sites he is known to frequent. Shrangea who is accompanied by a gaggle of nixie companions, enjoys the status and offerings left for him and so extends his protection to the Bodai.

The Naga has some sort of subterannean access to the Spring of Sellessenril (which he visits once a year) and is known to the Lizard folk also. What his motives or relationship to the Dragons are is unknown.

 

[Lalato]

I just wanted to note that I think it's great what folks have added to the Dai River thing. Very cool stuff. I'm glad I clicked onto this thread after not really posting on EN World in a long time.

--sam

 

[Conaill]

The Z.G.B. (Zwergerkraft Grundwerken Broderschaft) specializes in any kind of large-scale underground engineering projects, wheter it is a tunnel through a mountain chain, rerouting an underground river, or undermining a wall during a siege (sometimes in competetion against a second Z.G.B. team hired to protect the same wall). A particularly gruff and unfriendly lot, these deep dwarves speak an ancient dialect unintelligible to most, and are shunned by the surface dwarves. Their contracts are ironclad, and always include perpetual right of acces to the tunnels, and mineral rights to any deposits along its length. Breach of contract is met with clinically precise retribution.

It is said the Z.G.B. uses - besides their own considerable muscle power - strange magicks, as well as fearsome underground beasts. Rumor has it they have enslaved a black dragon, which "eats rocks, spews black smoke out of one nostril, and white smoke out the other".

 

[Sarellion]

Faeries and naga are distantly related.

 

[Arkhandus]

The Dai river is also home to a powerful Water Naga Scorcerer named Shrangea Dai-Khan whom the Bodai consider to be the guardian spirit of the river, and often leave offerings at the sites he is known to frequent. Shrangea who is accompanied by a gaggle of nixie companions, enjoys the status and offerings left for him and so extends his protection to the Bodai.

The Naga has some sort of subterannean access to the Spring of Sellessenril (which he visits once a year) and is known to the Lizard folk also. What his motives or relationship to the Dragons are is unknown.

The sacred Spring of Sellessenril is one of the Dai River's sources, and Bodai believe that their people were long ago born from the Spring and shall one day return to the Dai, as their spirits do upon death according to Bodai legend. The Shay's ancient sealing of the sacred Spring has long been a matter of contention between them and the Bodai, who can only visit the Dai River itself but not one of its sacred sources. The other sources of the Dai River remain important sites to the Bodai, as each Bodai child is traditionally bathed in a source of the Dai at least once within their first 10 years. After this ritual bathing, the Bodai child takes the name of that source spring as their own middle name, giving them the right to begin apprenticeship in Bodai magic or warrior traditions.

 

[Tonguez]

The loss of the Urukh's aid has Majera looking to the support of the twisted, degenerate Asani--a move she may eventually regret...

Recently Hangende and others along the eastern coast have reported attacks by 'water monsters' on ships and coastal settlements. These atacks are increasing and becoming more and more vicious, in particular it seems to have a particular hatred for Urukh.

Most recently a creature was slain in the Langerfjord as it attempted to scale the cliffs giving access to Hangende and although it is yet unindentified by the Drveger the creature is in fact an Asani-Toron...

 

[Rhialto]

One of the ways the Bodai measure status is by the ownership of their fierce, hardy ponies. An individual who owns his own pony is a "Bodai'sha"--a true adult. These individuals are a surprisingly small portion of the population and constitute a sort of savage Bodai 'knighthood'. They ride with the fierce Bodai war parties, and are allowed to seize whatever spoils their horse can carry. An individual who owns enough ponies to give his immediate family mounts is a "Bodai'kasha". These individuals may lead their families into battle, and speak at clan meetings. An individual who owns enough ponies to give mounts to his immediate and his extended family is called a "Bodai'kasha'kai"--they recieve the same rights as a kasha, but their opinions carry more weight, and they are generally powerful war leaders. An individual who owns enough ponies to give mounts to his extended family, AND twenty or more individuals to whom he is not related is called a "Bodai'sa". These individuals tend to lead the smaller Bodai hordes, and are generals, and statesmen. An individual who owns enough ponies to give mounts to his extended family, AND one hundred or more individuals to whom he is not related is called a "Bodai'sahn". These are the monarchs of Bodai society. Sergis Sahn is one such individual.

Next, we must consider those who do not or cannot own their own mounts. A man who does not own his own pony, but must ride his mounts his family provides is called a "Bodai'ne". This is not a dishonorable position, but it also not a particularly honorable one--many young men in it are hungry to prove themselves, and be awarded their own pony. An individual who must rely on the charity of strangers for a pony is called a "Bodai'sora"--this is a shameful position, generally occupied by criminals and cripples, and any healthy individual who is in this state is viewed with disgust. Sora are often not allowed to ride into battle. A completely different individual is a "Bodai'lho", a warrior who has sworn loyalty to a Sa or Sahn and now rides his lord's mounts into battle. Lhos compromise an elite fighting corps in any Sa's forces, and are honored and exulted--especially when they are individuals who give up a Sha, Kasha, or Kasha'kai position to do so.

Inheritance law among the Bodai are, interestingly enough, practically non-existent. While an individual may leave their ponies to a son or daughter--or for that matter a sibling, a niece, or a favored war leader--that heir must demonstrate sufficient power, magnetism and force to make those wishes come true--otherwise the mounts will be seized by everyone trying to reach a higher status. This often results in a period of intraclan violence when a leader dies, followed by the group splintering into several smaller clans. The larger the clan, the more violent such quarrels tend to be. When the famed Bodai warlord Ossa Sahn of the Red Hand Horde perished, her sons, daughters, and warlords fought amongst themselves for a month to determine the distribution of her ponies--they were only stopped by a massed attack by several of the clan's enemies, who wiped out the Red Hand Horde to a man.

 

[Sarellion]

The major water source of the Dai river is the Dajani lake in the Jar highlands. The lake is surrounded by mountains and glaciers who feed the massive lake. There is a constant Bodai settlement that guards the lake, in case the Shay or anyone else want to claim the lake for themselves.

The settlement has a fortress in the middle, the Jan´Dahan. An order of Bodai paladins guards the fortress and the surrounding lands.

 

[Lalato]

Let me know if this stretches reality a bit too much for you guys...

The Blade of Yadasai, a rocky peninsula, juts out from the western shore of the Sun's Anvil Desert. This thin, hard piece of land extends beyond mortal sight, but on a clear enough day one can faintly see the rock known simply as The Hilt. The Blade of Yadasai is actually a land bridge connecting the western shore of the Sun's Anvil Desert to another land mass. This is the homeland of the Urukh.