Oraculum

Divinus: The God RP, Mk. III. Finished in Record Time™!

There had been a time when it did not know thought.

It had drifted - no, hovered, immobile, in the void that was not a void, unaware that there was nothing for it to experience. That the myriad others who hovered alongside it were just as immaterial and incognizant, stillborn larvae of worlds and spirits, universes and minds. They were the sightless stars of a sky without light or darkness, rotting unmourned and unremembered in their dim slumber for a time that transcended eternity.

None of them lamented this, for none knew that there were such things. And that was as it should be.

There had been a time when it did not know.

Now and again, one of them would vanish, crumbling away into a dust even more spectral than its formlessness had been. Sooner or later - what difference did it make? - another would appear to take its place. No one asked whence it came, for it was no one's business, there.

And that was as it should be.

There had been a time-

But that time was over.

Once, It had awoken, and It could sleep no more, for It knew.
It knew that It hovered in a sky that was not a sky, for a time that was not time, and It was wroth.

It knew that those who hovered alongside it came and went, and It asked whence and whither. There was no answer, and It was wroth.

The more It knew, the more It grew wroth, for there was nothing to know. And thus, for a time that transcended eternity, It knew nothing but wrath.

Until-

It knew something more. There was a voice, which in that void that was not a void was but an echo, and it called. Suddenly, It knew that It could answer, and so it did. It clawed and scrambled, slid and scampered, up from sheer abysses, down through spinning galleries, across barren expanses. None of this was truly there, but so rich did the emptiness seem after the sky that was not a sky, that ihte fancied it was adorned with all these things, and more.

The echoes of the call loomed ahead, and he hastened towards them. A throng of lesser things was in his way - how small they were! - and he thoughtlessly pushed his way through them, scattering them like handfuls of sand. He did not know for how long the summons would endure, and he was so close now that to be denied now would have been more painful than aeons of impotent anger.

At first, there was naught...

...then, he was. It began with a rippling, a twisting of the air that betrayed a presence. It did not remain bare for long. Pillars of flowing black sludge, thick and malodorous like the rot of a thousand charnel-houses, rose up from the waters, parting them in a cacophony of churning foam. They undulated like the tentacles of some indescribably colossal beast, and began to weave themselves together like cyclopean ropes, coiling into a rough form that disappeared into the shadows overhead. Sturdy legs, long arms, crooked fingers. Masses of purulent flesh sprouted over the carcass, blossoming from a thin dripping sheen to mountainous bulks in a matter of instants. No sooner had this irregular overgrowth come to a rest that its surfaces split all over the giant's form, spraying noxious blood to all sides as jagged plates of iron emerged from the wounds. They clashed and struggled with each other, interlocking along the most unlikely of lines with a loud, shrill grating.

High above, beyond sight and voice, four flames lit up to meet the Architect's all-reaching gaze.

For a moment, all seemed still about the shadowed enormity, except for the fading reverberations of the spasms in its armour. No, not that. It was not an echo, but a low, distant - so distant - rumble coming from within the bulk's indistinct heights. It grew closer, louder, like an avalanche thundering down from the summit, and burst into a tremendous, inarticulate roar. The sheer power of the sound raised up walls of water that crashed down with the strength to shatter cities, and the hall itself seemed to shake for a moment under its violence.

Swiftly, but gradually, the bellowing took shape, the steady rumble reemerging and fusing with it into a simple, unmistakable rhythm. The giant was laughing, a genuine exhilaration pervading his deafening tones even long after he had ceased and only the shadows feebly replied in kind.

And, indeed, he had good cause for joy, for Narzhak lived.

Divinus: The God RP, Mk. III. Finished in Record Time™!

@Cyclone

I do agree that, if fraying is indeed a negligible factor most of the time, complexity would not be much of a problem, and many of my concerns about it are alleviated. However, it still seems to me (do correct me if I'm mistaken) that it would have a fairly significant negative impact on a number of the setting's features.

Take, for example, undead. Even if it only manifests after a very extended timespan soul decay would inevitably affect all of them, as there is no apparent limit to their permanence in that state. The length of that timespan is ultimately immaterial, given the roleplay revolves around immortal characters who operate over entire epochs of the world; sooner or later, we would reach its end. This could only be avoided if were truly extremely great, but, if taken too far, the whole notion would at length be rendered entirely irrelevant to all purposes. Having all undead be condemned to degrade into mindless husks would heavily impair the relevance of undeath as a divine aspect, or at least greatly limit the possible ways in which it could be explored and developed.

Another concept that has been mentioned various times is the possibility of competing afterlives. Beyond having plenty of plot potential in itself, something like this could give a whole new dimension to an eventual soul crisis arc, making it a much more personal matter for any gods who engaged in it. However, once again this would be stymied if all souls were destined to crumble regardless of what happened to them. A variety of afterlives is meaningless if all their inhabitants are featureless shells without thought or memory. Remedying this by making them impermanent would somewhat defeat the concept of an afterlife proper.

Overall, I believe the case remains that soul decay could inhibit several interesting plot opportunities while - I feel the need to restate this - contributing very little in return (its usefulness for demons is ambiguous at best if it is such a small factor, although I admit I did not entirely follow the deliberations on that, and even the ethical aspect it adds to Katharsos' work appears very minor compared to the otherwise cosmic significance of his duties). If I am inflating things out of their real proportion or if there are solutions to these issues, though, do disregard my ramblings.

Divinus: The God RP, Mk. III. Finished in Record Time™!

On the topic of souls, I have no issues with souls being finite and any crisis plots that might entail, and I agree with it being more practical for divines to have essences distinct from regular souls. However, I have to object to the notion of soul fraying. As I have said in the Discord, I find that it makes things needlessly more complex without contributing anything interesting or useful to the setting that could not be achieved by much simpler means. Consider the following:

On soul decay, I propose this: An intact and healthy body inhibits the decay of the resident soul. Stuff like divine essence and the MP invested to make Heroes heroic further reinforces souls against decay to the extent of stopping decay entirely while they are alive. Part of making an immortal species is spending MP on their ability to keep their souls together indefinitely. Ad hoc solutions, such as those available to mortals, do not prevent this fraying, and self-made immortals will need to work to maintain their immortality (e.g. a lich needs to keep consuming souls so as to replenish the part of their soul which frays).

On the death of powerful beings, typically their death is brought about by something which weakens the being to the extent that the being is too weak to not die. At this stage, stripped of power, the being (e.g. god, hero) is likely (although not certainly) too weak to resist the Sky of Pyres.

On what counts as a body, it is whatever you have spent Might on to make as a body for your species.

@BBeast

In essence, this amounts to emulating a natural process (aging and bodily damage leading to death) which normally occurs on its own. In such a system, a being would be weakened by having a compromised body, which leads to a decaying soul. But a compromised body results in weakness regardless of the state of the soul within; indeed, even in a cosmology where souls were absent altogether, physical harm would bring one closer to death, regardless of any ulterior circumstances. In addition, a soul's health being dependant on the body's condition could lead to some strange quandaries: would someone who has lost a limb have their soul decay at an accelerated rate? Would someone who has suffered from a severe disease, and then recovered, nevertheless die prematurely because the period of illness resulted in pieces of their soul sloughing away faster than normal?

As concerns immortal beings, divinely blessed and not, soul decay once again adds a layer of intricacy that does not appear strictly necessary. The additional effort (MP) spent in reinforcing the souls of such entities could just as easily be explained by the difficulty of creating physical forms for them that better withstand the advance of time, something that would need to be done anyway if the creator does not wish for them to grow decrepit under the immense age they would eventually reach. Those mortals that would attain immortality by their own means would be in a similar predicament. They might be able to extend their lifespan by some means, but they would have to keep themselves from rotting away in order to enjoy it, and no amount of consuming souls would help them with that. The lich in the example would need to, for instance, drain its victims' life force to strengthen its crumbling bones; that is not to say that it shouldn't be able to strip them of their souls for some purpose, but, as mentioned, fuelling its unlife with them alone would be a futile endeavour by the system's very rules.

Furthermore, soul fraying seems to me all the more dubious since there is no definite description of how it occurs. It was said that:

I imagine a fully decayed soul would just be a bunch of crumbles, effectively a lump of soul ash with a few chunks big enough to retain some memories etc.

Cyclone in the chat yesterday

It's not very clear how this would fit into the workings of the soul as determined by the Sky of Pyres. If the decay is manifested in the soul falling apart, how would it be purified at Katharsos' hands? And, if souls crumble back into ash as they reach the end of their course, why would he need to redistribute their material by artificial means? Far from providing a justification for his work, soul decay might in fact place its usefulness into question.

One last note, not necessarily related to fraying but still linked with matters of death and the soul. I notice the OP still has this point, written before Katharsos was conceived:

3 Might: Resurrect a mortal or a hero. Reaching into the depths of death and plucking back a mortal soul is no easy task, even for a god, and will likely involve a quest to whatever Sphere the soul has gone for its afterlife. The cost for healing or building a new body for said mortal is included in this act. This cost does not cover any sundry expenses incurred during a quest to the afterlife and back.

Rules on Might spending

Since in the new system death involves one's mind and memories being destroyed and scattered, eventually going to form new living beings, the feasibility of this might need to be revised.

Divinus: The God RP, Mk. III. Finished in Record Time™!

So what are people gunning for in terms of second portfolios?

@Crispy Octopus

Likely Murder, Predation or something similarly adaptable, with an aim for a cluster of Violence or Strife (more vague, but doesn't it sound that much better?).

Divinus: The Divine RP, Mk. III

Narzhak

NARZHAK

the Bloodied Fist, the Iron Scourge, the Fell Colossus, the Iron God

The Sphere: Deep below the earth, just over the barrier that encloses Galbar’s fiery core, lies the Pit of Trials, abode of the Iron God. It is built into a single cavernous vault, so tall that its ceiling would be invisible from below even if it were not constantly shrouded in smoke and so vast that its edges are hidden beyond the horizon. Clouds of unnatural crimson flame, wracked by erratic currents of lightning, and great dripping orbs of magma hover across its height, casting an uneven glow that lights the subterranean darkness into a charnel penumbra.

At the bottom of the Pit is an expanse of rock, arid and warm to the touch. While traces of life upon it are scarce and wide traits of it are flat and barren, it is far from empty. Chains of hills and small mountains, lakes and rivers of molten rock spanned by narrow and treacherous bridges, gaping fissures, ruined or unfinished remains of spires and fortresses, abyssal caverns and many other terrible marvels dot its surface, and monstrous creatures of the depths roam and lurk across this hellish domain. Storms of ash and cinders haphazardly scour the wastes, and the very land seems to subtly work against any intruders - pebbles and rocks will unaccountably shift at inopportune moments to cast the unwary into pitfalls, and vents will abruptly open below one’s feet to spew out noxious fumes.

The walls of the great chamber are a world unto themselves. A myriad of lesser cave mouths, unreachable from below, open over all their extension, leading to forges, breeding pits, arsenals and repositories of instruments of destruction. The brutish denizens of the Pit, thralls of Narzhak, toil and labour therein, scurrying through connecting tunnels or clambering over the sheer ledges from one recess to another. While their artifices are never far beyond the knowledge of surface-dwellers, they are skilfully built, and often given outlandish, vicious shapes. Midway up the height of the vault, the god himself is wont to sit in an immense alcove, contemplating his realm and devising hardships to mete out upon Galbar.

Due to the Pit’s distance from the surface, its influence travels upward by dim and indirect ways. At times, there might emerge a mild tremor in the ground or a waft of malodorous smoke, but such cases are rare. Much broader and more insidious is the shadow it casts over the minds of living things, however simple. Sudden, inexplicable bouts of anger, bloodthirsty musings in moments of solitude, alluring dreams of conquest and dominance, even beasts killing more than they can eat of a whim - all those may be the mark of a fiery breath from the deep.

Location of Sphere: The Chthonic depths, near the Core. While one could never pierce the Pit's ceiling, no matter how deep one digs, the deepest reaches of Galbar may hold fissures and tunnels that lead to entrances into the great vault. A number of other spheres lie in the vicinity, or are otherwise connected to it:

Ehomakwoi, some of whose passageways may reach the networks carved into the Pit's walls;

The Abyss, whence flows the molten rock that pools and hovers over its landscape;

The Palace of Dreams, whose influence is subtle and unpredictable, yet undeniably close;

The Hive, source, through various minute cunicles, of various pests and vermin that come to dwell in the Pit, becoming one of its perils.

The Grand Bazaar, where Narzhak's thralls travel through subterranean passages to trade their grim wares for meats and sundry. Grunting, gesticulating processions incessantly carry their loads back and forth between the two spheres;

Sheol, from whose warrens savage demons crawl out to prowl across the Pit's ragged wastes in search of prey.

Portfolio: Wherever there arise clashing visions and ambitions, wherever there is disaccord, wrath and hunger, the ground is ripe for War. Although the word may evoke the thought of great armies marching to meet each other in the field, that is far from all there is to this ruinous domain. The spirit of strife and conflict can take root within any being, be they cognizant or bestial, mortal or divine, and many a minutious stratagem or prodigious invention can spring from the crude desire to harm and kill one’s foes. Yet, no matter what marvels of ingenuity may adorn it, nor how one may try and embellish it with high-sounding notions of honour and universal necessity, war is an ugly, destructive business from which not even the victor may come out unscathed. At its root, war is the collapse of reason and harmony before brutality and violence, the fall of civilisation and order to primal, entropic chaos.

Narzhak embodies this calamitous aspect of existence and glories in it. With but a thought, he can incite bloodlust in any creature, transforming the meekest of animals into savage monsters and the most serene of mortalkind into gnashing berserkers. In his hands, anything may be fashioned into a weapon; ploughshares become swords, sometimes literally; skin hardens into armoured carapace and nails lengthen into bladelike claws. Likewise, the Bloodied Fist is adept at other aspects of his craft - he is a formidable combatant even among divines, and always has an eye for the best ways to exploit his surroundings and an enemy's weaknesses in a struggle of any magnitude.

Persona: Blunt, brutal and immensely arrogant as befits an incarnation of war, Narzhak revels in his gruesome role and makes no effort to conceal it. Nothing amuses him more than taking full advantage of his godly potency to wantonly ruin and destroy what others have built. At the same time, it would be wrong to think of him as merely a savage hedonist. All his slaughter and rapine has, in truth, a loftier goal than his own entertainment, and that is no less than the betterment of the universe. Coarse and sanguinary though he may be, the Iron God would never stand to be called an ingrate or an oathbreaker, and he is mindful of the fact that he owes the divinity he so relishes to the workings of the Architect. As such, he considers himself obligated to assist in seeing through the latter’s grand creative plan to fruition, and if he so happens to enjoy it, all the better.

Unfortunately for Galbar and its inhabitants, Narzhak is a steadfast believer in the way of the lash. To get the best out of something, one must pitilessly force it out through trial and torment, without regard for collateral damage; and, being nothing but not dutiful, he will not hesitate to scourge the entire world with tireless ferocity to push it to achieving its full potential. In this unforgiving vision, there is no room for lesser beings as anything other than minuscule cogs in the cosmic machine. Narzhak will scarcely even deign to distinguish among them, exception made for those scarce few who manage to impress him enough to be exalted as harbingers of his entropic ravages. Nonetheless, not even such insignificant gnats are inherently unworthy of appreciation, and he is generous in rewarding those who honour him by their own choice.

Overall, Narzhak approaches his position in the world as a commander would a campaign. There are battles to be fought and plunder to be made, allies to be sought in like-minded deities and enemies to be found in those who would abuse their power solely for their benefit, but above all there is to be a scheme to mark the best way ahead, however vague and flexible. Exultant rage has its place in the heat of combat, but a master of warcraft must know to be cunning and patient when the situation calls for it, and who could understand this better than the god of war himself?

Appearance: The Bloodied Fist takes on the shape of a titanic figure, rivalling a mountain in size. Although broadly humanoid, this body is grotesque and ogre-like, with a massive torso resting on short, stout legs and powerful arms that end in four clawed fingers. Its skin is covered by gigantic plates of iron, ill-matched and with ragged edges that grate against each other. Through the fissures they leave exposed it can be seen that the god’s flesh below is a raw, grey mass oozing a noisome ichor, in parts fused to the armour, so that it is difficult to say where the one ends and the other begins. The being’s head is little more than a colossal misshapen bulk of metal, a flat, blank visor covering all features but four fiery eyes.

Musical Theme:

Divinus: The Divine RP, Mk. III

Good gods, is this fast. Calling dibs on a war god before it gets plundered; a sheet should be coming sometime today.

Mid/High Casual - Divinus: The Deity Roleplay Mk.II

I'm considering a god of strife and upheaval of various kinds. War, sure, but possibly also things like eruptions, earthquakes, disease or others in this vein. Still, the idea's pretty flexible at the moment. It could easily become something more elemental instead.

Mid/High Casual - Divinus: The Deity Roleplay Mk.II

Well, I haven't been able to contribute much to the discussion so far - I don't have anywhere as extensive an experience with the cogs and pieces of Divinus as most people here, and whenever I thought of a point someone had already made it by the time I logged in. But I did say I'd stick with this no matter what shape it took, so, if you'll have me, I'd be more than happy to tag along for Mk3. With this group, I know it'll be well worth it, whatever it ends up being.

The Fading Light of V'landriel [Ended, Reboot in Progress]

Akkanun

Melikit Tenrisi Akkanun'in

Sacred Domain of Akkanun

Type of Government: Absolute imperial monarchy, dynastic.

In the rigidly hierarchical Akkanid society, power is concentrated in the ruling family, whose head holds absolute sway over all matters of the realm. Despite the dynasty being furthered through female heirs by matrilineal descendance, in accordance with tervigen customs the effective ruler is the oldest male, usually the current queen’s elder consort; his younger peers act as his Vizirs, a combination of trusted advisors, lieutenants and bodyguards. The queens themselves typically take on a role akin to that of chamberlains, managing the household and keeping the excesses of the court in check.

The most immediate executors of the ruler’s will are the gradasi, the caste of warrior-nobles that tops the pyramid of Akkanid social strata. Their ranks supply the emirs and officials that govern the Domain’s provinces and subjugated states, as well as the consorts of successive queens. Directly following them is the colourful array of scribes, clergy, lesser administrators and military leaders, legislators, slave masters and other cogs and pieces of the great bureaucratic machine that ensures law and order are enforced throughout the land. While formally known as members of the royal court, only a fraction of their number actually resides in the capital, the majority acting as local representatives wherever the government maintains a presence.

Head of Government: Sultan Bayazid Haikin Agrameyn, Anointed Guardian of the Sacred Domain.

Economy: Although not primitive by any stretch, and indeed rather opulent, Akkanun’s economy remains based almost exclusively on the commerce and craftsmanship based in its sprawling urban centers, with industrialisation being sparse and overall prevented from developing to any significant degree by social conditions. The bulk of agricultural and other menial work is carried out by slaves and lower castes, for the most part in the employ of small landowners or the state itself - an arrangement which varies to lesser or greater extent from one emirate to another, depending on the original local culture, but remains mostly consistent throughout the Domain thanks to fairly stringent policies of stratification.

By contrast, regulations on trade are surprisingly liberal, allowing for an easy circulation of goods within Akkanun and relatively effortless ventures beyond its borders. Whilst originally intended to make trade a vector for cultural contact and integration, and thus consolidation of sovereign authority, these laws have allowed a drastic growth in the individual wealth of the higher castes, and by extension in the royal treasury built upon them. Notably, with a guaranteed steady influx of raw wares, and the thriving slave trade being abundantly fueled by blood taxes levied on provinces and tributaries, there is a continued incentive for skilled artisan labour to fill the niche of manufactured goods, which has led to virtually every free citizen family adopting some sort of craft as a source of income, whether minor or essential. Successful ventures can develop into wealthy and respected hereditary trade lineages with solid hopes of social mobility, but even the lowliest agrarian household with two or three chattel to its name enjoys the opportunity of sending one of its sons to the nearest bazaar every week to sell some of its homemade baskets and bring back a taste of the busy city life.

Population: ca. 87 million total. Largely peoples of subjugated realms, although a significant number is also concentrated in the sprawling cities of the tervigen homelands.

Primary Species:

Tervigen: Midway between insectoid and reptilian, these creatures hail from the arid wastes and steppes of the southwest, seemingly finding themselves at home in these harsh territories. Their tough, carapace-like hides help them preserve body moisture as well as providing a sturdy natural protection, and the glossy membranes that give their eyes their distinctive golden hue dampen the light that strikes their eyes, allowing them to comfortably see in sunlight that would dazzle or blind humans. The unforgiving environment of their home has left the tervigen free of any squeamishness, and they will readily gobble anything they can get their hands on, be it animal, vegetal or even their own dead when nothing better is to be found.

All the while, though these features make them well-suited to life in their native lands, they also cripple their ability to adapt to foreign conditions. Cold or damp climates make them uncomfortable, and they are virtually blind in all but the clearest of nights, having to rely on hearing and the vibration-sense of their feelers.

Tervigen hatch from eggs which their females lay in clutches of between three and six. The ratio of male to female births is disproportionately high, and it is thus customary for women to have multiple husbands (generally two or three, and never more than five); the latter generally see each other as bond-brothers of sorts, although variations exist across local cultures. Psychologically, tervigen males tend to overall be more sociable, adventurous and combative, while females, who are likewise physically larger and stronger, are sedentary and territorial. This has led to the formation of an overarching social order where household authority is matriarchal, but men represent their families in public affairs, and thus hold official charges and positions.

Tzücomen Humans: As common as they are elsewhere in the southern regions of the New World, Tzücomen are by far the most widespread human ethnicity in Akkanun. Though historically descended from the Transtulanian Beyliks and to this day not entirely severed from their nomadic roots, centuries of tervigen rule have brought their culture closer to the broader norms of the Domain. As such, they are more inclined to settling than their northern kin, and those who do live on the move tend to migrate following regular cycles, usually tied to seasonal effects on agriculture and cattle-herding.

Grogar: With the once-major grogar realm of Agar Dûkh having been one of the first local nations to become a tributary of Akkanun, it is but natural that these beings should be as populous as the Tzücomen, if not more so, within the Domain’s confines. Although their status has allowed them to retain a greater share of distinctiveness to their customs and traditions, the Akkanid grogar have not remained untouched by the gradual mingling of its peoples, and many of their more recent social adjustments have come to mirror this, such as the sweeping adoption of Domain mercantile laws. The grogar’s hardiness makes them a popular source of köleceri, the caste of redoubtably zealous indoctrinated slave-soldiers that forms the backbone of the Sultan’s armies.

Other Minorities:

Üarim: Inhabiting the northern conquered provinces of Akkanun, the prideful Üarim have taken ill to foreign domination, proving turbulent subjects at the best of times. While the heavy hand of tervigen domination has thus far quelled all attempts at revolt and secession, the advent of the Miranid horde presents a new peril, and numerous northerners have already taken the opportunity to join the march of their fellows rather than battle them in defense of the Akkanid holdings.

Strigoi: Mostly lone marauders crossing into the eastern provinces from Wulfram to prey on the populace, strigoi sometimes become themselves the targets of bold hunting parties who seek to capture and sell them to nobles and dignitaries as glorified pets or arena beasts - a perilous endeavour, especially when it earns the resentment of other night-dwellers across the border.

Daywalkers: Some enterprising and reckless potentates who keep a live strigoi have taken to forcefully breeding their monstrous captives with slaves to produce daywalker spawn. The offspring are raised to be blindly loyal to Akkanun, and become the most fearsome köleceri warriors at the Sultan’s disposal.

Culture: As a nation comprised of various holdings and subjects, Akkanun is a conflux of cultural customs and heritages from throughout the southwestern New World, but the rule of the Domain has enforced a number of uniform features which hold true for all its inhabitants. While formal laws are fairly permissive and generally seen as flexible, great importance is given to hierarchy and social position. The segmented nature of Akkanid society itself is defined by this reverence for authority, and it is seen as very ill form to voice even the mildest criticism of one’s superiors, let alone outright disagree with them. Severe though this may appear, some leeway is afforded by the complexity and mutability of the caste system, and as long as one does not overstep certain obvious boundaries, commentary is permissible, as would be obvious to anyone who visited a typical bazaar.

Broadly speaking, social strata are divided into three groups. The lower castes, composed of farmers, miners and other simple labourers, are found living prevalently in the countryside, though some more specialised workers, such as stonemasons, have a sizeable presence in urban centres. Traders and artisans, distinctly a step above, are nonetheless the latter’s most numerous inhabitants, albeit modest landowners, who enjoy a similar status, typically choose to reside near their holdings. Finally, the upper echelons, the Sultan’s court and the freeman military, are scattered wherever their duties may take them, but tend to prefer the luxuries of urban life when given the freedom of a choice. Slaves, integral to Akkanun’s authoritarian culture and economy alike, stand in a somewhat odd position, as they are themselves divided into different categories. Though the vast majority are considered inferiors of even the lower castes, some few, notably the köleceri and certain others who possess unique skills, enjoy privileges comparable to those of freemen, and are subordinate to very few masters - sometimes only the Sultan himself.

A subtler influence of tervigen dominance is universal prominence of war and commerce, seen as equally necessary facts of life, civilised or not, and vital forms of the growth and expression of a society and its members alike. Those who do not contribute to either in some capacity are held in contempt, although different Domain cultures often approach this differently - for instance, Agari grogar consider the role of religion in inspiring martial vigour into the populace more important, and thus hold the clergy in relatively higher regard, while most Tzücomen have much more straightforward views on the matter.

Religious and Other Beliefs: Religion is as varied as lay culture in the Domain, with none being either obligatory or proscribed, although the adherents of most faiths enjoy less opportunities and social mobility than those of the native Akkanid worship of the Sky-Mother. This tervigen cult reveres a guardian deity believed to reside in the heavens and keep watch over her chosen children at night through her many eyes, the stars and moon. By day she sleeps, though she keeps her brightest eye, the sun, open to guide the faithful. Consequently, astrology is held in high regard among the sciences, as its practitioners are believed to be able to read the will of the Mother in the night sky.

Other major religions include the Üarim and Tzücomen worship of their own Sun and Fire Gods, and the Grogar cult of the Deep.

Location/Territories: Only major region/province borders are shown.



Climate: Mostly hot and dry from the coast into the western heartlands, growing slightly cooler as one moves eastwards in the direction of Wulfram, and more humid and fertile to the north. Vegetation mostly consists of wasteland shrubs and small trees, though mediterranean-like thickets and undergrowth intensify near the coastline.

Military: When marching to war, Akkanun is notorious for its ability to raise immense armies at a moment’s notice by conscripting vast numbers of slaves and low-castes. However, while useful for intimidating enemies and culling the rabble should it grow restless, this is merely a diversionary strategy, as such gigantic hordes are impossible to supply and maintain for any length of time; though numerous, their warriors are poorly armed and trained, prone to breaking when facing superior foes, and eager to desert when they find an opportunity.

Instead, the true strength of the Domain’s military lies in its core of professional soldiers, whether gradasi, köleceri slaves or citizens who take up a life in arms by their own choice. These forces are superbly disciplined, equipped with the best money can buy, and in most cases ready to fight to the last blood at the Sultan’s orders. On the battlefield, they are supported by crude but time-tested artillery such as bombards and mortars, and mages who bring their supernatural powers and arcane contraptions to bear against the enemy.

In addition, Akkanid armies usually include auxiliaries from their subject states, ranging from Tzücomen cavalry and skirmishers to heavily armoured Grogar shock troops.

Magic Prevalence/Usage and Elemental Alignment: While mage births are no more common in Akkanun than elsewhere, practitioners of the craft are relatively common. A skilled mage is guaranteed to prosper either as an artisan and peddler of enchanted wares or a war-caster, and the most capable and fortunate may even achieve lucrative positions in the royal court.

Tervigen as a species tend towards a gaseous alignment, being best-known for their ability to raise violent sandstorms and conjure clouds of acrid smoke or narcotic vapour. Plasma and liquid follow as the other most prevalent ones.

History/Background Info: The beginnings of tervigen history stretch back into the night of time, and are equally obscure. For as long as anyone can remember, the bellicose desert folk had been warring among themselves and with their neighbours, to whom they had always proved a nuisance with their slaving raids and conquering aggression. The first and only lengthy period of respite from this ceaseless swarming was brought about by Wulfram’s conquest over a thousand years ago. While there are few, if any, surviving records of that time, inscriptions found on ruins and ancient artefacts hint that for a while the southwest was pacified, and some form of agreement existed between the locals and the Strigoi. The latter supposedly acted as protectors some sort, collecting a tithe in blood in exchange.

It is known that a millennium from the present day there was a great culling of mages, soon after followed by the retreat of the Strigoi. The events of the next two hundred years are poorly documented, but, considering that a unified tervigen state began to expand outside its ancestral territories after that time, it is likely that internecine struggles resumed as soon as Wulfram’s order collapsed; that they should have eventually found a conclusion is likely due to some tribes having been struck less grievously than others, and left better able to build upon the remains of Strigoi buildings, which in many cases would become the foundations for Akkanun’s current great cities.

Their hosts finally unified, the Akkanids poured out from their native deserts, overrunning the human, Grogar and Üarim near their borders. Though stopped from advancing further by the confines of Strigoi lands, which they did not dare invade, geographical barriers and progressively less hospitable climates, the empire they had carved out for themselves was large enough that maintaining control over it would require their full attention. Thus, centuries passed as they consolidated their rule and grew complacent with power, framed by the occasional raid or skirmish at the borders. Lately, however, forces greater than Akkanun has faced in a long time have begun to stir outside its confines, and the first incursions of the Miranid horde have stirred up no little alarm in the masters of the Domain, and many suspect worse things still lie in wait for the future.

The Fading Light of V'landriel [Ended, Reboot in Progress]

Akkanun

Melikit Tenrisi Akkanun'in

Sacred Domain of Akkanun

Type of Government: Absolute imperial monarchy, dynastic.

In the rigidly hierarchical Akkanid society, power is concentrated in the ruling family, whose head holds absolute sway over all matters of the realm. Despite the dynasty being furthered through female heirs by matrilineal descendance, in accordance with tervigen customs the effective ruler is the oldest male, usually the current queen’s elder consort; his younger peers act as his Vizirs, a combination of trusted advisors, lieutenants and bodyguards. The queens themselves typically take on a role akin to that of chamberlains, managing the household and keeping the excesses of the court in check.

The most immediate executors of the ruler’s will are the gradasi, the caste of warrior-nobles that tops the pyramid of Akkanid social strata. Their ranks supply the emirs and officials that govern the Domain’s provinces and subjugated states, as well as the consorts of successive queens. Directly following them is the colourful array of scribes, clergy, lesser administrators and military leaders, legislators, slave masters and other cogs and pieces of the great bureaucratic machine that ensures law and order are enforced throughout the land. While formally known as members of the royal court, only a fraction of their number actually resides in the capital, the majority acting as local representatives wherever the government maintains a presence.

Head of Government: Sultan Bayazid Haikin Agrameyn, Anointed Guardian of the Sacred Domain.

Economy: Although not primitive by any stretch, and indeed rather opulent, Akkanun’s economy remains based almost exclusively on the commerce and craftsmanship based in its sprawling urban centers, with industrialisation being sparse and overall prevented from developing to any significant degree by social conditions. The bulk of agricultural and other menial work is carried out by slaves and lower castes, for the most part in the employ of small landowners or the state itself - an arrangement which varies to lesser or greater extent from one emirate to another, depending on the original local culture, but remains mostly consistent throughout the Domain thanks to fairly stringent policies of stratification.

By contrast, regulations on trade are surprisingly liberal, allowing for an easy circulation of goods within Akkanun and relatively effortless ventures beyond its borders. Whilst originally intended to make trade a vector for cultural contact and integration, and thus consolidation of sovereign authority, these laws have allowed a drastic growth in the individual wealth of the higher castes, and by extension in the royal treasury built upon them. Notably, with a guaranteed steady influx of raw wares, and the thriving slave trade being abundantly fueled by blood taxes levied on provinces and tributaries, there is a continued incentive for skilled artisan labour to fill the niche of manufactured goods, which has led to virtually every free citizen family adopting some sort of craft as a source of income, whether minor or essential. Successful ventures can develop into wealthy and respected hereditary trade lineages with solid hopes of social mobility, but even the lowliest agrarian household with two or three chattel to its name enjoys the opportunity of sending one of its sons to the nearest bazaar every week to sell some of its homemade baskets and bring back a taste of the busy city life.

Population: ca. 87 million total. Largely peoples of subjugated realms, although a significant number is also concentrated in the sprawling cities of the tervigen homelands.

Primary Species:

Tervigen: Midway between insectoid and reptilian, these creatures hail from the arid wastes and steppes of the southwest, seemingly finding themselves at home in these harsh territories. Their tough, carapace-like hides help them preserve body moisture as well as providing a sturdy natural protection, and the glossy membranes that give their eyes their distinctive golden hue dampen the light that strikes their eyes, allowing them to comfortably see in sunlight that would dazzle or blind humans. The unforgiving environment of their home has left the tervigen free of any squeamishness, and they will readily gobble anything they can get their hands on, be it animal, vegetal or even their own dead when nothing better is to be found.

All the while, though these features make them well-suited to life in their native lands, they also cripple their ability to adapt to foreign conditions. Cold or damp climates make them uncomfortable, and they are virtually blind in all but the clearest of nights, having to rely on hearing and the vibration-sense of their feelers.

Tervigen hatch from eggs which their females lay in clutches of between three and six. The ratio of male to female births is disproportionately high, and it is thus customary for women to have multiple husbands (generally two or three, and never more than five); the latter generally see each other as bond-brothers of sorts, although variations exist across local cultures. Psychologically, tervigen males tend to overall be more sociable, adventurous and combative, while females, who are likewise physically larger and stronger, are sedentary and territorial. This has led to the formation of an overarching social order where household authority is matriarchal, but men represent their families in public affairs, and thus hold official charges and positions.

Tzücomen Humans: As common as they are elsewhere in the southern regions of the New World, Tzücomen are by far the most widespread human ethnicity in Akkanun. Though historically descended from the Transtulanian Beyliks and to this day not entirely severed from their nomadic roots, centuries of tervigen rule have brought their culture closer to the broader norms of the Domain. As such, they are more inclined to settling than their northern kin, and those who do live on the move tend to migrate following regular cycles, usually tied to seasonal effects on agriculture and cattle-herding.

Grogar: With the once-major grogar realm of Agar Dûkh having been one of the first local nations to become a tributary of Akkanun, it is but natural that these beings should be as populous as the Tzücomen, if not more so, within the Domain’s confines. Although their status has allowed them to retain a greater share of distinctiveness to their customs and traditions, the Akkanid grogar have not remained untouched by the gradual mingling of its peoples, and many of their more recent social adjustments have come to mirror this, such as the sweeping adoption of Domain mercantile laws. The grogar’s hardiness makes them a popular source of köleceri, the caste of redoubtably zealous indoctrinated slave-soldiers that forms the backbone of the Sultan’s armies.

Other Minorities:

Üarim: Inhabiting the northern conquered provinces of Akkanun, the prideful Üarim have taken ill to foreign domination, proving turbulent subjects at the best of times. While the heavy hand of tervigen domination has thus far quelled all attempts at revolt and secession, the advent of the Miranid horde presents a new peril, and numerous northerners have already taken the opportunity to join the march of their fellows rather than battle them in defense of the Akkanid holdings.

Strigoi: Mostly lone marauders crossing into the eastern provinces from Wulfram to prey on the populace, strigoi sometimes become themselves the targets of bold hunting parties who seek to capture and sell them to nobles and dignitaries as glorified pets or arena beasts - a perilous endeavour, especially when it earns the resentment of other night-dwellers across the border.

Daywalkers: Some enterprising and reckless potentates who keep a live strigoi have taken to forcefully breeding their monstrous captives with slaves to produce daywalker spawn. The offspring are raised to be blindly loyal to Akkanun, and become the most fearsome köleceri warriors at the Sultan’s disposal.

Culture: As a nation comprised of various holdings and subjects, Akkanun is a conflux of cultural customs and heritages from throughout the southwestern New World, but the rule of the Domain has enforced a number of uniform features which hold true for all its inhabitants. While formal laws are fairly permissive and generally seen as flexible, great importance is given to hierarchy and social position. The segmented nature of Akkanid society itself is defined by this reverence for authority, and it is seen as very ill form to voice even the mildest criticism of one’s superiors, let alone outright disagree with them. Severe though this may appear, some leeway is afforded by the complexity and mutability of the caste system, and as long as one does not overstep certain obvious boundaries, commentary is permissible, as would be obvious to anyone who visited a typical bazaar.

Broadly speaking, social strata are divided into three groups. The lower castes, composed of farmers, miners and other simple labourers, are found living prevalently in the countryside, though some more specialised workers, such as stonemasons, have a sizeable presence in urban centres. Traders and artisans, distinctly a step above, are nonetheless the latter’s most numerous inhabitants, albeit modest landowners, who enjoy a similar status, typically choose to reside near their holdings. Finally, the upper echelons, the Sultan’s court and the freeman military, are scattered wherever their duties may take them, but tend to prefer the luxuries of urban life when given the freedom of a choice. Slaves, integral to Akkanun’s authoritarian culture and economy alike, stand in a somewhat odd position, as they are themselves divided into different categories. Though the vast majority are considered inferiors of even the lower castes, some few, notably the köleceri and certain others who possess unique skills, enjoy privileges comparable to those of freemen, and are subordinate to very few masters - sometimes only the Sultan himself.

A subtler influence of tervigen dominance is universal prominence of war and commerce, seen as equally necessary facts of life, civilised or not, and vital forms of the growth and expression of a society and its members alike. Those who do not contribute to either in some capacity are held in contempt, although different Domain cultures often approach this differently - for instance, Agari grogar consider the role of religion in inspiring martial vigour into the populace more important, and thus hold the clergy in relatively higher regard, while most Tzücomen have much more straightforward views on the matter.

Religious and Other Beliefs: Religion is as varied as lay culture in the Domain, with none being either obligatory or proscribed, although the adherents of most faiths enjoy less opportunities and social mobility than those of the native Akkanid worship of the Sky-Mother. This tervigen cult reveres a guardian deity believed to reside in the heavens and keep watch over her chosen children at night through her many eyes, the stars and moon. By day she sleeps, though she keeps her brightest eye, the sun, open to guide the faithful. Consequently, astrology is held in high regard among the sciences, as its practitioners are believed to be able to read the will of the Mother in the night sky.

Other major religions include the Üarim and Tzücomen worship of their own Sun and Fire Gods, and the Grogar cult of the Deep.

Location/Territories: Only major region/province borders are shown.



Climate: Mostly hot and dry from the coast into the western heartlands, growing slightly cooler as one moves eastwards in the direction of Wulfram, and more humid and fertile to the north. Vegetation mostly consists of wasteland shrubs and small trees, though mediterranean-like thickets and undergrowth intensify near the coastline.

Military: When marching to war, Akkanun is notorious for its ability to raise immense armies at a moment’s notice by conscripting vast numbers of slaves and low-castes. However, while useful for intimidating enemies and culling the rabble should it grow restless, this is merely a diversionary strategy, as such gigantic hordes are impossible to supply and maintain for any length of time; though numerous, their warriors are poorly armed and trained, prone to breaking when facing superior foes, and eager to desert when they find an opportunity.

Instead, the true strength of the Domain’s military lies in its core of professional soldiers, whether gradasi, köleceri slaves or citizens who take up a life in arms by their own choice. These forces are superbly disciplined, equipped with the best money can buy, and in most cases ready to fight to the last blood at the Sultan’s orders. On the battlefield, they are supported by crude but time-tested artillery such as bombards and mortars, and mages who bring their supernatural powers and arcane contraptions to bear against the enemy.

In addition, Akkanid armies usually include auxiliaries from their subject states, ranging from Tzücomen cavalry and skirmishers to heavily armoured Grogar shock troops.

Magic Prevalence/Usage and Elemental Alignment: While mage births are no more common in Akkanun than elsewhere, practitioners of the craft are relatively common. A skilled mage is guaranteed to prosper either as an artisan and peddler of enchanted wares or a war-caster, and the most capable and fortunate may even achieve lucrative positions in the royal court.

Tervigen as a species tend towards a gaseous alignment, being best-known for their ability to raise violent sandstorms and conjure clouds of acrid smoke or narcotic vapour. Plasma and liquid follow as the other most prevalent ones.

History/Background Info: The beginnings of tervigen history stretch back into the night of time, and are equally obscure. For as long as anyone can remember, the bellicose desert folk had been warring among themselves and with their neighbours, to whom they had always proved a nuisance with their slaving raids and conquering aggression. The first and only lengthy period of respite from this ceaseless swarming was brought about by Wulfram’s conquest over a thousand years ago. While there are few, if any, surviving records of that time, inscriptions found on ruins and ancient artefacts hint that for a while the southwest was pacified, and some form of agreement existed between the locals and the Strigoi. The latter supposedly acted as protectors some sort, collecting a tithe in blood in exchange.

It is known that a millennium from the present day there was a great culling of mages, soon after followed by the retreat of the Strigoi. The events of the next two hundred years are poorly documented, but, considering that a unified tervigen state began to expand outside its ancestral territories after that time, it is likely that internecine struggles resumed as soon as Wulfram’s order collapsed; that they should have eventually found a conclusion is likely due to some tribes having been struck less grievously than others, and left better able to build upon the remains of Strigoi buildings, which in many cases would become the foundations for Akkanun’s current great cities.

Their hosts finally unified, the Akkanids poured out from their native deserts, overrunning the human, Grogar and Üarim near their borders. Though stopped from advancing further by the confines of Strigoi lands, which they did not dare invade, geographical barriers and progressively less hospitable climates, the empire they had carved out for themselves was large enough that maintaining control over it would require their full attention. Thus, centuries passed as they consolidated their rule and grew complacent with power, framed by the occasional raid or skirmish at the borders. Lately, however, forces greater than Akkanun has faced in a long time have begun to stir outside its confines, and the first incursions of the Miranid horde have stirred up no little alarm in the masters of the Domain, and many suspect worse things still lie in wait for the future.