TheSovereignGrave — Roleplayer Guild

Name of Species: 
Ayel
Genetic Compatibility: 
None whatsoever; they are only capable of mating with members of their own species.
Physical Characteristics:
The differences between male and female ayels are so small as to be practically non-existent. Thy are both exceptionally tall (averaging 8 feet in height), thin, and nearly hairless humanoids. Their skin is usually a shade of grey though white and black skin isn't unheard of, and they have no faces aside from their round, gaping mouths, though there are also small pits located above their mouths. The only major difference between males and females is that males are completely hairless while females usually have some hair located on the backs of their heads (said hair is always pure white, but most ayel women will dye their hair a variety of colours).
Life-Span:
Though the maximum lifespan of the ayels is approximately 1,000 years, most will only live to be several hundred before they begin to suffer from a variety of degenerative diseases that eventually end in their death.
Diet:
Technically the ayels would be considered carnivorous, but they do not eat in the same manner as most creatures. Instead of actively consuming the flesh of creatures, they instead latch onto an animal with their circular mouths and suck out the creature's blood and vital fluids.
Racial Attributes: 
Ayels are stronger than their spindly statures would indicate, easily able to overpower and outlast any average human. Other than this, there are several more distinct attributes the species has. First and foremost is their sight, or rather their lack of it. The ayels have no eyes and as such do not see in the same manner as most others races; instead they have small pits located above their mouths. These pits are able to detect heat, and as such the ayels "see" completely in thermal. The ayels' reproduction is unique as well, even discounting the strange shapes of their reproductive organs. First and foremost is the fact that they are exceptionally infertile; it is rare for them to successfully conceive children, even discounting the commonality of stillbirths and miscarriages. And in addition, even more uniquely, they are fully capable of controlling the gender of their children. The determining factor of an ayel baby's gender is the temperature their mother was exposed to during her pregnancy. Colder temperatures will result in males whilst warmer temperatures result in female children.
Age:
According to the ayels themselves they are the first race and have existed since the dawn of time. In truth while their race is ancient, they are closer to 600,000 years old.




Name of City:
Qa-Avnel
Population:
~1316
~550 male/~450 female
~1000 human/316 ayel
Known For: 
The men of Qa-Avnel and the surrounding area are generally know as backwards zealots. They do not even practice metalworking, and it is only through a combination of their ferocity in defending their homes and the knowledge of their mountainous homeland that they have not been subjugated by anyone more advanced. However, the arrival of the small group of ayels in the city of Qa-Avnel could have immense repercussions on the region, for though the alien creatures are few in number they bring advanced technology alongside their prodigious strength.
Culture: 
The culture of Qa-Avnel is steeped heavily in their religious beliefs in the Earth as a great mother who protects and nurtures her children. They will farm and make dwellings from lumber, but they believe it is an affront to become greedy and take too much from their mother. As such they shun practices such as irrigation and mining, for it tears apart their mother the earth. The ayels, however, are diametrically opposed; in their culture they are the Children of God who lived on the moons since the dawn of time until they were forced to flee after a betrayal from the people of the sun. They view the earth as something to be exploited, as their deity gave the land to mortals to serve their needs.
Religion Overview: 
The men of Qa-Avnel almost exclusively worship the Earth as their mother Goddess, though there are other gods and spirits they worship as well. The ayel's beliefs are opposed to this, as they worship a single powerful God who takes no physical form and created the earth, sun, and moons as lands for the mortal races they would later create.
Government Type:
Theocracy/Gerontocracy
Qa-Avnel is ruled over by their priests who rule according to what they believe to be the demands of their Gods; they also consider wisdom to come with age and as such the highest of the priests are almost universally the eldest of the priests
Calendar: 
The people of Qa-Avnel use their own calendar based on the seasons, on account of them having never been conquered by Prometheans. The ayels, on the other hand utilize a calendar based upon the phases of the world's moons.


Late Ancient Era Nation Summary


Flag


Yossod Hegemony


Lightning Summary:
Yossod is not so much a single state, but a collection of several nominally independent states bound together by their shared faith. They all owe fealty to the Ayelic Council, made up of the several hundred remaining ayels who are believed to be the God's Chosen Children. It is state focused predominantly on peacefully spreading God's word, but is more than willing to use violence to defend its interests. Its navy isn't particularly impressive, but it is home to the Brotherhood of the Covenant: an order of holy warriors raised from a young age to be fanatic in their faith and loyal almost to a fault. The vast majority of people in the hegemon are humans, though there is a promethean minority and, of course, the several hundred ayels that rule it.

Population:
Humans - ~7,600,000
Prometheans - ~400,000
Ayels - 423


Main State Religion:
Name:
Temple of Ila

Type:
Strict Monotheism

Name of Followers:
Ilaists

Overview of Beliefs:
The faith of the Temple of Ila is that of a single omnipotent and omniscient entity, one of such great power that it is beyond the complete understanding of any mortal. Ilaism holds to the belief that the Sun and Moons are both glimpses at other worlds, other worlds which make up the afterlife of Ilaism. They believe that in the beginning Ila (simply the Yossodite word for 'God') created the world, the sun, and the twin moons, as well as the mortals which would come to inhabit them. The ayels had always been the favoured children of Ila, and they loved their great God in return. But legend holds that the nameless race grew jealous of the ayels, and in an act of betrayal butchered them and drove them from their homes on the twin moons. As retribution for this horrendous act, Ila would strip the race of its name, drive them from the twin moons, and set the Sun alight so they would burn eternally for their treachery. And such is was that Ila made the twin moons a paradise, for now he decreed it would be that the souls of the virtuous would come there to live for eternity, whilst the souls of the wicked would burn in the sun. 

Ilaism puts a massive emphasis on living a life of virtue, and the greatest virtue is to submit oneself to God and do his will. However, the Temple of Ila has no single holy figure or prophet around which the faith revolves. The Temple's "Prophet" is simply the mouthpiece for and one of the few humans who communicate with the Ayels, who are the Chosen Children of Ila and above all other mortal races. It is they who, through the Prophet, communicate the Word of God to the masses and it is the series of Ayelic Edicts that set down the religious laws and codified beliefs for the Temple of Ila.


State Government:
Name: Heavenly Hegemony
Type: Varies
Azuumad, Prophet of Yossod and the Temple of Ila
Etar Aluharim, King of Sumuga
Ziusi Ninim, King of Mashka
Enkinar Ishimim, King of Evech
Anak Analosim, King of Erin
Zisudra Analosim, King of Kemesh
Jado Rasemb-Kolni, Chief of the Rasemb Tribe
Yezrar Kolloh-Yander, Chief of the Kolloh Tribe
Yekial Mani-Mohal, Chief of the Mani Tribe


Infrastructure Summary


Capital City:
Qa-AvnelTrade hub and religious centre of Yossod


Other Major Cities:
MashkaMajor Yossodite port city

Ra-BetaRich in valuable metals

ErinFertile farmland and former Idumian capital


Transportation Network Summary:
Transport within Yossod is generally done by cart along the numerous roads within the nation. There are roads connecting nearly all of the towns and cities, though their quality varies. The major trade routes are paved with stones and great effort is taken to keep them maintained. Most roads in Yossod are bare dirt, however, though some are still rather large.

Military Summary

The military might of Yossod and its client states lies almost entirely in its army. The Yossodite navy is a small and pathetic thing, being exceptionally small its main purpose is to drive away any smaller bands of pirates or raiders who may decide to raid Yossod's shores. Yossod has never had to deal with any of the major naval incursions that many others have, and as such their naval power is stunted. The Yossodite army, however, is an impressive thing indeed. At its core stands the Brotherhood of the Covenant, a holy order of warriors taken from a young age and trained as in the myriad ways of war as well as indoctrinated into believing that it is their purpose to fight and die in the name of Ila, and that such is the will of God. The Brothers are the elite of Yossod's army, and provide a backbone of disciplined heavy infantry and heavy cavalry. But the rest of Yossod's client states have their own armies as well. The majority of these forces are peasant levies whom are simple farmers or hunters, and they serve as the light infantry of Yossod's forces. But the Ashatite tribes are known for their archers in particular, and the nobility of Idum take to the field of war as heavy cavalry alongside warriors sworn to their family, while the Feinar who have converted are known for their vicious and violent raiders.

Industry and Trade Summary

Yossod is a source of a great many goods, and sits astride most of the northern overland trade routes. It is especially known for the highly valuable precious metals mined within the highlands of Yossod proper, but there are a great many other trade goods as well. More practical metals such as iron and copper are torn from the earth, the great forests of the west provide lumber, and the expansive plains of Idum are known for their fertile bounty of food. However Yossod has very little in the way of anything "exotic", but that is of little concern considering the amount of trade which passes through its cities.

Through Their Eyes...


Character Name:

Character Gender:

Character Race:

Character Age:

Character Appearance:

Character's Role Within Nation:

Character Background Info:

Other:


Leaders


Character Name:
Prophet Azuumad

Character Gender:
Male

Character Race:
Human

Character Age:
76

Character Appearance:
Azuumad is a relatively small man in addition to being thin and frail with age, with his close-cropped beard already totally white. He wears a plain robe wherever he goes, as a relic of his time as an ascetic, and he walks with an air of peace and tranquility wherever he goes.

Character's Role Within Nation:
As the Prophet of Yossod, Azuumad is one of the few Yossodites who is able to see the ayels regularly and he is the man who relays their words and commands to the masses of Yossod. Other than that, he deals with the day-to-day issues of running Yossod and is in charge of the appointment of Yossod's seven High Priests. In this he is quite capable, having a mind for administration as well as the support of the masses thanks to his many programs to support the poor and downtrodden of the hegemony. But he is a dedicated pacifist, and believes that violence should never be used except in the most extreme of circumstances where there is no other option, which puts him at odds with many others within the government.

Character Background Info:
Azuumad was born a peasant in a village of Idum, the son of one of the local farmer. Unlike many, his family actually owned the land as they had never been forced into giving it up after his enslaved ancestors had been given the land as a gift by liberating Yossod. But nonetheless they were still peasants, and as such were still low on the social ladder of Idum. But Azuumad was one of five sons, and so his father had him schooled in the way of the Temple and Azuumad would eventually become a priest. He didn't mind his father forcing him into the clergy, as he'd always been a pious sort of a more scholarly bent than his brothers, and a life of service to God suited him fine. Azzumad would continue his studies, eventually traveling to Qa-Avnel's great university. It was not long before he decided he wanted to enter into the world of governance, and with connections he'd made while in University he was able to have an older Priest appoint him successor to a small town in Yossod proper. Azuumad lived there, learning from the older Priests the finer points of administration , until the man finally died when Azuumad was 32 years old. From there he would serve as an able ruler, whom the people came to love for Azuumad never forgot his roots as a peasants and garnered a reputation as a kind but just ruler, and because of this reputation the Prophet would see fit to name Azuumad High Priest. He served faithfully for years as High Priest, but he would eventually grow spiritually unfulfilled with his life and would abdicate his position, giving away nearly all of his material goods to the poor. It was then that he would found his own small monastery dedicated not only to asceticism, but to Azuumad's own ideals of humility, kindness, and charity that he had come to value over the years and had made him so popular among the peasantry. Because of his exceptional performance as High Priest, as well as his ability to become quite popular with the peasantry, the Ayelic Council would come to appoint him as Prophet for the time of great peace Yossod was undergoing. And though he would have preferred to continue his quiet life of contemplation, he was a Godly man still and complied with the Ayelic's Council's request. This was nearly two decades ago, and Azuumad continues to serve as Prophet faithfully, and will do so until his death or the Ayelic Council no longer deems him fit.

Other:


Character Name:
The-Wicked-And-Unjust-Shall-Receive-No-Mercy-But-By-The-Divine-Grace-Of-God-Almighty-For-I-Shall-Not-Stay-My-Sword-In-The-Time-Of-Their-Judgement

Character Gender:
Male

Character Race:
Ayel

Character Age:
632

Character Appearance:
Mercy is an imposing figure, even for an ayel. Taller than most of his tall race, he stands a nearly 10 feet tall and while he shares the same spindly body and thin stature of the ayels it is impossible not to see the corded muscle underneath his grey skin. Most of the time he wears the traditional dress of the ayels dyed a variety of colours; a long, simple skirt combined with a shawl stretched across the back to drape across their arms. However in battle, which is exceedingly rare as he rarely leaves Qa-Avnel like most ayels, he dresses in a rather plain but perfectly functional suit of armour composed of a steel breastplate, shinguards, and arm guard over top a suit of chainmail as well as a thick steel helm. The most decorative thing he takes into battle is his shield: a thick, oval monstrosity of steel painted with numerous scenes of battles from Yossod's history. Finally, Mercy tend to arm himself with maces rather than swords when fighting.

Character's Role Within Nation:
Mercy is, undisputedly, one of the most ancient of the ayels alive today to the point that he is one of two that were alive when the ayels first came to Qa-Avnel. His name and experience make him incredibly well-respected among the Ayelic Council, and while all ayels are equal on the Council none can deny that Mercy's voice counts for much more than most others. Though he is a warrior, and has stayed that path for many centuries, and despite having fought in many important battles throughout Yossod's history Mercy does not have a penchant for violence. Having seen the hell of war and battle, he views it as a necessity not an ideal. That being said, he is not blind and knows that without war and violence the Temple of Ila would not have expanded so quickly over the centuries. While he is willing to try diplomacy first, he is no pacifist and is more than willing to march to war should diplomacy prove unsuccessful.

Character Background Info:
Mercy was born over a century before the ayel's arrival in Qa-Avnel, but for what life was like for the ayels prior to that he does no speak of to anyone but his most trusted of friends, which are few in number and limited to other ayels. But of what came after is well known to all; he was a proud youth and did not shirk from war when the necessity presented itself. If there was a battle in Yossod's history that ayels took part in, Mercy was there with his mace crushing skulls and splintering bone. But as a young ayel he was rash and enjoyed war, relished in the feeling of destroying his enemies. But as his friends died around him, either from wounds, sickness, or age, Mercy came to truly understand loss and the consequences of it. He looked back with pity at what he once was, but knew he was better for learning his lesson: war was not a great or glorious thing. While it could get many things done, it was better to at least attempt peaceful means first. But, if those failed, violence could still solve the problem. 

Other:


Character Name:
There-Is-No-Greater-Joy-In-This-World-Than-To-Know-That-Ones-Actions-Serve-The-Greater-Plan-Of-The-One-True-Lord-Almighty

Character Gender:
Female

Character Race:
Ayel

Character Age:
106

Character Appearance:
Though she would appear to be a terrifying monstrosity to most, to the ayels Joy is actually rather unassuming and plain; her frame, her height, her skin, everything about her is average. Even her hair, which dangles to her waist, is dyed a light subdued blue. Joy usually wears the traditional ayelic skirt and arm shawl, generally in colours which match her hair. She is, however, quite fond of silver jewelry and it is rare for her to be seen without a necklace, bracelet, anklet, or other piece of silver jewelry.

Character's Role Within Nation:
Though she is not particularly old by the standards of the ayels, Joy has become a rather respected member of the Ayelic Council. It is she who is considered the unofficial head of the Council's more pacifistic ayels. And while they may not all agree on their finer points, Joy has the ear of them all.

Character Background Info:
Though she would be a venerable elder by the standard of any other race, to the ayels Joy is still rather young. But despite this her passion and inspiration have lead to her uniting the more peaceful ayels behind her, if only in an unofficial capacity. Because she is young and has not lived through the centuries, she has less past events to look fondly upon and so she looks on towards the future. Joy envisions a new era for Yossod, a great era of peace and prosperity. It is an era where Yossod's influence will expand not through bloodshed and force of arms, but by diplomacy and the righteousness of its word. While passionate and zealous, Joy is also rather idealistic and, some would say, naive. In her mind, it is unavoidable that Yossod and the Temple of Ila will come to dominate the world. After all, the falsehoods and twisted half-truths of the other faiths can only stand so long before they are peeled apart by the pure righteousness of Ila's Temple.

Other:


Government Officials


< E M P T Y >

Generals


Character Name:
First Brother Jinoa

Character Gender:
Male

Character Race:
Human

Character Age:
33

Character Appearance:
Jinoa is a typical Ashatite, tall and lean with light brown skin and pitch black hair. He is not overly tall, but his muscles would make him stand out from a crowd even if the scars and brands of the Brotherhood of the Covenant didn't. He is clean-shaven and tends to wear his hair in a long braid hanging behind his back. Typically he dresses in the tight-fitting robes of the Yossodite people, but a garment without sleeves so that he may show to the world the scars on his arms and the brands on his wrists.

Character's Role Within Nation:
Jinoa is the First Brother of the Brotherhood of the Covenant, the leader of Yossod's military holy order. It is he who commands the organization as a whole, and it exists mostly outside the power structure of rest of Yossod or its client states. In theory Jinoa answers to nobody but the Ayelic Council, but since the Prophet is their voice Jinoa must go through him. Because of the necessity of Jinoa meeting with Azuumad a deep loathing has developed between the two men; Jinoa believes Azuumad weak and cowardly while Azuumad sees Jinoa as a violent warmonger who will do more harm than good for Yossod. 

Character Background Info:
Jinoa was born to a clanless whore in a town along one of the the major trade routes in Ashat. His earliest memories are of her, but they are not particularly pleasant ones as his mother saw him mostly as a burden and another mouth to feed. So she decided that when a few Brothers of the Covenant stopped by the small village for a short while, she would just drop them off with them and leave. Even though she was caught, she was pleasantly surprised that they would take the young boy anyway. And, if you were to ask Jinoa, was where his life truly began. Though the training was difficult, grueling, and sometimes painful Jinoa pushed through it because in the Brotherhood he had finally found a place where he belonged. The Brothers all treated him and his fellow Initiates like family; years before he would undertake the Covenant of Blood and truly become one of them the Brothers of the Covenant treated him like he was one of their own. Sure there were beatings and the like, but it was because he had made a mistake and not simply because his mother was in a foul mood. And on the battlefield, a mistake could result in more than just a lashing. It was in this climate that Jinoa grew up and thrived, fully indoctrinated into the Temple of Ila and his role as a weapon of God. When he slit his wrists to join his blood with those of his fellow Initiates and Brothers and when he received the brands upon his wrist, it was the happiest moment of his life. From there he would rise up the ranks of the Brotherhood, though as was expected he never treated those below him with contempt or as though he was better than them. Though he outranked them, they were still his brothers. And then the time would come that Jinoa would rise up to the inner circle of the Brotherhood, those directly below the First Brother himself. And when that First Brother was slain by a stray Feinar arrow, it was Jinoa who was elected to succeed him. And nothing changed once he was First Brother; he was still fiercely loyal to the Temple and to his Brothers, even the lowly Initiates were treated as equals by him, and he would do anything in the name his God and the Brotherhood that had given him purpose and a true family. A family far truer than any blood bond. 

Other:


Scientists/Inventors


< E M P T Y >

Explorers


< E M P T Y >

Soldiers


< E M P T Y >

Common Folk


Character Name:
Ayallal

Character Gender:
Female

Character Race:
Human

Character Age:
24

Character Appearance:
Ayallal is a rather plain young woman; she has the typical dark skin and curly brown hair of many Idumians but she doesn't particularly stand out in many ways. When it comes to her dress it is mostly plain but also quite expensive though not to the point of extravagance. However, this is due to her status as a translator for the ayels and she would stick out if dressed entirely in poor and plain clothing.

Character's Role Within Nation:
Ayallal is one of the few personal translators for the Ayelic Council. There are many translators that are trained and taught the Ayelic language to facilitate communication between the ayels and their human servants. But few follow around a single ayel exclusively, since there are nowhere near enough translators due to the difficulty of learning the Ayelic language. Ayallal herself is known for her exceptional proficiency in the tongue, and so Mercy chose her as his personal translator, which was within his right as the eldest and one of the most respected of the ayels.

Character Background Info:
Ayallal was born in the city of Mashka to a poor family. However, she does not remember much of her time with her family as her father and mother both fell ill and died when she was but a young girl. And as an only child, she was left without any family. She managed to survive by stealing food and sleeping on the street as well as performing menial tasks fit for a little girl. Some of those were from local scholars, cleaning and the like in their studies, and it was these small tasks that were most important. For Ayallal had an insatiable curiosity, and the lure of words, incomprehensible symbols that could be arranged to tell someone anything, drew her in. When those scholars and wise men weren't looking she would take looks at their scrolls and the like, especially those with pictures to aid her. It was a long and arduous task and after a few years she knew only the rudimentary basics of reading. But it was still something, and when she was only 8 a priest whose priest she whose study she was cleaning walked in on her reading a small scroll. Far from being angry, the priest was curious as to how a homeless orphan girl could know even the basics of reading. And when Ayallal told him she'd taught herself, he was impressed. And several correspondences with his colleagues in Qa-Avnel later, Ayallal was on her way to Qa-Avnel to be taught the language of the ayels to serve as translator. She was put in a school with many others, some children and some adults, who were all personally instructed in the basics of the Ayelic language. It was something that Ayallal threw herself into not only because she found it fascinating but because it was all she had. And after several years she had learned the language enough that she was accepted as an apprentice translator, finally allowed within the ayels' section of the city and following around a translator who would instruct her in the intricacies of the language. When she first saw the ayels, she was struck with not only awe but fear of the massive creatures: the Chosen of God. However, she soon learned that they were still people and being around them for years was a major help as even speaking the same language ayels still sounded different from men thanks to their mouths. But over the years she managed to learn to understand Ila's Chosen perfectly and to speak the Ayelic language exceptionally well even with all its intricacies. So when she came of age, it was no surprise that she became a fully fledged translator upon coming of age. And thanks to her proficiency after several years she was chosen by Mercy to become his personal translator after the passing of his previous translator, and she has been his translator for nearly half a decade.

Other:
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