Creative Exercise--Aleasana
- Thread starter Rhialto
- Start date
Lalato
Adventurer
The Juni hold sacred any source of water, but their most holy place is an oasis deep in the Sun's Anvil. It is known to them as the Old Woman. A craggy, foreboding set of rocks, it does not look like an oasis at all. If one scales the rock known as The Teat, there is a fissure about half way up that leads to an opening within the rocks where water flows up from a spring.
Given the lack of contributors of late, I'm changing it to two contributions before you can add a new one.
The Order of the Just is a society dedicated to the catching of criminals who use Aleasana's splintered political state to beat hasty escapes from the local law. Foreswearing politics, the Just are allowed to move freely over Aleasana, as they try to bring those who flaunt the laws to justice.
Of course, the Just's neutrality comes at a price. First the Just can only prosecute those who have flaunted laws held in common by all factions--murderers, thieves, and kidnappers. They may not act against people who have been acting under the laws of their factions, and they may not favor the laws of one faction over another. Thus, they may not attack a Bandesh-Thar White Wolf Captain for slaughtering a family of elves, for example, even if the nature of his attack makes every moral fiber of their being cry for justice. Also, they are not welcome everywhere--Dromas and the Concordant do not accept its authority, and a Justicar who goes into Barizar had better watch his back--and his front--and his side...
The Just are an interesting group. Some are dedicated men and women who believe in their cause, paladins in the service of Delar, the Balancer. Others are bounty hunters--people who chase criminals in hopes of getting rewards from the victims or the law. And some are individuals who have turned to the Just because they have no other place to go--refugees eager to find work and purpose in their lives, as well as for the protection the Just bring. While they are sworn not to interfere in Aleasana's struggle, the Just have a great effect on life in that splintered land...
The Order of the Just is a society dedicated to the catching of criminals who use Aleasana's splintered political state to beat hasty escapes from the local law. Foreswearing politics, the Just are allowed to move freely over Aleasana, as they try to bring those who flaunt the laws to justice.
Of course, the Just's neutrality comes at a price. First the Just can only prosecute those who have flaunted laws held in common by all factions--murderers, thieves, and kidnappers. They may not act against people who have been acting under the laws of their factions, and they may not favor the laws of one faction over another. Thus, they may not attack a Bandesh-Thar White Wolf Captain for slaughtering a family of elves, for example, even if the nature of his attack makes every moral fiber of their being cry for justice. Also, they are not welcome everywhere--Dromas and the Concordant do not accept its authority, and a Justicar who goes into Barizar had better watch his back--and his front--and his side...
The Just are an interesting group. Some are dedicated men and women who believe in their cause, paladins in the service of Delar, the Balancer. Others are bounty hunters--people who chase criminals in hopes of getting rewards from the victims or the law. And some are individuals who have turned to the Just because they have no other place to go--refugees eager to find work and purpose in their lives, as well as for the protection the Just bring. While they are sworn not to interfere in Aleasana's struggle, the Just have a great effect on life in that splintered land...
MavrickWeirdo said:
Chi-Lantshi (ki-LANT-she), located northwest of central Aleasana, is a small, isolated state surrounded by nigh-impassible mountains. The local microclimate and soil provide its inhabitants with a modest existence, and its inaccessibility and lack of other natural resources keeps them safe from outside interference.
The Chi-Lani are pacifist and isolationist, masters in the art of non-violent persuasion, and put great stock in the study of philosophy, and the natural world. Magic is shunned as "habit-forming, and weakening the soul", as is alcohol, candy, and any other stimulants. The Council of Sages makes all important decisions in Chi-Lantshi, often after consultation with the people. They have kept Chi-Lantshi out of any involvement with the rest of Aleasana since well before the War, focused on evolving an ideal society within the Chi-Lantshi valley itself.
Lately, the Sages have gotten worried about "long-term unnatural geological altitudinal alterations" in the mountains around them. They have decided to send out journeymen with sophisticated spyglass-like equipment to "measure the mountains" of Aleasana.
The Council have also contracted the Z.G.B. to dig a test shaft deep underneath the roots of neighboring Mount Owesslip, the second-highest mountain in Aleasana. Twice now, the Z.G.B. have stopped work, claiming the shaft had gotten too deep and dangerous even for them. Nobody knows what the Council of Sages has promised them, but the deep dwarves have gotten back to work with renewed zeal, despite the risks. Meanwhile, the shaft is already twice as deep as any ever built, and the temperature keeps rising...
Silena is the goddess of emotions, passion, love, family, children, healing and dance.
She is depicted in three aspects, the maiden, the mother and the wise woman.
The maiden is associated with the wilder emotions, physical love, dance and passion. The mother is associated with family, love, compassion and similar emotions. The wise one is the healer aspect of Silena, wise in the ways of the world.
It is said that she is often at odds with Dar, pitting her emotions against the cold logic of Dar.
Silena is a very popular goddess, especially with the female population. There are several all female mystery cults in the cities.
Priests of Silena are often sought by people needing advice in matters of love and family.
The Day of New Year, the first day of spring is dedicated to her and the most holy day of the faith.
She is depicted in three aspects, the maiden, the mother and the wise woman.
The maiden is associated with the wilder emotions, physical love, dance and passion. The mother is associated with family, love, compassion and similar emotions. The wise one is the healer aspect of Silena, wise in the ways of the world.
It is said that she is often at odds with Dar, pitting her emotions against the cold logic of Dar.
Silena is a very popular goddess, especially with the female population. There are several all female mystery cults in the cities.
Priests of Silena are often sought by people needing advice in matters of love and family.
The Day of New Year, the first day of spring is dedicated to her and the most holy day of the faith.
Sarellion said:
According to Alseanni myth, Kithea is the daughter of Dar and Silena. Indeed, for a long time the Church of Kithea was a subject arm of the Church of Dar. However, there was something of a rupture after the War of Deadly Voices, which has deepened into an out and out split in the present circumstances. Presently, Virgon, tradtional center of Kithea worship, has been placed on Interdict by the Dominus--a fact that the priestesses Kithea are blissfully ignoring.
Arkhandus
First Post
Contribution:
In the northeast corner of Aleasana's mountains lies the independant city-state Ceb'Rehyn, the sprawling City of Bridges. Ceb'Rehyn is built high upon a cluster of mountains, with a few extensions into the tiny valleys inbetween, for farming. The long bridges between mountains, over clefts, and across chasms are often beautifully made and supported by ancient magicks woven by the old Kirks of the Callach Faith. Particularly long bridges have large platforms at some points, held aloft by magic, upon which small districts are built. The city-state supports itself mostly through trading and herding, since the City of Bridges has very little arable land. Ceb'Rehyn is peopled entirely by Aleasani and Northerner humans who have mixed together for many generations, one of the few such alliances. Cebs get along gruffly with folk of partly-human blood, but have an avid dislike for non-humans. The City of Bridges is a contender for the throne of Aleasana, though relatively minor compared to the forces of Cassant and Bandesh-Thar, and Cebs hope to bring Northerners into the war on their side, to take the throne for Ceb'Rehyn and its noble House Rehyn.
Ceb'Rehyn's current ruler is Jaern Gaston Rehyn, Lord of House Rehyn, Prince Regent of Aleasana, Reeve of Ceb'Rehyn, and High Kirk of the Callach Faith. He is a stern and dour young man, a proud and commanding leader, honored by his people, as Cebs in general tend to be similar in mindset. House Rehyn traces its lineage back to a wedding long ago between the younger brother of Aleasana's third king, and the sister of a great Northerner chieftain. For reasons lost to time, Aleasana's king approved or perhaps even arranged the marriage, binding a large clan of Northerners to part of his own family and vassals. Likewise, it is no longer known why the Aleasani king gifted his brother with the northeastern lands of Aleasana as an independant, sovereign region, but the area has remained independant ever since the marriage of Aleasani to Northerner. Scattered thorps in the area came under the rulership of the king's brother, Rehyn Landis Alsea, and his new bride Yolla Kinnasdottr. Over time, the area was built into a single city-state of scattered bits and pieces, linked by magically-supported bridges. The Kirks, priests of Callach, still maintain the knowledge of how to float these great platforms and bridges with magic, but they have lost the secrets of raising particularly large or heavy structures in this manner, so in recent generations they have only been able to maintain the current ones and float small new bridge-platforms.
The Callach Faith follows the Aleasani god of toil, winter, justice, rulership, and mountains, Callach. This old religion moved mostly to Ceb'Rehyn around a hundred years after the place became a true city-state, as the Kirks had to leave behind their old temples, for whatever reason; any records about it were lost during the War of Deadly Voices. Callach is known also as the Justicar, Monolith, the Delver, and Frostlord. In myth, blizzards are his breath, a trial to test the worthy and smother the wretched, while earthquakes are his angry stirring beneath the earth, his tantrums raging against defilers, criminals, and rebels. Volcanos are said to be the result of battles between Callach and his brother beneath the earth, and hotsprings are Callach's gift to soothe the faithful and innocent after a victory against his brother in their titanic struggles, to make up for the lava his brother unleashes.
In the northeast corner of Aleasana's mountains lies the independant city-state Ceb'Rehyn, the sprawling City of Bridges. Ceb'Rehyn is built high upon a cluster of mountains, with a few extensions into the tiny valleys inbetween, for farming. The long bridges between mountains, over clefts, and across chasms are often beautifully made and supported by ancient magicks woven by the old Kirks of the Callach Faith. Particularly long bridges have large platforms at some points, held aloft by magic, upon which small districts are built. The city-state supports itself mostly through trading and herding, since the City of Bridges has very little arable land. Ceb'Rehyn is peopled entirely by Aleasani and Northerner humans who have mixed together for many generations, one of the few such alliances. Cebs get along gruffly with folk of partly-human blood, but have an avid dislike for non-humans. The City of Bridges is a contender for the throne of Aleasana, though relatively minor compared to the forces of Cassant and Bandesh-Thar, and Cebs hope to bring Northerners into the war on their side, to take the throne for Ceb'Rehyn and its noble House Rehyn.
Ceb'Rehyn's current ruler is Jaern Gaston Rehyn, Lord of House Rehyn, Prince Regent of Aleasana, Reeve of Ceb'Rehyn, and High Kirk of the Callach Faith. He is a stern and dour young man, a proud and commanding leader, honored by his people, as Cebs in general tend to be similar in mindset. House Rehyn traces its lineage back to a wedding long ago between the younger brother of Aleasana's third king, and the sister of a great Northerner chieftain. For reasons lost to time, Aleasana's king approved or perhaps even arranged the marriage, binding a large clan of Northerners to part of his own family and vassals. Likewise, it is no longer known why the Aleasani king gifted his brother with the northeastern lands of Aleasana as an independant, sovereign region, but the area has remained independant ever since the marriage of Aleasani to Northerner. Scattered thorps in the area came under the rulership of the king's brother, Rehyn Landis Alsea, and his new bride Yolla Kinnasdottr. Over time, the area was built into a single city-state of scattered bits and pieces, linked by magically-supported bridges. The Kirks, priests of Callach, still maintain the knowledge of how to float these great platforms and bridges with magic, but they have lost the secrets of raising particularly large or heavy structures in this manner, so in recent generations they have only been able to maintain the current ones and float small new bridge-platforms.
The Callach Faith follows the Aleasani god of toil, winter, justice, rulership, and mountains, Callach. This old religion moved mostly to Ceb'Rehyn around a hundred years after the place became a true city-state, as the Kirks had to leave behind their old temples, for whatever reason; any records about it were lost during the War of Deadly Voices. Callach is known also as the Justicar, Monolith, the Delver, and Frostlord. In myth, blizzards are his breath, a trial to test the worthy and smother the wretched, while earthquakes are his angry stirring beneath the earth, his tantrums raging against defilers, criminals, and rebels. Volcanos are said to be the result of battles between Callach and his brother beneath the earth, and hotsprings are Callach's gift to soothe the faithful and innocent after a victory against his brother in their titanic struggles, to make up for the lava his brother unleashes.
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