Michael Morris
First Post
The world around the Telzoans has shaped their culture in many ways. Telzoa is a harsh land of short summers and bitter winters punctuated by the occasional earthquake and even volcanic eruptions. These natural phenomena have given rise to much of Telzoa’s mythology and religion – though the Telzoans themselves believe fervently that their gods brought about these changes in the land and that these myths are indeed fact.
[h2]The Sky Above[/h2]
"All things begin in dreams, and dreams begin above - 'tis little wonder then that the dreamers face the sky." - Telsindria.
Carthasana’s sky would truly be alien to us. In the daytime not one but two suns move through the sky. Each one is about three-quarters the size of our sun in the sky, though together they provide the world with the same amount of radiation. Usually they appear to wobble about slowly as months pass by since they orbit each other. Occasionally one eclipses the other.
The Telzoan names of the suns are Ria and Li – the right and left eyes of Tean, Lord of the Suns and also God of Justice. Tean watches the world for evil, records its passing, and in his due time he mets out punishment. When the suns eclipse one another the Telzoans believe that Tean is simply resting an eye.
There are three moons that orbit Carthasana, all of which are smaller than are own moon, although there orbital distance makes them appear to be roughly the same size. The closest, and smallest, is Matacha. Barely beyond being a glorified asteroid, Matacha appears to sail on the celestial sea at dusk and dawn. This "sea" is the rings of the planet, which from the ground look like a whitish haze. Telzoans liken this to a flock of sheep and picture Matacha as their shepherd. Like our moon, Matacha only shows one face to the world. She makes one trip around the world in 12 days.
Second out is Tiania. This moon is most like our own. Telzoans, interestingly, associate this moon with the earth mother. The second moon has a very discernible face pattern, even more so than our own nightly companion, and many regard it as the watching face of the mother that bore the world, much as a real mother always watches her children. Tiania has a 28-day orbital period.
The third moon is Kepho the dark one. This odd moon does not have a day synchronized to its orbit, spinning once every 3 days (so in effect, there is no dark side of Kepho). The 44 day orbit of this globe is in retrograde compared to the others - and it perhaps for this reason that Telzoans have named this third sphere for their God of Doom and Evil Death. The orbit of Kepho is also elliptical enough to cause its face to noticeably change size to the astute observer over time. Kepho also remains volcanically active, and on very rare occasions she has a violent enough eruption to be seen from Carthasana, sometimes prompting meteor showers within a few days of the event.
Due to the destabilizing effect of the binary stars, no planet in Carthasana’s system is closer in than she. However, there are three other planets further out – Sana, Sekoon and Pektos, in that order.
The backdrop upon which these bodies move is most interesting. Ria and Li are just outside of a huge nebula, and this body occupies a quarter of the sky every other winter. Often referred to as the Night gate or blood pool, it is a considered a bad sign when the planets align to it a certain way. This nebula is no brighter against the Carthasanan sky than our Milky Way galaxy is in our night sky.
[h2]The Zodiac[/h2]
From the Telzoan point of view the most important part of the night sky are the zodiac constellations. The Carthasanan sky has twenty such constellations, divided into upper and lower houses. Years alternate between being ruled by the upper or lower houses, so any given year sees ten constellations (in truth all twenty are visible in the night sky at some point in the year). The first ten we will examine are visible during years with an even number. The second ten belong to years with an odd number. The area of constellation in the sky is sometimes called its "house" and an astral body is said to be in the "house" of a constellation if it is superimposed on that constellation. The twenty signs of the Telzoan Zodiac are.
[h2]Geography and Climatology[/h2]
"You cannot escape the ground you stand upon." - Meglar, Dwarven chief
Telzoa is a geologically active land with multiple volcanoes, especially in the west. Everyone on the island has felt a noticible earthquake at some time, as this occurs at least once every five years. Highly destructive earthquakes occur on a less frequently cycle of around 30 to 60 years, and the last one of note was in the year 1395, so it is unlikely that another will occur soon. When earthquakes do occur on the island they are usually followed by tidal waves of varying magnitudes.
Telzoans have learned over time how to build on such unstable ground to some degree, and most homes can withstand modest to strong earthquakes without sustaining enough damage to destroy them outright. Temples and major structures are built with magical reinforcement when necessary, or at least under magical guidance to insure the buildings can withstand the restless earth.
Eruptions are a different matter. Telzoans know the locations of each of the more powerful volcanoes and fear them. All of them are basalt volcanoes like Mt. St. Helens or Mt. Vesuvius, meaning they will explode rather than gently erupt like the Hawaiian volcanoes. Many local traditions have evolved around the volcanoes ranging from ritual sacrifices to the mountains of livestock or, although illegal, fellow humans. Char, the dark god said to rule the volcanoes is fickle in his behavior, and though his priests are reviled, they are protected somewhat by the volitale power wrapped within the mountains.
The weather itself is also harsh and particularly active. Telzoa is a land surrounded by seas warmed by geothermal activity while Artic airmasses slam into the island during winter. Rain and snow is frequent, especially on the island’s west face where falls of as much as 10’ (2.1 meters) have been recorded. Winter is spectacular and fierce lasting three months of the ten-month year. It is followed by a highly rainy spring which turns into a humid though somewhat dry summer and late summer. Fall tends to be dry with only occasional rain, and the threat of forest fires sparked by dry lightning is ever present.
This weather is reflected in the clothing of the Telzoans. Even in summer most dress fully as summertime temperatures are only around the 60’s and 70’s. At the height of winter temperatures can drop to –20 and below.
[h2]Tracking Time[/h2]
"I find it comical that those with the least time upon this world spend the most time counting their grains of sand." - Trishdare, Elven sorcerer
The Calendar used in Telzoa was devised during the Malchani Empire and is known as the Calendar of Ketheran (See below). It divides the year (or, more accurately, the half-year) into ten months of 36 days with a spacer day every 2 months.
Each month is divided into 6 six-day spans known as walks. Each walk has a name, and in order from first to last they are Ganfun, Teleran, Qion, Beras, Sendas, Cerana. Each day of the week is also named as follows - Jiane, Tenes, Areani, Esini, Lesosi and Childeni. The last day of the walk, Childeni, is reserved as a holy and resting day.
When dates are recorded characters in the setting normally give the day and week as a name, followed by the month. As an example, Jiane Sendas of Melamrin is the first day, fourth week of the eight month.
While the reckoning of months and seasons is fairly regular among the lands once under Malchani control (including Telzoa), the system by which the years are counted can be very confusing. Many kingdoms use the reigns of monarchs to count the years. Needless to say, the years upon which one monarch dies and another acends can cause confusion – is it the 1st year of the new king’s reign that this ascension occurs on, or the last year of the previous king’s reign.
The Malchani themselves dated the years according to what is commonly called “Seal Reckoning.” The event that this system runs from is known as the “Suasha” in Liternanin, or “The Sealing.” Fifteen wizards and five priests of great power combined their magic to lock a magical portal that opened unexepectantly in the City of Malchi in Castle Semberholme. Exactly what was sealed away has become a subject of myth and legend. Dates given in this book are by this reckoning system, and the campaign starting date is 1400.
Most Telzoan kingdoms set the date by the reign of their king, however using this system in this book would cause vast amounts of confusion. More distant kingdoms also use other major anniversaries to start their calendar – the Estarians for instance use the acsension of Gregory the Clark as a starting point – the date on their calendar is 1012.
[h2]The Sky Above[/h2]
"All things begin in dreams, and dreams begin above - 'tis little wonder then that the dreamers face the sky." - Telsindria.
Carthasana’s sky would truly be alien to us. In the daytime not one but two suns move through the sky. Each one is about three-quarters the size of our sun in the sky, though together they provide the world with the same amount of radiation. Usually they appear to wobble about slowly as months pass by since they orbit each other. Occasionally one eclipses the other.
The Telzoan names of the suns are Ria and Li – the right and left eyes of Tean, Lord of the Suns and also God of Justice. Tean watches the world for evil, records its passing, and in his due time he mets out punishment. When the suns eclipse one another the Telzoans believe that Tean is simply resting an eye.
There are three moons that orbit Carthasana, all of which are smaller than are own moon, although there orbital distance makes them appear to be roughly the same size. The closest, and smallest, is Matacha. Barely beyond being a glorified asteroid, Matacha appears to sail on the celestial sea at dusk and dawn. This "sea" is the rings of the planet, which from the ground look like a whitish haze. Telzoans liken this to a flock of sheep and picture Matacha as their shepherd. Like our moon, Matacha only shows one face to the world. She makes one trip around the world in 12 days.
Second out is Tiania. This moon is most like our own. Telzoans, interestingly, associate this moon with the earth mother. The second moon has a very discernible face pattern, even more so than our own nightly companion, and many regard it as the watching face of the mother that bore the world, much as a real mother always watches her children. Tiania has a 28-day orbital period.
The third moon is Kepho the dark one. This odd moon does not have a day synchronized to its orbit, spinning once every 3 days (so in effect, there is no dark side of Kepho). The 44 day orbit of this globe is in retrograde compared to the others - and it perhaps for this reason that Telzoans have named this third sphere for their God of Doom and Evil Death. The orbit of Kepho is also elliptical enough to cause its face to noticeably change size to the astute observer over time. Kepho also remains volcanically active, and on very rare occasions she has a violent enough eruption to be seen from Carthasana, sometimes prompting meteor showers within a few days of the event.
Due to the destabilizing effect of the binary stars, no planet in Carthasana’s system is closer in than she. However, there are three other planets further out – Sana, Sekoon and Pektos, in that order.
The backdrop upon which these bodies move is most interesting. Ria and Li are just outside of a huge nebula, and this body occupies a quarter of the sky every other winter. Often referred to as the Night gate or blood pool, it is a considered a bad sign when the planets align to it a certain way. This nebula is no brighter against the Carthasanan sky than our Milky Way galaxy is in our night sky.
[h2]The Zodiac[/h2]
From the Telzoan point of view the most important part of the night sky are the zodiac constellations. The Carthasanan sky has twenty such constellations, divided into upper and lower houses. Years alternate between being ruled by the upper or lower houses, so any given year sees ten constellations (in truth all twenty are visible in the night sky at some point in the year). The first ten we will examine are visible during years with an even number. The second ten belong to years with an odd number. The area of constellation in the sky is sometimes called its "house" and an astral body is said to be in the "house" of a constellation if it is superimposed on that constellation. The twenty signs of the Telzoan Zodiac are.
- Januel: The beginning of the true year, or "yuron" is ruled by Januel, God of Elves and respected by Telzoans as the God of commencements, beginnings and remembrances. People born under this sign are quiet, reserved and reflective. They are loath to commit, but once they do it is unshakable.
- Thachatean: In Telzoan legend Thachatean was the god of the dead that was destroyed by Sekoon and replaced by Matacha and Kepho. Exiled to the night sky, he now watches the world of the living he once held in so much fear. People born under this sign tend to be slow and deliberate in their actions. Their emotions run deep.
- Arisane: Queen of Nymphs and the sister to the Goddess Narisane, in Telzoan legend Narisane scarred her face and strangled her in a fit of sibling rage. While Cuane could restore her beauty she was unable to restore her life, and she placed her spirit into the sky to watch over. People born under this sign tend to have beautiful and compassionate personalities, but they also tend to be emotionally frail.
- Eantonia: The half goddess Eantonia is said to be one of many products of the various trysts of Poen. A wild and vibrant spirit, she roamed all of the forests and wilds of Telzoa and she is said to have been the first Grand Druid. After she died her father put her among the skies to watch the wilds she had always loved and protected. Those born under her stars are notoriously free spirited individuals who follow their heart before heading to any logic or reason.
- Cuane: The Goddess of Love rules the fifth constellation of the Telzoan zodiac. People born under this sign are known for their love - both its depth and usually for its brevity. Flighty is another word used for the people born under Cuane's stars.
- Rosalynn: The second active deity with a constellation, Rosalynn is the Goddess of Self-Sacrifice. She was murdered in life by her father for thwarting his plans to enslave the world. People born under her sign tend to be introspective to a fault. They constantly question how their actions can affect those they love.
- Lystrania: The fairy Goddess of Laugher and Terix's constant companion rules the seventh constellation of the Telzoan pantheon. It was for her soul that Terix entered into a seven-year servitude beneath the Gods Oberon and Titania, taking the form of "Puck" during this time. People born under this sign are notoriously chaotic and unpredictable.
- Larindal and Arinas: The twins of valor are the children of Tean. They were conceived when Terix beguiled Tean into falling in love with a mortal woman. They lived their life in service to Tean and to King Mirand. With him they united Telzoa. Larindal's son, Alangyle, became the most famous paladin of all time on the island. People born under this sign tend to be very serious about everything, with very strongly ingrained senses of duty.
- Draco: In the ancient days the land of Telzoa had to be wrested from the grasps of the dragons. While they still persist on the island, their king has long since been slain and his body laid in the heavens. Each race has a different name for Draco, and each race takes credit for his slaying. People born under this sign tend to hoard everything they can lay claim to.
- Nethuan: The former god of night, Nethuan was laid into a deep enchanted slumber by Senda and has since passed from the active minds of most of the populace. He has no priests, though he still is said to have power over dreams and possibilities by some. Most theologians believe these powers to have been subsumed by Oralea, leaving Nethuan nothing beyond his stars to influence the world. People born under this sign are reputed to be dreamers, planners and schemers. They also have a reputation for becoming easily depressed when the world does not fulfill their dreams.
- Dulthos: The God of Treasures Below and Patron Father of Dwarves rules the constellation that launches the second cycle of ten. This is sort of odd since dwarves take no stock in astrology, but the association is largely a human one. People born under this sign tend to be dwarf like - gruff, uncompromising and usually uncharismatic in the extreme.
- Apenca: The Goddess of Retribution and Revenge is next in the zodiac. People born under her sign tend to have chip on their shoulder. They are bitter and reserved.
- Narisane: The Goddess of Lust and Hedonism is the chaotic ruler of the thirteenth house of the Telzoan Zodiac. People born under her sign can be lustful, beautiful, but also very tactless and straightforward. They have a reputation for over-indulgence.
- Derin: Cuvanill's predecessor was an extreme pacifist who was slain long ago by Sana. She cast his body into the fires of the suns, but Tean interceded and placed his resting form in the sky. People born under this sky tend to be easy going and quiet individuals.
- Poen: This constellation, named for the God of the Sky contains Austrasis, the brightest star of the Telzoan nightsky (it is roughly twice as bright as Sirius at magnitude 8.1). People born under this constellation are often artistically gifted and outgoing.
- Berenash: The God of Strife and Tyranny murdered his own daughter, Rosalynn, to punish her for thwarting his plans. For this and other acts he ascended to godhood. People born under this sign tend to be harsh, judgmental and oppressive to those around them.
- Anatole: The only outright mortal in the nightsky, Anatole was the sister of High King Otal. She was sacrificed to the gods so that they would aid the Telzoans in pressing back Tancher's Horde. She performed the ceremony upon herself without ever questioning the judgment that cost her life. For this selflessness Rosalynn placed her into the skies. People born under this sign tend to be equally selfless, though their friends sometimes accuse them of being to frivolous with their own life.
- Cuvanill: The Goddess of Defense and Mothers rules the eighteenth house of the Telzoan Zodiac. People born under this sign are known to be an overprotective lot.
- Char: The Lord of Destruction is the Lord of the nineteenth house. People born under this sign are expected to be violent in all things they do - passion as well as war. Many of them are extremists.
- Senda: The final house is a region of the sky that has no stars known as the nightshade. A large nearby nebula is the reason for this, though that is unknown to the people of Telzoa. They name the region for the Goddess of the Night. People born under this sign are quiet and secretive, and they have a reputation for nursing grudges for way to long.
[h2]Geography and Climatology[/h2]
"You cannot escape the ground you stand upon." - Meglar, Dwarven chief
Telzoa is a geologically active land with multiple volcanoes, especially in the west. Everyone on the island has felt a noticible earthquake at some time, as this occurs at least once every five years. Highly destructive earthquakes occur on a less frequently cycle of around 30 to 60 years, and the last one of note was in the year 1395, so it is unlikely that another will occur soon. When earthquakes do occur on the island they are usually followed by tidal waves of varying magnitudes.
Telzoans have learned over time how to build on such unstable ground to some degree, and most homes can withstand modest to strong earthquakes without sustaining enough damage to destroy them outright. Temples and major structures are built with magical reinforcement when necessary, or at least under magical guidance to insure the buildings can withstand the restless earth.
Eruptions are a different matter. Telzoans know the locations of each of the more powerful volcanoes and fear them. All of them are basalt volcanoes like Mt. St. Helens or Mt. Vesuvius, meaning they will explode rather than gently erupt like the Hawaiian volcanoes. Many local traditions have evolved around the volcanoes ranging from ritual sacrifices to the mountains of livestock or, although illegal, fellow humans. Char, the dark god said to rule the volcanoes is fickle in his behavior, and though his priests are reviled, they are protected somewhat by the volitale power wrapped within the mountains.
The weather itself is also harsh and particularly active. Telzoa is a land surrounded by seas warmed by geothermal activity while Artic airmasses slam into the island during winter. Rain and snow is frequent, especially on the island’s west face where falls of as much as 10’ (2.1 meters) have been recorded. Winter is spectacular and fierce lasting three months of the ten-month year. It is followed by a highly rainy spring which turns into a humid though somewhat dry summer and late summer. Fall tends to be dry with only occasional rain, and the threat of forest fires sparked by dry lightning is ever present.
This weather is reflected in the clothing of the Telzoans. Even in summer most dress fully as summertime temperatures are only around the 60’s and 70’s. At the height of winter temperatures can drop to –20 and below.
[h2]Tracking Time[/h2]
"I find it comical that those with the least time upon this world spend the most time counting their grains of sand." - Trishdare, Elven sorcerer
The Calendar used in Telzoa was devised during the Malchani Empire and is known as the Calendar of Ketheran (See below). It divides the year (or, more accurately, the half-year) into ten months of 36 days with a spacer day every 2 months.
Each month is divided into 6 six-day spans known as walks. Each walk has a name, and in order from first to last they are Ganfun, Teleran, Qion, Beras, Sendas, Cerana. Each day of the week is also named as follows - Jiane, Tenes, Areani, Esini, Lesosi and Childeni. The last day of the walk, Childeni, is reserved as a holy and resting day.
When dates are recorded characters in the setting normally give the day and week as a name, followed by the month. As an example, Jiane Sendas of Melamrin is the first day, fourth week of the eight month.
While the reckoning of months and seasons is fairly regular among the lands once under Malchani control (including Telzoa), the system by which the years are counted can be very confusing. Many kingdoms use the reigns of monarchs to count the years. Needless to say, the years upon which one monarch dies and another acends can cause confusion – is it the 1st year of the new king’s reign that this ascension occurs on, or the last year of the previous king’s reign.
The Malchani themselves dated the years according to what is commonly called “Seal Reckoning.” The event that this system runs from is known as the “Suasha” in Liternanin, or “The Sealing.” Fifteen wizards and five priests of great power combined their magic to lock a magical portal that opened unexepectantly in the City of Malchi in Castle Semberholme. Exactly what was sealed away has become a subject of myth and legend. Dates given in this book are by this reckoning system, and the campaign starting date is 1400.
Most Telzoan kingdoms set the date by the reign of their king, however using this system in this book would cause vast amounts of confusion. More distant kingdoms also use other major anniversaries to start their calendar – the Estarians for instance use the acsension of Gregory the Clark as a starting point – the date on their calendar is 1012.
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