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Maiun dah'Rin People of the Desert Among the more obscure cultures found in humans is that of the Maiun dah'Rin, or dah'Rin(i) for short. This translates to People (Rin) of the (dah') Desert (Maiun). As the name would suggest, they originate from and primarily inhabit deserts. As one might expect, this harsh environment in combination with prolonged isolation from other cultures has lead to a hardy, yet upbeat people with unique traditions. With written documents proving their presence as far back as Axios, and speculation of their history reaching back much further, it's a wonder they've kept their presence so unknown all this time. One could attribute this to isolationism, remote locations, or even being mistaken for other groups, but the true answer has not been found as those who'd know have all passed. In recent times, however, they've made themselves and their ways as known as they can in the face of being lost to history. No known settlements remain of the Maiun dah'Rin, so they assert themselves anywhere that welcomes them. While their own language's alphabet and writing are illegible to most, they still make and publish stories in Common with the hope someone will hear their pleas for preservation. Only very recently has it seemed that their wish will come true. Now when you see those strangers in masks, lanky humans with odd accents, you may come to find you know of their kind. A resilient people who've clung onto the very last strings of identity and finally started pulling themselves back up. Names & Masks To the dah'Rin, a mask is just as good as (if not better than) a name. While multiple people can share a name, or even all three names, no two people can have a truly identical mask. Along with being distinct, the mask of a riun (singular of rin) will most always have patterns and colors denoting specific meanings. For example, a rugged wooden mask with red paint on the left side can convey that one is a wanderer who's used to living rough, but still holds love in their heart for everyone around. A mask of ebony with intricate gold patterns would show the wearer as important, but not for combat reasons, likely being some form of leader. These masks are to be removed only when necessary or alone. This is not to say names aren't important, however. All three names of a riun are important for different reasons. A first name is shared with everyone, and is the name a riun will refer to themselves by most often. A middle name is rarer to go by, but is usually used when two people of the same first name are together or when a riun dislikes their first name. A last name, however, is considered very intimate. This is generally to be shared with those that a riun dearly trusts or even loves. An important bit to note is that one would not be called by their last name unless they're alone with someone who knows it. To share someone else's last name is to betray the love and trust they've shown you. To take it as your own is to embrace it wholly. Mask Meanings To expand on what a mask may mean and why, we need only look to three things. Color, material, and adornments. To start with, colors often share similar meanings to what other descendants give them, but there are some noteworthy exceptions. For example, while red may denote passion or anger, the most common use is for love. Orange is linked to enthusiasm, a love for life rather than individuals. Yellow and gold are notably distinct, with yellow being happiness and gold being importance. Green can indicate a nurturing nature, harmony, and even safety. Blue can be freedom, intelligence, or protection, with the first being the typical use case. Purple is often linked with magic, inner peace, and wisdom. As materials go, these are usually picked by convenience or aesthetics rather than significant meaning. When a material is chosen for meaning, it usually coincides with the color. However, the material also gives some insight into the wearer's lifestyle. Wood may be used for travelers who want something that will last long without maintenance. Porcelain would be more indicative of a person who's settled down and decided on something that looks nice rather than being durable. Rarer and more sought-after materials may show someone to be important, or that they've done a great service for their community. Giving someone a new mask is not taken lightly. As said before, it's as personal as a name or face, with the added importance of symbolism. Adornments can be anything from engravings, to shape, to extra pieces added on. These are commonly given meanings by the owners themselves, but an aggressive shape can denote a warrior, and gold engravings usually mean someone of high status. If you're curious about all the intricacies of someone's mask, it's best to ask! Music & Food Food and music are hard to ignore when addressing the more playful side of Maiun culture. Those who dedicate themselves to a craft don't spend their whole lives perfecting it like those of more competitive cultures might. Rather, these rin will use their skills to impress their friends, family, and even strangers with the main goal of making them happy. This isn't to say they'll be any worse on average than those of other cultures, but there will be fewer who lean so heavily into perfecting a skill. As for the sounds of music, a riun will most often play upbeat, drum-heavy songs with the intent to get others dancing. While it's not uncommon for these musicians to be playing throughout any normal day, they most often gather and play together during festivals. In fact, in the absence of any musicians or even untrained volunteers, a festival will be outright delayed until at least one is found. This is most often a lack of people able to fill the role rather than those willing, as bad music is not judged. Even the poorest artist is encouraged to continue. The topic of food actually shares quite a few parallels with music. It's not one's skill as a chef that determines whether their food is eaten, it's a mere matter of who's around to eat it. Even if the meal should make you gag and vomit, you still turn right back around to the chef and tell them what they did right, and how you'd change it for next time. This is likely what caused a shift in dah'Rini meals compared to other human meals - they often make things like cinnamon pork, honeyed vegetables, baked fruits, and many more similar meals. As for drinks, however, they most often drink water, fruit and cactus juices, and wines. These aren't held to the same level of importance as food, as whatever is available will be happily accepted, but it's not uncommon for a riun to go out of their way to find a drink that complements their meal. If a meal is sweet, drink something bitter. If a meal is savory, drink something with a kick. Language With the decay of full-blooded Maiun dah'Rin, the full scope of their language has died out, but that doesn't mean they don't speak what they have left. Even those who speak full Common usually speak in the third person or sprinkle in dah'Rini words and phrases. However, it's important to note that dah'Rini sentence structure is much more free-form than Common. Not only that, but the few who can write fluently in dah'Rini will go right to left, bottom to top. This is due to ancient dah'Rini laying bricks, carving words in until they run out of space, and then laying the next layer to not waste materials. From this came the ongoing tradition of grand story walls, sometimes integrated into buildings, but just as often standing solitary for all to see. Dictionary can be found here. Appearances A dah'Rini can be of any human skin tone, and very commonly end up freckled. Their hair tends to lean blonde, with even darker-haired rin having a golden shine in the sun. Their eyes can be of any color a human's can, but most common is green. It's less common for a riun to be bulky compared to their fellow humans due to the scarcity of food in the desert, but in recent times, most rin end up nomads or living in other cities. This is completely and entirely attributed to the dwindling population and dying traditions they have. On top of that, there are very few full-blooded Maiun dah'Rin to be found. Clothing-wise, even those who end up in cities will at least keep their mask in their possession, if not on their face. Nomads in particular will also stick to clothing of their people, being loose, flowy clothes with lots of airflow. These are reminiscent of real-world Middle Eastern and Central Asian garbs. Some will adorn their clothes with neat patterns or fancy colors, but most are happy with plain robes with hoods and/or hats of straw. Outsiders The dah'Rini are very friendly to outsiders, even welcoming them with open arms to join their encampments and traditions. While this has done well for what little reputation they have, it also means they've been raided on multiple occasions by those they let into their homes. Even in these times, when a riun takes down an invader, it is their duty to give them proper medical care and keep them alive, regardless of the damage the invader has caused. Should their enemies die on Maiun land, they are still given a respectful prayer and proper burial, elsewise a sendoff to their homeland. OOC This is an open culture! Anyone at all can make a Maiun dah'Rin character, and for a full-blooded dah'Rini, you should set your race as Farfolk or just Human. How involved your character is with these traditions is completely up to you! However, it's encouraged to be mindful and respectful of other players OOCly while playing an dah'Rini character, in part because reputation is important early on, but also because you should do that anyway. There are no dah'Rini settlements and there likely won't be unless there's a much larger playerbase than I'm expecting. However, should this be the case, it will be a large encampment in the desert to best fit the lore provided. The dah'Rini dictionary is still being worked on, but there should be more than enough words to spice up your roleplay. Make as many new phrases as you'd like - and remember, the sentence structure is more free-form than English! Context helps determine what you're saying (such as "Ron do'pan," which can either mean you idiot or you're an idiot depending on the context). This page will more than likely be edited! Don't be mean or I will cry. Consider this a threat.

Özenler Discord:Click Here! Introduction The Özenler people are a human-folk which travels through the lands of Almaris with a great ambition, the creation of an Empire in which the Özenler are the settlers together with followers of their faith. They derived from the well known Turkin, they are travellers who are closely related to the Nomads, they still stick to several traditions of it, but due to the independence they wanted to create, by the lead of Mehmed Akbas, several people who declared themselves as independant, named themselves Özenler. This culture would mainly exist out of military strategic people, traders and devout Rashidunism followers. Their people are known to be disciplined and trained to pick up weapons whenever they are attacked, as they will do anything for their faith to survive and for their people. The Özenler are known for their hospitality towards anyone who visits them or is interested in their culture, as for converts to their religion, they are open to educate them about it and to make them involved into the religion itself. Their mutual respect is absolutely present among their people, despite their religious differences. When speaking of religious differences, the Özenler want a people where both Rashidunists and Canonists can come together and in the ranks of the Özenler. The military of the culture is very religiously devout, as they fight for their Leader and their God; There are two units in the military rankings; Yeniçeriler (Canonist Converts from the age of five to Rashidunists) and the Bashi-Bazouk, two units which are ultimately feared by the enemy and even by their own people, knowing that they are great warriors and when they engage with the enemy in combat they get into a frenzied state. Before engaging into battle, they would sing Özenler Military Songs and after listening to motivational speeches of the leader The Özenler people are proud of their identity, religion and culture, meaning that they will do anything to defend themselves, as they want their religion to spread around the entire world, they often seem to be quite intolerant towards people who try to convert Rashidunists to Canonism, which is why they take these type of Canonists in prison for their actions as trying to make someone convert is a crime within this culture. Their political system is quite tolerant when compared to others, they are hospitable, friendly and peaceful when the people of the Özenler culture abide by the laws of them, if laws are broken a punishment would be decided by the Lider and his court of people. History: THE BEGINNING | BAŞLANGIÇ Click! Some music to listen to while reading. The Özenler, relative & descendant to the previous known Turkin folk, are people who have been born into battle, who have been in a lot of wars together with the Turkin against the Akritians around seven centuries ago, losing a tremendous amount of people on both sides in this brutal war, causing many families to dissolve and many people were lost. The Turkin, who believed that they had won the war, eventually lost it as soon as a new plague started to fall upon the Turkin, both sides, the Turkin themselves and the Akritians lost severe casualties, which let a large amount of Turkin to run into the wilderness and to travel by themselves, as they formed several groups, under which the Özenler was created. The Özenler themselves were quite skilled people at the time, many who started to find their abilities in smithing weapons, armory and tools. But on the other hand, you had ex- who are using their from child-year fighting abilities to fight existing settlements, which caused the Özenler to occupy a small settlement which was beforehand occupied by Infidels. Murad Akbas told his eldest son, Ismail Akbas, who was seventeen at the time ‘’You see, Ismail, never lose your faith, as what was in your hands once, shall turn back to you in time.’’ The Özenler, who have remained their faith in the religion called Rashidun, have become a small raiding party who did every deed in the name of Allah. As the group of Özenler moved into the settlement for a bit, all out of a sudden, a unit of Akritian warriors found the settlement, and eventually pillaged it, as a lot of skilled Yeniçeriler had died together with the new unit of soldiers called the ‘Basji-Bazuk’, otherwise known as ‘Crazy-Heads’, who are often compared to Berserkers due to their fury and anger in battle, and their haunting war-cries. Due to this loss, the Özenler have travelled, until their presence was not known to the public anymore. Due to this sad loss, the Özenler started to kidnap several children, as they would raise them and eventually train and convert them into Rashidunism as new Yeniçeriler or Basji-Bazuks for their own security. Their language developed and they had a proper way of communciating with eachother, using their native tone as a proud factor of their culture, the language back then was often very passionate and louder then it is right now, sometimes, back in the days, they would just shout at eachother in their native town among others who are not apart of the Özenler culture. [Ismail speaking to his people who he was leading at the time.] The Özenler, after two years under the lead of Murad Akbas and his son; Ismail Akbas, has travelled with his group. Arrived on a land which had different nations together with different cultures, though, the Özenler would have distanced themselves from them as they would not want to be associated with infidels or people who are not a part of their culture. The Özenler made several tent camps, as they needed a place to stay for them and their children. The Özenler had an everlasting ambition, to create a new nation for themselves, to carry the proud identity of a Özenler, and to spread their religion all over the lands they find themselves in. They had quite some radical plans as they would embrace the idea of a totalitarian Rashidunists Empire, which would be the idea for a potential Jihad against the people who did not believe in their deity. This would cause Ismail to create a certain discipline for his existing force of Yeniçeriler and Basji-Bazuks, a discipline which would be as following; “Fight for the almighty Allah, and fight for the existence of your people! The time of a new age shall come! Allahu Akbar!” Ismail had this skill of motivating people to fight as much as they could, as due to his charismatic aura around him, his presence was very much acknowledged by the people who were travelling under his lead. Ismail continued his plans to kidnap more children from both genders to eventually raise them as a true Özenler, as he made sure that both converted to their faith and followed the Özenler culture. This would cause the difference of color in many Özenler’s physical appearance as Özenler folk would start to breed with the people who do not have Özenler characteristics; one could be quite pale with a slight tan, the other could have quite a dark skin tone or one could have black hair and the other ginger and blonde hair. So the identity of a Özenler would be different physically, but mentally, they are absolutely devoted to their leader and culture. However, whether they were different in appearance or not, this made no difference to Ismail, his intention was to create a large military force, but eventually failed due to the rejection of the societies around him. Murad Akbas was eventually diagnosed with a disease at his heart, at the age of 86, as he was joined with his son and his grandson; Mehmed Akbas I; He told Mehmed on his death-bed “One day, you shall have a descendant who shall bring our people to its former glories, he shall be the leader of an Empire, which shall never be brought on its knees, by anyone.” Mehmed Akbas listened to the words of his grandfather, as Ismail lost the will of being a leader, he handed the title to his son, Mehmed, as the father of Ismail told Mehmed a 'prophecy from' his perspective. Mehmed, who was 26 years old, would then be known as the leader of the Özenler, as he came with the ideas of properly rankings within the society of their culture, as you would have the Lider; the Leader, Vizer; The Vizier, Yeniçeriler; the Janissaries and the Basji-Bazuks; the Crazy-Heads. This was all to prepare a political formation in case they were ever requested to join meetings with major political powers, however, this never happened due to them being a small minority of people, so they were put as mercenaries for other nations. Though, this caused many Özenler soldiers to rebel, as they went back into their previous way of living instead of becoming mercenaries for other nations, as they would rather live on their own, then living on their knees for a King or an Emperor who does not care for them. Mehmed, together with his companions, took his leave from the land where they set up their camp, as they kept moving into different nations to gain some converts into their religion. However, Mehmed did what his culture is known for, slaughtering and pillaging minor settlements as he did not seem to care for any infidel as far as emotions were concerned. One of Mehmed's historical quotes are; “Either they conquer me, or I conquer them.” [Mehmed and his companions on a painting] These words were quite big for someone who is a leader of a small group of people, though, considered as wise by the companions of his culture. Mehmed seemed to have a strategic mindset and a skill for the drawing of building-plannings, as he used his imagination of how a future Özenler Empire would look like, and used then existing nations as an example and fully reconstructed it with a pencil and a piece of paper. This would have made Mehmed’s ambitions a major factor in his life, as he continued to look for more people to join his rankings, however, failed due to the people sticking to their Canonist laws and faith. Mehmed had a certain belief however; he wanted to make an Empire with the Özenler as the main people, and then the infidels and their people as a secondary ranking unless they join the military. Mehmed his ideas of recruiting people were not based upon historical bloodlines, but more on what benefit they could bring him, as he would start to learn many languages, to properly communicate to the people who lived in each nation to get more recruits in an efficient way. Mehmed also brought some Vizers, they would apply ideas to Mehmed his plans and his ideas in order to get to an agreement with both sides. Mehmed however, changed his view on religion, as he would not want the Özenler to become the opposing-power, so he would rather wait for a nation, trying to oppose his people and their religion, then being the starter of a war, as the safety of his people was the most important as they can keep the culture growing and have descendants for in the future. THE ÖZENLER WAY OF LIFE | ÖZENLER YAŞAM [Small Introduction] [As previously mentioned, the Özenler people are quite motivated in battle, in this part of history, we shall see how violence had been a huge influence on the family life and their culture’s life. We shall also see what kind of impact this had on the founding family of the Özenler. Have fun reading it!] [ The Ozenler camp displayed on a painting where Mehmed I met his future wife, Klara ] Mehmed I succeeded in getting a wife, after his experiences in war and the recruiting of janissaries. The name of his wife was Klara, a woman who was of Haenseni origin and later on gave birth to Mehmed I his son; Murad The Second. Murad grew up in quite a chilly atmosphere as the time for childish pursuits was not present for him, he was constantly being educated by the Viziers of Mehmed so he would become the future leader of the Özenler. As Murad II was at the age of twelve, he started to learn languages; this is a family trait of the Akbas bloodline as they learn languages so they can communicate to everyone in every way possible. Murad II himself spoke four languages; Marian, Turkce, Blah, and Flexio. Murad had inherited the view of an empire from his grandfather Ismail; an empire which was not just populated by the Özenler, but by different people from different ethnic backgrounds and religions, however, Al-Iman Rashidun must be acknowledged as the major religion and there may no conspiracies be to overthrow the religion. Murad II became six-teen years old and after his experience with the Viziers, Mehmed put him up to the task of leading a unit of Janissaries, leading them into a raid in order to spread Al-Iman Rashidun in Canonist settlements. Murad II succeeded in this mission and captured other boy infants to become Janissaries for a future army, as he took the women of the settlement to raise them up so they could attend recruiting at a later age. Mehmed was proud of the things Murad did, as he saw a great leader in him. Mehmed however, married two other women, who became a part of his Harem, their names were Dilara and Azra, both gave birth to two sons; who would later be known as Ahmed and Altan, the younger half brothers of Murad who would be put in the position of Vizer and Generals of the Janissary army when Mehmed comes to power as a Lider. Murad II had an obsession with his religion, as he became as devout as his forefathers were, he wanted to present the idea of jihad to his father, Mehmed. Mehmed declined this idea, as it is much better to wait for forces to gather up rather than fighting with the disadvantage of a small army. The Jihad Ideology still was a major part of the culture and their ways of acting towards infidels, though, accepting their religion and their culture as long as they adapt to the laws. Murad II became twenty years old, he was put to the task to educate his younger brothers in fighting, leadership, and discipline. This task was quite a tough one for Murad II as his brothers would seem quite unruly as Murad II was when he was younger. His brothers would start with the education of language, leadership, and discipline, as they were taught to command others at an early age, this played a major role in their attitude against other children who they played within the square of the camp, as rumors were told that Altan threw another child into the campfire because he disobeyed his orders. Altan and Ahmed were at this point teenagers, reaching the age of fifteen and Murad II became thirty-one, as his younger brothers came with whenever there was spoken of a raid or a war, to witness it with their own eyes and to learn from it. Altan saw a great vision in these experiences, as he became amused by the fact that the blood that is spilled is not up to the one raiding, but to the one trying to defend it. At this point and time as Altan and Ahmed were still in puberty, they started to have strange ideas on warfare and the infidels. As their view was; “You must exterminate the infidels in order to achieve an empire.” This obviously contradicts the ideology of their forefathers, though.. This thought does not go unpaid. [ Mehmed and his brothers (Right) and his trusted Vizier (Left) ] When Murad II and his brothers were sent on another raid by their father Mehmed, they started to do it with quite some ruthless tactics. They would pour oil in the food-storages of the enemy and started to burn their storage down. This would obviously leave the settlement that they raided with a minority of food and would eventually starve them. Doing what they are known for; they started to march with their men onto the hill which would be in front of the major settlement that they raided, their musical-Warband playing ‘Ceddin Deden’ as a motivational song for the Janissaries and the Basji-Bazuks. As they created a wall of noise, letting out fearing war-cries when Murad II rid his horse in front of them, raising his hand in front of the line of men to obtain silence so they could listen to his speech before engaging in battle. Murad shouted: “The time of the infidels.. Has passed. A new Empire shall rise, an Empire which will defeat anyone who dares to oppose them!” The army let out war cries while raising their blades out of excitement and motivation, as Murad continued to raise his hand up, waiting for them to be silent. As they silenced themselves he would continue his speech, shouting once again: “A new age is coming! We fight for our ancestors, our blood, our culture!” He then struck his fist into the air, shouting “Allahu Akbar!” As the others joined him in yelling the same. The army once again raised their swords into the air, running to the gates with a massive ram that was built to crush the gates of the settlement. They started to ram the gates, using the power of all men gathered which would be a total of fifteen-hundred men, as Murad still stood at the hill together with his brothers, watching them wrecking the gates. They managed to wreck the gates, as they entered, they would start to barge into the enemy, using their full force and their horrific war-cries to create chaos within the settlement itself, making sure that they were feared by the inhabitants of the village and that they would know that their God is nothing more but a simple myth. As Murad and his brothers watched the battle against the armed forces of the settlement they raided, they started to ride with their horses through the gates, swinging their sharp-edged blades to the throat of the enemy soldiers. Though, as the brothers of Murad were quite stubborn and rode into the spearmen, both died. This caused Murad to become angry on the battlefield as he blew into his horn, calling the Basji-Bazuks to enter the battle, as they would show up on top of the hill with a total of hundred-fifty men, who were covered in war-painting which would contain the colors of the Özenler flag, these men would carry skulls of a bear on top of their heads and were heavily armored. As they ran into the battle with a brute force, forcing the Janissaries forward to create a severe amount of pressure onto the enemy, the Basji-Bazuks unsheathed their axes, half of the men bowed onto the ground and the other half jumped onto their backs to jump over the Janissaries to eventually slam their axes into the heads of the enemy. As this battle continued, the enemy forces remained as a small force, running to the back of the settlement to find the backdoor; but, this door was locked, and so the Janissaries and the Basji Bazuks ran after the enemy soldiers who were running and captured them, making slaves of them and capturing the children and the women to become apart of the Özenler society. Out of these women, Murad found a wife, her name was Anastasia, she was captured as a Ruska Slave, though, Murad fell in love with her as he took her back to the camp to eventually convert her to Al-Iman Rashidun. Murad eventually got her to convert into their faith, though, Murad wanted to get to know her to better rather than just picking her out to marry her, so he often spoke to her and took her out to travels. Like all of a sudden, Anastasia carried the child of Murad, the future heir of the Özenler culture, they named the child ‘Mehmed II’, after the son of Murad I. As Murad heard the news of his lover, he received a letter, stating that his father was diagnosed with a deadly disease, causing Mehmed I to die due to suffocation by choking onto his own blood in his throat. Murad was saddened, though blessed with the birth of his newborn, as Murad accepted the title of Lider for his people. Murad and his wife rode as fast as they could, back to their home camp to claim the title for leadership before any of the Vizers did so. Fortunately, Murad arrived just in time to claim the title. Murad was of course known for his plans to conquer major towns and to get recruits out of them to join his forces and to convert them into Al-Iman Rashidun. Murad his plans went up to his head as he planned to attack the capital of each major nation, as he demanded of his Viziers to capture every boy above the age of sixteen to join his forces in the army so this would come true. However, this was a failed attempt, Murad his forces were still injured, and Murad gave them three months time to heal before executing this mission. Three months later, Murad traveled across different lands with his bodyguards, overseeing the different lands which were in his eyes his own. As they started to raid Canonist monasteries, kidnapping the children and women who lived in them so they could be raised with the manners of the opposite culture and adopting their religion. Of course, they were taught to speak their language and to adapt to their behavior. Murad adopted one of these Canonist children, her name was Karina, he also took the mother of Karina as his concubine in the Harem. As the mother of Karina had all rights to raise her, though, she had to make sure that she gets taught about their religion. Karina would essentially become the older sister to the newborn Mehmed II, and the first female advisor to him whenever he gets to lead the Özenler. Murad spent time with his family, as he spent most of his time with his wife and the child that was growing inside her womb. Murad is described as a “Stubborn and bloodthirsty, but kind man” within the stories of the Özenler. Murad would essentially become the most feared man the Özenler has ever known. Six months after the death of his father and the raids on different Canonist monasteries, his son, Mehmed II was born. All of the Özenler people were in joy as a new heir was born to lead them. Murad of course wanted to have his son raised in the best way possible, so what he did; he has done what his father did to him, sending him to one of his most trusted viziers to be trained as a true leader, learning the values of discipline, leadership, and humility. Mehmed entered the stage of puberty, as he became quite cocky against the Vizier who raised him, the Vizier his name was Candarli Halil, a man who was trusted with the task to raise Mehmed by his father Murad II, Mehmed wanted to become the first young leader of his people, Candarli Halil refused this after talking to the father of Mehmed, the current leader, Candarli Halil convinced Murad II to lead until his death, and so he did, so Mehmed could take charge when he is older and much more emotionally developed. Mehmed had quite a lot of Özenler characteristics and traits, except for his hair, as his hair was of a mixed color which would be of dark-ginger hair. This somehow caused a rumor within their camp as they could not believe that someone who does not look like them will ever get the chance to rule over them. So, what Murad did, he sent out spies into the camp, who would engage in their conversations and if there was anything negative said about the Akbas bloodline they would be beheaded. Language: Türkçe Ansiklopedik Sözlük | Turkish Dictionary Ben - I, myself, I am Sen - You Merhaba - Hello İyi - Good Kötü - Bad Wallah - I swear to Allah Evet - Yes Hayır - No Nasılsın - How are you? Günaydın - Good Morning Tünaydın - Good Night İyi akşamlar - Good Afternoon Adınız ne? - What is your name? Nerelisin? - Where are you from? Konuş - Speak Sen Türkçe konuşmayı biliyor musun? - Do You speak Turkish? Cin - Elf Ork - Orc Insanoğlu - Human Kilise hukukçusu - Canonist Allah - God Peygamber - Prophet Kitab Al-Salam - Book of Peace Savaş - War Nefer - Soldier Bayan - Miss, Madame, Lady Beyefendi - Lord, Mister, Sir Siktir - F***, Damn it, Damn Öldürmek - Kill Mart - March, Walk Oreniyen Imparatorluk - Oren Empire Krugmar Savaş Ulusu - War Nation Of Krugmar Haense Ruslar - Haensetians Common Traits: They are of Özenler (Turkish) descent, previously known as 'Turkin', are often recognized by their ancient Turkish dress code. Their accents are always recognizable, same for their own language as it often gets entitled as a 'loud language', meaning that a lot of emotion and passion is put into it. For the males, they are recognized by their Arabic-Turkic clothing, which would usually be a turban together with Yeniçeriler armor. The males of the Özenler always have facial hair, this is to show their masculinity and to have a sort of fearsome expression whenever they are armored and facing the enemy. For the women, they would wear the typically Özenler dresses and gold jewelry given to them by the Lider as a reward for their efforts into taking care of the children of the Özenler, respect for women is very much present within the family-world of the Özenler, as when you do not respect your mother, wife or sister or any woman who is not related to you, a crime is committed in both the eyes of Allah and the Lider, which is why by Özenler men, respect to women is shown in public quite often. For the elders, they are recognized by their old-fashioned clothing and their grey hair, however, their skin would remain somewhat clean so there would be quite little wrinkles found onto their skin. Society: The culture has a Lider, though, this Lider would not rule over a settlement, but over a majority of people who are of Özenler descent, the Lider is not elected, but it goes through a certain bloodline. This bloodline is called the Akbas bloodline, if someone was not related to this bloodline, he or she would not have the chance to rule over their people. Someone in the status of a Lider is allowed to have concubines, though, this is not an obligation. Any blood-relative to the Lider has the same opportunity when the oldest heir dies due to old age or in battle. The Lider must be respected with his words and if you have anything to say about his line of work, people are always welcome to debate with him about various subject. As a Lider, the man must be determined to hear the words and the voices of the people so he can bring change into the society of his culture to make it safe for everyone. Lider of course needs people to rule over areas where other of his people live, so he has a council in each place to make sure that they abide by laws of the Özenler people. Because the Özenler are dominantly Rashidunism followers, they have a religious advisor, who guides the Lider for laws, military strategy, anything that could be a harm to him or his culture and religion. The normal Özenler would have to choose whether they would participate in combat or not, as for the women, they are respected by their husbands and fellow Özenler. A Özenler male is obligated to join the ranks in the military in order to protect their fellow Özenler, because if they do not do so, a law is broken and there can be no excuse for them as they refused to protect their own people. Breaking this law would of course immediately lead to an execution. If there is no respect shown towards your fellow Özenler, you would get a punishment given by the Lider himself, as it is important for their people to survive and live in peace to eventually become an acknowledged part of the population. For the children, they must get to know weapons at an early, boys get to learn how to use; a crossbow, bow, sword and an axe at the age of ten, and girls get to learn how to use; a sword, crossbow, shortswords. This military training is make sure that the descendants of the modern-day Özenler can live on in peace without being attacked by enemies. Behaviour: They are very passionate people, they share great pride in their culture as when there's being spoken badly about their religion, some remain peaceful but some can get into fights. Their behavior towards their fellow Özenler however is friendly and peaceful, as they each other as a brother and sister spiritually. However, if anyone dares to make an attempt to exterminate this minority of people, they would occasionally pick up weapons and fight the enemy, despite being from another gender, even the females are disciplined to participate, but, out of free-will. Children would often be quite chaotic in Özenler households, knowing that if they are boys they get trained to fight when they become the age of ten, and for females, they get to learn how to use a crossbow at quite an early age. Whenever they have guests, they immediately offer food whether he or she asked for it or not, this is to show off the most respectable form of hospitality. The men are quite serious but can share a sense of humor when it comes to partying or in conversations with friends, they are quite much showing off the boring side of the Özenler men. The Türkler people have quite a temper, when they are angry or feel watched they usually first punch rather then thinking about what the person actually meant, in which case the Türkler are sometimes violent towards people depending on which mood they are in. Festivities: They celebrate; Ramadan; a religious festivity as they fast in order to feel the pain a starving and poor human being, this is to show compassion towards their fellow human beings and to oblige to the teachings of the Prophet, during this festivity, they are only allowed to eat before sunrise and after sunset, this is to keep yourself healthy instead of literally feeling the pain of a poor human being. Sugar-Festival; marks the end of a month of fasting from dawn to sunset, as well as spiritual reflection and prayer. The day starts with prayers and a big meal is usually the main event, but there's lots of other ways people celebrate too. Özenler-Day; a party where the military marches to show off their strength and their power, this is often celebrated with a massive party in the middle of the desert where Hookahs, female dancers, and big meals are present, at the end of this day, the Türkler people pray for the prosperity in their life and for a good health for their own people. Clothing: Men would wear the traditional clothing of the Özenler people, a fashion which is native to their people, this would often include silk, some furs, leather shoes and jewelry; sometimes they wear capes which include a very large piece of bear-fur but this would only be worn in cold Winters when they are travelling through the lands. The men would of course wear beards and sometimes armor of their military units due to their obligation of joining the military, but sometimes this armor is worn to protect themselves against major opposing cultures. Female clothing would of course contain a lot of silk and golden or silver jewelry, sometimes they would wear headbands around their foreheads which would also have golden accessories attached to it. Some wear Henna tattoos with the Evil Eye on it, which is to keep the evil away from yourself and from those you love, this eye would also sometimes be attached to jewelry as a talisman, as it somehow had mystical powers for some who believe in this object. Architecture: The architecture of the Özenler always had a dome ontop of their major buildings, to present the status of the person who lived in it, the normal Özenler would live in a house made out of bricks, the inside would always have a large Turkish carpet, together with some fancy pillars inside, however, now the main settlements of the Türkler are simple tents or they sleep for the night in the cities of major nations. Though, a normal Türkler tent would contain a Turkish carpet together with a hookah, a prayer-mat and a painting of the Sultan himself as a sign that he is listening to you no matter what the situation is. This way of living would often be compared to the way modern-day nomads live as they do not live in a nation or travel with caravans, however, the tents of the Özenler could be carried by using a horse and eventually placing the objects which were inside the tent onto a cart attached to the horse. The Özenler are still fighting to obtain a settlement to live in and to properly live and devout their life to Allah and their Leader Religion: [Özenler praying inside a Masjid] They follow the religion of Rashidunism (Al-Iman Rashidun), where the deity is Allah, they tend to follow the teachings of not eating pork, mutual respect towards your fellow human being unless you are under attack, no alcoholics, fasting for a month (though you get the chance to eat before sunrise in the early morning and after the sun goes down in the evening. They must pray five times a day and attend a mass-prayer on friday, this is to keep everyone connected to Allah. These prayers must be done in either the morning, afternoon or evening, if not, this is considered as Haram in the religion. To spread their religion, they would often go out into the wilderness to discover Canonist camps and raid them, as to the Özenler people, the religion of themselves is the only one true religion, in which case they would sometimes organize a 'Jihad' towards people who believed in different Gods and oppose the religion of the Özenler. Military: [The military on a painting] The military exists out of the Yeniçeriler, these warriors are Canonist converts who have adopted the religion of Rashidunism and have been strictly disciplined by the military commanders. These warriors would wear an outfit which would suit the flag of the Türkler , they would either wear beards or mustaches. The second unit of the military are the Bashi-Bazuk (crazy-head in Turkish), they are known for fighting in their fearsome frenzied state and the noises they make in battle which would often be called 'animalistic', to motivate these type of soldiers, they often listen to Ceddin Deden, a motivational song written by the Yeniçeriler to energize the army and their men. Within the military, the soldiers would be trained to come to quick solutions in time of trouble during battles, which is why some are being sent at the enemy to fight until their deaths while the others will flee to find a better position to eventually either shoot them with arrows of crossbows or to spike them on spears when they are as well running back into the battle. War-Cries were often involved to create adrenaline and to make the military stronger in battle, the war-cries would either go through military songs or just shouting something gibberish, their way of fighting due to the war-cries would become quite the way of fighting like a wildman, as when they are fully energized they would just make more and more animalistic noises in order to pretend to be Demons towards their enemies, to create another form of fear but with a religious aspect to it. The military would undergo quite some rough trainings, as they are also being trained to find necessary minerals for their survival when they are out of water, food or other necessities, as their way of fighting is not just based on how much damage you can do on another being, but on how you can find the economical weaknesses of the enemies themselves; which is why they sometimes burn the grain fields of the enemy or sometimes burn entire shops down which delivers food to the people of the enemy they are facing. Spies are also a thing within the military command, they infiltrate into different towns to obtain information about different factions and other settlements so they can inform the Sultan and his council of the plans which involve the Özenler people and their culture. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ If you want to join, click the URL next to 'Discord:' and you will be invited to the Türkler Discord Server where updates and announcements shall come, for any other questions DM me on discord: romzers#7777

THEME HAELUN’ORIAN STARS: ALMARIS. Recently, I have been able to pick up my studies with the newly built observatory within the Eternal College of Haelun’or. Written down below is a vast collection of individual stars, constellations, and their location and perceived meanings discovered through the years: Iheiuhii’Larihei ( Larihei’s call) : This constellation is shaped as a woman upholding a torch, symbolizing guiding the ‘aheral back home to elHaelun’or. One just needs to look upwards to the zenith of the sky to see this magnificent image. Igne (The Flame) : Considered the light to Larihei’s call, it serves as a sort of flame towards her torch, further guiding the ‘aheral back to the motherland. Celia’thill (The Silver Star) : The constellation of celia’thill is held in the Northern Region of Karinah’siol. This particular shiny celia represents the progress which the high elves have made to becoming what everyone aspires to be. Noticeably, this is the brightest, and by far largest star that can be seen from the Karinah’siol sky. Indor’maparron (The Ancient Tome) : The ancient tome is the constellation that is seen in the eastern region of the sky. It takes the image of an open book, and represents high elven knowledge that has, and will be found in the light of Purity, as well as the pursuit of such. Ibar (The Owl) : The Owl constellation is seen in the western region of the sky above Haelun’or. The owl represents purity and maehr’sae hiylun’ehya guiding one on the path of purity within their long lives. Stag (Lost Translation) : A constellation in the southern view that is the smallest of the constellations that shows the national animal of Haelun’or, graceful and poised. Maehr’sae Hiylun’ehya, April Vallei’onn.

[!] A notice has been pinned to the general event board, announcing a coming event that all may participate in! The folk of the House play merry music in anticipation for their beloved cultural pastime [!] The horns of Hawksong ring proudly amongst the treetops, kin, announcing our traditional mounted hunt for rabbits and boar! Our House has elected to open up the ride for all who wish to join us on the following elven day for an event of fast-paced hunting, chasing and comradery of the Twilit Folk's heritage. Limited space is available if you cannot provide your own mount and supplies. However, all that can provide their own steed and supplies are welcome to join the hunting party! We recommend both ranged and close range weapons. Keep what you catch, or collaborate with the House in food preparation for the Mani Masquerade that will follow the hunt! Send a letter to myself to reserve your spot ahead of time to ensure the best possible experience! 3 PM EST, 4/24/21 (( This is a casual PvP event - but before you 'yikes' away, don't worry! Your characters will need to coordinate and chase down some game that will be played by willing volunteers that will drop some goodies upon being downed. The rules are as follows: The hunt area is restricted entirely to the Hinterlands. This area is outside the main city, but within the first series of gates you encounter when walking to Amaethea. The event itself will last about 30-45 minutes, and will be a mix of RP and PvP between bouts of animal chasing. Feel free to bring any and all tools you feel will aid you in chasing down the 'game'. There will be no 'popping' of the 'game' permitted via MC mechanics, as the volunteers will be issuing a few chases after they hide. Come have a good time!))

THE AYRIAN SUBCULTURE Ve Ayrikiv TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction II. History III. Physical Characteristics IV. Way of Life & Dress V. Language & Dialect VI. Religion VII. Notable Individuals I - Introduction The Ayrian people (also referred to as Valwyckan, Valwyckian, or Ayrikiv in their native Naumariav) are natives of the highest mountains and peaks of Hanseti-Ruska, usually situated near large bodies of water such as seas and lakes. Years of a stationary, self-sustaining agrarian lifestyle led to the distinct culture within Hanseti-Ruska, with true natives of these mountain’s culture ('ancient Ayrians') intertwining with that of the typical Hanso-Raev and Waldenian. The ‘beginning date’ of the modern Ayrian culture could be when King Petyr I granted Eirik ‘the Whaler’ the Barony of Voron, and the culture was personified with Eirik administering over subjects in the extreme highlands. Other historians might argue the ‘beginning date’ of the Ayrian culture was much later at an undefined time, around the reign of Count Otto or Count Aldrik of Ayr, when the Waldenian roots of reigning Baruchs and immigrants from other parts of Hanseti-Ruska truly became distinct, from mixing with the 'ancient Ayrians' and prolonged isolation. Ancient Ayrians refers to the tribal people that dwelled the mountains before the arrival of the Waldenian Baruchs, and their culture largely influences the behavior of the modern-day Ayrian. II - History The development of the modern Ayrian culture began primarily with the Baruch administration over the mountains and shore in northern Axios, the Waldenian Baruchs themselves sworn fealty to the Haeseni king. With the Baruchs, there was an influx of immigrants from the city and suburban areas to the new land. The Baruchs found detached natives of the land there already - the culture was filled with traditional garb, dance, food, etc. Notably, the natives wore plaid kilts and spoke with a thick highlander accent, and although were resistant to Waldenian Baruch rule and assimilation with the Haeseni, years and years of living together combined with new prosperity from the Baruchs led to the mixing of the two cultures (Ancient/Early Ayrian and Waldenian) by the reign of Count Otto or Count Aldrik. The development of the culture took leaps during the reign of Count Aldrik. The brief independence of the County of Ayr during the short disbandment of Haense in 1655 on Atlas led to a focus on agricultural, structural, and societal expansions - though the Ayrians would have difficulty retaining levels of economic prosperity without the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska, and would quickly vassalize once again given the opportunity. Many of the highlanders and city folk alike would flock to the capital castles and surrounding towns in the Baruch holdings; this bastion of this mix of Haenso-Raev culture and native highlanders, nestled in beautiful northern mountains. The castles themselves would still be typically quaint and stone compared to more magnificent castles of other vassals (that is, until the construction of Lichtestadt by Matyas of Valwyck, a large, grandiose castle situated on a lake in the highlands). Some rural highlanders would not go to them, remaining in their original hamlets. While still taking some influence from the developed castles in the heart of Ayr or Valwyck, the rural Ayrian common folk remain as one of the most detached and conservative peoples in Haense. Castle of Valstadt, c. 1770 Militarily, the Ayrian people have found themselves a part of large international conflicts historically. The first collection of Ayrians in a military organization was the Baruch-led Greyguard in Ayr. The Greyguard was a small yet resilient group of light to heavy pike and axe infantry, with some slinger and archer units. The elites used two-handed broadswords or greataxes donning heavy armor. Major conflicts the Greyguard fought in included being a main proponent of the Greyspine Rebellion, fighting with Ruthern forces to reclaim the lands of the Kingdom of Haense from Courland. In the Aberrang war, the Greyguard levy fought with King Robert I and imperial regiments to take back Saint’s Rest from heathens that had captured it from House Baruch. The levy was also reinstated during the War of Two Emperors and under the leadership of Count Sigmar successfully raided and fought against Renatus and its allies, mainly Norland and Curon. The Greyguard not only emphasized the regimental, clan, and familial nature of Ayrians, which held the group together and kept them resilient, but also developed the culture to obtain more distinguished warriors and fighters. Early medium infantry of the Greyguard aiding a clan member The reign of Duke Matyas led to a bit of a cultural revolution within Valwyck, whereas more of the lifestyle of the Early Ayrian was emphasized. This included more standardization of dress and fashion, dance, music, mindset, and vernacular. Before this, there was less of a unified culture in Valwyck. The contemporary culture following this change is what is discussed in the following chapters. III - Physical Characteristics There are three basic phenotypes of Ayrians due to varying levels of intertwining Haeseni, Waldenian, and native mountainous peoples, as well as people’s wealth and status over the years. HIGH MARIAN The elder nobility of Valwyck, namely the Baruchs and Gants, who are taller than others and typically have black or brown hair with green or blue eyes. Might have a more slender and less rugged appearance than the lower classes. BURK MARIAN The ‘mountain Marians’ describes the middle to upper class Ayrians who live in relatively urban settlements. Many were originally Haeseni immigrants who intertwined with the Burk Vezuchet. They have brown to blonde hair with green or blue eyes normally. BURK VEZUCHET Translating literally to ‘mountain commoner’ these burly highlanders make up the largest proportion of Ayrians and exhibit plain features such as brown hair and grey to brown eyes, usually standing at around 5’11. Very traditional and strong from manual labor in the highlands, they are typically regarded as the original natives of the mountain / descended from Early Ayrians. An Ayrian ‘burk vezuchet’ weathering the harsh northern winter with his livestock IV - Way of Life & Dress The Ayrian way of life is distinct, rural, and takes inspiration from Biharism. The highlanders of Ayr/Valwyck are resilient to any other modernist reform from the Haeseni capital or heartlands that might impede on this way of life. The lifestyle heavily revolves around agrarian and fishing traditions. The Baruchs themselves were originally rural fishing barons, becoming very comfortable and profitable from this industry, so far as to eventually find themselves deep into the seas and whaling. Centuries after the traditions set by Eirik I, Baruchs continued to live off the age-old Ayrian practice of whaling and fishing, however picked up a much more agrarian lifestyle, including growing primarily potatoes and beetroot and shepherding. The industries the Baruchs and Ayrians center themselves with led to a very self-determined and sustaining lifestyle. A rural Ayrian tending to his sheep & goats in the countryside The dress of the common, rural Ayrian is traditional plaid drape and kilts. The purpose for this very niche and specific clothing is simple; for the rural man, it is much easier to create plaid kilts than tailored pants. It stuck on and remained as a common practice to wear them. Modern customs in Hanseti-Ruska, however, are quite different from what the rural Ayrian would consider normal. Many Baruchs still don plaid kilts and garb regularly, but especially so for formal events. Matyas Baruch (left) upon ascension as Duke, Sigmar Baruch (right) upon abdication to Petyr I Another interesting aspect of the way of life of Ayrians is music and funeral procession. The most common and festive instruments are drums and bagpipes, leading to distinct celebrations in Ayr compared to the rest of Hanseti-Ruska. Funerals also utilize the bagpipes to honor the dead. Caskets are carried to a designated area whilst a respected tune from the bagpipes is played. The rest of the funeral is similar to any other, with caskets often burned or layed in crypts. V - Language & Dialect As with all Haeseni, the Ayrians speak the national language of Hanseti-Ruska, Naumariav, as well as common. Due to their isolation and life far away, the Ayrians developed a distinct dialect, however. Their dialect contains a thick, rhotic accent: for instance, one Ayrian might say “Ah think it’s goin’ to be quite a bonnie day tomorrow.” Naumariav words such as ‘da’, ‘niet’, ‘koeng’, ‘prevja’, ‘dravi’, and ‘spasibo’ are often mixed into the common, but also some native words were developed. To name a few: Ken - know Laird - lord Bonnie - pretty/handsome Toun - town/city Bairn - baby/child Laddie/Lad - boy Lassie/Lass - girl The typical working Ayrian man VI - Religion Ayrians are devout Canonists, and closely follow the state religion of Hanseti-Ruska. [See other resources for more info regarding Canonism]. Important church figures of the Ayrian culture include Edvard III, High Pontiff. All the reigning Baruchs have the lineage traced back to Saint Otto of Vanderfell, and his image is therefore very prevalent throughout the territories of Valwyck/Ayr. St Otto’s own body is held by the Baruchs and his casket is displayed and carefully kept in pristine condition. VII - Notable Individuals Eirik I of Ayr Eirik var Joren Baruch Eirik Baruch, known as ‘the Whaler’ was the first Baruch title holder and first settled the mountains for his Waldenian family. Many Baruch traditions extend from his original reign. Grandson of St. Otto. Otto of Ayr Otto Marius var Eirik Baruch Otto Baruch, known as ‘the Just’ was the second Count of Ayr, and his reign saw great development to the Ayrian culture as well as his county. A veteran of many wars and conflict, he maneuvered his way to keep the house of Baruch’s standing well. Aldrik of Ayr Aldrik var Otto Baruch Aldrik Baruch, known as ‘the Stalwart’ was the third Count of Ayr and a Haeseni knight. Known for several things, among them leading the independent County of Ayr shortly. This led to development in the Ayrian culture in many ways. Marus of Ayr Marus Karl var Aldrik Baruch Marus Baruch, known as ‘the Old’ was the sixth Count of Ayr and inherited the county due to a succession crisis, the majority of his reign spent maintaining Baruch’s standing after the incident. Sigmar of Valwyck Sigmar Joren var Jan Baruch Sigmar Baruch, known as ‘the Dutiful’ was the first Duke of Valwyck and a well known statesman of Hanseti-Ruska. Through his work, he earned the Baruchs the duchy from the Crown. Petyr I of Valwyck Petyr Siegmund var Sigmar Baruch Petyr Baruch, known by some as ‘the Mad’ or ‘the Beater’, was the second Duke of Valwyck and was a Lord Palatine of Haense. By the end of his reign, he became notorious for fits of rage and madness. Matyas of Valwyck Matyas Aleksandr var Petyr Baruch Matyas Baruch, known as ‘the Scyfling’ was the fourth Duke of Valwyck, and was the first Baruch Justiciar despite the family having many legal roots over many years. Constructed the grandiose ‘Lichtestadt’. Terrence May Terrensz Mau Terrence May was a Haeseni statesman, known for working his way up from an Ayrian fisherman to a member of the Duma, Lord Palatine of Haense, and Imperial Senator. Isabel of Valwyck Isabel Franziska vas Petyr Baruch - Queen-Consort of Hanseti-Ruska Isabel of Valwyck was the youngest daughter of Duke Petyr I and became the Queen-consort of Hanseti-Ruska following her marriage to King Josef I. Bernard Baruch Bernard var Marus Baruch - HP Everard III Bernard Baruch was an Ayrian clergyman who later ascended to the mantle of High Pontiff, namely Everard III.

The Following Missive would be scattered around various Mali filled nations: A SHORT COMPOSITION OF ELVEN PHRASES Heya’van ito nae’leh? - How do you fare? (Heya- What, How, Who) Ayla ito kae! - I am good! Llum ito kae’leh - I am sad (Sorrowful) Nae’eyha? - And you? O? - Why? Adont’ahern - Please Ahernan ( ito nae’leh) - Thanks/ Thank you Itone - You’re welcome Llun ito kae’leh - I am Sorry Tilunen’ne ito nae’leh - I don’t forgive you Malieir ito nae’leh - You are a traitor! Ikur ito nier - It’s cold here. Ne, enet’ento - No, (but) Next time. Nae adil’taelu... naeluir ito kae’leh? - I wish to learn , are you a teacher? Ne, ne ito perithe, adil’ehya ne ito nae’leh! - No, I don’t remember, and i don’t want to. Malii ito hae/lae'leh - She/he is a child. (Elven maturity is 50 depending on the culture, whilst physically maturity is 18) Ikrun ito hae/lae'leh - She/he is a fool. O’llyt ito nae’leh? - Why are you so aggressive? (I.E: Why are you mad) Lae'leh acaele celian'ehya ito anah'wy - Her head is in the sky and stars. (She's out of touch with reality/ is a daydreaming) Medi ito nae’leh, ahernan! - You are helpful, thank you! Ohn'wehn ito Nae'leh - You are like grass (you are not special) Parsaere! - I have an idea. Halare - I promise. Narn il’kae - Come here. Iyl u’iyul? - This or that? Cihne, adont’ahern! - Stop, please! Mal/Men - Mal Woman/Women - Lari Child/Children - Malii Kae mal adriere- I hate men. Acaln: Gold Ayal: Yellow Belou: Pink Ibar - White Miruel - Red Taynei: Green Lentos: Brown Merku: Peach Lenti’kariman - Spring (Months of growth) Mamaria’kariman - Summer (Months of heat) Feta’kariman - Winter (Months of cold) Wehn’kariman - Fall/Autumn (Months of wheat)

The Union of Rosius et Frand ~ ~ 𝔄𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔢 𝔡𝔢 𝔉𝔯𝔞𝔫𝔡 requests your presence at the marriage of her sister, the fair Claude de Frand to The Honorable, Otis de Rosius At the Basilica of the Ascent, in the center of the Imperial City of Providence, officiated by Vice-Chancellor Cardinal Pelagius-Albarosa. Followed by a reception at 'The Ivy House' hosted by Madam Ivy herself. To be taken place on the 19th of the Sun's Smile, 1813 ((Sunday, 3/28/21 7pm EST))

“To Safeguard Happiness” The Elvenesse Revelry Guild The Aegis Adventurers Seen typically within fine taverns or wandering the beautiful streets of Elvenesse, those within the Wyn’okar are not out-going adventurers or mercenaries but morerather fun-loving individuals or seasoned veterans of whom seek to improve the homelife and participate in different activities Elvenesse has to offer. They are the homefront guild, those who wish to see the city prosper. Those within the revelry guild are those who enjoy the warm moonlit nights in festivals or the hot summers in the forest racing against their friends in competitive games. The Revelry guild also promotes the ideal that all citizens should have basic training and are ready to fight, as to protect the homefront in times of danger. For who better to match steel with steel in raids than those who are passionate for their country? Guild structure and role The Wyn’okar is based mainly around event organisers and simple members who associate with the guild, apart from that there is no ranking. The revelry guild is a guild designed around event organisation within Elvenesse and its lands and for that reason activities will typically remain within such limits. The guild prospers around promoting cultural teaching, homeland defence, drinking, sports and living life to it’s best capabilities. “Yallrn’eyha bida!” - “Live and Drink!” Application and Upon joining The Wyn’okar application process is simple, sign up and attend its activities. There’s no uniform and there’s no enforcement to attend - though it is best advised - the main purpose of the guild is to promote community activities, allow individuals to create new friends during such activities and improve the homeland of Elvenesse tenfold. Many within the Wyn’okar are taught light history in both Sea and Wood elven culture which further allows them to teach and welcome newcomers to Elvenesse, especially those who are from estranged Sea or Wood elven backgrounds. Application For those wishing to come join the land of Elvenesse and take part in it’s activities there is a small letter pre-written and attached at the bottom of the poster, allowing for one to send a message to a designated location via avian. (Send a forum message or message within the Elvenesse Discord) IC: Name Race Age Citizen of Elvenesse? OOC: Username: Discord: - Out Of Character Description - The Wyn’okar is an event organising guild, this is a prime place for those who wish to get involved in roleplay within Elvenesse to find a group to get engaged with. I plan on holding a wide variety of events, from fun stuff like races down rivers, constant parties and culture learning rp. You’ll also get a little bit of PvP training, CRP training and so forth, meaning it’s a well rounded guild for those who wish to join a society to roleplay with inside of Elvenesse whilst also developing themselves.

The Puerokars Spinners of Stories The Puerokars are a seed centered around the worship of the Rabbit Mani Bilobooz, and the celebration of the individual legacies of its members. Formally a matriarchal society on the fringes of other larger wood elven groups, The Puerokars have recently been reintroduced to society by the new generation of Puerokars. Whether through murals, totems, journals, or through their Ilmyumier itself, the Puerokars celebrate the events that make an individual who they are. History The Puerokar’s were once a group of eight households that lived in a village called Tsisduwi. Each worshiped Bilobooz, the Rabbit Mani, but many of the other houses also worshiped other mani along with her. The Clans of Molimo, Dyanitir, Tala, Larigne, Vallei’ahern, Mongwau, and Dyami eventually all fell under the leadership of the Peurokar house. This task was achieved through the hard work of Aenwyn Puerokar, the founder of the Clan. Aenwyn won the respect of all of the clans with her leadership after years of unrest both within the settlement and outside of it. She maintained a positive relationship with several caravans, as well as other settlements, and established a clan culture that, despite being lost for ages, still lives on through the surviving clan members. Through the clan’s infancy, unrest between each branch of the newly formed clan dissipated. Traditions that celebrated the individual branch’s unique attributes were formed and a strong sense of pride was formed among them. This pride however separated the Puerokars from the rest of the world; their elitism being one of their downfalls. Their growing hostility towards outsiders, poor leadership from the last Winema, Deu’lara Dyami Puerokar, and a bandit raid on the settlement of Tsisduwi, caused what remained of the clan branches to scatter to the winds. Now, those that remain alive are the new generation of Puerokar that wish to integrate into Elvenesse.While they all wish to continue to honor the old ways of their branches and clans, changes have been made to operate more like a seed. The Seed name will be Puerokar, as that is what every branch had in common, and the individual cultures will be honored but no longer necessary. For most, being a Puerokar will be enough, but for those that are interested in learning about the nearly forgotten sub cultures it is highly suggested that one should subscribe to that particular subculture. Clans As stated, the Puerokars are a group of several clans that joined into one house. Below is a summary of each of the clans, their worship, and their role in the settlement of Tsisduwi. Culture In what could be considered ‘Puerokar Culture’, worship of the Rabbit Mani has always been the cornerstone. Over time, Bilobooz's defense of bloodlines became the clan's fixation on legacy and personal life stories. As the idea of sharing personal legacies became more popular among the clan branches, a library was constructed to house the diaries of every individual in the settlement, showcasing years of legacy. The Mongwau branch was its caretaker, and ensured that basic information on the clan branches was recorded. Things like births, deaths, coming of age ceremonies and the like. All was lost upon the raid that destroyed Tsisduwi. The following will be examples of the overall clan’s culture, but each branch has their own subculture and traditions that are unique to them. Totem Tales Written word wasn’t the only form of story telling the Puerokars became known for. They developed a form of mural known as Totem Tales. These murals were elaborate depictions of the artist's story. In the example to the left, the subject was love. Each addition to the piece symbolizes a part of the artist's love life or overall story. These totems can be done for any subject, but for it to be considered a Totem Tale, it must be a vertical mural with the story starting at the bottom of the medium and read up. These storytelling methods inspired the seed’s Ilmyumier. Festivals The Puerokar’s celebrated several events throughout the year while they were their own settlement. These events have become a strong part of the modern seed’s culture. There was the Night of Spinners, a small event where members of each branch of the clan would ‘spin’ a tale in an attempt to outdo the other branches. The Winema would listen to each story over the night’s feast, and would choose her favorite by the night’s end. Though a small event, it was done several times throughout the year, and often used as a way to settle petty disputes, making the jobs of the Dyanitir a bit easier. Another smaller event that took place in the spring was the Festival of Flowers, a matchmaking festival. It was the best way to ensure the bloodline was secure. In the years girls from the main branch came of age, the event was massive. The festival of flowers was a showcase for young adults to demonstrate not only to the other branches what they were capable of, but also show their own branch how far they had come. Most of the youth are free to choose who they wish, but it is the main branch women who have their partner chosen for them by the Winema. Another example of the clan protecting their legacy. Not every youngling would agree with the decision, but for the branches as a whole, having a member chosen to marry into the main house was the greatest honor. Finally there was the Festival of Rabbits, an event held in the highest regard by the Puerokar house. It was the one day of the year where the branches competed against each other in various events to see which of the families have improved the most. Events included physical activities, as well as challenges of creativity and mental capability. The winners would be decided, again, by the Winema. The prize was usually bragging rites, and a special creation from the Chieftess herself. Trials and Ilmyumier The trial for the Puerokar seed is simple: without explicitly stating it, those who wished to join would have to tell the story of their legacy. Prospective Puerokars are given three elven days to think it through and present it to the Winema. If the individual displays an understanding of the Puerokar way of storytelling, then they will be allowed into the seed, and the story they have presented becomes the story of their Ilmyumier. Though easy upon first glance, the general lack of guidance in the instructions can be a bit daunting for those that don’t know what they are getting into. The Puerokar Ilmyumier is a unique one. The top and the bottom of the tattoo is always the same for every member. It always begins with the rabbit mani framed by two bands, representing their addition to the seed. The last bands represent the future actions the barrer will take, and how the legacy will thrive within the seed. It is one thick band followed by a band shaped into a triangle or an arrow. Between the first and last bands is different for each individual. It depicts the wearer's legacy as displayed in their trial. The design will be done by another member of the seed if the individual is lacking in artistic prowess. Leadership The Puerokar’s have always been matriarchal. The Chieftess, or Winema (wi-nay-mah), always being passed down from mother to daughter throughout the decades. If there were more than one daughter in a family, the current Winema chooses from them who she feels is most deserving of the position. If no daughter is born to the acting Chieftess, she may choose another female within the seed that honors their values. Oftentimes this would be a priestess, or Meda, from the Molimo or a council woman from the Dyanitir. If there is no blood-related woman in the family at all, then a male can take the position, but is extremely unlikely due to the size of the clan. Though the original reason for Winema’s position was due to women being in charge of domestic matters, it became a way to honor the work of Aenwyn. Though decisions pertaining to the outside world were reserved to the Winema, smaller decisions were made by the council. Often filled out with members of the Dyanitir branch, they took care of general governing, such as collecting taxes and solving small disputes that aren’t worth the Winema’s time. There were seven seats on the council, and each member was chosen by the Winema herself. Another tradition passed down from one Matriarch to another is the ceremonial staff. The Winema’s staff is a symbol of the family’s legacy and blessings from Bilobooz. It is a carved, 4ft long staff made of stained pine. The length is carved with tribal depictions of Rabbits, and initials of former Cheftesses that have come before. Records have shown that the staff was a gift to Aenwyn Puerokar by another clan leader shortly before their disbandment. When it is time for a new Winema to be appointed, a short ceremony is conducted where the staff is passed onto the new leader by the former. The former Matriarch then adds her initials to the staff in honor of her service. The successor is chosen and the ceremony is done while the Winema is still of a right mind, typically once she has turned 500. Genetic Mutations When the former clans inhabiting slowly began to interbreed with the Puerokars, it led to bizarre-looking relations among them. There are a few rare genetic mutations that the family passes down that show up sporadically, giving their claims of being the ancestors of the rabbit mani some ground. The most common of the mutations found within the line come in the form of strange eye colors. Eye colors such as blue and red are common within Puerokar’s, at least more common than the rest on this list. These traits suggest that at some point in the history of the family, there was an introduction of high elven and dark elven genes into the family line, though the family would be considered mostly wood elf now. Another mutation of the family are large, down angled ears. These ears are similar to those found on Oar Lop-Eared Rabbits. It is uncertain how this mutation actually came about, but the legends suggest that the ears come from Bilobooz taking pity on a childless family. The rabbit mani was said to have transformed one of her leverets into a baby elf with the ears of a rabbit. Unfortunately, there is no answer as to what caused the “Oar Lop” ears (or oar ears) among the family, but it is a rare trait that only around 10% of the Puerokar’s possess. Conclusion The Puerokar seed is one steeped in tradition. It takes the worship of Bilobooz and her ideas of protecting legacy very seriously through their stories. The seed is welcoming and open to all storytellers, artists, and interested parties alike. Art and words by Twsister2361

The Path of the Flame The Philosophical Musings of Elros Silma The 13th Year of the Second Age Foreward Some view the mali as twice cursed. Few in number and forced to endure the pain of the world in a way others do not. The life chosen for the Mali is a hard one, for our blessing brings with it an expectation, a duty, which the other races do not have laid out for them. For in our long life comes a challenge to improve and better ourselves, so we may better serve the world. For who are better to serve as preservers of history than those who live through it, as craftsmen than those who have many lifetimes of men to hone their craft, as a shield against the dark armies of the nether and the void than those who have decades or centuries to learn and train, or as a steward of nature than one who can see its patterns and cycles run over the centuries. If you are to learn one thing from this work, then let it be this - do not despair thinking of the pain or hardships a long life may bring, for despair only stays the hand and squanders your gift. Instead, look to your many years as a challenge, to use each moment as best you can, for with time and effort, nearly all things are possible to you. On the Blessing of the Mali The blessing of the Mali is nearly unique among the blessings, for it does not simply offset to a degree our curse, but does more. The Bortu were granted to be strong of mind and hearty, so they may survive and engineer great contraptions deep in the mountains seeking the wealth of the earth they were cursed to crave. The Uruk were granted a degree of honor to try and offset their mindless bloodlust and rage, and the Vallah were granted a special afterlife to make up for their short time in this world. In our gift of eternal life, we may certainly have more time to bear children, which offsets our sterility, but in our blessing we find ourselves appointed as stewards of the world. Compared to us, the other races live on this earth for but a short while, and can thus often be short-sighted. We must worry for the future not only for our children, but for ourselves. If we are to live in the world for a long time, then we must face the outcomes of the decisions made by ourselves and others centuries on into the future. In some, our gift of long life fosters idleness, for they believe that since we have a long time, we can take our time in life. In others, it fosters apprehension, for they fear the many years of pain and tragedy they will face more than they look forward to the good. This has led to some, most notably our brothers of the Bronze, to declare that we are twice cursed. But I suggest that instead of living in dread or idleness, we view our long lives enthusiastically. As a great challenge to overcome, a challenge to improve. We have all the time in the world to master our crafts, to learn of the world and its intricacies, to protect the world from those who seek it harm or those who cause it inadvertently. This is our duty, and in doing our duty, we do good. On Duty and Good A mali has several duties in life. A duty to self, to kin, to nation, and to the world. All of these must be kept in balance, for they are all important in one’s life, and one should not be left entirely forfeit for the sake of another. The highest good for a mali is to, in their own way, serve to better the world in which we live. For no two mali are the same, so thus the path to good is not static. The closest thing to an explanation of the path to good, in my view, is to do your best to find your talents and to excel at them to the greatest of your ability, and to then put them to use to save the world. A man of great strength may seek to become a fighter to protect his people from attacks, natural and supernatural, while one of compassion and wisdom may seek to become a healer. In any situation you are placed into, one must assess themselves and decide their best course of action to aid in it. That best course is almost never inaction, for idleness feeds stagnation, and the stagnant and passive are left to be easily subjugated or torn asunder by the active and dynamic. If you see a building alight, a strong man may assess they should go into the building to save its residents, for they have the ability to do so, and thus in doing so they prove their courage and work towards the good. But what of one who is weak? For them going into the building is recklessness, but doing nothing is negligence. In asking for help or gathering water or healing the injured afterwards, they work towards the good, for they help the situation in a way they are suited to without making things worse. This is the path of the righteous, and what we should all strive for. Some may say that employment and duty are one and the same, for they are both vocations we dedicate ourselves to. But I say they differ in a way. A man has a duty to his employer, a craftsman a duty to make the product requested to the best of his ability. And for performing that duty satisfactorily, the employed is paid by the employer, the commissioned paid by the commissioner. This is only right, for the hard work of a craftsman or the risk of a merchant bearing goods down harsh roads must be compensated, but what of those whose work aligns with higher duties and higher principles, such as the druid, the scholar, or the guard? Ones who follow those paths should follow them not on a duty to gold or silver, but to the world, the truth, and their people, respectively. Thus, the question comes if they should be paid at all. On one hand, it makes sense to compensate those who work hard or are at risk for their efforts, but on the other, pay can draw in those who are not dedicated to the principles they should uphold. A guard working for mina more than loyalty to his people may be bribed to betray them, a scholar working for compensation rather than out of a duty to knowledge and the truth may bend the truth or break it, and a druid who doesn’t see their duty to nature and the world first and foremost may seek to control nature and bend it to their will rather than defend the balance with its help. Thus, it should be assured that people in those sorts of vocations should always put duty and honor above coin, lest corruption seep into our midst. On Leaders and Nations The leaders of the elves should be the servants of the people, not their betters. The mali race does not take well to conquerors, for we have faced many over the past four centuries. We do not take well to tyrants either. The Mali live long, and thus grow independent, and thus they follow most often those who they deeply respect. The respect of the people can be gained through many ways, but it is often best gained through shows of wisdom, compassion, skill, and tact. Some will follow those who are overly forceful, or who build their regimes on violence, fear, and censorship. But often, sooner or later, a large resentful party will grow to overthrow such a regime. Better to gain the respect of a people through decisive action and driving and enabling action in the city. For a city with nothing to do - no guilds and no military - will surely fail. The leader may accomplish this in many ways. They could allow guilds the freedom to grow and act on their own, or they may constantly and actively promote activity sponsored by the government. Either method is valid, though the former requires far less maintenance than the latter. However, the point remains - some are doers and some are followers, and the goal of the leader should be to aid the doers as much as he can to keep his city flourishing and his streets full. Nothing kills the drive of a doer and turns them into a follower or rebel more than being slowed and scorned by bureaucracy. Doers thus scorned will often either become reluctant followers, no longer willing to put in the effort when the system works against them, or they become rivals to the leader, believing themselves as doers could organize the system in a better manner. This is natural manner in which stagnant and failing regimes fall and new, more active ones take their place. So thus another role of a good leader is to keep enough control on this cycle to assure that the right new leader rises to take their place when they are no longer able to fulfil their office. For if one steps down gracefully when worn out and unable to fulfil their office rather than holding onto power until the breaking point, they are able to have some choice in who should follow them. It is better to give up one’s own power to one more worthy for the sake of the betterment of the people and nation than it is to hold onto power when unable to maintain the nation and thus trust the future of the nation to chance. Chance that is often cruel, for when a leader is overthrown, it is more often by the violent, brash, and over-ambitious than by the tempered, wise, and kind. On Society and Tradition Tradition is the core of Mali society. The knowledge, wisdom, culture, and experiences of our forebears are forged from millennia of life and are not to be ignored, forgotten, or violated. But to focus only on those traditions, and to emulate the past when we can look back and see its failings or look to the present and see the same problems, choosing not to progress by appending and improving these old traditions and systems using our own wisdom and experiences is folly. To the long-lived, the cycles of history are clear. I remember the fall of Malinor and the Dominion, and I see the same seeds that led to the collapse of those societies being sown here today. Many try to say that Elvenesse is not like the Dominion simply because it has a smaller military, more isolationist politics, and has rid itself of the Court of Princes and the Elective System, however they ignore the many similarities that come in turn. A nation for all mali dominated by the will of one subrace, topped by a large, slow, and often inefficient bureaucracy. I would argue that the best times of my life were spent among smaller groups such as seeds and guilds, or in smaller nations, like Laurehlin before the Orenian Subjugation or the Principality of Aegrothond in Atlas. Small groups or nations that were united by their culture and ideals, and where every member of the small group was willing to work actively for the betterment of his people and the maintaining of their culture, traditions, and ideals. The mali are best served when at peace with each other and able to interact with each other as equals, but also when they are able to organize themselves into smaller groups where they are able to practice their culture freely with those of like mind rather than being pressured and assimilated into a single way of life. Siramenor exemplified this ideal in recent times, in that it had a close knit community of similar ideals that ran itself and focused purely on practicing its culture the best it could. If a system of groups of a similar model could arise in the form of guilds based on each culture within the larger nation, and if these groups are allowed the autonomy to prosper, I believe this could lead to a more ideal society for the Mali. While this may or may not be true, it is unknown unless tried, and trying new ideas is far better for the progress of the race than staying entirely in the past. For when one tries new things, they are able to learn from the problems they face to get closer and closer to the greatest system possible, while treading the same paths as we have for centuries can only lead to stagnation into predictable cycles of success and failure. Conclusions My philosophy can be simplified down to but four ideals. The Ideals are as follows: The Mali’s blessing of long-life and nigh-eternal youth serve not as a curse or call to stagnation, but as a challenge to improve one’s talents beyond the capacity of other races. The life of an elf is precious beyond measure, and should not be wasted if it can be avoided. The Mali should use their talents and gifts to serve the world in the way they are best suited. What way depends on the individual. Wasting your talents and gifts or using them for the ill of your people are the two paths of evil. The Mali should be led by one wise, kind, and decisive, chosen by the people for his merits. He should also be willing to pass power to one better able to do the job when incapable of keeping up. Do not dwell too much in the past, for while traditions and culture are of utmost importance, emulating failed societies and ideas will ultimately breed naught but failure in the future. Follow these, and the Mali will prosper. Fail to, and we may well once again fall under the rule of tyrants, foreigners, and fools, with empty halls, bare hearths, and complacent people.

YONG PING SETTLEMENT APPLICATION Settlement PRO MC Name: Kemobrown Settlement Name: Yong Ping Proposed Settlement Locations (Highlight 3 on the map): 1st preference - Tile 66. 2nd preference - Tile 73 3rd preference - Tile 77 Settlement Lore (could include previous roleplay posts showing involvement with the community) (1000 words minimum): Yong-Ping City is the epicentre of Eastern-inspired culture and arts. It’s home to the Li-Ren, Hou-zi, Oyashimans and many other travellers who have found home with its unique culture, natural landscapes and laid-back lifestyle. Yong-Ping found its humble origins in Arcas, where it started off as just a small embassy, eventually growing to encompass Tai Ping District in Talons Port. However, whilst many enjoy the special experience that our community offers, others preferred conflict targeted specifically at the Eastern cultures. Due to an influx of inhabitants and discontent with the inaction regarding the protection of our people, the inhabitants of Tai Ping have decided to expand and establish a new home under the name of Yong Ping. A home that will put its people first, celebrate the culture, and continue to offer a one-of-the-kind experience found nowhere else on Almaris. Culture post: https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/196044-culture-li-ren-culture/ https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/194066-culture-oyashima/?tab=comments#comment-1790003 Events posts: https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/197710-tea-house-opening-night-the-story-of-nian/ (had 25 attendees) https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/198062-battle-of-the-bei-blades/ (had 10 attendees) https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/198247-mourning-the-lost/ (had 10 attendees) https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/198431-the-sky-and-the-star/ (same event as above) https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/198558-tai-ping-new-century-celebrations/ (altogether, 15-20 attendees each day) https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/198592-washing-the-ashes-and-beginning-anew/ (20 attendees roughly) https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/198629-the-firework-feast/ (15-20 attendees) https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/198709-lion-dancing-competition/ (10 attendees) https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/198743-the-dragon-dance-parade/ (We went round all of Almaris, rough gauge is each settlement or nation picked up 15-20 attendees at a time). Settlement Government Structure Explanation: Yong-Ping government is centered around the Five Ministries, each headed by a Minister that make up the central governing body, and many Officers under said Ministries to assist in the smooth running of Yong-Ping City. Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Charged with political and diplomatic tasks, fostering good relations with other peoples and working together with other Ministries to better trade for Yong-Ping. Ministry of Defence: The main protectors and keepers of order in Yong-Ping. They are charged with arresting criminals, defending the city’s citizens, as well as escorting any important personages. Ministry of Rites: The most popular ministry, presiding over all cultural events and affairs. This will be from organising plays, education lectures, cultural rites, and the like. Ministry of Justice: The main legislative body of the city, charged with ensuring a balance between punishment and reward for the deeds of the city’s citizens. This ministry works in tandem with the Ministry of Defence to carry out its edicts. Ministry of the Interior: In charge of taxes, state economic welfare and the like. Stewards replace the Officers in the specific case of this Ministry. Settlement Builds and Infrastructure (photos required): How does this settlement offer a unique niche not already found in an existing polity on the server? Our roleplay is highly culture-centric and inspired by Asia. So far, the server is host to many Euro-centric roleplay hubs bar the Fakhr Oasis. Our culture as well as the characters offer a fresh contrast against the norm, with a heavy emphasis on arts, festivities, and the like that cannot be found anywhere else on the server. It is specifically because of our unique roleplay that our activity has been steady and has attracted many players. It is also due to the heavy Asian influence on our roleplay that lore-wise, it would be hard to feasibly fit us under any other nation. Furthermore, in order to continue providing LOTC with a unique experience such as ours, it would be more effective to allow such a community to exist under their full autonomy. How does your settlement tie to the greater lore and narrative set by the community on LotC?: Lore-wise, we are a farfolk culture that is heavily inspired by the Hou-zi. As time passed, our culture was spread, as well as our emphasis on trade and the arts. This has brought many races to live amongst the Li-Ren, such as elves, humans, and the occasional Hou-zi. Though the Hou-zi were shelved, the interest in that specific niche has not declined. In fact, our steady incline in activity has proven the opposite. Have you ever run a settlement on LoTC before and what experience do you have with leadership within roleplay communities among the current groups of players? No, but I am confident that the current community have found my leadership so far satisfactory. We have managed to grow Tai Ping from a group of less than 10 active players to where it is now, with over 100 members in our discord. Do you understand the metrics for maintaining activity and the grounds for settlement removal, along with the standing polity cap? Yes, we must maintain 1% global activity each week and pay 50 mina tax. An additional 50 mina is required if we have any tile improvements purchased. If we fail to meet these requirements, we have a 3 week ‘at risk period’ where our tile will slowly ‘collapse’. If nothing is done after one more week, the settlement will be evicted.

Deórhyrst/Deórhyrstas Culture TLDR The culture/religion is composed mostly of warriors, farmers, and merchants. All of whom are religious zealots with various cults being the most fervent in their faith to the gods. They lived in isolation until clan wars forced most into migrations toward current nations. The people are human supremacists with the most common demographics being Highlanders and Heartlanders. Farfolk members often only have a place among the faithful as converts, usually forced. The Deórhyrstas hate the other races due to religious values viewing them as the children of cowards or weaklings. History The Deórhyrstas are a foreign and hardy folk. In the far northern lands among the fjords they lived and fought amongst each other. There has never been a prominent kingdom before the Second Age when clan wars came to a head causing great migrations of weaker clans and exiles to the major continents including Almaris. General Values The average Deórhyrst are a deeply religious people. Zealotry is what keeps this religion alive in the hearts of its believers. No room for compromise is the common mindset for most believers when dealing with those outsiders who they call the Dwolla. All true men and women of the Deórhyrst abide by a short but strict code of honor with severe punishments guaranteed for breaking it. These virtues are called the Ambhetness and are taught to all boys and girls taught the Dómbóc. A people bred for war must show discipline to survive and and with clans often fighting for dominance an unspoken rule was adopted. All offensive wars or raids must end by the time of the first snows. The warbands always return to their hearths by the first day of winter with most choosing to return even earlier to reap the harvest of the fields. This practice has allowed for seasonal warfare and prevented their population from being turned into nothing but piles of dead on the battlefield. The Deórhyrstas are an extremely proud people who are proud to be human and see their fellow man as the pinnacle of creation. They are balance and the chosen of the creator, Bahri, and of his child Wyrd. It is the mission of this the Deórhyrstas to save mankind from other faiths by conversion or death. This view of supremacy leads many to look down on the other races for various reasons. Elves are seen as cowards and frail not fit to fight alongside the gods. Dwarves are greedy who should stay bellow the earth as to not offend the eyes of mankind. Orcs are often given respect for their proficiency in a fight, but their savage ways and failure to live up to the same codes makes them still impure. Gendered Values In most clans a Deórhyrst boy learns to wield a sword by age nine, and to fight in a pike wall by fifteen. He is taught from the moment he can understand language the importance of the Ambehtness, the code for men. There is great attention put on men and warriors to die by the sword with honor. A wound in the back is a disgrace, and it is seen as dying a cowardly death because you were not facing your opponent or were unable to recognize your true opponents. This train of thought leaves many kings in disgrace and is an easy way for clans to take over another, for oddly enough there is no dishonor in using or being an assassin. The Ambehtness Valor Save the foeman by blade and blood Fidelity Stray not from love Family Like any nation a family needs a leader Brotherhood Confide in a shield brother and no other Cunning Listen long and speak short and last Death Meet the sword with a braced chest Faith Trust in Wyrd for she wills all The girls are often taught to use a shield by age twelve, so that they may learn to defend the homes of their future husbands whilst he is away in the Summer seeking fame and riches with the warbands. Particularly combat gifted girls are taught to fight like the boys, and in rare cases permitted to fight with the warbands. As said though this is rare for most clans, and it often requires the clan leader’s direct permission. Female lead clans may be an exception to this rule, but they too are rare with only a few being ever known to exist. The Dómbóc Fidelity After marriage no longer can eyes wander Family No family can exist missing a nurturer Hospitality The fires of a home must be welcoming and defended Cunning Sleight-of-hand will deliver gentle hands success Faith Trust in Wyrd she wills all Marriage For common folk marriage is a one made of choice and freedom. The ceremony is not long but the celebration can last months depending on the individual's wealth. The ceremony itself is rather simple. The man gives his bride a shield to represent her position as the defender of their hearth while he is away. The bride in return gives her husband a sword as a mark of his responsibility to seek glory so that their children might learn to do the same. All of this happens before the highest ranking members of the clans involved along with the High King if one has risen to power. Now these happy and beautiful marriages of choice are only for the common folk. Clan leaders often hoard their sons and daughters as gifts to offer other clans to make peace or forge new alliances. It is not an unusual story to hear of spouses killing each other out of hatred and clan rivalries beginning anew. Day to Day and Clothing On the surface the Deórhyrstas are like many other people. They gather in town centers and trade markets to talk and share news. They dress for the weather of their settlement or where they are traveling to. Folks tend to their crafts be it trading, farming or or some form of a craft. All have a role to play in their society and the folk work hard to fill that role. Men often dawn tunics dyed with the clan colors and embroidered collars, and on their legs they where solid colored kilt or pants. The wealthier men may choose to replace tunics with a brigandine so that they may walk around proudly as fighters. A leather circlet or a fur hat are other accessories to the male ensemble. All men are expected to grow beards to show their masculinity. It is not uncommon for men who can’t grow facial hair to be disrespected or even forced to follow the Dómbóc instead. Women wear vibrant dresses with their hair grown out long. Jewelry is the mark of a rich woman, and a feather circlet is worn to show the ladies availability. A white feather shows she is available for marriage, while a black feather says she is married. This practice has made courting much more streamlined, and also helps to protect both men and women. Architecture The primary building material is wood. The only exceptions being the homes of certain cults, like a Cult of Tyw chapter houses, and any walls a clan may have put up being made of stone. The roofs of common folk are often thatched roofs to help keep home insulated. Great Halls are the home of clan leaders and kings. They are long houses with elaborate entrances often with intricate carvings displaying great battles. Inside there is room for a fire pit and seating for the clan. Animals statues take the place of banners as the most common way to show what household owns the land. Practices like this are what makes it more difficult to crush the fighting spirit of a clan. A more difficult task it is to remove a statue than a banner and claim that place as your own. View of the Creator, Bahri, and the Gods (Quick note here, all these gods will seem familiar to those who read the lore. That's because they are them just renamed by the Deórhyrst. Same characters different name and interpretations.) The Creator Bahri They believe in the creator like many other faiths however they just don’t see him as anything more than the first. Their reverence of him is passive. They only offer small little trinkets as offerings to him as more of a respect rather than a true form of worship. Instead they worship the Primordial Gods Donnar, Vili, Wyrd, and a host of the Wælcyrge and Mares. It is these gods that have sway over their lives while Bahri, their name for the creator, is dead and gone. No more can he offer them blessing. Unlike Bahri the living gods still have sway over mortal fates. Primordial Gods Wyrd Wyrd is the pale skinned Goddess believed to deliver death to mortals on the day Wyrd has deemed. If she offers you an honorable death in battle you are raised to join the Einherjar. There the Deórhyrst dead are to fight with her brother Donnar at the breaches of Irminsul against the Eotan. It is she who inherited the whole of creation and breathed life into mortals. It is for this reason that she alone decides the day they are returned to her. Donnar Donnar is the mighty one who fights back the void where it breaks through Irminsul, the Great Oak that protects creation from the chaos of the Void. It is through his effort creation is safeguarded making him a well loved deity among the Deórhyrstas. No cult has shown to worship him, but is possible all Deórhyrst men who seek a good death are worshippers of him. (Artwork from Games Workshop: Warhammer Fantasy) Villi Villi is the most loved god for her gentle nature. She is the sweet and kind sister of Donnar and Wyrd. She was the one who helped their father Bahri in his creations and stokes the fires of Muspelheim at the start of each morning giving light to all creation until she goes to bed again, and only the light from embers of Muspelheim shimmer off Wyrd's pale skin. She smiles down at creation watching with such delight. The Wælcyrge and Mares Frouwa Frouwa is a collector and shepherd of the dead who present themselves to her. It is with these mortal dead that she wages a war on her rival Surtr as a way to comfort them, for a Deórhyrst there is no greater comfort than a battlefield, except maybe a mug of ale. Ever on they wage war in the heavens with one another after Surtr’s attempt to conquer the mortal realm. As for the dead who do not wish to join her she escorts to them to Wyrd who then may send the souls to Donnar. Tyw Tyw is a zealous crusader who seeks to purify the mortal realm of all corruptions. His view on the subject of said corruption is not a forgiving one. He and his followers seek to exterminate the faithless, the craven, the undead, and worshippers of Surtr. He calls for the removal of the the unnatural, the unneeded, and the unsafe. Tyw appears as a radiant Silver Stag in stories, and it is for this reason his followers often bear a stag as a symbol of their mission. Hveðrungr Hveðrungr is reclusive and rarely deals with mortals. His nature to hide his motives inspired the Deórhyrstas to do the same. They do not often openly lie, but this does not mean they won’t hide the truth with silence or listen through a cracked door. It is this that they owe to the sequestered Wælcyrge. Vindlér Vindlér is another defender of mortals like Tyw, but he does not demand the faith of his followers in prayer, offerings or zealotry. Instead he demands they lead their lives according to his rules of order and vigilance. Many take head of his model and choose to act as missionaries for the faith. Fænir Fænir is another reclusive god mostly due to his shame of being tricked by Surtr, but his pursuit of knowledge has inspired the Deórhyrstas to follow and seek knowledge in its rawest forms. He is hailed as a god of the scholarly pursuits. Very little is known about him, but the one thing known for sure is that it is he who made the dragons and also the one who locked them away. Surtr Worship of this Mare is strictly forbidden. Worshippers are hunted with extreme prejudice and the promise of a slow death. No mercy is awarded to the craven that worship the deity that sought destruction and enslavement of the mortal races. He is the pinnacle of evil and his followers and presence are treated as such. An Overview of the Cults of the Gods For most Deórhyrst their faith plays a prominent role in their life, but even the average man who is zealot by most other standards doesn't compare to any of the cults who give themselves over to the divine to completely embody the will of a god of their choice. The cults are fervent defenders of the faith. Others who have ascribed to anything other than the Deórhyrstas should not speak their faith. A regular Deórhyrst is hard enough to convert. A cultist will likely attack on the spot without warning or feign understanding to plot against you. Cult of Wyrd The Deórhyrstas revere one main deity above all others, Wyrd. In their eyes it is she who inherited all of creation from the creator, Bahri. She is the god of death, poetry, and lords. Despite being the chief god she commands the smallest host of monks who devote themselves to her teachings. The Cult of Wyrd, also known as Wyrd’s Ravens, are known to offer willing or unwilling human sacrifices to her to provide the blood that flows in the river Gjøll. The sacrifices happen every twelve years at the beginning of Spring. The sacrifice is hung from a tree and stuck like a pig. They are then left hanging to bleed into a special trough that represents the river of blood. The cult is secretive and an ominous entity among the clans. Members can be spotted clad in black cloaks with silver chains around their waist. Common folk are wise to avoid eye contact with the Ravens. No lord or king of the Deórhyrstas has sway over these shamans of death, and crossing them is seen as crossing Wyrd the Grim herself. Thankfully Wyrd’s Ravens often keep to themselves tending to the Deórhyrstas corpses for mummification in the sacred burial mounds. Only those approached by members of the cult are allowed to join and learn the mummification arts of the Grim Ravens. (Art by Hasbro: Magic the Gathering: Cryptolith Rite Card) Cult of Vili The Cult of Vili leads a sizable cult of exclusively women. It is under Vili’s teachings do women learn to be the most desirable wives, and nurturing mothers. These women train as seamstresses, cooks, and are taught the value of feminine traits. They are soft spoken around men and attentive hosts to any guests to their hearth. Make no mistake though any who threaten their home will learn the phrase, “Hell hath no fury like a woman’s scorn.” Like many Deórhyrst women they know how to use a shield and will not hesitate to clobber a rude guest over the head from behind with it. These women are also fierce defenders of their husbands honor. To speak ill of her husband is to speak ill of her and her children, so a sharp tongued lecture is all any back-biter can hope to get away with. The Cult of Vili are the pinnacle of the average Deórhyrst man’s ideal woman. These women are the silent enforcers and the most pure according to the Dómbóc. Headed by a High Mother it is she who decides who are pure. Cult of Frouwa The Cult of Frouwa are a well sought after cult due to their practices. These female warriors seek service in life to Frouwa in hopes of reaping the Goddess’s boon. Upon death in battle they believe they may be offered a place amongst her guard the Disir. With Frouwa being the goddess of honor, fertility, and motherhood they look to sire a son or daughter whom they may raise to become a great hero or another member of the cult depending on the sex of the child. The Cult of Frouwa often seek out powerful human kings, or well known fighters to seduce. After they are pregnant they will return to their temple without even a word to the father. If the father was not of the faith he is wise to stay away if he hopes to have any kids ever again. There they will bear their child, and it will be raised by the cult with the members acting as it’s many mothers. This practice earned them the name of Frouwa’s Daughters. When in their temple they wear white gowns and flowers woven together into bracelets and circlets, but anywhere else they are clad head to toe in leather armour and furs with flashy, well maintained spears. Any woman who knows how to fight may apply to train with these elegant and deadly female warriors. (Art by Dustplat) Cult of Tyw The Cult of Tyw is one of the most prominent and respected cults in daily life, and like the Cult of Wyrd is feared for its zealous members. Tyw is the god of justice, balance, and purity. He is by far the most zealous of the Wælcyrge. His followers share this trait with him, and as such are as likely to flog anyone they deem dishonorable in the street as they are to breathe. They wear heavy plate armour and wield massive two handed war-axes at all times when patrolling the streets. These monks are the local law enforcement for many of the larger clans, but their loyalty is to the Grand Judge of their chapter. Clan kings or queens often appoint a Grand Judge to the position of Marshal to gain their loyalty and have a reliable garrison to enforce their will. Traditionally only the most devout who prove themselves just and honorable to the chapters Grand Judge may join. Different chapters exist and infighting has happened on rare occasions. The feuds are often over differences in interpretation on how to dole out punishments for the craven. Despite this you can rest assured none are pushing for leniency just various methods of pain and death. And it is woe to the man that dares betray his oath to Tyw for he will find no comfort and spend the rest of his days looking over his shoulder. This cult views it as their duty to keep all Deórhyrstas on the path and to punish those who dare leave the faith. (Deer Knight by SM Chun) Cult of Vindlér The Cult of Vindlér are close allies to the Cult of Tyw due to the close relation ship between the two gods. They often build their temples close to the chapter houses. Both cults seek to guide and uphold the codes and teachings of the gods. These two devout groups of worshippers are easily considered two sides of the same coin. Unlike their violent ally, the Cult of Vindlér are uncharacteristically peaceful for any Deórhyrst. They long brown robes that drag across the ground with the common brigandine over the top, and travel to foreign controlled lands. It is during these journeys that they seek new converts to Deórhyrst. They often do this by staying with the local population and growing close with them. The monks eat and drink with the Dwolla all while discussing their differences and highlighting the nature of the Deórhyrst. When they feel like a convert is possible the potential new Deórhyrstas are invited back to the respective temples under the cults protection. It is here the Monks of Vindlér really get to work. They treat and pamper their guests to show the hospitality of Deórhyrst culture. The guests are even treated kindly by other members of the clan and other cults out of respect for the noble work of Vindlér’s followers. As a matter of fact disrespecting these cults warrants the rather of the Cult of Tyw. After the visit is complete the monks escort the guests back to their homes ensuring their safety, but also ending the protection until the next invitation is made. Members are the most devout Deórhyrstas and are declared worthy by the Grand Monk of the temple. Cult of Fænir The final clan and easily one of the most respected is the Cult of Fænir. Fænir is the god of wisdom, history, and stewardship. His followers are the teachers, advisors, and scholars of the Deórhyrstas. While all men of the Deórhyrst are expected to grow beards, the Cult of Fænir, or the Unknowers, grow beards so long they drag on the ground to represent the vast well of knowledge they possess. If they are women they will grow their hair to touch the ground instead. No matter the sex of the the Unknower they all wear decorative bone headdresses. Stone temples are built to act as lecture halls, libraries, and homes to the members. All Deórhyrst, even members of other cults, often seek the monks in these stone temples when in need of advice or knowledge. Typically any can join this cult, but it often requires years of study before they can be accepted by the members. One must be fluent and knowledgeable of the stories of the gods, and also must be quick with their words. The Unknowers may seem friendly at first to any outsider, but they too still have a grim side. They often put on a smile for the unfaithful and trick them into coming to their hearths. Ultimately this often leads to being kidnapped and used as a test subject or interrogated for any scrap of knowledge the unfaithful has. All of this done at the order of the leader who is often simply called The Elder. The Elder is as the name implies always the oldest member of the local scholars. (No artwork shown here is owned by me. If known the artist was given credit under the image.)

Among the A’tmuzigh, it is said that every grain of sand in the desert is inhabited by a spirit. A semi-nomadic farfolk tribe scouring the deserts, hopping from oasis to oasis, the elders say the A’tmuzigh are as old as the sand itself. Although political strife and conflict have whittled down their numbers, a select few tribes of the A’tmuzigh still remain. Their relative isolation has made it so few in the great cities, even those nestled amongst the desert dunes, know more than myth and legends of this tribe. City folk say they ride sandstorms and worship idols in the form of monoliths in the desert, engaged in ritual cabal with the spirits of the sand. Although some A’tmuzigh have opted to live in urban centres, those often experience ostracism, discrimination and forced conversions, pushed to the very edge of society, often finding work as mercenaries, fortune tellers and petty criminals. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ History The distant past of the A’tmuzigh is hazy and shrouded in legends. With no written language to call their own, the A’tmuzigh keep track of their history through complex oral traditions, involving lengthy ceremonies passed down from generation to generation. One of these ceremonies, aptly called the Tahkayt Hezzifan, or “Long Story”, involves an elder or oracle re-enacting the A’tmuzigh’s history through poetry and dramatic gestures. The Long Story begins when the world was but an ocean, vast, empty, and dark, yet constantly in flux, populated with myriad spirits. The gods, looking down from the heavens, would all claim a part of the spirits, yet could not distinguish one from another. To resolve this, they came together and created the Sun. The Sun brought light, but also heat. As it remained perched up in the heavens, always shining, more and more of the water began to evaporate, creating land. Among the spirits stranded on the land, some learned to live without water, becoming wind, rocks, sands, and dust, while others started to die. The gods, angry to see their spirits die under the burning Sun, came together once more to create the Moon, which would bring water to the land in the form of tides. Some of the spirits on land then became coastal plants and animals. The tides could not reach everywhere, and thus the gods came together one last time to create rain clouds, ponds, lakes, and oases. According to the Long Story, it was dying spirits saved by an oasis that became the first A’tmuzighs. At first, these spirits were weak, depending on the precious water to survive. They became enslaved by the spirits of the sands all around them, shackled to the oasis which became both their prison and their salvation. Weakened, they lost most of their spirit-like qualities, and battered by the spirits of the winds and sands, over time, they grew flesh and bone to protect themselves. Despite this, more and more fell to the constant assault. Seeing his brethren die, one of them stood up in revolt, Mezeg the Liberator, and rallied the rest to his cause. They requested the aid of the plant spirits, who helped them make tents out of their fibres. They called to the animal spirits, who supplied them with milk to sustain them, and wool to clothe themselves with. No longer at the mercy of the winds and the sands, Mezeg and his followers then scoured the desert going from oasis to oasis, liberating those that had suffered the same fate. These liberated groups became the different A’tmuzigh tribes. Wherever Mezeg would liberate a tribe at an oasis, he would erect a great carved dolmen in its place, as a reminder of the suffering they had to go through. Mezeg proclaimed that his people would be named the A’tmuzigh, or “the Freefolk”, so that they may never forget what brought them together, and so that they may never be slaves to the spirits again. The Long Story continues by describing the A’tmuzigh’s pilgrimage from oasis to oasis to commemorate their liberation. It also goes into detail about the tribes’ relations amongst themselves and towards others, narrating inter-tribal warfare, civil wars and the rise and fall of empires in the desert. This section of the Long Story tends to change from tribe to tribe and can be told differently depending on the orator. The A’tmuzigh have a strong belief in Fate, and it is represented in how the Long Story ends. Through poetic narration, the Long Story states that the creation of the Sun was the result of the gods’ folly and vanity. It says that spirits were meant to return to their primordial state. It foretells that the spirits, separated for too long, will grow ever more corrupted and disorderly, and the world will fall into chaos. Seeing the chaos, the gods will remove first the Moon, then the Sun, from the heavens, and the Ahezfan Tallis, or “Great Darkness”, will begin, a process by which the waters will rise once more, and the spirits will slowly go back to the state they originated from. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Religion and Beliefs The A’tmuzigh’s core beliefs rest in the concept of animism; the belief that all things are inhabited by a spirit. This, however, does not mean that the A’tmuzigh revere all things nor that all spirits deserve reverence. For one, the A’tmuzigh believe that all corrupted or malicious spirits should be avoided at all costs, and some zealous A’tmuzigh have taken it upon themselves to hunt down and destroy corrupted spirits in an attempt to delay the Great Darkness. The A’tmuzigh worship a pantheon of various gods attributed to different aspects of life or natural phenomena. However, extended contacts over time with the various Qalasheen tribes following the Rashidun have left their marks on the A’tmuzigh religion. As such, the greater god of the pantheon is thought to be Allah, extending his influence over a wide array of lesser gods and divinities. The A’tmuzigh pantheon follows a strict hierarchy, with Allah at the top, and minor spirits at its base. Each level exerts some form of influence or control over that underneath it. The A’tmuzigh have lesser gods for many different things, ranging from matrimonial relations, to animal husbandry, to fermentation. These lesser gods and divinities tend to vary greatly between different tribes, some A’tmuzigh tribes even abandoning them altogether in favour of the idea of Allah being the only god, but one with multiple aspects. Many rituals and religious practices are also influenced by the Rashidun, such as the ban on the consumption of pork, pigs being thought of as having “corrupted spirits” and the ban on consumption of alcohol and drugs, thought to degrade one’s own spirit. Some A’tmuzigh tribes also practice intermittent fasting, being only allowed to drink water from sunup to sundown to remember the hunger and pain of their enslaved ancestors. Other tribes pray multiple times per day, between one and five, prostrated in the direction of the oasis their people originated from. The act of prostration is meant to represent the position their ancestors were in during their ordeal, with their heads bent down to drink water from the oasis. Many A’tmuzigh tribes also perform a special religious pilgrimage, called the Amddur, or “the Path”, supposedly following in the footsteps of Mezeg delivering their kind from enslavement, going from oasis to oasis. Some A’tmuzigh tribes also practice a form of ancestor worship, where they offer sacrifices in the form of food, drink, or cattle to the spirits of their ancestors in exchange for guidance and protection. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Society The A’tmuzigh are a semi-nomadic people, alternating between a nomadic pastoral lifestyle scouring the deserts and periods of prolonged settlement. Although permanent A’tmuzigh settlements did exist, none have survived to this day. Camels, goats, and sheep are the A’tmuzigh’s main livestock. The camels are used mostly for transportation, but their milk is also used in various ways. Sheep are used for their wool, and goats for their milk and meat. Under dire circumstances or for religious ceremonies, camels and sheep may also be slaughtered for their meat. In oasis settlements, the A’tmuzigh cultivate figs, dates, and cactus, as well as various herbs, such as sage, mint and thyme. Palm trees are also used for sustenance, the A’tmuzigh cutting down branches and consuming the soft inner core of the tree. Since the A’tmuzigh tribes differ in many aspects from one another, their religious beliefs and way of life tend to influence one another greatly. Those of the A’tmuzigh tribes who are more heavily involved in trade tend to have beliefs more closely resembling those of the other Badawi tribes, such as monotheism, while those with scarcer contacts with cities and other tribes tend to have more conservative beliefs and views, more closely adhering to their polytheist and animist roots. Although most A’tmuzigh live in small nomadic tribes of between one hundred to four hundred individuals, oracles, the very old, the ill and the invalid remain sedentary, either in semi-permanent encampments at oases or at religious sites where permanent dwellings are built. The A’tmuzigh social structure is traditionally comprised of a complex hierarchy of blood and tribal relations. For example, an A’tmuzigh’s obligations to their chief supersede their obligations to their sibling, but their obligations to their sibling supersede their obligations to the chief’s spouse. Similarly, their obligations to their sibling supersede their obligations to their cousin but are supplanted by their obligations to their parents. The A’tmuzigh make no distinction based on gender on these matters, with a brother or sister considered being on equal footing. Each A’tmuzigh tribe is headed by a tribal chief. The chief is selected during a complex ritual where an oracle consults the gods to know who is destined to rule. The chief is selected amongst a panel of candidates chosen by elders within the tribe. Should a chief die without a new chief being chosen, their spouse will take up leadership of the tribe until a new chief is selected. Should the chief not be married or should they be widowed, their closest of kin will take up the responsibility, with siblings closest in age taking precedence. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Gender and Sexuality Women and men are viewed as equal within A’tmuzigh society. Women may also attain positions of leadership, such as chief or oracle. Despite this, the A’tmuzigh do hold beliefs regarding gender roles. Women are believed to be better suited to raising children and are refused the right to fight if they have children of their own. Women without children can become warriors but must put down their arms should they become pregnant. Moreover, certain household tasks such as cleaning, cooking, and sewing are associated with women but are not exclusive to them. Other tasks such as caring for cattle, merchantry and the production of trade goods are associated with men but are also not exclusive to them. Tasks such as agriculture, fighting and religious rituals are not associated to any gender. Among the A’tmuzigh, there are those that are born different from the rest. These individuals, called Dukklen Yessiwel, or “mixed spirits”, are believed to be the result of two or more spirits inhabiting one body. This catch-all term can refer to people who are twins, albino, homosexual, bisexual, do not identify as their apparent gender, have schizophrenia, multiple personalities or many such differing characteristics. Such people, although accepted in A’tmuzigh society, live under certain expectations and restrictions. For one, the A’tmuzigh believe that since these people house multiple spirits, they are more susceptible to corruption. Thus, people who are “mixed spirits” are not allowed to practice magic, with the exception of oracles, and are not allowed to partner with other “mixed spirits”. Some tribes allow “mixed spirits” to partner with another by following a set of strict rituals, while others prohibit it altogether. This leads to many of them being obliged to live a life of celibacy, or one of exile, if they can not or will not partner with someone of the opposite gender, or that is not “mixed spirits”. However, these same people are often valued in their tribes for their spiritual knowledge and are often appointed as oracles or guardians of holy sites, and occasionally tribal chief as well. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Culture The A’tmuzigh share many traits in common with their Badawi brethren, such as their dress and language. The A’tmuzigh wear long garbs, veils, and turbans and speak a tongue related to the Qalasheen tongue. Those within the A’tmuzigh engaged in trade tend to wear garbs made of finer materials, such as cotton or silk, and tend to display signs of wealth in the form of expensive trinkets and delicate embroidery, while those who do not tend to wear garbs made of wool or linen, plain or decorated with simple geometrical patterns. A’tmuzigh men wear turbans not only to protect their heads from the sun, but also as a form of modesty. They will only remove their turbans in public under special circumstances, and only around those they trust. A’tmuzigh turbans are usually white, brown, beige, red, yellow, or blue in colour. The turban may also be brought in front of the mouth to offer protection against the wind and the sand. A’tmuzigh women tend to wear long dresses of similar materials to those of men’s garbs, either cotton, silk, wool or linen, and display a similar aesthetic to their male counterparts. However, they tend to be slightly thinner and looser, while being more richly embellished. Many but not all A’tmuzigh women wear a veil, either in the form of a piece of cloth wrapped around the head or as an extension of their dress. Oracles of either gender are required to wear a head covering. Although the A’tmuzigh speak a language related to the Qalasheen tongue, many expressions, words, and greetings may differ because of their intrinsic beliefs and history. For one, the main form of non-verbal greeting among the A’tmuzigh is bowing. Bowing is seen as a form of respect and acknowledgement, where both participants bow to each other simultaneously. Although a superior such as a tribal chief is not obliged to bow to a lesser member of the tribe, they will nonetheless often do it to show mutual respect. Although some A’tmuzigh use the greetings “As-salamu alaykum” and “Wa-alaykum salam”, also common is the phrase “Blessings upon you”. An A’tmuzigh meeting another for the first time and asking their name, upon receiving it would respond “Blessings upon your name” or “Blessings upon your kin”. When bidding farewell, some would use “Ma’a salama”, but others would use “May spirits spare your step” or “Walk free from bondage”. Other differences include the A’tmuzigh practice of libations, where before drinking, an A’tmuzigh would pour a small amount of the liquid on the ground as an offering to the spirits, or that of lithomancy, where powerful spirits bound to small rocks or tokens are worn or carried as a form of protection against other, more malicious spirits. The A’tmuzigh language does not have its own script, and thus is written in the Qalasheen script with minor modifications to show pronunciation differences. There are some within the A’tmuzigh, often those amongst the traders or those living amongst the city folk, who have learned the art of writing. Some of these men and women have produced great works of writing in the form poetry, which is highly valued in A’tmuzigh society. Those among the A’tmuzigh who know how to write are often viewed highly by their tribe and enjoy a higher social status. Although few among the A’tmuzigh practice magic, it is not unheard of nor is it particularly frowned upon. For example, A’tmuzigh oracles are known for practicing forms of spiritual magics such as far-sight, spirit-walking, and spirit bindings. A’tmuzigh tribes that follow trading routes and trade with cities and settlements produce mostly leatherwork such as clothing and satchels, as well as embroidered garbs, rugs, and cloths. Some also do business in trading medicinal, alchemical, or aromatic herbs and concoctions, while others make their coin selling trinkets and charms. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Military The A’tmuzigh have no formal military per se. Some within tribes may choose to pursue the ways of the warrior to protect the tribe or become guardians of holy sites, while some others are trained to become scouts or raiders. Those who do so are trained in melee combat and archery by other tribe members. Training in the ways of combat is available for any child above the age of 13 wishing to learn. A’tmuzigh warriors tend to specialise in the use of melee weapons and hand-to-hand combat, using a combination of a one-handed spear or sword and shield. A’tmuzigh raiders are renowned for their mounted archery skills on camelback and are also proficient at melee mounted combat using lances as a charging weapon. A’tmuzigh warriors and raiders wear a shorter tunic and pants, with armour made of reinforced leather or multilayer linen overtop. The leather armour has an outer layer of fabric displaying embroidered geometric patterns, showing tribal allegiance. Some A’tmuzigh warriors from wealthier backgrounds or appointed to prestigious roles such as guarding holy shrines may wear metallic armour, such as chainmail or bronze plate. A’tmuzigh weaponry is diverse, with mounted raiders using an allagh charging lance, tagheda thrown javelins, and taganze bows, and warriors using a combination of an agher shield with a one-handed spear, takoba long sword or a flyssa short sword. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (OOC: If you wish to play an A'tmuzigh character or are interested in the lore, please feel free to contact me on Discord at Northern_Watcher#0790)

Hello friends and foes of LoTC! I hope that my post finds you all well, that the new year has been kind to you thus far and that you find yourselves in the best of health. It is my sincere hope that you are all safe and sound with your loved ones (or your pets). With the coming of the new year I found myself back on this wonderful server nearly three years after I took a hiatus. Much has changed and I felt like the type and quality of roleplay that we have had has changed as well, to my pleasant surprise! I grew nostalgic of my early days of playing on the server back in 2014-2015. Alongside the updated mechanics and progress in the world lore, I felt that it was the perfect opportunity to breathe life into House Visconti; which I had the pleasure of representing off and on at earlier times. I plan to compile a Master-guide to Illatian and Visconti roleplay by the end of next week and give the RP announcement about our current position and plans. In order to help me make this a reality, I decided to reach out to you, the LoTC community. I was dissatisfied with the information I was able to collect thus far because: Some key players lost access to their drives and their precious documents. Some key players became inactive and unreachable. Primary-source forum posts are very aged and difficult to follow. Secondary-source information is often skewed and distorted. We have a list of tertiary characters holding the family name who I cannot place in our family tree. I wanted to write this post and ask those of you who have played a House Visconti (or Illatian persona) to kindly reply to this forum post and aid me in my project by sending me links to the documents (or forum posts) that they do have or by contacting me on my Discord: Zoprak#3499. Character sheets and family trees are required. Secondary sources mentioning or referencing the family members and their activities are needed. Documents outlining family activities are appreciated. Miscellaneous documents, photographs, screenshots and skins are not necessary but would help fill in the gaps in the lore. Thank you for your time and assistance, I look forward to roleplaying with you all in the coming weeks. To those of you who are facing an upcoming semester I wish the best of luck and amazing grades. Please do not hesitate to contact me. Best regards, Zoprak (Antonius Mihailo Visconti) (P.S Dear Moderators, I apologise if this is in the wrong section, please transfer it to the appropriate place if need be, I am a returning player and I am still unsure where to place my forum posts that are OOC).

Ultimate Guide to the Halfling Race Contents: ~The origin of the Halfling culture ~How to Halfling ~Halflings, what are they? ~Should I play a Halfling? ~How to create a Halfling ~How to talk like a Halfling ~How to join the Halfling village ~How to build a Halfling burrow ~Things to do as a halfling ~The Halfling Festival ~How to Shog ~How to build Halfling villages (Coming soon) ~Other cool Guides The Origin of the Halfling Culture Halflings first came to LOTC as a sub-race of the Humans when sub-races were added to the server during Aegis. They were short with thick-soled hairy feet, fun-loving, and nearly impossible to predict. The first Halflings lived among Human settlements, making a living through thievery and adventure, staying true to their Human sub-race roots. However, one day three Halflings known as Len, Kipp, and Gimblo set out to create the first Halfling village Aegis had ever seen: DUNWOOD! Dunwood soon became the center of the Halfling race, although it was not without competitors. The villages of Thistledown and Greenshire were also founded and had their own populations, leadership, parties, etc. Facing all of these rival villages and the loss of some prominent Halflings, Dunwood soon fell into a state of prolonged inactivity. The village stayed empty for a good while, until one day Petyr (drplat) decided to revive the village with LotC’s most well-known festival ever: DUNFEST! Dunfest brought activity and life back to Dunwood (as well as plenty of people just there for the fireworks), and helped guarantee that the village culture of Dunwood would persist for years to come. The culture of Dunwood was roughly as follows: -Living in circular buildings surrounded by dirt, called “burrows” -Not using swords or other weapons unless absolutely necessary. -Living off of farm produce primarily instead of mining, smithing, lumberjacking, etc. -Being kind to one another, and valuing fun and enjoyment over conflict and intense character building. -Not wearing shoes or hoarding excessive amounts of materials/coinage in one’s burrow. Some time passed, and after 2.0 came to LOTC and the village of Branborough was founded, the halflings took on newer characteristics. Many ex-Undead players flocked to the halfling race after the end of Aegis, yearning for an end to all the conflict and strife they roleplayed constantly as Undead. This led to the supposed “Halfling Golden Age” and firmly set halflings as a sort of “vacation race” to serve as a break for those tired of the rest of LOTC. From there onwards, Halflings have waxed and waned in activity and hilarity. Many Halfling villages, such as Willow Hollow/Reedsborough, Mapleshire, Dunshire, and Gimblewood had stable roleplay and loads of fun, whereas others either only had activity for short periods of time or fell into long droughts of any meaningful content. Currently, the Halflings live in the village of Honeyhill near Haense's capital city, Karosgrad, under the leadership of their Thain, Iris Peregrin. How to Halfling Halflings, what are they? ~Merridolph Applebrook, a Halfling from Pendlemere~ “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.” -J.R.R Tolkien Height: Halflings are the smallest race in all of Arcas, ranging from 2 feet 6 inches tall to 3 feet tall. Due to this small size, Halflings make for excellent thieves and poor hand-to-hand fighters. Appearance: Halflings strong, thick, and hairy feet that protects them from harm as they walk barefoot. Their hair ranges from dark browns and reds to light blondes, and almost never sticks up straight. Their eye colors are the same of humans, except that Heterochromia is very common in halflings, with Heterochromia being where the two eyes have different colors. Clothing: Halfling clothes are usually simple wool-cloth or leather garments made by fellow Halflings designed to fit their small stature. Green and Yellow are common colors, followed by brown and the dull white of undyed cloth. Overalls are common in Halflings who farm frequently, and more adventurous Halflings might wear simple capes and hoods. Aging: Halflings are usually around 3 feet tall and have very hairy feet. They grow to maturity at the age of 33, live to 150, and show signs of old age after around 100-120. However, many Halflings artificially increase their lifespan through Druidism or other methods. Characteristics: 1: Halflings love eating food, often eating more than characters twice their size! 2: Halflings love to drink alcohol and smoke pipeweed. Most Halflings build up a strong alcohol tolerance from an early age, and thus beating a Halfling in a Drinking Competition is no easy feat! Meanwhile, pipeweed is just a simple crop similar to tobacco but with less negative health effects. 3: While shunning violence in most situations, Halflings can be quite dangerous if cornered! Nobody wants to face an angry midget with a big stick, of course! 4: While more adventurous/non-village Halflings love to steal from bigger races, Halflings rarely steal from other Halflings. 5: For unknown reasons, Halflings prefer to fight with Shovels whenever forced to fight. For village Halflings this is symbolic of their desire to return to a peaceful life, whereas for Halflings outside of Halfling villages this is due to the desire to whack things real hard with the shovel! 6: Halflings almost never wear armor, partially due to the non-existence of Halfling-sized armor, but also due to Halflings’ peaceable nature. 7: Halflings shun on the use of locks and the hoarding of resources, instead preferring a more open and sharing community. Should I play a Halfling? Halflings aren’t for everyone. Those who enjoy more violent characters will be disappointed in the small size of Halflings, and those who like getting rich will not enjoy the more communal lifestyle of Halflings. However, Halflings still manage to appeal to many by providing things other races cannot. Halflings are never at war, host frequent parties and celebrations, and never cease to amaze with their frequent antics! To re-state Petyr’s words on whether or not you should play a Halfling: Some points to Note: If you really enjoy PvPing, a halfling is probably not for you. If you rage or have a temper, being a halfling is not for you. If you want to be a Mary Sue or be a super duper badass, halflings are not for you. If you get really bored really quickly, halflings might not be for you. If you want to mine, halflings might not be for you. If you are too serious, halflings are not for you. HOWEVER: If you enjoy farming, drinking, fishing, and laughing, be a halfling. If you are tired of powergamers, poor RPers, or just tired of conflict, be a halfling. If you want some peace and some good friends, be a halfling. If you are drawn to short and weak races like hobbits and gnomes, be a halfling. If you like the sound of an Irish accent, be a halfling. If you want a community that is more focused on fun over items, be a halfling. If you've always wanted to live in a hobbit burrow, be a halfling. How to Roleplay a Halfling Roleplaying a Halfling is a unique experience on LOTC. No other race is as short, and no other communities party in such copious quantities. In spite of these differences, halflings are not that difficult to roleplay, and anyone can pull it off with minimal practice and a good bit of pipe smokin’! How to create a Halfling 1: Read up on Halfling lore! A quick glance at this Guide and the wiki page should be plenty! 2: Get a skin! This can be an unused skin from Planetminecraft, a skin you made yourself, or a skin you got a halfling skinner to make for you! Halfling skins aren’t that hard to make, and many non-Halfling skins can be turned into Halfling skins by removing all armor, making it barefoot, and adding in more Halfling-like attire like overalls, for example! 3: Get a name! This can be done by stealing the name of a lesser known hobbit from Lord of the Rings, mashing together some random nature words until you get something that sounds cool (“Stump Mossbranch”, for example), or by visiting https://chriswetherell.com/hobbit where you can generate both male and female Halfling names for free! 4: Create your persona and start RPing! How to talk like a Halfling While no two halfling accents are alike, most share a few common characteristics 1: Don’t use T in the middle or end of a word, replace it with an apostrophe instead. Example: “Tha’s terrible! Translation: “That’s terrible!” 2: Don’t use H at all, unless it’s combined with another consonant. Replace them all with apostrophes as well. Example: “‘elp me! Me ‘airy fee’ be on fire!” Translation: “Help me! My hairy feet are on fire!” 3: Replace -y with -eh if you feel like it, although this is not required. Example: “The mos’ vereh nice ta’ers always be slimeh!” Translation: “The best potatoes are always slimy!” 4: When drunk, sleepy, or otherwise impaired, replace the letter I with “oi” or “o” wherever it seems appropriate. Example: “Oi nay b-beh drunk! T’is os ‘ow oi normalleh speak! Moind yer manners!” Translation: “I’m not drunk! This is how I normally speak! Mind your manners!” 5: -ing turns into -in’ in most accents. Example: “Runnin’, jumpin’, swimmin’, these be me favori’e thin’s!” Translation: “Running, jumping, swimming, these are my favorite things!” 6: Add in your own extra flairs! Many halflings like to replace “the” with “t’eh” or “t’a”, or turn “my” into “me”, “mah”, or “meh”. The more it sounds like something a country bumpkin would say, the better! Example: “Buh wha’ abou’ t’eh droid a’’ack on t’a wookies?” Translation: “But what about the droid attack on the wookies?” How to join the Halfling village 1: Create a Halfling character, duh! (See “How to create a Halfling”) 2: Go to the Halfling village. Sometimes the location of the Halfling village is a secret, and sometimes the Halfling village is right in the open for everyone to see! Whatever the case may be, you’ll eventually find the village is you ask and look around a bit! Check the forums to see if its location is put there, and try to contact the Halflings themselves on the forums if you are still confused! 3: Find an Authority Figure within the village. This is easier said than done, as the Halfling leadership isn’t online all the time (They have to sleep as well ya know)! If none of the Halfling leadership is online, try to find the village’s noticeboard to see if any OOC contacts are listed. If they are, then contact the leadership via the Discord, Skype, Forum Profile, etc. that is listed to try and be online at the same time. 4: Do whatever is required in order to get a home! Normally Halfling burrows are free, but that hasn’t always been the case! Back in Dunwood new Halflings had to fill out some fancy paperwork before being able to live there! Hopefully you will be able to get your burrow in no time flat! How to build a Halfling burrow There are many different ways to make a Halfling burrow. I shall list a few guides below: Here is Petyr’s guide to making burrows way back in Asulon And here’s Larry’s guide to more modern burrows And here’s my own guide on how to make burrows in RP And here’s Faldo’s guide to making burrows Things to do as a Halfling 1: Have parties! You can never party too much as a Halfling! Ideally there should be at least one event, party, or festival every weekend, but if there isn’t one you can easily plan your own! ((See: How to plan Halfling parties)) 2: Fishing, farming, baking, brewing etc. Of course, not every day can be a party, so every Halfling character should have some personal activity they can perform when things are quieter. Whether or not you want to roleplay these activities or do them out of character is up to you. ((For brewing, if you screenshot the roleplay of your booze-making, you could get the Moderators to rename bottles for you)) 3: Small talk, small adventuring. As with all races, the majority of Halfling roleplay consists of relaxed chatter between characters. However, Halfling roleplay is more interesting when there’s a sense of direction and light-hearted urgency to it. If you ever get bored when chatting with your pals, you can simply invent some non-existant problem that has to be solved, be it evil gnomes stealing all of the booze, or chemicals in the water turning all the frogs gay! 4: Event builds within the village! Halfling villages are usually filled with small secrets that can be used for more interesting roleplay. Some secrets contained within Halfling villages include… ~A giant chicken protecting its lair! ~Tunnels filled with rats underneath the fields! ~A secret passageway to the edge of the world! ~Secret shrines to the Pumpkin Lord! ~A toilet that flushes you into the dark realm of Arugula, the evil Squid Lord! The Halfling Festival ~The Dunshire Harvest Festival~ Halfling Festivals are always massive events, drawing large numbers of players to the Halfling village for a good ol’ time! There are several features in common with Festivals, although almost every Festival is unique in some way! Common features of Halfling Festivals: 1: Shogging, Darts, Pie Eating, and other games. Halflings love playing fun little games! For instance, Shogging, a common halfling sport played on two logs, is a part of almost every Festival! Pie-Eating is also common, as Halflings are fond of food and often wish to turn it into a competition! Darts are a bit less common, but still fun nonetheless! 2: Drinking! If there’s anything Halflings love more than food, it’s booze! It’s not uncommon for Halflings to drink an entire barrel of booze in one sitting! Due to this, massive amounts of booze are consumed in practically every Halfling Festival worth writing home about! 3: Another main attraction! While drinking and games may appeal to many, many Halfling Festivals go beyond this! Some Festivals include massive events like Pig Races, Boat Racing, Scavenger Hunts, and entire adventures as the main attraction for the Festival! How to Shog Shogging is a very common Halfling Sport that most Halflings wish to master. Here are the basic rules: 1: Begin with one person on each log. 2: The goal is to knock your opponent off of their log without falling off of your own! 3: No jumping from one log to the other! Stay on your own log! 4: You must wear a pumpkin on your head and use a shovel to try and knock your opponent off. 5: No finding extra holes through your pumpkin! (Don’t use third person camera or hide your user interface to avoid the pumpkin penalty!) Some tips and tricks: 1: It’s useful to sneak so that you don’t fall off by accident. 2: However, you can suddenly stop sneaking to rapidly move forwards to catch your opponent by surprise! 3: Playing defensively is usually better than playing aggressively, but sometimes being aggressive can pay off! Other cool guides: The Halfling Information Mega-Thread (which this thread is replacing) An unofficial Halfling guide to Hosting Guests (still relevant) Halfling Activities Guide (outdated, but great for inspiration!) So you want to be a Halfling (outdated) The Official Halfling Guide (Outdated but still good!) Why you should be a Halfling (Outdated but an excellent read!) That’s all for now! I’ll keep on adding to this guide until I am satisfied with it. It’s just that I wanted to post it sooner so that new Halflings wishing to live in Brandybrook (and, more recenty, Bramblebury) may see it!

ALKALORIAN CULTURE "This armor is part of our identity. It makes us Alkalorians who we are"~ Alk'alor the Unifier INTRODUCTION The Alkalorians—known in Alko'a as the Alko'ade, or "Children of Alkalore"—were a nomadic group of clan-based people consisting of members from multiple species and multiple genders, all bound by a common culture. HISTORY In their early years, Alkalorian culture revolved around battle, with war being a source of honor and pride in their community. The leader of the Alkalorians was known as the Alk'alor, translating to "Sole Ruler" and was rendered as "Alkalore" in Common Language. The Alkalorians moved away from their obsessively war-like and conqueror ways and instead, most became bounty hunters and mercenaries, selling their skills to various individuals and factions in the Lands of Atlas then Arcas. After the great Migration Most of the Alkalorians led by Alk'alor the Lesser moved to Deserts of Korvassa to stay Isolated from the Humanity. During the War of two Emperors, Alkalorian World was divided, The great Alkalorian Civil war Broke out, Many clans died during that war and only few clans survived, Both sides stopped fighting because of high losses, then, New Alk'alor Stepped in- Alk'alor The Unifier, He was one of greatest Alkalores, After his death Most of the tribes scattered around the world. RELIGION The Alkalorian religion was the accumulated spiritual and mythological beliefs of the Alkalorian warrior culture. Like the Alkalorians themselves, their religion saw numerous changes throughout the course of history, with several concepts evolving or falling out of popular practice over time. The ancient Alkalorians and the culture's human founders were intensely devout in their beliefs, forming a deeply religious society. Creation myths such as the Akaanati'kar'oya—the "War of Life and Death"—were viewed literally, and ritual combat was waged in worship of Kad Ha'rangir the destroyer god, who the Alkalorians believed represented change and was opposed by Arasuum, the stagnant sloth-god. This obsession with battle reached its pinnacle when the Alkalorian came to deify war itself, and believed that to wage war was to be divine Kad Ha'rangir was a deity in the ancient Alkalorian Religion. Known as the destroyer god, the vigorous Kad Ha'rangir was viewed by the Alkalorians as the bringer of change and growth upon the Lands Arasuum was a deity in the ancient Alkalorian Religion Known as the sloth-god, the Alkalorians viewed Arasuum as the personification of stagnation, who tempted the ancient clans to engage in idle consumption Hod Ha'ran was a deity in the ancient Alkalorian Religion. Known as a trickster god by the early Alkalorian people, Hod Ha'ran was viewed as an agent of the fickle nature of fortune. CANONS OF HONOUR AND RESOL'NARE The Canons of Honor were a Alkalorian text of law and behavior. Evolving from the ancient religious laws followed by the Ancestorial society that founded the Alkalorian culture, the Canons of Honor aimed at helping the ancient Alkalorian warriors attain glory and personal honor. The Canons' texts were extrapolated from the Resol'nare, the six central tenets of the Alkalorian culture. By following the tenets of the Resol'nare,with special emphasis placed upon loyalty to one's clan and engaging in combat, the laws of the Canons were satisfied, and a warrior earned honor "I adhere to the Resol'nare. The core of what it means to be alkalorian. A sacred law giving us direction and purpose. Education and armor, self-defense, our tribe, our language, our leader—all help us survive. We must educate our children as Alkalorians, obey the commands of Alk'alor, speak Alko'a and defend our clans." ~ Kot Varaad, Alk'alor the Just The Resol'nare, or Six Actions when translated from Alko'a into Common Language, were the central tenets of Alkalorian life. They consisted of wearing armor, speaking the language, defending oneself and family, raising your children as Alkalorians, contributing to the clan's welfare, and when called upon by the Alk'alor, rallying to their cause. Tradition dictated that anyone who wished to be considered Alkalorians were to abide by these guidelines and live these actions daily. Alkalorians whom did not follow the Resol'nare were considered to be dar'Alka—someone who was ignorant of their Alkalorian heritage and bereft of their Alkalorian soul. The status of dar'alka was widely feared within Alkalorian society due to the belief it meant they were soulless and had no place in the Alkara, the Alkalorian afterlife. Before and during the Alkalorian War, any and all non-Alkalorians were considered dar'alka and soulless from birth, until they joined the Alkalorians and lived by the Resol'nare. Groups of captured individuals would often be forcibly inducted into Alkalorian culture, and made to swear by the Resol'nare with or without their consent under the threat of death. Young Alkalorian children were taught a rhyme to help them learn the tenets of the Resol'nare, and their parents would explain the cultural significance of each tenet as they grew. Rhyme of Resol'nare "Ba'jur bal beskar'gam, Ara'nov, aliit, Alko'a bal Alk'alor— An vencuyan mhi." "Education and armor, Self-defense, our tribe, Our language and our leader— All help us survive" ALKALORIAN WRITING SYSTEM The Alkalorian writing system consisted of twenty-six characters and was used to provide a written analog to the spoken Alko'a. Despite there being no F, X, or Z equivalents in the verbal Alko'a, these letters were included in the written alphabet for greater ease in transliterating foreign words. Alkalorian also allowed for use of a base 10 number system with numbers denoted 0 through 9 Alkalorian Writing system ALKO'A LANGUAGE Alko'a, sometimes referred to simply as Alkalorian, was the primary language spoken by the Alkalorian culture "We don't have a word for hero. Being prepared to die for your family and friends, or what you hold dear, is a basic requirement for a Alko'ade, so it's not worth a separate word. It's only cowards we had to find a special name for"~ Ves Tark'an, Alk'alor The Wise Grammar Alko'a was a primarily spoken language, rather than a written one, and was thus an expressive language that was often thought of as easy to learn, a trait highly desirable in a culture that regularly adopted adults from numerous races and species. The language's grammar was relatively uncomplicated, but there were elements that necessitated adjustments for a speaker of Basic, including Alko'a's expression of tense, and its gender-neutrality. Because Alkalorians believed in living their history, along with the idea that a tomorrow was not always a certainty, past and future tense were colloquially done away with. Instead, the prefixes ru for "past", and ven for "future", were used in place of the more widely-used tense forms. There was also no passive verb form in Alko'a; a verb was either active or simply absent from the statement. Furthermore, infinitive verbs ended in -ir, -ar, -ur, -or, or -er. To produce the stem, removing the "r" at the end was all that was required. Ni vorer was incorrect, but Ni vore—meaning "I accept" and using the inflected form—was correct. Oftentimes, an apostrophe—known in Alko'a as a beten, or "sigh"—was used to separate the terminal vowel, indicating the slight glottal pause of some Alkalorian accents. Other uses for the beten were as an indication of a breath, for pronunciation, or a sign of a dropped letter or letters in a contraction. For instance, the sentence "I carry a saber" could be translated in Alko'a as the formal ni juri kad, or the pronunciation-marked ni jur'i kad, since the emphasis was placed on the second syllable in the word juri, and even the more commonly contracted ni jur'kad. Dropping a terminal vowel when conjugating was quite common, especially in Alkalorian poetry and song.Occasionally, certain verbs would be left out all together, and instead implied via word order. While this tendency to forgo certain words could be confusing to Basic speakers, and make the language appear abrupt, the militaristic Alkalorian had largely assumed the concise speech common in military orders. Whereas the literal translation for "It's good" would be bic cuyi jate, a Alkalorian was much more likely to just say jate, or "good", instead. Due to Alko'a's nature as a gender-neutral language, gender was implied by context. Buir meant both "mother" and "father", just as "son" and "daughter" were both represented by the word ad. When it was necessary to specify gender, the adjectives of jagyc or dalyc—male and female, respectively—would be added. This grammatical system was a rarity for a language spoken by beings who reproduced sexually. To form a question, the interrogative prefix tion was placed at the beginning of a sentence. While Gar verborad'ni meant "You are hiring me", the addition of the tion prefix placed before gar would turn the previous statement into the question, "Are you hiring me?" Another example of a meaningful prefix was ke, which was drawn from the Alko'a word for "order", or ke'gyce, and was placed at the start of a sentence to indicate a command. In order to create the negative form in Alko'a, the prefix n', nu, nu', or ne was added before either the sentence or the individual word. Ne'briikase meant "unhappy", while Nu'ni juri kad meant "I don't carry a saber". When forming a plural, -e was added to the end of words ending in consonants, while -se was added to the end of words ending in a vowel. As with most languages, there were exceptions to the rule, such as in the case of gett becoming gett'se. Originally, the indication of a plural was done with an -a suffix rather than an -e, a practice that went away over time. Adjectives and adverbs were formed by adding the suffixes -la or -yc to the end of pre-existing nouns. Di'kut, meaning "idiot" in Alko'a, could easily become di'kutla, meaning "idiotic".Comparatives and superlatives were formed in much the same way. When creating a comparative, the suffix -shy'a was added to the end of the standard adjective. For a superlative, the -ne suffix was added. An example would be the word dral, meaning "bright", becoming dralshy'a, or "brighter", and the word jate, meaning "good", becoming jatne, or "best". No distinction between adverbs and adjectives was made in Alko'a, and although a non-Alko'a speaker might make out a Alkalorian to be uneducated should he say in Basic, "The boys done good", it was much more likely that they were simply unfamiliar with Basic's past tense and adverbial forms. Alko'a also made less use of articles such as "the" and "an" than Basic, generally adding them only for emphasis. Alko'a had a similar pronunciation to Basic, with a few notable exceptions. The letters "f", "x", or "z" were not present in Alko'a, although the written form of the Alkalorian alphabet included the letters for greater ease in transliterating foreign words. In the absence of the letter "f", Alko'a substituted the similar-sounding "vh" combination, and the Alkalorian "s" could be pronounced in the same way as a common "z". Over time, the pronunciation of "d" lost favor to the more modern "t", though certain Alkalorian communities still preferred to pronounce the letter "j" as a "y" sound, instead of the more commonly heard hard "j" found in words like "joy". When speaking, the first "h" present in a word was typically aspirated—aside from its archaic form used in traditional songs and poems—and always pronounced when found in the middle of a word. Alko'a possessed no silent letters, though the opposite was often true of Alkalorian songs: terminal consonants could become extra syllables in order to better maintain rhythm and meter. For example, tor could easily become to-rah, and tang could just as easily become tan-gah VOCABULARY a'den - rage aranar - defend atiniir - to endure, to stick with, to tough it out baatir - to care, to worry about betenor - to sigh brokar - to beat cuyir - to be, to exist dinuir - to give duraanir - scorn, hold in contempt duumir - to allow gaa'tayl - Help ganar - to have, possess hettir - burn hibirar - learn hukaatir - to cover jehaatir - lie, untruth jorhaa'ir - speak, talk jorso'ran - shall bear (archaic imperative form) jurir - bear arms, to carry something jurkadir - attack, threaten, mess with; kar'taylir - to know, hold in the heart k'uur - Hush! liser - to be able to, can motir - stand narir - to act, do, or put naritir - insert, place, or put nau'ur - light up, illuminate nau'ur kad - to forge; Literally: light up a saber nynir - to hit, to strike oya - Literally: Let's hunt! Colloquially adapted as a positive and triumphant cheer with potential meanings including "Stay alive!", "Go you!", and simply "Cheers!" parjir - to win, to be victorious shabiir - screw up shereshoy - a lust for life shukur - to break susulur - to hear, to listen takisir - to insult Tal'galar - to spill blood, to bleed trattok'o - to fall, to fail, or collapse udesiir - to relax, to rest, to be peaceful usen'ye - rudest way to tell someone to go away; utilizes the same root as osik verborir - to buy, to hire, to contract vorer - to accept ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS adenn - merciless aruetyc - foreign, or even traitorous, but generally "not Alkalorian" atin - stubborn or persistent briikase - happy bantov - nevertheless dar - no longer darasuum - eternal or eternally, forever di'kutla - foolish, idiotic dral - bright dralshy'a - stronger, brighter ge'tal - red hettyc - burning hut'uunla - cowardly iviin'yc - fast, quickly jate - good jatne - best kandosii - indomitable, ruthless; used colloquially as noble or classy as well; awesome mesh'la - beautiful mirdala - clever naast - destroyer ne'tra - black nuhunla or nuh'la - funny ori - big, extreme, very pakod - easy racin - pale shabla - screwed up shuk'la - crushed or broken solus - one, alone, individual, vulnerable sol'yc - first talyc - bloody or bloodstained; can also be used to refer to meat cooked rare teroch - pitiless tome - together troch - certainly (archaic) ures - without, lacking NOUNS aaray - pain aay'han - bittersweet moment of mourning and joy; "remembering and celebration" Tatesh - south Katesh - north atesh - west abesh - east abiik - air adade - personnel adate - people, persons adiik - child aged 3 to 13 ad'ika - kid, lad, boy, sweetie, darling, son, daughter, child ad - sons, daughters, child ade - children agol - living tissue, meat, muscle; flesh of an animal or human; "flesh and blood" aka - mission akaan - war akaan'ade - army akaata - battalion akalenedat - hard contact alii'gai - flag, colors aliik - sigil, or symbol on armor aliit - family, clan, tribe alor - leader, chief, "officer", constable, boss alor'ad - captain aloriya - capital; literally: "Head City" alor'uus - corporal al'verde - commander anade - everyone or everybody aran - guard araniik - cordon ara'nov - defense arasuum - stagnation arpat - seed aru'e - enemy aruetii - outsider or traitor; colloquially a "non-Alkalorian" ash'ad - someone else baar - body baarpir - sweat baar'ur - medic ba'buir - grandparent ba'jur - education, training balac - opportunity bas neral - coarse grain used for animal fodder and brewing, generally thought unfit to eat ba'vodu - aunt or uncle behot - a citrus-flavored herb, antiseptic, and mild stimulant beroya - bounty hunter bes'bavar - cavalry besbe - a slang term for kit besbe'trayce - weapons bes'bev - Alkalorian flute capable of being used in combat be'senaar - missile beskad - slightly curved saber of Alkalorian iron beskar - Alkalorian iron beskar'ad - Animii; Literally: "child of iron" beskar'gam - armor; Literally: "iron skin" bes'laar - music be'sol - priority besom - ill-mannered lout, unhygienic person, someone with no manners Bes'uliik - Basilisk war droid; Literally: "iron beast" beten - sigh bev - needle, spike beviin - lance bevik - stick bic - it bines - stack birgaan - backpack birikad - baby carrying harness buir - parent burc'ya - friend buy'ce - helmet; Colloquially: pint, bucket ca - night cabur - protector or guardian chakaar - thief, petty criminal, scumbag; Literally: "grave robber"; general term of abuse Cuy'val Dar - "those who no longer exist" cyar'ika - darling, beloved, sweetheart cyar'tomade - fans or supporters dar'buir - no longer a parent dar'alka - a state of being "not Alkalorian"; not an outsider, but one who has lost his heritage, and so his identity and soul dar'yaim - a hell, a place you want to forget dha - dark di'kut - fool, idiot, useless individual; context-dependent: can mean jerk, moron, etc. droten - people entye - debt gal - ale or alcohol gett - nut gihaal - fish-meal gra'tua - revenge, vengeance hut'uun - coward haran - hell; Literally: destruction, cosmic annihilation ibi'tuur - today jai'galaar - shriek-hawk kad - saber kal - knife kama - belt-spat kando - importance, weight ka'ra - stars ka'rta - heart or soul ke'gyce - command, order kom'rk - gauntlet kot - strength kote - glory, might kov'nyn - headbutt, Keldabe kiss kyr'am - death Kyr'tsad - Death Watch; literally: "Death Society" Alk'alor - "sole ruler", leader of the Alkalorians Alka'ad - Alkalorian; Literally: "Son/Daughter of Alkalor" mar'eyce - discovery mirshe - brain mir'shupur - brain injury ne'ta - black ne'tra gal - black ale Niktose - Nikto norac - back orar - thunder or'dinii - moron or fool ori'ramikad - Supercommando ori'vod - big brother/sister, special friend osik - dung (Impolite) parjai - victory prudii - shadow rang - ash riduur - partner, spouse, husband/wife runi - soul; only used poetically ruus'alor - sergeant shabuir - extreme insult - "jerk", but much stronger shebs - backside, rear, butt shereshoy - a lust for life shig - a hot, tea-like beverage shuk'orok - crushgaunt tal - blood tihaar - an alcoholic drink; a strong, clear spirit made from fruit tor - justice tra - starfield, space tracinya - flame tracyn - fire troan - face tsad - alliance, group, organization tuur - day uj'alayi - a very dense, very sweet cake made from crushed nuts, dried fruit and spices, and then soaked in a sticky scented syrup called uj'jayl. Simplified as uj cake. uj'ayl - a sticky scented syrup vencuyot - future ver'alor - lieutenant verd - soldier or warrior vhett - farmer vod - brother, sister, comrade Vongese - Yuuzhan Vong werda - shadows (archaic) PHRASES Aliit ori'shya tal'din - "Family is more than blood." Ba'slan shev'la. - "Strategic disappearance." Cin vhetin - a fresh start or clean slate; literally: "white field" Copaani gaan? - "Need a hand?" Copaani mirshmure'cye, vod? - "Are you looking for a smack in the face, mate?" Cui ogir'olar - "it's irrelevant" Gar serim - "Yes, you're right." or "That's it." Gar taldin ni jaonyc; gar sa buir, ori'wadaas'la. - "Nobody cares who your father was, only the father you'll be." Gedet'ye - "Please" Haar'chak - "Damn it!" Haat, Ijaa, Haa'it - "Truth, Honor, Vision"—said when sealing a pact Haatyc or'arue jate'shya ori'sol aru'ike nuhaatyc - "Better one big enemy that you can see than many small ones you can't." Haili cetare! - Literally: "Fill your boots";used colloquially to mean "eat your fill" Haryc b'aalyc - "tired and emotional", euphemism for "drunk" Hukaat'kama - "Watch my back" Ib'tuur jatne tuur ash'ad kyr'amur. - "Today is a good day for someone else to die." Jatnese be te jatnese - "The best of the best" K'atini! - "Suck it up!" Kandosii! - "Nice one!" or "Well done!" Kaysh guur' skraan - "He loves his food."—said of someone who has a healthy appetite Kaysh mirsh solus - "He's an idiot"; literally: "His brain cells are lonely." Ke barjurir gar'ade, jagyc'ade kot'la a dalyc'ade kotla'shya. - "Train your sons to be strong but your daughters to be stronger." Ke nu'jurkadir sha Alka'ade! - "Don't mess with Alkalorians!" Ke'pare! - "Wait!" K'oyacyi! - "Cheers!" Can also mean "Hang in there" or "Come back safely."; literally a command: "Stay alive!" K'uur - "Hush!" Alka'ad draar digu - "A Alkalorian never forgets." Alkakarla - "You've got the right stuff." Mar'e - "At last!"; an expression of relief Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde - "We are one when together, we are one when parted, we will share all, we will raise warriors."—Alkalorian marriage vows Mir'osik - "Dung for brains" Mirsh'kyramud - a boring person; literally: "brain killer" Mishuk gotal'u meshuroke, pako kyore. - "Pressure makes gems, ease makes decay." Munit tome'tayl, skotah iisa - "Long memory, short fuse." Nar dralshy'a - "Put your back into it!" or "Try harder!" Ne shab'rud'ni... - "Don't mess with me..."; extremely strong warning likely to be followed by violence Ner vod - "my brother/sister"; colloquially also "my friend" Ni dinu ner gaan naakyc, jorcu ni nu copaani kyr'amur ner vod - Honor my offer of truce, for I would not willingly shed my brother's blood. Ni kar'tayl gai sa'ad - "I know your name as my child"; Alkalorian adoption vow Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum - "I love you." Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum - "I'm still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal"—Daily remembrance of those passed on, followed by the names of those being remembered Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la - "Not gone, merely marching far away"—; Alkalorian phrase for the departed Ori'buyce, kih'kovid. - "All helmet, no head."—Alkalorian insult for someone with an overdeveloped sense of authority. Ori'haat - "It's the truth, I swear—no bull." Ori'jate - "Very good" Resol'nare - The six tenets of Alkalorian culture Ret'lini - "Just in case" Ret'urcye mhi - Goodbye; literally: "Maybe we'll meet again" Sooran, shab! - Contemptuous and triumphant comment - like "suck on that, chum!" Su cuy'gar! - "Hello!"; literally: "So you're still alive." Su'cuy! - Hi! Tion'ad hukaat'kama? - "Who's watching your back?" Udesii - "Calm down" or "take it easy" Usenye - "Go away!" (Obscene) Verd ori'shya beskar'gam. - "A warrior is more than his armor" Vor entye - "Thank you"; literally: "I accept a debt" Vor'e - "Thanks" OTHER WORDS a, a', or al - but an - all ashi - other ast - itself bah - to bal - and be - of cuun - our elek - yes 'lek - yeah gar - you, your haar - the; used rarely ibic - this juaan - beside, next to kaysh - him/her, his/hers, he/she lo - into meg - which, what, that, who meh - if mhi - we nayc - no ner - my ni - I par - for ra - or ru - past-tense prefix sa - as, like te - the teh - from ti - with tion'ad - who? vaii - where val - they, theirs ven - future-tense prefix NUMBERS solus - one t'ad - two ehn - three cuir - four rayshe'a - five resol - six e'tad - seven sh'ehn - eight she'cu - nine ta'raysh - ten olan - hundred ta'raysholan - thousand COLORS sal - color ge'tal - red kebiin- blue shi'yayc - yellow vorpan- green ve'vut - gold saviin - violet daryc - brown ne'tra - black cin - white genet - gray aroa'yr - silver RACES Vorpan'gam - Orc/goblin, Literally Green Skin Alv'ad - Elf Aroa'yr Alv'ad - High Elf, Literally: Silver Elf Dha Alv'ad - Dark Elf Cin Alv'ad - Snow Elf, Literally: White Elf Vorpan Alv'ad - Forrest Elf, Literally: Green Elf Drota - Human Kahjiit - Kha Genet'Drota - Dwarf, Literally: Gray Human Beskar'ad - Animii; Literally: "child of iron" Wonk'ad -Wonk; Literally "Child of wonk" ANIMALS Kar'nu - Cow Valt'aar - Wolf She'aar - Sheep Gor'du - Pig Gih - Fish Ga'agar - Bear Galaar - Hawk Dunn - Horse Talyc'cin - Chicken ALKALORIAN SONGS Dha Werda Verda "Alka'bode sa rang broka Alko'ade ka'rta. Dha Werda Verda a'den tratu, Alka'yaim kandosii adu. Duum motir ca'tra nau tracinya. Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a. Kom'rk tsad droten troch nyn ures adenn. Dha Werda Verda a'den tratu, Alka'yaim kandosii adu. Duum motir ca'tra nau tracinya. Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a" The ash of the Ancestors beats strong within the Alkalorian' heart. We are the rage of The Warriors of the Shadow, The first noble sons of Alkalore. Let all those who stand before us light the night sky in flame. Our vengeance burns brighter still. The gauntlet of Alkalore strikes without mercy. We are the rage of The Warriors of the Shadow, The first noble sons of Alkalore. Let all those who stand before us light the night sky in flame. Our vengeance burns brighter still. KOTE DARASUUM Kote, darasuum kote. Te racin ka'ra juaan kote Glory, eternal glory. The stars pale beside our might Kandosii sa kyr'am ast, Troan teroch aruetti a'den, Duraan vi at ara'nov. Vode an, ka'rta tor. Kote. As ruthless as Death itself, The pitiless face of Traitors wrath, Let us look down on all who are before us. Brothers all, one heart of justice. Glory. GRA'TUA CUUM Motir ca'tra nau tracinya. Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a. Alko'ad Motir ca'tra nau tracinya. Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a. Aruetyc runi'la solus cet o'r prudii an. Motir ca'tra nau tracinya. Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a. Aruetyc runi'la solus cet o'r. Motir ca'tra nau tracinya. Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a. Aruetyc runi'la trattok'o. Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad, Vode an! Motir ca'tra nau tracinya. Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a. Bal kote, darasuum kote, Jorso'ran kando a tome. Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad, Vode an. Those who stand before us light the night sky in flame. Our vengeance burns brighter still. Those who stand before us light the night sky in flame. Our vengeance burns brighter still. Every last traitorous soul shall kneel in our shadow. Those who stand before us light the night sky in flame. Our vengeance burns brighter still. Every last traitorous soul shall kneel. Those who stand before us light the night sky in flame. Our vengeance burns brighter still. Every last traitorous soul shall fall. Forged like the saber in the fires of death, Brothers All! Those who stand before us light the night sky in flame. Our vengeance burns brighter still. Alko's And glory, eternal glory, We shall bear its weight together. Forged like the saber in the fires of death, Brothers All VODE AM Kote! Kandosii sa ka'rta, Vode an. Arcasanta a'den mhi, Vode an. Bal kote, darasuum kote, Jorso'ran kando a tome. Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad, Vode an. Kandosii sa ka'rta, Vode an. Arcasanta a'den mhi, Vode an. Bal... Motir ca'tra nau tracinya. Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a. Aruetyc talyc runi'la solus cet o'r. Motir ca'tra nau tracinya. Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a. Aruetyc talyc runi'la trattok'o. Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad, Vode an! Glory! One indomitable heart, Brothers all. We, the wrath of Arcas, Brothers all. And glory, eternal glory, We shall bear its weight together. Forged like the saber in the fires of death, Brothers all. One indomitable heart, Brothers all. We, the wrath of Arcas, Brothers all. And... Those who stand before us light the night sky in flame. Our vengeance burns brighter still. Every last traitorous soul shall kneel. Those who stand before us light the night sky in flame. Our vengeance burns brighter still. Every last traitorous soul shall fall. Forged like the saber in the fires of death, Brothers all! BUY'CE GAL Buy'ce gal, buy'ce tal Verbor'ad ures aliit Mhi draar baat'i meg'parjii'se Kote lo'shebs'ul narit. A pint of ale, a pint of blood Buys men without a name. We never care who wins the war So you can keep your fame NAASAD'GUUR MHI Naasad'guur mhi, Naasad'guur mhi, Naasad'guur mhi, Mhi n'ulu. Mhi Alko'ade, Kandosii'ade, Teh Alko'yaim, Alko'ade. No one likes us, No one likes us, No one likes us, We don't care. We are Alkalorians, The elite boys, Alko boys, From Alkalore Hey Hey Hey! If you are interested in roleplaying Alkalorians msg me on Discord: Mykei#7300 or leave a comment down below! Cheers ~Myke

[!] Invitations have been sent to all registered citizens of Elvenesse, with formal letters arriving at the halls of the many elven houses that reside within the nation. [!] The Ceremony of Winter Starlight You have been cordially invited to attend and participate in an ancient tradition passed down by the alder folk, from Almenor and Malinor past. Don your most festive winter garb and bring your kin, for we are to witness the retelling and reincarnation of our grand heritage, almenodrim, wood elven and dark elven alike. In ancient times when Malin's children were plenty, the first sons and daughters would erect a sturdy pine, grown from the earth with the guidance of the Green Mother, and let its emerald limbs drape proudly in the great hall of the Elf Father. These ancient elves adored the light of the stars, even more so for the line of Sylvaen. The winter air blessed the sky with a brilliant shroud of glittering diamond-like stars, and the constellations the elves had named were most clearly visible this time of year. The young children of the elves would gather around the tree and gaze towards the sky with wonder, for those stars hold memory and meaning everlasting... just like the alder folk themselves. As each House gathered with shining, colored glass orbs, fantastically bright lights and golden silks, the elves adorned the tree with the likeness of their most beloved constellations and stars. With each ornament hung, new memories were believed to be sealed anew into those far-off stars above. Malin's halls alighted with the laughter of children as fine gifts were laid at the foot of the tree, waiting to be opened near winter's end. These were fine days indeed, where merriment and the love for the elven people filled the air absolutely. Now we are here at the present, in a new, strange and yet majestic realm... Let us capture the memory of our ancestors and create new ones in merry celebration and liven the winter air of our Elvenesse. May each House and Seed create their own ornament from any material best suited to their family, sealing in those beloved memories of family, love, children and life, and come to the lighting ceremony. To keepers of our faith, bring forth a decorative tree skirt embroidered with images of our Wild Gods, for the faith is the foundation of our unity lies within our dedication to our patrons. At the conclusion of our ceremony, a grand star that will complete the Mariner's constellation will adorn the top of our tree, forged from the heat of Malin's flame itself. May our new gladed home be filled with the winter spirit, I hope to see you all there!

We Want YOUR Screenshots! A lot of Orcish RP revolves around the Spirits & Ancestors, and particularly our ways of worshipping them. You’ll often hear a victorious Orc praising his chosen Spirit, or a Orc returning from a hunt dedicating his trophy to Votar. Unfortunately, few track our progress, and thus our Shamans cannot keep RP the Spirits or Ancestors being happy with an Orc’s dedication during the Spirit walks. So, if you ever construct a Shrine, sacrifice an Elf, dedicate a victory or in any other way please your chosen Spirit or Ancestor, send the screenshot in the comments. That way the rest of the Orcish community can share in your victory, and our Shamans can keep an eye on who is most active. Who knows, maybe one-day your fanaticism to Laklul could please the swampy boi and make you devote to his name, and give you Roleplay buffs. Here’s an example of why you may want to keep track of your dedications to a Spirit or Ancestor:

THE SER “Man is the cruelest animal.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche Lore/Origins Long before the Ser were born, the dragons ruled the lands. These giant beasts flew across the night sky in search of prey, with no mercy. Yet, these beasts were one with nature, and when Horen, the first King Of Man, gained power, the dragons fell into ruin. Before their demise, however, two new creatures were created. Nephilim were the first, the Dragon People. These were the creatures men saw in dragons, yet not what they were. And then the Serpens, also known as The Ser. These creatures looked more like snakes then dragons, where what the dragons really were. The Nephilim were created to punish men, and The Ser was made to let Dragons live on. They lived in peace, away from all men, orcs, and dwarves. A handful of Mali’ame found their way to the Ser, and were, in general, not eaten. Many people have claimed to have seen these beings, as they reach 6’ in height. All sightings have been seen as myths, however. After thousands of years of living in peace and away from modern society, the Dwarves tunneled their way into the Ser’Tarra tunnels. A massacre ensued, leaving many Ser and Dwarves dead. The remaining Ser’Tarra fled, and rallied their siblings, and thus, the Ser were introduced into the modern world. The Ser despised the Dwarves, Humans, and Orcs for disrupting nature, and that the dwarves were the worst. A similar race in the Fae realm, called the Elekhei (https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/194526-ca-race-lore-elekhei/?tab=comments All credit to her for the Elekhei) was also being evolved at the time. Many believe that the Elekhei are related to the Ser, but it is not certain. Appearance The Ser range in many different looks, some looking like Cobras, and others like Common Garter Snakes. Depending on the subrace, they would have different tints to their scales. The Ser’Tarra would be brown, the Ser’Aquis blue, and Ser’Ven black. They often have jewels attached to their tales, with one joule per year alive. This is a sign of glory, as many Ser died in the first years of their introduction into the modern world. If you were to insult a Ser’s looks, the Ser will attack, with the intention of making you as ugly as you said they were. Unhealthy Ser are smaller, weaker and overall worse. The tail of a Ser can be from 4’ to 6’, depending on the Ser. Many despide the Ser due to their looks, as a common fear of people revolve around snakes. Diet The Ser mainly only eat meat. Their favorite food being fish, rats, mice, pork, and steaks. All raw, of course. According to them, fire ruins the world. A healthy Ser will be 6’ tall and giant. An unhealthy one being slim and small, around 4’. Children are around 3’ healthy, and 2’ unhealthy. The unhealthy will die young, at 300 years old instead of 500 years old. If they were to eat anything but meat, they will have a reaction. Their scales would turn deep gray and start to fall off, leaving bare skin behind. This, to the Ser, is very painful and would kill them if not treated. They will not eat meat from Humans, Elves, Dwarves or etc. This, to them, is a sign of disgust, and rarely, can cause Dragon Rot. Disease The Ser don’t suffer from normal disease, yet they do suffer the same diseases, and some new ones, as the dragons. -Scale Wilting. Their scales will fall off, living pink or red skin in their wake. These patches will start to break up in hives, and sting to the slightest touch. -Claw Rot. Their claws will slowly shrink, leaving nubs behind. In time, if not treated, the claws will disappear and never grow back. Having no claws is a common sign of weakness to the Ser, and many will be disgraced for the rest of their lives. -Dragon Rot. The entire body will start to shrivel, making the Ser weak. Its caused by malnutrition mainly, though rarely Ser get it by feasting on Humans, Dwarves, Elves, and Etc. This disease makes the Ser VERY weak, and can die from the slightest cut. If the Ser where to do nothing about their sickness, they could die within a year. -Fire Glaze. When a Ser is burned, they can rarely get Fire Glaze. This disease will make the Ser very weak and unable to sit upright. Over a course of one week, the Ser will get temporary bad vision, bad hearing, and bad overall senses. In addition, they will have a constant headache and hives/welts. The Ser can also suffer from The Cold, yet it hardly affects them. Language The Ser speak in a weird tongue, consisting of mostly hissing sounds. They cannot write well, and often the writing looks like a child’s first attempt. Religion The Devourer - Primal god of the Ser The Religion of the Ser, peoples of the snake...from other races’s view on the practice their ways seem alien & strange-yet detailed & of interest. The Ser worship a giant snake, its humongous & strikes fear for all who dwell-its scales are said to be made from Descendant Skin-under the scales, the flames of Hell, if you stand near it you could smell its burning insides as its charcoal clusters around you, wherever it goes comes destruction, however-due to this it doesn't move that often, its constantly in sleep unless the end times comence-which is believed by the Ser. The Ser were touched by this giant snake, seeing it as their god, constantly doing its bidding through worship, they call him SEL’ANK, or the DEVOURER in common...reasoning being they believe at the end of time-the snake shall come out from its resting-awakened from times of troubles, and through this itll slither through the worlds, eating everything in its sight until there is no more signs of life, this is the end story for the Ser-However, the Ser believe they could resist this end event through practicing worship of this demon...this form of worship is done through the removal 0f skin on the snake’s tail, this being with a knife or any form of blade-once done they take the skin & burn it...of course as the Ser are similar to snakes they could regenerate said skin. In the Ser’s mindset their god is the creator of the ser, along with the first snake to ever exist. Rites of Ancient The Ser follow a very strict code, and when they come of age, (100) they will receive the Rites of Ancient. These writes, which can only be found in a single thousand year old book, must be read in the birthplace of the Ser, no matter how far it is. The rites consist of an oath, a pledge to nature, and deep magic. A council member is present at each, and if not, the rites will not happen. If the rites are not done by age 110 years old, the Ser will start to suffer from a curse, The Dragons Curse. This curse makes the Ser lose vision, smell, and senses. The Ser will suffer constant pain and then, in time, turn into a fern. Once the curse starts, there is no stopping it. The Rites go as followed. A 100 year old Ser walks into his/her birthplace, accompanied by their parents. (If alive) Ser being given the rites will say, “I, (Name) give myself to the Aaumin, pledge myself to naturz, and join the Ser in the togetherness of life.” At this point, a Ser elder will accept or deny the rites. If the Ser is denied, they must wait one more year before retrying. If/When rites are accepted a Ser Council member will enter the birthplace, and say the following in Ancient Serpenian “Quis sponzet az natursam izvenzes zias eozam sna auza mazorez, nusquaz ezze tusbaza.” Thus, the rites are complete. Culture The Ser have a strict code of honor, and if broken, the punishment is often death. The Ser, over 5,000 years ago devoted themselves to nature, and if a Ser were to dishonor nature, the Ser will no longer be worth anything to other Ser. The different Ser races have different opinions, however they all come down to the same principals. (I’ve decided that if the Ser are accepted, the different species should be able to make their own culture norms, as I think races should be as up to the player as possible. -Asteodia) Mating The Ser choose one mate, and stick with them for life. If a Ser were to break a bond by cheating, breaking up, etc. The two Ser will be unable to mate again, or have a love interest. They will feel no love for any other Ser ever again. If a Ser breaks a bond with another, the Ser in question will be put on trial, as this ruins the life of the other Ser. The punishment is often life in prison. Over the span of their 500 years, the Ser finds a mate at around 200, any younger will most likely not work out. Government The Ser have a unique government system. In the idea of a hierarchy, there is the Leader of a Ser City, a council consisting of 5, Royalty (The Ser Leader’s or Council’s Family) Guardians, whose job it is to keep the peace with nature and other beings, the common police, business owners/artisans, and then the common people. The roles go as followed: Ruker– Makes the final decision, advised by the council. Keeps the city in check, hires new council members and fires old ones. Oversees the Army, Business, Economy and just overall runs the city. Council of 5 – The council holds meetings with the people. The council listens to the concerns of the common Ser, and then take part in a private meeting in which the Council comes to a conclusion. Most decisions are made by the Council, yet the very big ones by the Serpans Ruler. Royalty – These Ser are family of the Ruler or council, they are normal people except they get honorable treatment. Guardians – These are hand picked Ser who pledge themselves to nature, the Ruler, and dragons. They protect nature, oversee the most dangerous tasks, etc. Common Police – These officials will take care of the majority of problems. The giant problems will go to the Guardians. Business Owners/Artisans – These are normal Ser who simply own a business or possess are useful skill, the Ser officials host more meeting for them than the common folk. Common Ser – These Ser make up the Majority of the population, just being normal, everyday folk. Titles are given by the council, and the Ser apply for them. Arts The Ser build in a very Elvish style, often with dragons and snakes engraved in all the buildings or items. Some examples of Ser what buildings look like are seen below: Ser’Ven Ser’Aquis Ser’Tarra ITEMS

“...for what left is there for us but ash and devastation if we do not stand? Nay, do not stand my kin, but charge! Charge forth as strong as the stormy seas, and as proud as the eagle’s scream! Chase away the night’s final curtain!” Faorarr Tahorran’len of the First Rochirran at an ancient battle against the Ibleesian Insurrection The Esteemed House of Andaeren The House of Andaeran consists of the collective children sired by their founder by the same name, the fourth son of Malin. In the ancient tongue the house is known by Tahorran’len, celebrating their gifts in beast mastery and joyous musical accomplishments. As many centuries have passed and the common tongue became the ultimate culmination of peace between the descendants, their common name of Hawksong is much more widely known in and outside of Elvenesse and her kin-nations. The Twilit Folk have endured even into modern history as Princes, High Princess, Lords and Ladies of the elven population. Their mark upon the more recent memory of Elvenesse has largely been in support of the Crown and their friendly relations with their kin in Sylvaeri and Silma. The Hawksong Bloodline The Lady Titania Hawksong, Matriarch of the Twilight Folk and former High Princess of Malinor carrying the house relic lance and banner into battle. The folk of Hawksong are very consistent in their appearance: silver-gold hair that glitters like waving grain, kind eyes that range from the common twilit gold to the occasional blue and the rare jade, and fair ivory skin that almost never strays towards the complexion of their wood elven cousins. The deep dusk-touched color of their gaze is always a sure sign of a direct line to Andaeren, and seems to be a dominant trait among them. Long, kempt hair with or without braids is preferred especially in the older kin of both the elves and elfesses of the House, for it is seen as a mark of wisdom and beauty. The demeanor of the Hawksong line is that of pride, joy, and an intense dedication to their duty within the forest halls of the Elven nations, past and present. Patience comes naturally to them, as it is a required trait of any Hawksong who has come of age and mastered both beast and music. A tremendous amount of zeal for the elven gods also runs through the blood of this House. They are generally a kind and gentle folk, lovers of song and dance and stewards to the horse and other creatures of the realm. If their gentle ways are taken advantage of, their kin threatened, or the Crown endangered, they however will show no hesitation in ensuring a swift and passionate retribution. Early history of demonic wars and magical blight has soured the family’s stance against any foul sorcery or evil temptations; they abhor and actively seek their destruction. These elves strive for purity in spirit, and to be a light in dark times. Hawksong garb is a dichotomous example of regality and utility. They take careful consideration into their outward appearance yet must be free enough to ride, dance, play music, or present themselves to the Crown. Often a combination of light leather armor over fine clothes of reddish burnt umber, pale gold, or sunset oranges are seen. They may opt to adorn light or heavy plate during times of conflict or anticipation of a battle in which they will ride. In times of peace, festivals, or special occasions traditional dresses with long wings and robes of fine embroidering are displayed in colors of white, gold, umber and reds. Some of the Twilit Folk may wear fine circlets, floral wreaths or braided-leather decorations upon their head and within their beloved long locks. The Rochirran Between Ancient Malinor’s forests and the pillared sanctum of Almenor, these elves thrived in the plains and valleys of the first world where beasts would roam freely. The children of Andaeren are rumored to have been blessed by Machana, the Wild God herself, with uncontested mastery of the horse and cavalry within the known world. Elves born into the house are trained in the husbandry of the stock of the family and the Crown from a very young age. They will eventually join the house mounted warriors known as the Rochirran, and they themselves earn the title of Rochir. To assume that this would be an exclusive mercenary group or freelance cavalry would be entirely misguided, for the Rochirran are oathed in their final trial to the Elven Crown and to the chief military of their ruling body. When an elf comes of age, their first and longest of many tasks is to rear a first foal of spring in their care with its dam. The beast will remain with the elf undergoing trial throughout the training process and even through the beast’s end of life. This trial is cherished, for it is believed that through the rearing and bonding of horse and rider Machana ingrains into the elf patience, diligence, fairness and determination. Upon completion, the elf will craft their own lance engraved and decorated with memorials of his or her trials and the mark of the House. A hallmark of a truly practiced and established Rochir is mastery of their unique riding style known in the ancient tongue as rochannyer, or a way of riding involving bonded souls and wardance. When a Rochir and their steed ride it is both a work of art and a terror on the battlefield. The rider is able to complete highly complex maneuvers both in utility and in dance with the trusting, guiding hand of their animal companion. Piaffe, pirouette and sliding halts are but a few of the myriad of exhibitions the Rochir is capable of. The Rochirran charge into battle without fear, for the ire of their Wild God patron rumbles in the clouds above them and within their hearts, granting them swift strides and true lances. Should a Rochir and their steed meet their demise on the battlefield, the two bodies are ceremoniously prepared upon a pyre as an offering to Machana and the Aspects. Musical lamentations and treasures the elf held closely in life are presented during the burning, and the remaining ash is scattered to the wind during the final hour of daylight. Music and Art of Hawksong A three-portioned performance of only a few beloved relic-tunes of the bloodline: Machana’s Ballad, Horse Lord’s Flight, and Sundance The heritage of Hawksong is deeply interwoven with music, dance and art. Young elves of the bloodline are given the choice to learn their instrument of choosing, which often lean towards stringed instruments such as the lyre, harp, and violin. It is not rare to see a skilled flutist or drummer, however, and skilled vocalists are very common. Even during war, there is great music to be shared from the children of Hawksong. The House believes that their musical blessings are nothing to hide away from the world, but rather delight in teaching and sharing the ancient tunes and their own songwriting. To bring together descendants in joyous gatherings, recite an amorous lullaby to their love, or perform for the elven courts is believed to be a gift greater than any physical commodity. Dancing, too, is greatly celebrated and involves the traditional roles of the elf couples, superior lone footwork or group dancing. In tales of their forefather Andaeren, it was said that he had no skill with forge-fire. Instead their family learned to create talismans, leatherwork, tapestries and rustic pieces from the world around them. Hide, horse-hair braid, simple branded medallions, feathers and uncut gems are often used in Hawksong creations. Amulets to Machana and other Wild Gods are made and worn and given to friends or offered to their respective shrines and are always carried into battle. Trials of the House While the boons of the House are the birthright of elves born into the House, all must face and conquer some trials to truly be considered Hawksong and most certainly Rochir. At the apex of many tasks in reciting heirloom music, animal mastery, rochannyer, the creation of art and a trial in devotion to Machana the prospect Hawksong is presented to the head of the House and is ceremoniously initiated. Further trials through the sometimes intense methods of the Rochirran will fully beknight the elf, and a final Oath of service is recited to the Crown. Banner and Symbols The Hawksong Family banner bears the rising phoenix on crimson backing rising over a green gemstone. The phoenix symbolism was assigned to the family in ancient times when their forefathers discovered their true calling, but has since featured the addition of a green stone. It celebrates their strong sense of justice, fiery dedication and honors their father Andaeren who rose from his brothers’ shadows and found his own way in life. The green stone is a direct calling to the Heart of Malin, a legendary piece reclaimed in Anthos during the dusk of Malinor when their own bloodline ruled before their Sylvaeri kin and serves as a memorial for the doomed state. Commonly found engraved into armor, saddles, talismans and on war banners is the image of a pawing white horse. This is in tribute to their main patron of the Wild Gods, Machana. Battle prayers and songs are often played in her honor in both times of peace and war. Very rarely one may find this symbol permanently engraved onto the skin of a seasoned Rochir. The mark of the family name is typically burned into their leatherworking once it has passed their scrutiny and deemed it of quality or onto documents requiring officiation. The style of woven knots remains consistent when animal imagery is crafted, specifically in braided leather jewelry or onto wooden medallions. Relics of the House With such a rich history of kinship and accomplishments, the House of Hawksong has retained artifacts of past legends and elves of note. Minor pieces are plenty as it is in the nature of a Hawksong to create instruments, songs, or talismans during their life, but there exist a few treasured pieces to the Twilit Folk. Mane of Machana Believed to have been woven from strands of the Wild God’s hair left from her appearance before Andaeren in ancient times, this white cloak shines in impossible colors of gold, silver and bronze. It has been embroidered with silver thread in floral patterns that details the tale of Machana’s Challenge. It is rumored to give the wearer an ethereal presence, like that of a phantom, and glow with the light of dawn. Amulet of Lauriësúr There is a tale of an amulet that had been gifted to him by his beloved brother, Sylvaen, made of silver thread and precious opal and diamond droplets. During the legend of the first ride upon the Horse Lord, Lauriësúr, Andaeren was blessed with his twilight features and that same amulet too bathed in the light of dusk and sealed away that somber, golden bloom into each stone. Pure memory has been sealed away in the largest jewel, and the bearer can hear the voices of ancient elves in ages past. The House Father himself was the last known wearer, who in legend ascended to remain with Machana as her attendant in another life. On clear nights, particularly where the clouds and mountains chase dusky shades across the sky it is believed that you can hear the Amulet’s somber song in the final minutes of the sunset. Lance of the First Rochir When the first waves of demons and foul magics bombarded the descendants in ancient times, Andaeren’s folk rode out like a tempest. His first son, Faorarr, wielded a lance that shone like the sun and could pierce any hide, even that of a dragon’s plate… Or so it has been rumored. The lance never returned from the Ibleesian war, but a replica remains within the House. The Lyre of Andaeren A lyre wrought from fine gold and silver, whose strings produce a sound so pleasant that it was said to induce fae-ring like euphoria. Legend describes the sound of nature’s own voice in thousands upon thousands of natural aspects like the gargling of rivers, songbird chirping, and mountain wind. So incredibly enchanting were the first songs it charmed both descendant and beast, eventually invoking the wrath of Mechana to demand Andaeran to bury the Lyre within a forgotten mountain. The Heart of Malin Of all of the relics within the House, this stone is the youngest to come into their possession. The stone is a dark green emerald that bends and tricks light, fooling the viewer into seeing images of ancient forested halls that never appear the same no matter how long one might gaze. It was discovered in Anthos, when the stone was seen being torn from the statue of Malin’s chest in a violent typhoon and carried to sea. A massive search by the Arcane Delvers ensued… yet, by an odd twist of fate the late Haelphon recovered the gemstone after being thrown into the surf by a sea serpent. There, he expunged the stone from his lungs and passed into the next life. Ancient History and Foundations These are the common tales told by the Twilit Folk of their creation, their patron, and their relationship with the elves of Malinor and Almenor alike. The Twilight Father, Andaeren Andaeren was the fourth son to be sired by Malin. Much unlike his portrayal upon tapestries and art, in his early years he took much of his appearance after his elder brother Sylvaen, whom he loved dearly. He too was touched with hair like the wings of ravens and eyes as grey as the seafoam of cold shores. Andaeren was his brother’s shadow in youth, always striving to live up to the splendor of Sylvaen’s stature, skill, and wisdom. Yet fate would not see that he would share in Sylvaen’s boons at all; Andaeren found no delight in the forges of Almenor and the sea seemed to scorn him. He could produce no beautiful star-dewed chain nor cut opal and diamond. Whilst his brethren grew in the light of their father’s eyes and crafted great halls, he could not help but feel that the shadow he followed as a youth began to swallow him from the view of his kin. There was no grand tale of accomplishment to regale to the Elven Father, no beautifully jeweled things to give his kin, no feats worthy of historical recording. It consumed the elf’s heart. Thus Andaeran began to wander from Almenor. He turned to the wilds for answers as his father, Malin, oft did. It is said that during his longest expedition he spent ten moons atop the highest peak of the first world. The turmoil within his soul roiled, and he lamented to the empty sky around him. “Shall I simply wither away the years as a reflection of what could be?” There was no answer but the wind. “Shall I remain the ambling, naïve younger brother of fairer and wiser kin?” There was no answer but the song of birds. As each moon passed there were fewer lamentations. Another moon rose, and the young lord listened. When the last morning broke, the world answered. It was a quiet response. Something where, perhaps, long forgotten elvish or druidic magics were at work. Andaeren could hear the wind whistle and rise like the gentle tide at sunset. The songbirds warbled an enchanting melody that enraptured the elven lord. Indeed, he felt the subtle magic of the song of nature herself. He arose from the peak with the first smile in a long, long time. He returned with a new glimmer in his grey eyes, imploring his brother for guidance in the creation of a golden frame. Then, long and thin silver-spun cords were secured by his design. The young lord and his kin would not produce any fine crown, jeweled carcanet, nor blade. With the sooty labors of the forge still upon his brow, he seeks out his sire and presents the First Instrument. Father of Music The elf-lord approached the Father bearing a tool not yet seen by descendant eyes. It was not a thing to shape rock or slay beast, rather a peculiar device bearing four strings made of glittering gold and silvers. While it paled in comparison to any true Sylvaen work, its beauty lied therein the unusual strings. It is said that when Andaeren played the first song for the elf father, it invoked the very soul of nature to echo the earth’s ethereal music. So delighted, Andaeren too unshackled his golden voice to rise higher than the clouds and dance like fluttering swallowtails. Malin’s halls hummed with tranquility. The Fourth Son of Malin’s blessing would not be forgotten, for that day the first song crowned Andaeren as the father of music. Machana’s Challenge No longer shackled by despair, Andaeren traveled the world with his lyre. He charmed animals and descendants alike, for few could resist his musical mastery. Captivated animals gleefully pranced alongside. Songbird, stag, wolf and even bear paraded after his footsteps. His tune only ceased when an impossibly white steed charged forth at the elf. His lyre fell to the forest floor and his animal companions fled. The horse snorted and stomped the earth with an ire the elf had never felt before. Her mane was so ivory that the light danced upon her fur in iridescent gold and silver colors, and her hooves were gilded in an astral, otherworldly shine. “Do you think yourself so entitled to the will of the forest beasts? Your claim is false! You are an insolent fool who thinks he can command the Aspects’ children with vile enchantments!” The Wild God raged, her voice quaking the forest and shuddering the soil beneath her. “I am Machana, Princess of the herd, and I challenge you, Son of Malin. Abandon this accursed lyre and dedicate yourself to my sons and daughters, and in return I will bathe you in my blessings!” With her final shout, the figure of the mare flashed with a bright light and departed from the realm. Andaeren, realizing the unfair potency of his instrument, cast away the lyre within a stone cavern of a forgotten mountain, never to be seen again. No song made therefore by the elf-lord ever strayed again towards the enchanted nature of the Lyre, but he created instruments responsible for the joys of music we hear today. Lauriësúr and the first Rochir In Machana’s wake, a murky brown stallion stepped into the world. He would become known as Lauriësúr, one of the five Horse Lords under Machana. His mane was light like a dusky moon, and his eyes pierced into the soul of Andaeran. The elf-lord would spend unknown time with Lauriësúr in the wilderness, discovering the intricate balance between elf and beast as the Aspects intended. There was no request that was not disputed with hoof, muscle and spite and there was required an understanding with this creature. It would not come until many seasons had passed. Andaeren became wise to the ways of the wild beasts, and understood the respectful care he must take towards the stewardry of the Aspects’ creations. The delicate balance required tenants, for the presence of the descendants would forever make that very balance unstable. Then and only then was the elf lord able to mount Lauriësúr, not as master and servant but as connected souls. And so Lauriësúr ran. The stallion ran so fast that the earth disappeared beneath their feet. His flight took them towards the horizon, and there they chased down the last light of twilight with the swiftness of the setting sun. Andaeren bathed in the dusky light of the day’s final hours and emerged with the light of the next dawn with a new blessing. “You have learned much with your journey, youth. Go now with my golden blessing, the first rider who conquered the ground and showed me the true meaning of haste!” The last words of Machana echoed through Andaeren’s mind as he emerged anew. Where his hair was like dark ash, he now had locks so delicately golden in shade the dusk itself envied the lord. His eyes shone like the glittering clouds clinging to a young evening sky. “I am Rochir, brethren, steward of Machana’s children and lord of beasts. She has blessed me with her mark, and the sovereignty over her kin. The hawk sings in my reverence and the herd runs proudly beside me. I am Tahorran’len, and so the children of my house will be named.” Lauriësúr remained with Andaeren, for the bond between them would remain past their stay within the realm. He did not lean upon the enchanted lyre again, and his new ballads would become the foundation of the songs we hear today. New instruments of joyous celebration he would create, and many praises to Machana and the Aspects he wrote. Departure The Twilight Lord departs from Almenor proper with grand ambitions, but a somber heart. For as much as he loved Sylvaen, the forge and the sea offered no comfort to the Hawksong Father. Andaeren and his wife Imryll depart to the valleys and plains before the great Almenor, for it pained him greatly to stray too far from the vicinity of his kin. He would sire many children and a great herd of silver-steed, and his own humble hall established within a great valley. Of course, darkness eventually besieged the first world… and Hawksong too would come to the defense of Malin’s folk. “Arise! Arise, Rochirran of Tahorran’len! Do you give the horse his strength? Do you cloak his neck in a fiery mane, or make him leap like a locust? He laughs at danger, afraid of nothing! He snorts proudly, pawing at the earth and striking terror. He rejoices in his strength! He does not shy from the sword, or quake at the rattling quiver or flashing lance. In frenzied excitement, he eats up the ground… he cannot sit still when the trumpet sounds!” Andaeren Hawksong to his troubled children during the formation of the Rochirran When darkness clouded the ancient skies, the first Rochirran formed and answered the horns of war. When the first charge of the cavalry crashed against the legions of demons, legend tells that the Hawksong Father pierced clean through the lines of evil, and ascended into the clouds atop Lauriësúr into the next life as Machana’s chosen steward. Andaeren was no longer needed, as their battle had been won and his children would carry the fiery banners well into the history of ancient Malinor. As the descendants of the elves splintered, House Hawksong remained at the side of Malinor until its crumbling, rebirth, and final death in Anthos. While their numbers have dwindled and the stories forgotten, those who remain have a rich memory of grand and ancient tales indeed.

SUNDERED ELVES I. Origin + History [Sorry can’t make this two separate sections you’ll see why] Ancient History | The First Phase [This is the same as the past lore.] Part I: The Experiment The tale of the Mali’fenn begins with the schismatic war of the ancient Elcihi’thilln of the High Elves, or the Silver City. The untouched visage of the would-be ruler of the Mali'aheral, Lomal, after the inferno died around him during his trial by fire had stunned the many Mali’thilln of the Silver Hall, among them a young researcher named Aelthos Thuln’diraar and those of his laboratory. They stood then as he called for followers, a fire sparked in their hearts by the claims of elevation and destiny, and joined Lomal. They would be among the first of the Elsil’Parir, the Swords of the Harbinger, the flock of their prophet. As Lomal, who now called himself the Elannil’Ilum, chose Aelthos to be among the first to ascend the steps to his word altar and change his form, Aelthos would continue his research in a spectacular way - to ask for a change akin to that of the Golden Pools that their parents and grandparents had bathed in centuries before. Instead of gaining the fantastical form of a half-animal, and instead of gaining vast magical resistances, he would seek his version of the completion of maehr’sae hiylun’ehya - to become what he would call thill’al, purity complete. Physically his ears shortened and became more triangular as the hair around it bleached to a snow-white color. His eyes became a bright silver, and his skin paled to just more than that of a ghost. His muscles became more pronounced, his arms toned and hands dextrous, and his height shortened to an even six feet. He, however, would not take up any of the truly transformative properties that many other Elsil’Parir had chosen to take as he saw himself as the embodiment of physical perfection. His experiment, then, was to question whether the use of the word altar would fundamentally change them, and to do so he would enlist his laboratory. His researchers, scientists, the sparse few mages of the laboratory, and their families would gather at the altar one day and Lomal would change them one by one, granting them all nearly the same changes as Aelthos before them, with slight individual modifications of eye and hair color. Some had eyes a deep amethyst color, while others chose hair a pale blonde color instead of white. He saw them as family, then, and they tested themselves and each other. Part II: Purity They would, however, soon be forgotten by Lomal for those he had changed into more exotic and powerful forms, and by Larihei’s folk for their lack of connection to Lomal thereafter. Indeed, though originally entranced by their new forms, the lack of change during the stagnated conflict left Aelthos disillusioned, and whilst he had thrown in his proverbial lot with the Elsil’Parir, his people wished to return to their cousins and their purpose of forging their own destiny. He would, late in one Snow’s Maiden night, send a message across the wall asking for return. Months later, they would enact their plan on the third night of what would be called the Ball of the Century. As Lomal hosted perhaps the most grand ball the Silver City had ever seen, with magical displays far beyond that which had come before, Aelthos and his band stole away across the wards of the great wall put up to protect Larihei’s people from Lomal’s, assisted by those of Larihei’s followers that had been trying to undermine Lomal’s influence. They found themselves quickly isolated, however, as many of those that had once been their friends now declared their forms impure. Those that sought to join them thereafter were a tenth of the number that had applied previously to the once-prestigious laboratory, and indeed they found themselves to be a different definition of pure than their brethren. While they had set themselves back on the path of progress as they had once known it, peace would not come to them easily. When Larihei called upon Lomal for a final debate and shot in front of their many followers, and when Lomal’s supporters then broke through great wall’s wards, they fled with their brethren. They fled through Tahn’s great plains and ancient wilderness, and when they came across the portal, they too trusted in the missing Larihei and jumped into the portal. Part III: Ice When they found themselves deep in the Aegisian wilderness, they wandered separately from the many that would later assimilate into Laurelin. Instead, they would find themselves in the deep North, far past the future location of the Human city of Winterfell, where their changed bodies would not be called a curse by their cousins. Here they found that they had indeed lost some of what had once made them Mali’aheral - their eyes had only flecks of the deposits once vibrantly glowing within, and their search for health halted as soon as they had become accustomed to their "perfected" bodies. Instead they sought to defend themselves from the constant ringing within minds, the effects of the loss of the word altar. For decades, the men and women of the laboratory tested everything they could, subjecting themselves to intense training and work to delay what had taken the minds of their weakest. Indeed, deep in Aegis’ northern tundras, Aelthos seemed to be the only truly sane one of them. For this reason, they would not scout far past their frozen laboratory until the advent of Iblees, which forced them to flee south and into the Verge with the rest of the Descendants. In Asulon, too, they searched for a cure for decades with little luck before the continent was destroyed in fire and flood. Aelthos, while a good leader and smart in coupling his people, knew he would not be able to hold their new curse at bay for long. He had slowly found himself less in control, and while the changes of the word altar on him were small, he had still accepted Lomal's changes those many years go. Though outwardly he was still the same grand leader his people had always seen, he felt the lack of the altar eating at the edges of his mind. For Aelthos, though, he most cherished and cared about his young and growing son. When his son showed to be under the same mental strain as he, Aelthos knew finally that for their survival they must leave their laboratory. To find a cure for his son and his kin, Aelthos and his two original laboratory managers searched Anthos far and wide before finally standing at a frozen, bright blue lake far beyond the Wall that mirrored what had once kept them from being true High Elves. They had travelled for years, and their wills were all but broken by their lack of success. Their last lead had brought them to this lake, but they’d found it to be devoid of even the slightest lead. Here, as a tribe of mutated Bohra began to surround the group, they finally collapsed. Aelthos, for the third time in his life after his change at the altar and leap into the portal, placed his life in the hands of a greater being than he. Here, despairing for his son and their family’s fates, he prayed for salvation. Part IV: Fenn Whether by luck or by the will of a higher being, they were saved that day. As the Bohra closed in, the mountains framing the valley trembled and shook as great sheets of white thundered down around them, annihilating the small army of Bohra that had surrounded them and subsiding enough by the time it reached them to only push them onto the ice covering the lake. Also, perhaps because he sensed the avalanche, or perhaps of sheer luck in passing, Wyrvun, the Aengudaemon that had once fallen to corruption, learned of their survival, their drive in searching for sanity. Delving into Aelthos' half-mad mind, he pressed himself in a vision to Aelthos, delivering a verdict - bind himself to the Lord of the Deep Cold and have his people returned to sanity, or condemn all that had followed him those many years ago to the continuation of the painful spiral they had endured. Aelthos made up his mind in a heartbeat, and the effects were felt the next. When they returned to their laboratory, they were welcomed with great fanfare. To their new savior, Wyrvun, they dedicated shrines, temples, even their laboratory to him, renaming it to Fenn for the crystalline sheet that had covered the lake, saving Aelthos' group from death by Bohra or avalanche. They so truly followed their new lord that they took to calling themselves Mali’fenn, and neither Wyrvun nor Aelthos would stop them. Those joyous times, however, would not last. Only three years later, Aelthos would pass in his sleep. He was given a grand funeral, with a display of magic and people none of them had seen since Elcihi. It, however, raised the question of who would be the next head of those of the Deep Cold. Thill’al, that notion which had separated them originally from the other Mali’aheral of the city, gave their answer - his son, he who had inherited his father’s silver eyes and “perfected” features. There could be no other. They were a new people, then, with large numbers and a new leader. Aelthos II, whose original name is now lost to time, declared Fenn a Princedom in honor of Malin, only true king of the Elves. He became Grand Prince, for he was declared thill’onn, born of purity. His people, some now exhibiting the traits of those who had joined later rather than those created, worked to make their newfound Princedom their pride, and Aelthos II would open the Princedom to the outside world. Modern History | The Second Phase [This is a quick recap of events since the race began play] The Snow Elves’ entry into the world at large, however, was not met with the fanfare Aelthos II perhaps expected. Instead, what awaited them was the grim reality of the Fringe’s early years. In an attempt to stabilize the human realms, the Snow Elves were turned into scapegoats, blamed for their problems, and executed en masse. The few that survived fled to the far corners of the world, and the Princedom collapsed. When, half a century later, they began to coalesce once more, again they were purged - this time a matter of principle rather than politics. So began a cycle that would last until the end of the Fifth Empire, when a Tundrak warlord would help lead a coalition to collapse that beacon of human dominance. Upon that change, the Princedom began a long, relatively uninterrupted existence of isolated peace. Eventually, however, that Princedom too would see its end - not by the wars of the past centuries that had inflicted so much horror upon their small world, but to the inevitable decay that all Elven societies eventually face, that of declining population emptying their splendorous cities. The Sundering | The Third Phase [The New Stuff] The decline of Elven societies that caused the fall of such polities as Vira’ker and the earliest iterations of Haelun’or, however, would not have the same fallout as the slow death of Fenn, for a simple reason - the curse of the Snow Elves had always been compounded as compared to those of their brethren. The Snow Elves had once been High Elves, after all, before their alterations at the Word Altar - and, had it not been for the timely intervention of a higher power, would never have survived to the modern era. They, for a millenia, strictly followed the teachings of their founders, laying prayers and worship at the altars of Wyrvun, their patron deity. This was the cornerstone of Fennic society, and indeed they were kept safe from unnatural corruptions. Fenn’s decay, however, meant the decay too of their religious systems - in the end, the Grand Prince made a decision to try to improve upon the ways of his forefathers, creating the Idhren’tirn and promoting the worship of six lesser beings, whom they called Facets. The Contract was made tenuous with the addition of these beings, but still it held for a time. The final straw, however, was the reclusion of many Aengudaemonic powers that began in Arcas, among which was Wyrvun - and with it, the bond that had been forged between Aelthos of ancient legend and his god was broken at last. The effects of this were felt immediately - across each Snow Elf’s bodies rippled what was to be called the Event, the aftereffects of the Word Altar finally affected them as it had affected Lomal’s followers so many years ago, their alterations ripping apart their minds and bodies. Yet Tayl’s event had happened in the years of legend - of Larihei and Lomal, even of Horen and Krug. What had once been a major mark upon the altered elves had long degenerated, whether through interbreeding or through time, into less purposeful tendrils of deific magic within their beings. Many would survive the weakened backlash caused by their ancestors’ decadence, though found themselves altered beyond recognition in the aftermath of the collapse of their passed-down alterations. The newly-reborn sons and daughters of the Deep Cold would have to find a path in their new forms, or not at all. II. Description The trademark of Sundered Elves is the effervescent glow of their eyes and hair - shocking, almost radiant shades unnaturally light up their irises, and their hair accented by luminous highlights. Their eyes themselves can be so altered, in fact, that the entirety of the eye is a single color, appearing almost as a glowing orb. Their bodily makeup too is changed - where once their skin was pale, now it is nearly translucent, and beneath their skin the pulsing of blood in blue veins can be easily tracked by their dull glow. The appearances of their forefathers, however, is not truly lost - their eyes range in the same colors as previous, from whites, to electric blues, to deep amethyst, and everything in between. The glow in their hair matches, though now their hair’s natural colors are limited purely to the whites they were so known for. Thin frames, though not quite so thin as their High Elven ilk, are the norm of the Sundered Elves, their average limits capped by the Event. Normal heights, too, are reduced - 5’6” remains the floor, but none grow taller than 6’1”. Another key alteration, however, is the appearance of Quirks – that is, physical manifestations in some part caused by the ripples of the backlash. These can come in any number of forms – from unique coloration (think birthmarks) on the skin, perhaps vaguely resembling animals, as the Word Altar was so often used to mark Lomal’s followers – to ingrowth of a patch feathers, to warped or misshapen bone or facial structure. This is not enforced for use, and is not allowed to be used for any mechanical benefit. Quirks vary throughout the Sundered Elves, but rarely is it completely different from parent to child – if a parent has a quirk, for instance, it’s likely that if the child has one, it’ll be similar in some degree. Mental inadequacies can also be passed down among Sundered Elves, a remnant of the mental deficiencies once rampant among their population. It is encouraged, but not enforced, that if a parent is afflicted with something, the child also rp as having that same affliction. These can stack as well. III. Culture https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/forum/682-princedom-of-fenn/ I’d set up a potential new cultural doctrine for Sundered Elves, but as there is currently an established playerbase (though it’s somewhat inactive atm), their culture will be the moving-forward culture for this new phase. IV. Abilities They get to look cool. Their eyes and hair glow in the dark. 4 block radius. Obviously not through walls. Not useful against any magics or creatures. Just for seeing, I guess. They can see well in the dark. V. General Red Lines -All Sundered Elves are full-on lunatics by the age of 500. Please think of it like this - imagine an old man, say in his early nineties. His friends from youth, from college, maybe from the military - they’re likely all dead. If his wife isn’t dead, she’ll die soon, and he knows it. What he remembers of the past, if he remembers it, is faded. Now, take this imaginary old person, and imagine them living twice as long. Then double that. -No different-colored eyes. -No multicolored eyes. -No gigantism, no dwarfism. -No deity magic. The tendrils left behind by Tayl’s Altar still affect them to some degree, preventing connections to other Aengudaemons or their powers. -No dark magic. The self-sacrificial nature of dark magic would rip them apart. -Voidal magic is ok. -Quirks (Defined in Description) may not be used for any mechanical or crp or pvp benefit whatsoever – they are meant to be a unique aspect of the character, but cannot be used for anything useful. -IMPORTANT SIDENOTE: All current Snow Elves will be given the opportunity to choose between becoming a Sundered Elf or reverting to High Elves upon this lore’s acceptance. This is to let magic-mongers keep their stuff if they’d like without really altering their characters, and the rest of us get to be Sundered Elves. Win/win. VI. Purpose [OOC] I’ve been hearing for about two years now that people are planning on rewriting the Snow Elf lore into something less janky and more unique. It’s true - my original lore was essentially planned out in such a way as to scrape by and make it in through the rules at the time, because the group had been trying to become a subrace for four years at that point and it had gone nowhere. It was more of a desperation play than anything else, and it was a measure of the times - change and unique rp was generally shot down as special snowflake (even though, ironically, we’re on a fantasy minecraft server), and complaints included but were not limited to the fact that many of us had been human players, that the dark elves were still weak, and that we weren’t incredibly different from High Elves. Well, they never rewrote it, so here’s me doing it for them. VII. Citations owo what’s this? a link to the past snelf lore? omg who wrote it? Me. I wrote the original Snow Elf lore. This whole thing was a giant ego-stroking maneuver. Accept it please, so that there’s also physical differences between this subrace and High Elves. Credits to @Junar for telling me deal, and to @Gladuos for telling me to do it.

https://youtu.be/K-EthATzWzo [Art by Yuri Nikolayev] Cuisine of Hanseti-Ruska “Eat your food, child, lest you want the cold to nip at you more fiercely! Go on, eat!” Haeseni Babushka A cultural treatise presented by Her Royal Highness, Alexandria Karina Wick; Royal Curator of Hanseti-Ruska. The climate of Hanseti-Ruska is cold and cruel, and can be unforgiving to many - especially the unprepared. It has led to the belief the hardly many quality ingredients can be gathered within our Kingdom’s borders in order to prepare a delicious and hearty meal; many people over our generations have gradually taken to forgeign recipes and foods from the Crownlanders and other warmer regions, which has nearly made the spirit of Haeseni cuisine to fade entirely. This document is made in order to save and preserve it - as well as the urge for the denizens of Hanseti-Ruska to follow this example. Despite the hardened climate and landscape of the Haense, there are a wide variety of ingredients able to be grown, hunted, and gathered within the boundaries of the Kingdom. Grains Wheat A commonly grown and hardy grain in the flattened territories of Haense, abundant in supply and used in the preparation of various breads and other doughy goods within the Kingdom. It is one of the most important staple foods within Haense, for bread is a food found in many a Haeseni meal and plays an important role within Haeseni tradition to begin feasts; Breaking the Bread. Barley Being chiefly important with its role as stockfeed for those following the agrarian way of life within the Kingdom, barley is commonly used for various sorts of brews within Haense; most commonly Waldenian ales. Aside from that, the grain makes for a pleasant ingredient for various vegetable and beef stews. Rye Due to its similar uses to wheat and barley, rye may also be cultivated within the borders of Hanseti-Ruska. Haeseni porridges mainly utilize this grain. Meats Venison Deer are abundant in the forests of Hanseti-Ruska and make for a common game for Haeseni hunters and trappers to pursue. Oftentimes, it is prepared for less special occasions due to the gamey flavors of the meat; however, it still provides a quality amount of nutrients and an ample amount of meat for various stews and other fulfilling meals. Mutton A meat that has a strong and gamey flavor, used commonly in Haeseni stews due to his toughness; however, it isn’t as easy to acquire as venison and is saved to cook for more special occasions or to add more flavor to stews in the winter months. Rabbit A meat cooked and treated similarly to chicken, and often used in place of chicken when it is not available. It remains another popular choice for the preparation of hearty, Haeseni meals. A wide variety of meats plays into the cuisine of Hanseti-Ruska, since it offers so many nutrients to keep a Haeseni or Ruskan strong. To avoid repetition and for the sake of brevity, a simplified list of other meats often found in the Kingdom’s borders are as listed below: Pheasant Whale Goat Boar | A favorite game to pursue for Haeseni hunters, though dangerous. Often served at grand festivals or other celebrations by being slow-roasted over a fire. Cod Herring | One of the more favored seafoods of Haense; commonly found in territories bordering large bodies of waters, due to the love many Haeseni bear for the seas. Salmon Cow Fruits, Vegetables, Ect. Haeseni Wild Apples A rather small sort of apple that grows in the territories of Hanseti-Ruska with more mild climates. It has a rather tart taste, which grows sweeter the more it is ripened. It is often an added ingredient to certain stews or porridges for extra flavor and nutrients, though is favored mostly when prepared for pastries such as Ruskan cakes or pies. Prikaburren The national fruit of Haense.Red berries found commonly in the Haense wilderness or in the gardens of those with a sweet tooth. It’s used to accent dishes - often ones with meats; and is rather popular for pastries as well. Teas and alcohols have also been prepared from these berries, proving that they are truly a Haeseni favorite. More information on them may be located in the Tarcharman’s study: https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/191294-prikaburren-prikaz-berry-national-fruit-of-haense/?tab=comments#comment-1771196 Pears Ruskan Olives | An olive favored by Prinzenas Aleksandriya Karina i Haense for its medicinal uses; an oil produced from these olives have acted as a base for salves that relieve muscle pains. Potatoes Beetroots Carrots Baby Bella Mushrooms | Small brown-capped mushrooms that grow in the gentler parts of Hanseti-Ruska, most notably clearings and meadows. Named after Prinzenas Theodosiya Ysabel i Markev, since the insides of these mushrooms are a luminous white that was reminiscent of her skin tone. Turnips Onions Herbs and Spices Paprika Oregano Thyme Rosemary Parsley Bay leaves Dill Mint Garlic [Art by Yuri Nikolayev] Recipes Pies Startlaefaf Pirok A savory pie favored by many Haeseni fishermen and sailors, its name translating to common as Salmon Pie. Made primarily from salmon, rice, cabbage, mushrooms, and a mixture of various other vegetables based on the cook’s choice. Cooked eggs, minced red onions, cheese, and parsley to help bring out more flavor. [ https://withinthewild.com/our-recipes/russian-alaska-salmon-pie/ ] Ruskan Apple Cake A sweet and crumbly cake made from Haeseni wild apples, a simple treat for all to bake in the spring and summer months of Haense; other fruits may be used within the cake, if apples don’t fit one’s fancy. Prikaburren are known to be used for cakes such as these. [ https://natashaskitchen.com/apple-sharlotka-recipe-russian-apple-cake/ ] Haeseni Vatrushka A Haeseni cheesecake that can be made sweet for desserts and tasted with prikaburren jams; or savory to eat with soups. If the filling is sweetened, some bakers are known to add dried fruits into it for added flavoring. [ https://russianrecipebook.com/vatrushka/ ] Stews or Soups Huntna Stew A hearty stew made with a wide variety of meats from a boar, vegetables, and wild herbs. Often slow-cooked within a cauldron over a day before it is served to a large group. Meant for celebrations and other popular festivities involving crowds. [ https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/polish_hunters_stew/ ] Mutton Stew A savory stew meant for smaller gatherings, though is fulfilling nonetheless. Cooked with a wide variety of vegetables to accent the mutton. [ https://www.recipecottage.com/german/lamb-stew.html ] Winter Soup Very nutritious and fulfilling, and made from Haeseni vegetables capable of enduring some of the harshest of climates. Winter Soup is a common meal within the Kingdom, especially when meats are difficult to obtain - mainly in the winter months. [ https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/nordic-winter-vegetable-soup ] Roasts Janz Dinna A juicy and tender roast made from the beef of a cow, once the favored dish of Komit Jan Kovachev i Carnatia, though still remains a popular dish for many other Haeseni for its simplicity and delicious flavors. [ https://www.theseasonedmom.com/dutch-oven-pot-roast/ ] Koengzdaf Often called a meal for a King, though it’s not an entirely complex recipe; the few ingredients involved, however, remain rather costly. [ https://nordicfoodliving.com/danish-roast-pork-with-crackling-flaeskesteg/ ] It is encouraged for other Haeseni to prepare and present their own dishes, or to even reference this document in moving forward with their cooking and baking. The soul of a nation is found in their food, and it’s the duty of every citizen of Hanseti-Ruska to keep it thriving.

Hello! I have tons of skins and am willing to auction them off so they are being used and not just taking up my space on my computer and so you can enjoy them just as I did! Here are the rules. Once you post your bid, do not edit it! Please only comment to up the bid and no spam. You must be able to pay the full amount once the auction is done. Bidding starts at 800 minas, and the minimum it may increase by is 100. The auction will last until 8/9/2020. Skins Format Skin Name: Bid: Previous Bidder:

Wherever the wind went, Sleeping Hawk followed; such was the way of life he’d grown accustomed to, a way of life which hadn’t done him wrong. Not now, nor ever. If the wind trailed along a shallow creek, the Hawk followed; if it guided him to a desolate mountain, he followed. And yet, now, it seemed, the wind had taken him beyond the fields of Athera, and perhaps many frontiers following it. The last he could remember was waking from his slumber, of which he’d been trapped in for years, or centuries, as far as he was concerned. It wasn’t long before darkness came, once more, in the form of slumber: inescapable sleep that he’d been doomed to withstand. But by Igne’Acaela, Sleeping Hawk refused to allow this to hinder his wanderlust for, wherever the water flowed freely, he followed. Sandy, the shores of this ’New Malinor’ were. Was it called Siramenor? Only Lyes could tell, for these large trees were not similar to the ones he’d grown close to; those of the bayou. No, these were larger, and mightier, and alien to Sleeping Hawk’s naïvete. Had it been one year, or one aeon? And yet, only word of Arcas was muttered. Arcas? Sleeping Hawk thought to himself, scratching upon his hair without an inkling of an idea as to what had occurred prior to his awakening. He could not remember, nor identify any of what was around him. His own tribe; his family, the only thing he’d ever known, out of sight. But where there was darkness, there was light, in the form of fire, an element so holy to his people it protected their own realm. Igne’Acaela, a prophetic fire, similar to the divine water the Owynists would sip from, and bathe their cubs in. And for nights where he fasted from sleep, he took to staring at the fry, in pure admiration, with hopes that it may satisfy his wanderlust. But even three hundred years into the future was not enough to satisfy his primeval instinct to travel, and roam the wild frontier, It was high time the Hawk took his flight.

You wake up wearing a messily folded paper hat, you open it to a new buck news.