gronkfinder - User contributions [en]

Celsus Asullus

2026-09-12T15:49:03Z

Gronk: Created page with "{{PersonInfobox |name = Celsus Asellus |image = |title = Governor of Carmora |ancestry = Human |gender = Male |homeland = Carmora, Viridia |affiliation = House Asellus }} '''Celsus Asellus''' {{Pronunciation|KEL-soos ah-SELL-loos}} is a member of the Asellus Viridian senatorial family and, as of {{Year|6976}}, the governor of the city of Carmora. Though an astute merchant and negotiator, his skills at..."

{{PersonInfobox
|name = Celsus Asellus
|image =
|title = Governor of [[Carmora]]
|ancestry = Human
|gender = Male
|homeland = [[Carmora]], [[Viridia]]
|affiliation = [[House Asellus]]
}}
'''Celsus Asellus''' {{Pronunciation|KEL-soos ah-SELL-loos}} is a member of the [[House Asellus|Asellus]] [[Viridia|Viridian]] [[Viridian senate|senatorial]] family and, as of {{Year|6976}}, the governor of the city of [[Carmora]]. Though an astute merchant and negotiator, his skills at bringing wealth to the city and his family have been offset by his penchant for funding ill-conceived projects, such as the half-complete Lighthouse of the Two Horizons that sits offshore from Carmora's port. Still, he is quite popular with the city's residents, and despite his follies has retained their strong support.

[[Category:Viridia]]
[[Category:Viridia/People]]
[[Category:Humans]]
[[Category:People]]

Novia Asellus

2026-09-12T15:32:16Z

Gronk:

{{PersonInfobox
|name = Novia Asellus
|image =
|title = Head of [[House Asellus]]
|alignment = Lawful neutral
|ancestry = Human
|gender = Female
|homeland = [[Imorkan]], [[Izgrev]]
|affiliation = [[House Asellus]]
}}
'''Novia Asellus''' {{Pronunciation|NO-vee-ah ah-SELL-loos}} is a [[Viridia|Viridian]] noble and head of the [[Viridian senate|senatorial]] family [[House Asellus]]. In her younger age Novia Asellus served as an officer in the [[Legion of the West]] before returning to her family's estate in [[Imorkan]], from which she directs the family's activities in the protectorate of [[Izgrev]].

[[Category:Viridia]]
[[Category:Viridia/People]]
[[Category:Izgrev]]
[[Category:Izgrev/People]]
[[Category:Humans]]
[[Category:People]]

House Asellus

2026-09-12T15:32:06Z

Gronk:

{{OrganizationInfobox
|name = House Asellus
|image =
|type = Noble house, senatorial family
|leader = [[Novia Asellus]]
|alignment = Varies; primarily lawful
|headquarters = [[Carmora]], [[Viridia]]; [[Imorkan]], [[Izgrev]]
|scope = [[Viridia]], [[Izgrev]]
}}
'''House Asellus''' {{Pronunciation|ah-SELL-loos}} is a [[Viridia|Viridian]] [[Viridian senate|senatorial]] family and one of the ruling families of the protectorate of [[Izgrev]]. Along with [[House Corvus]], [[House Laeva]], and [[House Russus]], the family was granted control of Izgrev when Viridia invaded the north coast of the [[Phiora Sea]] in the reign of the [[Avus Salonius IV|Sun King]].

Of the four families, historically House Asellus has pushed the most for close integration between Izgrev and Viridia. Members of the family often become officers in the legions before returning to their estates near [[Carmora]] and [[Imorkan]].

The current head of House Asellus is [[Novia Asellus]].

[[Category:Viridia]]
[[Category:Izgrev]]
[[Category:Noble Houses]]
[[Category:Organizations]]
[[Category:Senatorial families]]

Perilous Crown

2026-09-09T16:18:02Z

Gronk: Created page with "{{PersonInfobox |name = Perilous Crown |image = |title = Aeon king of Hailkeep |ancestry = Tengu |gender = Female |homeland = Tazak }} '''Perilous Crown''' is an aeon king of Tazak, ruling from her fortified palace complex at Hailkeep. Highly reclusive, she has rarely been seen in public since violently taking over Hailkeep in {{Year|6955}}, preferring to stay within her magical laboratories where she performs arcane experiments of an unclear..."

{{PersonInfobox
|name = Perilous Crown
|image =
|title = [[Aeon king]] of [[Hailkeep]]
|ancestry = [[Tengu]]
|gender = Female
|homeland = [[Tazak]]
}}
'''Perilous Crown''' is an [[aeon king]] of [[Tazak]], ruling from her fortified palace complex at [[Hailkeep]]. Highly reclusive, she has rarely been seen in public since violently taking over Hailkeep in {{Year|6955}}, preferring to stay within her magical laboratories where she performs arcane experiments of an unclear nature.

Perilous Crown does not originally hail from Tazak, but here origins are unknown. Some believe she came to the [[Stormlands]] from across the [[Na-Gaesa Ocean]], primarily due to her unusual manners of speech and language, not known to others in the somewhat provincial lands of Tazak.

[[Category:Tazak]]
[[Category:Tazak/People]]
[[Category:Tengu]]
[[Category:People]]

Tiyaz

2026-08-31T02:58:04Z

Gronk:

{{PersonInfobox
|name = Tiyaz
|image =
|ancestry = Unknown
|gender = Male
|homeland = [[Brightmarch]]
}}
'''Tiyaz''' {{Pronunciation|tey-YAZH}} was an itinerant prophet of the [[Blind Witness]] who lived in [[Brightmarch]] during the 34th century. Little information has survived on Tiyaz as a person - even aspects as basic as their ancestry are not known with certainty, though they are often thought of as [[elf|elven]] - but a significant corpus of his writing has endured the ages. Reproductions of his tablets are treated by followers of the Blind Witness as some of the most fundamental explanations of their beliefs, and Tiyaz as the closest the highly decentralized faith has to a religious authority. In fact there are no confirmed records of the Blind Witness prior to Tiyaz, though the prophet's writings are so often phrased as dialogues with the past works of others that the god is presumed to have had quite the history in earlier centuries as well.

Towards the end of his life Tiyaz is said to have turned into an eagle and flown into the night sky, settling in the star-void of his god.

[[Category:Brightmarch]]
[[Category:Brightmarch/People]]
[[Category:People]]

Tiyaz

2026-08-31T02:57:42Z

Gronk: Created page with "{{PersonInfobox |name = Tiyaz |image = |ancestry = Unknown |gender = Male |homeland = Brightmarch }} '''Tiyaz''' {{Pronunciation|tey-YAZH}} was an itinerant prophet of the Blind Witness who lived in Brightmarch during the 34th century. Little information has survived on Tiyaz as a person - even aspects as basic as their ancestry are not known with certainty, though they are often thought of as elven - but a significant corpus of his writing has endur..."

{{PersonInfobox
|name = Tiyaz
|image =
|ancestry = Unknown
|gender = Male
|homeland = [[Brightmarch]]
}}
'''Tiyaz''' {{Pronunciation|tey-YAZH}} was an itinerant prophet of the [[Blind Witness]] who lived in [[Brightmarch]] during the 34th century. Little information has survived on Tiyaz as a person - even aspects as basic as their ancestry are not known with certainty, though they are often thought of as [[elf|elven]] - but a significant corpus of his writing has endured the ages. Reproductions of his tablets are treated as by followers of the Blind Witness as some of the most fundamental explanations of their beliefs, and Tiyaz as the closest the highly decentralized faith has to a religious authority. In fact there are no confirmed records of the Blind Witness prior to Tiyaz, though the prophet's writings are so often phrased as dialogues with the past works of others that the god is presumed to have had quite the history in earlier centuries as well.

Towards the end of his life Tiyaz is said to have turned into an eagle and flown into the night sky, settling in the star-void of his god.

[[Category:Brightmarch]]
[[Category:Brightmarch/People]]
[[Category:People]]

Anesidora

2026-08-30T00:41:29Z

Gronk: Created page with "{{PersonInfobox |name = Anesidora |image = |ancestry = Ratfolk |gender = Female |homeland = Rovakhit }} '''Anesidora''' {{Pronunciation|ah-nee-sih-DOR-ah}} is a ratfolk caravaneer from the Rovakhit city of Rovakhad. After spending much of her early life as a merchant carrying goods across the Hundred Days Road from Rovakhit to the northern territories of Amshan, she retired to her home city to raise a family. In {{Year|6976}}, however, it was..."

{{PersonInfobox
|name = Anesidora
|image =
|ancestry = [[Ratfolk]]
|gender = Female
|homeland = [[Rovakhit]]
}}
'''Anesidora''' {{Pronunciation|ah-nee-sih-DOR-ah}} is a [[ratfolk]] caravaneer from the [[Rovakhit]] city of [[Rovakhad]]. After spending much of her early life as a merchant carrying goods across the [[Hundred Days Road]] from Rovakhit to the northern territories of [[Amshan]], she retired to her home city to raise a family. In {{Year|6976}}, however, it was this family that led to her traveling the [[Aban Steppe]] once more, after a mysterious evil figure calling himself [[Masyakata]] kidnapped her seventeen children and held them for random until a certain item, a lead box eight inches on each side, was retrieved from [[Narbanden]] and brought back to him. Anesidora agreed to this demand, and in Narbanden recruited a group of adventurers to aid her in her journey. She and the adventurers were successful, and several months later Anesidora was reunited with her children safely.

Anesidora is intensely practical, especially during her quest to get her children back, willing to take whatever steps necessary to keep moving forward. A lifetime on the Hundred Days Road has given her a great deal of experience in the various peoples and environments of [[Abanir]], and while she tends to be a bit too blunt to be an effective diplomat, she nonetheless is rarely caught by surprise.

[[Category:Rovakhit]]
[[Category:Rovakhit/People]]
[[Category:Ratfolk]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Campaign 8]]

Yenfed

2026-08-30T00:35:26Z

Gronk:

{{PersonInfobox
|name = Yenfed
|image =
|ancestry = [[Human]]
|gender = Female
|homeland = [[Rovakhit]]
}}
'''Yenfed''' {{Pronunciation|YEN-fed}} is a [[human]] musician from [[Rovakhit]], a skilled performer of the zither. She studied under a master of the instrument in [[Rovakhad]] in her youth before setting off west along the [[Hundred Days Road]] in search of patronage amongst the [[Dynast-Prince|dynast-princes]] of [[Amshan]]. Finding life away from her home not to her liking, she soon sought to return, and in {{Year|6976}} joined a group of adventurers who were seeking allies and caravan members for a journey along the Hundred Days Road to Rovakhad, taking her back home. She accompanied them to their final destination, after which he remained in her home city.

[[Category:Rovakhit]]
[[Category:Rovakhit/People]]
[[Category:Human]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Campaign 8]]

Year:Y9414

2026-08-25T00:12:04Z

Gronk:

{{Yearbox|year=6414}}

== Events ==
* An alliance between the nobility of [[Prevela]] and the [[Malavisch|Malavischan]] church unites much of [[Razgovir]], forming the new nation of [[Koritan]].
* The [[Prince of Carrion]] first appears in the historical record.

[[Category:Years]]
[[Category:History]]
[[Category:Koritan/History]]
[[Category:Razgovir/History]]
[[Category:Western Coast/History]]

Prince of Carrion

2026-08-25T00:11:37Z

Gronk: Created page with "{{PersonInfobox |name = Prince of Carrion |image = |ancestry = Unknown (presumed human) |gender = Male (presumed) |homeland = Western Coast }} The '''Prince of Carrion''' is an enigmatic pirate leader of the Western Coast. Very little is conclusively known about him - they are presumed to be male, given the name, and likely human, but none have ever seen the Prince in person. The Prince communicates exclusively by skeletal messenger birds, and efforts to..."

{{PersonInfobox
|name = Prince of Carrion
|image =
|ancestry = Unknown (presumed [[human]])
|gender = Male (presumed)
|homeland = [[Western Coast]]
}}
The '''Prince of Carrion''' is an enigmatic pirate leader of the [[Western Coast]]. Very little is conclusively known about him - they are presumed to be male, given the name, and likely [[human]], but none have ever seen the Prince in person. The Prince communicates exclusively by skeletal messenger birds, and efforts to track those are met with only frustration. From their hideout, wherever that might be, the Prince directs a vast network of resources, his influence stretching far and wide along the Western Coast. He seems concerned with wealth acquisition primarily, ordering his underlings to siphon gold, precious gems, and other materials from the smuggling networks across the [[Chaska Sea]]. Sometimes he commands the assassination of presumed rivals as well.

Records of the Prince of Carrion date back to at least {{Year|6414}}. Some believe the moniker to have been adopted by a succession of figures, each calling themselves the Prince upon the death of the previous, but this is generally discarded by most owing to the remarkable stability in the Prince's demands and orders. So too is commonly rejected the theory the Prince is undead, as they seem to have material needs as if they were amongst the living.

[[Category:Western Coast]]
[[Category:Western Coast/People]]
[[Category:Humans]]
[[Category:People]]

Mount Pyrodes

2026-08-21T20:32:29Z

Gronk: Created page with "'''Mount Pyrodes''' is a dormant volcano on Eretrebus Minor, located near the center of the island. Its tree-covered slopes are a popular hunting retreat for Eretreban elite, some of whom maintain summer "cabins" where they can play at poverty while still living in relative luxury. {{CitiesEretrebus}} Category:Locations Category:Geography Category:Eretrebus Category:Eretrebus/Locations Category:Eretrebus/Geography Category:Volcan..."

'''Mount Pyrodes''' is a dormant volcano on [[Eretrebus Minor]], located near the center of the island. Its tree-covered slopes are a popular hunting retreat for [[Eretrebus|Eretreban]] elite, some of whom maintain summer "cabins" where they can play at poverty while still living in relative luxury.

{{CitiesEretrebus}}

[[Category:Locations]]
[[Category:Geography]]
[[Category:Eretrebus]]
[[Category:Eretrebus/Locations]]
[[Category:Eretrebus/Geography]]
[[Category:Volcanoes]]

Template:CitiesEretrebus

2026-08-21T20:29:58Z

Gronk:

{{Navbox
| title = [[Eretrebus]]
| listclass = hlist
| bodyclass = hlist

| group1 = Settlements
| list1 =
* [[Amphiaxo]]
* [[Aros]]
* [[Cora]]
* [[Crata]]
* [[Egis]]
* [[Iareios]]
* [[Marina]]
* [[Mosia]]
* [[Myrna]]
* [[Myta]]
* [[Odarta]]
* [[Ophos]]
* [[Tora]]

| group2 = Geography
| list2 =
* [[Abythrae]]
* [[Chaska Sea]]
* [[Echaeus]]
* [[Eretrebus Major]]
* [[Eretrebus Minor]]
* [[Mendaea]]
* [[Mount Odarta]]
* [[Mount Pyrodes]]
* [[Sea of Ersas]]
* [[Theumea]]
}}

Didracan coincidence cults

2026-08-21T01:03:44Z

Gronk: Created page with "The '''Didracan coincidence cults''' {{Pronunciation|DID-rack-an}} were a historical collection of cults once prevalent in southern Thadria. Most followers of the faiths lived around the modern city of Aquissa, though the city was not founded until decades after the cults had withered and disappeared. The last known village to be home to the cultists, Didrac, lends the faith its name; Didrac was depopulated and abandoned by {{Year|4500|nolink=true}}. The coincid..."

The '''Didracan coincidence cults''' {{Pronunciation|DID-rack-an}} were a historical collection of cults once prevalent in southern [[Thadria]]. Most followers of the faiths lived around the modern city of [[Aquissa]], though the city was not founded until decades after the cults had withered and disappeared. The last known village to be home to the cultists, Didrac, lends the faith its name; Didrac was depopulated and abandoned by {{Year|4500|nolink=true}}.

The coincidence cults are effectively unknown outside scholarly circles, and even then poorly understood. They wrote no texts, preferring to keep their traditions orally, and left little in the way of relics behind save for stone sigils carved with double spiral patterns. Individuals of the faith lived ascetic lives with few comforts or possessions, believing that all events occurred for unknowable reasons and that all they could do was adjust and adapt. They drew connections between disparate happenings and omens, drawing together webs of intrigue in an effort to explain the world. There is no evidence of any worship of spirits or gods, but instead of an pervasive, all-connecting entity, which they considered worthy of respect but not reverence.

It was the arrival of the [[Viridia|Viridian]] legions that led to the abandonment of Didrac and the surrounding villages, with the survivors most likely departing to coastal [[Dalbanu]], but they had been on decline for decades prior. Archeological evidence shows the villages had been razed continually every few years, likely by raiders borne by the [[Chaska Sea]], some never rebuilt each time.

[[Category:Religion]]

Ten Years of Fire

2026-08-07T03:17:23Z

Gronk:

{{InSettingTextNote}}
{{InSettingTextInfo|title=Ten Years of Fire|author=unknown|extra=Story known by certain [[Fanakara|Fanakaran]] peoples of the [[Wounds]]. As is typical amongst the Fanakara, it is not preserved in written form but rather in the memory of their storytellers.}}

{{Quote|The young man and his people arrived to the island after many days at sea. Their ships were damaged. Their food stores were gone. They had spotted the seabirds in the midst of the storm and followed them to land. Without the birds they would have been lost, and perhaps died at sea.

On the island, the young man and his people found fruits and game, which they gathered and hunted. Their first night there was a feast, more food than they had seen since their departure. In their hearts there was joy and relief. In their minds there was resolution and determination. This would be their new home.

The next day the people set about building their new central fire and their thatched homes around it. But in the mind of the young man the determination was especially strong. He explored the island, climbing the peak at its center. Though the island was not large, the peak was tall, and this caused him to tire greatly. Upon completing his ascent he looked out across the ocean and the beach and lowland below, where he could see his people's nascent village take shape. The young man then looked at the peak. He saw beauty both near and far. He saw the nests of the seabirds that had guided his people to land. This, he decided, would be his new home, away from the village.

But the young man was tired. He set about clearing the palm trees for space for his home and garden, but the effort exhausted him. He turned to his campfire and an idea came to him. The fire would do the work in his stead.

Taking a stick from the campfire, he set it to a nearby tree, then another, then another. Soon a clearing was made for him. The young man sighed contentedly. But the fire continued to spread.

Soon the fire was racing down the slopes of the peak, towards the lowlands below. The young man panicked. He ran down the peak, outracing the fire, and arrived at his people before it, shouting warnings of the incoming danger. But his people had nowhere to go. Their ships, barely capable of remaining afloat, had been dismantled for material. Everything they had was around their central fire and the houses still under construction. With nowhere else to go, and seeing the fire come closer every moment, they took refuge in the sea.

The fires burned for ten years. The people, though safe from the flames, struggled to survive with only their heads above water. Some drank from the water and walked below it, and stayed there. Others kept their loyalty to the air. After ten years had passed and the danger abated, they looked back to the ravaged island yet could not find it. They had once again become lost at sea.

This time there were no seabirds to follow. Their nests had been destroyed by the inferno, they had nowhere to live. They had abandoned the island in sadness, and the people in reproach, to find a new home of their own.

The people remained at sea for another ten years before another seabird passed overhead. This bird saw the island, and saw the people. It had heard of what had transpired. Though still disappointed, time had softened its anger, and it descended to the man and his people. Perching on his head, it spoke to them.

"You, who had destroyed the nests of my kind, acted in carelessness. I will lead you to land on one condition. You will learn from this. You will respect the nests of my father and kin, for they provide you direction."

With relief the people agreed, and the bird took flight. It brought them back to the island, which had at this point recovered and was once again full of fruit and game. The people once again set about constructing a village. The man, no longer so young, stayed with them this time.
}}

[[Category:Written works]]
[[Category:Written works/In-setting perspective]]

Sporemind

2026-08-07T03:02:17Z

Gronk: /* Behavior */

A '''sporemind''' is a form of [[meshmind]] created by the bioarcane connection between vast numbers of [[mycomancy|mycomantic]] spores. At its most basic a sporemind is a link that allows for the sharing of thoughts between far-distant people, but the term is more typically used to those sporeminds that manage to gain sentience and autonomy from their host organisms, their spores themselves carriers of enough magic to keep together a cohesive entity.

Most unleashed sporeminds, as these independent meshminds are called, quickly find themselves without sufficient biomass to support themselves and fade away, but others, like [[Sie]], find ways to support themselves indefinitely.

== Creation ==
Sporeminds are created when mycomantic spore networks, cultivated for the purpose of communication, reach a critical mass in which they no longer must rest over the consciousnesses of others but rather gain an intelligence, in a certain manner of speaking, of their own. The birth of a new sporemind is rarely intentional, though they have been known to have been created as purposeful experiments by powerful mycomages or even for nefarious reasons.

== Appearance ==
A sporemind's appearance depends on their medium. Some form what are effectively slime molds on surfaces, others remain airborne in vast clouds, and yet others form a suspension in water or rest as a thin but dry coating covering whatever the wind may blow them towards. None of these variations seem to be intrinsically better than any other, and it is seemingly a matter of choice to the sporemind.

== Behavior ==
As simply a mass of spores, in whatever configuration they may take, sporeminds are not intrinsically able to interact with the material world directly, and so hijack biomass to do so. If they encounter a mind and body that would be useful to them, they incorporate it into themselves, the spores burrowing in deep enough to drive flesh and muscle towards the sporemind's own aims.

Those aims are unusual and invariably obsessive. Fully fledged sporeminds fixate on specific places, phenomena, or especially systems, perhaps studying them or attempting to control them. They may focus on the water- and road-ways of a city, like [[Thunderhead]], or more fundamental aspects of the nature of matter, like the [[Numen]]. Their attentions are directed in ways and manners that only the sporeminds, presumably, understand.

Their aims are so obsessive, in fact, that it causes most sporeminds to burn themselves out. They cannot create biomass, only absorb that of other entities, and so once that which they have subsumed is useless from damage or decay they are unable to continue. Such slow deterioration is the most common fate of a sporemind, declining until non-being as they focus on their preoccupation. Only a rare few find ways to continued existence.

There has never been any known successful communication between a sporemind and an entity of any other form. They are fundamentally alien consciousnesses to the peoples of the [[Spine]] where all sporeminds have formed, with evidently no shared reference or understanding of the world. They do not try to communicate either, or if they have, not in a way that has been deciphered.

Sporeminds are rare enough that they almost never meet, but should one make contact with another, a curious process occurs. Nearly immediately they begin to act together, one seeming to either subsume the other, or else perhaps remaining separate but acting in exact accordance - the difference is hard to distinguish, if indeed there is one.

Amongst scholars of mycomancy, it is disputed if sporeminds are sapient. They are conscious in some form, but it is unknown how they perceive themselves in interaction with the broader world, or even if a distinction of that type if meaningful to such an entity.

{{Sporeminds}}

[[Category:Sporeminds]]
[[Category:Magic]]

Sporemind

2026-08-04T01:43:40Z

Gronk: Created page with "A '''sporemind''' is a form of meshmind created by the bioarcane connection between vast numbers of mycomantic spores. At its most basic a sporemind is a link that allows for the sharing of thoughts between far-distant people, but the term is more typically used to those sporeminds that manage to gain sentience and autonomy from their host organisms, their spores themselves carriers of enough magic to keep together a cohesive entity. Most unleashed spo..."

A '''sporemind''' is a form of [[meshmind]] created by the bioarcane connection between vast numbers of [[mycomancy|mycomantic]] spores. At its most basic a sporemind is a link that allows for the sharing of thoughts between far-distant people, but the term is more typically used to those sporeminds that manage to gain sentience and autonomy from their host organisms, their spores themselves carriers of enough magic to keep together a cohesive entity.

Most unleashed sporeminds, as these independent meshminds are called, quickly find themselves without sufficient biomass to support themselves and fade away, but others, like [[Sie]], find ways to support themselves indefinitely.

== Creation ==
Sporeminds are created when mycomantic spore networks, cultivated for the purpose of communication, reach a critical mass in which they no longer must rest over the consciousnesses of others but rather gain an intelligence, in a certain manner of speaking, of their own. The birth of a new sporemind is rarely intentional, though they have been known to have been created as purposeful experiments by powerful mycomages or even for nefarious reasons.

== Appearance ==
A sporemind's appearance depends on their medium. Some form what are effectively slime molds on surfaces, others remain airborne in vast clouds, and yet others form a suspension in water or rest as a thin but dry coating covering whatever the wind may blow them towards. None of these variations seem to be intrinsically better than any other, and it is seemingly a matter of choice to the sporemind.

== Behavior ==
As simply a mass of spores, in whatever configuration they may take, sporeminds are not intrinsically able to interact with the material world directly, and so hijack biomass to do so. If they encounter a mind and body that would be useful to them, they incorporate it into themselves, the spores burrowing in deep enough to drive flesh and muscle towards the sporemind's own aims.

Those aims are unusual and invariably obsessive. Fully fledged sporeminds fixate on specific places, phenomena, or especially systems, perhaps studying them or attempting to control them. They may focus on the water- and road-ways of a city, like [[Thunderhead]], or more fundamental aspects of the nature of matter, like the [[Numen]]. Their attentions are directed in ways and manners that only the sporeminds, presumably, understand.

Their aims are so obsessive, in fact, that it causes most sporeminds to burn themselves out. They cannot create biomass, only absorb that of other entities, and so once they have subsumed is useless from damage or decay they are unable to continue. Such slow deterioration is the most common fate of a sporemind, declining until non-being as they focus on their preoccupation. Only a rare few find ways to continued existance.

There has never been any known successful communication between a sporemind and an entity of any other form. They are fundamentally alien consciousnesses to the peoples of the [[Spine]] where all sporeminds have formed, with evidently no shared reference or understanding of the world. They do not communicate either, or if they have, not in a way that has been deciphered.

Sporeminds are rare enough that they almost never meet, but should one make contact with another, a curious process occurs. Nearly immediately they begin to act together, one seeming to either subsume the other, or else perhaps remaining separate but acting in exact accordance - the difference is hard to distinguish, if indeed there is one.

Amongst scholars of mycomancy, it is disputed if sporeminds are sapience. They are conscious in some form, but it is unknown how they perceive themselves in interaction with the broader world, or even if a distinction of that type if meaningful to such an entity.

{{Sporeminds}}

[[Category:Sporeminds]]
[[Category:Magic]]

Thunderhead

2026-08-04T01:21:53Z

Gronk:

'''Thunderhead''' was a [[sporemind]] that existed in the early years of the ten thousandth century. It appeared dramatically above the city of [[Ar Belex]] within the [[Myg Rainforest]] in {{Year|6909}}, a dense mass of spores with the appearance of a cloud before a storm, the source of its name. It soon consumed the residents of Ar Belex, save for a few who were upwind and far enough away in the outlying farms, after which it grew mycelial networks following the city streets and canals and directed the spore-carried bodies of the inhabitants along them. Thunderhead's obsession with the patterns of the city led to it failing to expand, and by {{Year|6915}} it had dissipated and disappeared.

{{Sporeminds}}

[[Category:Sporeminds]]
[[Category:Sporeminds/Past]]

Mycomancy

2026-08-04T01:17:53Z

Gronk: /* Spore magic */

'''Mycomancy''' is a form of magic, found almost exclusively in the [[Spine]], that uses mushrooms as a conduit for the arcane.

== Prevalence and practitioners ==
Mycomancy is an art that is known in the Spine but in few other places on [[Kishar]]. Mycomancers or mycomages, as those who learn its ways are called, are few in number and primarily reside in the [[Myg Rainforest]], though some can be found in [[M-Taran]] and amongst the peoples of the [[Shatter]] as well.

While not considered entirely evil, those who engage in mycomancy are broadly shunned nonetheless, as the less experienced or careful can easily cause incredible damage by accident, and worse by intention. That most mycomages are very secretive of their craft and unwilling to teach others does not help matters - those who attempt to learn their ways through experimentation undoubtedly fall into the same traps, and make the same terrible mistakes and rediscoveries, as have many before.

== Types of mycomancy ==
As a form of magic, mycomancy is broadly divided into three main types.

=== Spore magic ===
{{SeeAlso|Sporemind}}

Spore magic is a type of mycomancy that focuses on the use of magically-infused spores and fungi as a means of communication. This can range in magnitude from simple, short range telepathy through a bioarcane connection between spores implanted in two individuals to vast networks of linkages. At the pinnacle of spore magic is a form of [[meshmind]] called [[sporemind|sporeminds]] that allow for the sharing of thoughts between far-distant people.

Though rare, and even then almost never done intentionally, sporeminds can reach such a size that they gain sapience and independence from their host organisms, the spores themselves carriers of enough magic to keep together a cohesive entity. Most unleashed sporeminds, as these liberated meshminds are called, quickly find themselves without sufficient biomass to support themselves and fade away, but others, like [[Sie]], find ways to support themselves indefinitely.

=== Thrall magic ===
Sometimes confused with [[necromancy]] by the unfamiliar, mycomantic thrall magic uses fungi to reanimate the bodies of the deceased. It differs from necromantic practices by the method of reanimation, as the magic is directed not towards the bodies themselves or the souls that once, or once again, inhabited them but rather towards parasitic fungi that grow through necrotic flesh. These fungi can even be directed to puppet the bodies of the living, though this is rarely done.

Thrall magic is typically used to provide short-term, disposable laborers. Even compared to other types of mycomancy thrall magic is shunned, as those who take dead bodies for such purposes are considered by most to be no different than grave robbers. A few cultures of the Spine consider it an honor to allow their bodies to be consumed by fungus after their death, however, as a means of returning their flesh and mind to the world.

=== Growth magic ===
Less pursued than the other two magic types of mycomancy, growth magic uses arcane arts to accelerate the already strong propensity of mushrooms for rapid growth. Mycomages skilled in this form most often use it in combat, rapidly shifting battlefields by building cover, platforms, and other defenses out of magically-infused spore pods. It can also be used offensively, to rapidly grow spores implanted in one's foes.

[[Category:Topics]]
[[Category:Magic]]

Raem

2026-08-04T01:09:10Z

Gronk: Created page with "{{PersonInfobox |name = Raem son of Raen |image = |ancestry = Catfolk |gender = Male |homeland = Rudamun }} '''Raem''' {{Pronunciation|RAME}}, son of Raen, is a wealthy catfolk writer who has found significant success chronicling his travels around the Three Great Seas. As of {{Year|6976}}, he was in northern Amshan, where he joined a group of adventurers on their journey east along the Hundred Days Road to Rovakhad. He accompanied them to th..."

{{PersonInfobox
|name = Raem son of Raen
|image =
|ancestry = [[Catfolk]]
|gender = Male
|homeland = [[Rudamun]]
}}
'''Raem''' {{Pronunciation|RAME}}, son of Raen, is a wealthy [[catfolk]] writer who has found significant success chronicling his travels around the [[Three Great Seas]]. As of {{Year|6976}}, he was in northern [[Amshan]], where he joined a group of adventurers on their journey east along the [[Hundred Days Road]] to [[Rovakhad]]. He accompanied them to their final destination, after which he set off on his own again. His travels after that are unknown, as he seemingly ceased sending his writings back to [[Rudamun]] after this point.

[[Category:Rudamun]]
[[Category:Rudamun/People]]
[[Category:Catfolk]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Campaign 8]]

Yenfed

2026-08-04T01:03:34Z

Gronk:

{{PersonInfobox
|name = Yenfed
|image =
|ancestry = [[Human]]
|gender = Female
|homeland = [[Rovakhit]]
}}
'''Yenfed''' {{Pronunciation|YEN-fed}} is a [[human]] musician from [[Rovakhit]], a skilled performer of the zither. She studied under a master of the instrument in [[Rovakhad]] in her youth before setting off west along the [[Hundred Days Road]] in search of patronage amongst the [[Dynast-Prince|dynast-princes]] of [[Amshan]]. Finding life away from her home not to her liking, she soon sought to return, and in {{Year|6976}} joined a group of adventurers who were seeking allies and caravan members for a journey along the Hundred Days Road to Rovakhad, taking her back home. She accompanied them to their final destination, after which he remained in her home city.

[[Category:Abanir]]
[[Category:Abanir/People]]
[[Category:Human]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Campaign 8]]

Yenfed

2026-08-04T01:03:24Z

Gronk: Created page with "{{PersonInfobox |name = Yenfed |image = |ancestry = Human |gender = Female |homeland = Rovakhit }} '''Yenfed''' {{Pronunciation|YEN-fed}} is a human musician from Rovakhit, a skilled performer of the zither. She studied under a master of the instrument in Rovakhad in her youth before setting off west along the Hundred Days Road in search of patronage amongst the dynast-princes of Amshan. Finding life away from her home not t..."

{{PersonInfobox
|name = Yenfed
|image =
|ancestry = [[Human]]
|gender = Female
|homeland = [[Rovakhit]]
}}
'''Yenfed''' {{Pronunciation|YEN-fed}} is a [[human]] musician from [[Rovakhit]], a skilled performer of the zither. She studied under a master of the instrument in [[Rovakhad]] in her youth before setting off west along the [[Hundred Days Road]] in search of patronage amongst the [[Dynast-Prince|dynast-princes]] of [[Amshan]]. Finding life away from her home not to her liking, she soon sought to return, and in {{Year|6976}} joined a group of adventurers who were seeking allies and caravan members for a journey along the Hundred Days Road to [[Rovakhad]], taking her back home. She accompanied them to their final destination, after which he remained in her home city.

[[Category:Abanir]]
[[Category:Abanir/People]]
[[Category:Human]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Campaign 8]]

Eqen

2026-08-04T00:58:35Z

Gronk: Created page with "{{PersonInfobox |name = Eqen |image = |ancestry = Tengu |gender = Male |homeland = Viridia }} '''Eqen''' {{Pronunciation|EH-ken}} is a tengu healer and showman, his skills in the latter far greater and frequently used to disguise his lack of ability in the former. Originally from southern Viridia, he has traveled far from his home, crossing the Chaska Sea several times before finding his way across the Taizzan Expanse to Amshan and then north..."

{{PersonInfobox
|name = Eqen
|image =
|ancestry = [[Tengu]]
|gender = Male
|homeland = [[Viridia]]
}}
'''Eqen''' {{Pronunciation|EH-ken}} is a [[tengu]] healer and showman, his skills in the latter far greater and frequently used to disguise his lack of ability in the former. Originally from southern [[Viridia]], he has traveled far from his home, crossing the [[Chaska Sea]] several times before finding his way across the [[Taizzan Expanse]] to [[Amshan]] and then north to the [[Aban Steppe]], swindling and largely pretending to cure those he encounters along the way.

In {{Year|6976}} a group of adventurers, seeking allies and caravan members for a journey along the [[Hundred Days Road]] to [[Rovakhad]], encountered Eqen in [[Narbanden]] and recruited him for his medical expertise. He accompanied them to their final destination, after which he returned to the southern steppe.

[[Category:Abanir]]
[[Category:Abanir/People]]
[[Category:Tengu]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Campaign 8]]

Soft Paws

2026-07-24T02:47:19Z

Gronk:

{{PersonInfobox
|name = Soft Paws
|image =
|ancestry = [[Gnoll]]
|gender = Male
|homeland = [[Amshan]]
}}
'''Soft Paws''' is a [[Var-Tchukka]] [[gnoll]] scout and mercenary. Though raised in a clan that lived in the foothills of the [[Asvan Mountains]] of [[Amshan]], at some point in the past he headed north to [[Abanir]] where he has spent most of his adult life, finding employment in caravans or as a sell-sword. He rarely keeps any work for long, however, as despite long living outside Var-Tchukka tribes Soft Paws still retains the gnoll beliefs regarding personal property, or lack thereof, and has a habit of confiscating items from traders or his wards when he believes he could make better use of them.

In {{Year|6976}} a group of adventurers, seeking allies and caravan members for a journey along the [[Hundred Days Road]] to [[Rovakhad]], encountered Soft Paws in [[Narbanden]] and recruited him for his expertise as a forward scout. He accompanied them to their final destination, after which he returned to the southern steppe.

[[Category:Abanir]]
[[Category:Abanir/People]]
[[Category:Gnoll]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Campaign 8]]

In Fire Shaped

2026-07-24T02:47:06Z

Gronk:

{{PersonInfobox
|name = In Fire Shaped
|image =
|ancestry = [[Leshy]] (pine)
|gender = Female
|homeland = [[Abanir]]
}}
'''In Fire Shaped''' is a pine leshy cook and artist. In {{Year|6976}} a group of adventurers, seeking allies and caravan members for a journey along the [[Hundred Days Road]] to [[Rovakhad]], encountered In Fire Shaped in [[Narbanden]] where she was working as a cook for the local [[Amshan|Amshani]] [[Dynast-Prince|dynast-prince]], recruiting her for her expertise. She accompanied them to their final destination, after which hse returned to the southern steppe.

[[Category:Abanir]]
[[Category:Abanir/People]]
[[Category:Leshies]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Campaign 8]]

In Fire Shaped

2026-07-24T02:46:49Z

Gronk:

{{PersonInfobox
|name = In Fire Shaped
|image =
|ancestry = [[Leshy]] (pine)
|gender = Female
|homeland = [[Abanir]]
}}
'''In Fire Shaped''' is a pine leshy cook and artist. In {{Year|6976}} a group of adventurers, seeking allies and caravan members for a journey along the [[Hundred Days Road]] to [[Rovakhad]], encountered In Fire Shaped in [[Narbanden]] where she was working as a cook for the local [[Amshan|Amshani]] [[Dynasty-Prince|dynast-prince]], recruiting her for her expertise. She accompanied them to their final destination, after which hse returned to the southern steppe.

[[Category:Abanir]]
[[Category:Abanir/People]]
[[Category:Leshies]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Campaign 8]]

In Fire Shaped

2026-07-24T02:46:35Z

Gronk: Created page with "{{PersonInfobox |name = In Fire Shaped |image = |ancestry = Leshy (pine) |gender = Female |homeland = Abanir }} '''In Fire Shaped''' is a pine leshy cook and artist. In {{Year|6976}} a group of adventurers, seeking allies and caravan members for a journey along the Hundred Days Road to Rovakhad, encountered In Fire Shaped in Narbanden where she was working as a cook for the local Amshani dynast-prince, recruiting her for her expertise. She ac..."

{{PersonInfobox
|name = In Fire Shaped
|image =
|ancestry = [[Leshy]] (pine)
|gender = Female
|homeland = [[Abanir]]
}}
'''In Fire Shaped''' is a pine leshy cook and artist. In {{Year|6976}} a group of adventurers, seeking allies and caravan members for a journey along the [[Hundred Days Road]] to [[Rovakhad]], encountered In Fire Shaped in [[Narbanden]] where she was working as a cook for the local [[Amshani]] [[dynast-prince]], recruiting her for her expertise. She accompanied them to their final destination, after which hse returned to the southern steppe.

[[Category:Abanir]]
[[Category:Abanir/People]]
[[Category:Leshies]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Campaign 8]]

Soft Paws

2026-07-24T02:44:08Z

Gronk: Created page with "{{PersonInfobox |name = Soft Paws |image = |ancestry = Gnoll |gender = Male |homeland = Amshan }} '''Soft Paws''' is a Var-Tchukka gnoll scout and mercenary. Though raised in a clan that lived in the foothills of the Asvan Mountains of Amshan, at some point in the past he headed north to Abanir where he has spent most of his adult life, finding employment in caravans or as a sell-sword. He rarely keeps any work for long, however, as despite l..."

{{PersonInfobox
|name = Soft Paws
|image =
|ancestry = [[Gnoll]]
|gender = Male
|homeland = [[Amshan]]
}}
'''Soft Paws''' is a [[Var-Tchukka]] [[gnoll]] scout and mercenary. Though raised in a clan that lived in the foothills of the [[Asvan Mountains]] of [[Amshan]], at some point in the past he headed north to [[Abanir]] where he has spent most of his adult life, finding employment in caravans or as a sell-sword. He rarely keeps any work for long, however, as despite long living outside Var-Tchukka tribes Soft Paws still retains the gnoll beliefs regarding personal property, or lack thereof, and has a habit of confiscating items from traders or his wards when he believes he could make better use of them.

In {{Year|6976}} a group of adventurers, seeking allies and caravan members for a journey along the [[Hundred Days Road]] to [[Rovakhad]], encountered Soft Paws in [[Narbanden]] and recruited him for his expertise as a forward scout He accompanied them to their final destination, after which he returned to the southern steppe.

[[Category:Abanir]]
[[Category:Abanir/People]]
[[Category:Gnoll]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Campaign 8]]

Dalyan

2026-07-19T03:18:27Z

Gronk:

{{CityInfobox
|name = Dalyan
|image =
|nation = [[Erenon]]
|ruler = None
|government = None
|demonym = Dalyanite
|adjective = Dalyan
|population = ~150
|demographics = [[Human]] and [[ratfolk]]
}}
'''Dalyan''' {{Pronunciation|dall-YON}} is a small village in [[Erenon]], west of the [[Caerno River]]. Most inhabitants of the village are recent immigrants to Erenon, and find work in agriculture or useful trades.

== Notable individuals ==
Dalyan is the home of the Roquefort family.

A cleric of [[Taliash]], [[Atana Costel]], serves as a spiritual and moral guide to the townsfolk.

{{CitiesErenon}}
[[Category:Erenon]]
[[Category:Thadria]]
[[Category:Settlements]]
[[Category:Erenon/Settlements]]
[[Category:Towns]]
[[Category:Erenon/Towns]]
[[Category:Campaign 4]]

Lorakh

2026-07-19T03:12:20Z

Gronk:

{{PersonInfobox
|name = Lorakh
|image =
|ancestry = [[Orc]]
|gender = Female
|homeland = [[Druzda]]
}}
'''Lorakh''' {{Pronunciation|LORE-ack}} is a elderly [[Druzda|Druzdan]] cleric of [[Agtazu]]. Though her faith, and those of the [[Orcish pantheon]] more broadly, almost never engage in proselytizing, Lorakh has for most of her life traveled across the [[Aban Steppe]] constructing shrines and teaching others of her goddess. In doing so she has collected a large numbers of stories, legends, and beliefs of others, which she has sewn into her clothing. Her robes, armor, and cloak are therefore her most valuable possessions, as they represent her life's work. Through these travels and endless conversations Lorakh has taken much influence from those she has met, altering her own worship of Agtazu with elements from the [[Abanir pantheon|religion]] of the steppe.

In {{Year|6976}} a group of adventurers, seeking allies and caravan members for a journey along the [[Hundred Days Road]] to [[Rovakhad]], encountered Lorakh in [[Narbanden]] and recruited her for her expertise with the disparate peoples of the steppe. She accompanied them much of their way, but departed after learning they were transporting a [[necromancy|necromantic]] artifact. Lorakh then returned to the western steppe.

[[Category:Abanir]]
[[Category:Abanir/People]]
[[Category:Orcs]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Campaign 8]]

Vuuran Tarhesh Kol

2026-07-19T03:09:24Z

Gronk:

{{PersonInfobox
|name = Vuuran Tarhesh Kol
|image =
|ancestry = [[Dwarf]]
|gender = Male
|homeland = [[Urkhaim]]
}}
'''Vuuran Tarhesh Kol''' {{Pronunciation|VOO-rahn TAR-hesh KOLL}} is an aged [[Urkhaim]] [[dwarf|dwarvan]] hunter and scout. Cast out from his homeland as punishment for crimes against the gods, Vuuran Tarhesh has since found employment with caravans along the [[Hundred Days Road]]. He has attracted something of a reputation as hot-headed and impulsive, with a tendency to be the only survivor of expeditions that otherwise met a grisly end.

As of {{Year|6976}} Vuuran Tarhesh was living in the northern [[Amshan|Amshani]] city of [[Narbanden]].

[[Category:Abanir]]
[[Category:Abanir/People]]
[[Category:Dwarves]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Campaign 8]]

Korvon

2026-07-19T03:04:52Z

Gronk:

{{NationInfobox
|name = Korvon
|image =
|image_desc =
|capital = None
|ruler = Multiple
|government = Meritocratic captaincies
|demonym = Korvon
|adjective = Korvon
|languages = [[Sea-Speak]]; [[Taruhmite Dwarven]]
|religions = [[Animism]] focused on wind spirits
}}
The '''Korvon''' {{Pronunciation|KORE-vonn}} are a [[dwarf|dwarven]] nomadic people of the [[Wounds]] who consider themselves [[Fanakara|Fanakaran]]. They abandoned the mountain cities of [[Harv Taruhm]] long ago, originally over religious matters and their rejection of the [[Taruhmite pantheon|antagonistic pantheon]], but a broad enmity has developed since then - the Taruhmites view the Korvon as willful agents of [[Tnatrak]], while the Korvon in turn view their kin as suffering a slow death due to their overly conservative culture.

Nearly all other peoples of the Wounds have bad relations, if any, with the Korvon.

== Demographics ==
[[Dwarf|Dwarves]] account for effectively the entire Korvon population. There are somewhere between eight hundred and a thousand Korvon, spread across nearly the entirety of the Wounds save for the [[Old Twins]], [[Soul's End Islands]], and [[Salt Spring Archipelago]].

== Culture ==
The Korvon have entirely abandoned the traditional faith of their people, casting aside the antagonistic Taruhmite gods in favor of animistic beliefs focused on the wind spirits that control life on the open waters of the [[Na-Gaesa Ocean]]. These beliefs are highly decentralized, as the Korvon respect no religious authority. It is the role of their captains to negotiate with, appease, or otherwise commune with these spirits, in order to ensure favorable conditions as they cross the sea.

The most important social unit amongst the Korvon is the crew-clan, effectively an extended family. Loyalty to the crew-clan, both on land and at sea, is paramount, and Korvon social norms are heavily based around avoiding offending or harming other members of one's clan.

Unlike the oar-driven ships of the Taruhmites and [[Harv Doruhl|Doruhlites]], the Korvon use more nimble sailing ships, more akin to the catamarans commonly used by other Fanakara. These vessels tend to be much larger than those built by other seafaring peoples, however, though still smaller than Taruhmite galleys. They infrequently feature covered living space, only sometimes employing woven mats as canopies, as the Korvon prefer to avoid long voyages at sea. Instead they hop between coastal island villages, their ships only carrying what is immediately needed. Over-preparing is seen as a failing amongst the Korvon, in fact, as to them it shows a lack of confidence in one's own abilities or in those of their crew-clan.

The Korvon engage in frequent raiding of the villages and encampments of other peoples of the Wounds, both as a means of acquiring wealth and as a way of seeking personal status. Each crew-clan has their preferred method of conducting these raids, but strikes in the darkness of night are common - the sight of fires approaching from the sea, the result of the Korvon attaching tar-covered ropes to their ships and setting them ablaze, are feared by many peoples of the Wounds. But not all items the Korvon steal in this way are even used. Some are, those for which they can find an immediate practical purpose, but others are stashed away in secret sea caves and other hidden locations, possibly recovered later but more often incorporated into an individual's personal legend.

While they consider themselves Fanakaran, the Korvon are culturally quite distinct in many ways. One of the most striking of these is that they lack a prohibition on writing, and in fact encourage it, as it is an important way of sharing their daring deeds even if only amongst themselves.

As a consequence of their raiding the Korvon are despised by many others who live in the Wounds, but none more so than the [[Keleta-Ru]], with whom they have a long enmity stemming from what the Keleta-Ru view as numerous breaks of their rules of hospitality. Korvon warriors do, however, frequently join the [[Shieldbound]], in greater proportional numbers than any other people other than perhaps the [[Bakari]].

== Government ==
Only those who prove themselves can lead the Korvon. The position of captain, of which there are many, is held by the dwarf most capable with the spear, the word, and their own physical form. A well-respected and strong captain commands the respect and loyalty of his crew-clan, but those viewed as lacking will be frequently challenged until they are able to demonstrate their worthiness. Such challenges may take many forms, limited only by what the clan considers fair, but sparring matches, hunting or diving competitions, and spell-writing contests are all common.

Captains lead not ships but rather people, who then happen to serve as crew on a given ship. This leadership applies equally when on land. Korvon settlements are typically led by many captains, who tend to carefully deliminate what is theirs.

{{CitiesFanakara}}

[[Category:Nations]]
[[Category:Korvon]]
[[Category:Fanakara]]
[[Category:Heritages]]

Korvon

2026-07-19T02:57:34Z

Gronk:

{{NationInfobox
|name = Korvon
|image =
|image_desc =
|capital = None
|ruler = Multiple
|government = Meritocratic captaincies
|demonym = Korvon
|adjective = Korvon
|languages = [[Sea-Speak]]; [[Taruhmite Dwarven]]
|religions = [[Animism]] focused on wind spirits
}}
The '''Korvon''' {{Pronunciation|KORE-vonn}} are a [[dwarf|dwarven]] nomadic people of the [[Wounds]] who consider themselves [[Fanakara|Fanakaran]]. They abandoned the mountain cities of [[Harv Taruhm]] long ago, originally over religious matters and their rejection of the [[Taruhmite pantheon|antagonistic pantheon]], but a broad enmity has developed since then - the Taruhmites view the Korvon as willful agents of [[Tnatrak]], while the Korvon in turn view their kin as suffering a slow death due to their overly conservative culture.

Nearly all other peoples of the Wounds have bad relations, if any, with the Korvon.

== Demographics ==
[[Dwarf|Dwarves]] account for effectively the entire Korvon population. There are somewhere between eight hundred and a thousand Korvon, spread across nearly the entirety of the Wounds save for the [[Old Twins]], [[Soul's End Islands]], and [[Salt Spring Archipelago]].

== Culture ==
The Korvon have entirely abandoned the traditional faith of their people, casting aside the antagonistic Taruhmite gods in favor of animistic beliefs focused on the wind spirits that control life on the open waters of the [[Na-Gaesa Ocean]]. These beliefs are highly decentralized, as the Korvon respect no religious authority. It is the role of their captains to negotiate with, appease, or otherwise commune with these spirits, in order to ensure favorable conditions as they cross the sea.

The most important social unit amongst the Korvon is the crew-clan, effectively an extended family. Loyalty to the crew-clan, both on land and at sea, is paramount, and Korvon social norms are heavily based around avoiding offending or harming other members of one's clan.

Unlike the oar-driven ships of the Taruhmites and [[Harv Doruhl|Doruhlites]], the Korvon use more nimble sailing ships, more akin to the catamarans commonly used by other Fanakara. These vessels tend to be much larger than those built by other seafaring peoples, however, though still smaller than Taruhmite galleys. They infrequently feature covered living space, only sometimes employing woven mats as canopies, as the Korvon prefer to avoid long voyages at sea. Instead they hop between coastal island villages, their ships only carrying what is immediately needed. Over-preparing is seen as a failing amongst the Korvon, in fact, as to them it shows a lack of confidence in one's own abilities or in those of their crew-clan.

The Korvon engage in frequent raiding of the villages and encampments of other peoples of the Wounds, both as a means of acquiring wealth and as a way of seeking personal status. Each crew-clan has their preferred method of conducting these raids, but strikes in the darkness of night are common - the sight of fires approaching from the sea, the result of the Korvon attaching tar-covered ropes to their ships and setting them ablaze, are feared by many peoples of the Wounds. But not all items the Korvon steal in this way are even used. Some are, those for which they can find an immediate practical use, but others are stashed away in secret sea caves and other hidden locations, possibly recovered later but more often incorporated into an individual's personal legend.

While they consider themselves Fanakaran, the Korvon are culturally quite distinct in many ways. Of the most striking of these is that they lack a prohibition on writing, and in fact encourage it, as it is an important way of sharing their daring deeds, even if only amongst themselves.

As a consequence of their raiding the Korvon are despised by many others who live in the Wounds, but none more so than the [[Keleta-Ru]], with whom they have a long enmity stemming from what the Keleta-Ru view as numerous breaks of their rules of hospitality. Korvon warriors do, however, frequently join the [[Shieldbound]], in greater proportional numbers than any other people other than perhaps the [[Bakari]].

== Government ==
Only those who prove themselves can lead the Korvon. The role of captain, of which there are many, is held by the dwarf most capable with the spear, the word, and their own physical form. A well-respected and strong captain commands the respect and loyalty of his crew-clan, but those viewed as lacking will be frequently challenged until they are able to demonstrate their worthiness. Such challenges may take many forms, limited only by what the clan considers fair, but sparring matches, hunting or diving competitions, and spell-writing contests are all common.

Captains lead not ships but rather people, who then happen to serve as crew on a given ship. This leadership applies equally when on land. Korvon settlements are typically led by many captains, who tend to carefully deliminate what is theirs.

{{CitiesFanakara}}

[[Category:Nations]]
[[Category:Korvon]]
[[Category:Fanakara]]
[[Category:Heritages]]

Ptolin

2026-07-19T02:52:03Z

Gronk: /* History */

The '''Ptolin''' {{Pronunciation|TOW-linn}} are a [[catfolk]] people of the [[Spine]]. Though they originally resided in the western mountains of the [[Spine (mountain range)|Spine]], the Ptolin were driven out of their traditional fog oases and into the [[Shatter]] after persistent conflicts with [[M-Taran]]. Today many act as mercenaries between the various city-states of the islands, using their well-honed skills to benefit their employers while also carefully maintaining a balance of power.

== History ==
Traditionally the Ptolin maintained semi-nomadic lifestyles in the westernmost stretches of the Spine, moving between seasonal camps in the lowlands and the fog oases in higher elevations. As M-Taran expanded into their territories they presented the same offer to the Ptolin as they had to other peoples of the mountains - pay tribute in corvee labor and accept relocation when the empire deemed it necessary, and in return be left to their own means. To the Ptolin this was unacceptable. They prided themselves on their independence, and moreover held that forcing anyone to labor on behalf of anyone else was a great crime. Instead they turned towards guerilla warfare, harassing M-Taran armies as they moved through the mountains before retreating back to secret redoubts. While they were able to continue this war for decades, by the later years of the ninety-eighth century the Ptolin had been pushed back into a tiny remnant of their former territory. The outcome seeming obvious, most left the mountains and headed north, into the lowland rainforests and eventually to the Shatter. Most Ptolin now reside in and around the islands, though a small number are said to still remain in the mountains.

== Culture ==
The Ptolin are well-known and renowned for their martial ways. They greatly value physical prowess and ability in combat, and a great many join their various mercenary groups upon reaching adulthood. These mercenaries pledge their services largely to the city-states of the Shatter, though others sometimes find employment elsewhere in the [[Myg Rainforest]]. Unlike most other mercenaries and privateers of the islands, the Ptolin are generally regarded quite positively and as honorable allies or foes, with a high degree of discernment in for whom they work. They are careful to avoid upsetting the distributed balance of power in the Shatter too much, a goal made easier when the Ptolin often fight for opposing sides in any given conflict. Though their tactics were originally developed for hit and run combat in the mountains, they have managed to adapt to the semi-tropical islands and urban environments just as well.

Ptolin leaders are skilled warriors and tacticians who often live ascetic lives apart from those they govern. To the Ptolin it is a virtue to observe and know from a distance without becoming involved unless absolutely necessary, and so their leaders are frequently absent in day to day governance, instead letting their trusted underlings take control.

While the cuisine of the Ptolin has by now incorporated much influence from those around them in the Shatter, they still carry some traces of their past, such as their preference for game (especially boar and the like) and their conical clay cooking vessels, brought with them from the mountains. Meals in Ptolin houses and camps are both preceded and followed by elaborate tea ceremonies, especially when hosting guests, considered an important sign of hospitality.

The Ptolin consider it evil to force any individual to perform an action they do not want, and so have taken strong stances against the slavers of the Shatter, sometimes working against them even when not in the employ of the city-states. So strongly do they hold these beliefs that they apply it to all creatures, and as such have no pack animals, beasts of burden, or any animal agriculture whatsoever.

[[Category:Heritages]]

Korvon

2026-07-19T02:07:56Z

Gronk:

{{NationInfobox
|name = Korvon
|image =
|image_desc =
|capital = None
|ruler = Multiple
|government = Meritocratic captaincies
|demonym = Korvon
|adjective = Korvon
|languages = [[Sea-Speak]]; [[Taruhmite Dwarven]]
|religions = [[Animism]] focused on wind spirits
}}
The ''Korvon''' {{Pronunciation|KORE-vonn}} are a [[dwarf|dwarven]] nomadic people of the [[Wounds]] who consider themselves [[Fanakara|Fanakaran]]. They abandoned the mountain cities of [[Harv Taruhm]] long ago, originally over religious matters and their rejection of the [[Taruhmite pantheon|antagonistic pantheon]], but a broad enmity has developed since then - the Taruhmites view the Korvon as willful agents of [[Tnatrak]], while the Korvon in turn view their kin as suffering a slow death due to their overly conservative culture.

Nearly all other peoples of the Wounds have bad relations, if any, with the Korvon.

== Demographics ==
[[Dwarf|Dwarves]] account for effectively the entire Korvon population. There are somewhere between eight hundred and a thousand Korvon, spread across nearly the entirety of the Wounds save for the [[Old Twins]], [[Soul's End Islands]], and [[Salt Spring Archipelago]].

== Culture ==
The Korvon have entirely abandoned the traditional faith of their people, casting aside the antagonistic Taruhmite gods in favor of animistic beliefs focused on the wind spirits that control life on the open waters of the [[Na-Gaesa Ocean]]. These beliefs are highly decentralized, as the Korvon respect no religious authority. It is the role of their captains to negotiate with, appease, or otherwise commune with these spirits, in order to ensure favorable conditions as they cross the sea.

The most important social unit amongst the Korvon is the crew-clan, effectively an extended family. Loyalty to the crew-clan, both on land and at sea, is paramount, and Korvon social norms are heavily based around avoiding offending or harming other members of one's clan.

Unlike the oar-driven ships of the Taruhmites and [[Harv Doruhl|Doruhlites]], the Korvon use more nimble sailing ships, more akin to the catamarans commonly used by other Fanakara. These vessels tend to be much larger than those built by other seafaring peoples, however, though still smaller than Taruhmite galleys. They infrequently feature covered living space, only sometimes employing woven mats as canopies, as the Korvon prefer to avoid long voyages at sea. Instead they hop between coastal island villages, their ships only carrying what is immediately needed. Over-preparing is seen as a failing amongst the Korvon, in fact, as to them it shows a lack of confidence in one's own abilities or in those of their crew-clan.

The Korvon engage in frequent raiding of the villages and encampments of other peoples of the Wounds, both as a means of acquiring wealth and as a way of seeking personal status. Each crew-clan has their preferred method of conducting these raids, but strikes in the darkness of night are common - the sight of fires approaching from the sea, the result of the Korvon attaching tar-covered ropes to their ships and setting them ablaze, are feared by many peoples of the Wounds. But not all items the Korvon steal in this way are even used. Some are, those for which they can find an immediate practical use, but others are stashed away in secret sea caves and other hidden locations, possibly recovered later but more often incorporated into an individual's personal legend.

While they consider themselves Fanakaran, the Korvon are culturally quite distinct in many ways. Of the most striking of these is that they lack a prohibition on writing, and in fact encourage it, as it is an important way of sharing their daring deeds, even if only amongst themselves.

As a consequence of their raiding the Korvon are despised by many others who live in the Wounds, but none more so than the [[Keleta-Ru]], with whom they have a long enmity stemming from what the Keleta-Ru view as numerous breaks of their rules of hospitality. Korvon warriors do, however, frequently join the [[Shieldbound]], in greater proportional numbers than any other people other than perhaps the [[Bakari]].

== Government ==
Only those who prove themselves can lead the Korvon. The role of captain, of which there are many, is held by the dwarf most capable with the spear, the word, and their own physical form. A well-respected and strong captain commands the respect and loyalty of his crew-clan, but those viewed as lacking will be frequently challenged until they are able to demonstrate their worthiness. Such challenges may take many forms, limited only by what the clan considers fair, but sparring matches, hunting or diving competitions, and spell-writing contests are all common.

Captains lead not ships but rather people, who then happen to serve as crew on a given ship. This leadership applies equally when on land. Korvon settlements are typically led by many captains, who tend to carefully deliminate what is theirs.

{{CitiesFanakara}}

[[Category:Nations]]
[[Category:Korvon]]
[[Category:Fanakara]]
[[Category:Heritages]]

Korvon

2026-07-19T02:07:46Z

Gronk: Created page with "{{NationInfobox |name = Korvon |image = |image_desc = |capital = None |ruler = Multiple |government = Meritocratic captaincies |demonym = Korvon |adjective = Korvon |languages = Sea-Speak; Taruhmite Dwarven |religions = Animism focused on wind spirits }} The ''Korvon''' {{Pronunciation|KORE-vonn}} are a dwarven nomadic people of the Wounds who consider themselves Fanakaran. They abandoned the mountain cities of Harv Taruhm lon..."

{{NationInfobox
|name = Korvon
|image =
|image_desc =
|capital = None
|ruler = Multiple
|government = Meritocratic captaincies
|demonym = Korvon
|adjective = Korvon
|languages = [[Sea-Speak]]; [[Taruhmite Dwarven]]
|religions = [[Animism]] focused on wind spirits
}}
The ''Korvon''' {{Pronunciation|KORE-vonn}} are a [[dwarf|dwarven]] nomadic people of the [[Wounds]] who consider themselves [[Fanakara|Fanakaran]]. They abandoned the mountain cities of [[Harv Taruhm]] long ago, originally over religious matters and their rejection of the [[Taruhmite pantheon|antagonistic pantheon]], but a broad enmity has developed since then - the Taruhmites view the Korvon as willful agents of [[Tnatrak]], while the Korvon in turn view their kin as suffering a slow death due to their overly conservative culture.

Nearly all other peoples of the Wounds have bad relations, if any, with the Korvon.

== Demographics ==
[[Dwarves]] account for effectively the entire Korvon population. There are somewhere between eight hundred and a thousand Korvon, spread across nearly the entirety of the Wounds save for the [[Old Twins]], [[Soul's End Islands]], and [[Salt Spring Archipelago]].

== Culture ==
The Korvon have entirely abandoned the traditional faith of their people, casting aside the antagonistic Taruhmite gods in favor of animistic beliefs focused on the wind spirits that control life on the open waters of the [[Na-Gaesa Ocean]]. These beliefs are highly decentralized, as the Korvon respect no religious authority. It is the role of their captains to negotiate with, appease, or otherwise commune with these spirits, in order to ensure favorable conditions as they cross the sea.

The most important social unit amongst the Korvon is the crew-clan, effectively an extended family. Loyalty to the crew-clan, both on land and at sea, is paramount, and Korvon social norms are heavily based around avoiding offending or harming other members of one's clan.

Unlike the oar-driven ships of the Taruhmites and [[Harv Doruhl|Doruhlites]], the Korvon use more nimble sailing ships, more akin to the catamarans commonly used by other Fanakara. These vessels tend to be much larger than those built by other seafaring peoples, however, though still smaller than Taruhmite galleys. They infrequently feature covered living space, only sometimes employing woven mats as canopies, as the Korvon prefer to avoid long voyages at sea. Instead they hop between coastal island villages, their ships only carrying what is immediately needed. Over-preparing is seen as a failing amongst the Korvon, in fact, as to them it shows a lack of confidence in one's own abilities or in those of their crew-clan.

The Korvon engage in frequent raiding of the villages and encampments of other peoples of the Wounds, both as a means of acquiring wealth and as a way of seeking personal status. Each crew-clan has their preferred method of conducting these raids, but strikes in the darkness of night are common - the sight of fires approaching from the sea, the result of the Korvon attaching tar-covered ropes to their ships and setting them ablaze, are feared by many peoples of the Wounds. But not all items the Korvon steal in this way are even used. Some are, those for which they can find an immediate practical use, but others are stashed away in secret sea caves and other hidden locations, possibly recovered later but more often incorporated into an individual's personal legend.

While they consider themselves Fanakaran, the Korvon are culturally quite distinct in many ways. Of the most striking of these is that they lack a prohibition on writing, and in fact encourage it, as it is an important way of sharing their daring deeds, even if only amongst themselves.

As a consequence of their raiding the Korvon are despised by many others who live in the Wounds, but none more so than the [[Keleta-Ru]], with whom they have a long enmity stemming from what the Keleta-Ru view as numerous breaks of their rules of hospitality. Korvon warriors do, however, frequently join the [[Shieldbound]], in greater proportional numbers than any other people other than perhaps the [[Bakari]].

== Government ==
Only those who prove themselves can lead the Korvon. The role of captain, of which there are many, is held by the dwarf most capable with the spear, the word, and their own physical form. A well-respected and strong captain commands the respect and loyalty of his crew-clan, but those viewed as lacking will be frequently challenged until they are able to demonstrate their worthiness. Such challenges may take many forms, limited only by what the clan considers fair, but sparring matches, hunting or diving competitions, and spell-writing contests are all common.

Captains lead not ships but rather people, who then happen to serve as crew on a given ship. This leadership applies equally when on land. Korvon settlements are typically led by many captains, who tend to carefully deliminate what is theirs.

{{CitiesFanakara}}

[[Category:Nations]]
[[Category:Korvon]]
[[Category:Fanakara]]
[[Category:Heritages]]

Template:CitiesFanakara

2026-07-19T01:25:36Z

Gronk:

{{Navbox
| title = [[Fanakara]]
| listclass = hlist
| bodyclass = hlist

| group1 = Tribes, confederations, and other peoples
| list1 =
* [[Bara-Me-Naru]]
* [[Fjarri]]
* [[Hekudaki]]
* [[Ganeta-Meru]]
* [[Gara-Minu]]
* [[Harera-Paro]]
* [[Korvon]]
* [[Re-Hara]]
* [[Sehi-To]]
* [[Varu]]
* [[Wave Striders]]
}}

Bone-mender

2026-07-19T01:24:40Z

Gronk: Created page with "'''Bone-menders''' are, along with shamans, the most important religious figures to the Urkhaim dwarves. These healers receive patronage from all the gods collectively, giving them their powers of magical restoration, but at a cost. All bone-menders are sworn to lives of silence and neutrality. None are permitted to speak or take sides in any dispute. As a result they are widely trusted and appreciated, welcome even in times of feuds betwe..."

'''Bone-menders''' are, along with shamans, the most important religious figures to the [[Urkhaim]] [[dwarf|dwarves]]. These healers receive patronage from all the [[Dwer pantheon|gods]] collectively, giving them their powers of magical restoration, but at a cost. All bone-menders are sworn to lives of silence and neutrality. None are permitted to speak or take sides in any dispute. As a result they are widely trusted and appreciated, welcome even in times of feuds between the dwarven clans, as they can always be relied upon to help tend to the sick and injured. Few bone-menders have homes of their own, instead relying upon the hospitality of strangers as they travel between dwarven communities.

[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Urkhaim]]

Urkhaim

2026-07-19T01:23:28Z

Gronk:

{{NationInfobox
|name = Urkhaim
|image = Flag_Urkhaim.svg
|capital = None
|ruler = The Three Stone Kings
|government = Council of tribal kings
|demonym = Urkhaim
|adjective = Urkhaim
|languages = [[Urkhaim Dwarven]]; [[Targai (language)|Targai]]
|religions = [[Dwer pantheon]]; [[Abanir pantheon]]
}}
'''Urkhaim''' {{Pronunciation|URK-aim}} is a [[dwarf|dwarven]] realm within the [[Northern Wall]]. The hardy dwarves that live in this frigid land are largely isolationist and rarely leave their secluded mountain homes, only venturing forth into the [[Aban Steppe]] during their great hunts and to carry their dead to [[Tomb Lake]].

== Geography, flora, and fauna ==
Urkhaim lies entirely within the snow-capped mountains of the Northern Wall, north of the [[Khindushar Basin]] and [[Mhakan's Trials]]. The region is cold year-round. There is enough seasonality, however, that in the summers some plants manage to grow around streams and ponds in the rocky valleys, enough to support small populations of animals like mountain goats and hares, which then provide food for bears, eagles, and a handful of other predators. At higher elevations up the mountains, where the dwarves live, effectively no wildlife is found, the snowy and icy environment too hostile to support life. Temperatures never rise above freezing, or even get close to it, at the peaks of the higher mountains.

== History ==
The Urkhaim have not always lived in the mountains, and in fact only moved to their current homes several hundred years ago. Previously they lived in lodge-villages within the foothills of the western [[Cage]] and along the [[Hethalak River|Eastern Hethalak River]], where they made their living primarily through hunting and trade. But this same land was also claimed by the [[Xuldorai]] giants, and after many centuries of conflict between the two peoples the dwarves were left with only a handful of scattered communities in the lands up against the mountains.

Eventually it became clear to the dwarves that staying in their remaining villages, under constant threat from the giants, was untenable. Leaders from their largest tribes held a summit in the late ninety-sixth century to determine what course of action their people should take, but their decision ultimately tore the dwarven communities in two. Emerging from their secretive retreat, they declared the Urkhaim would counter-attack the Xuldorai in force, a display of strength that would dissuade any future aggression. As the leaders went about organizing their warriors, others within the dwarven tribes covertly made other plans. Many saw the planned attack as doomed to failure, and themselves inevitable targets of retributive raids, and instead began schemes to flee somewhere the Xuldorai could not reach them. When the day of the planned attack came and the dwarven warriors ventured forth to meet the giants, much of the remaining tribespeople set off as well in the opposite direction.

They traveled for months, passing by many potential new lands to settle, each of which they discarded for already being home to someone else. By now the dwarves had lost any trust in others, as their once-allies amongst the [[targai]] and [[gatai]] of Tomb Lake had long since stopped responding to their calls for aid against the giants. Eventually they found their way to the Northern Wall, where, seeing a rugged and easily defended land with no signs of habitation, they decided to remain.

As for the Urkhaim warriors, most of the exact details of their last battle with the Xuldorai are lost to shame. What is certain, however, is that they lost decisively. The very few who survived scattered, some finding their way in time to their kin in the Northern Wall, after first returning to their now-abandoned old villages. Others fled elsewhere across the steppe.

== Demographics ==
Effectively the entire population of Urkhaim are dwarves of the Urkhaim heritage.

== Culture ==

=== Religion ===
Though the Urkhaim follow the gods of the [[Dwer pantheon]], their practices of worship differ significantly from those of most other dwarves. Relatively little emphasis is placed on the roles of clerics as authoritative religious figures, as instead the Urkhaim have adopted the typical [[Abanir pantheon|Abaniri]] view of the divines as entities who must be conversed with on a personal basis. As such, shamans who can aid in understanding the enigmatic speech of the Dwer gods are important in Urkhaim religious life, and are regularly consulted for their advice. Shamans direct offerings to the gods, performing intricate rites in order to turn the attention of the divines towards their petitioners. [[Solnas]] and [[Myrmoris]] are particularly important deities to the Urkhaim.

Alongside shamans, [[Bone-mender|bone-menders]] serve another important role in the religion of the Urkhaim. These healers receive patronage from all the gods collectively, giving them their powers of magical restoration, but at a cost. All bone-menders are sworn to lives of silence and neutrality. None are permitted to speak or take sides in any dispute. As a result they are widely trusted and appreciated, welcome even in times of feuds between the dwarven clans, as they can always be relied upon to help tend to the sick and injured. Few bone-menders have homes of their own, instead relying upon the hospitality of strangers as they travel between dwarven communities.

There are few temples to the gods in Urkhaim lands, though their cities are home to innumerable small shrines.

=== Languages ===
{{SeeAlso|Urkhaim Dwarven}}

The Urkhaim primarily speak a language called [[Urkhaim Dwarven]]. Largely separated from their dwarven kin for thousands of years, with only the occasional visitor and without access to the [[Warp|Warps]], the tongue of the Urkhaim has diverged greatly from the [[Dwarven]] spoken elsewhere in the world, beginning as a dialect then turning into a full-fledged language in its own right.

Urkhaim Dwarven has kept the same overall structure and grammar of Dwarven, but the differences it has accumulated, combined with the great influence on its vocabulary from [[Targai (language)|Targai]], has rendered the language mutually unintelligible with its parent. Though the Urkhaim are not a particularly literary people, Dwarven runes continue to be used to write the language, with one important caveat. Rather than the typical right to left of Dwarven writing, Urkhaim Dwarven uses a boustrophedon style.

Some Urkhaim are also fluent in Targai, but in general the dwarves place little importance on understanding the language of outsiders - it is typical for only political leaders, as well as religious figures like shamans, to be multilingual.
=== Food and cuisine ===
Even when the Urkhaim lived in the southern Aban Steppe, they relied almost entirely on hunting and foraging to acquire their food, avoiding agriculture just like many other steppe-dwellers. But even still, they have been forced to adapt their methods to live in their new mountain homes. The Northern Wall is remarkably bereft of sources of food, save for scattered berry bushes, root vegetables, and animals like mountain goats, none of which are found in anywhere near the amount required for the Urkhaim to support themselves.

Instead, the dwarves have doubled down on their hunting. Every so often they sweep out of the mountains en mass, often a third or more of a tribe at a time, riding onto the steppe upon their trained dire wolf mounts. There they chase down herds of wild aurochs, horses, antelopes, and yaks, carefully coordinating their activities to bring down precisely as many animals with their bows and spears as they are capable of carrying back. This meat is then kept frozen and dried in the cold mountains until it is needed; when stores are running low again, another great hunt is called. But the Urkhaim's diet is not purely meat. They supplement it with small amounts of mushrooms and freshly gathered wild fruits and vegetables, but these are typically seen as luxuries and not for everyday meals.

=== Architecture and urbanization ===
From the outside, Urkhaim cities appear to be massive facades, each hundreds of feet tall, carved out of mountain faces, with clear reliefs depicting ornamental doors, buildings within the cliff, statues, and immense dwarven faces. In reality, however, these are distractions for their real homes, which are located below, only accessible through disguised entrances in unexpected places. Even once these entrances are found, any unwanted visitor is forced to contend with traps and layers of defenses, magical and otherwise, before reaching the subterranean cities. Carved out of the solid stone of the mountains, these cities are rather tightly packed, though not cramped, as the dwarves keep all living areas close together to better maintain a livable temperature. Grid-like passageways connect areas of their communities set aside for living, working, worship, and the production and consumption of food. Reliefs carved into every exposed wall tell the stories of the Urkhaim, including those not only of their exile but also of their times of joy, as well as depictions of religious events and figures. Extended families generally live close together and, when necessary, carve out new abodes for newly wed dwarves.

Effectively the entire population of the Urkhaim lives in the three densely urbanized cities of [[Dagger Mountain]], [[Mun Holhaim]], and [[Turguur]]. Save for defensive watchposts with transient populations, there are no outlying settlements, as the dwarves' lack of agriculture, reliance on food gathered from far away, and guarded lifestyles render any rural community impractical. Each of these cities is controlled by one of the tribes of the Urkhaim, though all are free to travel between them as they see fit, as long as they are willing to brave the perils of crossing the mountains, either through the snowy landscape or in the often dangerous underground.

=== Burial practices ===
The burial practices of the Urkhaim bear similarities to those of other [[Abanir|Abaniri]] peoples. Traditionally, before their move north, the dwarves took their deceased to the area around Tomb Lake, where they were interred in secret, hidden locations in the forests around the water. Even after their exile, these practices have remained. The bodies of deceased dwarves are mummified in the frozen mountains until the following spring, after which their family transports them south across the steppe to join the remains of their ancestors. Though these treks can be perilous and arduous, often involving weeks of travel for the solemn funeral processions, the Urkhaim believe that maintaining these traditions is paramount to kleeping their connections with their forebears.

Unlike other Abaniri, the Urkhaim bury their dead individually, as the dwarves do not make use of familial tombs. Once placed in the ground, usually covered by large rocks to better conceal the disturbed earth, Urkhaim shamans perform rites and offerings to aid the soul of the deceased in reaching the company of their gods. The dead are often interred with their favorite foods, writing, or tools. Seeds from certain kinds of flowers are also sown wild throughout the forest and around the lake after the ceremonies have completed, but never near the grave itself, so as to avoid attracting attention to its location.

=== Clothing and fashion ===
Clothing worn by the Urkhaim is largely made of warm furs, designed to protect their wearers from the harsh cold of the mountains, with a heavy emphasis on practicality over form. Under layers, meanwhile, are typically made of wool. Heavy fur overcoats are often passed down between generations, and between children as they grow up, as they are very well-made and a point of pride for the families of those that craft them.

Urkhaim dwarves typically wear their hair long, knotting it in patterns that indicate their clan and tribe. Beards are maintained the same way.

=== Equipment ===
The characteristic weapon of the Urkhaim is a type of short recurve shield-bow, typically crafted by the elders of each family and presented to dwarven children upon reaching adolescence. These are designed to be as effective when used riding as mount as in the close quarters of the underground, and therefore use clever mechanisms to fold up and re-expand rapidly.

== Government ==
The Urkhaim govern themselves in a tribal system rather similar to that used by most peoples of Abanir. Each tribe is led by a monarch, which is usually a hereditary position, who then together form a council known as the Three Stone Kings that discusses any matters that affect the dwarves as a whole. Prior to their escape north this council was called the Seven Stone Kings, but four of the tribes functionally ceased to exist after their trek, merging with the others who remained. Though each tribe broadly has latitude to govern themselves as they see fit, the dwarves have grown increasingly closer after their relocation, and generally now defer to the council in most circumstances rather than entirely to their own king or queen.

{{CitiesUrkhaim}}

[[Category:Nations]]
[[Category:Urkhaim]]
[[Category:Aban Steppe]]

Urkhaim

2026-07-19T01:22:55Z

Gronk:

{{NationInfobox
|name = Urkhaim
|image = Flag_Urkhaim.svg
|capital = None
|ruler = The Three Stone Kings
|government = Council of tribal kings
|demonym = Urkhaim
|adjective = Urkhaim
|languages = [[Urkhaim Dwarven]]; [[Targai (language)|Targai]]
|religions = [[Dwer pantheon]]; [[Abanir pantheon]]
}}
'''Urkhaim''' {{Pronunciation|URK-aim}} is a [[dwarf|dwarven]] realm within the [[Northern Wall]]. The hardy dwarves that live in this frigid land are largely isolationist and rarely leave their secluded mountain homes, only venturing forth into the [[Aban Steppe]] during their great hunts and to carry their dead to [[Tomb Lake]].

== Geography, flora, and fauna ==
Urkhaim lies entirely within the snow-capped mountains of the Northern Wall, north of the [[Khindushar Basin]] and [[Mhakan's Trials]]. The region is cold year-round. There is enough seasonality, however, that in the summers some plants manage to grow around streams and ponds in the rocky valleys, enough to support small populations of animals like mountain goats and hares, which then provide food for bears, eagles, and a handful of other predators. At higher elevations up the mountains, where the dwarves live, effectively no wildlife is found, the snowy and icy environment too hostile to support life. Temperatures never rise above freezing, or even get close to it, at the peaks of the higher mountains.

== History ==
The Urkhaim have not always lived in the mountains, and in fact only moved to their current homes several hundred years ago. Previously they lived in lodge-villages within the foothills of the western [[Cage]] and along the [[Hethalak River|Eastern Hethalak River]], where they made their living primarily through hunting and trade. But this same land was also claimed by the [[Xuldorai]] giants, and after many centuries of conflict between the two peoples the dwarves were left with only a handful of scattered communities in the lands up against the mountains.

Eventually it became clear to the dwarves that staying in their remaining villages, under constant threat from the giants, was untenable. Leaders from their largest tribes held a summit in the late ninety-sixth century to determine what course of action their people should take, but their decision ultimately tore the dwarven communities in two. Emerging from their secretive retreat, they declared the Urkhaim would counter-attack the Xuldorai in force, a display of strength that would dissuade any future aggression. As the leaders went about organizing their warriors, others within the dwarven tribes covertly made other plans. Many saw the planned attack as doomed to failure, and themselves inevitable targets of retributive raids, and instead began schemes to flee somewhere the Xuldorai could not reach them. When the day of the planned attack came and the dwarven warriors ventured forth to meet the giants, much of the remaining tribespeople set off as well in the opposite direction.

They traveled for months, passing by many potential new lands to settle, each of which they discarded for already being home to someone else. By now the dwarves had lost any trust in others, as their once-allies amongst the [[targai]] and [[gatai]] of Tomb Lake had long since stopped responding to their calls for aid against the giants. Eventually they found their way to the Northern Wall, where, seeing a rugged and easily defended land with no signs of habitation, they decided to remain.

As for the Urkhaim warriors, most of the exact details of their last battle with the Xuldorai are unknown. What is certain, however, is that they lost decisively. The very few who survived scattered, some finding their way in time to their kin in the Northern Wall, after first returning to their now-abandoned old villages. Others fled elsewhere across the steppe.

== Demographics ==
Effectively the entire population of Urkhaim are dwarves of the Urkhaim heritage.

== Culture ==

=== Religion ===
Though the Urkhaim follow the gods of the [[Dwer pantheon]], their practices of worship differ significantly from those of most other dwarves. Relatively little emphasis is placed on the roles of clerics as authoritative religious figures, as instead the Urkhaim have adopted the typical [[Abanir pantheon|Abaniri]] view of the divines as entities who must be conversed with on a personal basis. As such, shamans who can aid in understanding the enigmatic speech of the Dwer gods are important in Urkhaim religious life, and are regularly consulted for their advice. Shamans direct offerings to the gods, performing intricate rites in order to turn the attention of the divines towards their petitioners. [[Solnas]] and [[Myrmoris]] are particularly important deities to the Urkhaim.

Alongside shamans, [[Bone-mender|bone-menders]] serve another important role in the religion of the Urkhaim. These healers receive patronage from all the gods collectively, giving them their powers of magical restoration, but at a cost. All bone-menders are sworn to lives of silence and neutrality. None are permitted to speak or take sides in any dispute. As a result they are widely trusted and appreciated, welcome even in times of feuds between the dwarven clans, as they can always be relied upon to help tend to the sick and injured. Few bone-menders have homes of their own, instead relying upon the hospitality of strangers as they travel between dwarven communities.

There are few temples to the gods in Urkhaim lands, though their cities are home to innumerable small shrines.

=== Languages ===
{{SeeAlso|Urkhaim Dwarven}}

The Urkhaim primarily speak a language called [[Urkhaim Dwarven]]. Largely separated from their dwarven kin for thousands of years, with only the occasional visitor and without access to the [[Warp|Warps]], the tongue of the Urkhaim has diverged greatly from the [[Dwarven]] spoken elsewhere in the world, beginning as a dialect then turning into a full-fledged language in its own right.

Urkhaim Dwarven has kept the same overall structure and grammar of Dwarven, but the differences it has accumulated, combined with the great influence on its vocabulary from [[Targai (language)|Targai]], has rendered the language mutually unintelligible with its parent. Though the Urkhaim are not a particularly literary people, Dwarven runes continue to be used to write the language, with one important caveat. Rather than the typical right to left of Dwarven writing, Urkhaim Dwarven uses a boustrophedon style.

Some Urkhaim are also fluent in Targai, but in general the dwarves place little importance on understanding the language of outsiders - it is typical for only political leaders, as well as religious figures like shamans, to be multilingual.
=== Food and cuisine ===
Even when the Urkhaim lived in the southern Aban Steppe, they relied almost entirely on hunting and foraging to acquire their food, avoiding agriculture just like many other steppe-dwellers. But even still, they have been forced to adapt their methods to live in their new mountain homes. The Northern Wall is remarkably bereft of sources of food, save for scattered berry bushes, root vegetables, and animals like mountain goats, none of which are found in anywhere near the amount required for the Urkhaim to support themselves.

Instead, the dwarves have doubled down on their hunting. Every so often they sweep out of the mountains en mass, often a third or more of a tribe at a time, riding onto the steppe upon their trained dire wolf mounts. There they chase down herds of wild aurochs, horses, antelopes, and yaks, carefully coordinating their activities to bring down precisely as many animals with their bows and spears as they are capable of carrying back. This meat is then kept frozen and dried in the cold mountains until it is needed; when stores are running low again, another great hunt is called. But the Urkhaim's diet is not purely meat. They supplement it with small amounts of mushrooms and freshly gathered wild fruits and vegetables, but these are typically seen as luxuries and not for everyday meals.

=== Architecture and urbanization ===
From the outside, Urkhaim cities appear to be massive facades, each hundreds of feet tall, carved out of mountain faces, with clear reliefs depicting ornamental doors, buildings within the cliff, statues, and immense dwarven faces. In reality, however, these are distractions for their real homes, which are located below, only accessible through disguised entrances in unexpected places. Even once these entrances are found, any unwanted visitor is forced to contend with traps and layers of defenses, magical and otherwise, before reaching the subterranean cities. Carved out of the solid stone of the mountains, these cities are rather tightly packed, though not cramped, as the dwarves keep all living areas close together to better maintain a livable temperature. Grid-like passageways connect areas of their communities set aside for living, working, worship, and the production and consumption of food. Reliefs carved into every exposed wall tell the stories of the Urkhaim, including those not only of their exile but also of their times of joy, as well as depictions of religious events and figures. Extended families generally live close together and, when necessary, carve out new abodes for newly wed dwarves.

Effectively the entire population of the Urkhaim lives in the three densely urbanized cities of [[Dagger Mountain]], [[Mun Holhaim]], and [[Turguur]]. Save for defensive watchposts with transient populations, there are no outlying settlements, as the dwarves' lack of agriculture, reliance on food gathered from far away, and guarded lifestyles render any rural community impractical. Each of these cities is controlled by one of the tribes of the Urkhaim, though all are free to travel between them as they see fit, as long as they are willing to brave the perils of crossing the mountains, either through the snowy landscape or in the often dangerous underground.

=== Burial practices ===
The burial practices of the Urkhaim bear similarities to those of other [[Abanir|Abaniri]] peoples. Traditionally, before their move north, the dwarves took their deceased to the area around Tomb Lake, where they were interred in secret, hidden locations in the forests around the water. Even after their exile, these practices have remained. The bodies of deceased dwarves are mummified in the frozen mountains until the following spring, after which their family transports them south across the steppe to join the remains of their ancestors. Though these treks can be perilous and arduous, often involving weeks of travel for the solemn funeral processions, the Urkhaim believe that maintaining these traditions is paramount to kleeping their connections with their forebears.

Unlike other Abaniri, the Urkhaim bury their dead individually, as the dwarves do not make use of familial tombs. Once placed in the ground, usually covered by large rocks to better conceal the disturbed earth, Urkhaim shamans perform rites and offerings to aid the soul of the deceased in reaching the company of their gods. The dead are often interred with their favorite foods, writing, or tools. Seeds from certain kinds of flowers are also sown wild throughout the forest and around the lake after the ceremonies have completed, but never near the grave itself, so as to avoid attracting attention to its location.

=== Clothing and fashion ===
Clothing worn by the Urkhaim is largely made of warm furs, designed to protect their wearers from the harsh cold of the mountains, with a heavy emphasis on practicality over form. Under layers, meanwhile, are typically made of wool. Heavy fur overcoats are often passed down between generations, and between children as they grow up, as they are very well-made and a point of pride for the families of those that craft them.

Urkhaim dwarves typically wear their hair long, knotting it in patterns that indicate their clan and tribe. Beards are maintained the same way.

=== Equipment ===
The characteristic weapon of the Urkhaim is a type of short recurve shield-bow, typically crafted by the elders of each family and presented to dwarven children upon reaching adolescence. These are designed to be as effective when used riding as mount as in the close quarters of the underground, and therefore use clever mechanisms to fold up and re-expand rapidly.

== Government ==
The Urkhaim govern themselves in a tribal system rather similar to that used by most peoples of Abanir. Each tribe is led by a monarch, which is usually a hereditary position, who then together form a council known as the Three Stone Kings that discusses any matters that affect the dwarves as a whole. Prior to their escape north this council was called the Seven Stone Kings, but four of the tribes functionally ceased to exist after their trek, merging with the others who remained. Though each tribe broadly has latitude to govern themselves as they see fit, the dwarves have grown increasingly closer after their relocation, and generally now defer to the council in most circumstances rather than entirely to their own king or queen.

{{CitiesUrkhaim}}

[[Category:Nations]]
[[Category:Urkhaim]]
[[Category:Aban Steppe]]

Charsis Sedasa

2026-07-19T01:21:41Z

Gronk: Created page with "{{PersonInfobox |name = Charsis Sedasa |image = |ancestry = Elf |gender = Female |homeland = Yurukan }} '''Charsis Sedasa''' {{Pronunciation|CHAR-sis seh-DAH-sah}} is a Yurukanite scholar hailing from a landed aerolith near Lake Ilithiia. While she considers herself something of a polymath, her primary academic focus has been on the ethnography of the various tribes and peoples of Abanir, an interest she has explored through traveling the..."

{{PersonInfobox
|name = Charsis Sedasa
|image =
|ancestry = [[Elf]]
|gender = Female
|homeland = [[Yurukan]]
}}
'''Charsis Sedasa''' {{Pronunciation|CHAR-sis seh-DAH-sah}} is a [[Yurukan|Yurukanite]] scholar hailing from a landed [[aerolith]] near [[Lake Ilithiia]]. While she considers herself something of a polymath, her primary academic focus has been on the ethnography of the various tribes and peoples of [[Abanir]], an interest she has explored through traveling the [[Aban Steppe|steppe]] and spending time with many disparate groups. Sedasa's keen academic interest is blunted only by her disdain for the cultures of the peoples she studies, who she nearly universally views as beneath and primitive to her own. Though she rarely expresses such views openly, in multiple occasions in the past she has been forced to leave encampments in which she had stayed for some time after her notes were discovered by those none too keen to have their beliefs and traditions slighted.

[[Category:Abanir]]
[[Category:Abanir/People]]
[[Category:Elves]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Campaign 8]]

Lorakh

2026-07-19T01:14:33Z

Gronk:

{{PersonInfobox
|name = Lorakh
|image =
|ancestry = [[Orc]]
|gender = Female
|homeland = [[Druzda]]
}}
'''Lorakh''' {{Pronunciation|LORE-ack}} is a elderly [[Druzda|Druzdan]] cleric of [[Agtazu]]. Though her faith, and those of the [[Orcish pantheon]] more broadly, almost never engage in proselytizing, Lorakh has for most of her life traveled across the [[Aban Steppe]] constructing shrines and teaching others of her goddess. In doing so she has collected a large numbers of stories, legends, and beliefs of others, which she has sown into her clothing. Her robes, armor, and cloak are therefore her most valuable possessions, as they represent her life's work. Through these travels and endless conversations Lorakh has taken much influence from those she has met, altering her own worship of Agtazu with elements from the [[Abanir pantheon|religion]] of the steppe.

In {{Year|6976}} a group of adventurers, seeking allies and caravan members for a journey along the [[Hundred Days Road]] to [[Rovakhad]], encountered Lorakh in [[Narbanden]] and recruited her for her expertise with the disparate peoples of the steppe. She accompanied them much of their way, but departed after learning they were transporting a [[necromancy|necromantic]] artifact. Lorakh then returned to the western steppe.

[[Category:Abanir]]
[[Category:Abanir/People]]
[[Category:Orcs]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Campaign 8]]

Lorakh

2026-07-19T01:14:27Z

Gronk: Created page with "{{PersonInfobox |name = Lorakh |image = |ancestry = Orc |gender = Female |homeland = Druzda }} '''Lorakh''' {{Pronunciation|LORE-ack}} is a elderly Druzdan cleric of Agtazu. Though her faith, and those of the Orcish pantheon more broadly, almost never engage in proselytizing, Lorakh has for most of her life traveled across the Aban Steppe constructing shrines and teaching others of her goddess. In doing so she has collected a large numbers..."

{{PersonInfobox
|name = Lorakh
|image =
|ancestry = [[Orc]]
|gender = Female
|homeland = [[Druzda]]
}}
'''Lorakh''' {{Pronunciation|LORE-ack}} is a elderly [[Druza|Druzdan]] cleric of [[Agtazu]]. Though her faith, and those of the [[Orcish pantheon]] more broadly, almost never engage in proselytizing, Lorakh has for most of her life traveled across the [[Aban Steppe]] constructing shrines and teaching others of her goddess. In doing so she has collected a large numbers of stories, legends, and beliefs of others, which she has sown into her clothing. Her robes, armor, and cloak are therefore her most valuable possessions, as they represent her life's work. Through these travels and endless conversations Lorakh has taken much influence from those she has met, altering her own worship of Agtazu with elements from the [[Abanir pantheon|religion]] of the steppe.

In {{Year|6976}} a group of adventurers, seeking allies and caravan members for a journey along the [[Hundred Days Road]] to [[Rovakhad]], encountered Lorakh in [[Narbanden]] and recruited her for her expertise with the disparate peoples of the steppe. She accompanied them much of their way, but departed after learning they were transporting a [[necromancy|necromantic]] artifact. Lorakh then returned to the western steppe.

[[Category:Abanir]]
[[Category:Abanir/People]]
[[Category:Orcs]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Campaign 8]]

Rakt Fal Morev Werxa

2026-07-19T01:07:43Z

Gronk:

{{PersonInfobox
|name = Rakt Fal Morev Werxa
|image =
|ancestry = [[Xuldorai]]
|gender = Female
|homeland = [[Abanir]]
}}
{{NameXuldorai|given=Werxa|paternal=Morev|maternal=Fal|xuld=Rakt}}

'''Rakt Fal Morev Werxa''' {{Pronunciation|RAHKT FAHL MOH-rev WER-ksah}} is a [[Xuldorai]] outcast. Though she grew up within the [[Rakt]] xuld-tribe, long enough to receive the characteristic ritual scarring of the giants, her relative small stature (standing only 8 feet tall) and physical distinctiveness led to a growing rift between Werxa and the rest of her people. She has since spent her years traveling far across the [[Aban Steppe]], finding occasional employment with caravans along the [[Hundred Days Road]] but more often venturing alone.

In {{Year|6976}} a group of adventurers, seeking allies and caravan members for a journey along the [[Hundred Days Road]] to [[Rovakhad]], encountered Werxa outside [[Narbanden]] and recruited her for her expertise with the creatures of the open grasslands. She accompanied them much of their way, but departed after learning they were transporting a [[necromancy|necromantic]] artifact. Werxa then returned to the southern steppe.

[[Category:Abanir]]
[[Category:Abanir/People]]
[[Category:Giants]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Campaign 8]]

Rakt Fal Morev Werxa

2026-07-19T01:06:48Z

Gronk:

{{PersonInfobox
|name = Rakt Fal Morev Werxa
|image =
|ancestry = [[Xuldorai]]
|gender = Female
|homeland = [[Abanir]]
}}
{{NameXuldorai|given=Werxa|paternal=Morev|maternal=Fal|xuld=Rakt}}

'''Rakt Fal Morev Werxa''' {{Pronunciation|RAHKT FAHL MOH-rev WER-ksah}} is a [[Xuldorai]] outcast. Though she grew up within the [[Rakt]] xuld-tribe, long enough to receive the characteristic ritual scarring of the giants, her relative small stature (standing only 8 feet tall) and physical distinctiveness led to a growing rift between Werxa and the rest of her people. She has since spent her years traveling far across the [[Aban Steppe]], finding occasional employment with caravans along the [[Hundred Days Road]] but more often venturing alone.

In {{Year|6976}} a group of adventurers, seeking allies and caravan members for a journey along the [[Hundred Days Road]] to [[Rovakhad]], encountered Werxa outside [[Narbanden]] and recruited her for her expertise with the creatures of the open grasslands. She accompanied them much of their way, but departed after learning they were transporting a [[necromancy|necromantic]] artifact. Werxa then returned to the southern steppe.

[[Category:Abanir]]
[[Category:Abanir/People]]
[[Category:Humans]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Campaign 8]]

Rakt Fal Morev Werxa

2026-07-19T01:06:39Z

Gronk: Created page with "{{PersonInfobox |name = Rakt Fal Morev Werxa |image = |ancestry = Xuldorai |gender = Female |homeland = Abanir }} {{NameXuldorai|given=Werxa|paternal=Morev|maternal=Fal|xuld=Rakt}} '''Rakt Fal Morev Werxa''' {{Pronunciation|RAHKT FAHL MOH-rev WER-ksah}} is a Xuldorai outcast. Though she grew up within the Rakt xuld-tribe, long enough to receive the characteristic ritual scarring of the giants, her relative small stature (standing only 8 feet tall) and p..."

{{PersonInfobox
|name = Rakt Fal Morev Werxa
|image =
|ancestry = [[Xuldorai]]
|gender = Female
|homeland = [[Abanir]]
}}
{{NameXuldorai|given=Werxa|paternal=Morev|maternal=Fal|xuld=Rakt}}

'''Rakt Fal Morev Werxa''' {{Pronunciation|RAHKT FAHL MOH-rev WER-ksah}} is a [[Xuldorai]] outcast. Though she grew up within the [[Rakt]] xuld-tribe, long enough to receive the characteristic ritual scarring of the giants, her relative small stature (standing only 8 feet tall) and physical distinctiveness led to a growing rift between Werxa and the rest of her people. She has since spent her years traveling far across the [[Aban steppe]], finding occasional employment with caravans along the [[Hundred Days Road]] but more often venturing alone.

In {{Year|6976}} a group of adventurers, seeking allies and caravan members for a journey along the [[Hundred Days Road]] to [[Rovakhad]], encountered Werxa outside [[Narbanden]] and recruited her for her expertise with the creatures of the open grasslands. She accompanied them much of their way, but departed after learning they were transporting a [[necromancy|necromantic]] artifact. Werxa then returned to the southern steppe.

[[Category:Abanir]]
[[Category:Abanir/People]]
[[Category:Humans]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Campaign 8]]

Xuldorai

2026-07-19T01:04:23Z

Gronk:

The '''Xuldorai''' {{Pronunciation|k-SOLD-oh-rye}}, also known as the '''Scarred Giants''', are giants who live in the forests and plains on the southern edge of the [[Aban Steppe]]. Highly territorial, the Xuldorai use their chariots pulled by megafauna to aggressively defend the lands they consider to be their own.

== Appearance ==
Fully grown, a Xuldorai giant is slightly shorter than most other giants, but at 15 to 20 feet tall they still tower well above any human. They typically let their hair grow long, rarely cutting it unless in anticipation of a great battle, at which point they roughly chop it off. The Xuldorai practice elaborate scarification in the form of deep, parallel, vertical lines that cover the ashen-grey skin of their arms, legs, and faces. Most wear hide clothes and armor.

== Location ==
Xuldorai tribes collectively claim a massive expanse of land in the southern Aban, from the foothills of the [[Zakros Range]] in the west to the mountains of the [[Cage]] in the east. As a largely nomadic people, they occupy very little of this land at a given time, yet they remain very belligerent against any who would hunt their animals, settle in their territory, or even pass through. Most of this landscape is open grassland, but there are pockets of forest as well, especially around the rivers. The giants often dwell in these forests for protection and move through them to better remain unseen, yet paradoxically others traveling through the region are often safer amongst the trees, as the giants cannot use their feared chariots there.

The [[Amshan|Amshani]] colonies along the northern coast of the [[Kirnashal Sea]] are well enough defended that the Xuldorai leave them alone, at least for the most part. The giants do occasionally pass by inland settlements like [[Giant's Grave]] and [[Araziash]] but generally give the fortified communities a wide berth.

== Culture ==

=== Religion ===
{{SeeAlso|Xuld}}

The religion of the Xuldorai is complex and poorly understood to outsiders. The Amshani think the giants pray to demons, while to the people of [[Abanir]] they venerate evil spirits and the [[Nameless One]]. In reality, the Xuldorai worship entities they call [[xuld]]. The origins and exact nature of the xuld are unclear. Xuldorai religious art depicts them as shadowy figures with horns, multiple eyes, and often many limbs, all traits that very much fit with Amshani notions of demons and Abanir beliefs about evil spirits. But to the Xuldorai, the xuld are far more complicated than the foul beings with which outsiders associate them. The xuld are believed to be the ancestors of the Xuldorai and the progenitors of each of their tribes, from whom they still derive their names. Fickle and prone to violence as they are, the xuld nonetheless are also wise mentors and guardians.

Offerings and sacrifices are given by the giants to the xuld in much the same way as the Abaniri do to [[Abanir pantheon|their gods]]. [[shamanism|Shamans]] within the Xuldorai tribes summon the entities only when in dire conditions, as asking them for aid always carries a steep price. None from outside the communities of the giants have yet witnessed such a summoning.

=== Society ===
The Xuldorai are split across many tribes, each of which claims its own area of the steppe under the leadership of a shaman-chief, the senior-most of the tribe's religious figures. Despite their aggression towards outsiders, the Xuldorai tribes are generally peaceful towards each others, as long as none violate their declared territory. Tribes typically but do not always maintain at least one permanent village. Some, especially those who live in the flat grasslands in the general vicinity of [[Harghaan]], are entirely nomadic.

To both the nomadic and settled smaller folk of the steppe, the Xuldorai are renowned and feared for their violent and combative attitudes towards non-giants. This belligerent outlook, and the strength to back it up, has kept others away from the southern Aban for a great many centuries, though in more recent years the Abaniri have slowly encroached from the north and the Amshani have built settlements farther and farther inland from the coast. Still, the Xuldorai serve as enough of a deterrent to drive the vast majority of trade along the [[Hundred Days Road]] towards its eastern route rather than the southern alternative. The giants are known to attack on sight any who venture forth into their steppe, rarely leaving survivors yet preferring to strike in places where the remains will be found. Their war-chariots, pulled by megafauna like saber-toothed dire cats, are easily capable of running down all but the fastest horses of the Aban. Amongst the [[targai]] of the southern steppe, it is commonly said that one might as well remain still when they hear the war-calls of the Xuldorai - at least then they'll die more quickly. Some targai choose to sneak through the rough terrain of the [[Broken Wheel Hills]], where the chariots cannot travel, but even then the giants often patrol the flatter land surrounding this region.

The aggression of the Xuldorai is not without its purpose, however unprovoked it may seem to those who fall victim to it. The giants are well aware of how much food they must consume to support their large forms, and how relatively little the steppe provides them. Their attacks, then, are done to drive away competition for resources lest the herds they hunt grow thin. The fears of the Xuldorai are no idle worrying. Once the giants lived elsewhere across the Aban Steppe, even as far north as the [[Wildsun Rise]], but were forced to retreat into their current lands as the smaller peoples around them prospered off the same lands they required.

=== Languages ===
{{SeeAlso|Xuldorai (language)}}

The language spoken by the Xuldorai is evidently an isolate, for no other languages nearby or spoken by giants elsewhere in the world bear any resemblance that is more than circumstantial. Amongst other traits that set it apart, the Xuldorai language has no distinction between adjectives and verbs and no real concept of a noun, instead chaining descriptive words to form a compound subject word. As a result the language is quite verbose when spoken formally, as the giants do in their dramatic fireside orations, but everyday use relies heavily on contractions of common terms.

=== Architecture and migration ===
Small permanent communities are built by the Xuldorai in the forests that can be found along some parts of the rivers that cross the southern Aban Steppe. Their steep-roofed log shelters are covered with branches and the foliage of trees to provide cover from the elements, and are all arranged in concentric semicircles around a large bonfire site. Any fires in the villages are carefully masked, however, primarily by burning only completely dry wood and surrounding the fire site with stretched hide barriers, as the giants go to great lengths to keep their locations secret.

Only the elders, young, and sick within the Xuldorai remain in these villages for any amount of time, as the giants spend most of their lives on the open steppe. There they use oval-shaped stitched hide tents for shelter, yet unlike in the forests, they make no attempt to hide their presence. The giants learned long ago of the fear other peoples have for them and now use this to their advantage, building bright, smoky fires through the night to announce that they are there. A group of Xuldorai might wander the steppe for months at a time before returning home, but others venture back more frequently, particularly those who act as hunting parties to feed their villages.

=== Names ===
Xuldorai names have four parts. The first is referred to as the xuld name, indicating tribal affiliation. The second and third are the individual's maternal and paternal grandfathers, respectively. Finally, the fourth is the given name.

{{CitiesAbanir}}

[[Category:Giants]]
[[Category:Heritages]]
[[Category:Giants/Heritages]]
[[Category:Abanir]]

Template:NameXuldorai

2026-07-19T00:58:04Z

Gronk: Created page with "''This individual's name uses the traditional Xuldorai giant method of naming. Their given name is {{{given|}}}, their paternal grandfather's name is {{{paternal|}}}, their maternal grandfather's name is {{{maternal|}}}, and their xuld name is {{{xuld|}}}.''"

''This individual's name uses the traditional [[Xuldorai]] [[giant]] method of naming. Their given name is {{{given|}}}, their paternal grandfather's name is {{{paternal|}}}, their maternal grandfather's name is {{{maternal|}}}, and their [[xuld]] name is {{{xuld|}}}.''

Arash rel Kelre

2026-07-19T00:55:31Z

Gronk:

{{PersonInfobox
|name = Arash rel Kelre
|image =
|ancestry = [[Human]]
|gender = Male
|homeland = [[Amshan]]
|affiliation = [[House Kelre]]
}}
'''Arash rel Kelre''' {{Pronunciation|AH-rahsh rell KELL-ree}} is the self-exiled heir to the [[House Kelre|Kelre clan]], which has historically been influential in the most remote parts of the [[Taizzan Expanse]] within western [[Amshan]]. Soon after reaching adulthood in {{Year|6985}} he left his birthright behind and headed north to [[Abanir]], fleeing the intra-clan political disputes that had plagued his family for decades. There he found employment with a number of merchant caravans in the southern [[Aban Steppe|steppe]], primarily in the reaches along the edge of Amshani territory. Though he preferred not to call attention to his background as a figure of some status, Arash nonetheless has kept his liking for the finery of Amshani fashion and food.

In {{Year|6976}} a group of adventurers, seeking allies and caravan members for a journey along the [[Hundred Days Road]] to [[Rovakhad]], encountered Arash in [[Narbanden]] and recruited him for his expertise with pack animals. He accompanied them to their final destination, after which he returned to the southern steppe.

[[Category:Abanir]]
[[Category:Abanir/People]]
[[Category:Humans]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Campaign 8]]

Vuuran Tarhesh Kol

2026-07-19T00:54:00Z

Gronk: Created page with "{{PersonInfobox |name = Vuuran Tarhesh Kol |image = |ancestry = Dwarf |gender = Male |homeland = Urkhaim }} '''Vuuran Tarhesh Kol''' {{Pronunciation|VOO-rahn TAR-hesh KOLL}} is an aged Urkhaim dwarvan hunter and scout. Cast out from his homeland as punishment for crimes against the gods, Vuuran Tarhesh has since found employment with caravans along the Hundred Days Road. He has attracted something of a reputation as hot-headed and impulsive, wi..."

{{PersonInfobox
|name = Vuuran Tarhesh Kol
|image =
|ancestry = [[Dwarf]]
|gender = Male
|homeland = [[Urkhaim]]
}}
'''Vuuran Tarhesh Kol''' {{Pronunciation|VOO-rahn TAR-hesh KOLL}} is an aged [[Urkhaim]] [[dwarf|dwarvan]] hunter and scout. Cast out from his homeland as punishment for crimes against the gods, Vuuran Tarhesh has since found employment with caravans along the [[Hundred Days Road]]. He has attracted something of a reputation as hot-headed and impulsive, with a tendency to be the only survivor of expeditions that otherwise a grisly end.

As of {{Year|6976}} Vuuran Tarhesh was living in the northern [[Amshan|Amshani]] city of [[Narbanden]].

[[Category:Abanir]]
[[Category:Abanir/People]]
[[Category:Dwarves]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Campaign 8]]

Arash rel Kelre

2026-07-19T00:47:34Z

Gronk: Created page with "{{PersonInfobox |name = Arash rel Kelre |image = |ancestry = Human |gender = Male |homeland = Amshan |affiliation = House Kelre }} '''Arash rel Kelre''' {{Pronunciation|AH-rahsh rell KELL-ree}} is the self-exiled heir to the Kelre clan, which has historically been influential in the most remote parts of the Taizzan Expanse within western Amshan. Soon after reaching adulthood in {{Year|6985}} he left his birthright behind and headed no..."

{{PersonInfobox
|name = Arash rel Kelre
|image =
|ancestry = [[Human]]
|gender = Male
|homeland = [[Amshan]]
|affiliation = [[House Kelre]]
}}
'''Arash rel Kelre''' {{Pronunciation|AH-rahsh rell KELL-ree}} is the self-exiled heir to the [[House Kelre|Kelre clan]], which has historically been influential in the most remote parts of the [[Taizzan Expanse]] within western [[Amshan]]. Soon after reaching adulthood in {{Year|6985}} he left his birthright behind and headed north to [[Abanir]], fleeing the intra-clan political disputes that had plagued his family for decades. There he found employment with a number of merchant caravans in the southern [[Aban Steppe|steppe]], primarily in the reaches along the edge of Amshani territory.

In {{Year|6976}} a group of adventurers, seeking allies and caravan members for a journey along the [[Hundred Days Road]] to [[Rovakhad]], encountered Arash in [[Narbanden]] and recruited him for his expertise with pack animals. He accompanied them to their final destination, after which he returned to the southern steppe.

[[Category:Abanir]]
[[Category:Abanir/People]]
[[Category:Humans]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Campaign 8]]