Member
Kingdom of Jollas
=-=General Information=-=
- It is a sizable medieval kingdom based around the inland sea, based along the Jolfan Peninsula
- It is a defensive and slowly expanding kingdom, viewing others with suspicious disdain
- It is made up of Humans, but had a large beastfolk minority.
- There are many human cultures within Jollas
- A man from Jollas would be called a Jolan / Jolans
- Their chief language is Jolfan, but their official written language is Lagiu
- Their state religion is Tresism
- They are a feudal monarchy, which is fairly centralized
- They are in a constant state of war with it's own terrain, it's mainland being home to various dangerous monsters
- Population - 16,000,000
- Military - 570,000
- Ships - 95
- Wealth - Moderate
- Espionage - Moderate
Races
Jolfan (Human)
Jolfans are a fair skinned race of men who live along the Jolfan mountains, basing much of their naming conventions around the protective mountains. Their culture and customs are dominate in Jollas, and have a long history of personal strife, expansion, and conquests. Jolfans are normally fair by human standards, with a heart shaped face, high cheekbones, almond shaped eyes, and dominate foreheads.
Souden (Human)
Souden are very close resembling to Jolfans in most ways, but differ slightly in culture which makes them very distinct. By stereotype, most Jolfans consider the Souden to be 'born tall, but grow up short'. Culturally, most Souden are much more moderate and have higher values in religion and the forest then their northern brothers. Souden are also far less racist to the local Beastfolk, having lived near their communities for long.
Karoe (Human)
Karoe are tall, well bred, pale men with a very long history of infighting and personal clan hatred of one another, more likely to kill one another out of spite then to unify against a common enemy. This had made the Karoe a very warlike people, who's long standing culture of violence had made them considered barbarians and even ab human by their feudal overlords. Karoe are normally taller, have reddish or dark red hair, grow their beards, and groom their mustaches.
Otum (Beastfolk)
Otum are a semi-aquatic beastfolk peoples who dwell in the southern islands known as the Beast Isles, a race of people who resemble very close to otters or minks. Otum have long ears, short fur, and fairly short arms and legs. In water, Otum tend to glide and are naturally born swimmers with early training, but even without it, they adopt very quickly. Otum tend to be a very peaceful people, since they as a species cannot defend themselves very well. They typically only reach a height of 3'5 ft.
Bolam (Beastfolk)
Bolam are a beastfolk species which dwell as nomadic tribes which travel between the Beast Isles to Upper Jolfa, a large beastfolk species being 6'5 ft tall and resemble bears to most. Bolam have short snouts, typically have very thick fur, and are immensely strong. It isn't uncommon for a Bolam to rather easily tear apart armor with their claws. Bolam tend to move slowly and speak very little. Bolam are a fairly warlike people and are highly nomadic, but also tend to be very clan oriented. Bolam consider it a form of death to be separated or banished from the clan. In spite of stereotypes in Jollas, Bolam are actually very smart creatures, very much capable of craftsmanship that is better, if not superior, to local human smiths.
Kobtum (Beastfolk)
The Kobtum are a people who lived in the far southern end of the peninsula and within small borrow fortresses, a short 3'5 ft tall race which highly resemble upright possums. Kobtum differ very little from their animal cousins, and this fact has made many to speculate if they are in fact a form of Fae (but are not). Kobtum often are a simple minded and highly active people, very similar to Otum in terms of culture and ideals, but are in fact immensely gifted in magic. Kobtum are almost naturals when it comes to magic, being very quick to learn, and are especially gifted in potion making and herbology. Kobtum also tend to be fairly nomadic, but often tend to also have settled homes and borrows.
Jolfans are a fair skinned race of men who live along the Jolfan mountains, basing much of their naming conventions around the protective mountains. Their culture and customs are dominate in Jollas, and have a long history of personal strife, expansion, and conquests. Jolfans are normally fair by human standards, with a heart shaped face, high cheekbones, almond shaped eyes, and dominate foreheads.
Souden (Human)
Souden are very close resembling to Jolfans in most ways, but differ slightly in culture which makes them very distinct. By stereotype, most Jolfans consider the Souden to be 'born tall, but grow up short'. Culturally, most Souden are much more moderate and have higher values in religion and the forest then their northern brothers. Souden are also far less racist to the local Beastfolk, having lived near their communities for long.
Karoe (Human)
Karoe are tall, well bred, pale men with a very long history of infighting and personal clan hatred of one another, more likely to kill one another out of spite then to unify against a common enemy. This had made the Karoe a very warlike people, who's long standing culture of violence had made them considered barbarians and even ab human by their feudal overlords. Karoe are normally taller, have reddish or dark red hair, grow their beards, and groom their mustaches.
Otum (Beastfolk)
Otum are a semi-aquatic beastfolk peoples who dwell in the southern islands known as the Beast Isles, a race of people who resemble very close to otters or minks. Otum have long ears, short fur, and fairly short arms and legs. In water, Otum tend to glide and are naturally born swimmers with early training, but even without it, they adopt very quickly. Otum tend to be a very peaceful people, since they as a species cannot defend themselves very well. They typically only reach a height of 3'5 ft.
Bolam (Beastfolk)
Bolam are a beastfolk species which dwell as nomadic tribes which travel between the Beast Isles to Upper Jolfa, a large beastfolk species being 6'5 ft tall and resemble bears to most. Bolam have short snouts, typically have very thick fur, and are immensely strong. It isn't uncommon for a Bolam to rather easily tear apart armor with their claws. Bolam tend to move slowly and speak very little. Bolam are a fairly warlike people and are highly nomadic, but also tend to be very clan oriented. Bolam consider it a form of death to be separated or banished from the clan. In spite of stereotypes in Jollas, Bolam are actually very smart creatures, very much capable of craftsmanship that is better, if not superior, to local human smiths.
Kobtum (Beastfolk)
The Kobtum are a people who lived in the far southern end of the peninsula and within small borrow fortresses, a short 3'5 ft tall race which highly resemble upright possums. Kobtum differ very little from their animal cousins, and this fact has made many to speculate if they are in fact a form of Fae (but are not). Kobtum often are a simple minded and highly active people, very similar to Otum in terms of culture and ideals, but are in fact immensely gifted in magic. Kobtum are almost naturals when it comes to magic, being very quick to learn, and are especially gifted in potion making and herbology. Kobtum also tend to be fairly nomadic, but often tend to also have settled homes and borrows.
History
First Jolfan Tribes
Very little is known about the first tribes of the Jolfan, outside that there has been 14 major tribes which settled the region at some unknown time long ago. These tribes often warred with one another, pushing each other further and further away until the first settlements were truly formed into the first major Jolfan nations. These nations elected amongst the family of warriors to be their kings to rule the tribe and to guide them, performing religious rituals to drive off beastfolk and monsters which prowled the region. These holy warriors eventually grew uneasy, some leaving at some unknown time to settle more southward to get away from 'the forbidden knowledge of metal and axe'. The Jolfan had a rather uneasy peace with one another, with their main wars ending as each tribe began to settle the lands around them as their tribes grew bigger.
The Uneasy Feud
One of the first Jolfan names to be known in the chronicles was a warlord named Kosmas who led a tribe known as the Olphasi into a war with his neighbor, a petty king of another unknown tribe. Kosmas, in supposed cruelty, utterly destroyed the tribe and had the bodies dumped in a open grave as a insult, ransacked its temple, and swore to do the same with the other tribes. Kosmas started a 100 year war with another character called Uslmas, a supposed son of a vengeful god, starting the Uneasy Feud period. A period of total war between the tribes who aligned with either Kosmas's or Uslmas's tribes. Uslmas's tribe was ultimatly destroyed utterly in the end, but he lived on to utterly destroy Kosmas's tribe and scattered the bones of his people on the mountains, naming them the Jolfan Mountains in honor of his fallen tribe. Uslmas settled on the coast, at the site what is now Kolum.
Council of Jolgas
The tribe of Jolgas settled on the coast and elected Uslmas as it's ruler, but over the years the line of Uslmas brought disappointment and arrogance. In a rage, twelve councillors led a coup, overthrowing a incompetent king of the tribe and took control shortly there after, becoming a council which elected its rulers. Jolgas became a republic and built up wooden walls which soon turned to stone, finding a unique successful niche of trade and military strength which propelled it to become a dominate power. Jolgas rapidly expanded and began warring with other tribes successfully, incorporating those on the west side of the mountain and enslaving tribes who resisted. Jolgas's capital of Kosgas (now Kolum) became a center of art, trade, and philosophy which formed the basis of the Jolfan language, armor making, and made codes for magic and religion. It unified the main cults into one powerful all encompassing faith.
1st War of Beasts
Jolgas became annoyed during the height of it's reign when incursions of Bolam tribes crossed into it's border to raid or cause trouble, normally picking on undefended villages and stole from distilleries. Sending it's generals to battle the large beasts became ineffective, as the Bolam often kept to the forests and were difficult to fight in battle. In order to deal with the issue, the council head Konrad Stach led a army into the forests and allied himself with several Beastfolk tribes, using them to kill or subdue the Bolam. These mercenaries and their tribes were invited back to the capital where they were betrayed by Konrad and were enslaved, sending countless Bolam into slavery. Konrad was declared a hero to the council for his actions, but also introduced great wealth and blood sports into the common life of Jolgas, leading to a counter incursion into the south to claim further Bolam slaves.
Kingdom of Kiesmach
On the eastern side of the Jolfan Mountains, one tribe known as the Kiesmachi had become a powerful force. Under the rule of it's famed king Marian the Beloved, the tribe incorporated most of the eastern kingdoms and hamlets. Kiesmach became a important eastern power and a natural rival to the republic in Jolgas, but it also became a very important trade partner. Kiesmach's king built trade routes, helped pave roads, and even helped out partially in wars with it's mutual rival, but this aggressive friendship soon ended. When Jolgas troops tried to assert authority in bordering Kiesmachi towns, Marian in his old age led 10,000 troops over the Jolfan mountains and decimated the Jolgas garrisons. To try to prevent a brutal war, the Jolgas general buried the mountain passes to cut off trade and further warring with Kiesmach. The kingdom soon passed to Marian's 3 sons who split the kingdom. After a short civil war, the kingdom was reunited under Marian II.
Jolgas Dele Mes
Marian II had in the chronicles once intended to rule in peace, and married a friend of the family. On his wife's way to the Kiesmach capital, a ship of Jolgas hired pirates killed her and her family, leading Marian to swear a blood oath of vengeance against Jolgas. Marian II, together with an escaped Bolam gladiator and a feared general named Oskar, traveled over the mountains following hidden paths, and attacked Jolgas with 6,000 troops. Jolgas sent it's elite army of 14,000 to stop Marian II, but the Kiesmach king tricked the Jolgas army into an ambush, slaughtering their army and harassing it's survivors all the way to their capital. Marian bolstered his army with freed slaves and rebellious land owners, and began a utter destruction of Jolgas's cities, towns, and lands. Marian II walked through the gates of Kosgas and renamed the city Kolum, settling in the city as his new capital. It was said that the last Jolgas councilors and generals died when Marian II has them ripped apart one by one by angry Bolam gladiators for his amusement.
Kingdom of Jolfa
Marian II and his heir ruled from Kolum until their deaths, consolidating their lands. Kiesmach's rulers returned to their own lands and left their general Fryderyk Banaszynski as the ruler of the conquered territory. Fryderyk adopted many Jolgas customs and traditions during his reign, and his sons ultimately rebuilt the city their overlords destroyed and restored the surrounding landscapes, but also re-enslaved the freed Bolam in order to help do this as well. When Kiesmach's overlords tried to revoke the lands from the Banaszynskis, they revolted and won. The Banaszynskis then reforged much of the struggling barbarian kingdom into a more civilized one, declaring themselves King by donating huge sums of war loot to the religious cults to gain their blessing. The Kingdom of Jolfa was born, and with it, came a era of new forms of conquest, art, and technology.
Jolfan Civil War
The Kingdom of Jolfa had a difficult issue with succession, stilling abiding by a form of Gavelkind. Under the cruel reign of Florian the Idiot, his two children led separate lives. Florian II was the natural heir to the throne, a cruel and arrogant noble who cared more about extortion then running the country, and Hubert who was a wandering mercenary and had ill feelings for his father. When Florian died, Florian II sent assassins to kill Hubert to prevent a succession crises, not willing to give up any of his father's estates. Hubert survived and fled north, gathering a mercenary army and invaded into the south, taking the city of Banzrech and declaring himself king. This civil war led to many odd and dramatic changes of land, with neither brother able to overthrow the other. A peace was forcefully signed when their tired vassals imprisoned them both, formally seperating the two's countries between Upper and Lower Jolfa.
Vargam II the Beast
Florian II never bore children, his line passing his cousin Vargam II, who fought for Florian II in the civil war. Vargam II was infuriated that the country was split and sought openly to remedy the problem. Using heavy handed diplomacy and trickery, Vargam II started a rebellion in Upper Jolfa. In the confusion and with it's armies away, Vargam took Upper Jolfa's capital city. Vargam forced Upper Jolfa's king into surrender through threat to his family, and unitied the provinces into Jolfa again, but was unable to formally unify them back to the way it was. Vargam gave the province to his brother to watch over. Vargam would then hop back to Lower Jolfa, crushing a Bolam slave rebellion and later won a war and expanded his country by defeating Souden insurgents. Vargam became a famed and great king known for his tactical skills and personal diplomacy, treating his people very kindly. In order to prevent further rebellions, he codified a law of rights and privileges held for nobles, commoners, and peasants, along with giving greater rights to slaves and indentured servants.
Commonwealth with Loskadia
When Vargam II died, he was young and left a child on his throne, Jaromir. Jaromir's mother and regent organized a marriage with the recently crowned king of Loskadia, who had just united the Souden kingdoms and tribes. Through a series of plagues and accidents however, some being rather suspicious, the crown fell to Jaromir's betrothed who was kidnapped by the mother regent's spies and brought to Kolum. When the two got older, the two betrothed fell deeply in love, but Jaromir's wife was not allowed to return to her home country unguarded. Despite attempts to put other members on Loaskadia's throne by angry nobles, Jolfan soldiers put down revolt after revolt thanks to Jaromir's uncles. Once peace was restored, Jaromir personally made his way to Loskadia to claim its crown, but was assassinated by a Souden prince. In outrage and fury, Jaromir's pregnant wife assumed the position of regent of the country and bore twin male sons, being both the heirs to the two kingdoms. A commonwealth was formed under a queen regent's iron fist, supported by Jaromir's uncles.
1st Dark Hunt
Jaromir II ascended the throne after his mother forced his twin brother Zachariasz to give up his claim in a attempt to rid Jolfa of it's succession law. Jaromir II married mutliple women who bore him many daughters and the occassional son, but his religious mother and iron fisted grandmother often led to horrific abuse on both children. Jaromir grew up hating the educated and the elite, while Zachariasz grew to despise the Soudens. Zachariasz convinced his brother to let him form a company of inquisitors to investigate the death of their supposedly beloved father and bring peace to the family, with much support from their mother and grandmother, leading to the Dark Hunt. Many intellectuals, priests, and educated elite in Loskadia were rounded up, tried before biased knights, and were put to death in gruesome ways. What started out as a regicide investigation turned into a witch hunt, in which much of Loskadia's minor nobility were purged and those loyal to the crown were heavily enriched. The witch hunt spread to also consume many parts of Lower Jolfa, and eventually led to a heavy handed slaughter of free Bolam within Kolum's enclave.
The Loskadian Rebellion
The Souden, reeling from the slaughter of their people and the burning of their art and temples, grew resentful under Jaromir II's reign, as the man grew more paranoid. When the double deaths of his mother and grandmother happened within months of one another, half of his sons fled to southern courts to round up support not for a claim, but for their survival, as Jaromir II believed his own family were planning to murder his 'beloved blood'. Jaromir II's kin led a rebellion of Souden against their father, but their armies were disorganized and often began to fight amongst each other over old feuds, or worse the Souden sold them out to Zachariasz's band of huntsmen. However, Zachariasz died in an ambush and later Jaromir led a army to crush the rebellion, but fell to sickness himself and died, leaving his more competent firstborn Bernard as king. Bernard reversed many of Jaromir's 'reforms', but kept Zachariasz's band as personal guardsmen and agents to be rid of lesser nobles who challenged him.
2nd Beast Wars
Bernard had no fun ruling his kingdom and was overthrown in a coup by his brother Leopold, a highly skilled diplomat, warrior, and administrator. Leopold learned that Bernard escaped to the court of Otek, a large and rich Otum island kingdom. Seeing an opportunity, Leopold led a army against the southern Beastfolk kingdoms and led the charge personally to tame the last free Bolam clans in Loskadia. Bernard and his army butchered, enslaved, and devastated Beastfolk kingdoms until his army attempted to cross into Otek. The Otum, using their impressive navy, made it difficult for Leopold to cross, and built a series of temporary bridges to island hop, forcing captured Beastfolk to build his bridges, knowing the peaceful Otum refused to fire on slaves. With very little resistence, Leopold strode his army and took Otek, and executed Bernard publicly by having him covered in pitch and lit on fire and let loose into Otek, burning parts of the city down in the process. Leopold took the provinces and made them his vassal, taking half of Otek's people into slavery back to Kolum to be sold. The heir to the Otek throne was also taken with, and was subjected to seeing his people tortured, abused, and treated horrifically and was 'trained' to speak the language and know the history of Jolfa. To this day, they refer to this series of unfortunate events as 'Leopold's Day of Grief'.
Rescuing Karlemgrad
Leopold was not done with his conquests and shortly after returning to Kolum, he was visited by two banished youngsters. The Karoe prince and princess declared that their country was ruled by a vile tyrant and murderer, and invited Leopold to put them back on the throne of their country. Seeing opportunity, and using Otum ships, the Jolfans crossed the straight and into Karlemgrad and laid siege to it's provinces. However, through a great deal of trickery and misinformation, Karlemgrad was divided amongst the prince and princess who had tricked the Jolfan king to deal with their enemies and used his army to unify the divided tribes. Unable to challenge the two further, Leopold had assassins lure the prince into a trap and killed, but left the princess in charge over the kingdom, making them a March for Jolfa. He returned home, dying of old age and leaving his great kingdom to his son Leopold II.
Integrating Karlemgrad
Leopold II had witnessed the trickery of the Karoe princess and was a mutual rival of the two since they appeared in Kolum. Seeking to be rid of a pest, he aligned himself with a young Karoe warlord and flooded money, men, and resources to his cause. The warlord, Samo of Watzengord, used the money to improve his realm and expand his army, eventually challenging the princess of the Karoe for the region itself. Leopold II's young puppet won his war at the Battle of Ill Pass, using a contingent of foreign mercenaries to break up the Karoe ranks while he led a surprising flanking charge against the flank, a irregular tactic to most Karoe. The princess killed herself before she could be captured, and she along with her brother's name were burned away in Karoe literature. Samo accepted total capitulation to Leopold II and helped bring the nation into Jolfa. Samo and his family were well rewarded for their services, and used much of their money and prestige to build up their castle and surrounding villa into a proper port town.
Succession Crises
Leopold II, despite not knowing it, was very infertile which he often blamed his wives for and had not only no heirs, but also left a trail of dead wives which either disappeared or were executed. Leopold II in his old age, fearing the worst for his kingdom, sent word to a well respected cousin of his to become king, and promptly died. His advisers however, seeing opportunity, decided to elect a bastard dynasty who would be loyal to their own noble lines. Lubomir the Lesser was informed rather ironically by a Otum slave to Leopold II who snuck out news to the nobleman, hearing rumors that the nobles wanted to dismantle his people's isles. Lubomir returned to the capital and made loud speeches, and with aid from Otum nobles and their money, was able to peacefully overthrow the corrupt council, banish the bastard dynasty, and claim the crown. As a reward, he freed the Otum slave and made concessions and even some half hearted apologies to the Otek nobility for his kin's past actions, granting them great autonomy for the Beastfolk, but also wished to continue to use their money to expand his personal projects, mostly involving art.
2nd Dark Hunt
Lubomir's reign was not without controversy, as his concessions and apologies to the Beastfolk led to rumors, which led to the Order of the Hunt believing their king had been corrupted by nefarious forces. What started as a trial for Lubomir's bankers, turned into a full fledged hunt for intellectuals, story writers, poets, and mages. Plagues had hit the nation, and several monster attacks on villages led to a huge uprising of the Order of the Hunt dragging intellectuals and beastfolk from their home to execute. Much of the violence had been secretly orchestrated by Lubomir, who's many Otum moneylenders whom he owed huge sums to were killed in the Dark Hunt, alongside many who also ironically criticized the king's connection with the beastfolk. Lubomir however forced the hunts to end when his own son had gone to trial for supposedly casting curses on the Order, and their fiery anger and attempts to burn his son alive led to a standoff in which the Order backed off from. Much of Jolfa's history books were destroyed in the 2nd Hunt.
Jollas Calba Deo
Lubormir's death and swift succession to his son Maksymilian led to a short golden age of peace in Jolfa. Maksymilian tried to restore much of the art and history lost to the previous Dark Hunt, and often revoked many of the order's holdings after the attempt on his life by them. Maksymilian spent much of the treasury repairing and expanding cities, building castles, and took a special interest in magic. One his most powerful sorcerers, Urban the Warder, helped forge the mysterious structure known the the Pillar of Dynasty, which greatly amplified magic and was to be guarded by a elite order of knights and magic users within Kolum. The kingdom was restructured into a more centralized and imperial Jollas, paving roads between cities, codifying laws, and mediating old transgressions. Under Maksymilian's reign, the kingdom greatly prospered, and became a center to trade and culture.
Current Events
With the coming of the mysterious and technologically frightening strangers, the death of Maksymilian led to some harsh times for his son Tymon. Tymon had to deal with many internal and external issues, and especially grew weary of large iron ships capable of sinking his vessels with great ease terrified him greatly, leading to him nearly shutting down the country's trade rather then deal with these mysterious outsiders. Tymon's inaction led to a decline of imperial reign, but yet possibly still exists within his son who had only recently ascended the throne. New political woes linger, and many eyes lay on the large and proud kingdom.
Very little is known about the first tribes of the Jolfan, outside that there has been 14 major tribes which settled the region at some unknown time long ago. These tribes often warred with one another, pushing each other further and further away until the first settlements were truly formed into the first major Jolfan nations. These nations elected amongst the family of warriors to be their kings to rule the tribe and to guide them, performing religious rituals to drive off beastfolk and monsters which prowled the region. These holy warriors eventually grew uneasy, some leaving at some unknown time to settle more southward to get away from 'the forbidden knowledge of metal and axe'. The Jolfan had a rather uneasy peace with one another, with their main wars ending as each tribe began to settle the lands around them as their tribes grew bigger.
The Uneasy Feud
One of the first Jolfan names to be known in the chronicles was a warlord named Kosmas who led a tribe known as the Olphasi into a war with his neighbor, a petty king of another unknown tribe. Kosmas, in supposed cruelty, utterly destroyed the tribe and had the bodies dumped in a open grave as a insult, ransacked its temple, and swore to do the same with the other tribes. Kosmas started a 100 year war with another character called Uslmas, a supposed son of a vengeful god, starting the Uneasy Feud period. A period of total war between the tribes who aligned with either Kosmas's or Uslmas's tribes. Uslmas's tribe was ultimatly destroyed utterly in the end, but he lived on to utterly destroy Kosmas's tribe and scattered the bones of his people on the mountains, naming them the Jolfan Mountains in honor of his fallen tribe. Uslmas settled on the coast, at the site what is now Kolum.
Council of Jolgas
The tribe of Jolgas settled on the coast and elected Uslmas as it's ruler, but over the years the line of Uslmas brought disappointment and arrogance. In a rage, twelve councillors led a coup, overthrowing a incompetent king of the tribe and took control shortly there after, becoming a council which elected its rulers. Jolgas became a republic and built up wooden walls which soon turned to stone, finding a unique successful niche of trade and military strength which propelled it to become a dominate power. Jolgas rapidly expanded and began warring with other tribes successfully, incorporating those on the west side of the mountain and enslaving tribes who resisted. Jolgas's capital of Kosgas (now Kolum) became a center of art, trade, and philosophy which formed the basis of the Jolfan language, armor making, and made codes for magic and religion. It unified the main cults into one powerful all encompassing faith.
1st War of Beasts
Jolgas became annoyed during the height of it's reign when incursions of Bolam tribes crossed into it's border to raid or cause trouble, normally picking on undefended villages and stole from distilleries. Sending it's generals to battle the large beasts became ineffective, as the Bolam often kept to the forests and were difficult to fight in battle. In order to deal with the issue, the council head Konrad Stach led a army into the forests and allied himself with several Beastfolk tribes, using them to kill or subdue the Bolam. These mercenaries and their tribes were invited back to the capital where they were betrayed by Konrad and were enslaved, sending countless Bolam into slavery. Konrad was declared a hero to the council for his actions, but also introduced great wealth and blood sports into the common life of Jolgas, leading to a counter incursion into the south to claim further Bolam slaves.
Kingdom of Kiesmach
On the eastern side of the Jolfan Mountains, one tribe known as the Kiesmachi had become a powerful force. Under the rule of it's famed king Marian the Beloved, the tribe incorporated most of the eastern kingdoms and hamlets. Kiesmach became a important eastern power and a natural rival to the republic in Jolgas, but it also became a very important trade partner. Kiesmach's king built trade routes, helped pave roads, and even helped out partially in wars with it's mutual rival, but this aggressive friendship soon ended. When Jolgas troops tried to assert authority in bordering Kiesmachi towns, Marian in his old age led 10,000 troops over the Jolfan mountains and decimated the Jolgas garrisons. To try to prevent a brutal war, the Jolgas general buried the mountain passes to cut off trade and further warring with Kiesmach. The kingdom soon passed to Marian's 3 sons who split the kingdom. After a short civil war, the kingdom was reunited under Marian II.
Jolgas Dele Mes
Marian II had in the chronicles once intended to rule in peace, and married a friend of the family. On his wife's way to the Kiesmach capital, a ship of Jolgas hired pirates killed her and her family, leading Marian to swear a blood oath of vengeance against Jolgas. Marian II, together with an escaped Bolam gladiator and a feared general named Oskar, traveled over the mountains following hidden paths, and attacked Jolgas with 6,000 troops. Jolgas sent it's elite army of 14,000 to stop Marian II, but the Kiesmach king tricked the Jolgas army into an ambush, slaughtering their army and harassing it's survivors all the way to their capital. Marian bolstered his army with freed slaves and rebellious land owners, and began a utter destruction of Jolgas's cities, towns, and lands. Marian II walked through the gates of Kosgas and renamed the city Kolum, settling in the city as his new capital. It was said that the last Jolgas councilors and generals died when Marian II has them ripped apart one by one by angry Bolam gladiators for his amusement.
Kingdom of Jolfa
Marian II and his heir ruled from Kolum until their deaths, consolidating their lands. Kiesmach's rulers returned to their own lands and left their general Fryderyk Banaszynski as the ruler of the conquered territory. Fryderyk adopted many Jolgas customs and traditions during his reign, and his sons ultimately rebuilt the city their overlords destroyed and restored the surrounding landscapes, but also re-enslaved the freed Bolam in order to help do this as well. When Kiesmach's overlords tried to revoke the lands from the Banaszynskis, they revolted and won. The Banaszynskis then reforged much of the struggling barbarian kingdom into a more civilized one, declaring themselves King by donating huge sums of war loot to the religious cults to gain their blessing. The Kingdom of Jolfa was born, and with it, came a era of new forms of conquest, art, and technology.
Jolfan Civil War
The Kingdom of Jolfa had a difficult issue with succession, stilling abiding by a form of Gavelkind. Under the cruel reign of Florian the Idiot, his two children led separate lives. Florian II was the natural heir to the throne, a cruel and arrogant noble who cared more about extortion then running the country, and Hubert who was a wandering mercenary and had ill feelings for his father. When Florian died, Florian II sent assassins to kill Hubert to prevent a succession crises, not willing to give up any of his father's estates. Hubert survived and fled north, gathering a mercenary army and invaded into the south, taking the city of Banzrech and declaring himself king. This civil war led to many odd and dramatic changes of land, with neither brother able to overthrow the other. A peace was forcefully signed when their tired vassals imprisoned them both, formally seperating the two's countries between Upper and Lower Jolfa.
Vargam II the Beast
Florian II never bore children, his line passing his cousin Vargam II, who fought for Florian II in the civil war. Vargam II was infuriated that the country was split and sought openly to remedy the problem. Using heavy handed diplomacy and trickery, Vargam II started a rebellion in Upper Jolfa. In the confusion and with it's armies away, Vargam took Upper Jolfa's capital city. Vargam forced Upper Jolfa's king into surrender through threat to his family, and unitied the provinces into Jolfa again, but was unable to formally unify them back to the way it was. Vargam gave the province to his brother to watch over. Vargam would then hop back to Lower Jolfa, crushing a Bolam slave rebellion and later won a war and expanded his country by defeating Souden insurgents. Vargam became a famed and great king known for his tactical skills and personal diplomacy, treating his people very kindly. In order to prevent further rebellions, he codified a law of rights and privileges held for nobles, commoners, and peasants, along with giving greater rights to slaves and indentured servants.
Commonwealth with Loskadia
When Vargam II died, he was young and left a child on his throne, Jaromir. Jaromir's mother and regent organized a marriage with the recently crowned king of Loskadia, who had just united the Souden kingdoms and tribes. Through a series of plagues and accidents however, some being rather suspicious, the crown fell to Jaromir's betrothed who was kidnapped by the mother regent's spies and brought to Kolum. When the two got older, the two betrothed fell deeply in love, but Jaromir's wife was not allowed to return to her home country unguarded. Despite attempts to put other members on Loaskadia's throne by angry nobles, Jolfan soldiers put down revolt after revolt thanks to Jaromir's uncles. Once peace was restored, Jaromir personally made his way to Loskadia to claim its crown, but was assassinated by a Souden prince. In outrage and fury, Jaromir's pregnant wife assumed the position of regent of the country and bore twin male sons, being both the heirs to the two kingdoms. A commonwealth was formed under a queen regent's iron fist, supported by Jaromir's uncles.
1st Dark Hunt
Jaromir II ascended the throne after his mother forced his twin brother Zachariasz to give up his claim in a attempt to rid Jolfa of it's succession law. Jaromir II married mutliple women who bore him many daughters and the occassional son, but his religious mother and iron fisted grandmother often led to horrific abuse on both children. Jaromir grew up hating the educated and the elite, while Zachariasz grew to despise the Soudens. Zachariasz convinced his brother to let him form a company of inquisitors to investigate the death of their supposedly beloved father and bring peace to the family, with much support from their mother and grandmother, leading to the Dark Hunt. Many intellectuals, priests, and educated elite in Loskadia were rounded up, tried before biased knights, and were put to death in gruesome ways. What started out as a regicide investigation turned into a witch hunt, in which much of Loskadia's minor nobility were purged and those loyal to the crown were heavily enriched. The witch hunt spread to also consume many parts of Lower Jolfa, and eventually led to a heavy handed slaughter of free Bolam within Kolum's enclave.
The Loskadian Rebellion
The Souden, reeling from the slaughter of their people and the burning of their art and temples, grew resentful under Jaromir II's reign, as the man grew more paranoid. When the double deaths of his mother and grandmother happened within months of one another, half of his sons fled to southern courts to round up support not for a claim, but for their survival, as Jaromir II believed his own family were planning to murder his 'beloved blood'. Jaromir II's kin led a rebellion of Souden against their father, but their armies were disorganized and often began to fight amongst each other over old feuds, or worse the Souden sold them out to Zachariasz's band of huntsmen. However, Zachariasz died in an ambush and later Jaromir led a army to crush the rebellion, but fell to sickness himself and died, leaving his more competent firstborn Bernard as king. Bernard reversed many of Jaromir's 'reforms', but kept Zachariasz's band as personal guardsmen and agents to be rid of lesser nobles who challenged him.
2nd Beast Wars
Bernard had no fun ruling his kingdom and was overthrown in a coup by his brother Leopold, a highly skilled diplomat, warrior, and administrator. Leopold learned that Bernard escaped to the court of Otek, a large and rich Otum island kingdom. Seeing an opportunity, Leopold led a army against the southern Beastfolk kingdoms and led the charge personally to tame the last free Bolam clans in Loskadia. Bernard and his army butchered, enslaved, and devastated Beastfolk kingdoms until his army attempted to cross into Otek. The Otum, using their impressive navy, made it difficult for Leopold to cross, and built a series of temporary bridges to island hop, forcing captured Beastfolk to build his bridges, knowing the peaceful Otum refused to fire on slaves. With very little resistence, Leopold strode his army and took Otek, and executed Bernard publicly by having him covered in pitch and lit on fire and let loose into Otek, burning parts of the city down in the process. Leopold took the provinces and made them his vassal, taking half of Otek's people into slavery back to Kolum to be sold. The heir to the Otek throne was also taken with, and was subjected to seeing his people tortured, abused, and treated horrifically and was 'trained' to speak the language and know the history of Jolfa. To this day, they refer to this series of unfortunate events as 'Leopold's Day of Grief'.
Rescuing Karlemgrad
Leopold was not done with his conquests and shortly after returning to Kolum, he was visited by two banished youngsters. The Karoe prince and princess declared that their country was ruled by a vile tyrant and murderer, and invited Leopold to put them back on the throne of their country. Seeing opportunity, and using Otum ships, the Jolfans crossed the straight and into Karlemgrad and laid siege to it's provinces. However, through a great deal of trickery and misinformation, Karlemgrad was divided amongst the prince and princess who had tricked the Jolfan king to deal with their enemies and used his army to unify the divided tribes. Unable to challenge the two further, Leopold had assassins lure the prince into a trap and killed, but left the princess in charge over the kingdom, making them a March for Jolfa. He returned home, dying of old age and leaving his great kingdom to his son Leopold II.
Integrating Karlemgrad
Leopold II had witnessed the trickery of the Karoe princess and was a mutual rival of the two since they appeared in Kolum. Seeking to be rid of a pest, he aligned himself with a young Karoe warlord and flooded money, men, and resources to his cause. The warlord, Samo of Watzengord, used the money to improve his realm and expand his army, eventually challenging the princess of the Karoe for the region itself. Leopold II's young puppet won his war at the Battle of Ill Pass, using a contingent of foreign mercenaries to break up the Karoe ranks while he led a surprising flanking charge against the flank, a irregular tactic to most Karoe. The princess killed herself before she could be captured, and she along with her brother's name were burned away in Karoe literature. Samo accepted total capitulation to Leopold II and helped bring the nation into Jolfa. Samo and his family were well rewarded for their services, and used much of their money and prestige to build up their castle and surrounding villa into a proper port town.
Succession Crises
Leopold II, despite not knowing it, was very infertile which he often blamed his wives for and had not only no heirs, but also left a trail of dead wives which either disappeared or were executed. Leopold II in his old age, fearing the worst for his kingdom, sent word to a well respected cousin of his to become king, and promptly died. His advisers however, seeing opportunity, decided to elect a bastard dynasty who would be loyal to their own noble lines. Lubomir the Lesser was informed rather ironically by a Otum slave to Leopold II who snuck out news to the nobleman, hearing rumors that the nobles wanted to dismantle his people's isles. Lubomir returned to the capital and made loud speeches, and with aid from Otum nobles and their money, was able to peacefully overthrow the corrupt council, banish the bastard dynasty, and claim the crown. As a reward, he freed the Otum slave and made concessions and even some half hearted apologies to the Otek nobility for his kin's past actions, granting them great autonomy for the Beastfolk, but also wished to continue to use their money to expand his personal projects, mostly involving art.
2nd Dark Hunt
Lubomir's reign was not without controversy, as his concessions and apologies to the Beastfolk led to rumors, which led to the Order of the Hunt believing their king had been corrupted by nefarious forces. What started as a trial for Lubomir's bankers, turned into a full fledged hunt for intellectuals, story writers, poets, and mages. Plagues had hit the nation, and several monster attacks on villages led to a huge uprising of the Order of the Hunt dragging intellectuals and beastfolk from their home to execute. Much of the violence had been secretly orchestrated by Lubomir, who's many Otum moneylenders whom he owed huge sums to were killed in the Dark Hunt, alongside many who also ironically criticized the king's connection with the beastfolk. Lubomir however forced the hunts to end when his own son had gone to trial for supposedly casting curses on the Order, and their fiery anger and attempts to burn his son alive led to a standoff in which the Order backed off from. Much of Jolfa's history books were destroyed in the 2nd Hunt.
Jollas Calba Deo
Lubormir's death and swift succession to his son Maksymilian led to a short golden age of peace in Jolfa. Maksymilian tried to restore much of the art and history lost to the previous Dark Hunt, and often revoked many of the order's holdings after the attempt on his life by them. Maksymilian spent much of the treasury repairing and expanding cities, building castles, and took a special interest in magic. One his most powerful sorcerers, Urban the Warder, helped forge the mysterious structure known the the Pillar of Dynasty, which greatly amplified magic and was to be guarded by a elite order of knights and magic users within Kolum. The kingdom was restructured into a more centralized and imperial Jollas, paving roads between cities, codifying laws, and mediating old transgressions. Under Maksymilian's reign, the kingdom greatly prospered, and became a center to trade and culture.
Current Events
With the coming of the mysterious and technologically frightening strangers, the death of Maksymilian led to some harsh times for his son Tymon. Tymon had to deal with many internal and external issues, and especially grew weary of large iron ships capable of sinking his vessels with great ease terrified him greatly, leading to him nearly shutting down the country's trade rather then deal with these mysterious outsiders. Tymon's inaction led to a decline of imperial reign, but yet possibly still exists within his son who had only recently ascended the throne. New political woes linger, and many eyes lay on the large and proud kingdom.
Culture
Appearance
The people of Jollas live in simple fashion and rarely have time to worry too much about fashion outside the cities. The climate in Jollas is fairly decent as it is, and thus most Jollans have wool shirts and trousers, with iron buckle belts and the occasional cap. Most Jollans are in fact fairly well groomed, believing that illness spreads via unclean muck, and thus Jollans tend to avoid brownish colors in both wear and style. Brown in seen as a ill or poor color, and thus richer Jollans avoid it like a plague. Black colors are considered hard on the eyes. Rich and more noble Jolans tend to wear a variety of colored cloths and restricting dresses, sometimes covered in a silver or bronze lining. Cloaks are often avoided due to the fact that Bolams wear tribal cloaks to signify their clan loyalties, and thus it is considered a savage custom. Noblemen normally wear swords on their person most times, rarely being for show. Ornate swords are often considered a urban fad, which is laughed at as a joke by locals.
Craftsmanship
Jollans build with wood and stone, and thus many of their homes are simple, medieval, and have no real style outside being simple woodland huts. The big difference in a Jollan style is that they tend to build bunkers beneath their homes for storage, and often build sizable stone fences around their property. Jollan cities aren't exactly eye candy either to most visitors, being wooden and cramp. Most forms of aesthetics are often found in castle or public gardens, as most castles are build more for defense then they are for beauty. Kolum is often considered a Jolfan culture center, being a city with many simple winding white roads, gardens, and large open shops and entertainment theaters of marble, left over from the reign of Jolgas. Jollans aren't exactly master spear and sword makers, but they do specialize oddly in ship making. They often have no real unique style which stands out, but they don't have poor quality either. Only Bolam seem to make masterwork armor and weapons in the county, and often their services are exclusive to nobles who buy them or hire them as their castle smiths.
Traditions
The Jollans have a long line of traditions which survive to this very day, some modernized and some having remained the same for hundreds of years. Jollans never marry in winter or fall, but will only marry in summer and spring months. They will often gather under a willow, and the groom and wife must face the opposite of each other and slowly turn to one another until the marriage vow is complete. Marriages are met with week long celebrations and the occasional wrestling by the bride and groom's male family members. Funerals are very solitary and lonesome, and are considered far too depressing. Normally, a male patriarch and a helper, sometimes a friend, local peasant, or slave, takes the body of the deceased to a tomb or mound and buries the body themselves with no words said until after the body is buried. Family then gathers around the grave to say their goodbyes, and drink until midnight. Normally, the eldest man in a family is automatically the family patriarch, until they either go insane or die. A nobleman can be a powerful king or dujal, but may not actually be the overlord patriarch of the family by custom.
Cuisine
Due to the resources in Jollas, different regions provide different means of eating for the common and noble folk. Lamb and Goat is especially important for most diets in the region north of the Beast Isles, with shellfish being a favorite amongst the Beastfolk in the south. Only the Karoe have an extreme culinary difference, favoring drink above food and have a specific niche for hard ciders and beer flavored meats. Bread isn't often on hand on Jollas, so to make up for it, salads from veggies grown in the region make up for most issues, along with a large variety of vegetable soups. Nobles are known to especially have a sweet tooth, and it isn't uncommon for them to own their own special distilleries, honey farms, or to import sugar from far off. Jollan pastries and deserts are especially famed for their simple, but delicious, texture.
Language
The common language of Jollas is the Jolfan language, which is a fairly swiftly spoken and condensed language. However, the common written language is entirely different, being Lagiu. Lagiu is a difficult language, but it was commonplace in most form of Jolfan literature and history and is adopted as the sole written word of the country. Jolfan dialects different between region to region, but the further south, the more gutteral it becomes. The 'true' language ironically is better spoken in the less developed regions of Upper Jolfa. Beastfolk and the Karoe had their own languages, but were greatly restricted by the Jolfan nobility. Most Beastfolk speak with a swift and high pitched accent, while Karoe have a very deep and frightening slow accent.
Law
Law in Jollas is fairly centralized, but is interestingly not very feudal. Traditionally, a special adviser known as Kujal was the one to 'fulfill' the law, with local guardsmen and warriors enforcing the law and the nobility passing it. Laws of the land is codified within the Laws of the Past and the Laws of the Present, two sets of codes which dictate most forms of laws, and proper punishments for disobeying them. Most lords set their own laws, but they cannot go against the Laws of Past and Present, or face horrific punishment by virtue of the king. Kujals often handle minor lawsuits and crimes, with majoe crimes brought before a council of Kujals. If the crime is a capital punishment, the Kujals bring the matter before the king. If the king is busy, then the matter is decided in his stead by the Kujals. Kujal often require eyewitnesses, evidence, and religious omens to give verdicts, which is carried out by the noblemen's own guards. Most punishments is often either being sent into paying a heavy fine, mutilation, or paying in blood (giving up their children to the victim party). Capital punishment can include everything from beheadings, public torture, or some form of impalement.
Rights
Rights exist in Jollas, guaranteed by the Laws of Past and Present. These law codes guarentee freedom of movement, freedom to speak without being slain or imprisoned (with exceptions), and freedoms to marry. This is only normally for commoners, who are male, and are not in some form of bondage such as peasantry, or slavery. Women rarely have rights if they are not noble born, often straddling the line between family property to being a formal family member. Women can inherit, but only if they are born as nobles and there are no sons available. Rights for minorities such as Beastfolk does exist, but its rarely taken heed of. Publically, the law allows free Beastfolk to walk as free as a common man, but can be moved from cities without their permission, but they are regularly abused by the Jolfans. Atheists, homosexuals, and other oddities are considered more as unique oddities by professional circles and are treated like freaks, but are considered abominable by the rural peasantry and will often be killed if they are open and proud for their beliefs.
Entertainment
Depending on rural or urban Joffans, entertainment varies greatly. Rural peoples are fair drunkards who enjoy bar life and wrestling, a traditional past time. Occasionally, nobles from the rural villas hold horseback tournaments either by racing or large festive parties to celebrate some kind of event. Cities on the other hand, especially in Kolum, are a different story. Theaters, entertainment colleges, chess clubs, and a variety of acting troupes all make homes in Jollas cities to entertain city goers. However the elite entertainment comes with arenas. Blood sports are large crowd pleasers, a pass time brought over by the ancient days, but toned down quiet a bit. Most forms of blood sport is very theatrical, done with actors and the occasional animal. Often, Bolam slaves are forced to fight for some kind of amusement, but even this tends to end bloodlessly after a few scratches or jabs. Gladiator schools exist in Kolum, which buy and train Bolam to fight these mock battles.
Education
Education has a poor history in Jollas, having been home to the Dark Hunts which killed mages and intellectuals alike. Of the few surviving schools is the Nausbarth Academy, a fortress turned education center which had a long history of purges, closures, and embarrassments in it's long career, but is still a functioning academy despite it's persecution. The Otek Merchant School however is a 2nd noteworthy academy that survives, normally reserved for the families of moneylenders and future guild merchants. Most forms of education is passed down between parent to child, with some able to afford tutors from one of the academies. Normally, higher nobility are tutored in some way, but typically most people in Jollas are fairly superstitious and ignorant and must learn on their own.
Family and Honor
The notion of family and honor, while depicted as an ancient custom, is more of a modern and fairly noble oriented issue. Blood ties are important, the only way to true inheritance, and thus attempts by families to rewrite their own history is a big industry. Most families however also know that their past relatives have done very awful things to achieve their noble titles, especially the ruling families. The Dark Hunts had erased history, giving time to the families who want to capitalize on this trend to write their own history, often comparable to fairy tales, with notions of honor. Generations later, these tales inspire knights, nobles, and merchant class alike into duels, to banish family members who commit heinous crimes, and to secure family lines through healthy marriages. Carefulness to chose honorable and noble suiters has become a highly sought out industry amongst the nobility, who play with bloodlines to secure a more noble marriage. Sons and daughters are often taught, and sometimes outright abused
Psychology
Jollans from all cultures normally a very proud, but also very cautious, of their nation. To say that the nation tends to attack itself and that either culture can be subjected to horrors at any time is considered a massive understatement, and most Jollan commoners are very much afraid the madness of a king can lead to their nation's ruin. Thus, most Jollans are ever watchful of their nobles, and their nobles often watch back. Jollans, even those who are considered slaves and minorities tend to be fairly proud of Jollas, especially when it came to their mini golden age. Nobles often have little consideration of who they rule, and often do not care much for their own peasantry or faith, caring more for their own families above all else. Normally, only internal resentment is found amongst the Beastfolk, who feel they were forced into the nation by ill means, and were treated poorly by those they must call overlord.
Slavery
Slavery exists in the kingdom, but it fairly rare. Slaves normally come from wars and work on freemen farms and villas, normally in the estate of nobles. Others are sold because of outstanding debts. All human slaves are typically shaved and given brown rags as a symbol of their status, and must work off their slavery for 25 years at max, and then are freed. Children cannot be born into slavery, and those reach extreme old age must be automatically set free. Beastfolk make up the majority of slaves, and rules for them are very different. Beastfolk slaves are collared, branded, and are normally slaves for life. Typically, most of these slaves are Bolam, who are used for heavy labor, as gladiators, or as bodyguards. Slaves are by law prohibited from joining the military, but can be used as camp slaves to dig ditches, clean armor, or work on siege equipment. Most noble families own slaves, and soldiers who are commoners tend to take slaves home to work on their farmsteads as a reward for their service. Only peasants are prohibited from owning slaves.
Beastfolk Cultures
Of the three main Beastfolk in Jollas, each have their own distinct cultures. Otum are the most 'civilized', having a fairly benevolent authoritarian culture based in civility, kindness, and the happiness of it's people. Bolam are a warlike nomadic culture who only identify themselves based on the pattern and color of their cloaks. The Kobtum are a very theocratic culture, which heavily relies on a caste and control of sages who rule over small clans and guide them from place to place. All three cultures, while distinct, mix in heavily with the main Jollas culture. Most of the cultures of the Beastfolk are abandoned completely by the urban creatures trapped in enclaves, or in the major cities. It is of considerable note that most Beastfolk cultures are treated with hostility by Jollas peoples, who bury their temples, desecrate their burial grounds, and sometimes drunkenly burn their sacred groves.
The people of Jollas live in simple fashion and rarely have time to worry too much about fashion outside the cities. The climate in Jollas is fairly decent as it is, and thus most Jollans have wool shirts and trousers, with iron buckle belts and the occasional cap. Most Jollans are in fact fairly well groomed, believing that illness spreads via unclean muck, and thus Jollans tend to avoid brownish colors in both wear and style. Brown in seen as a ill or poor color, and thus richer Jollans avoid it like a plague. Black colors are considered hard on the eyes. Rich and more noble Jolans tend to wear a variety of colored cloths and restricting dresses, sometimes covered in a silver or bronze lining. Cloaks are often avoided due to the fact that Bolams wear tribal cloaks to signify their clan loyalties, and thus it is considered a savage custom. Noblemen normally wear swords on their person most times, rarely being for show. Ornate swords are often considered a urban fad, which is laughed at as a joke by locals.
Craftsmanship
Jollans build with wood and stone, and thus many of their homes are simple, medieval, and have no real style outside being simple woodland huts. The big difference in a Jollan style is that they tend to build bunkers beneath their homes for storage, and often build sizable stone fences around their property. Jollan cities aren't exactly eye candy either to most visitors, being wooden and cramp. Most forms of aesthetics are often found in castle or public gardens, as most castles are build more for defense then they are for beauty. Kolum is often considered a Jolfan culture center, being a city with many simple winding white roads, gardens, and large open shops and entertainment theaters of marble, left over from the reign of Jolgas. Jollans aren't exactly master spear and sword makers, but they do specialize oddly in ship making. They often have no real unique style which stands out, but they don't have poor quality either. Only Bolam seem to make masterwork armor and weapons in the county, and often their services are exclusive to nobles who buy them or hire them as their castle smiths.
Traditions
The Jollans have a long line of traditions which survive to this very day, some modernized and some having remained the same for hundreds of years. Jollans never marry in winter or fall, but will only marry in summer and spring months. They will often gather under a willow, and the groom and wife must face the opposite of each other and slowly turn to one another until the marriage vow is complete. Marriages are met with week long celebrations and the occasional wrestling by the bride and groom's male family members. Funerals are very solitary and lonesome, and are considered far too depressing. Normally, a male patriarch and a helper, sometimes a friend, local peasant, or slave, takes the body of the deceased to a tomb or mound and buries the body themselves with no words said until after the body is buried. Family then gathers around the grave to say their goodbyes, and drink until midnight. Normally, the eldest man in a family is automatically the family patriarch, until they either go insane or die. A nobleman can be a powerful king or dujal, but may not actually be the overlord patriarch of the family by custom.
Cuisine
Due to the resources in Jollas, different regions provide different means of eating for the common and noble folk. Lamb and Goat is especially important for most diets in the region north of the Beast Isles, with shellfish being a favorite amongst the Beastfolk in the south. Only the Karoe have an extreme culinary difference, favoring drink above food and have a specific niche for hard ciders and beer flavored meats. Bread isn't often on hand on Jollas, so to make up for it, salads from veggies grown in the region make up for most issues, along with a large variety of vegetable soups. Nobles are known to especially have a sweet tooth, and it isn't uncommon for them to own their own special distilleries, honey farms, or to import sugar from far off. Jollan pastries and deserts are especially famed for their simple, but delicious, texture.
Language
The common language of Jollas is the Jolfan language, which is a fairly swiftly spoken and condensed language. However, the common written language is entirely different, being Lagiu. Lagiu is a difficult language, but it was commonplace in most form of Jolfan literature and history and is adopted as the sole written word of the country. Jolfan dialects different between region to region, but the further south, the more gutteral it becomes. The 'true' language ironically is better spoken in the less developed regions of Upper Jolfa. Beastfolk and the Karoe had their own languages, but were greatly restricted by the Jolfan nobility. Most Beastfolk speak with a swift and high pitched accent, while Karoe have a very deep and frightening slow accent.
Law
Law in Jollas is fairly centralized, but is interestingly not very feudal. Traditionally, a special adviser known as Kujal was the one to 'fulfill' the law, with local guardsmen and warriors enforcing the law and the nobility passing it. Laws of the land is codified within the Laws of the Past and the Laws of the Present, two sets of codes which dictate most forms of laws, and proper punishments for disobeying them. Most lords set their own laws, but they cannot go against the Laws of Past and Present, or face horrific punishment by virtue of the king. Kujals often handle minor lawsuits and crimes, with majoe crimes brought before a council of Kujals. If the crime is a capital punishment, the Kujals bring the matter before the king. If the king is busy, then the matter is decided in his stead by the Kujals. Kujal often require eyewitnesses, evidence, and religious omens to give verdicts, which is carried out by the noblemen's own guards. Most punishments is often either being sent into paying a heavy fine, mutilation, or paying in blood (giving up their children to the victim party). Capital punishment can include everything from beheadings, public torture, or some form of impalement.
Rights
Rights exist in Jollas, guaranteed by the Laws of Past and Present. These law codes guarentee freedom of movement, freedom to speak without being slain or imprisoned (with exceptions), and freedoms to marry. This is only normally for commoners, who are male, and are not in some form of bondage such as peasantry, or slavery. Women rarely have rights if they are not noble born, often straddling the line between family property to being a formal family member. Women can inherit, but only if they are born as nobles and there are no sons available. Rights for minorities such as Beastfolk does exist, but its rarely taken heed of. Publically, the law allows free Beastfolk to walk as free as a common man, but can be moved from cities without their permission, but they are regularly abused by the Jolfans. Atheists, homosexuals, and other oddities are considered more as unique oddities by professional circles and are treated like freaks, but are considered abominable by the rural peasantry and will often be killed if they are open and proud for their beliefs.
Entertainment
Depending on rural or urban Joffans, entertainment varies greatly. Rural peoples are fair drunkards who enjoy bar life and wrestling, a traditional past time. Occasionally, nobles from the rural villas hold horseback tournaments either by racing or large festive parties to celebrate some kind of event. Cities on the other hand, especially in Kolum, are a different story. Theaters, entertainment colleges, chess clubs, and a variety of acting troupes all make homes in Jollas cities to entertain city goers. However the elite entertainment comes with arenas. Blood sports are large crowd pleasers, a pass time brought over by the ancient days, but toned down quiet a bit. Most forms of blood sport is very theatrical, done with actors and the occasional animal. Often, Bolam slaves are forced to fight for some kind of amusement, but even this tends to end bloodlessly after a few scratches or jabs. Gladiator schools exist in Kolum, which buy and train Bolam to fight these mock battles.
Education
Education has a poor history in Jollas, having been home to the Dark Hunts which killed mages and intellectuals alike. Of the few surviving schools is the Nausbarth Academy, a fortress turned education center which had a long history of purges, closures, and embarrassments in it's long career, but is still a functioning academy despite it's persecution. The Otek Merchant School however is a 2nd noteworthy academy that survives, normally reserved for the families of moneylenders and future guild merchants. Most forms of education is passed down between parent to child, with some able to afford tutors from one of the academies. Normally, higher nobility are tutored in some way, but typically most people in Jollas are fairly superstitious and ignorant and must learn on their own.
Family and Honor
The notion of family and honor, while depicted as an ancient custom, is more of a modern and fairly noble oriented issue. Blood ties are important, the only way to true inheritance, and thus attempts by families to rewrite their own history is a big industry. Most families however also know that their past relatives have done very awful things to achieve their noble titles, especially the ruling families. The Dark Hunts had erased history, giving time to the families who want to capitalize on this trend to write their own history, often comparable to fairy tales, with notions of honor. Generations later, these tales inspire knights, nobles, and merchant class alike into duels, to banish family members who commit heinous crimes, and to secure family lines through healthy marriages. Carefulness to chose honorable and noble suiters has become a highly sought out industry amongst the nobility, who play with bloodlines to secure a more noble marriage. Sons and daughters are often taught, and sometimes outright abused
Psychology
Jollans from all cultures normally a very proud, but also very cautious, of their nation. To say that the nation tends to attack itself and that either culture can be subjected to horrors at any time is considered a massive understatement, and most Jollan commoners are very much afraid the madness of a king can lead to their nation's ruin. Thus, most Jollans are ever watchful of their nobles, and their nobles often watch back. Jollans, even those who are considered slaves and minorities tend to be fairly proud of Jollas, especially when it came to their mini golden age. Nobles often have little consideration of who they rule, and often do not care much for their own peasantry or faith, caring more for their own families above all else. Normally, only internal resentment is found amongst the Beastfolk, who feel they were forced into the nation by ill means, and were treated poorly by those they must call overlord.
Slavery
Slavery exists in the kingdom, but it fairly rare. Slaves normally come from wars and work on freemen farms and villas, normally in the estate of nobles. Others are sold because of outstanding debts. All human slaves are typically shaved and given brown rags as a symbol of their status, and must work off their slavery for 25 years at max, and then are freed. Children cannot be born into slavery, and those reach extreme old age must be automatically set free. Beastfolk make up the majority of slaves, and rules for them are very different. Beastfolk slaves are collared, branded, and are normally slaves for life. Typically, most of these slaves are Bolam, who are used for heavy labor, as gladiators, or as bodyguards. Slaves are by law prohibited from joining the military, but can be used as camp slaves to dig ditches, clean armor, or work on siege equipment. Most noble families own slaves, and soldiers who are commoners tend to take slaves home to work on their farmsteads as a reward for their service. Only peasants are prohibited from owning slaves.
Beastfolk Cultures
Of the three main Beastfolk in Jollas, each have their own distinct cultures. Otum are the most 'civilized', having a fairly benevolent authoritarian culture based in civility, kindness, and the happiness of it's people. Bolam are a warlike nomadic culture who only identify themselves based on the pattern and color of their cloaks. The Kobtum are a very theocratic culture, which heavily relies on a caste and control of sages who rule over small clans and guide them from place to place. All three cultures, while distinct, mix in heavily with the main Jollas culture. Most of the cultures of the Beastfolk are abandoned completely by the urban creatures trapped in enclaves, or in the major cities. It is of considerable note that most Beastfolk cultures are treated with hostility by Jollas peoples, who bury their temples, desecrate their burial grounds, and sometimes drunkenly burn their sacred groves.
Military
Recruitment
Jollas has a rather simple form of recruitment, in which officers from the noble's local villa go out and gather men from the villages, volunteer or conscripted simply from the road. It isn't uncommon for travelers to get conscripted into the army, as most are pressed into service anyways. However, it is considered far more honorable and of good character to join willingly, often earning possibility for promotion for volunteers. Most nobles often have programs to train their peasantry and commoners beforehand, where many practice in fields before they get conscripted into a war. Most of the more elite recruits are conscripted amongst local guards, with the idea that because there are less men around, there is nothing to guard. Jollas forbids the recruitment of slaves, often as a way to bar Beastfolk like the Bolam to get recruited into their military and try to claim their freedom or worse to switch sides. Beastfolk are normally ignored for recruitment, since the only usable infantry are Bolam who are few in number as it is, but each clan normally still maintains their own caste of soldiers for guarding.
Organization
Jollas, while it likes to think it has a flexible and well organized army, does not in fact have such a army. Most armies are led by Generalings, a group of officers who lead in the stead of a noble as a second in command, and if either dies, the command goes to another Generaling. Most Generalings have officers who keep their camps in order, and below officers are flag bearers who command the smaller units of levies. Knights sometimes are in officer positions, but are more or less treated as elite levies. Normally, most tactics require that a line of reserves is held back while others fight on a open field, as is traditional combat. However, most Generalings from Jollas prefer to fight in forests, use attrition, and set up ambushes as to wear down a enemy before engaging them in open battle in order to get a severe edge.
Jollan Levies
Jollan Levies are not exactly the brightest or most disciplined, but they are however fairly basic infantry which are well experienced enough to hold a spear or fire a bow. Typically raised from peasant farmsteads and trained by local nobility, most levies are equipped with Jollan colors of red and yellow, giving some padded armor or if they are lucky some chainmail. They typically wield spears, long spears, axes, knives, and a buckler, with rarer swords, iron shields, and the occasional flail. Most soldiers from more northern contingents have bows and arrows, with richer southern armies having crossbows.
Jollan Knights
Jollan knights are members of nobility, lesser or otherwise, and are normally sons, cousins, and brother-in-laws of powerful lords who are trained from a young age in sword play, to march, to lead, and to occasionally ride on horseback. Only knights tend to ride on horseback, acting as the main, if not only, cavalry in the region and having such a horse is a sign of status. Jollan knights are well armored, the richer lords having plate, and typically arm themselves with swords and shields. Jollan knights tend to decorate themselves to give their families a proper and honorable name. While most knight believe they follow a code of honorable conduct, it is often very rare of them to do so, which can include dueling worthy opponents to the death, taking in their opponents family as their own if they won, and preventing the lesser levies from defiling the homes of the innocent no matter which side they are on.
Beastfolk Mercenaries
Beastfolk do have their own armies, but are often reduced to guard positions which are sometimes fulfilled by human mercenaries or local human nobles. However, most Jollas armies do tend to have a small army of Beastfolk regardless, being part of small mercenary companies of Otum, Kobtum, and Bolam warriors. Otum and Kobtum are not capable of fighting in human combat, being armored very little and their 'swords' being little more then knives, but Otum scouts and soldiers and easily traverse rivers and bogs with ease, and Kobtum herbalists tend to be very skillful medics and are fairly decent camp watchmen. Bolam are fairly light armor, but their size and strength make them living cavalry within themselves, and their weapons no matter how crude can make them take on 50 men with ease. Bolam clansmen tend to be flanking troops, since due to their size, they are easy prey for archers. Armored Bolam are a terrifying sight in battle, but are exceedingly rare, normally being chieftains or skillful mercenaries.
Karoe Legedari
The Karoe have a elite caste of warriors known as Legedari, and no Jollas army is complete without them in the vanguard. Karoe are known to be legendary in both their morale and discipline, and the best amongst them are the Legedari, or living legends. Typically being traveling warrior nobles, the Legedari are heavily armored infantry who can match even cavalry on the field of battle, known to form unbreakable walls which make them difficult to break. Most of these warriors loot from rich homes and have their own horses, often taking slaves to sell back home or to run their estates. Most Legedari are fairly nomadic, being also fairly competent monster killers where they make most of their money by driving away dragons or defeating some demon threat.
War Mages
War Mages are an important part of a Jollas army, and is crucial for most successful battles. War Mages are there for 3 important reasons; to deal with magical threat, to act in a defensive position to prevent magic from harming the main army, and to provide artillery fire from afar. Being mobile and sentient casters, war mages typically are tasked to devastating a enemy army before it even arrives on the main field. However, clever generals only tend to use them to counter spells from enemy war mages, and to bypass or detect some kind of magical interference. Jollas war mages are not particularly special, but they are well paid for and well taken care of, often being in a high military position amongst the army.
Navy
The Jollas navy is fairly mixed, because there are in fact 2 main navies. The main imperial navy is a collection of galleys which are typically conscripted merchant ships outfitted for war, since Jollas has very little experience or care for naval combat. The main threatening navy is the Otum navy amongst the Beast Isles, since the Otum tend to have masterful ship builders. Otum ships are small, but strong, which rely on ranged warfare. Otum naval traditions are fairly cruel and odd by most human standards, where young Otum sailors spend 5 years as a galley slave before moving up ranks to an actual sailor, not allowed to even go onto land for 10 years in total. Most Otum sailors are die hard fanatics when it comes down to fighting on the open sea, and it isn't uncommon for underpaid captains to turn to piracy along Jollas coasts since the Otum often refuse to deal with their own, and the Jollas navy tends to fair poorly against the pirates themselves.
Jollas has a rather simple form of recruitment, in which officers from the noble's local villa go out and gather men from the villages, volunteer or conscripted simply from the road. It isn't uncommon for travelers to get conscripted into the army, as most are pressed into service anyways. However, it is considered far more honorable and of good character to join willingly, often earning possibility for promotion for volunteers. Most nobles often have programs to train their peasantry and commoners beforehand, where many practice in fields before they get conscripted into a war. Most of the more elite recruits are conscripted amongst local guards, with the idea that because there are less men around, there is nothing to guard. Jollas forbids the recruitment of slaves, often as a way to bar Beastfolk like the Bolam to get recruited into their military and try to claim their freedom or worse to switch sides. Beastfolk are normally ignored for recruitment, since the only usable infantry are Bolam who are few in number as it is, but each clan normally still maintains their own caste of soldiers for guarding.
Organization
Jollas, while it likes to think it has a flexible and well organized army, does not in fact have such a army. Most armies are led by Generalings, a group of officers who lead in the stead of a noble as a second in command, and if either dies, the command goes to another Generaling. Most Generalings have officers who keep their camps in order, and below officers are flag bearers who command the smaller units of levies. Knights sometimes are in officer positions, but are more or less treated as elite levies. Normally, most tactics require that a line of reserves is held back while others fight on a open field, as is traditional combat. However, most Generalings from Jollas prefer to fight in forests, use attrition, and set up ambushes as to wear down a enemy before engaging them in open battle in order to get a severe edge.
Jollan Levies
Jollan Levies are not exactly the brightest or most disciplined, but they are however fairly basic infantry which are well experienced enough to hold a spear or fire a bow. Typically raised from peasant farmsteads and trained by local nobility, most levies are equipped with Jollan colors of red and yellow, giving some padded armor or if they are lucky some chainmail. They typically wield spears, long spears, axes, knives, and a buckler, with rarer swords, iron shields, and the occasional flail. Most soldiers from more northern contingents have bows and arrows, with richer southern armies having crossbows.
Jollan Knights
Jollan knights are members of nobility, lesser or otherwise, and are normally sons, cousins, and brother-in-laws of powerful lords who are trained from a young age in sword play, to march, to lead, and to occasionally ride on horseback. Only knights tend to ride on horseback, acting as the main, if not only, cavalry in the region and having such a horse is a sign of status. Jollan knights are well armored, the richer lords having plate, and typically arm themselves with swords and shields. Jollan knights tend to decorate themselves to give their families a proper and honorable name. While most knight believe they follow a code of honorable conduct, it is often very rare of them to do so, which can include dueling worthy opponents to the death, taking in their opponents family as their own if they won, and preventing the lesser levies from defiling the homes of the innocent no matter which side they are on.
Beastfolk Mercenaries
Beastfolk do have their own armies, but are often reduced to guard positions which are sometimes fulfilled by human mercenaries or local human nobles. However, most Jollas armies do tend to have a small army of Beastfolk regardless, being part of small mercenary companies of Otum, Kobtum, and Bolam warriors. Otum and Kobtum are not capable of fighting in human combat, being armored very little and their 'swords' being little more then knives, but Otum scouts and soldiers and easily traverse rivers and bogs with ease, and Kobtum herbalists tend to be very skillful medics and are fairly decent camp watchmen. Bolam are fairly light armor, but their size and strength make them living cavalry within themselves, and their weapons no matter how crude can make them take on 50 men with ease. Bolam clansmen tend to be flanking troops, since due to their size, they are easy prey for archers. Armored Bolam are a terrifying sight in battle, but are exceedingly rare, normally being chieftains or skillful mercenaries.
Karoe Legedari
The Karoe have a elite caste of warriors known as Legedari, and no Jollas army is complete without them in the vanguard. Karoe are known to be legendary in both their morale and discipline, and the best amongst them are the Legedari, or living legends. Typically being traveling warrior nobles, the Legedari are heavily armored infantry who can match even cavalry on the field of battle, known to form unbreakable walls which make them difficult to break. Most of these warriors loot from rich homes and have their own horses, often taking slaves to sell back home or to run their estates. Most Legedari are fairly nomadic, being also fairly competent monster killers where they make most of their money by driving away dragons or defeating some demon threat.
War Mages
War Mages are an important part of a Jollas army, and is crucial for most successful battles. War Mages are there for 3 important reasons; to deal with magical threat, to act in a defensive position to prevent magic from harming the main army, and to provide artillery fire from afar. Being mobile and sentient casters, war mages typically are tasked to devastating a enemy army before it even arrives on the main field. However, clever generals only tend to use them to counter spells from enemy war mages, and to bypass or detect some kind of magical interference. Jollas war mages are not particularly special, but they are well paid for and well taken care of, often being in a high military position amongst the army.
Navy
The Jollas navy is fairly mixed, because there are in fact 2 main navies. The main imperial navy is a collection of galleys which are typically conscripted merchant ships outfitted for war, since Jollas has very little experience or care for naval combat. The main threatening navy is the Otum navy amongst the Beast Isles, since the Otum tend to have masterful ship builders. Otum ships are small, but strong, which rely on ranged warfare. Otum naval traditions are fairly cruel and odd by most human standards, where young Otum sailors spend 5 years as a galley slave before moving up ranks to an actual sailor, not allowed to even go onto land for 10 years in total. Most Otum sailors are die hard fanatics when it comes down to fighting on the open sea, and it isn't uncommon for underpaid captains to turn to piracy along Jollas coasts since the Otum often refuse to deal with their own, and the Jollas navy tends to fair poorly against the pirates themselves.
Government
Centralized Feudal Monarchy
The feudal system of Jollas was centralized during it's miniature golden age, with many of it's most minor nobles given more formal lands, other purged from history, and a clear set of rules and regulations were placed to identify between nobles of different castes. At the head of government is the king and his councillors, who is the sole landowner in all of Jollas, and everyone else pays rent to him. The King provides the land to the Dujals, who provide land to the Valks and so on and so forth. The final say in laws is with the King and King alone, but each lord can set the rules in his own country so long as they do not go against the Law of the Past, the Law of the Present, or any of the main edicts put into effect by the King.
King - The King is the sole landowner and ruler of Jollas, is the religious head, and is head of the army. The King of Jollas has the responsibility to leading Jollas to victory
Prince - Prince does not simply mean the son of the king, but more closer to that of a pretender to the crown. The Prince can only be of the king's bloodline, and can range from uncles, to nephews, to cousins, and so forth. All Princes have a right to the crown, but only one can be dedicated to inherit the kingdom upon the king's death if left in the will. Otherwise, this process is given to the king's previous councillors.
Dujal - Dujals are large landowners, owning huge amounts of territory to be declared a province. Dujals are direct renters of the King and answer only to him.
Valk - Valks are a large landowner who own a smaller province within a province, typically owners of rural castles and estates who control villages and towns, and sometimes the occasional city. They are a major nobility, and are the direct renters to the Dujals.
Earlom - Earloms, or Earls, are minor nobility who are the main noble line in charge of towns, villages, and smaller provinces within a Valk's province. Typically, Earls own small estates and usually own several peasants to tend to their farmstead. They are the direct renters to the Valks.
Lesser Earl - Lesser Earls are essentially Beastfolk chieftains, barbarian chieftains, and sometimes refer to foreign ambassadors of noble birth. Lesser Earls have noble rights, but do not give direct rent, but rather are instead expected as commoners to obey laws, but have protected noble rights and privileges.
Commoner - A commoner is a common citizen of Jollas, a freeman who pay a gold tax to earls. They range from merchants, to priests, to warriors.
Peasant - Peasants are bound serfs who give up the freedom of themselves and their families for protection of a landed lord, tending their lands which they are bound to. Have few rights, and pay taxes in the form of resources and gold. Peasants cannot get a higher job or marry outside their caste. Peasants can only be freed by the whim of their overlord.
Slave - A sentient being which is owned by another, having few rights. They cannot outright be killed for their service, and human slaves can only put into servitude for 25 years at most.
City Councils
A city council is a small group of wealthy or powerful urban aristocrats who run the cities, usually in the name of a local Valk. Councils only exist at the behest of the local Valk, but the reality often is they have far more influence and power then their noble overlords and thus tend to just bribe them to keep their power in check. Councils often focus on city planning and earning money for both themselves and their city, normally a council being made up of wealthy merchants, guilds, and influential families. Councils tend to vary in size, meeting in large halls to discuss their business. Rather then deal with the local Valk, almost all forms of city based agreements goes through the council instead, giving Jollas cities a form of unique autonomy.
Elders
One ancient noble caste which survived modern purges were village elders, a traditional caste of nobles in the villages which undermine the power of earls, especially in Souden where they are disturbingly powerful. Elders are the old and wise of the village who run much of the village's day to day operations, consulting the gods, and condemning the wicked. Elders in the villages often are elderly clan patriarchs of families and often promote tradition and religion, commonly feuding with other villages over ancient issues. Elders are not a legal nobility and are considered commoners, with most being fined for their transgressions. In places such as Loskadia, Elders have terrifying political power, and can quite easily overthrow disobedient earls and valks. In order to appease them, Souden elders are allowed a certain amount of autonomy, and local lords pay small sums to fix shrines and perform religious services to appease them.
The Free Isles
The Beast Isles have a unique issue in which it is difficult to enforce Jollas laws amongst the various smaller island villages, so in order to keep control of these islands the monarchy allowed the Otum islands to become Free Isles, in which Otum law trumps the law of Jollas. Otum islands can have their own armies, form their own laws, and set their own tolls. The islands naturally pay a higher rent to the monarchy for these privileges, but the free isles have become dens of merchants and criminals who abuse the generosity of the Otum to become filthy rich. Those who flee to the free isles are often not arrested until they cause trouble on the islands themselves, often becoming a haven of bastards, traitors, and victims of the Dark Hunt. Usually, in order to keep the islands from becoming a free haven to the damned, the King of Jollas traditionally provides a tax break to allow his soldiers onto free island shores to collect these undesirables.
State Sanctioned Magecide
The Order of the Hunt is a group of soldiers and religious militia who hunt down the 'vile, evil, and wicked' within Jollas. This includes foreign mages, necromancers, and traitors to the crown. However, normally these hunts expand to include everyone from the highly educated who are not noble born, to priests who so happen to be criticizing the order. Whenever the army marches, the order follows shortly with it's orders to purge the 'vile, evil, and wicked' from conquered lands, normally torturing and slaying mages. The excuse to use the Order is controversial, but its threat of violence is often a easy political tactic to control many of Jollas's mages and prevent them from becoming a political power to trump the nobility. The effectiveness of the Order to hunt them down has frightened many a mage and professor in Jollas.
Minor Titles
The feudal system of Jollas was centralized during it's miniature golden age, with many of it's most minor nobles given more formal lands, other purged from history, and a clear set of rules and regulations were placed to identify between nobles of different castes. At the head of government is the king and his councillors, who is the sole landowner in all of Jollas, and everyone else pays rent to him. The King provides the land to the Dujals, who provide land to the Valks and so on and so forth. The final say in laws is with the King and King alone, but each lord can set the rules in his own country so long as they do not go against the Law of the Past, the Law of the Present, or any of the main edicts put into effect by the King.
King - The King is the sole landowner and ruler of Jollas, is the religious head, and is head of the army. The King of Jollas has the responsibility to leading Jollas to victory
Prince - Prince does not simply mean the son of the king, but more closer to that of a pretender to the crown. The Prince can only be of the king's bloodline, and can range from uncles, to nephews, to cousins, and so forth. All Princes have a right to the crown, but only one can be dedicated to inherit the kingdom upon the king's death if left in the will. Otherwise, this process is given to the king's previous councillors.
Dujal - Dujals are large landowners, owning huge amounts of territory to be declared a province. Dujals are direct renters of the King and answer only to him.
Valk - Valks are a large landowner who own a smaller province within a province, typically owners of rural castles and estates who control villages and towns, and sometimes the occasional city. They are a major nobility, and are the direct renters to the Dujals.
Earlom - Earloms, or Earls, are minor nobility who are the main noble line in charge of towns, villages, and smaller provinces within a Valk's province. Typically, Earls own small estates and usually own several peasants to tend to their farmstead. They are the direct renters to the Valks.
Lesser Earl - Lesser Earls are essentially Beastfolk chieftains, barbarian chieftains, and sometimes refer to foreign ambassadors of noble birth. Lesser Earls have noble rights, but do not give direct rent, but rather are instead expected as commoners to obey laws, but have protected noble rights and privileges.
Commoner - A commoner is a common citizen of Jollas, a freeman who pay a gold tax to earls. They range from merchants, to priests, to warriors.
Peasant - Peasants are bound serfs who give up the freedom of themselves and their families for protection of a landed lord, tending their lands which they are bound to. Have few rights, and pay taxes in the form of resources and gold. Peasants cannot get a higher job or marry outside their caste. Peasants can only be freed by the whim of their overlord.
Slave - A sentient being which is owned by another, having few rights. They cannot outright be killed for their service, and human slaves can only put into servitude for 25 years at most.
City Councils
A city council is a small group of wealthy or powerful urban aristocrats who run the cities, usually in the name of a local Valk. Councils only exist at the behest of the local Valk, but the reality often is they have far more influence and power then their noble overlords and thus tend to just bribe them to keep their power in check. Councils often focus on city planning and earning money for both themselves and their city, normally a council being made up of wealthy merchants, guilds, and influential families. Councils tend to vary in size, meeting in large halls to discuss their business. Rather then deal with the local Valk, almost all forms of city based agreements goes through the council instead, giving Jollas cities a form of unique autonomy.
Elders
One ancient noble caste which survived modern purges were village elders, a traditional caste of nobles in the villages which undermine the power of earls, especially in Souden where they are disturbingly powerful. Elders are the old and wise of the village who run much of the village's day to day operations, consulting the gods, and condemning the wicked. Elders in the villages often are elderly clan patriarchs of families and often promote tradition and religion, commonly feuding with other villages over ancient issues. Elders are not a legal nobility and are considered commoners, with most being fined for their transgressions. In places such as Loskadia, Elders have terrifying political power, and can quite easily overthrow disobedient earls and valks. In order to appease them, Souden elders are allowed a certain amount of autonomy, and local lords pay small sums to fix shrines and perform religious services to appease them.
The Free Isles
The Beast Isles have a unique issue in which it is difficult to enforce Jollas laws amongst the various smaller island villages, so in order to keep control of these islands the monarchy allowed the Otum islands to become Free Isles, in which Otum law trumps the law of Jollas. Otum islands can have their own armies, form their own laws, and set their own tolls. The islands naturally pay a higher rent to the monarchy for these privileges, but the free isles have become dens of merchants and criminals who abuse the generosity of the Otum to become filthy rich. Those who flee to the free isles are often not arrested until they cause trouble on the islands themselves, often becoming a haven of bastards, traitors, and victims of the Dark Hunt. Usually, in order to keep the islands from becoming a free haven to the damned, the King of Jollas traditionally provides a tax break to allow his soldiers onto free island shores to collect these undesirables.
State Sanctioned Magecide
The Order of the Hunt is a group of soldiers and religious militia who hunt down the 'vile, evil, and wicked' within Jollas. This includes foreign mages, necromancers, and traitors to the crown. However, normally these hunts expand to include everyone from the highly educated who are not noble born, to priests who so happen to be criticizing the order. Whenever the army marches, the order follows shortly with it's orders to purge the 'vile, evil, and wicked' from conquered lands, normally torturing and slaying mages. The excuse to use the Order is controversial, but its threat of violence is often a easy political tactic to control many of Jollas's mages and prevent them from becoming a political power to trump the nobility. The effectiveness of the Order to hunt them down has frightened many a mage and professor in Jollas.
Minor Titles
- Admis - Admis is a regent, normally a noble who takes control of a court during the death or absence of a ruler until a new one is found.
- Spion - A spy of sorts, normally in charge of handling informations formally, but is realistically used for spying and agent work.
- Armsmaster - A garrison master, normally a captain of the royal guard. Charged with training the peasants, getting weapons, and leading recruitment efforts.
- Generaling - A commander of a Jollas army, charged with leading men into battle and winning wars in case of the death or absence of a nobleman.
- Unfavored - A fool's position, normally reserved for prisoners and disliked slaves, who provide clownish and cruel entertainment for guests and at feasts.
- Favored - A favored servant or slave, considered a friend of the family but is bound to them as well.
- Blood Brother - A person who is not born of the family, but their deep friendship has them split their hands open and make a pact to declare themselves spiritual brothers.
- Tutor - A educated person who teaches young nobles. Normally comes from prestigious schools, but any person can fill the role of a tutor.
- Councillor - A councillor is a adviser and head of a department of sorts, typically charged by the noble to do things in their stead so he can focus on other things.
- Champion - A warrior who fights in the honor and name of another, typically a nobleman who has grown old or is unable (or unwilling) to fight. Champions who die bring immense scandal and shame to the family.
Religion
Tresism
Tresism is the universal belief which encompasses the various mythologies and cults of the Jolfan, Souden, and some of the Beastfolk and Karoe cults. These cults were unified into a polytheistic faith and codified as the state religion, which holds some buy not very noticeable sway. The faith's head is the King of Jollas, and as such, all religious ceremonies and theological debate go through Jollas's king. As such, only the priests can formally declare who is the king of Jollas as well, granting them some form of high political power, even though it tends to be insultingly easy to appease them. Tresism has a very warped and mysterious history, with most book and scholarly works pertaining to it's existence having been destroyed twice over during the Dark Hunts. They are both rivals and allies of the Order of the Hunt, and often view each other as puppets of the other, even though officially the Order is a school of faithful militia to the religion.
Gods
Divinity
According to Tresist beliefs, the world began when 3 men walked through the forest of jade leaves and picked up a stone the size of a mountain. Each god have the world 3 gifts; water, fire, and spit. From the spit of these 3 titans bore the first men, and from the fire brought magical beings, and from the water bore the non-humans. The world is a pebble was then casted into the void by the titans. Some beings are said to live a divine life, spirits of the titan's own image, who were in fact their sons who came back and slew them and drank of their blood, giving them immortality. Whenever one dies, another is born, and so the cycle continues, granting their gift to man, non-human, and beast. They raised gods and made men like them, teaching them the ways of the gods without consequence. The gods now guide the world and live among men supposedly, watching from the forests and mountains, living as invisible kings and queens over all creation.
Priesthood
There is little in terms of priesthood in the faith, as there are only 3 castes which have small but important tasks. The Quasibor is the chief priest, roughly translated to Vassal of Gods, who is the chief priest. However, the Quasibor is more closer to administrator of the temples and does little in terms of religious rituals. The main priests are known as Cousai, who guide the main religious festivities and practices. Cousai are normally the leaders of cults and have a lower caste of ritualists known as the Kuan, the Kuan are acolytes who follow a Cousai to learn their ways and help them perform rituals. Cousai follow their cults to the letter and lead religious practitioners is making proper sacrifices. Only Cousai can perform religious rituals, and have no real restrictions on them, allowing them to drink, marry, and even go to war if they wish.
Cults
A cult is a small sect normally dedicated to only one of the main gods in Tresism, or a minor deity who supposedly grants blessings. Cults make up the basis of the religion, controlling small provinces of influence in which the cult can operate, gather followers, and perform sacrifices. Normally, most cults are harmless and usually give only simple rituals during a certain season, but other cults can be outright dangerous and are often frowned upon for their wild beliefs and practices. Cults of Paros for example often act as guilds of assassins and vigilantes, and cults of Nulla tend to spawn traditionalist fanatics who have been known to lead weary nobles into ambushes as their sacrifice. Cults tend to keep to rural wilds and hidden caves where they perform their rituals in peace, usually accompanied by feasting and the occasional game.
Temples
Temples vary between the rural outback and the urban centers greatly. Urban temples are stone houses with small shrines dedicated to each of the gods and a altar used for sacrifices. Normally, a priest will live in the temple itself, often acting as a support structure or gathering hall at best. In the rural lands however, temples are found in large caves or in lonesome groves, usually being these large and ornate huts and structured basement caves which are far more spiritually appealing their their city counterparts. Most advance forms of worship are done in these secret abodes, and where most priests tend to gather for the larger festivals. Most of these rural temples can hold both their priest and followers, and are built by local clansmen. Most of these structures also tend to be ancient, some dating back to the first clans.
Beliefs
The unifying belief of Tresism is that all live in a cycle of death and renewal, where the soul is immortal and constantly latching onto something. There is no one prophet who started the faith, but rather, it is said to have started 'by simply being'. Tresists have no issue with violence, as their gods tend to be violent in themselves. Tresists believe the natural world is full of curses and blessings, and that concepts such as luck simply doesn't exist, but rather it is the will of the gods. There is a certain divine spark with gambling and dueling, which is decided by the gods themselves in the end. There is a belief in a divine spirit and guiding forces for that spirit, and that spirit is under constant threat from the both the spiritual and physical world around it. Doing things that are deemed 'evil' and 'wicked', such as kinslaying for example, can infest and rot the soul to the point of spiritual death.
Practices
In order to appease the spirits and gods, sacrifices have to be made. In order to extend favorable seasons such as spring and summer, fat and meat is presented in offering to the gods upon altars conducted by priests. During more turbulent months like fall or winter, individual families make 'poison offerings' such as offerings of rodents, bones, and herbs to either extend fall or to speed up winter. Tresists will stand in prayer to favorable gods, but kneel or crawl to gods who they show no respect for, begging themselves to be spared out of pity rather then loyalty. Tresists will often wear a string necklace with a small idol of their god to show their loyalty to a cult, but will often practice in secret. Often, most Tresists will consecrate new holy sites and the homes of their families with salt and fall leaves, driving out evil house spirits and inviting in godly spirits who protect the home and watch over the family.
Legends
Hundreds of small individual legends exists amongst the Tresists, but none more revered as the Chronicles of Franciszek. Franciszek was said to be born of Kasta and a human bride, making him a demi god who could only exist in a time of summer. During his non-living years, he journeyed in the spirit world, doing the bidding of other gods, returning to the world every summer to solve a issue amongst men. He defeated giants, drove out snakes, and built bridges made from his iron hair. He was known to have a rivalry with the Bolam gods, and in legend slew each one who had feuded with him. He had ultimately found a way to escape his death by joining in his father's hunt, hunting the goddess Nulla. Franciszek is said to one day return and lead a final charge against the evil of the world, wiping out the last bastion of troubles for men.
Festivals
Tresist festivals are seasonal, with a festival every start of a season celebrating the birth of one god and death of another. Summer festivals are the greatest, being made solely of hunted meats and beers, spring having salads and eggs, fall having pumpkin and wines, and winter being of pork and breads. Festivals are important in the faith and each cult hosts their own, often trying to outdo each other with games, festival foods, and activities. This also means festivals change yearly, and depending on how rich a cult gets. Universally, cities host the larger more public festivals while rural temples tend to have the better spiritual parties. During festivals, merchants tend to gain great riches by setting up shops nearby, providing offerings and additional venues for the worshippers, making them a public spectacle for both locals and foreigners alike.
Magic
Priests are not magical in nature even though most assume to be, but the temples do pay for magical services, build housing for mages, and keep them safe whenever possible. Tresists cults love magic more then their practitioners and regularly keep them close by. Most forms of Tresist magic is a mixture of druidry and arcane. Tresists mages tend to specialize in pyromancery and various forms of illuminating magic, with some old practices of the Beastfolk who had specialized in druidry. Tresist mages themselves often live very secularized lives compared to the religion which patronizes them, who often use them to perform tricks for their cultists.
Views on Magic
Magic is treated fairly badly in Tresist faith on the lower levels, with regular practitioners viewing it as a form of wickedness which toils with the creation of the world. Only Beastfolk seem to tolerate mages or respect them, along with small Karoe clans. Most Tresist see magic in the hands of men as to do the possibility of great evil, which is good enough to remove from society. Mages of other faiths are treated far worse, often killed for heresy or witchcraft of the highest order. However, most Tresists are not bloodlusting for the blood of sorcerers, but can be easily stirred by radicals who may wish to see them removed. Tresist clergy however view mages very differently, seeing them as tools of their gods, but unable to explain away why common men, beasts, and non-humans can share in such powers which they cannot. So they often protect or hide them, fund their research, and allow them to be acolytes in their cults to give them political immunity.
Tresism is the universal belief which encompasses the various mythologies and cults of the Jolfan, Souden, and some of the Beastfolk and Karoe cults. These cults were unified into a polytheistic faith and codified as the state religion, which holds some buy not very noticeable sway. The faith's head is the King of Jollas, and as such, all religious ceremonies and theological debate go through Jollas's king. As such, only the priests can formally declare who is the king of Jollas as well, granting them some form of high political power, even though it tends to be insultingly easy to appease them. Tresism has a very warped and mysterious history, with most book and scholarly works pertaining to it's existence having been destroyed twice over during the Dark Hunts. They are both rivals and allies of the Order of the Hunt, and often view each other as puppets of the other, even though officially the Order is a school of faithful militia to the religion.
Gods
- Kasta - Kasta is the God of Summer, Kings, Blood, Nobility, Man, and the Fields. He is the paragon of Summer and is born from Tiesama, and who's death births Makrova. He is the closest thing to a god of war in Tresism, depicted as a heroic warrior with a yellow robe, and wields a spear dipped in boar's blood. Throughout the summer he leads a wild hunt of dead kings and legendary warriors, crossing the moonlit sky on starlight horses.
- Makrova - Makrova is the goddess of fall, mediation, pumpkins, beer, peace, harvests, and rivers. She is an avatar of fall and is born of Kasta, and who's death births Gulgia. Makrova is said to warn farmers of harvest, devours the leaves of trees, and drinks in a wine made from the blood of pumpkins and animals, making them flee from her at all times. She is said to be always partying in the wilderness, drunk off her sacrifices, and if not appeased then she will die and winter will start early.
- Gulgia - Gulgia is the goddess of winter, torment, darkness, death, sorrow, and mountains. She is born of Makrova, and her death borns Tiesama. Gulgia is a decaying creature who is ill seen and who's sight kills men instantly. She is said to live in the mountains and cries for the end, and only through sacrifices, prayer, and lamenting on the woes of war can she be driven off. Gulgia is said to be a mother of monsters, and is said in her quest for love she sucks out the souls of men in their sleep and on the battlefield.
- Tiesama - Tiesama is the god of spring, fruit, wind, smell, rain, storm, and the forest. Tiesama is born of Gulgia, and upon his death borns Kasta. He is depcited as a younger Kasta with a brown dirty robe, and a bent spear, carrying mistletoe in hand. He is said in legend to have a joyful personality. He is said to turn himself into various animals to play tricks on men, and his death his heralded when riders of Kasta's hunt finally catch him and kill him, and from his bones Kasta is born.
- Paros - Paros is the Karoe god of Feuds, Murder, Bloodlust, Vengeance, Honor, and Sacrifice. He is often considered the Karoe god of war, but is more closer to be considered to be a god of law and vengeance by many Karoe customs and legends. Paros is a red faced being who's armor is made up of all the swords lost on the battlefield, and wears a robe made from the bones of the guilty and wicked. He judges warriors in the afterlife, either adding to his cloak or granting them a afterlife with never ending war, glory, and loot.
- Gula - Gula is the god of the sun, and is depicted as a groomed and collared wolf hound who hunts with Kasta as his immortal companion. Gula is said to hunt across the sky, constantly chasing Nulla his free mate. Gula is a patron of light who is said from Kasta's blessings all life flows from and who's honor and service bores the world's civilized fruits, but is also a symbol of the tyranny of civilization and the patron of the new ways.
- Nulla - Nulla is the god of the moon, who is a mangy she-wolf who in the night and under the light of the moon glides across the world, bringing darkness. It is said her gliding brings monsters to life, brings the dead back, and kills the mood with the cold. Nulla is a patron of the free and the traditional, but is also a reminder of its costs. She is constantly chased by Gula, her mate, and is prophesied to one day come to the side of Kasta and end night forever.
Divinity
According to Tresist beliefs, the world began when 3 men walked through the forest of jade leaves and picked up a stone the size of a mountain. Each god have the world 3 gifts; water, fire, and spit. From the spit of these 3 titans bore the first men, and from the fire brought magical beings, and from the water bore the non-humans. The world is a pebble was then casted into the void by the titans. Some beings are said to live a divine life, spirits of the titan's own image, who were in fact their sons who came back and slew them and drank of their blood, giving them immortality. Whenever one dies, another is born, and so the cycle continues, granting their gift to man, non-human, and beast. They raised gods and made men like them, teaching them the ways of the gods without consequence. The gods now guide the world and live among men supposedly, watching from the forests and mountains, living as invisible kings and queens over all creation.
Priesthood
There is little in terms of priesthood in the faith, as there are only 3 castes which have small but important tasks. The Quasibor is the chief priest, roughly translated to Vassal of Gods, who is the chief priest. However, the Quasibor is more closer to administrator of the temples and does little in terms of religious rituals. The main priests are known as Cousai, who guide the main religious festivities and practices. Cousai are normally the leaders of cults and have a lower caste of ritualists known as the Kuan, the Kuan are acolytes who follow a Cousai to learn their ways and help them perform rituals. Cousai follow their cults to the letter and lead religious practitioners is making proper sacrifices. Only Cousai can perform religious rituals, and have no real restrictions on them, allowing them to drink, marry, and even go to war if they wish.
Cults
A cult is a small sect normally dedicated to only one of the main gods in Tresism, or a minor deity who supposedly grants blessings. Cults make up the basis of the religion, controlling small provinces of influence in which the cult can operate, gather followers, and perform sacrifices. Normally, most cults are harmless and usually give only simple rituals during a certain season, but other cults can be outright dangerous and are often frowned upon for their wild beliefs and practices. Cults of Paros for example often act as guilds of assassins and vigilantes, and cults of Nulla tend to spawn traditionalist fanatics who have been known to lead weary nobles into ambushes as their sacrifice. Cults tend to keep to rural wilds and hidden caves where they perform their rituals in peace, usually accompanied by feasting and the occasional game.
Temples
Temples vary between the rural outback and the urban centers greatly. Urban temples are stone houses with small shrines dedicated to each of the gods and a altar used for sacrifices. Normally, a priest will live in the temple itself, often acting as a support structure or gathering hall at best. In the rural lands however, temples are found in large caves or in lonesome groves, usually being these large and ornate huts and structured basement caves which are far more spiritually appealing their their city counterparts. Most advance forms of worship are done in these secret abodes, and where most priests tend to gather for the larger festivals. Most of these rural temples can hold both their priest and followers, and are built by local clansmen. Most of these structures also tend to be ancient, some dating back to the first clans.
Beliefs
The unifying belief of Tresism is that all live in a cycle of death and renewal, where the soul is immortal and constantly latching onto something. There is no one prophet who started the faith, but rather, it is said to have started 'by simply being'. Tresists have no issue with violence, as their gods tend to be violent in themselves. Tresists believe the natural world is full of curses and blessings, and that concepts such as luck simply doesn't exist, but rather it is the will of the gods. There is a certain divine spark with gambling and dueling, which is decided by the gods themselves in the end. There is a belief in a divine spirit and guiding forces for that spirit, and that spirit is under constant threat from the both the spiritual and physical world around it. Doing things that are deemed 'evil' and 'wicked', such as kinslaying for example, can infest and rot the soul to the point of spiritual death.
Practices
In order to appease the spirits and gods, sacrifices have to be made. In order to extend favorable seasons such as spring and summer, fat and meat is presented in offering to the gods upon altars conducted by priests. During more turbulent months like fall or winter, individual families make 'poison offerings' such as offerings of rodents, bones, and herbs to either extend fall or to speed up winter. Tresists will stand in prayer to favorable gods, but kneel or crawl to gods who they show no respect for, begging themselves to be spared out of pity rather then loyalty. Tresists will often wear a string necklace with a small idol of their god to show their loyalty to a cult, but will often practice in secret. Often, most Tresists will consecrate new holy sites and the homes of their families with salt and fall leaves, driving out evil house spirits and inviting in godly spirits who protect the home and watch over the family.
Legends
Hundreds of small individual legends exists amongst the Tresists, but none more revered as the Chronicles of Franciszek. Franciszek was said to be born of Kasta and a human bride, making him a demi god who could only exist in a time of summer. During his non-living years, he journeyed in the spirit world, doing the bidding of other gods, returning to the world every summer to solve a issue amongst men. He defeated giants, drove out snakes, and built bridges made from his iron hair. He was known to have a rivalry with the Bolam gods, and in legend slew each one who had feuded with him. He had ultimately found a way to escape his death by joining in his father's hunt, hunting the goddess Nulla. Franciszek is said to one day return and lead a final charge against the evil of the world, wiping out the last bastion of troubles for men.
Festivals
Tresist festivals are seasonal, with a festival every start of a season celebrating the birth of one god and death of another. Summer festivals are the greatest, being made solely of hunted meats and beers, spring having salads and eggs, fall having pumpkin and wines, and winter being of pork and breads. Festivals are important in the faith and each cult hosts their own, often trying to outdo each other with games, festival foods, and activities. This also means festivals change yearly, and depending on how rich a cult gets. Universally, cities host the larger more public festivals while rural temples tend to have the better spiritual parties. During festivals, merchants tend to gain great riches by setting up shops nearby, providing offerings and additional venues for the worshippers, making them a public spectacle for both locals and foreigners alike.
Magic
Priests are not magical in nature even though most assume to be, but the temples do pay for magical services, build housing for mages, and keep them safe whenever possible. Tresists cults love magic more then their practitioners and regularly keep them close by. Most forms of Tresist magic is a mixture of druidry and arcane. Tresists mages tend to specialize in pyromancery and various forms of illuminating magic, with some old practices of the Beastfolk who had specialized in druidry. Tresist mages themselves often live very secularized lives compared to the religion which patronizes them, who often use them to perform tricks for their cultists.
Views on Magic
Magic is treated fairly badly in Tresist faith on the lower levels, with regular practitioners viewing it as a form of wickedness which toils with the creation of the world. Only Beastfolk seem to tolerate mages or respect them, along with small Karoe clans. Most Tresist see magic in the hands of men as to do the possibility of great evil, which is good enough to remove from society. Mages of other faiths are treated far worse, often killed for heresy or witchcraft of the highest order. However, most Tresists are not bloodlusting for the blood of sorcerers, but can be easily stirred by radicals who may wish to see them removed. Tresist clergy however view mages very differently, seeing them as tools of their gods, but unable to explain away why common men, beasts, and non-humans can share in such powers which they cannot. So they often protect or hide them, fund their research, and allow them to be acolytes in their cults to give them political immunity.
Economy
Taxation
The feudal system of Jollas is a fairly basic system of renter and rent receiver. Officially, the landowner over all of Jollas is the King who owns everything in the country by divine right, and all of the Dujals under him pay a rent to him. This rent is normally a set rate which changes depending on factors such as bad harvests or wars, but generally the taxation is collected every year. Below that, Dujals collect taxes from Valks, who collect taxes from Earls. Earls are the ones who gain the crux of most taxes from commoners and peasants alike, but pay larger sums to the Valks. Valks use this money to pay guardsmen and to build armories, who then provide a small fee to the Dujals who organize the Valks. All money ultimately ends in the kingdom's treasury in Kolum, which is hoarded for future wars or projects. Merchants pay what is known as a 'Toll Tax', for a merchant to enter a port, they must pay for the privilege of trading in a Jollas city, with higher costs for foreign merchants.
Trade
Trade is a fairly straight forward and poorly controlled institution for Jollas who often tend to leave their own Merchants alone. Guilds consume merchants in the cities and buy the resources made in the countryside for which can be made into objects to sell at the city's markets. Cities then consume these products, with very little inference from the nobility who are more then happy to tax their merchants for trading privileges (but also unintentionally making merchant unreasonably rich and influential). The Beast Toll is a toll in which is controlled by the Otum, who demand money in order for those who wish to enter or leave the circle sea, which earns them huge amounts of money. Jollas is known to have a certain distrust of foreign merchants and moneylenders, and generally will intervene in the affairs of their merchants if they ask their nobles to be rid of foreign competitors.
Resources
Jollas is very rich in resources, especially raw resources such as iron, copper, and tin. Tin mines in the south and copper mines in the north allow Jollas a small monopoly on bronze in the region, and it's dense forests and mountain ranges give a excellent source of both lumber and stone. Most of these raw resources are met with ease, but more advanced resource such as salt, gold, silver, and spices need to be imported. Jollas lacks many important and much wanted cash crops, and often envies other nations who can easily produce silk, alcohol, and sugar. Most attempts to expand these industries often fail due to Jollas's temperate climate, and dangerous wildlife makes it difficult to expand. Many mountain ranges are also homes to sheep and goat herders, making goats milk, cheese, and lamb a source of abundance in the nation.
The Beastial Toll
The Beastial Toll is protected waterways amongst the Beast Isles, controlled by Otum ships. Otum will refuse passage to any ship until they dock at a port and buy passage slips, showing they paid the toll. Otum make a huge profit from control of this trade route, and providing ship repair services on their island has also greatly improved their income. Piracy along the Beastial Toll is also a rather infamous issue, as rogue captains from the Beast Isles tend to raid merchant ships leaving the waterways before they can find a safe port, and the Otum rarely if ever give chase. Pirate fortresses along the coasts and islands can be a uncommon sight, and act as miniature petty kingdoms within themselves. These pirates often demand protection money from merchant ships and attack those who refuse, keeping their people captive until a ransom is paid or until they sell them at slave markets in Kolum.
Imports and Exports
The feudal system of Jollas is a fairly basic system of renter and rent receiver. Officially, the landowner over all of Jollas is the King who owns everything in the country by divine right, and all of the Dujals under him pay a rent to him. This rent is normally a set rate which changes depending on factors such as bad harvests or wars, but generally the taxation is collected every year. Below that, Dujals collect taxes from Valks, who collect taxes from Earls. Earls are the ones who gain the crux of most taxes from commoners and peasants alike, but pay larger sums to the Valks. Valks use this money to pay guardsmen and to build armories, who then provide a small fee to the Dujals who organize the Valks. All money ultimately ends in the kingdom's treasury in Kolum, which is hoarded for future wars or projects. Merchants pay what is known as a 'Toll Tax', for a merchant to enter a port, they must pay for the privilege of trading in a Jollas city, with higher costs for foreign merchants.
Trade
Trade is a fairly straight forward and poorly controlled institution for Jollas who often tend to leave their own Merchants alone. Guilds consume merchants in the cities and buy the resources made in the countryside for which can be made into objects to sell at the city's markets. Cities then consume these products, with very little inference from the nobility who are more then happy to tax their merchants for trading privileges (but also unintentionally making merchant unreasonably rich and influential). The Beast Toll is a toll in which is controlled by the Otum, who demand money in order for those who wish to enter or leave the circle sea, which earns them huge amounts of money. Jollas is known to have a certain distrust of foreign merchants and moneylenders, and generally will intervene in the affairs of their merchants if they ask their nobles to be rid of foreign competitors.
Resources
Jollas is very rich in resources, especially raw resources such as iron, copper, and tin. Tin mines in the south and copper mines in the north allow Jollas a small monopoly on bronze in the region, and it's dense forests and mountain ranges give a excellent source of both lumber and stone. Most of these raw resources are met with ease, but more advanced resource such as salt, gold, silver, and spices need to be imported. Jollas lacks many important and much wanted cash crops, and often envies other nations who can easily produce silk, alcohol, and sugar. Most attempts to expand these industries often fail due to Jollas's temperate climate, and dangerous wildlife makes it difficult to expand. Many mountain ranges are also homes to sheep and goat herders, making goats milk, cheese, and lamb a source of abundance in the nation.
The Beastial Toll
The Beastial Toll is protected waterways amongst the Beast Isles, controlled by Otum ships. Otum will refuse passage to any ship until they dock at a port and buy passage slips, showing they paid the toll. Otum make a huge profit from control of this trade route, and providing ship repair services on their island has also greatly improved their income. Piracy along the Beastial Toll is also a rather infamous issue, as rogue captains from the Beast Isles tend to raid merchant ships leaving the waterways before they can find a safe port, and the Otum rarely if ever give chase. Pirate fortresses along the coasts and islands can be a uncommon sight, and act as miniature petty kingdoms within themselves. These pirates often demand protection money from merchant ships and attack those who refuse, keeping their people captive until a ransom is paid or until they sell them at slave markets in Kolum.
Imports and Exports
Exports
Imports
- Sheep
- Goat
- Venison
- Stone
- Lumber
- Honey
- Mead
- Copper
- Bronze
- Wool
Imports
- Sugar
- Marble
- Steel
- Silver
- Gold
- Wine
- Paper
- Dyes
- Silk
Territory
Lower Jolfa
Cities - Kolum (Capital), Strekkad, Karzbach
Ruling Family - Banaszynski
Culture - Jolfan
Lower Jalfa is the capital home region of the Jolfan, and the central historical region for their people in terms of culture and religion. Lower Jolfa is a crucial territory due to it's wealth, being home to it's capital, and it's 'wonder'. Lower Jalfa stretches between the east and west coasts, having the better roads and richer villages. The capital city of Kolum is unique for not only surrounding the Pillar of Dynasty, but also home to the marble home of the King and being a beautiful city of culture and trade. Kolum is the largest of the Jolfan cities, and is the richest of them as well, being a center of trade between northern and southern Jollas.
Pillar of Dynasty
The Pillar of Dynasty was built during the miniature golden age of Jollas, built by the legendary arcanist Urban the Warder. Urban was a elderly and powerful magi, who used magic and countless rituals to consecrate a great iron pillar in the king's favored garden, which became the Pillar's home. The Pillar is a hollow iron pillar on a marble stage, which amplifies magic around it to a powerful degree. The pillar is used to magnify rituals of mages, cast more powerful spells, and generate powerful focuses. The garden in which is held is closely guarded and walled off, only cultists of Kasta can enter along with the Chosen who live in the garden itself. The Pillar was used only twice, once to sink a pirate fleet threatening the city and another time to dispose of a powerful Wendigo which had tried to sneak into the garden to devour its magic.
The Chosen
The Chosen are a multi-raced group of warrior mages who guard the Pillar of Dynasty, loyal only to the royal family of Jollas. 90 members exist at a time, bearing white and yellow cloaks, and are trained in the arts of monster slaying, magic identification, and theological studies. Chosen are chosen at young ages to serve the order, and are trained ruthlessly to guard the Pillar. They are also trained in magic by a group of Magi who look over them. Chosen are not allowed to leave the garden, and are not allowed to interfere in the world outside it either for politics or for personal reasons. They are skilled swordsmen and highly competent war mages, given great armor and weapons to the best which their lord provides.
The Pillar of Dynasty was built during the miniature golden age of Jollas, built by the legendary arcanist Urban the Warder. Urban was a elderly and powerful magi, who used magic and countless rituals to consecrate a great iron pillar in the king's favored garden, which became the Pillar's home. The Pillar is a hollow iron pillar on a marble stage, which amplifies magic around it to a powerful degree. The pillar is used to magnify rituals of mages, cast more powerful spells, and generate powerful focuses. The garden in which is held is closely guarded and walled off, only cultists of Kasta can enter along with the Chosen who live in the garden itself. The Pillar was used only twice, once to sink a pirate fleet threatening the city and another time to dispose of a powerful Wendigo which had tried to sneak into the garden to devour its magic.
The Chosen
The Chosen are a multi-raced group of warrior mages who guard the Pillar of Dynasty, loyal only to the royal family of Jollas. 90 members exist at a time, bearing white and yellow cloaks, and are trained in the arts of monster slaying, magic identification, and theological studies. Chosen are chosen at young ages to serve the order, and are trained ruthlessly to guard the Pillar. They are also trained in magic by a group of Magi who look over them. Chosen are not allowed to leave the garden, and are not allowed to interfere in the world outside it either for politics or for personal reasons. They are skilled swordsmen and highly competent war mages, given great armor and weapons to the best which their lord provides.
Upper Jolfa
Cities - Banzrech
Ruling Family - Barna
Culture - Jolfan
Upper Jolfa is considered the 'traditional' and 'free' home of the Jolfan, but it is debatable to say the least. Most Jolfan are traditional and descend from the rebels who split their country in two, and consider themselves more independent from their southern cousins. Most infrastructure is ill and poorly looked at, giving the territory a rustic scenery. Upper Jolfa is very poor, and regularly relies on a group of rich Valk families to keep itself afloat. However, the territory's castles are well maintained, but their greatest defense is their thick road-less forests which do not stretch northward and is infested normally with many border clans and Bolam tribes who wander aimlessly in the region. Banzrech, the sister city of Kolum, is considered 'the iron wall of the north' due to it's high stone walls and seaward keep.
Loskadia
Cities - Fiskvach, Neulbach
Ruling Family - Kucys
Culture - Souden
Loskadia is a poor region and home to the Souden, a traditional people. Loskadia was once a free nation until it was consumed in a commonwealth with Jolfa, and is now little more then a province. Loskadia is ruled over by rivaling conservative factions, temple priests, and mage huntsmen who set up miniature fiefdoms to control the region's resources and peoples. The region is home to a sizable Beastfolk population, but is more famed for being the home of many of the Jollas's monsterous denizens. Fae creatures control the forests, dragons control the mountains, and undead besiege the villages and farmstead, making it a difficult and dangerous region to control. However, its cities are populous and rich, and often is home to many of the country's mage elite.
Beast Isles
Cities - Otek, New Strekkad
Ruling Family - Poljak
Culture - Beastfolk
The Beast Isles is a unified province of the old Otum kingdoms united under their great city of Otek, and is made up mostly of the Beastfolk. Otum live and thrive on the islands, but hold only minor sway in the refuge city of New Strekkad (named Strekkad) which is ruled by a human nobility but rents it out to countless Beastfolk such as the civilized Bolam and the ever paranoid Kobtum. The Beast Isles is a fairly rich province and maintains itself well, much to the jealousy of it's neighbors. The Beast Isles holds its own laws, and often attempts to protect itself from its internal neighbors as best it can, but often results to bribe them.
Karlemgrad
Cities - Watzengord
Ruling Family - of Watzengord
Culture - Karoe
Karlemgrad is the unified kingdom of the Karoe, a warlike tribal peoples. Their city of Watzengord is only a recent city, made up of small mud huts, tents, and lodges. Karlemgrad is a wild land still being tamed by the Jolfan, made up of many Karoe tribes which inhabit the region. Being very mountainous, it is difficult to civilize the land, and much of the trading is done through merchant ports controlled by Jolfan guilds or Otum colonies. Karlemgrad, despite it's savage appearance, is fairly ordered and civilized, and is a main producer of iron for the nation. Most human smiths come from Karlemgrad, who's tribes encourage the trade. Its ruling nobility are historically known to being fiercly loyal to the nation, who are rewarded with minor gifts and villas.
Beasts and Monsters of Jolla
Faen (Fae)
Faen are forest beings who resemble upright women and men, having the body and faces of men, but the legs of a goat. They usually are known to have large goat horns and stink of nature. Faen are sentient, but are far closer to being magical beings who are bound to forests. Faen are fun loving creatures who enjoy playing, dancing, and striding through forests, but also they particularly interested in human interaction. However, their existence brings misery to those they interact with, often summoning wild animals with their wooden lutes, cursing those they befriend, and generally causing trouble to satisfy a prank. Commonly, Faen do not kill themselves, but lead others to their death with their dances, or even attempt to drive men mad with their playful nature. They can be killed like sentient creatures, but it is difficult to catch them, as they are very nimble and swift.
Leshari (Fae)
The Leshari, or tree men, are ancient beings who resemble old men with tree limbs for hands and legs, and who's bones are wooden. However, despite them looking like hermits, they are far from peaceful and take great offense to those who harm their woods. Leshari draw their power from placing sacred magical totems which enhance their powers over the woods, befriending the animals there and binding them to it's will. They can also command tree limbs and can suddenly disappear without warning. Typically, they are worshipped as forest spirits, and often demand of their worshippers that they respect it's domain or face its wrath. Leshari are natural enemies of the Wendigos, but are friends of the Faen, and often the presence of many Faen often means a Leshari is near by as well.
Wendigo (Fae)
Wendigos are monstrous horrors which dwell in the deep woods and near human settlements, created when a Faen eats the flesh of men and grows accustomed to it, they turn into monsterous stag beasts which seek out further flesh. The creatures resemble upright moose with claws for hands, and their chest and face has decayed rapidly into a skeletal figure. Wendigos are corrupters of forests, devouring animals and men alike in a desperate need for raw flesh to devour, killing and eating Faen as well. Wendigo claws can easily rend into the flesh of others, and are deviously very silent while hunting. Their remaining bones and skin is almost like steel, making them difficult to battle. Wendigos bring blights to the forests, corrupt animals into a mindless wage, and war with their natural enemies the Leshari for territorial dominance. Sometimes, a Wendigo is worshipped as a dark forest spirit, who 'blesses' its followers with children who are unnaturally strong but also driven to devour the flesh of others, sometimes growing stag horns upon their heads or become insane.
Lady (Fae)
Ladies are strange Fae figures which resemble beautiful, young, Jolfan women with overly long hair and a sickly greenish complexion. However, to most who know the signs, Ladies are very dangerous and very rare Fae entities in power in terms to Leshari and Wendigos. Ladies, also known as Forest Women, seduce men to their deep wood groves, and kill them in ritualistic sacrifice in order to 'empower' themselves, often exclaiming to do it to prevent them from becoming dead trees. Ladies are gifted enchanters, and dreaded cursers and can disappear at a whim, command forest animals to do their bidding, breath underwater, and can even charm darker creatures such as Leshari and Wendigos into their service. Typically, Souden worship these fae spirits as forest goddesses, who in turn grant them protection and enchanted (and also usually cursed) artifacts in return for sacrifices.
Umbra (Fae)
Umbras are powerful and benevolent fae spirits which dwell in the deep forests and often are fairly kind creature. They resemble large white stags who's fur glow white and have glowing light blue eyes, appearing only under moonlit nights and otherwise tend to live amongst deer herds. Umbras cannot speak, but tend to be very helpful, often offering their aid in driving out other Fae such as Ladies, Wendigos, and sometimes the Leshari. Umbras, like most Fae, can command other animals and the roots of trees, but are also implied to be able to summon storms as well. Umbras typically lead others to treasure and their tears grant enchantments of protection, which they often give willingly. Umbras however do become very hostile if they or their herds are attacked, and often avoid human settlements like a plague. It isn't uncommon for Umbras to keep and train wandering Beastfolk children into new generations of druids, but do not demand worship from them.
Ursa (Fae)
An Ursa is a unique forest Fae born from other animals, typically bears. Ursas are raised specifically and befriended by other higher fae creatures, typically a powerful Leshari, Reclaimer, or Lady. An Ursa are infused and grown with magic, becoming far larger and far stronger then their normal size, gaining a hyper intelligence, long life, and are ultimately bound to the will of a local Fae spirit. Not fully self aware of their purpose, an Ursa can often guard the tombs and groves of their masters for generations, but are very much autonomous like any other animal, and will mate to produce very strong children of their own (but no in the same strength of their own magically enhanced bodies). Sometimes, when more self aware, a Ursa can 'ascend' to become a higher Fae creature and drive away it's former master, becoming a passive entity. Ursas typically despise the destruction of their forests and will lash out violently at hostile intruders, but for those who offer their peace to an Ursa, they will often physically appear to attack the enemies. Ursas are especially hostile to Wendigos, and are often considered a physical match for them.
Reclaimer (Fae)
Very little is known about Reclaimers, outside being highly ritualistic and are born of endangered woodlands, being the arch rival to any would be loggers who try to destroy the deep forests. Reclaimers appear in the form of a upright skeletal stag with a robe of greenery and having 'flesh' made from animal pelts, wicker, and soggy leaves. Reclaimers are physically immortal, as their physical forms are secondary to their more terrifying spiritual forms. Reclaimers are deeply rooted in a variety of Fae magic, ranging from devastating curses to conjuring powerful hordes of animals to tear apart their foes. Reclaimers, as the name suggests, 'reclaim' lands taken by humanoid settlement through violence. Most disturbingly however, a reclaimer will 'reclaim' the corpses of humanoids they kill, creating fleshy puppets made from living vines and tree branches which eventually return to it's lair to become trees and greenery. Reclaimers, unlike other Fae, will eventually disappear once the land they are born is either retaken by nature, but will continue to return until their spiritual body is destroyed.
Forestlings (Fae)
Forestlings are minor Fae which dwell near rural areas and distant villages, being often the products of a relationship between a Fae and a humanoid. Forestlings are perpetual children, looking, sounding, and thinking like common children but also remaining biologically immortal. Unlike their humanoid parents, a Forestling is bound to the forests and live within them. Forestlings typically have discoloration within their skin, will grow antlers, and are naturally on friendly terms with all forest beasts. Forestlings also are masterful in Fae magics, but are much more benevolent with them. Forestlings like to help villages, spreading fertility to crops, healing the sick, and bringing back lost children, often for very little in return. Forestlings tend to move away when villages become more civilized or overcrowded for their tastes, and will just move onto other villages or go into the deep forests. Forestlings are natural enemies to many forms of hostile Fae, but there are rare instances of them acting as ambassadors between the nations of the world and the 'kingdoms of the forests'.
Hermani (Fae)
Hermani are a swamp Fae which are known to specifically dwell in the northern marshes of Karlemgrad, often referred to as 'Marsh Witches' or as 'Swamplings'. Hermani are solitary higher Fae which dwell in swamps and marshlands, resembling without their heavy 'garments' as bloated humanoid men with fishy features, but are 'connected' to a variety of marshland plants. They have a large shell of reeds and swamp grass on their backs, and its very common of them to lean on staves, which they will often falsely claim holds their powers. Hermani are, like all Fae, aggressively protective of their swamplands, often hiding in the marshlands themselves and only appearing to animals and humans in needs, but will not blink an eye to also drown those they dislike. Hermani often 'rule' individual marshlands at a time, and are immensely helpful to those who ask them for directions, but will unleash all manner of curses, magic, and hydromancery on those who defile their marshlands. Often the best ways to deal with (and usually the only way to deal with) Hermani is to steal their staves and move them to new Marshlands, for often killing them is difficult as they can 'swim' in ultra shallow parts of the marsh and appear anywhere in it.
Island Hopper (Dragon)
Island Hoppers are medium sized dragons which dwell on the Beast Isles and in the southern mountains, being blue drakes which hunt large sea beasts such as sharks and sometimes whales. Island Hoppers are very aggressive hunters, but often tend to leave smaller prey alone and do not spit fire. Instead, Island Hoppers inject venom into their prey which quickly dissolves their insides and allows them easier access to kill. Island Hoppers are considered a menace for ships, since they sometimes mistake smaller fishing ships for whales and sharks, which is why the Otum try to hunt them and remove them.
Rockback (Dragon)
Rockbacks are huge winged dragoned which dwell in the northern Jolfan mountains, such as in the top of peaks, being huge and dangerous beyond measure, but are also highly passive beasts. Every 90 years, they awake from a long slumber and journey out to either eat or mate, and return to their mountain caves to rest. They usually torment the sheep herders before disappearing back into their caves. Rockbacks are normally yellow scaled and breath a noxious fiery napalm at their opponent. Rockbacks are often named for their rocky fin on their back and their tough leathery skin. Being near biologically immortal, and also highly solitary, they often are not much of a nuisance or a threat to most except for northern goat herders who despise and fear them.
Coalback (Dragon)
Coalbacks are medium sized black drakes which dwell in Karlemgrad's mountains, and are a common beast which is hunted by the Karoe. Coalbacks normally hunt dear in a pack of three, and sometimes torment undefended human villages. They typically are fairly thin and breath a toxic fume, covering themselves and making it difficult for their prey to quickly react to them. Coalbacks are a danger to Karlemgrad, which is why its warriors delight in hunting them so much. Coalbacks groups tend to stick togeather and nest in cave bunkers in large masses, these nesting ground becoming a infestation. Coalbacks regularly do this to keep humans away from their nests, especially the eternally brave Karoe Legedari who sometimes go on suicide missions into the caves to destroy the nesting grounds.
Longtail (Dragon)
Longtails are small woodland and hillside drakes which live near settlements, and to their name, are identifiable by their very long tails. As small dragons, they are pack hunters and live in smaller borrows, rarely flying in fear of larger predators and lack a means to produce a fire or poison, uncharacteristic of their other Jolfan Dragon cousins. They typically have short antlers on their heads and are covered more in a mixture of slimy scales, resembling very close to a rough salamander hide. Naturally very ugly to look at, they often hunt for cattle and horses, and are considered more of nuisance then a monster since they fear humans. However, if cornered, Longtails will defend themselves and will lash out quickly, but more so to get away and retreat back to the safety of their nests.
Souden Greenback (Dragon)
The Souden Greenback is a rare creature, and is often ill seen, mostly because the Souden and Fae in their forests had hunted them, destroyed their nests, and slaughtered their young. It isn't hard to say why they do this either. Greenbacks are stubborn and poisonous creatures whos hides emit a toxic ooze which kills plant life and warms the dragon while it sleeps. Greenbacks are medium sized dragons, preferring woodland areas, often marking their territory by felling trees. They tend to have salamander shaped head and have a small array of feathers on their tails. Greenbacks tend to hunt Faen and occasionally do battle with Wendigos from time to time. Greenbacks who travel near human settlements prefer to hunt humans rather then cattle, which is why they are often killed quickly.
Highland Thumper(Dragon)
Highland Thumpers are large, oppressive, rare dragons which dwell specifically in a niche territory in Upper Jolfa, between the mountains and forests on a couple of elongated hills. Thumpers have short wings and do not fly for very long, instead preferring to glide to a target. Their main characteristic is that they use their weight and tail to do damage, having a highly spiked tail and thick scales which make them one of the most heavily armored dragons in Jolfa. Thumpers are highly dangerous and aggressive dragons which do not like any form of life near their nests, and will openly attack any creature which dares gets close to them. Thumpers will sometimes enter the settlements in Jolfa to raid for cattle, or to kill and eat other dragons, and cause a unholy amount of damage through their survival tactics and end up destroying large wooden and stone structures in their way. Besides being deeply territorial, they are known to have complicated relationship with Fae, as their movements have been known to flatten and ruin forests.
Hackler(Dragon)
Hacklers, often sometimes referred to as 'laughing demons', 'Hecklers', and 'wind spirits' by locals, are large lupine beasts which live in the deep woods. Have the look of rabbits, but have a rat's teeth and claws, with moose-like antlers. Hacklers tend to range in sizes of a man to a small house. The more terrifying issues with Hacklers is that they can run very fast, which when mixed in with their strength, make them horrifying foes. Hacklers are usually solitary and are also incredibly rare, almost as common to eat their own kin as much as hunt another. Hacklers are not afraid of human settlement, and are often man hunters themselves, having no issues hunting human children and lone travelers. Hacklers get their name from their loud shrieking 'laugh' which can echo loudly for over a mile, often to communicate with fellow Hacklers.
Fisher(Dragon)
Fishers are large primordial reptiles which dwell in Jollas's marshlands and in many parts of the Beast Isles as a nomadic predator. Fishers resemble large upward reptiles with long bodies, having a large fin across their back, and a massive thin snout. Fishers have short arms, normally used mostly to grapple onto a larger creature or to push things a short distance. Fishers are semi-aquatic and are far greater swimmers then runners, but regardless of terrain their bite and strength is not to be trifled with. Fishers, despite their huge size, are also incredibly passive creatures, willfully allowing smaller animals to camp near them. Fishers avoid settlements, but do become aggressive to any fool who tries to torment their nests.
Millings(Dragon)
Millings are small dragons, very small which are about the size of dogs, and dwell primarily in rural areas where there is plentiful waste and food. Comparable to raccoons, Millings are green dragons wings attached to their arms, and tend to glide from place to place. Draconic in nature, Millings can breath a small flame often only used to char their meat or to help build nests. Millings are very dangerous pests, very much capable of overwhelming a larger foe with sheer numbers, and have no issues hunting children and elders. Millings are named so due to their favored habitat, Mills and granaries. Millings are often a common dragon, but are often only found in certain mountainous areas, and in the wild tend to gravitate towards the deeper forests where other dragon subtypes live, supposedly being scavengers.
Revenant (Undead)
Revenants are a undead phenomena which appears in Jollas very regularly. Normally, if a person dies of betrayal or with intense hatred, they can raise themselves from the dead and will not die till they are satisfied. Revenants can 'regenerate' their bodies to a limited degree endlessly, and are set on killing a person until they are dead. Revenants are ritualistic undead, which means only a ritual can drive them away, such as either fulfilling their deed for them or by granting them a sacrifice twice the life of their own. Out of fear for Revenants, most army officers will burn their dead or try to bury the dead of their enemies peacefully. It is unknown why Revenants spring to life from time to time in Jollas, but only Beastfolk seem to be unaffected by it.
Forest Wraith (Undead)
Forest Wraiths are unique necromantic beings, normally made by both Wendigos and Leshari from the corpses of knights they slew. Forest Wraiths are brought back to life by these Fae to serve as guardians for their groves, spectral beings bound to their weapons and armor and covered in sticks, grass, and their bones. Forest Wraiths act as guardians, but as cursed beings, that guardianship acts as a double edged sword. These constructs can often turn on their masters or even refuse to obey, even killing their masters and becoming 'rogue'. Forest Wraiths are often infused with magical powers, such as abilities to control wind and foilage, with some more powerful creature capable of conjuring complex curses and spells. Burrows of druids, especially beastfolk druids, tend to be guarded by some of the more powerful and sentient forest wraiths.
Mourner (Undead)
A mourner is very much a similar cursed being like a Revenant, but is entirely spectral. Mourners are born from the deathly emotions of dead women who are slain during a time of joy, or were killed during great sorrow, their spectral bodies haunting forests and fields. They 'feed' off negative emotions and fright, usually resembling shriveled up corpses who are constantly weeping. Mourners are stationary evils, unlike Revenants which travel, and haunt the last place they died or some important object. Mourners tend be horrifically dangerous due to the fact their mourning raises the dead, can cause disastrous blights, and summon demons and Fae to them, especially creatures such as Wendigos who bind the spirits to their will. Mourners are a ritualistic undead, requiring that their bodies to be burned or to be appeased with special sacrifices.
Haunt (Undead)
Of the most dangerous undead in Jolfan, none is more terrible then Haunts. Haunts are spectral undead beings, normally brought back from the soul of persons who died awful, violent, and horrific deaths and had deserved it. Haunts can only be seen as shadows, and cannot exist in the light of a flame, thus truly only being invisible during moonlit nights. Haunts latch onto victims, or even whole families, tormenting them with visions, nightmares, and smaller frights. This somehow empowers the Haunt, which can eventually move onto manifesting physical movement and possession, killing it's victims with self infliction or violent sundering of the place they haunt. The various ways to kill the haunt without resorting to magic is usually visiting the cadaver which spawned it and granting it's final wishes.
Koseam (Undead)
Koseam are a unique type of undead, being born of various spirits. Koseam are born with the deaths of many mages who's collective violent deaths create a twist creature which springs up from their bones and blood known as the Koseam, often implied to be born of a ritualistic magic found in dark magic tomes. Koseam resemble elderly shriveled men which are on the verge of decaying, and command advance forms of necromancery and black magic at their beck and call. Koseam summon undead and chain various monsters with magical fetters to guard it's keep. Koseam then plan out long and complex plans to avenge the deaths which had given it life, and once complete, the Koseam and it's dark magic ceases to exist. The only other way to get rid of a Koseam is to find it's 'soul box', typically in the form of a severed finger or toe which when destroyed also destroys the Koseam. Koseam like to bind souls to their will, and since they themselves are soulless, they hunt down demonic beings to chain both physically and spiritually to their will to complete their tasks.
Wrecked (Undead)
Wrecked are an occasional undead being which dwells solely near coasts, specifically in places where the victims have drowned due to some form of murder, and have in a sense become a much more deadly form of revenant. Wrecked are constantly surrounded in a thick fog or mist wherever they tread, always rotting and leaking out sea water from their bodies. Wrecked often seek vengeance for their murders, but are entirely hostile to all beings they come across. Wrecked seek to kill and rip apart their murderers with all due haste, but can physically enter a place which is dry, thus they will only move during rain storms or places where their is water. They are often difficult to take care of due to not only moving in their generated fog, their layers tend to be sunken ships or some form of deep water. To appease and remove a Wrecked is often to either bring their murderers to them, or to drag them to a dry place and burn them.
Hosts (Undead)
One of the more disturbing undead abominations which transverse Jollas, Hosts are marshland horrors which are born of beings who had died rather specifically in a wetland, but under the circumstance they had been murdered in a very foul mood and were left unburied. What arises from these swamps are vengeful corpses which enthrall a horde of insects which dwell within them and haunt the swamps, killing Fae and driving out anything that comes into it. Hosts attack with vast swarms of biting insects, and tend to turn the bodies of those they kill into insect nests which create a protective barrier in the swamp for them. Hosts are entirely hostile, and require physical force to destroy them utterly. Hosts are incredibly rare, mostly due to their hotheaded hostility, being natural enemies to almost all forms of Fae, especially the Hermani.
Necrophage (Undead)
Necrophages are products of those who had starved to death in life, or turned to cannibalism and died due to their hunger. Necrophages are born from slow transformation, becoming something so inhuman and ceaselessly hungery. Necrophages haunt graveyards, battlefields, and places where death is commonplace, eating dead bodies and attacking those who dare get close. Most Necrophages are hostile, but some retain parts of their humanity in early phases long enough to be entirely passive. Necrophages often appear after battles had taken place, and are especially drawn to places where there are mounds of corpses. Necrophages can only be put down with physical force, but can also be driven away by family members which a Necrophage will refuse to attack.
Painted (Undead)
Painted are rare undead beings, normally born of advanced necromancery, which dwell in paintings, murals, and various forms of craftsmanship. Painted were once vain beings who in life were cruel, but in death lost their fame and fortunes due to dark circumstances. These emotional troubles creates Painted, being spectral ghosts and wraiths which heavily resemble their media homes. Painted torment the owners of their artifacts, causing dismay, death, and general misery until sold to new owners, or destroyed. Due to their existence often being very subtle, it is difficult to find them in time before they do considerable harm. Painted tend to be incredibly jealous and vain, and take special hatred towards the fat and ugly, but will often ignore, corrupt, or deceive those they find attractive.
Imp (Demon)
Imps, also known as Spawn, are minor demons which are summoned by clumsy wizards looking for guardians. Imps are small black or reddish creatures which are jittery and have large horns, but cause ceaseless mischief. As demons, they cannot enter holy places and disintegrate at the touch of light imbued things, but Imps are unnaturally strong creatures despite their size who are ordered to guard objects with intense jealousy. When someone threatens the object they are ordered to guard, they tear the person apart and eat their remains. Imps can only be removed if the mage who summoned them unsummons them, or if the Imp horde is by ritual granted the object they were guarding and pull it back into the abyss from whence they came.
Black Hound (Demon)
Black Hounds are emotion demons, feeding on negative emotions and devouring those who produce them. Black Hounds are normally summoned much like most demons, to guard the treasures of warlocks who summon them. Being a bit more effective then Imps, Black Hounds are harder to control, requiring magical fetters to keep them in line, or they would otherwise tear their summoner apart. Black Hounds normally break free and roam the highways and deep forests, chasing those who have deep regrets and eating them. Black Hounds tend to go in packs, but no one really knows what they look like, as to the human eye they look like blackish mutts, but up close they have reddish eyes, spikey hides, and gnashing fangs. Black Hounds will sometimes 'grow' their pact by kidnapping their prey and forcing them into their dens where their presence and feeding them human flesh slowly turn them into a new Black Hound over time.
Dealer (Demon)
Dealers, also known as Crossroad Demons, are powerful demonic entities and are the patrons of witches and dark magic users in Jollas, who taught mages how to summon imps and black hounds. Dealers are predatory demons who have powerful abilities, feasting on the torment of souls. They look human by all means, their true forms vary, but they universally are connected to contracts and deals. Dealers give wishes in return for person's soul, but purposefully corrupt the wishes in the demon's favor. When the demon collects, it steals the soul from their body via their contract ritual. Dealers rarely if ever show their chests, due to the fact as a morbid curiosity, all those who make deals with them have their heads added to them, a morbid collection of severed heads which make ups it's chest. What it does with the souls of others is anyone's guess.
Arconic (Demon)
Also referred to as Lords of Flies, Arconics are powerful, rare, and difficult to remove demonic entities on par with Dealers in terms of both magical skill and cruelty. Arconics come in a variety of forms, but universally can command common house flies and horse flies at their back and call, and typically they themselves are possessing a body of sorts to disguise themselves. Arconics tend to tempt sentient creatures to cannibalism, corruption, and acts of cruelty which they 'feed' upon rather then human souls. Arconics tend to 'follow' certain families and village communities, and can only be truly chased off through moral decency overcoming their own corruption. Fighting Arconics is immensely difficult, due to their wide varieties of magic which they wields, and their 'souls' tend to inhabit a swarm of flies which they tend to escape in. Arconics deeply fear powerful Fae, since while they wish to live in forest lairs, they are often bested by forest spirits rather easily, and thus tend to make lairs in ruins being both near and far from settlements.
Psoglavs (Demon)
Psoglavs may resemble Beastfolk initially in appearance, but are in fact a demonic creature. Psoglavs are violent beasts which feed off the flesh of sentient creatures, having the head of a wolf, the body of a man, and the feet of a horse. Psoglavs tend to capture to toy with their prey, even taking on some sentient creatures as slaves to torment until they bore of them and make them their next meal. Psoglavs are typically bound demons being in the service of another more powerful demon, acting as enforcers of sorts, capable of wielding weapons and donning armor. Psoglavs are fairly strong, but aren't exactly as invulnerable as they will often claim. Psoglavs are incredibly prideful and arrogant creatures, who regularly will proclaim their immortality but are very much as mortal as any other.
Kampandi (Demon)
Kampandi are higher demons which resemble shaggy goatmen with a humanoid face but a parasite like mouth. Kampandi only appear during winter months, listening in on villagers who complain about moral indecency. Those who act indecent they often steal, binding them in iron chains, and dragging them off to their lairs where they are boiled alive in soup. Kampandi are very direct with their magic, and can curse others with relative ease. Prisoners of a Kampandi who beg successfully for their lives are soulbound to them, often helping them kidnap others in exchange for their own lives. Kampandi are not as difficult to kill as other higher demons, but are immensely strong, fast, and magical. Unlike other demons who can be hostile to most settlements and view humanoids with disdain, Kampandi tend to be highly protective of those they haunt, often being heavy handed rivals to Arconi, Dealers, and Damners.
Colorful (Demon)
Of all the demons, Colorfuls are perhaps one of the most rare if not most dangerous demons to be faced. Colorfuls disguise themselves as common travelers, their only identifying features being the colors of their cloths being off putting. In reality, their true forms resemble a odd mixture of unnatural colors, a oozing mass which they add to the water supply of the villages they haunt. Over time, the land in the village dies, and the townspeople go mad, eventually disintegrating slowly due to the oozing colors and coming under the unnatural command of the demons. Colorfuls like to toy with their victims, and are difficult to kill. They eventually feed on the corpses of the village or hamlet for years at a time, until its time to move onto the next town. Colorfuls can be killed usually by burying them so deep that they suffocate and become stone, or by drowning them in deep water. Colorfuls are often hostile to other demons who rely on humans to 'survive', and care very little in terms of souls, feeding instead off the psychological damage of their presence.
Pitlord (Demon)
Pitlords are large physical demons which resemble fat centaurs with dragon like features. Pitlords live in pits, as the name suggests, and heat up their lairs to make it more comfortable. Pitlords are physically large monsters and despise the presence of others, but cannot avoid human contact for which they must feed from. Pitlords steal humans and eat them slowly within their layers, but also feast upon larger dragon creatures. Pitlords often like to make morbid art from their victims, and placing it across their layer and territory, but will avoid the persecution of humanoids until it either finds a protective master or gathers a demonic host. Pitlords are in their nature very cowardly, and avoid dangerous situations whenever possible, in spite of their size and strength.
Damner (Demon)
Damners are summoned demons, which can only be summoned and are used solely as a last case scenario by the vengeful. Damners are invisible, and come in a variety of forms, but universally are humanoid in some way and fully sentient. Damners make pacts with their summoners, allowing the Damner to tear apart their summoner and claim their soul, but in return, the Damner will haunt their enemy and drive them to insanity and eventually kill them. Damners are difficult to destroy, being a higher demonic entity, and are said to be feared by even Dealers and Arconi. Damners, in their attempts to kill their target, will often try to corrupt them and steal their souls, often wasting time and giving would be hunters valuable days to find a way to destroy them. Damners can only be fully removed by calling forth their true demonic name and have the target null their contract.
Hag (Cursed)
Hags are, or well were, magic users who in their quest for immortality had been deeply cursed by a demon, usually a dealer or a Arconic, with a vanity stripping curse. The true form of a Hag varies, but they are hideous beyond comparison, usually having a mixture of animal and decaying features with sickly green eyes and skin. Hags however tend to keep up an illusion of a younger form, which is only sustained by eating human flesh, and only human flesh. This lasts until the fall and winter season usually. Hags who go too long without devouring the flesh of men eventually go insane, and eventually grow use to their ugly forms and become prey to demons who bind them to their wills. Hags are typically masters in most forms of dark magic and curses, but are also very learned in which they can remove them via powerful (and morbid) rituals.
Vaym (Cursed)
A Vaym is a vampiric beast in Jollas which hunts in most major Jollas cities and larger settlements. Vaym are a cursed creature, in which the cursed being must often drink blood in order to survive. Vaym degenerate over time into ghoulish beings, but gain an array of abilities such as the ability to polymorph into a horde of rats, or to teleport a short distance. Vaym will burst into flames in flames in sunlight, and are mortally sickened upon entering consecrated grounds of Tresist temples. The curse to create a Vaym is normally a very difficult ritual, requiring rare herbs and certain forms of blood for the ritual. Vaym can in fact have children, in which most Vaym tend to spawn from, but the process is rare and usually takes place before the ghoulish transformations. Vaym curses are only lifted either through the death of the Vaym through burning it or stabbing it in the heart, or by Vaym drinking the blood of the one who cursed it.
Moonmorph (Cursed)
Moonmorphs are beings who were cursed to transform in half-animals during the presence of a full moon. During the day and nights without a full moon, Moonmorphs are normal cretans who usually go unaware they are monsters, but during full moons they become rabid animals. Most Moonmorphs become lupine animals such as dogs, wolves, or even a human-wolf mix which is often exceedingly rare. However what is universal is that they become hostile and attack anything during the night, are nearly immune to non-magical weapons, and are exceedingly fast. Moonmorphs seem very ritual bound, being unable to enter holy places during their form, or at least unwilling. Silver and bronze weapons seem to literally burn their flesh on touch during their form as well. Moonmorphs tend to also have another unfortunate issue; while their main body can die, their cursed form cannot, and can continue as a Moonmorph for years after their death, in which only after the body is in ashes does the curse fully stop. If a Moonmorph dies in it's animal form, the body which it inhabited dies as well. There are no cures known to remove the curse, usually only solved in death and the burning of the body, or killing it in it's Moonmorph form.
Talkers (Cursed)
Talkers are victims of extremely advanced polymorphy, typically only ever performed on humans and races close to being human. Typically a trade secret of Hags and powerful wizards, Talkers are sentient animals or Beastfolk who at one time were human. Talkers hold their old memories and, as their name suggests, can speak. Most Talkers can walk upright, although a bit awkwardly (or in some cases not at all). Talker curses are immensely difficult to remove, and for most commoners it isn't worth the price. Talkers live very solitary lives, very likely never to remove their curse, typically moving into the Jollas Beastfolk communities for some comfort. Making the curse often requires blood and rare magical herbs, and the flesh of a Fae creature which is made into a hot mixture. Victims are put into this mixture along with a animal or Beastfolk and what comes out are Talkers. Talker curses are removed through a similar way, but it requires twice the blood, twice the herbs, and twice the number of dead (and powerful) fae (or their blessings) for the curse to be removed.
Unholy (Cursed)
Unholy are strange cursed beings, being born with the curse via a demon. Unholy are technically half-demons, or at least the offspring of Dreamers with mortal women. Unholy have a number of benefits, being gifted with having a strong sense for magic, being creative beyond their years, and having a far longer life then others. However, Unholy have a number of annoying quirks. Unholy cannot enter holy places, are prone to garnering a number of character flaws, cannot see themselves in a mirror, or are they able to enter the private property of others until they are specifically invited in. Unholy thus have to keep up heavily social facade to keep themselves alive in Jollas, but unlike other monstrous being who can be bound to powerful demons, the Unholy are immune. Unholy in fact have incredible autonomy from their creators, and can be cursed of their curse by either marrying or through extreme holy rituals which have a chance to kill them. Unholy also can become demons such as Dealers and Arconics if another mortal beings gives their soul to them via a contract, triggering their ascension into demonhood.
Reminder (Cursed)
The Reminder curse is a fairly annoying curse for those who have died, a curse which forces the person who died to have the physical weight of their regrets and sins shackled to them in death, making them unable to go into the afterlife. Reminders toil in chains for all eternity until, but have a catch, in which they can convince others to take on their chains for them via a contract. Reminders can eventually be freed of their chains by putting their chains onto others, which causes them to be literally crushed and suffocated to death and their ghosts are shackled and become new Reminders. In order to fully, and truly, remove the curse, a Reminder's descendent or heir has to be put into physical chains or a form of bondage.
Groundhog (Cursed)
Groundhogs are cursed travelers who repeat highly specific niche moments and are trapped their forever until freed of it. Typically being unlucky travelers, Groundhogs are stuck in a perpetual moment and often remain unaware for hundreds of years. Groundhogs do not need to eat, sleep, or even go to the bathroom, as they live in a single moment in time forever until they are freed of their curse. Groundhogs only appear briefly along the places the curse was put on them, and then disappearing back to their original starting point. Groundhogs are freed of their curse if the one who cursed them releases them from their curse or through expensive rituals. Groundhogs typically are made when travelers piss off a Fae creature or a demon, but the curse to make them is known also by most Jolfan mages who use it as a commonplace binding spell.
Returned (Cursed)
When someone dies, but had died fairly young and deeply depressed or simply off put by life, there is a small chance they may come back as the Returned. Returned are not fully undead, but they are very close, having died at some point but then springing back to life during moonless nights to haunt their previous job offices, homes, and favored places. When the sun comes close to reappearing, Returned go back to their graves until the next moonless night. Returned are about as hostile as the person they once were, but generally, most live as fairly sentient and barely self aware creatures which lack any form of rot. When Returned do go back to their graves, their bodies rapidly decay, but become whole again when they walk into the world again. Returned only disappear permanently by usually fulfilling their last tasks or by finding a way to get them to have fun, which counteracts and drops the curse.
Eternal (Cursed)
The Eternal are unfortunate souls who had been cursed to become eternal servants, normally through devious magically binding contracts or some form of dark magic trickery. Eternals are literal immortals, but their curse forbids them from performing any form of violence, and end up always obeying the word of a chosen master. Eternals can cease to exist at the whim of their masters, and must obey them even with the strangest commands. Autonomy does not exist for Eternals, and in fact are incapable of most forms of true free will. Eternals, in order to cure themselves, need to find a way for their masters to dismiss them. Eternals are often bound to singular objects, which when activated can pop them back into existence.
Faen are forest beings who resemble upright women and men, having the body and faces of men, but the legs of a goat. They usually are known to have large goat horns and stink of nature. Faen are sentient, but are far closer to being magical beings who are bound to forests. Faen are fun loving creatures who enjoy playing, dancing, and striding through forests, but also they particularly interested in human interaction. However, their existence brings misery to those they interact with, often summoning wild animals with their wooden lutes, cursing those they befriend, and generally causing trouble to satisfy a prank. Commonly, Faen do not kill themselves, but lead others to their death with their dances, or even attempt to drive men mad with their playful nature. They can be killed like sentient creatures, but it is difficult to catch them, as they are very nimble and swift.
Leshari (Fae)
The Leshari, or tree men, are ancient beings who resemble old men with tree limbs for hands and legs, and who's bones are wooden. However, despite them looking like hermits, they are far from peaceful and take great offense to those who harm their woods. Leshari draw their power from placing sacred magical totems which enhance their powers over the woods, befriending the animals there and binding them to it's will. They can also command tree limbs and can suddenly disappear without warning. Typically, they are worshipped as forest spirits, and often demand of their worshippers that they respect it's domain or face its wrath. Leshari are natural enemies of the Wendigos, but are friends of the Faen, and often the presence of many Faen often means a Leshari is near by as well.
Wendigo (Fae)
Wendigos are monstrous horrors which dwell in the deep woods and near human settlements, created when a Faen eats the flesh of men and grows accustomed to it, they turn into monsterous stag beasts which seek out further flesh. The creatures resemble upright moose with claws for hands, and their chest and face has decayed rapidly into a skeletal figure. Wendigos are corrupters of forests, devouring animals and men alike in a desperate need for raw flesh to devour, killing and eating Faen as well. Wendigo claws can easily rend into the flesh of others, and are deviously very silent while hunting. Their remaining bones and skin is almost like steel, making them difficult to battle. Wendigos bring blights to the forests, corrupt animals into a mindless wage, and war with their natural enemies the Leshari for territorial dominance. Sometimes, a Wendigo is worshipped as a dark forest spirit, who 'blesses' its followers with children who are unnaturally strong but also driven to devour the flesh of others, sometimes growing stag horns upon their heads or become insane.
Lady (Fae)
Ladies are strange Fae figures which resemble beautiful, young, Jolfan women with overly long hair and a sickly greenish complexion. However, to most who know the signs, Ladies are very dangerous and very rare Fae entities in power in terms to Leshari and Wendigos. Ladies, also known as Forest Women, seduce men to their deep wood groves, and kill them in ritualistic sacrifice in order to 'empower' themselves, often exclaiming to do it to prevent them from becoming dead trees. Ladies are gifted enchanters, and dreaded cursers and can disappear at a whim, command forest animals to do their bidding, breath underwater, and can even charm darker creatures such as Leshari and Wendigos into their service. Typically, Souden worship these fae spirits as forest goddesses, who in turn grant them protection and enchanted (and also usually cursed) artifacts in return for sacrifices.
Umbra (Fae)
Umbras are powerful and benevolent fae spirits which dwell in the deep forests and often are fairly kind creature. They resemble large white stags who's fur glow white and have glowing light blue eyes, appearing only under moonlit nights and otherwise tend to live amongst deer herds. Umbras cannot speak, but tend to be very helpful, often offering their aid in driving out other Fae such as Ladies, Wendigos, and sometimes the Leshari. Umbras, like most Fae, can command other animals and the roots of trees, but are also implied to be able to summon storms as well. Umbras typically lead others to treasure and their tears grant enchantments of protection, which they often give willingly. Umbras however do become very hostile if they or their herds are attacked, and often avoid human settlements like a plague. It isn't uncommon for Umbras to keep and train wandering Beastfolk children into new generations of druids, but do not demand worship from them.
Ursa (Fae)
An Ursa is a unique forest Fae born from other animals, typically bears. Ursas are raised specifically and befriended by other higher fae creatures, typically a powerful Leshari, Reclaimer, or Lady. An Ursa are infused and grown with magic, becoming far larger and far stronger then their normal size, gaining a hyper intelligence, long life, and are ultimately bound to the will of a local Fae spirit. Not fully self aware of their purpose, an Ursa can often guard the tombs and groves of their masters for generations, but are very much autonomous like any other animal, and will mate to produce very strong children of their own (but no in the same strength of their own magically enhanced bodies). Sometimes, when more self aware, a Ursa can 'ascend' to become a higher Fae creature and drive away it's former master, becoming a passive entity. Ursas typically despise the destruction of their forests and will lash out violently at hostile intruders, but for those who offer their peace to an Ursa, they will often physically appear to attack the enemies. Ursas are especially hostile to Wendigos, and are often considered a physical match for them.
Reclaimer (Fae)
Very little is known about Reclaimers, outside being highly ritualistic and are born of endangered woodlands, being the arch rival to any would be loggers who try to destroy the deep forests. Reclaimers appear in the form of a upright skeletal stag with a robe of greenery and having 'flesh' made from animal pelts, wicker, and soggy leaves. Reclaimers are physically immortal, as their physical forms are secondary to their more terrifying spiritual forms. Reclaimers are deeply rooted in a variety of Fae magic, ranging from devastating curses to conjuring powerful hordes of animals to tear apart their foes. Reclaimers, as the name suggests, 'reclaim' lands taken by humanoid settlement through violence. Most disturbingly however, a reclaimer will 'reclaim' the corpses of humanoids they kill, creating fleshy puppets made from living vines and tree branches which eventually return to it's lair to become trees and greenery. Reclaimers, unlike other Fae, will eventually disappear once the land they are born is either retaken by nature, but will continue to return until their spiritual body is destroyed.
Forestlings (Fae)
Forestlings are minor Fae which dwell near rural areas and distant villages, being often the products of a relationship between a Fae and a humanoid. Forestlings are perpetual children, looking, sounding, and thinking like common children but also remaining biologically immortal. Unlike their humanoid parents, a Forestling is bound to the forests and live within them. Forestlings typically have discoloration within their skin, will grow antlers, and are naturally on friendly terms with all forest beasts. Forestlings also are masterful in Fae magics, but are much more benevolent with them. Forestlings like to help villages, spreading fertility to crops, healing the sick, and bringing back lost children, often for very little in return. Forestlings tend to move away when villages become more civilized or overcrowded for their tastes, and will just move onto other villages or go into the deep forests. Forestlings are natural enemies to many forms of hostile Fae, but there are rare instances of them acting as ambassadors between the nations of the world and the 'kingdoms of the forests'.
Hermani (Fae)
Hermani are a swamp Fae which are known to specifically dwell in the northern marshes of Karlemgrad, often referred to as 'Marsh Witches' or as 'Swamplings'. Hermani are solitary higher Fae which dwell in swamps and marshlands, resembling without their heavy 'garments' as bloated humanoid men with fishy features, but are 'connected' to a variety of marshland plants. They have a large shell of reeds and swamp grass on their backs, and its very common of them to lean on staves, which they will often falsely claim holds their powers. Hermani are, like all Fae, aggressively protective of their swamplands, often hiding in the marshlands themselves and only appearing to animals and humans in needs, but will not blink an eye to also drown those they dislike. Hermani often 'rule' individual marshlands at a time, and are immensely helpful to those who ask them for directions, but will unleash all manner of curses, magic, and hydromancery on those who defile their marshlands. Often the best ways to deal with (and usually the only way to deal with) Hermani is to steal their staves and move them to new Marshlands, for often killing them is difficult as they can 'swim' in ultra shallow parts of the marsh and appear anywhere in it.
Island Hopper (Dragon)
Island Hoppers are medium sized dragons which dwell on the Beast Isles and in the southern mountains, being blue drakes which hunt large sea beasts such as sharks and sometimes whales. Island Hoppers are very aggressive hunters, but often tend to leave smaller prey alone and do not spit fire. Instead, Island Hoppers inject venom into their prey which quickly dissolves their insides and allows them easier access to kill. Island Hoppers are considered a menace for ships, since they sometimes mistake smaller fishing ships for whales and sharks, which is why the Otum try to hunt them and remove them.
Rockback (Dragon)
Rockbacks are huge winged dragoned which dwell in the northern Jolfan mountains, such as in the top of peaks, being huge and dangerous beyond measure, but are also highly passive beasts. Every 90 years, they awake from a long slumber and journey out to either eat or mate, and return to their mountain caves to rest. They usually torment the sheep herders before disappearing back into their caves. Rockbacks are normally yellow scaled and breath a noxious fiery napalm at their opponent. Rockbacks are often named for their rocky fin on their back and their tough leathery skin. Being near biologically immortal, and also highly solitary, they often are not much of a nuisance or a threat to most except for northern goat herders who despise and fear them.
Coalback (Dragon)
Coalbacks are medium sized black drakes which dwell in Karlemgrad's mountains, and are a common beast which is hunted by the Karoe. Coalbacks normally hunt dear in a pack of three, and sometimes torment undefended human villages. They typically are fairly thin and breath a toxic fume, covering themselves and making it difficult for their prey to quickly react to them. Coalbacks are a danger to Karlemgrad, which is why its warriors delight in hunting them so much. Coalbacks groups tend to stick togeather and nest in cave bunkers in large masses, these nesting ground becoming a infestation. Coalbacks regularly do this to keep humans away from their nests, especially the eternally brave Karoe Legedari who sometimes go on suicide missions into the caves to destroy the nesting grounds.
Longtail (Dragon)
Longtails are small woodland and hillside drakes which live near settlements, and to their name, are identifiable by their very long tails. As small dragons, they are pack hunters and live in smaller borrows, rarely flying in fear of larger predators and lack a means to produce a fire or poison, uncharacteristic of their other Jolfan Dragon cousins. They typically have short antlers on their heads and are covered more in a mixture of slimy scales, resembling very close to a rough salamander hide. Naturally very ugly to look at, they often hunt for cattle and horses, and are considered more of nuisance then a monster since they fear humans. However, if cornered, Longtails will defend themselves and will lash out quickly, but more so to get away and retreat back to the safety of their nests.
Souden Greenback (Dragon)
The Souden Greenback is a rare creature, and is often ill seen, mostly because the Souden and Fae in their forests had hunted them, destroyed their nests, and slaughtered their young. It isn't hard to say why they do this either. Greenbacks are stubborn and poisonous creatures whos hides emit a toxic ooze which kills plant life and warms the dragon while it sleeps. Greenbacks are medium sized dragons, preferring woodland areas, often marking their territory by felling trees. They tend to have salamander shaped head and have a small array of feathers on their tails. Greenbacks tend to hunt Faen and occasionally do battle with Wendigos from time to time. Greenbacks who travel near human settlements prefer to hunt humans rather then cattle, which is why they are often killed quickly.
Highland Thumper(Dragon)
Highland Thumpers are large, oppressive, rare dragons which dwell specifically in a niche territory in Upper Jolfa, between the mountains and forests on a couple of elongated hills. Thumpers have short wings and do not fly for very long, instead preferring to glide to a target. Their main characteristic is that they use their weight and tail to do damage, having a highly spiked tail and thick scales which make them one of the most heavily armored dragons in Jolfa. Thumpers are highly dangerous and aggressive dragons which do not like any form of life near their nests, and will openly attack any creature which dares gets close to them. Thumpers will sometimes enter the settlements in Jolfa to raid for cattle, or to kill and eat other dragons, and cause a unholy amount of damage through their survival tactics and end up destroying large wooden and stone structures in their way. Besides being deeply territorial, they are known to have complicated relationship with Fae, as their movements have been known to flatten and ruin forests.
Hackler(Dragon)
Hacklers, often sometimes referred to as 'laughing demons', 'Hecklers', and 'wind spirits' by locals, are large lupine beasts which live in the deep woods. Have the look of rabbits, but have a rat's teeth and claws, with moose-like antlers. Hacklers tend to range in sizes of a man to a small house. The more terrifying issues with Hacklers is that they can run very fast, which when mixed in with their strength, make them horrifying foes. Hacklers are usually solitary and are also incredibly rare, almost as common to eat their own kin as much as hunt another. Hacklers are not afraid of human settlement, and are often man hunters themselves, having no issues hunting human children and lone travelers. Hacklers get their name from their loud shrieking 'laugh' which can echo loudly for over a mile, often to communicate with fellow Hacklers.
Fisher(Dragon)
Fishers are large primordial reptiles which dwell in Jollas's marshlands and in many parts of the Beast Isles as a nomadic predator. Fishers resemble large upward reptiles with long bodies, having a large fin across their back, and a massive thin snout. Fishers have short arms, normally used mostly to grapple onto a larger creature or to push things a short distance. Fishers are semi-aquatic and are far greater swimmers then runners, but regardless of terrain their bite and strength is not to be trifled with. Fishers, despite their huge size, are also incredibly passive creatures, willfully allowing smaller animals to camp near them. Fishers avoid settlements, but do become aggressive to any fool who tries to torment their nests.
Millings(Dragon)
Millings are small dragons, very small which are about the size of dogs, and dwell primarily in rural areas where there is plentiful waste and food. Comparable to raccoons, Millings are green dragons wings attached to their arms, and tend to glide from place to place. Draconic in nature, Millings can breath a small flame often only used to char their meat or to help build nests. Millings are very dangerous pests, very much capable of overwhelming a larger foe with sheer numbers, and have no issues hunting children and elders. Millings are named so due to their favored habitat, Mills and granaries. Millings are often a common dragon, but are often only found in certain mountainous areas, and in the wild tend to gravitate towards the deeper forests where other dragon subtypes live, supposedly being scavengers.
Revenant (Undead)
Revenants are a undead phenomena which appears in Jollas very regularly. Normally, if a person dies of betrayal or with intense hatred, they can raise themselves from the dead and will not die till they are satisfied. Revenants can 'regenerate' their bodies to a limited degree endlessly, and are set on killing a person until they are dead. Revenants are ritualistic undead, which means only a ritual can drive them away, such as either fulfilling their deed for them or by granting them a sacrifice twice the life of their own. Out of fear for Revenants, most army officers will burn their dead or try to bury the dead of their enemies peacefully. It is unknown why Revenants spring to life from time to time in Jollas, but only Beastfolk seem to be unaffected by it.
Forest Wraith (Undead)
Forest Wraiths are unique necromantic beings, normally made by both Wendigos and Leshari from the corpses of knights they slew. Forest Wraiths are brought back to life by these Fae to serve as guardians for their groves, spectral beings bound to their weapons and armor and covered in sticks, grass, and their bones. Forest Wraiths act as guardians, but as cursed beings, that guardianship acts as a double edged sword. These constructs can often turn on their masters or even refuse to obey, even killing their masters and becoming 'rogue'. Forest Wraiths are often infused with magical powers, such as abilities to control wind and foilage, with some more powerful creature capable of conjuring complex curses and spells. Burrows of druids, especially beastfolk druids, tend to be guarded by some of the more powerful and sentient forest wraiths.
Mourner (Undead)
A mourner is very much a similar cursed being like a Revenant, but is entirely spectral. Mourners are born from the deathly emotions of dead women who are slain during a time of joy, or were killed during great sorrow, their spectral bodies haunting forests and fields. They 'feed' off negative emotions and fright, usually resembling shriveled up corpses who are constantly weeping. Mourners are stationary evils, unlike Revenants which travel, and haunt the last place they died or some important object. Mourners tend be horrifically dangerous due to the fact their mourning raises the dead, can cause disastrous blights, and summon demons and Fae to them, especially creatures such as Wendigos who bind the spirits to their will. Mourners are a ritualistic undead, requiring that their bodies to be burned or to be appeased with special sacrifices.
Haunt (Undead)
Of the most dangerous undead in Jolfan, none is more terrible then Haunts. Haunts are spectral undead beings, normally brought back from the soul of persons who died awful, violent, and horrific deaths and had deserved it. Haunts can only be seen as shadows, and cannot exist in the light of a flame, thus truly only being invisible during moonlit nights. Haunts latch onto victims, or even whole families, tormenting them with visions, nightmares, and smaller frights. This somehow empowers the Haunt, which can eventually move onto manifesting physical movement and possession, killing it's victims with self infliction or violent sundering of the place they haunt. The various ways to kill the haunt without resorting to magic is usually visiting the cadaver which spawned it and granting it's final wishes.
Koseam (Undead)
Koseam are a unique type of undead, being born of various spirits. Koseam are born with the deaths of many mages who's collective violent deaths create a twist creature which springs up from their bones and blood known as the Koseam, often implied to be born of a ritualistic magic found in dark magic tomes. Koseam resemble elderly shriveled men which are on the verge of decaying, and command advance forms of necromancery and black magic at their beck and call. Koseam summon undead and chain various monsters with magical fetters to guard it's keep. Koseam then plan out long and complex plans to avenge the deaths which had given it life, and once complete, the Koseam and it's dark magic ceases to exist. The only other way to get rid of a Koseam is to find it's 'soul box', typically in the form of a severed finger or toe which when destroyed also destroys the Koseam. Koseam like to bind souls to their will, and since they themselves are soulless, they hunt down demonic beings to chain both physically and spiritually to their will to complete their tasks.
Wrecked (Undead)
Wrecked are an occasional undead being which dwells solely near coasts, specifically in places where the victims have drowned due to some form of murder, and have in a sense become a much more deadly form of revenant. Wrecked are constantly surrounded in a thick fog or mist wherever they tread, always rotting and leaking out sea water from their bodies. Wrecked often seek vengeance for their murders, but are entirely hostile to all beings they come across. Wrecked seek to kill and rip apart their murderers with all due haste, but can physically enter a place which is dry, thus they will only move during rain storms or places where their is water. They are often difficult to take care of due to not only moving in their generated fog, their layers tend to be sunken ships or some form of deep water. To appease and remove a Wrecked is often to either bring their murderers to them, or to drag them to a dry place and burn them.
Hosts (Undead)
One of the more disturbing undead abominations which transverse Jollas, Hosts are marshland horrors which are born of beings who had died rather specifically in a wetland, but under the circumstance they had been murdered in a very foul mood and were left unburied. What arises from these swamps are vengeful corpses which enthrall a horde of insects which dwell within them and haunt the swamps, killing Fae and driving out anything that comes into it. Hosts attack with vast swarms of biting insects, and tend to turn the bodies of those they kill into insect nests which create a protective barrier in the swamp for them. Hosts are entirely hostile, and require physical force to destroy them utterly. Hosts are incredibly rare, mostly due to their hotheaded hostility, being natural enemies to almost all forms of Fae, especially the Hermani.
Necrophage (Undead)
Necrophages are products of those who had starved to death in life, or turned to cannibalism and died due to their hunger. Necrophages are born from slow transformation, becoming something so inhuman and ceaselessly hungery. Necrophages haunt graveyards, battlefields, and places where death is commonplace, eating dead bodies and attacking those who dare get close. Most Necrophages are hostile, but some retain parts of their humanity in early phases long enough to be entirely passive. Necrophages often appear after battles had taken place, and are especially drawn to places where there are mounds of corpses. Necrophages can only be put down with physical force, but can also be driven away by family members which a Necrophage will refuse to attack.
Painted (Undead)
Painted are rare undead beings, normally born of advanced necromancery, which dwell in paintings, murals, and various forms of craftsmanship. Painted were once vain beings who in life were cruel, but in death lost their fame and fortunes due to dark circumstances. These emotional troubles creates Painted, being spectral ghosts and wraiths which heavily resemble their media homes. Painted torment the owners of their artifacts, causing dismay, death, and general misery until sold to new owners, or destroyed. Due to their existence often being very subtle, it is difficult to find them in time before they do considerable harm. Painted tend to be incredibly jealous and vain, and take special hatred towards the fat and ugly, but will often ignore, corrupt, or deceive those they find attractive.
Imp (Demon)
Imps, also known as Spawn, are minor demons which are summoned by clumsy wizards looking for guardians. Imps are small black or reddish creatures which are jittery and have large horns, but cause ceaseless mischief. As demons, they cannot enter holy places and disintegrate at the touch of light imbued things, but Imps are unnaturally strong creatures despite their size who are ordered to guard objects with intense jealousy. When someone threatens the object they are ordered to guard, they tear the person apart and eat their remains. Imps can only be removed if the mage who summoned them unsummons them, or if the Imp horde is by ritual granted the object they were guarding and pull it back into the abyss from whence they came.
Black Hound (Demon)
Black Hounds are emotion demons, feeding on negative emotions and devouring those who produce them. Black Hounds are normally summoned much like most demons, to guard the treasures of warlocks who summon them. Being a bit more effective then Imps, Black Hounds are harder to control, requiring magical fetters to keep them in line, or they would otherwise tear their summoner apart. Black Hounds normally break free and roam the highways and deep forests, chasing those who have deep regrets and eating them. Black Hounds tend to go in packs, but no one really knows what they look like, as to the human eye they look like blackish mutts, but up close they have reddish eyes, spikey hides, and gnashing fangs. Black Hounds will sometimes 'grow' their pact by kidnapping their prey and forcing them into their dens where their presence and feeding them human flesh slowly turn them into a new Black Hound over time.
Dealer (Demon)
Dealers, also known as Crossroad Demons, are powerful demonic entities and are the patrons of witches and dark magic users in Jollas, who taught mages how to summon imps and black hounds. Dealers are predatory demons who have powerful abilities, feasting on the torment of souls. They look human by all means, their true forms vary, but they universally are connected to contracts and deals. Dealers give wishes in return for person's soul, but purposefully corrupt the wishes in the demon's favor. When the demon collects, it steals the soul from their body via their contract ritual. Dealers rarely if ever show their chests, due to the fact as a morbid curiosity, all those who make deals with them have their heads added to them, a morbid collection of severed heads which make ups it's chest. What it does with the souls of others is anyone's guess.
Arconic (Demon)
Also referred to as Lords of Flies, Arconics are powerful, rare, and difficult to remove demonic entities on par with Dealers in terms of both magical skill and cruelty. Arconics come in a variety of forms, but universally can command common house flies and horse flies at their back and call, and typically they themselves are possessing a body of sorts to disguise themselves. Arconics tend to tempt sentient creatures to cannibalism, corruption, and acts of cruelty which they 'feed' upon rather then human souls. Arconics tend to 'follow' certain families and village communities, and can only be truly chased off through moral decency overcoming their own corruption. Fighting Arconics is immensely difficult, due to their wide varieties of magic which they wields, and their 'souls' tend to inhabit a swarm of flies which they tend to escape in. Arconics deeply fear powerful Fae, since while they wish to live in forest lairs, they are often bested by forest spirits rather easily, and thus tend to make lairs in ruins being both near and far from settlements.
Psoglavs (Demon)
Psoglavs may resemble Beastfolk initially in appearance, but are in fact a demonic creature. Psoglavs are violent beasts which feed off the flesh of sentient creatures, having the head of a wolf, the body of a man, and the feet of a horse. Psoglavs tend to capture to toy with their prey, even taking on some sentient creatures as slaves to torment until they bore of them and make them their next meal. Psoglavs are typically bound demons being in the service of another more powerful demon, acting as enforcers of sorts, capable of wielding weapons and donning armor. Psoglavs are fairly strong, but aren't exactly as invulnerable as they will often claim. Psoglavs are incredibly prideful and arrogant creatures, who regularly will proclaim their immortality but are very much as mortal as any other.
Kampandi (Demon)
Kampandi are higher demons which resemble shaggy goatmen with a humanoid face but a parasite like mouth. Kampandi only appear during winter months, listening in on villagers who complain about moral indecency. Those who act indecent they often steal, binding them in iron chains, and dragging them off to their lairs where they are boiled alive in soup. Kampandi are very direct with their magic, and can curse others with relative ease. Prisoners of a Kampandi who beg successfully for their lives are soulbound to them, often helping them kidnap others in exchange for their own lives. Kampandi are not as difficult to kill as other higher demons, but are immensely strong, fast, and magical. Unlike other demons who can be hostile to most settlements and view humanoids with disdain, Kampandi tend to be highly protective of those they haunt, often being heavy handed rivals to Arconi, Dealers, and Damners.
Colorful (Demon)
Of all the demons, Colorfuls are perhaps one of the most rare if not most dangerous demons to be faced. Colorfuls disguise themselves as common travelers, their only identifying features being the colors of their cloths being off putting. In reality, their true forms resemble a odd mixture of unnatural colors, a oozing mass which they add to the water supply of the villages they haunt. Over time, the land in the village dies, and the townspeople go mad, eventually disintegrating slowly due to the oozing colors and coming under the unnatural command of the demons. Colorfuls like to toy with their victims, and are difficult to kill. They eventually feed on the corpses of the village or hamlet for years at a time, until its time to move onto the next town. Colorfuls can be killed usually by burying them so deep that they suffocate and become stone, or by drowning them in deep water. Colorfuls are often hostile to other demons who rely on humans to 'survive', and care very little in terms of souls, feeding instead off the psychological damage of their presence.
Pitlord (Demon)
Pitlords are large physical demons which resemble fat centaurs with dragon like features. Pitlords live in pits, as the name suggests, and heat up their lairs to make it more comfortable. Pitlords are physically large monsters and despise the presence of others, but cannot avoid human contact for which they must feed from. Pitlords steal humans and eat them slowly within their layers, but also feast upon larger dragon creatures. Pitlords often like to make morbid art from their victims, and placing it across their layer and territory, but will avoid the persecution of humanoids until it either finds a protective master or gathers a demonic host. Pitlords are in their nature very cowardly, and avoid dangerous situations whenever possible, in spite of their size and strength.
Damner (Demon)
Damners are summoned demons, which can only be summoned and are used solely as a last case scenario by the vengeful. Damners are invisible, and come in a variety of forms, but universally are humanoid in some way and fully sentient. Damners make pacts with their summoners, allowing the Damner to tear apart their summoner and claim their soul, but in return, the Damner will haunt their enemy and drive them to insanity and eventually kill them. Damners are difficult to destroy, being a higher demonic entity, and are said to be feared by even Dealers and Arconi. Damners, in their attempts to kill their target, will often try to corrupt them and steal their souls, often wasting time and giving would be hunters valuable days to find a way to destroy them. Damners can only be fully removed by calling forth their true demonic name and have the target null their contract.
Hag (Cursed)
Hags are, or well were, magic users who in their quest for immortality had been deeply cursed by a demon, usually a dealer or a Arconic, with a vanity stripping curse. The true form of a Hag varies, but they are hideous beyond comparison, usually having a mixture of animal and decaying features with sickly green eyes and skin. Hags however tend to keep up an illusion of a younger form, which is only sustained by eating human flesh, and only human flesh. This lasts until the fall and winter season usually. Hags who go too long without devouring the flesh of men eventually go insane, and eventually grow use to their ugly forms and become prey to demons who bind them to their wills. Hags are typically masters in most forms of dark magic and curses, but are also very learned in which they can remove them via powerful (and morbid) rituals.
Vaym (Cursed)
A Vaym is a vampiric beast in Jollas which hunts in most major Jollas cities and larger settlements. Vaym are a cursed creature, in which the cursed being must often drink blood in order to survive. Vaym degenerate over time into ghoulish beings, but gain an array of abilities such as the ability to polymorph into a horde of rats, or to teleport a short distance. Vaym will burst into flames in flames in sunlight, and are mortally sickened upon entering consecrated grounds of Tresist temples. The curse to create a Vaym is normally a very difficult ritual, requiring rare herbs and certain forms of blood for the ritual. Vaym can in fact have children, in which most Vaym tend to spawn from, but the process is rare and usually takes place before the ghoulish transformations. Vaym curses are only lifted either through the death of the Vaym through burning it or stabbing it in the heart, or by Vaym drinking the blood of the one who cursed it.
Moonmorph (Cursed)
Moonmorphs are beings who were cursed to transform in half-animals during the presence of a full moon. During the day and nights without a full moon, Moonmorphs are normal cretans who usually go unaware they are monsters, but during full moons they become rabid animals. Most Moonmorphs become lupine animals such as dogs, wolves, or even a human-wolf mix which is often exceedingly rare. However what is universal is that they become hostile and attack anything during the night, are nearly immune to non-magical weapons, and are exceedingly fast. Moonmorphs seem very ritual bound, being unable to enter holy places during their form, or at least unwilling. Silver and bronze weapons seem to literally burn their flesh on touch during their form as well. Moonmorphs tend to also have another unfortunate issue; while their main body can die, their cursed form cannot, and can continue as a Moonmorph for years after their death, in which only after the body is in ashes does the curse fully stop. If a Moonmorph dies in it's animal form, the body which it inhabited dies as well. There are no cures known to remove the curse, usually only solved in death and the burning of the body, or killing it in it's Moonmorph form.
Talkers (Cursed)
Talkers are victims of extremely advanced polymorphy, typically only ever performed on humans and races close to being human. Typically a trade secret of Hags and powerful wizards, Talkers are sentient animals or Beastfolk who at one time were human. Talkers hold their old memories and, as their name suggests, can speak. Most Talkers can walk upright, although a bit awkwardly (or in some cases not at all). Talker curses are immensely difficult to remove, and for most commoners it isn't worth the price. Talkers live very solitary lives, very likely never to remove their curse, typically moving into the Jollas Beastfolk communities for some comfort. Making the curse often requires blood and rare magical herbs, and the flesh of a Fae creature which is made into a hot mixture. Victims are put into this mixture along with a animal or Beastfolk and what comes out are Talkers. Talker curses are removed through a similar way, but it requires twice the blood, twice the herbs, and twice the number of dead (and powerful) fae (or their blessings) for the curse to be removed.
Unholy (Cursed)
Unholy are strange cursed beings, being born with the curse via a demon. Unholy are technically half-demons, or at least the offspring of Dreamers with mortal women. Unholy have a number of benefits, being gifted with having a strong sense for magic, being creative beyond their years, and having a far longer life then others. However, Unholy have a number of annoying quirks. Unholy cannot enter holy places, are prone to garnering a number of character flaws, cannot see themselves in a mirror, or are they able to enter the private property of others until they are specifically invited in. Unholy thus have to keep up heavily social facade to keep themselves alive in Jollas, but unlike other monstrous being who can be bound to powerful demons, the Unholy are immune. Unholy in fact have incredible autonomy from their creators, and can be cursed of their curse by either marrying or through extreme holy rituals which have a chance to kill them. Unholy also can become demons such as Dealers and Arconics if another mortal beings gives their soul to them via a contract, triggering their ascension into demonhood.
Reminder (Cursed)
The Reminder curse is a fairly annoying curse for those who have died, a curse which forces the person who died to have the physical weight of their regrets and sins shackled to them in death, making them unable to go into the afterlife. Reminders toil in chains for all eternity until, but have a catch, in which they can convince others to take on their chains for them via a contract. Reminders can eventually be freed of their chains by putting their chains onto others, which causes them to be literally crushed and suffocated to death and their ghosts are shackled and become new Reminders. In order to fully, and truly, remove the curse, a Reminder's descendent or heir has to be put into physical chains or a form of bondage.
Groundhog (Cursed)
Groundhogs are cursed travelers who repeat highly specific niche moments and are trapped their forever until freed of it. Typically being unlucky travelers, Groundhogs are stuck in a perpetual moment and often remain unaware for hundreds of years. Groundhogs do not need to eat, sleep, or even go to the bathroom, as they live in a single moment in time forever until they are freed of their curse. Groundhogs only appear briefly along the places the curse was put on them, and then disappearing back to their original starting point. Groundhogs are freed of their curse if the one who cursed them releases them from their curse or through expensive rituals. Groundhogs typically are made when travelers piss off a Fae creature or a demon, but the curse to make them is known also by most Jolfan mages who use it as a commonplace binding spell.
Returned (Cursed)
When someone dies, but had died fairly young and deeply depressed or simply off put by life, there is a small chance they may come back as the Returned. Returned are not fully undead, but they are very close, having died at some point but then springing back to life during moonless nights to haunt their previous job offices, homes, and favored places. When the sun comes close to reappearing, Returned go back to their graves until the next moonless night. Returned are about as hostile as the person they once were, but generally, most live as fairly sentient and barely self aware creatures which lack any form of rot. When Returned do go back to their graves, their bodies rapidly decay, but become whole again when they walk into the world again. Returned only disappear permanently by usually fulfilling their last tasks or by finding a way to get them to have fun, which counteracts and drops the curse.
Eternal (Cursed)
The Eternal are unfortunate souls who had been cursed to become eternal servants, normally through devious magically binding contracts or some form of dark magic trickery. Eternals are literal immortals, but their curse forbids them from performing any form of violence, and end up always obeying the word of a chosen master. Eternals can cease to exist at the whim of their masters, and must obey them even with the strangest commands. Autonomy does not exist for Eternals, and in fact are incapable of most forms of true free will. Eternals, in order to cure themselves, need to find a way for their masters to dismiss them. Eternals are often bound to singular objects, which when activated can pop them back into existence.
Factions
Order of the Hunt
The Order of the Hunt was a organizations founded by the twin brother of Jaromir II, Zachariasz. Zachariasz and his band rode through Loskadia, killed traitorous Souden nobles, but their focus soon turned to the educated elite, mages, and beastfolk. The Order has continued to this day, a faithful militia at the beck and call of the Jollas monarchy who hold barracks all across Jollas as expert hunters of mages and monsters. The Order is xenophobic and deeply seated in extremist ideology, dedicated to hunting the 'vile, evil and wicked'. The Order normally dresses in all black leather garb, having books of curses on their person and various oils. The Order is violently opposed to any form of political magical elite, and act as thugs to prevent mages from gaining political power in Jollas. The Order are typically disliked by most nobles, but are hailed as heroes by peasantry when they deal with undead and demons.
The Black Knights
The Black Knights are a cavalry mercenary company in southern Jollas, known for their black garb. The Black Knights, also sometimes known as the Knights of Nulla, live 'free' lives and reject their pasts and titles in favor of fighting for the gods, and are a well respected mercenary group. They decorate their armor with feathers and tribal markings, and hold wolves with black war paint which ride with them. The Black Knights tend to exclusively fight for religious causes in Jollas, and are well paid by temples to guard them during times of war. The Black Knights have their own villa and barracks, known well for their wild parties, their women warriors who join them, and lack of grooming. When the Black Knights fight, their favored tactic is to unleash their hounds first and ride during a foggy day, to make themselves look terrifying in comparison to their medieval foes.
Conclave of Mysteries
The Conclave is a group of elite mages in a secret pact in Jollas, attempting to secure rights for the magical elite, the educated, and the liberal minded. The Conclave in practice however are more dedicated to studying magic, and using it to overthrow the Order in order to become a stronger force within Jollas, or even outright puppet the nation. It is led by elitists and tutors, often trying to get their hands on the royal family for their own designs. It isn't uncommon for the Conclave to summon demons or dabble in necromancery to achieve their aims.
Otek Merchant's Guild
The Merchant Guild of Otek is a guild of Otum merchants who formed a successful city council in the city of Otek who have power over the local government politics. The Guild had expanded from being a fisher's guild to a multi-guild enterprise due to their vicious tactics and playing on the naive nature of the Otum, attempting to puppet the Otek government to enrich themselves. The Guild has a hand in everything from shipping to tolls, slave trade to piracy. The Guild employs much of Otek's people in some form and way, becoming a powerful entity which is diffiuclt for the Otum lords to get a hold of. The Guild is especially prevalent in New Strekkad, and has ties all across Jollas. The Guild's quest for more money often puts it in odd alliances and deadly rivalries with other factions.
Pact of Paw and Sword
The Pact is a secretive Beastfolk pact between the chieftains of Jollas's beastfolk, dedicated to the singular purpose of relieving themselves of Jollas control or at least improving their rights. The Pact is fairly simple minded, with leaders all across Jollas who help secure the rescue of Beastfolk from bondage or some worse fate. The Pact is divided between it's peaceful southern folk, and it's northern bandits. Bolam often use the Pact as an excuse to raid villages in the north once they are freed, 'fighting' a war to secure lands for their people. The Pact often tends to focus its efforts in Otek, where the Otum Dujals are very public faces of the Pact, using their resources to free Beastfolk slaves from cruel overlords and transporting them to Otek where they can be safe.
The Order of the Hunt was a organizations founded by the twin brother of Jaromir II, Zachariasz. Zachariasz and his band rode through Loskadia, killed traitorous Souden nobles, but their focus soon turned to the educated elite, mages, and beastfolk. The Order has continued to this day, a faithful militia at the beck and call of the Jollas monarchy who hold barracks all across Jollas as expert hunters of mages and monsters. The Order is xenophobic and deeply seated in extremist ideology, dedicated to hunting the 'vile, evil and wicked'. The Order normally dresses in all black leather garb, having books of curses on their person and various oils. The Order is violently opposed to any form of political magical elite, and act as thugs to prevent mages from gaining political power in Jollas. The Order are typically disliked by most nobles, but are hailed as heroes by peasantry when they deal with undead and demons.
The Black Knights
The Black Knights are a cavalry mercenary company in southern Jollas, known for their black garb. The Black Knights, also sometimes known as the Knights of Nulla, live 'free' lives and reject their pasts and titles in favor of fighting for the gods, and are a well respected mercenary group. They decorate their armor with feathers and tribal markings, and hold wolves with black war paint which ride with them. The Black Knights tend to exclusively fight for religious causes in Jollas, and are well paid by temples to guard them during times of war. The Black Knights have their own villa and barracks, known well for their wild parties, their women warriors who join them, and lack of grooming. When the Black Knights fight, their favored tactic is to unleash their hounds first and ride during a foggy day, to make themselves look terrifying in comparison to their medieval foes.
Conclave of Mysteries
The Conclave is a group of elite mages in a secret pact in Jollas, attempting to secure rights for the magical elite, the educated, and the liberal minded. The Conclave in practice however are more dedicated to studying magic, and using it to overthrow the Order in order to become a stronger force within Jollas, or even outright puppet the nation. It is led by elitists and tutors, often trying to get their hands on the royal family for their own designs. It isn't uncommon for the Conclave to summon demons or dabble in necromancery to achieve their aims.
Otek Merchant's Guild
The Merchant Guild of Otek is a guild of Otum merchants who formed a successful city council in the city of Otek who have power over the local government politics. The Guild had expanded from being a fisher's guild to a multi-guild enterprise due to their vicious tactics and playing on the naive nature of the Otum, attempting to puppet the Otek government to enrich themselves. The Guild has a hand in everything from shipping to tolls, slave trade to piracy. The Guild employs much of Otek's people in some form and way, becoming a powerful entity which is diffiuclt for the Otum lords to get a hold of. The Guild is especially prevalent in New Strekkad, and has ties all across Jollas. The Guild's quest for more money often puts it in odd alliances and deadly rivalries with other factions.
Pact of Paw and Sword
The Pact is a secretive Beastfolk pact between the chieftains of Jollas's beastfolk, dedicated to the singular purpose of relieving themselves of Jollas control or at least improving their rights. The Pact is fairly simple minded, with leaders all across Jollas who help secure the rescue of Beastfolk from bondage or some worse fate. The Pact is divided between it's peaceful southern folk, and it's northern bandits. Bolam often use the Pact as an excuse to raid villages in the north once they are freed, 'fighting' a war to secure lands for their people. The Pact often tends to focus its efforts in Otek, where the Otum Dujals are very public faces of the Pact, using their resources to free Beastfolk slaves from cruel overlords and transporting them to Otek where they can be safe.
Characters
Tymon II Banaszynski
Titles - King of Jollas, Dujal of Lower Jolfa, Guardian of the Pillar, the Hound, Quasibor
Race - Jolfan (Human)
Gender - Male
Tymon II is the son of Tymon and grandson of the legendary king Maksymilian. Born in the court to good tutors, he and his family has ascended the throne during a time of coming political strife and looks westward and northward to secure a future for the Jolfan peoples. Tymon is a serious minded king, but is not without his kindness or mercy.
Jarosław Barna
Titles - Dujal of Upper Jolfa
Race - Jolfan (Human)
Gender - Male
Jarosław is the ambitious ruler of Upper Jolfa, a powerful diplomat, general, and soldier who fought in various wars and crushed rebellion after rebellion but was never recognized for them. He was especially resentful when his vassal granted his love Beata to the current king, angering him deeply. Jarosław, much older now, had made amends to the king and his family, but has since become a silent ruler who has very little time or patience for jokes or fun, often trying to administer his poor realm.
Sichar of Watzengord
Titles - Dujal of Karlemgrad, The Witch Man of Watzengord, the Butcherer, the Bulwark
Race - Karoe (Human)
Gender - Male
Sichar is a old but powerful warrior of the Karoe, who in his youth was an already legendary Legedari for his skill in battle, bravery, and tactical skill. Sichar is currently one of the best generals in the Jollas army, and is only rivaled in his skill by the Dujal of Upper Jolfa. Sichar is known to many as the Witch Man, having said to make terrible dark deals with local warlocks and druids for magical assistance in controlling the Karoe clans. Sichar is also a monger of atrocities, with no ill will when it comes to destroying villages and enslaving populations.
Arminas Kucys
Titles - Dujal of Loskadia, Rose of the South, the Drunk
Race - Souden (Human)
Gender - Male
Arminas is a clever drunkard and party goer, who while unpopular, is also a powerful manipulator and who's youthful claim was not challenged. Arminas often is a model knight and seducer, but his interests in women is questionable at best. Arminas is a patron of various arts, and being a rich entrepreneur, he seeks nothing more then to live life to it's fullest. However, despite the facad of a simple young party goer, he is also a master of intrigue and a grand strategist by many who know him personally.
Mislav Poljak
Titles - Dujal of the Beast Isles, Guardian of Beasts, the Well Intentioned, the Naive, the Young, Friend of Man and Beast, Gatekeeper of the Toll
Race - Otum
Gender - Male
Mislav is the current ruling head of the Beast Isles, a older ruler who has a long history of warring with the Otek Merchant Guild. He is a kind and gentle ruler, and while considered cowardly by his neighbors, he is very confrontational. His personal conflicts with his neighbors is often resolved by him backing down rather then fighting, hating to see his people die for land or resources, much to the fury of the Guild. Mislav is a cautious ruler who think about his people often, and deeply admires kindness and mercy.
Titles - King of Jollas, Dujal of Lower Jolfa, Guardian of the Pillar, the Hound, Quasibor
Race - Jolfan (Human)
Gender - Male
Tymon II is the son of Tymon and grandson of the legendary king Maksymilian. Born in the court to good tutors, he and his family has ascended the throne during a time of coming political strife and looks westward and northward to secure a future for the Jolfan peoples. Tymon is a serious minded king, but is not without his kindness or mercy.
- Beata - Wife, from Upper Jolfa
- Tymon III - Eldest son and Heir, a very skilled general and warrior
- Ferdynand - Younger son
- Alicja - Youngest child, a beloved daughter
- Hieronim - Uncle
Jarosław Barna
Titles - Dujal of Upper Jolfa
Race - Jolfan (Human)
Gender - Male
Jarosław is the ambitious ruler of Upper Jolfa, a powerful diplomat, general, and soldier who fought in various wars and crushed rebellion after rebellion but was never recognized for them. He was especially resentful when his vassal granted his love Beata to the current king, angering him deeply. Jarosław, much older now, had made amends to the king and his family, but has since become a silent ruler who has very little time or patience for jokes or fun, often trying to administer his poor realm.
- Krystyna - Wife, is personally terrified of her husband
- Łukasz - Son, a clever but cruel man who enjoys time away from his father and in the company of the Black Knights who he wished to be apart of.
- Wera - Daughter, a ambitious, clever, and manipulative martial woman who is difficult to marry off
- 'Big Iron' - A Bolam gladiator raised from birth to fight in the arena and was a grand champion, now serving as a bodyguard of the family as a favored. He has a nasty scar on his left eye.
- Róża Grzelak - A Conclave sorceress in the service of the Dujal, and also acts as his Spion.
Sichar of Watzengord
Titles - Dujal of Karlemgrad, The Witch Man of Watzengord, the Butcherer, the Bulwark
Race - Karoe (Human)
Gender - Male
Sichar is a old but powerful warrior of the Karoe, who in his youth was an already legendary Legedari for his skill in battle, bravery, and tactical skill. Sichar is currently one of the best generals in the Jollas army, and is only rivaled in his skill by the Dujal of Upper Jolfa. Sichar is known to many as the Witch Man, having said to make terrible dark deals with local warlocks and druids for magical assistance in controlling the Karoe clans. Sichar is also a monger of atrocities, with no ill will when it comes to destroying villages and enslaving populations.
- Dodda - Wife, a fierce iron fisted woman who's competence in politics often terrifies Sichar more then war.
- Adele - Eldest daughter, a child
- Cilia - Daughter
- Omer - Brother, often fights alongside Sichar
- Wazo - Kobtum druid who is a court wizard of Sichar and a family friend
Arminas Kucys
Titles - Dujal of Loskadia, Rose of the South, the Drunk
Race - Souden (Human)
Gender - Male
Arminas is a clever drunkard and party goer, who while unpopular, is also a powerful manipulator and who's youthful claim was not challenged. Arminas often is a model knight and seducer, but his interests in women is questionable at best. Arminas is a patron of various arts, and being a rich entrepreneur, he seeks nothing more then to live life to it's fullest. However, despite the facad of a simple young party goer, he is also a master of intrigue and a grand strategist by many who know him personally.
- Pranas Milius - A up and coming Jollas artist under the wing of the nobleman, known to make very good pieces of art and is always interested in new ideals
- Giedrius Jurkynas - A young and atheistic man who's philosophies intrigued Arminas, but is also secretly a member of the Conclave
- Renatas Liachtas - Arminas's rival, grandmaster of the Order of the Hunt, a famed witch hunter and monster slayer who has criticized the Dujal deeply.
- Jokubas Stralkus - A skillful mage under the employ of Arminus, who studies the magic of the world and the odd technologies which outsiders had brought into it.
- Vincenta Kanapkiene - A Black Knight woman and friend of Arminas
Mislav Poljak
Titles - Dujal of the Beast Isles, Guardian of Beasts, the Well Intentioned, the Naive, the Young, Friend of Man and Beast, Gatekeeper of the Toll
Race - Otum
Gender - Male
Mislav is the current ruling head of the Beast Isles, a older ruler who has a long history of warring with the Otek Merchant Guild. He is a kind and gentle ruler, and while considered cowardly by his neighbors, he is very confrontational. His personal conflicts with his neighbors is often resolved by him backing down rather then fighting, hating to see his people die for land or resources, much to the fury of the Guild. Mislav is a cautious ruler who think about his people often, and deeply admires kindness and mercy.
- Irena - His beloved wife, and secretly the leader of the Pact.
- Budimir - Eldest son, a strong warrior for a Otum and a good tactician
- Neven - Youngest son, a child, who seeks to one day learn magic
- Darko Gulin - Master of the Otek Merchant Guild and Mislav's hated rival. Both have had a rivalry since childhood.
- Đurđa - A hydromancer and Mislav's sister, a younger member within the Conclave.