Timekeeping

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On Panthos in-game/in-character time matches 1-to-1 with real-life time, with the exception of the year being 364 days long instead of 365. Each year is divided into 4 seasons: 91 days in spring, 91 days in summer, 91 days in autumn, and 91 days in winter. There are no leap years to account for.

Seven-day weeks are a normal concept on Panthos, but the days are numbered instead of named. "I will see you next week on the 13th" is a normal thing to say, but "I will see you on monday next week" is not as there is no concept of "monday".

Years are dated ending in "NE". For example, the current year is: error: JavaScript is required to display the current year

TLDR: the current year on Panthos is the current earth year (error: JavaScript is required to display the current year) - 1000 and is written as error: JavaScript is required to display the calculated year N.E.

Dating Threads

You must date your threads. This means that on the first in-character post you make in a thread, you include the in-game day and year during which that thread is taking place. You cannot forward date threads. This means you cannot date a thread to take place in 1030 N.E if it is 2025 IRL, because 2025 IRL means that it is 1025 N.E. on Panthos. This also means you cannot have a thread take place in a future season. If it is currently March 2025 on Earth, then it is Malden 1025 N.E on Panthos, so you could not claim a thread to take place in Somer, Daum or Vintra.

You are allowed to backdate threads. This means that you may claim some thread took place a year ago, or even further back. While backdating is allowed, the majority of your character's story should take place in the present time.

Here is an example on how to correctly date your thread:

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• This means the current year on Panthos is error: JavaScript is required to display the calculated year N.E
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• This means the current season on Panthos is error: JavaScript is required to display the calculated year

Seasons

Just like on Earth, there are four seasons in Panthos, but unlike earth there is no subdivision into months.

Malden

This is the spring season, it runs from March to the last day of May IRL and lasts 91 in-game days.

Somer

This is the summer season, it runs from June until the end of August IRL and lasts 91 in-game days.

Daum

This is the autumn season, it runs from September until the end of November IRL and lasts 91 in-game days.

Vintra

This is the winter season, it runs from December to February IRL and lasts 91 in-game days.

ME vs NE Years

Just like we have BC and AD on earth, in Panthos there is ME and NE Almost everything you do on site that has a date will be denominated as NE, but there may be some historic references to ME in this lorebook.

NE stands for, Novo Ere, or 'the new age'. This is the time (years) since the fall of the Mithraic Empire and is the currently used denomination. Please note that while the Mithraic Empire has ended, the city of Mitra (located in Mohsal) still exists.

ME stands for Mitra Ere, which refers to the age of Mitra and the Mithraic Empire. For a long time all of the Western Continent on Panthos was dominated and united by a single empire whose capital was Mitra, which this denomination refers to.

Site-wide Plot

Panthos offers an optional, site-wide plot that any character—regardless of veterancy—can take part in. Designed as a long-running, slow-burn narrative spanning multiple real-life and in-game years, this plot is not a rigid, pre-defined storyline but rather a series of major story beats that can adapt to player's choices.

While participation in the site-wide plot is opt-in, some global events and consequences may still affect your character. For instance, a large-scale natural disaster could force them to relocate, even if they are not directly involved in the overarching plot. Though such occurrences will be exceedingly rare, we believe that introducing a level of world-wide impact will create a richer and more immersive experience for all players.

Because the plot is flexible, your character’s actions can significantly influence future events, potentially altering the course of history. Perhaps your choices leave a nation unprepared for a natural disaster, or maybe your character rises to become a key military leader, leading an army into a pivotal battle. However, the site-wide plot is not intended as the main attraction. When you write on Panthos, you will most likely spend 90% of that time writing with other player characters and engaging in your own stories. While the site-wide plot and moderated adventures can have a big impact, you should not expect them to be a major part of your character's story all the time.

Plots and moderated stories

At the time of writing there are three levels of moderated plot:

• The site-wide plot, written and coordinated by the site's founder, Mural.
• Nation-wide plots, initially seeded by Mural but may be taken over by other storyteller(s) as the site grows.
• Moderator quests. Self-contained adventures created and led by storytellers. While these quests don’t have a global impact, they do influence the participating characters. Moderators may also integrate them into ongoing nation-wide plots.

Site-wide plots

The site-wide plot unfolds primarily through global announcements. Mural controls a cast of key NPCs central to the overarching story and will periodically post threads featuring them. While direct interaction with these stories may be limited, you often can incorporate the ripple effects of them into your own writing. In some cases, like a large-scale natural disaster, your character may experience unavoidable consequences. This means that in a rare few instance, even if your character does not participate in the site-wide plot, they may still be affected by it. Whenever global events occur, there will be a clear breakdown at the end of the thread detailing how you can interact with the consequences of them.

Nation-wide plots

Nation-wide plots are more interactable. For example, if a wildfire breaks out in northern Mohsal, its effects will be more immediate in that region than elsewhere. A moderated event could be organized to respond to the wildfire, but because these events are kept small to maintain engagement and avoid delays, not all characters will be able to participate directly. To accomodate, moderators may provide prompts for non-participants to engage with the disaster in their own way—such as delivering aid, spreading news, or assisting survivors. This ensures that even if you aren’t in the moderated event, you can still engage with the larger story.

Participation in nation-wide plots is done through sign-ups and is generally speaking limited to 2-6 participants (the exact number is up to the moderator's discretion). We track how often anyone has participated in nation-wide plots before so that your odds of being able to join one improve if you weren't able to join before.

Moderator quests

The most character-focused level of moderated storytelling is the moderator quest—a tailored adventure for an individual or small group of characters. These quests function much like one-off Dungeons & Dragons sessions, affecting only the participating characters without broader national or global consequences.

Map

Important: this map is a work-in-progress. Khoros and Athesh are mostly complete, the other countries are not. However, you can use this map identify which countries lay where on the continent.

Mature content

Panthos is a site with a 333 rating. This means that swearing, sexual content and explicit violence are all permitted.

However, on Panthos explicitly violent content and sexual content are not visible by default. This is done for two reasons: first to protect users who want to enjoy this setting but do not want to see or participate in explicitly violent or explicitly sexual content. Secondly, since we permit underage characters, some rules had to be in place to manage this type of content properly.

The rule of thumb is this: if it would be OK in a PG13 movie or a YA novel, you can post it anywhere on the forum. A fist-fight or mostly bloodless sword fight is content that is fine anywhere on the forum. Kissing, hand-holding, hugging and other PG13 romantic content is also fine anywhere on the forum.

When a story moves to more explicit violence the thread needs to be placed in the Mature sub-forum. Remember, by default you cannot see this forum as it requires special access to be granted to your account. You can request access to the Mature sub-forum here (Use the Mature Content Access Request Form)

When a story involves sexual content or involves violence and sexual content, the thread needs to be placed in the Mature+ sub-forum. Access to the Mature+ forum is separate from access to the Mature sub-forum, so it might be possible for you to see the Mature sub-forum, but not the Mature+ sub-forum. You can request access to the Mature+ sub-forum here (Use the Mature+ Content Access Request Form)

If you are unsure if something should go in the Mature or Mature+ sub-forum, a good rule of thumb is to err on the side of caution. Please also make sure you are familiar with all the rules governing Mature and Mature+ content on our rules page.

Playable Races

Panthos is a human-dominated setting with remnants of other, older races residing in the far corners of the world. At present there are three playable races:

• Ashir
• Humans
• Nimmir
• Zhabir (TBA)

The decision to have only a handful of playable races is on purpose; Panthos aims to be a medium-fantasy setting with a focus on human civalizations and cultures while still including limited magical elements. Rather than going for a fully human setting, Panthos is deliberately set around a time where the last glimmers of other species are still visible, where natural magic still plays a role, but they are pale echoes of their former prominence.

The existence of dragons and forms of natural magic are perhaps the least subtle of these elements, but there are others too, waiting to be discovered.

Your character in Panthos lives in a world that is built on the bones of Old Beings, most of which have been driven out are believed to have gone extinct. In a sense this is not unlike earth where the death of the dinosaurs paved the way for new life to emerge. History on Panthos does not go back quite so far, but the broader idea is the same: much of the life-forms that might exist in a classic high-fantasy setting likely once existed in Panthos, but have now gone extinct. This is why all remaining non-human races and species across Panthos share a theme of being in decline; they are the last living remnants of a far older world that is making way for an human-dominated one.

Quickstart Guide

If you're looking to join Panthos and want to get started, follow this guide.

1. Read the rules. At least familiarize yourself with the Core Rules and our policy regarding Mature Content before registering an account.
2. Register an OOC (out-of-character) account first. Do not use your real name for your OOC account, but use a moniker instead, like "Treebeard" or "Butterfly". Use a single name (no surname). Ignore the "nationality" or "title" fields upon registering your OOC account, these are intended to be used on character accounts.
3. Check your e-mail to activate your account.
4. Log into your OOC account, then copy this character sheet form and create a new topic here titled "Firstname Lastname" Where Firstname and Lastname are the first and last name of your character. If your character is called Joe Smith, the title of your character sheet topic should be "Joe Smith". Use your OOC account to post this topic.
   1. Please use an appropriate name for your character. "Captain Sparkles", "Un1c0rnzz r kewl" and other meme, chat-like names are not allowed. Try to avoid using special characters such as ä, ö, ü or è, é and ê. These make it harder to write and search for your character's name.
   2. Not sure what character to make? Have a look at the character creation guide
5. When you have posted your character sheet, a member of staff will review it. We recommend you wait for your character sheet to be approved before creating your IC (in-character) account.
   1. If it is approved, you will receive an on-site private message on your OOC account to let you know it's been approved.
   2. If a change is needed, you will receive a reply to the character sheet topic you created from one of our staff members.
6. Once we've approved your character sheet, register a new account using the First and Lastname of your character. You can re-use your e-mail address upon registering. This time around you can fill out the "nationality" and "custom title" fields, but this is still optional (you can also do this later from your User Control Panel)
7. Using your IC account go to User Control Panel->Profile->Edit Profile and post the link to your character sheet in the "character sheet" field. You can also link your IC account to your OOC account under the "Linked Accounts" tab, or simply follow this link
8. Using your OOC account go to User Control Panel->Profile->Edit Profile and use the About Me field to write a little bit about yourself, but also include any trigger or content warning you might have. Use this area to provide other members with any information they might need to know before writing with you. You can also link your OOC to your IC account here through the "Linked Accounts" tab on your User Control Panel. You need to link your OOC account to your IC account and your IC to your OOC account in order to be able to conveniently switch both ways between accounts.
9. Don't forget to set an avatar on your accounts. Avatars must be exactly 576x768 (width x height). We strongly prefer digital art/painterly images as this best suits the intended aesthetic, but real photos are permitted also. Anime or cartoony avatars are not allowed.

What's next?

You've made your OOC account, you've made a character sheet, had it approved and have logged into your IC account, ready to write. Here are some possible next steps:

1. Look for writing partners to start a thread with your character. You can simply ask in mChat
2. Alternatively, you can browse people's Plotters here or create your own Plotter so that other members know what kind of story you're interested in writing.
3. You are always free to create a solo thread or reach out to a member of staff to request a moderated quest, or just a simple story prompt to get going.
4. The Lorebook contains fairly detailed information about the various locations and cultures on Panthos which you can freely draw from to get a story idea.

Character Creation Guide

This guide is intended to give you some basic pointers about character creation.

Picking a race

There are currently three playable races. Humans dominate Panthos, but there are major cultural differences between the nations on the western continent.

Picking a nation

There are currently five nations on Panthos from which your character can originate. Only Mohsal and Voldas are currently open for play, this is to facilitate characters being physically near to each other and to avoid complexity while the site and its membership are still small. However, your character can still hail from another country like Khoros, Athesh or Sumir:

1. Mohsal—A once powerful kingdom in decline. The Ashir race live in a semi-autonomous province inside of Mohsal, so if you play as an Ashir, you start in Mohsal. Emphasizes political in-fighting.
2. Voldas—A young and new nation of united city-states. Culturally diverse, liberal and independent-minded. A power on the rise and historic enemies of Mohsal.
3. Khoros—A small, Greco-Roman inspired self-contained power. Emphasises power dynamics between mercantile houses and slave-trade themes.
4. Athesh—A peaceful, artisan nature with a dollop of cultural superiority. The French, basically. Militarily weak and hides a seedy underbelly in its society.
5. Sumir—Desert nation. Emphasizes tribal, nomadic and sultanate themes. Life here is hard, rulers are constantly changing, but there is much to be discovered beneath the sand.

The recommended starting nation is Mohsal.

Picking a goal

Each nation has some internal or external problem(s) it has to contend with. You can choose to center your character around these issues. For example: Mohsal is a kingdom in decline that is about to be governed by a young and inexperienced king. You could make it your character's goal to help factions that seek to overthrow this weak king and restore Mohsal to its former glory or you could decide to help the young king and aid the nation that way. Perhaps your character hates Mohsal and all it stands for. In that case, you might choose to align yourself with a faction from Voldas since Voldans historically dislike the Mohsalians.

If you browse the lorebook, you may also encounter mentions of noble houses, mercantile houses or other factions. Unless there is explicit mention to the contrary, all factions are open for play. Your character can start as a member of one of these factions and help define their future!

Ashir

The Ashir are a humanoid race blessed with long lives and an innate ability to do magic, setting them apart from ordinary humans. Alongside this ability, Ashir are the only known race to bond with dragons. It is believed that the magic of the Ashir runs through this bond, though there are known instances of dragonless Ashir who yet possess casting abilities.

A lesser known quality of the Ashir is that they are not born, but found.

Ashir names & The Mustering

Once every year the elder Ashir gather for a ceremony called The Mustering where a special ritual is performed that reveals the location of the new Ashir to them. Parties are sent out to retrieve as many Ashir as possible, though this is not always successful and some Ashir succumb to nature before they are found and named.

When an Ashir comes into the world, they are found at the roots of trees and brought to Velora, the last of the Ashir strongholds which has stood since the days of the Mithraic Empire. New-found Ashir have no biological parents, no family but their own kin, and no name but the one they’re given by the party that found them. The only family-like tie any Ashir might share with another is their surname, which is always in reference to the tree they were found under. Ashborn, Oakborn, Willowborn and the like are common surnames. Often, but not always, Ashir with certain surnames possess certain personality traits.

Like humans, Ashir can copulate, either with another Ashir or with a human. Children born from this are however invariably human and are sometimes referred to as uncastables as they have no controllable magical gifts. It has been noted however that children born from one or more Ashir parents do seem to live longer, healthier lives.

Despite their many gifts, the Ashir as a whole are in decline. Long ago they bound their fate to that of the Mithraic Empire, serving as its prime enforcers. They commanded respect and were praised and honored by the Emperors they loyally served. Those days are long gone and when the Empire collapsed, their numbers were greatly reduced in the ensuing chaos and slaughter. Of the four strongholds that once belonged to them, only Velora now remains.

Some Ashir wonder what has become of their once proud legacy. A thousand years in the service of the Empire and a thousand more in the service of Mohsal, and what do they have to show for it? An old ruin on the mountainside, a sliver of land and whatever other scraps Mohsal sees fit to throw at its loyal pet dog...

Nimmir

Nimmir are a small, gnome-like race who primarily dwell in the Free North. Smaller than a child, skittish and easily startled, they aren't the kind of folk you'd notice unless they wanted you to. Humans seem to be vaguely aware of their existence, but have largely relegated them to the realm of myth and fairytales where they are presented as mischievous and tricksy thieves or hagglers, trying to sell useless trinkets against exorbitant prices. Their exact depiction tends to vary from culture to culture, but the phrase "Never trade with a Nimmir" has an analogue across all cultures. Their name too is something everyone seems to agree on, which hints at the truth of their existence.

Nimmir have a restless nature and never stay in one place for long. They travel in small groups, as few as three or four and rarely more than ten. These mercurial creates have lived in stories for so long that discovering they are real would come as a surprise, but not a shock to anyone who might meet one.

Most Nimmir upon discovering they have been seen would flee or hide, the latter of which they are quite good at. But in some cases, the Nimmir might choose to trade instead. Contrary to popular belief, Nimmir aren't exactly hagglers nor do they demand high prices for their many wares. Rather than coveting gold or silver they often seem more interested in food or tools and machinery.

A typical Nimmir has a somewhat grubby appearance and may be heard before they are spotted due to the clinking and clattering of their heavy travel bags which contain all their worldly belongings. Indeed, these overflowing bags full of pots and pans and trinkets may be larger than the Nimmir themselves, with their hunched over frames.

The mose notable features about the Nimmir are their large noses and big, floppy ears, which they put to good use to keep themselves from being found.

Humans

Humans are the most prominent and widespread race on Panthos by far and are largely comparable to humans on earth, though their life expectancy is somewhat lesser.

While the Ashir are the most common and most adept users of magic, they are not the only ones capable of it. Humans can learn to wield magic too, but they require a talisman to do so. A talisman is an item, often a ring, amulet, or other piece of jewelry that allows a human to access magic. These humans are called Magi and while capable magicians in their own right, they are generally less skilled than Ashir. Without their talisman, a Magi is powerless and importantly, talismans can be depleted, nullifying their usability and one's access to magic.

At the time of the Mithraic Empire humans who dared dabbled in magic were hunted down by the Ashir and executed. Tomes on magic, when found, were destroyed and magic was deliberately portrayed as dangerous and wicked, something to be feared.

Even now, a thousand years after the fall of the Empire, the effects of intense surpression can still be felt. Much magical knowledge was destroyed by the Mithraic Empire through the Ashir, some of it burned, some of it stowed away in secret vaults. When the Empire fell many more tomes were lost and what survives today is greedily hoarded and viciously guarded by a select few.

The old beliefs about magic still hold sway. While most humans understand that magic exists and even know that it can be learned, few have any interest in doing so, thinking it far too dangerous an endeavour. Those who might still have lingering interest are presented with a more immediate problem: there are no readily available resources to learn it and one simply wouldn't know where to begin. Belief in the potential benefits of magic is further tarnished by swindlers, men or women who sell bottles of rainwater and cart grease as magic potions, or sooth-sayers who claim to be able to read futures in the entrails of birds.

Still, whether through robbery, inheritance or honest trade, a dedicated and ambitious soul can find a way to come into the possession of a talisman and a tome of magic.

When deciding to play as a human, the primary distinction that you can expand upon runs along cultural lines rather than special race abilities. A Mohsali person has starkly different views, beliefs, habits and manners of dress than someone from Sumir. A Mohsali person's cultural identity centers around their nostalgia for the days of the Mithraic Empire, that former glory and splendor while a Sumirian is much more concerned with themes of survival—both the availabitliy of water and the survival of their particular tribe.

The rough outlines of these cultural differences can be seen in the lore, but much of it is also for you, the player, to fill in. One of the intended appeals of choosing to write as a human is the flexibility you get in defining and contrasting these cultures. The other races are, by necessity, much more filled in and defined already.

Zhabir (not yet playable)

Aptitudes

Aptitudes are a broad reflection of your character's capabilities. These capabilities serve as a guideline for what your character can do in threads with other player characters or NPCs. It is deliberately broader and more hand-wavey than a skill system because the Aptitude system is intended to enhance story-telling, not get in the way of it. Using aptitudes is not required in non-moderated threads.

There are five aptitudes in total on Panthos:
- Physique
- Intelligence
- Charisma
- Spirit
- Agility

Each Aptitude is measured on a scale from 1 to 10. When you start a new character, you get to distribute 20 points across these skills if your character is an adult and 16 if they are a child. Supposing you start as an adult, if you were to equally divide all 20 points across all Aptitudes, you'd have 5 in each, which translates into your character being an average in all these Aptitudes. You can never exceed 44 Aptitude points across all Aptitudes. This is done to prevent any single character from becoming a master of everything.

The Aptitude system is primarily designed for use in moderated quests or adventures, where your choice of where you've invested Aptitude points matters and can affect the outcome of the adventure. In moderated threads, your character's Aptitude in a given area is combined with rolls of six-sided dice (a factor of luck or chance) to determine outcomes. The more points you have invested in a particular Aptitude the more likely you are to pass these challenges succesfully.

There is a secondary, opt-in use for Aptitudes. In regular 1x1 or regular (non-moderated) group threads you can choose to use the Aptitudes to resolve conflicts like fights between characters, or add an element of luck and chance to your adventures.

Aptitudes are very broad indicators with overlap between them. You cannot simply say that one character who has higher physique than another would always beat another character in boxing, for example. There are no strict rules on what Aptitudes map to which skills and often a skill, like boxing, could be considered to involve multiple Aptitudes (boxing could be a combination of physique, agility, spirit and even have a factor of intelligence). If you want to use the Aptitude system in non-moderated threads, you are allowed to come up with your own math—in collaboration with your writing partner(s)—to help determine the outcome of some challenge.

In summary: the aim of the Aptitude system is to support and reinforce your character's growth through broad indicators, but "leveling" is not the point of playing or writing on Panthos.

Each Aptitude is measured on a scale from 1 to 10. The following list gives a rough indication what each score means.

• 1 Point—Extremely poor. Your character has no talent in this area whatsoever and struggles to achieve even the most basic tasks in related skills.
• 2 Points—Very poor. Skills related to this aptitude are very difficult for your character and it's impossible for them to grow their competence in related skills beyond a novice level.
• 3 Points—Poor. Skills related to this aptitude are difficult for your character, but with a lot of effort, something resembling basic competence can be achieved.
• 4 Points—Untalented. Your character has no natural gift to speak of for skills related to this aptitude, but competence in related skills can be achieved.
• 5 Points—Middling (most adults, most of the time). Your character will pick up skills under this aptitude at an average pace. Reaching expertise in skills related to this aptitude now becomes possible.
• 6 Points—Above average. Your character has a semblance of talent in this area and is capable of becoming a respectable expert in related skills.
• 7 Points—Good. Your character has some proclivity for skills related to this aptitude and can attain true expertise in related skills.
• 8 Points—Talented. Your character is talented in this area and is able to reach a high degree of expertise in related skills, bordering on mastery.
• 9 Points—Gifted. Your character is beyond talented and has a true gift for this aptitude. You are able to achieve mastery in related skills.
• 10 Points—Exceptional. Your character is a world-renowed master at related skills and pushes the boundary of what was previously believed possible.

The aptitude points for each character can be viewed on their profile and even on their mini-profile with every post they make. As an anti-cheating measure you cannot change or edit your Aptitude points directly yourself. Instead you must specify on character creation in what aptitudes you wish to spend your starting points and a moderator will assign & allocate these to your in-character account. TODO: INSERT LINK

When you earn a new aptitude point after character creation you will have to submit an application to claim it. When the application has been processed by staff, your character's profile will be updated to reflect the requested change.
TODO: INSERT LINK

Finally, as a player you are expected to tale your character's age (relative to their race) into account when referencing the tables below. For example: a child character with a Physique of 7 would be considered quite strong for a child but would almost certainly get beaten by an adult at the same physique level. The thing to keep in mind here is that having 5 Aptitude in any of the Aptitudes is the average for an adult. So a child with an Intelligence of 5 would be considered bright and intelligent, because they are more or less at the average intelligence of an adult. However an adult of average intelligence would still have an edge over said child.

Example use of the Aptitude system

Let's say your character is Joe Smith and Joe has a physique of 5 (this is the average for a normal adult). Now let's say Joe is on a moderated adventure and there is a barricaded door in his way. The moderator indicates, using an OOC note in the thread, that in order to continue, the door must be forced open and that doing so requires a Physique check of 8. This means that Joe's Physique + the roll of a six-sided die must be more than or equal to 8. This is how that would break down:

• The moderator running the quest indicates in his posts that Joe finds his path blocked by a barricaded door, but that Joe can attempt to break the door and will succeed in doing so if a Physique check of 8 is passed.
• Joe writes his reply, showing that Joe is attempting to break the door using brute force.
• The moderator rolls a six-sided die. Let's say the moderator rolls a 3.
• The moderator takes Joe's physique aptitude (5) and adds 3 to it. The sum equals 8 and so the physique check is passed. The moderator replies to the adventure and shows that Joe has succesfully broken the barricaded door open.
• Suppose the moderator had rolled a 1, then the physique check would have failed since 5+1 = 6 which is less than 8. In this case it is up to the moderator to either provide an alternative route for Joe to move forward or to let the quest fail.

The above is a simplified example. If Joe had a very low physique he might have not tried to break the door open using force and instead have tried to use his intelligence to attempt to spot another way in. Joe could have done so by showing his character examining his surroundings and leaving an OOC note in his post asking for an intelligence check instead. Whether the moderator obliges such a request is up to them. A degree of flexibility is expected from both moderators and players, especially with easier quests. Difficult quests with serious impact on the broader world are likely less flexible and there are no hard and fast rules here, except that at the end of the day, the moderator's word is law.

Physique (Aptitude)

Physique entails domains like your character's strength, explosive power and physical endurance, but also resilience to natural disease. Characters with a high Physique are stronger, more resilient to disease and can endure greater amounts of pain or discomfort for longer stretches of time.

The table below gives a rough indication of what your character is capable of at various aptitude levels.

Intelligence (Aptitude)

Intelligence defines your character's ability to process information quickly and accurately. Characters with high intelligence are able to rapidly discern patterns, solve complex problems, speak multiple languages and plan for contingencies. Intelligence can be thought of as one's reasoning ability but also covers the domain of intuition. After all, an intelligent character may pick up on signs or patterns, even subconsciously, that others miss.

Please note that intelligence does not cover emotional intelligence or social intelligence. These are covered by Charisma.

The table below provides a rough indication of what your character is capable at each level of intelligence:

Charimsa (Aptitude)

Charisma defines your character's social skills and their ability to influence others through charm, persuasiveness and likability. Characters with high charisma typically have leadership qualities, being naturally able to draw and keep attention inspiring loyalty if they choose to do so.

The table below provides a rough indication of what your character is capable at each level of charisma:

Spirit (Aptitude)

Spirit is defined by your character's inner strength, resolve and one's mental ability to endure hardship. Characters with high spirits are able to overcome gruelling obstacles and push themselves to perform great feats through sheer force of willpower alone. Broadly speaking, Spirit refers to concepts of focus, resilience, and resolve.

The table below provides a rough indication of what your character is capable at each level of spirit:

Agility (Aptitude)

Agility defines your character's speed, reflexes and accuracy. Characters with high agility are more nimble and graceful than others, allowing them to move quickly out of harm's way or hit a target with astonishing accuracy.

The table below provides a rough indication of what your character is capable at each level of agility:

Earning Aptitude Points

Before continuing, please make sure you're read up about what Aptitudes are by clicking this link

There are two ways to raise your character's aptitude:

• Post-count Aptitude Growth. Up to 4 Aptitude points can be earned this way.
• Seasonal Aptitude Growth. Up to 20 Aptitude points can be earned this way if you write an adult character. Up to 24 Aptitude points can be earned this way if you write a child character.

Your character's total number of aptitude points may never exceed 44 points. It's by design that you can never max out all Aptitudes (you'd need 50 aptitude points for that) as this ensures that your character cannot become practically unbeatable.

Seasonal Aptitude Growth

Each season, your character is eligible for 1 Aptitude point that they may invest into an Aptitude of their choosing under the following conditions:

• You must have finished at least 2 threads within the season in order to be eligible for seasonal Aptitude growth. This is to prevent inactive characters from automatically gaining Aptitude points without doing anything.
• You must submit a request here using the Seasonal Aptitude Growth Form. New threads will be created each season, please make sure you're submitting to the correct one!
• While you may apply for Seasonal Aptitude Growth at any time during the active season, the requested Aptitude points will only be reviewed and applied to your character at each season's end.

It will take an adult character 5 IRL years to acquire all 20 Aptitude points through Seasonal Aptitude Growth. For a child character it will take 6 IRL years to acquire all 24 Aptitude points.

This may seem like a very long time—and it is! But as the site's founder I've been around the block long enough to know that this time will go by faster than you might think. Besides, the slow drip makes that growth all the more valuable and meaningful.

Post-count Aptitude Growth

The post-count Aptitude Growth is designed to give you some relatively easy growth early on.

You can raise your character's Aptitude by 4 Aptitude points when you meet or exceed the following, in-character, post-count thresholds:

• Your character can gain 1 Aptitude point upon reaching 10 in-character posts.
• Your character can gain 1 more Aptitude point upon reaching 25 in-character posts.
• Your character can gain 1 more Aptitude point upon reaching 50 in-character posts.
• Your character can gain 1 more Aptitude point upon reaching 75 in-character posts.

Each threshold can only be met once per character account. Meaning, you only get 1 Aptitude point for your first 50 posts, not 1 point for every 50 posts.

Post-count Aptitude posts are not awarded automatically. You must submit a request here using the Post-count based Aptitude Growth Form to claim your post-count based aptitude point(s). When you're eligible for a point you can request it at any time and they will be reviewed and applied to your character account as soon as possible. You won't have to wait for the next season to roll around.

Examples

Here are some examples of how characters with different strengths, weaknesses and personalities might spread their Aptitude points. You don't have to follow these examples, these are just here to help give you an idea of the interplay between a character's strengths, weaknesses and personality and their allocation of Aptitude points:

Calder Fordwin — Starting character example.

Calder is a scrappy street thief who relies on agility and quick thinking to stay ahead of the law. While not particularly strong, he's fast and street-smart but worries a great deal about getting caught and wishes for a better life.

• Physique 3/10 - At this level Calder is physically weak, but can perform mundane day-to-day tasks without help.
• Agility 6/10 - At this level Calder is notably nuimble with both hand and feet
• Intelligence 5/10 - At this level Calder has average intelligence, though it is likely to be mostly street-smarts and not book-learned.
• Charisma 4/10 - At this level Calder doesn't attract negative social attention and is able to navigate most social situations if he tries.
• Spirit 2/10 - At this level Calder is unable to tolerate any real setback. You can frame this as being very skittish and very concerned about being caught, for example which places a lot of mental stress on Calder, thus making him suspectible to being pushed over the edge.
• Total: 20

As you can see there is flexibility in how you choose to frame and interpret Calder's strengths and weaknesses. For example, Calder's Spirit of 2/10 makes him mentally quite feeble. But instead of saying Calder has no willpower at all, you could also argue that Calder is under so much mental duress, being a street thief, that that is why he has a weak resolve. Someone like Calder has to constantly worry about being caught and as a result it doesn't take much to push them over the edge mentally. Likewise, Calder has average intelligence, but noticed how it is framed here as street-smarts over book-smarts.

Keep in mind that it would only take you 10 in-character points to earn your first upgrade, and then only 15 more posts to get the 2nd additional Aptitude point. So if you were to write as Calder, you could consider an arc where perhaps he has a lucky break and this relieves some of his stress. Consequently, because he has more financial security, you reflect that by upgrading Calder's spirit. This is just one possible way to have a character's aptitudes reflect their personality and growth.

Garrik Brokland — After one year on Panthos.

Garrik is a hardened mercenary who has survived countless battles, but isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, nor the most socially adept.

• Physique 9/10 - At this level Garrik would be renowed for his strength
• Agility 5/10 - At this level Garrik has average agility and reflexes
• Intelligence 4/10 - At this level Garrik is no deep thinker, but he can think and reason independently
• Charisma 3/10 - At this level Garrik is blunt, intimidating and lacking finesse
• Spirit 7/10 - At this level Garrik has strong, but not unbreakable willpower
• Total: 28

A character with a build like Garrik can be achieved in 1 IRL year of play; assuming you make at least 75 in-character posts in a year and complete 8 in-character threads within that year. Here is how that breaks down:

• 20 Aptitude points are earned upon character creation.
• 4 Aptitude can be earned by making 75 posts (1 after 10 posts, 1 after 25 posts, 1 after 50 posts, 1 after 75 posts).
• 4 more can be earned by completing 2 in-character threads each season (every 3 IRL months).

Lissa Morren — Example of a child character.

A bright and curious girl with a knack for figuring things out.

• Physique 3/10 - At this level Lisa can perform mundane day-to-day tasks without help.
• Agility 3/10 - Not particularly quick and prone to the ocassional bout of clumsiness.
• Intelligence 5/10 - Lisa is bright and intelligent for a child (consider that 5 is the average intelligence for an adult)
• Charisma 3/10 - A little awkward, but not unlikeable
• Spirit 2/10 - Lisa is very stubborn and wants everything to happen her way. If it doesn't, she cracks and throws a fit.
• Total: 16

Child characters start with only 16 Aptitude points, but can ultimately earn all 44 Aptitude points that adults can, it just takes more time.

Notice here how Lisa's low Spirit is framed as stubborness and throwing a childish tantrum rather than being mentally feeble. Likewise, Lisa's "average" intelligence is actually a noteworthy trait considering she is around an adult level of intelligence whilst being a child.

Magic

While there is some overlap between the various disciplines of magic, all magic except Wild Magic is bound by the following three ironclad rules:

1. Something cannot be created from nothing.
2. It is not possible to transform one thing into something intrinsically different. Ice cannot be turned into fire nor fire into ice.
3. Performing magic exerts the caster as if the same task were attempted by mundane means.

The third point warrants further explanation. Ashir, who are capable of innate magic, feel the strain of magic as physical exertion which they share with their dragon if they are bonded. When they overcast, they may teeter into rapid onset sickness: dizziness, nauseau, followed by loss of motor function, involuntary convulsions and finally death.

Magi, human magicians, feel much less physical strain and can often maintain spells for much longer. Their magic flows from their talisman which has a limited charge that may run out and need replenishment. It is only at the point of their talisman running out that Magi will begin to feel the strain on themselves. Because Magi rarely push to this point, few have experience with it, and the experience would be terrifying. An inexperienced Magi may well think they are dying as they feel their life force drain away. The effect at this point is the same as it is with the Ashir, it's just that the Ashir are much better prepared for it because of their education.

Wild Magic

Very little is known or understood about Wild Magic. The only conclusive observations that can be made from the rare occurrences of it are that only Magi seem capable of it, and that it has terrible destructive potential. The when, how, or why of Wild Magic remain a great mystery and the few recorded instances are the subject of endless debate among scholars who cannot seem to agree on any kind of classification of Wild Magic.

Mentalism

Mentalism is a discipline of magic that allows for mind reading, mind manipulation, mind shielding and telepathic communication. Mentists are highly valued and sought after. Because of its power, the magic is forbidden for Magi to learn, though that hasn't stopped them from trying. Any Mentist, whether Magi or Ashir can make a fortune with their skills, if they are willing to use their skills in heinous, invasive ways. For all the power they have, Mentists are often forced to live secret lives since the nature of the magic tends to inspire a deep distrust.

All Ashir learn a limited, defensive subset of mentalism during their education, allowing them to defend themselves - up to a point - against mind manipulation. This basic training does not make them full Mentists however. Telepathy and mind manipulation are the marks of a true Mentist, a path that few choose to embark on because of the skill, patience, and dedication required to achieve a measure of success.

Singular: Mentist
Plural: Mentists

Possible spells

• Telepathy—the ability to communicate mentally. Only experienced Mentist are able to communicate telepathically with each other and the clarity with which one can do so falls off over distance. Telepathy is subject to the casting rules outlined below, as is all mentist magic.
• Mind reading—the next step up from telepathy is the ability to read another's mind. This never translates into being able to deduce literal thoughts but rather gives the Mentist an impression of the target's primary thoughts and mood in that moment.
• Mind manipulation—even when used in a friendly healing manner, mind manipulation requires overcoming the target's defenses. The easiest form of mind manipulation is where the Mentist suppresses or amplifies existing thoughts and feelings in the target's mind. Forcing a (new) thought on a target to make them perform a desired action is much harder and planting a novel idea that the victim ends up believing to be their own is the hardest possible feat for a Mentist to achieve as it requires them to cover their tracks.

Casting

A beginning student will have to physically touch their subject in order to achieve any degree of success. Any kind of resistance from the subject will be near impossible for the beginner to overcome. As a student advances, some distance can be maintained and an intermediate Mentist may be able to probe another mind through mere eye contact. Only an advanced Mentist can probe another's mind at distance through some personal belonging of their target, like a piece of clothing or a strand of hair, but such connections are difficult to maintain for long.

Willing subjects are much easier to probe than ones that resist. All living beings, regardless of their (in)ability to do magic, are able to sense when a Mentist probes their mind and it is for this reason that a Mentist must be able to take out a target's defenses quickly when assaulting another mind.

Weak-willed, distracted or emotional targets make for much easier prey than focused, calm, strong-willed individuals. Maintaining any level of control however requires a constant, persistent effort on the part of the caster unless special care is taken to carefully plant ideas that the victim believes to be their own.

Probing another mind for mind-reading or manipulation purposes is often described like navigating a layered maze. Each maze that is beat by the Mentist allows them to dig deeper into the target's consciousness and exercise greater control over their victim. Another reason Mentist must act quickly when dealing with a hostile person is that their own mental defenses will be much weaker so long as they're engaged with their target.

Starting Mentist are often surprised to learn that their engagements lasted much shorter than they thought. The sense of time of both the Mentist and the target is severely diluted and what feels like a long period of mental grappling may in reality have occurred in mere seconds.

Lumillation

Lumillation deals with manipulating light and shadow for the purposes of concealment and illusion. In the most simple application a Lumifier can bend light and shadow across a small object to conceal it from view. Lumillation never results in invisibility but rather in manipulating light and shadow in such a way that the target becomes perfectly camouflaged. Similarly Lumillation cannot prevent something from being picked up or stumbled across, thereby breaking the illusion. Only advanced, loyal Magisters may learn about this magic.

Singular: Lumifier
Plural: Lumifiers

Examples

The more skilled a Lumifier gets, the more stable and complex their illusions can become. For example: an experienced Lumifier could use their skill to mask their own appearance. They could change the color of their eyes or hair, make wrinkles appear or vanish and otherwise alter their appearance to their desire. While it is possible to, for example, hide a beard through Lumillation, it is much easier to work with what's already there. So while an advanced Lumifier could make themselves appear much taller than they are, the illusion would be much more convincing and stable if they stayed closer to their true height.

Likewise it would be much easier to hide a pot of gold in a bush by making it blend in with the surrounding vegetation rather than trying to make it appear like a puddle of water, or something similarly out of place.

Lumifiers cannot make things appear that aren't present. They can only alter the appearance of things or people that are already there.

Just as a Lumifier is capable of hiding objects by altering their appearance, a Lumifier can also reveal items that were hidden by magical means.

Muification

Muification is the art of physical, elemental transformation that concerns itself with manipulating the elements though it is not necessarily limited to those realms. A good deal of Muifiers learn to manipulate flesh and bone to become healers, though those skills may be used for ill too. Magisters are allowed to learn aspects of this magic for healing purposes.
Out of all the magics, Muification is perhaps the one whose full potential is least known. Experimenting with the elements is not without risk and the beginning Muifier is prone to overextend themselves. An experienced Muifier may begin to see possibilities in the shaping of flesh and bone beyond their natural form. One has to wonder if perhaps with the right knowledge of mentalism or proferement, a entirely new form of life could be created...

Singular: Muifier
Plural: Muifiers

Casting

• Transmutation—A spell of transmutation allows the Muifier to impose a rapid state change in fire, wind, water, earth, or flesh. For example: cool water may be turned to steam or ice, the cinders in a fire may swell into a raging flame, or the seed of a plant may shoot up and sprout its flowers in a matter of seconds. The level of control a Muifier is able to exert over the results depends on their skill. For example: a Muifier may be able to cause cinders to turn into a steady flame but may lack the control to shape that flame to their will. A highly skilled Muifier may be able to shape fire into a ball and sling it at their enemies but can never conjure up a fireball out of thin air. The fire has to be already present. The same goes for creating balls of water or concentrated blasts of wind.
• Healing—A Muifier, through the manipulation of flesh and bone, can heal broken bones or make flesh put itself back together. Technically the art of healing is the same as casting a spell of transmutation with an exclusive focus on flesh and bone, but it is often taught as a separate discipline since the healer needs to have an understanding of anatomy in order to be able to put things back together the right way. Whilst healing spells can deal with broken bones and deep flesh wounds, it is not equipped to deal with poison or natural (infectious) disease. Natural (herbal) remedies must be applied to deal with those and Muifiers who focus on healing are often also taught about herbal medicine for this exact reason.
• Hardening—Hardening can be thought of as a protective or defensive kind of magic. Hardening is the act of "locking" fire, wind, water, earth, or flesh into into its current state, essentially making it more difficult for a change in state to occur. For example: a bit of freshly fallen snow could be "hardened" which would make that snow much more difficult to melt. Similarly, a Muifier could cast a spell of hardening on their own bones to make them less prone to breaking. Hardening should not be confused with making something phsyically more solid but should rather be thought of as locking or freezing something into its current state, making it more difficult to change. For example: a Muifier could "harden" a flame, making that flame more difficult to douse.

A particularly gruesome application of Muification would be to make blood freeze or boil, effectively turning Muification into an exceptionally deadly form of magic.

Because of obvious moral objections, this particular application of Muification is a well-guarded secret that only trusted Ashir would ever be allowed to learn about. Even then, the emphasis would be on shielding against this so-called blood transmutation through hardening. By hardening one's own blood a Muifier can 'lock' their blood in its normal, liquid state and make it much harder for any opposing Muifier to kill them through blood transmutation. A Muifier can also protect others in a similar fashion.

Please note that because of the third law of magic, killing someone through blood transmutation is a very taxing affair and cannot be used to kill people en masse.

Proferement

Proferement is sometimes called the Tinkerer's Magic for good reason; Proferement is a magic whose exact limits are still being explored through experimentation. It is through Proferement that inanimate objects become enchanted and enhanced. There are no distinct Proferement spells so much as there is a guiding law under which the discipline operates: Proferement is the craft of bringing out or emphasizing a property or properties already inherent in the object. A sharp blade can be Proferred to be made even sharper, but it can never be Proferred into a writing instrument, since a blade has no inherent properties of being a writing instrument. Proferement is allowed to be studied by Magisters.

Singular: Proferer
Plural: Proferers

Examples

• A "flaming" sword could be created when a spell of Proferement is applied during the forging of the blade. Whilst heat is no intrinsic to a blade, it is present within the blade during forging, thus enchanting the blade in this way falls within the laws of magic. A blade that has been Proferred this way can be turned hot again at the wielder's discretion.
• A more peculiar and advanced application of Proferement is the crafting of Anykeys. An Anykey is a key that fits and unlocks (almost) any door. The thing to understand here is that unlocking can be considered an inherent property of a key, therefore it can be enhanced through Proferement and thus a regular key (through Proferement) can be made to fit many more locks. On the flipside, a proferred lock could have its locking property enhanced to the point of becoming invulnerable to an Anykey.

Resonance

Resonance is the life-long pursuit of forging a deep connection with the natural world. Considered a relatively harmless magic, Magisters are allowed to study it. A capable Resonator can tame a wild beast, discover new herbal medicine through their intimate knowledge of plants, or become an exceptional tracker through their connection with their immediate surroundings. While Resonators are often lacking in human contact, their skill and ability as makers of potions and poisons alike is unmatched. Resonators are uniquely capable of Treespeaking, an ability that allows them to communicate with other Resonators across vast distances, using a language of symbolism, visions and impressions.

Singular: Resonator
Plural: Resonators

Casting

• Treespeaking—this ability comes most naturally to any Ashir who pursues attunement. By touching the bark of a tree an Attuner can utilize the system of roots and the mycelium in the soil to expand their consciousness. This allows information to be sent or received across vast distances, though any communication done this way presents itself as flashes of imagery, sounds, and vague impressions. Treespeaking does not have to be used for communication however. An Attuner can use treespeaking to 'put out feelers' in the natural world for tracking purposes and getting a sense of direction when chasing wild game or foes.
• Alignment—as the Attuner grows in their ability they become capable of interacting with soil, rock, water, fire, or even wind in the same vein as with Treespeaking except they can only 'listen in' and are unable to send information across these mediums. An Attuner capable of alignment can for example touch soil and determine with reasonable certainty if someone or something passed there recently. In water an Attuner may be able to tell if there are fish nearby, and if so, in which direction. A skilled Attuner may even be able to tell the exact species of fish.
• Defiance—an expert Attuner becomes capable of setting the natural world against their foes. Depending on their active surroundings, the Attuner could cause a storm to rise, bring about an earthquake, or cause high waves at sea. This does not break the third law of magic because the Attuner does not spend their energy on directly causing these things, but rather on persuading the elements to turn violent. Nevertheless, performing an act of defiance is extremely taxing on any Attuner and may incapacitate them for days on end. Moreover, there is no guarantee that the elements will heed the Attuner's coaxing.

Since Resonators essentially expand their awareness through the natural world they are at risk of becoming overwhelmed with information. The further out an Attuner reaches, the more likely it is that the Attuner becomes overwhelmed. When an Attuner becomes overwhelmed they simply become sickly and dysphoric in the best case. In more serious cases they may lose consciousness for an extended period of time, and in the most extreme cases an overwhelmed Attuner may become long subjected to unending, unbearable barrages of sounds and images as they've become incapable of separating their own consciousness from that of their surroundings.

Voyering

Voyering deals with seeing into and traveling toward remote places through portals. Both scrying and the creation of portals requires prior knowledge of the destination or place that is being looked into. Most importantly however, a travelling Voyer must still cover the physical distance from one place to another, though they can do so in a straight line, unhindered by the dangers of the waking world. That said, entering the dream-like realm of Voyering is fraught with its own set of dangers. The stability of the path hinges on the stability of the Voyer's mind. Voyer's are known to have gotten lost within these realms and those that returned often had gone mad. Very few trusted Magisters are allowed to study this magic. The largest cities in the Empire may only have two or three Voyers at their disposal.

Singular: Voyer
Plural: Voyers

Casting

Mirroring

Through the application of Mirroring a Voyer can look into a mirror of their choosing and see in it what's on the other end of another, faraway, mirror. Sound does not travel through this medium and the clarity of the image is both dependent on the skill of the Voyer and the distance of the target mirror from the caster.

Furthermore, the Voyer must have an internalized understanding of where their target mirror is located in order to be able to see through it (like a mental map). Typically this means that the Voyer needs to have been physically near the target mirror at least once in their life before they can access it through mirroring. Just like how a Mentalist needs eye contact or some kind of personal belonging to connect with their target, a Voyer needs to have a memory of the mirror they're trying to look through. This also means that a connection may be lost or hampered if the target mirror is (deliberately) moved out of place.

Fortunately, through Mentalism, Voyers can share memories of mirrors therefore allowing them to access mirrors that they themselves have never been near to, but the memory of which has been granted to them. This allows Voyers to shortcut having to travel to each and every possible mirror they might want to access.

As a student advances in Mirroring the clarity and stability of the image they're able to see, as well as the distance they're able to see across, increases. Furthermore, an advanced student is not solely dependent on mirrors but may begin to be able to see through other reflective surfaces (like water or ice) as well. Images seen through this method will always be inferior to actual mirrors, but come with the benefit of stability since ponds, lakes, or rivers are much less likely to move or change in such a way that it would become difficult for a Voyer to see through them.

Voyering

Voyering is a significantly more advanced application of mirroring that is subject to the same limitations and is altogether a more risky endeavor. Instead of seeing through another mirror, the Voyer travels through them. This is not necessarily a shortcut from one location to another since the third law of magic still applies here. In other words: travelling from one location to another through the use of Voyering is exactly as tiresome as travelling through mundane means. However, Voyering still brings distinct advantages with it.

For one, it is a much more stealthy means of travel, unhindered by wild animals, bandits on the road or other such nuisances. Secondly, the time it takes to reach the desired location may be shorter since travelling through this method is similar to travelling to the destination in an optimal straight line.

There are however risks associated with Voyering. When a Voyer steps into a mirror they enter a mirror realm which must be carefully navigated. The mirror realm has no single, distinct, stable appearance but rather takes on the appearance that reflects inner mental landscape of the Voyer. It could look like a forest one moment, then seem like a maze-like ruin the next, right before it changes into appearing like a desert. The look, shape and cohesion of the environment is entirely dependent on the mental stability of the Voyer. The more skilled a Voyer is, the better they are able to keep their surroundings stable as they travel across the mirror realm. It is a real risk for the Voyer to get lost in this mirror realm or to encounter representations of their own inner mental turbulence that hinder them from moving forward. It is not known what becomes of a Voyer that ends up trapped in the mirror realm.

Voyering does allow for other people other than the Voyer themselves to travel alongside them though this obviously requires a great deal of trust on the part of the non-Voyers. Futhermore, Voyering (just like mirroring) is also possible through water in which case a Voyer could dive into an ocean, traverse the mirror realm, and emerge in a lake on the other end.

Procurement

When a Voyer has developed a particularly deep mental map of a destination mirror and has Voyered to-and-from this destination frequently, a Voyer may become able to send objects across the mirror realm without needing to make the journey themselves. Instead, the knowledge of how to cross correctly is imparted on the object so that when the object is pushed into the mirror realm, it travels to its destination without further guidance. This is an effective means to send goods or messages across relatively short distances. Please note that the third law of magic is still in full effect here, so this cannot be used to send mountains of supplies across vast distances. Furthermore, objects sent across through Procurement will still take time to reach their destination.

Khoros

Ten peaks stand guard against foreign invaders and only the Roaring Gates, a narrow passage through the mountainside, allows entry over land through the southern border. Along the West and East, the small nation is surrounded by tall mountains and cliff faces. To the North lies Staleworth's Bay, a safe-haven for merchant ships and the primary hub for a vibrant slave trade in the port-city of Syntioch. Eskhor, the capital, rests further inland and is surrounded by a scattering of satellite towns and villages. Khoros capitalizes on its slave trade in peacetime and on hiring out its expert foot soldiers to other nations, often to repel bandits, quell rebellions, or drive back wild tribes.

The nation’s artery is the river Tioch, which flows from a glacier up in the mountains all the way down through the countryside before reaching the sea through Staleworth’s bay. Several other, smaller streams flow down the mountainside and pool into lakes around which marshlands inhabited by a wild variety of fauna have formed. Some towns have sprung up alongside these streams, but for the most part the grasslands are a rugged, wide open landscape with few forests to be found. What little woodland does exist rests at the feet of the mountains.

Khoros is built on the foundations of discipline, commerce, and a small but strong navy. The Khorosi people take great pride in their history as a warrior society, believing that strength—both martial and political—is the highest virtue. Five great houses maintain a delicate balance of power between them, while each house is mightly in their own right, none are capable of dominating the others. It is through this balance of power that Khoros is ruled, seemingly united and allied in governance to the outside world, but engaged in ruthless political games behind closed doors.

The government is housed in Eskhor’s grand Korthion, where the five ruling families form a tenuous coalition. These families—Veerhne, Dainos, Korthan, Melcari, and Thalassos—each control different facets of the nation, from the military to trade, law, and maritime affairs. Their rivalries are fierce, yet they are all bound by an unwritten understanding: should any one family overreach, the others will unite against them.

Khorosi culture is rigidly stratified, with clear distinctions between freemen, slaves, and the ruling elite. Citizenship is a birthright privilege which can only otherwise be earned through military service or patronage, and outsiders find little welcome unless they arrive bearing wealth.

Most trade flows along the Tioch River, connecting Syntioch’s sprawling docks with Eskhor’s bustling markets. Khoros is renowned for the disciplned mercenary companies, finely trained slave labor, and gemstone mines. The mountains yield valuable gemstones and ores, while the eastern coast, most prominently the city of Nyn, provides fish and hardy sailors for Khoros’ modest but effective navy.

Yet, for all its wealth and power, Khoros is not without enemies. The Free Isles, a loose confederation of islanders, frequently raid Khorosi shipping, though the nation retaliates in kind by launching its own slaving expeditions. From the Southwestern mountains, untamed hill tribes launch seasonal raids, hoping to race across the flat plains, stealing farmland produce and livestock before a defense can be mounted from Peramor. Meanwhile, the nomadic clans beyond the Roaring Gates test the borders, seeking to reclaim land long lost to Khorosi conquest.

The state religion venerates Asthor, a steadfast god of war, duty and endurance, whose grand temple stands in the heart of Eskhor.

The Governance Of Khoros

There are five great houses in Khoros who each control a key aspect of government. While each family is powerful in its own right, no singular family can hope to overthrow and depose the others, and so a tenous balance of power is maintained.

House Veerhne – Masters of the Judiciary

As the primary lawmakers in Khoros, House Veerhne controls the courts, collects taxes, and appoints magistrates. Their wealth comes from various bureacracies they have erected through which they earn commissions. For example, tracking land ownership and slave ownership is required by law, yet changes to these records incurs a fee, the bulk of which lines the pockets of House Veerhne. It is dull and long work, but House Veerhne has proved its profitability. Court cases too have fees associated with them which end up in the hands of the Veerhnes, whose influence is strongest in Eskhor, as that is where most of the wealthy, ruling class lives.

House Dainos – Military Affairs

House Dainos is in charge of the nation's most prized asset: the army. With generations of military tradition behind them, House Dainos has built an extensive network of veteran commanders and officers ensuring that Khoros remains a formidable force on the battlefield.

House Korthan – Keepers of Coin

House Korthan are merchant-princes who control the trade networks of Khoros, including the infamous slave market of Syntioch. Their ships dominate the flow of goods through Staleworth’s Bay, and they own vast warehouses in every major city. Despite their wealth, they are despised by many for their ruthless exploitation of the lower classes and slaves.

House Melcari – Maritime Affairs

House Melcari oversee the modest but effective Khorosi navy, ensuring that the nation’s coastal defenses remain secure. They also control the lucrative fishing industry and pearl diving operations off the northern coast. Their presence in Nyn and Syntioch gives them control over shipbuilding and naval logistics. House Melcari provides the protection and the ships that House Korthan uses to turn pearls and white and silks into gold.

House Thalassos – Religious Affairs

House Thalassos wields power through the temples and priesthoods of Khoros, controlling the Temple of Astur and maintaining the religious doctrines that shape Khorosi culture. They maintain religious institutions, control education, and act as the moral compass of the nation—though their devotion is often political rather than spiritual. Whilst they lack a direct military force, their influence is felt in every corner of the nation, as they justify wars, uphold traditions, and ensure that the nobility remains in Astur's favor. The seat of power for House Thalassos lies in Thabe, where many of the elite class have retreats and luxury estates.

Cities of Khoros

High mountains in the south form a natural border between Khoros and its neighbors. Beyond the mountain range the land swiftly flattens into hillsides, valleys, grasslands and temperate forests. For the most part the land is uninhabited and nature is left to run its course, but along the major rivers, many small towns can be found. The most important large towns and cities are:

• Syntioch, the former capital
• Eskhor, the current capital
• Palhor
• Thabe
• Peramor
• Thekhor
• Makhor
• Nyn

Palhor

Ask any well-off Khorosi about Palhor and they'll scoff. Palhor is a backwater of near-barbarians, a place where men live too close to the wild, too far from civilization. The wealthy seem to suggest that they only tolerate the city because it is located far, far away in the uppermost northwest of the country where their stink and savage methods cannot be smelled or seen.

The truth is that Palhor is home of the rangers, the heart of hunting, trapping, and wilderness survival in Khoros. Its people are renowned for their unmatched skill with the bow and their knowledge of the land, passed down through generations. From Palhor the rest of the nation is supplied with rare pelts, exotic meats, and medicinal herbs gathered from the forests and mountains. Khorosi nobles, even those who scoff at Palhor’s uncivilized ways, eagerly pay exorbitant prices for the city’s prized wolf and lynx furs, or the antlers of great mountain stags, carved into exquisite ornaments.

Despite their essential contributions, the people of Palhor remain outsiders in their own nation. Their customs are viewed as coarse, their dialect roughened from spending too much time in the wilderness. Worse still, it is said that Palhor’s hunters occasionally trade with the wild mountain tribes, the very same raiders who harass Khorosi borders. While no Palhoran would ever take up arms against their homeland, their survival comes first, and the exchange of goods in the depths of the forest is sometimes more practical than loyalty to distant rulers.

Yet, for all their supposed savagery, the people of Palhor still honor the gods, debate philosophy by firelight, and take pride in being the shield between Khoros and untamed frontiers. Their rangers serve as scouts, guides and bowmen for the nation’s armies, finding paths through treacherous terrain where others could not. Should Khoros ever be drawn into open war then it will need the men of the North more than it cares to admit.

To the rest of Khoros, they may be close wild men and women, too stubborn or too uncivilized to abandon the old ways, but when the nation is in need of hardy survivors, it is to Palhor they turn. And the people of Palhor? They answer, as they always have—with quiet skill, sharp arrows, and the knowing smile of those who have never sought or needed the approval of the so-called civilized world.

Makhor

Makhor is a city perched against the mountains, guarding the eastern approach to Khoros. Unlike the grandeur of Eskhor or the sprawling chaos of Syntioch, Makhor is a fortress first and a city second. Its towering stone walls and heavily garrisoned watchtowers make it nearly impregnable. The city is home to a permanent military encampment—overseen by House Dainos—and serves as a staging ground for expeditions or mercenary contracts.

Alongside its military function, Makhor is also a thriving center of mining, blacksmithing and ironworks. The forges here produce some of the finest weapons and armor in Khoros, and skilled artisans craft exquisite metalwork sought after by nobles and even artisans from Athesh.

Trade caravans venture into Makhor for these treasures, laden with goods to exchange for its famed steel. The city thrives on commerce, its markets bustling with merchants from far and near.

Thabe

Thabe is a picturesque seaside city located in the northeast. Known for its gorgeous beaches, artisan workshops and rich soil, Thabe produces the finest ceramics, sculpture and bricks in Khoros. It is the favored retreat of the nobility, who own summer estates along the shoreline. Unlike the rigid, martial cities elsewhere in the nation, Thabe is a place of art, leisure, and indulgence, making it a hub for culture and intellectual life.

However, beneath its elegant veneer, Thabe hides smuggling operations and black market operations, as merchants seek to evade taxes or trade illicit goods. It is said that secret shipments of rare minerals and contraband slaves pass through Thabe’s estates before disappearing off the books entirely.

Peramor

Peramor, sometimes nostalgically called ‘The Pearl’ once was the pride of Khoros. Located near The Roaring Gates, the city has been carved out of the rock of the mountains and winds alongside the cliff face. Because it looks out over the valley behind The Roaring Gates, the city is strategically important. Over the years a contigent of rear guard has been deployed there, ready to defend the border has been put into position. Simultaneously most of the nation's convicts were moved to Peramor, out of sight of the nobility, and locked away in the mountain. It is this combined presence of the military and convicted criminals that has cost the city its liveliness. No more than six-thousand stubborn citizens currently call Peramor their home.

Nyn

This cliffside city harbours around ten-thousand souls who want as little to do with the rest of the country as possible. Living conditions in Nyn are harsh and unforgiving and because of this, anyone visiting Nyn is regarded with suspicion by the locals. The best sailors Khoros can muster for its limited navy tend to be recruited from this fishermen town.

Thekhor

Cradled between two mighty rivers, Thekhor thrives as the third largest city in Khoros, an understated and frequently overlooked spill in national politics. Fertile farmlands from mineral-laden silt deposited by the nearby rivers make Thekhor the breadbasker of Khoros, feeding the nation with abundant harvests.

The city's prosperity, however, extends beyond agriculture. Prospectors often find gleaming flecks of gold in the riverbeds, drawing hopeful fortune-seekers and merchants from far and wide.

The people of Thekhor are at their best in Daum, when the harvest is done and the squares are filled with buzz and cheer. Festivals of the harvest bring the city alive, with music and rowdy feasting that knows no equal anywhere in Khoros.

Military

Khoros prides itself in its highly-capable infantry, the bulk of which consist of expertly trained slaves. Though Khoros fields a relatively small army and lacks ranged and cavalry units, what forces it does have are formidable. With favorable geography protecting the nation on almost all sides, Khoros knows it has little to fear and maintains a capable, experienced fighting force by sending it out for hire on mercenary contracts.

The Khorosi land forces are made up by a mixture of carefully selected slaves alongside domestic and foreign recruits. After ten years of service, slaves can earn the status of freemen, while foreigners can gain citizenry after only three years of service. For the domestic population, serving in the army is a good way to earn a solid wage and a way to elevate one's social standing as one progresses through the ranks.

The land-forces are under the control of House Dainos. The naval forces are under the control of House Melcari.

Army

The ground-forces of Khoros are split up into four large armies with some auxillary units in reserve. It is not uncommon for these armies to be at half-strength or lower as temporary armies are frequently formed from elements of the standing army to fullfill mercenary contracts.

The ground forces are further divided up into Meros, divisions of 3,000 to 5,000 troops, mostly infantry.

1st Army

The 1st army is the largest standing army of Khoros and constitutes the core of its ground defense. The 1st army is typically stationed in Makhor and is approximately ~15,000 bodies strong.

• 2nd Meros, The 1st Swords of Syntioch
• 7th Meros, The Thekhor Spears
• 12th Meros, The 1st Makhor Guards

2nd Army

Stationed in Eskhor, the 2nd army consist of elite heavy infantry forces and is about ~8,000 bodies strong.

• 1st Meros, The Korthion Elites
• 3rd Meros, The 1st Eskhor Guards
• 4th Meros, The 2nd Eskhor Guards

3rd Army

Stationed in the south at Peramor near the Roaring gates, this army is small but mobile and able to quickly respond to incursions or raids by mountain tribes. This is the only army in Khoros's military that consists of predominantly cavalry units. The 3rd army is approximately 6,000 bodies strong.

• 13th Meros, The River Wardens
• 6th Meros, The Peramor Shields

4th Army

Stationed in Thabe, this force is about ~12,000 bodies strong and is the primary force that is drawn from whenever Khoros signs a mercenary contract. The Horsemasters of Thabe are one of the few units in which citizens of high standing, such as those beloging to one of the five mercantile families, are part of the formation.

• 11th Meros, The 2nd Swords of Syntioch
• 9th Meros, The Black Spears
• 16th Meros, The Horsemasters of Thabe

Reserves

These reserves cannot be activated immediately as they are not standing formations, but there is a skeleton command structure in place to summon and organise these forces within a season's time, should the need arise.

• 5th Meros, The Palhor Rangers (idle)
• 14th Meros, The 1st levies (idle)
• 15th Meros, The 2nd levies (idle)

Navy

The navy of Khoros is a compact but capable force, primarily focused on protecting maritime trade (escorting slave ships) and warding off piracy along the coasts. Instead of fielding massive war fleets, Khoros focuses on small and fast interdiction ships for both its protective and offensive operations. Every so often the navy takes part in launching quick raids on the Free Isles to capture new slaves.

The navy is divided into three fleets or "Stolos" with each fleet serving a unique role in the protection of Khoros's interests. A Stolos consists of Moirai, sub-formations within the fleet that tend to specialize in operating a single class of ship. The Khorosi navy features the following classes of ships:

• Arkos-class. Medium coastal patrol ships, designed for patrol and escort duty.
• Nykoros-class. Small cutters, fast and lightly armored.
• Varakos-class. Blockade runners, extremely fast but somewhat fragile.
• Nytheron-class. Patrol ships converted into light raiding ships.
• Draemion-class. Large, heavy warships with reinforced hulls that were meant to be the pride and joy of the navy. While highly capable, these large ships incur a massive operational cost due to the large crew required to man them. 8 were planned to be built, which has now been cut down to 4, with two still under construction. These ships, due to their operational cost, are used sparingly and spend most of their time in the docks.
• Kataphron-class. While larger and more heavily armed than the Draemions, these ships are cheaper to operate, despite being of an older design. It is something of a public secret that these ships were imported from Mohsal instead of being built locally, something which the Melcari family does not like being reminded of.

2nd Fleet

Stationed in Syntioch, the 2nd Fleet is the most prestigious formation of the navy, featuring the most modern ships. Tasked with protecting Staleworth Bay and all trade that enters Syntioch, this fleet is essential in keeping Khoros's economy going, but usually does not enter open waters.

• 3rd Moirai, 6 Arkos warships, 1 in drydocks for repairs.
• 7th Moirai, 5 Nykoros cutters, 2 undergoing sea-trials.

4th Fleet

Stationed in Nyn, the 4th fleet features the most capable and experienced sailors, even if they are not always granted the finest ships. The 4th fleet excels at hit-and-run tactics and is the primary interdiction and anti-piracy force in the Northern Sea.

• 4th Moirai, 4 Varakos blockade runner, +2 classless, refitted and up-armored merchant ships from Athesh
• 5th Moirai, 5 ships, 3 older Varakos, 2 captured pirate ships
• 9th Moirai, 5 refurbished Nytheron patrol ships (hand-me-downs from the 2nd fleet)

5th Fleet

Based in Palhor, the 5th fleet is the smallest element of the naval trident, but boasts the largest ships in the navy. The 5th fleet has a duty to protect the western flank of the Northern sea, but is also frequently called upon to join slave-raids to the Free Isles.

• 1st Moirai, 2 Draemion-class large warships. 2 more Draemion under construction in Nyn, expected to be delivered in 1026 and 1027 NE.
• 13th Moirai, 4 Kataphron-class heavily armed raiding galleys. 1 in drydock for maintenance until 1027 NE. This formation has the flagship "The Stalliant" which was the 1st Kataphron ship to be built.

Syntioch

Resting at the breast of Staleworth Bay lays Syntioch, a city vastly older and larger than the capital Eskhor. The city was founded soon after the arrival of the first Khorosi over a thousand years ago and has only expanded ever since.

At a glance

Population: ~700,000
Imports: Luxury items, spices, incense, oils, exotic foods
Exports: Slaves, wheat, grain, wine, mercenary infantry
Military: 1st Army (~15,000), see #nations-khoros-military

The City

Due to its seaside position and role as a trade hub, the city imported many foreign influences and became an eclectic amalgamation of architectural styles. Various districts fan out from the vast central plaza, each reflecting a different part of the population. One might initially be charmed by the bustling city's many smells and colors, but the effect wears off once one leaves the safety of the walls.

Slums housing a mixture of common people unable to pay downtown rents and destitute foreigners working poorly paid jobs at the port stretch out into the distance, occupying almost as much space as the downtown area. Legal and illegal trade operate side by side in Syntioch. The docks inside the city wall see trade such as clothes, spices, food and quality slaves, all under the watchful eye of the citadel from which Eskhor exerts its influence.

Right across the citadel are the industrial docks where shipments of raw materials and droves of slaves destined for hard labour arrive and depart. There are no homes there, only tall, looming warehouses and dingy offices of the various shipping companies, conveniently placed out of the public eye. The walled-off part of the city holds most of the middle class, most of whom can afford few luxuries as the city groans under the weight of overpopulation and increasing prices.

There are several noteworthy locations in Syntioch:

• The Central District.
• The Southern District.
• Staleworth Bay
• Port Syntioch
• The River Tioch

The Central District

Host to the main plaza, the central district teems with activity throughout the week. Four times a season a large market is held where imported wares, produce from the mainland and fresh fish are appraised with booming voices. Business is always thriving on the plaza and the city earns a good coin from licenses sold to the merchants who wish to have a stall there. When there’s no market people can take up seats on stone benches at the edges of the square or pay their respects to the statue of Magnus Staleworth.

Once every two weeks, slave auctions are held and shrewd businessmen place a few henchmen in the crowds to make counterbids, jacking up the prices to bolster profits. The slave traders figured out long ago that by only putting their premium, household slaves on sale at the plaza, they attracted a more respectable crowd with heavy purses, just begging to be lightened. Those who wish to buy muscle in bulk must travel to the docks outside the city, a place where "customer service" is as rare as finding a person with all their teeth intact.

The majority of the establishments in this district are quality inns, temples, brothels, public houses and business holdings, all designed to create an environment most conducive to profitable deals. Only the wealthiest merchants can afford to call a river-side house in the lively central district their home, and it is something of a fashionable bragging right to own one.

Eskhor

Host to the well-known Khorosi footsoldiers and the governing bodies of Khoros, Eskhor is where the nation’s true power resides. High, white stone walls surround the city and the river Tioch cuts through the city center, allowing a steady stream of flat-bottom boats to ferry goods to and from Syntioch. The saying goes: “what Syntioch earns, Eskhor spends” and whereas Syntioch has to contend with overcrowded slums, the inhabitants of Eskhor live in relative luxury. Ornate buildings of white and marbled stone rise several stories high, the tallest of them temples topped with glittering pearl domes. Broad-leafed trees native to the area line the sides of the main roads, offering shade in summertime and coloring a golden-orange in autumn.

The city is divided into the Western and the Eastern districts by the river Tioch. Cranes and cables run along both sides of the river, allowing workers to hoist up heavy pallets, barrels and crates from boats ferrying between Syntioch and Eskhor. Large ships cannot sail here as the river was dredged and narrowed for defensive purposes. As a side-effect, the river flows quicker near the city which ultimately makes boat travel the fastest means of transportation when going downstream

The city is culturally homogenous, with the exception of the slave population and foreign traders. Visitors are generally met with distrust, unless they mean to do business.

Western District (Kalaar)

It's the west side of the river that shows Eskhor in all its splendor. Several large temples tower over a sea of immodest houses, lush greenery and broad, clean streets. To live here is a true privilege, one that all free Khorosi are taught to aspire to from an early age. Commoners sometimes call the district "The Golden District" or "Goldstone" in reference to the district's outspoken and unabashed architecture, white stone often decorated with gold leaf. In civilised culture the district is referred to by its proper name, Kalaar, instead. All of the prominent families have their homes here. Commoners entering into this part of the city are regarded with suspicion by private militias unless they are clearly on their way to religious service or bear the servant’s mark of one of the great families. The Kalaar hosts several noteworthy locations

The Korthion

At the heart of Eskhor’s splendour stands the Korthion, the house of the government. It is within these magnificent walls that politicians tumble over each other to create, pass or amend laws. The sheer size of the hallowed building can only be appreciated when one stands inside the vast hall as a copper-coloured sun beats down through stained glass windows. During the day, voices and footsteps drown in cacophonous reverberation making the hall seem more crowded than it truly is. Guards, seen and unseen, observe every passerby with a mixture of indifference and suspicion. As one progresses through the main hall, it becomes impossible not to feel watched, be it by guards or by a slave tasked with meticulously scrubbing the impeccable floor. About two-thirds into the main hall a juncture emerges allowing entrance to two great halls. To the right is the Council Hall also referred to as the Home of Homes, which is where a council of aristocrats convenes to debate the nation’s concerns.

Landmarks of Khoros

The Roaring Gates

Two enormous statues of lions facing away from Khoros stand guard at the only southern land-based entrance into the country.

Upon coming up to the towering beasts, travellers into Khoros will be halted by guards in black, fur-lined cloaks wearing dark, boiled leather armour and carrying long pikes, swords, or longbows. A garrison of almost a hundred guardsmen in total guard the Roaring Gates, though not all of them tend to be present at the camp that's been constructed behind the huge pedestals on which the stone lions stand. Often, at least half of the garrison is out on patrols along the southern border, sometimes on foot and sometimes on horseback.

The encampment is a mixture of simple single-floor, single-room stone buildings and large tents surrounded by a wooden palisade and wooden guard towers. To a stranger these might appear to be poor defenses considering any attack on Khoros over land would be guaranteed to start here. However, any Khorosi soldier at the camp knows that there are many more defense points along the passage leading into Khoros. The current encampment is merely a checkpoint.

Tioch's Mouth

Tioch's mouth is the landmark in Khoros high up in the mountains where the river Tioch originates from.

The Giant's Homestead (move to Athesh)

Mohsal

One of the larger nations on the continent, Mohsal spans a vast chunk of the east coast and consists largely of great forests whose depths and many secrets remain unexplored. The inhabited part of this once great nation sits mostly along the coast with several towns and cities resting further inland, dotted along the rivers that flow out to sea. Once a proud and dominant nation, the tide now seems turned against it, its power tarnished by weak rule and political in-fighting. The old fortresses in the north now lay abandoned and in the south vagabonds and rebels pillage and plunder unchallenged.

Mohsal is not yet a corpse, but there is scarce flesh left on its bones and carrion birds are circling high.

Once, the banners of Mohsal flew high and proud, their silvered sigils were harbingers of steel and law and conquest. The great cities of the realm—built upon the bones of lesser kingdoms—showed the world that Mohsal’s will could not be challenged, and for centuries its monarchs ruled with absolute authority.

Now that age of splendor has passed and Mohsal remains mighty only in memory. King Casimir took the throne when he was barely past his tenth year, and though he sits on that cold and high chair, he does not yet rule from it. The Crown of Nine Provinces weighs too heavily on his head, and the lordly rings are too loose and large upon his fingers.

It is the Regency Council, a collection of ministers, that rule. They who have claimed guardianship over the boy, but whose greed and ambition run unchecked; each of them vying for dominion over the court while pretending at loyalty to their young charge. These are the butchers who cut the fat off Mohsal's bones and feasted upon it, yet stil they hunger for more.

The official chronicles speak of a wasting illness that struck down young Casimir's father, King Catos, in his forty-second year—yet those who served in the palace speak in hushed tones of a strange vapor lingering in his chambers, of a golden cup found discarded among the royal kitchen's potato peelings, of physicians who vanished the moment the king breathed his last.

The famed Silver Legions, once the most disciplined military force in all the known world, has lost much of its luster. The 4th Legion has all but disbanded, its officers selling their honor to the heaviest purse and the 9th legion? The 9th teeters on the verge of rebellion, while the ranks of the 7th grow ever thinner. Only the royal legion of Aldamere and the Ashir of Velora have kept their strength, their oaths and their honor.

To the south, where the frontier settlements of the kingdom once thrived, raiders now ride freely. Nomadic warbands test the borders, probing for weakness. The Duke of Andamis has tripled his household guard, the countess of Lombeia has emptied her treasury purchasing grain and salt meat, and in the mountain strongholds of Varrok and Surrok hammers ring on anvils day and night.

When the bickering in the Regency Council at last falls silent, when the final pieces are moved into position on the game board, a furious wave will break upon Mohsal. The foolish deny. The wise prepare. And somewhere in the royal chambers, a boy king wonders if he will be the last wearer of his ancestral crown.

Velora

WORK IN PROGRESS DONT READ.

Swore loyalty to the mithraic empire in exchange for independence. The Ashir have always kept their oath, even when the Mithraic empire fell. The kingdom of Mohsal was seen by the Ashir as the most legitimate continuation of the Empire, and so they sided with Mohsal. However, they did change their "contract" with Mitra. Where they used to be the Empire's iron fist, they changed into being a defensive ally of Mohsal. They had suffered a lot of losses in the chaotic period when the Empire collapsed (being the main peacekeepers, they were at the vanguard of trying to contain its collapse) so they were not at all keen on being in the middle of bloodshed again.

Because Velora switched to a defensive treaty with Mohsal, Mohsal never felt it had the power to attack and subjugate Voldas. Several kings from the line of emperors would have had the ambtion to reclaim what they consider to be seccessionists (Voldas), but with the empire in decline and their inability to field the Ashir in an offensive manner, they never quite dared a full-on invasion.

Everytime Mohsal tried, some emperors would have tried, the city-states would unite against them. An individual city-state was well within the power of Mohsal to conquer and subjugate, but they dared not go toe-to-toe with the united city states. This has caused a very, very long stalemate between Mohsal and Voldas. Mohsal can't attack because it doesn't feel confident it could win (least of all now that Mohsal is even worse of militarily). On the other hand, Voldas had no illusions that going up against Mohsal would mean (most likely) that the Ashir from Velora would get involved, and they weren't prepared to go up against Dragons.

Regarding inability to go up against dragons: the empire falling apart caused a lot of bloodshed and a lot of brain drain. It was a huge technological setback across the Western continent with much knowledge being lost in the violent collapse.

The Governance of Mohsal.

Mohsal has only ever known a hereditary monarchy, even in the age of the Mithraic Empire. On paper, the country is still ruled by a king, but the current king—young Casimir—is inexperienced and without parents. For over a thousand years the power of what was once the Mithraic Empire has been in decline, but it is only in recent history, with the rule of King Cato and now his son Casimir that Mohsal is teetering dangerously close to failing completely.

The Royal Council / The Regency Council

The Royal council is the primary governing body in Mohsal and advises the ruling King or Queen on state affairs. It is through the council members that power is delegated downward and the King or Queen's will is made manifest. If the ruling monarch is the head of state, then the councilors are its hands and eyes and ears. While it is within a monarch's power to disregard the advise from the Royal Council, most of Mohsal's rulers were wise enough to understand that the council is really just a way to appease the most powerful noble families in Mohsal and keep them from challenging the throne directly.

In rare situations, when the current ruler is incapacitated or too young to rule (below the age of thirteen), the Royal Council has a temporary seat added to its table for the position of Lord Regent who rules in the monarch's stead. The positions on the Regency Council are:

• Lord Regent
• High Marshal
• Master of the Mint
• High Ambassador
• Archpriest
• Chamberlain of the Staple
• The ruling King or Queen

Lord Regent — Caldris Venn.

The station of Lord Regent is a temporary one that is infrequently occupied. When there is no coronated King or Queen of age or the current ruler has become incapable of ruling, the Lord Regent rules in their stead. While the Lord Regent has sufficient powers to keep the nation running, this position does not grant full royal powers. For example, the Lord Regent may only act militarily in defense of the nation, not in offense, nor does the Lord Regent have any powers to abolish or seriously reform existing institutions.

High Marshal

The High Marshal is the supreme commander of Mohsal's armed forces, covering both land and sea. Due to the power vested in this station, the role of High Marshal is typically filled by noble of an indisputed bloodline and unquestionable loyalty. Actual combat experience is not a requirement as the High Marshal is expected to delegate orders down the chain of command, not to lead the troops in person.

Master of the Mint

A rather unpopular role within the Council tasked with the realm's finances. Anyone with sense sees the "honor" of serving as the Master of Mint as a rather dubious one. After all, whosoever takes this seat must often say "no" to the requests of Kings, nobles and other councilors—people who generally do not like to be denied. Out of all the positions within the council, this is the one that changes hands most frequently.

High Ambassador

Serving as the primary diplomat of Mohsal is a tough but prestigious position. The High Ambassador is the voice and ears of Mohsal and carries significant weight both in- and outside the realm. Historically, it has become a recurring theme for children of the High Ambassador to be wed into the royal family.

Archpriest(ess)

In Mohsal an archpriest or priestess is given that station for life and so this seat on the council table changes least of all. The power of Sudrekka—the virtous nature of pure bloodlines which is the primary doctrine of Mohsali religion—permeates all of Mohsali society. Without the backing of the Archpriest, even the greatest King or Queen might see their efforts turn to dust.

Chamberlain of the Staple

Being the loweliest and least prestigious role on the council, the role of the Chamberlain of the Staple is often overlooked. In charge of governing trade and ensuring the warehouses are stocked each winter, they are at best considered the second-in-command to the master of the mint. Still, there is much quiet power in this role. After all, without trade, the warehouses and treasury would soon run empty, and no realm can hope to last without food or money.

Laws of Mohsal

Bloodline integrity: Anyone caught forging or altering family records will have their forehead branded with three intersecting lines, permanently marking them as deceitful and lower than the lowest of scum. Even slaves are held in (slightly) higher regard than those who would lay claim to false bloodlines.

Theft: All theft is considered to be straying from The Path and as such is sternly punished. Petty theft and first-time offenders may get off with a fine, but repeat offenders will swiftly begin losing fingers or even their entire hand. If the lesson is still not learned, imprisonment follows. In case of a larger theft the punishment may be more severe and range from losing a hand to being hanged.

Murder: Murder is a heinous crime punishable by death. Any citizen or noble in good standing will have the decency of being heard at court first, but a commoner or slave accussed of murder may receive far swifter justice. When the accussed is found guilty, with or without trial, the subject is hanged or beheaded. Only in rare cases, when the murder involves a high-ranking noble or there is significant public interest, is imprisonment even considered as a possible punishment for the crime.

Desecration: desecrating graves of ancestors, holy places, or defaming the name(s) of noble families is strictly forbidden. Depending on the severity, these forms of desecration and defamation are punished by a period in the pillory at the lower end and days or weeks of imprisonment at the higher end. The most severe cases may be subject to imprisonment and a period of hard labour.

Oath-breaking: Breaking an oath is a very serious moral crime in Mohsal. Of course, most oaths or promises are hard to verify, but those that can be proved—like the promise couples make at marriage before a High Priest—are the ones for which the punishment of breaking them is severe. This is why publically made oaths hold quite a bit of weight in Mohsal. A public oath, like an oath of fealty, will always be recorded by a representative of the faith and this is subject to punishment should that oath be broken. The exact punishment varies a lot based on the severity of the oath being broken and can range from a walk of penance all the way up to hard labour or even banishment from the realm.

Piracy: On paper, Mohsal condemns piracy and reserve the right to kill or enslave any pirates it captures. In reality the navy is in a dire state and cannot patrol all of the realm's coasts. Pirates do not get the privilege of being heard at court, they are either killed or captured and sold as slaves.

Heresy: Anyone acting against the Mazraka—the state religion—will find themselves swiftly hunted down by inquisitors and fanatic monks. Punishment depends on the severity of the heresy. In some cases, inquisitors may choose to make an example of heretics through execution by cleansing fire. Alternatively, a chance for public repentance may be offered, demonstrating that even the most wayward can return to The Path, if they but bend the knee.

Disturbing the peace: Drunken or violent behavior that disturbs the peace is not tolerated. Offenders may receive a warning or a fine, and if these measures are insufficient, a short imprisonment can follow. While drinking, smoking, and other indulgences are legal, becoming a public nuisance is not and will quickly attract the attention of the guards.

Culture of Mohsal

The Mohsali culture is a monolith, a single proud culture stamped across eight provinces. The Sudrekka doctrine has ensured as much.

Yet there are subtle cracks in the once smooth stone. In the north, Varrok and Surrok have begun to wonder what the Kingdom has to show for the taxes being paid to the crown. They hear the news from the south, they hear how the King has failed to protect villages from raids and plunder. Why then should they send their precious ores and labour to Mitra? If the King cannot provide protection, they would rather keep their materials and forge weapons for their own protection.

In the south Andamis and Lombeia simmer with unrest. Bandit raids bleed the frontier dry, and the Crown’s silence fuels a growing anger. No amount of blood-unity can withstand such difficult tests for long.

Velora stands apart, the Ashir hold to the old ways as they've always done, but for how much longer? They are not blind to the inaction of the King and their numbers are too few to aid in every emergecny.

For centuries the common heritage of the Mithraic Empire and the unshakable Mazraka faith have held Mohsal together, but like a man grown old the country feels weakness in its bones, and it cannot be sure it will recover from its many ails.

Demographics

While there are some cultural differences between the south and north of Mohsal, the people of the kingdom are entirely culturally aligned. Centuries of stringest Mazraka faith have all but purged dissidents. The few foreigners who enter Mohsal's shores stand out like a sore thumb and quickly find themselves the subject of rumours and gossip.

Housing

Mohsali homes of the citizenry are practical and sturdy, made of brick and wood with stone hearths at the center. Commoners dwell in timber longhouses, their roofs thatched with river reeds and the walls reinforced with clay. Nobles raise keeps of gray granite, squat and stern, with narrow windows and iron-bound doors, built to last. In the cities, merchants and freefolk crowd into tall, narrow houses of brick and plaster, their upper floors jutting over cobbled streets.

Holidays

On the Malden equinox, the Mohsali honor Mizaras, the Sun-King, with bonfires and offerings and animal sacrifice. Beggars roam freely that day, their outstretched hands a test that none dare refuse, lest the disguised god Oronos curse their hearth (see Religious traditions). When the monks divine that Mizaras is pleased, all but the essential labourers are free for a week.

All labour ceases in the week of scales. In late Daum, families travel to and gather at temples, where priests weigh tokens of their deeds before Sathra’s blind gaze. Those deemed wanting fast until the new moon. These tokens are indulgences, paid by the pious, to fill the coffers of the Mazraka. A farmer may bring his finest crops, a noble may bring a gold ring or priced horse raised in their stables. All must pay their respect to Mazraka or suffer Sathra's judgement.

Marriage and Divorce

Marriage in Mohsal is considered sacred, especially between nobles. Nobles undergo the bloodletting rite, their blood displayed and tested under the scrutiny of a high priest to prove their purity. A drop of each other's blood is set within the shared rings and the ceremony ends with clasped hands and a vow to Mizaras, binding them until death. Commoners wed simpler, with a priest’s blessing and a shared cup of bitter wine. Divorce is a rare and shameful act, permitted only when a priest declares a blood impurity—often a convenient lie greased by coin or favor. Same-sex unions are unheard of, as they are a blasphemy against Sudrekka’s edict of lineage. Such pairings, if discovered, face exile or the pyre, and their names struck from family records.

Food

A Mohsali noble's dinner table groans with hearty fare: slabs of roasted boar glazed with honey, trenchers of barley stew thick with onions and thyme, and wheels of sharp, crumbly cheese aged in cold mountain caves. Fishermen haul cod and herring from the eastern sea, smoked over pine until the flesh flakes golden. In the south, where grain grows sparse, they bake flatbreads studded with dried berries, washed down with sour ale. The wealthiest nobles can afford to feast on spitted venison and capons stuffed with sage, dripping in golden fat.

Folktales

In Aldamere the tale of Jessa is often recounted. It tells of a girl who met Mizaras on the Malden equinox. Clad in rags, he begged at her door, his skin dirty and sallow, his beard and hair unknempt and his voice a rasp. Jessa, poor but kind, gave him her only loaf and a ember from her fire. The beggar smiled, and after he ate, the ember flared into a golden flame that never died. Her hovel grew warm, her larder full, and her name was blessed by the priests.

In the crags of Varrok, they tell of Toras the defiant. Tasked with forging a blade for the King, Toras used the gold provided to buy his materials, but kept the finest steel for himself. He crafted a sword of such beauty it sang when drawn. Swollen with pride, he boasted no god could best his craft. That night, a shadow fell across his forge—a hound with eyes like hot iron and jaws dripping tar. It was Malzu, Oronos’s sister, come to claim his soul. Toras fled, sword in hand, but the beast tracked him through snow and rock. At dawn, his kin found only the sword, buried in a slab of granite, and none but the king were able to pull it free.

Religion in Mohsal

Mohsal knows only one faith and it is called Mazraka. Other faiths have long been purged and heretics are actively hunted. Only the province of Velora, home of the Ashir, is somewhat exempt from the stringent Mazraka doctrines.

Religious belief in Mohsal has it roots in the faiths of the Mithraic Empire, which in turn was a distortion of even earlier beliefs and practices. An ordinary citizen would have no knowledge how deep those roots go, nor that the roots have roots themselves and that what is presented today as the one true faith is a distortion of a distortion.

Religion plays a very strong role in Mohsal, especially the Sudrekka doctrine which relates to the purity of bloodlines. Those born of pure and noble blood are considered pious and virtuous whilst those without any line tracing back to the glory of the Mithraic Empire are doomed to remain in the lower caste of society.

The Trinity

The people of Mohsal worship three deities: Sathra, Mizaras, and Oronos.

Sathra is The Veiled Mother, a goddess of divine order, absolute truth and final judgement. She is depicted as a serene, blindfolded matriarch who holds the Scales of Purity in her hands. When a person dies, Sathra weighs them in her scales and if they are of impure blood they will be denied the afterlife and returned to the world as beasts. The only way for someone of lesser blood to pass into the afterlife is if they have put their life in service of someone of greater blood.

Mizaras is The Sun-King and the patron god of the ruling elite. He represents conquest, divine right, strength and purity. He is depicted as a great warrior wearing a golden headband, a flaming sword and a round, bronze shield.

Oronos is a stern teacher, holding a heavy book in one hand and a scepter in the other. Oronos is the god that most commoners venerate and they view him as their teacher, the one who will keep them from straying from The Path (Mohsali Law). Those who stay the course, recognize their station in life, and are obedient are rewarded upon death as Oronos will vouch for them when they are weighed by Sathra. Those who stray from the path are sternly punished, though the faith provides some ways for redemption.

Traditions and rituals

These are some of the Mazraka traditions and rituals observed throughout Mohsal:

• Once a year, on the spring (Malden) equinox, the Mohsali people give special thanks to Mizaras who is believed to have given humanity fire. On this day, Mizaras is said to travel in disguise as a beggar and thus is considered bad luck to refuse a beggar on this day.
• When nobles marriage a bloodletting cerenomy is held where their blood is tested for impurities by a high priest. This is largely a symbolic act as there are no known records of marriages being denied by priests. Marriages have however been retroactively nullified, which is effectively a means to divorce and tpyically involves a high priest "suddenly" discovering some impurity in the blood in one of the married people (the priests keep vials of blood from the letting).
• When a new monarch is coronated they must offer an open palm to the archpriest who will deposit a drop of molten gold in it, which is considered Mizaras's blood. If the liquid burns, then the monarch is unfit to rule. If it doesn't then the monarch is a true heir and descendant from the line of Oronos and is considered the true and righteous King of Mohsal. In truth, the "molten gold" is an alchemically altered substance resembling gold (also mockingly called "King's Gold" by those in the know) that is quite cool to the touch.

Heresy

When one strays from The Path, Oronos may punish them in different ways. Initially, those who stray suffer bad luck, disease, restlessness and other minor ails. If they continue to stray, the punishments get increasingly worse. Someone who continues to sin and stray from The Path may find themselves hunted by three famished hounds. These are Rasshta, Yamara and Malzu, Oronos's blood-thirsty sisters who were so corrupted that they are cursed to be famished and hungry beasts forever. There are different versions of what exactly happens when one is hunted by Oronos's hounds, some say that the hounds only eat away at someone's sanity, tearing at their mind until they submit themselvse and pray for Oronos's help. Others say the hunt is literal and that one who strays from Oronos's path will be devoured alive by the three hounds.

Openly questioning Mohsali doctrine typically results in being made to "walk the Path", which boils down to a forced pilgrimage that may also include starvation and other physical hardship along the way. Those who surive are redeemed, if they perish it is seen as Sathra's righteous judgement that they should die.

The Hunt

And a boy came before the elders, and he spoke thus:

"My father’s father was a coward, and his name is a weight upon my shoulders. I am told that he runs yet, upon four legs instead of two. Tell me what must be done."

And the elders answered:

"A tree that bears rotten fruit must be pruned, lest it corrupt the orchard. A festering wound must be healed, lest it poisons the limb. So too must a blight upon your honor be cleaned, lest it lingers down the ages."

"You must seek the beast with the clouded eye, he who is your blood returned in disgrace. Take up your spear, and do not waver, for those who hesitate stray from The Path (...) And when his body falls, the stain will be lifted from your name."

And so the boy went into the forest, and he found the beast with the clouded eye, and he saw in it the sorrow of man. But he did not waver, because he knew duty to be greater than mercy.

And so the beast was slain.

And so the stain was lifted.

And Sathra’s scales bore no more weight against his name or that of his forebearers.

How a soul is weighted

A student came before the High Priest of Sathra and asked:

"How shall a man be weighed, if his deeds are many but his blood is impure?"

And the High Priest answered:

"A stone, no matter how polished, will never become gold. A river, no matter how deep, will never flow upstream."

"But if a stone is given from the hand of a noble, does it not have worth? If a river carries the King's sails, does it not aid in its journey?"

"So let the unworthy serve the worthy. Let the lesser follow the greater. Let them know the uses of their labour in service to their masters. And if they do so with full hearts, let them not fear the weight on Sathra’s scales."

Doctrines of Mazraka

There are many doctrines or 'rekka' in the Mazraka faith, but the most important ones are these:

Sudrekka

Noble blood is inherently superior to that of the lower castes. Someone who can trace back their bloodline to a major figure of the Mithraic Empire is held in the highest esteem. Belief in the Sudrekka doctrine is widespread and results in a rigid and stratified society organized into castes, with noble elites at the top, citizens in the middle and commoners at the near bottom (only slaves are lower). While commoners are regarded as lowly, they are not necessarily mistreated so long as they are obedient.

Tavrekka

This doctrine states that every person has a preordained path which they must followed. Straying from The Path leads to corruption and pretty much ensures that Sathra will deny you access to the afterlife.

Namrekka

Namrekka or The doctrine of names is a doctrine that emphasises the worship of one's forebearers. Praying to one's ancestors and asking for their guidance is seen as pious because forebearers who have made it into the afterlife can offer advice to the living on how best to live. Another aspect of Namrekka is animal sacrifice. If one can identify a family member who was denied by Sathra and returned to the world as a beast, it falls upon them to hunt and slay that beast. By doing so, they wipe the dishonorable stain from their family and also ensure that their disgraced family member gains access to the afterlife.

Orekka

Orekka is a doctrine that focuses on mentorship, guidance and protection. Teaching and guiding others is seen as virtuous and commendable, but so is protecting others. If one has taught and offered guidance in their lifetime, they are said to be in the favor of Oronos and Oronos may vouch for them when they are weighed.

Another and more noble aspect of Orekka is self-sacrifice. When someone sacrifices themselves out of loyalty to an oath or person, the do not only pass directly into the afterlife, but their family status is significantly improved. Selfless self-sacrifice, sacrifices that fullfills no oath or duty, is also highly regarded, though there is intense debate whether it ranks more highly than loyal Orekka or not.

Voldas

The nation of Voldas, as such, has existed for little more than a hundred years. After the fall of the Mithraic Empire, the southern lands were little more than a loose collection of independent cities, each vying for dominance and survival.

Once part of the Mithraic Empire, the southern peoples had long warned about the Empire's unsustainability, arguing that its vast territories and diverse populations were impossible to govern from a single seat of power. The last three Emperors summarily dismissed these concerns and squashed any calls for independence.

When the Mithraic Empire collapsed in 0 NE, a brutal period of conflict ensued. For over 200 years, from 0 NE to 219 NE, the remnants of the Empire fought for control, with power in the southern lands remaining in constant flux. When the dust settled, the great cities of Tallis, Mirril, Arelis, and Memosa emerged, but an united land was still a distant dream.

For hundreds more years the southern lands had no real border, no nationality to claim as their own. There were only the great cities, Tallis, Mirril, Arelis, and Memosa, each looking to establish dominance in the region.

Mohsal, considered the primary inheritor of the Mithraic Empire, continued playing a crucial role in the history of the southeast. While unable to fully subjugate the secessionists, Mohsal effectively expelled them from the fertile Mithraic heartlands and claimed most of the Empire's wealth and relics for itself. This action sowed the seeds of a shared identity among the southern city-states—a collective resentment towards Mohsal.

When a Mohsal King began preparing for invasion in 602NE, the city-states united for the first time. The First War of the South was brief, but it demonstrated a crucial point: these cities hated Mohsal more than they hated each other. Over the centuries, numerous skirmishes occurred, but never open war.

From 840 NE onward, truces between the city-states began to last longer. Trade emerged, and the cities realized they could prosper more through collaboration. In approximately 900 NE, they formed the Angora, a council where each city contributed a representative aimed at resolving disputes.

The Angora proved remarkably successful. While minor conflicts continued, the recognition of Mohsal as a common threat prevented major warfare. By 920NE, the advantages of trade and shared defense became clear. The four major cities announced a grand alliance, with smaller city-states gradually joining.

By 960NE, the south had united under comprehensive treaties covering trade, defense, and law. Finally, in 985 NE, the nation of Voldas was formally established. The city-states retained significant independence, but the Angora gained critical powers: issuing common currency, proposing common laws, and the ability to call a special summons if any city in the burgeoning nation called an emergency.

Cities of Voldas

Not long after the fall of the Mithraic Empire, the four great cities of Mirril, Tallis, Arelis and Memosa arose. For many centuries these city-states were at odds with one another, competing over the scarce resources of the land. It was vital for the birth of Voldas that The Angora included representatives from each of these cities, forming the cornerstones of what would become Voldas. Once these cities laid down their arms and began to unite, the rest of The Free Cities quickly followed their example.

Mirril – The City of the Angora

To outsiders, Mirril is a city of talkers. A place where nothing is settled without a dozen arguments, where every decision is debated endlessly in great halls and public forums. But those who understand Mirril know this: words are weapons, they may not be as sharp as steel but they are all the more deadly. The Angora meets here, in Mirril, bringing together representatives from across Voldas, and through them, the direction of the nation is decided.

Mirril is not the largest city, nor the wealthiest, but it is the one that holds Voldas together. It was purposefully chosen by the founders of The Angora, precisely because it lacked the conventional power of the other three. By making Mirril the heart of politics in Voldas, The Angora imbued it with importance that it previously lacked.

Today its streets are filled with scholars, diplomats, and merchants from the far corners of the world. Its educational institutions are second to none and many, even those officiaries still living under the yoke of a monarchy, come to be educated here. Every law that binds Voldas, every treaty that strengthens it, was either written or brokered within Mirril’s walls. Unlike the other great cities, Mirril has no standing army, no warships, no great industry. Its strength lies in the political power that The Angora projects, the laws it signs, the education it provides to the people of Voldas, and the disputes it prevents from turning into war.

But Mirril is not without its problems. Its decision-making is often slow, too slow some say. Factions within the city constantly argue about the future of Voldas—should it be led by the wise, the wealthy, or the strong? Some even suggest that Mirril, and Voldas by extension, should be led by members of the public!

Tallis

No city in Voldas understands the sea like Tallis. Its harbors and dockyards stretch wide, filled with ships of every size—war galleys, merchant vessels, cutters, schooners, clippers, and swift couriers built to last. The people of Tallis are world-renowned for their quality of shipbuilding, and with each passing decade their skill and ambition grows.

Memosa

If Tallis is the lifeblood of Voldas and Mirril its mind, then Memosa is its shield. Less of a city and more of a fortress, Memosa is located between impenetrable mountains and would surely be the last city to fall should Mohsal ever find the troops and courage to invade free Voldas.

The people of Memosa are hardened by generations of conflict and life in the dry, hot mountains is far from easy. It is not a city made for comfort, but one made for survival. Memosa was the first to stand up against Mohsal’s threats, the first to show its willingness to fight and die for its independence. Discipline runs through its veins; every citizen is expected to serve in some way—whether as a soldier, a blacksmith, a miner or an emmisary.

Arelis

Arelis is the beating heart of Voldas’s economy, a place where goods from every corner of the continent are bought, sold, and traded. Its sea-side markets stretch as far as the eye can see, filled with everything from exotic spices to priceless artifacts.

Unlike Mirril, which wields influence through debate, or Memosa, which guards Voldas with steel, Arelis exerts its influence through gold. Its merchants fund expeditions, its banks lend to the other cities, and merchant caravans dictate the flow of trade. When Voldas needs ships, Arelis pays for them. When armies must be raised, Arelis ensures they are fed and armed. When a Mirril needs another university, Arelis pays the bill.

If life were not so vibrant and easy in Arelis, its population might be less keen on seeing much of its wealth flow away to the other cities, but—for the time being—the going is good, and so much money is being made that Arelis can shoulder much of Voldas's economy just by itself.

Governance of Voldas

Even today, the city-states of Voldas continue to be largely independently governed. The exact governmental structure varies from city to city, but there is one commonality between them: each city chooses a handful of officiaries to represent them in The Angora.

The Angora is the collective council of cities in Voldas that writes common laws, issues common currency and resolves disputes. The one power that The Angora does not (yet) have is the power to command a unified army and navy. Voldas is a country of independent-minded people who aren't keen on surrendering their security to an overarching governmental body.

While the East side of Voldas is largely united across almost all domains except military, the West maintains greater independence. The cities in the West participate in the common currency and internal trade, but sometimes opts out of laws proposed by The Angora. The West does not perceive Mohsal to be a significant threat whereas the East does and this too causes differences in policy between the East and West of Voldas.

Culture of Voldas

While there is a great variety of cultural beliefs and expectations between the different cities in Voldas, there are some overall similarties that can be divined. The most prominent and obvious cultural belief is that Voldan society is committed to individual liberty, indepedence and a fierce rejection of monarchy or other forms of heridetary rule. The second pillar of a common Voldan identity centers around property rights.

Demographics

Voldas draws from many regions: the mountains, the steppes, the coasts, the Mohsal heartland, and even the Sumir desert. Each of the city-states is a patchwork of various cultures and beliefs. Mirril values scholary and its learned man exchange much wisdom with the dusk-skinned nomads of Sumir. Tallis hosts sailors, seafolk and shipwrights, hardy folk who prefer staying near to good, briney waters. Arelis tems with merchants of every stripe—pale northerners, sun-kissed midlanders and the dark-skinned folk of the deep south desertslands.

Out of this melting pot a Voldan identity has begun to emerge in recent decades. It is an identity of united individuals, stubborn and foolhardy individuals at times, but each of them keenly aware that the surest way to secure their liberties is to stand side-by-side with those that value them equally.

Housing

There is no uniformity in the homes of the Voldans, not by outward appearance and not by interior design. In Mirril the buildings made from whitewashed stone stand tall and proud, their balconies spilled over with vines. In Tallis the homes are huddled close and low, slanted roofs stacked tight along the shore. Arelis gleams with villas—sprawling compounds made from a light baked clay and decorated with tiles. The people of Memosa hunker in mountain-side homes, carved into the rock itself alongside many long and secret passagesways. All across the steppe, travellers raise tents of felt and hide while the farmers at the mouths of rivers build low huts of mudbrick, thatched with dry grass.

Holidays

The most significant annual ritual is the Day of Unification, commemorating the formation of Voldas in 985 NE. This celebration is held in Daum, when the harvests have completed and the warehouses are overflowing with goods. Caravans roll in, laden with gifts: Tallis's smoked fish, Arelis's silks, Memosa's forged tools and arms. Tables groan under the shared bounty, freely given, and folk dance till dawn. In Tallis, boat races are held while Memosa honors the Stand of Stone, a solemn vigil recalling their defiance of Mohsal, where oaths are sworn and re-sworn. Smaller rites dot the land—Sumirian fire dances, harvest blessings—each city adds its voice to the clamor.

Marriage and Divorce

Marriage in Voldas is an understanding, not a prison. Partners are treated as equals before the law, swearing vows to kin or a city official with their hands clasped over their most precious belonging which they gift each other as a mark of trust. In some instances the desert-way is celebrated and couples paint their palms and faces with ochre, a blessing for luck. No priest meddles; the bond is theirs alone, and divorce is simple: if the pact sours, they part with a public word and split their belongings equally, without shame. Same-sex unions raise no brows—love's a private matter, and Voldas cares little for Mohsal's blood-obsessed creeds. Coin and property splits clean, and life moves on.

Food

Voldans eat simple but flavoursome meals owing to their lavish use of spices. In the northwest slabs of mutton come charred from the spit, dripping fat, spiced with desert cumin, peppercorns and wild mint. In the south, crisp and golden flatbreads sop up bowls of lentil stew thick with garlic, parsley and colorful curry. By the shore, fishermen haul glistening sardines, grilled whole with rough salt and juicy lemon, while steppe-traders hawk skewers of goat, blackened over open flames. Dates and figs, sticky-sweet, finish the meal along with a drink of sharp, cloudy beer or a fiery spirit distilled from barley. It's food to fill a belly good and proper, because a travelling Voldan can never be sure when his next meal might be.

Economy

Voldas thrives and its purse is fat with trade. Arelis churns gold from markets—spices, silks, pearls, gems—while Tallis's ships carry timber, fish and ships to distant shores. Memosa mines iron, copper, even silver and gold and its forges never rest. Mirril trades in knowledge, its schools known the world over for their excellence. Exports tumble out the door—ships, ore, cloth—while imports of grain, wine, and steel bolster the boom and keep the Voldan spirit high. The Angora's coin, stamped with a broken crown, has gained international trust, being the only mint whose coinage remains pure, undiluted gold.

Slavery

Slaverys a dirty word in Voldas, a relic of Mohsal's yoke. The Angora has outlawed it and declared all souls free, yet the practice lingers. Be it debtors bound to labor or captives sold in darkened alleys. Many cities turn a blind eye to "servants" in rich homes that do not seem to know or speak the local tongue. In Tallis they see no way to build so many ships without the hard work of indentured labour. Only Memosa holds firm, smashing chains where ever they find them. Whilst most Voldans spit on the idea of lifelong servitude, coin and necessity tempt even the proudest, and the law is hardly enforced.