Creative Exercise: The Sovereign Dominion of Eyros

[domino]

COntribution

Jbelli Imalh is a Goblin Blue who preaches a corrupted beleif in the 'Old Lords' - apparently elemental forces of Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Three years ago whilst exploring the caves beneath {Northern mountains} she discovered a clutch of four leathery eggs in a subterranean pool. She has been trying to nurture these eggs and hatch whatever maybe inside (which she beleives to be a sign of his Elemental Lords)

Each of these eggs radiates heat at a different temperature. It is not a great differential, and the hottest is not hot enough to cause pain, nor is the coldest colder than lukewarm. But there is a easily discernable difference between the temperatures.

 

[Rhialto]

The followers (some use the term 'cult') of Hythates, legendary musician, mathematician, and magician, have long presented a problem to the Eyrosian Senate. Brilliant, talented, masters of manipulating public opinion, as well as the other so-called Hythatian arts, Hythatians are both sought out as musicians, advisors, architects and loremasters, and feared as heretics, rabblerousers and dissidents. The reasons for this is their zealous adherance to Hythates's teachings, especially as regards the universe in general. Hythates was a Unifer, one of those who feel that Eyros is the creation of a Supreme Being outside of time. What made Hythates unique is that he felt that the Being created it by rules which can be divined by mortal men. All magical power, he felt, is the result of following these rules. Hythates's probing of these rules lead him to revolutionary conclusions in music, mathematics, and geometry, all of which he found to be connected. Later followers would discover uses for Hythatian learning in architecture, engineering, memorization, and planar science.

Had this been the end of it, it wouldn't be a concern. However, Hythates mixed his findings in science with controversial religious teachings. He taught that all individuals were eternal, their spirits reborn endlessly into new bodies. He taught that all religions were in reality failures of faith, and distracted people from "the Source" as he called his Supreme Being, placing between men and the Source a wall that pretended to act as a bridge. He taught that governments were another distraction, and that an awakened individual would have no need of them, being fully accountable for their own actions. He taught that his followers had no need to submit to any authority that they did not feel worthy.

These teachings were somewhat less enthusiastically recieved by those in power then his scientific findings. However, for a horde of intelligent, iconoclastic young men and women, the Hythatian lore, as it was called, was recieved enthusiastically. For them it offered a reassuring, empowering new view of the universe, preferable to the doom and gloom of the Draconic Legacy and ancestor worship. The state found itself in a quandry--the services of the Hythatians were invaluable. The politics of the Hythatians were questionable. For many, the later trumped the former, and a vicious crackdown resulted. However, it was here that the Eyrosian government made a miscalculation--the Hythatian movement were experts at dramatic presentment and emotional appeal, and were able to use the persecution to increase their popularity. Soon the Senate was facing riots and uprisings. It was then that the Grand Monarch Casca declared a conditional toleration of the movement, which has continued to this day. Many of the more reactionary members of the Senate still grumble about this, while some of the more prescient ones worry about the problems that might come in the future...

 

[Mouseferatu]

A Brief Word on the PDF Version

Hey, guys. I just wanted to pop in real quick and mention that, assuming we can get enough volunteer writers to put this together once we're done with it, I've got a PDF publisher to put it out there.

Specifically, me.

I'm not going to go into too much detail in this thread--it's not appropriate, and it's in the wrong forum--but in brief, C.A. Suleiman and I have formed Lions Den Press, and we've partnered with Ronin Arts. You can find an announcement with more detail in the D20 Publishers forum.

I mention it here just so you all know that I haven't abandoned the idea, and we've got a way to make it viable.

 

[Sarellion]

I envisoned that Xaleris uses the dino equivalent of war elephants as one major part of their forces. So as the Ankylosaur doesn´t fit, because of height, would there be some better fitting dino? The only large one that jumps in my mind is a bronto and I think they are a little bit too big.

 

[Sarellion]

We're not done yet, are we?

Edit: D'oh! Rystil beat me to the bump by a matter of seconds.

Nope, I have at least 2 ideas waiting in the wings and I think the others still have many ideas to add.

 

[Rhialto]

Anyone have anything to say about the Hythatians...?

 

[Sarellion]

Replies are a little slow at the moment, it seems.

So Hythates researched the laws of physics and metaphysics and thinks that a supreme being is responsible for them?

How popular do you envision this religion?

 

[Rhialto]

I figure them to be a sizable minority. The teachings of Hythates are ultimately too difficult and stringent to become widely popular, but appealing enought to find plenty of people willing to give them a try.

Truth be told, I was trying to do something entertaining with bards, and seeing as this is supposed to be a Greco-Roman style universe, based the sect loosely on the Pythagoreans...

Postscript: Also, I wouldn't say that Hythates made it so far as the laws of physics--or at least very far into the laws of physics. He was more into geometry and pure mathematics.

 

[Sarellion]

So there was a sect like this, based on the teachings of Pythagoras?

Perhaps I switch to regular elephants in my last contribution or does someone know a nice dinosaur. Mammals could be more common in Xaleris.

 

[Arkhandus]

There aren't really any dinosaurs of suitably elephantine-proportions, as those with equivalent height are either much longer (apatosaurus/"brontosaurus", diplodicus, ultrasaurus, etc.) or are bipedal like t-rex or allosaurus. Spinosaurus, t-rex, and stegosaurus might be tall enough, but aren't really suitable mounts given their body shape (and stuff on the spino's and stego's backs). Dinos like the triceratops have relatively short legs so aren't a lot taller than ankylosaurs. You could just use a very big triceratops or ankylosaurus, though; they can be advanced to Gargantuan size as indicated in their entries, and a gargantuan one will probably be tall enough. In that case the triceratops is probably better if you're looking for something kinda tall.

Triceratops is statted in the Monster Manual and SRD, ankylosaurus can be found in the Monster Manual II (though that one's 3.0 stats, so it may need its face/space fixed and such).