Discovery of a Planet

[Sable]

[OOC] To the reader:

Being new to this board, but not new to roleplaying/storytelling, I had asked the moderators of this board if it would be alright to have my character from a made up planet as long as it conforms to the Star Wars Universe. Having been told it's alright to do so, the posts contained within this thread are informational, yet told as if coming from my character -- passing down the history of Arastonia's creation from generation to generation. The peoples of Arastonia are very spiritual, so mention of Gods and such will be seen. I hope that I can do this area justice, as I do not wish to possibly offend anyone with what has been created for my character.

I hope that you will enjoy what you read and I hope that others will leave their comments or even make suggestions to help me in areas where the information seems sparse.

******


<center>The World of Arastonia</center>

... is a realm tormented by the wrath of the gods. The writhing fury of the Mists casts a crimson haze above their grey turmoil, giving an omen of the darkness contained within. The Mists are magic unbound; fueled by the desires of man and wielded by those consumed by it.

Where the Mists flow, that which exists is undone. Where the Mists fade, new realms are unveiled. Within this madness, Arastonia struggles to survive the chaos, striving against the Mists' promise of destruction.

There are seven known continents, six oceans, and nine great seas covering the approximate one-third of Arastonia that is not blanketed by the Mists. The oceans, despite their immensity, are akin to rivers in many ways. Though they span the globe, they flow about the lands and the Mists. The continents and the Mists separate the oceans, and the seas connect them. But the majority of the surface of Arastonia remains cloaked by the Mists. Easily twice the land mass of the known continents could yet be hidden in the grey expanse of the Mists...

" ... and the Goddess of Chaos, thus bound by the Creator, did cause the great waters of the world to boil and rise into the sky. And when these clouds had spanned the face of the globe, the world was cloaked in darkness. And when the world was dark, and lit only by the lightning of the storms above, the clouds descended as the Mists...

And once the storm clouds had fallen, the Goddess of Chaos drew deep her breath, and with her exhalation caused the winds to roar. And the winds did drive the Mists as a shroud across all the lands and seas, and before it came the darkness..."

-Nadamis the Legender

****

Formed by the will of *Olhantam the Creator. Its surface was sculptured by the whims, and the Mists, of *Kaichea, Goddess of Chaos. From the World's Well to the Eye of the Storm, Arastonia is a place full of fantastic realities. It is a harsh and untamed realm of jagged mountains and dark forests, of deep swamps and dry plains, of vast oceans and great deserts. And yet, despite its cruelty, Arastonia is a world of unrivaled beauty. It is a gentle land of fertile valleys and green prairies, of lush woodlands and sparkling lakes, of rolling hills and clear, blue sky. It is a world whose marvelous wonders fill all its lands, and the races which live here are no less extraordinary.

Different races of humans and humanoids are found on every known continent of the globe, and all of them possess their own individual and distinctive cultures and societies. The fabled Whisties, or firefolk are in themselves the very heart of the woodlands, as they dwell in their castles of living trees. The stout (dwarven-like) people are the true rock of the earth, and it is their exquisite crafting of metal and their great citadels of stone which are legendary throughout all the world. The neebling folk happily live at peace with all their surroundings, enjoying their burrows and huts of comfort, and the finest meals in all of Arastonia's underground. And lastly, there are the sly, little gnomads who slip through tunnels and burrows and lush forests with equal familiarity. Their escapades and good humor are as well known as their comradeship, but these gentle pranksters can work gemstones like no other. All this and more is Arastonia.

For all its charm and beauty, the world of Arastonia is doomed to eternal transformation. The source of this unnatural metamorphosis is a very tangible threat. During Arastonia's creation, Kaichea cloaked the world within a thick cloud cover. She then caused the cloud layer to descend down onto the surface of Arastonia. These clouds, known as the Mists, actually sculpted the surface of Arastonia, and formed all of the world's terrain, from its mountain peaks to ocean floors.

The Mists of Kaichea are the very fabric of creation. They are not only the substance from which the face of the world was molded, but also they are the tools which performed the task. Twice history speaks of the coming of the Mists of Kaichea. The first occurrence was in the forming of the world, when Olhantam the Creator tasked Kaichea to mold the face of Arastonia. The second coming was the direct result of a clash between Kaichea and her sister, Chaulatae the Binder. This second coming of the Mists, known by many as the War of the Winds, brought an end to the first age of Arastonia as the goddess Kaichea again changed the surface of the world.

This time, in her anger, Kaichea empowered the Mists to change the face of Arastonia. Whole civilizations were lost, and new ones arose. Settled lands were torn apart, and wildernesses wiped away forever. The Winds blew the Mists across much of Arastonia, isolating continents whose influence once spanned much of the globe. When finally the Mists diminished and lifted from the face of Arastonia, much of the world had been irrevocably altered, and the new age was begun. Just as Arastonia was formed by the Mists, and later reshaped by it during the War of the Winds, Arastonia remains vulnerable to the Mists. The continents and oceans of present day cover less than forty percent of Arastonia's surface. The Mists still dominate over sixty percent of the world. Though the bulk of the Mists are huge drifts which divide the oceans, they also remain in scattered pools upon the continents. And just as the powers of chaos once worked the Mist to reform the face of the world, lesser beings now strive to use the Mists to shape new lands.

In this day and age, even as great entities fall, there are mighty new powers and individuals with grandiose dreams who strive to wield control over the Mists, and mold the shrouded portions of the world to their own liking. And there are those who seek to quell the chaos and restore order. Arastonia is a world in which the very fabric of creation can be bound or unraveled.

Within this immense and unbridled land, the common folk of Arastonia live their lives without worry of such pretentious schemes. As the civilized realms stretch boldly through savage, new frontiers, great warriors duel and engage in terrible wars. Priests bring their words of wisdom and the will of their gods to followers and non-believers alike. Powerful magicians transgress the boundaries of the supernatural and evoke the forces of the elements as they weave their spells of terrible destruction. And travelers wander across the countryside, singing their songs and telling tales of deeds noble and true, even as the unseen hand of the rogue slips into the purses of the unsuspecting...

(to be continued)

[Sable]

<center>The History of Arastonia</center>





The Eras of Arastonia's History:


The Time of Creation | The First Age | The War of the Winds | The Time of Rains | The New Age




The History of Arastonia begins, appropriately enough, with the creation of the Arastonia universe. To this end, there are many instances in which religious transcripts are relied upon in lieu of the writings of the legenders or other historians. It is important to note that the clergical authors to whom the story of Arastonial's creation is attributed may be approaching the subject from a viewpoint neither entirely objective, nor at all free of personal bias.



In the beginning, there was nothing save Olhantam, the All-Father. At least, this is written in the holy tablets of the Creator. There is mention in these writings that there came a time when Olhantam the Creator grew weary of his singular consciousness, and willed other beings into existence. These individuals became Vendaneran the Wise, Sethanit the Lord of Evil, Chaulatae the Binder, and Kaichea the Loner. Ultimately, they began to perceive the necessity for change, and to realize that their tremendous emotional capacities needed to be fulfilled. It was their needs which led to the creation of the universe.






The Time of Creation



...was an era of divine construction. Olhantam's name in the Arastonia pantheon is synonymous with creation. It was he who allowed the planets and stars to be conceived, and willed living things to exist. As the universe unfolded, Vendaneran became the greater essence of love in the universe, and Sethanit became the greater essence of hatred. Chaulatae was tasked to place all of the stars, and to set the planets in motion. Kaichea was charged with the planets themselves, specifically, their geographical features and weather schemes. As the lawful Chaulatae arranged all the astronomical bodies in rigid, orderly cycles, the chaotic Kaichea enveloped the worlds in swirling mists. Within the Mists, the surfaces of the worlds began to form. As the Mists thinned into clouds and the faces of the worlds emerged to see the sun, the Time of Creation was complete.



<center>Eras of Arastonia's History </center>





The First Age



...of Arastonia begins with the close of the Time of Creation. During this era, the gods created all of the races which populate the worlds and the dark voids of space which separate the planets. Upon Arastonia, the firefolk originated upon the continent of Tirringir, while the drawven-like humans, gnomads and halflings made their homes in the Isles of Isvir. Humans evolved independently upon the continents of Belara, Caladia and Tulmaria.



For most of the First Age, the races remained in their separate lands. It was not until late in the age that they began to set sail upon the oceans. The firefolk were the first in this regard. Whistie ships sailing into the Olgarn Ocean were nearly overwhelmed by the World's Well, and their crews found themselves stranded on the northern shores of Caladia. Surprisingly, next came the drawven-likes, gnomads and neeblings of Isvir. They discovered the continents of Belara, Caladia and Tulmaria. Though they had elected to avoid contact with the human inhabitants of Belara and Tulmaria, they eagerly expanded into southern Caladia despite its human barbarian clans. At nearly the end of the First Age, human sailors from the continents of Tulmaria and Belara discovered and settled southern Caladia.




The War of the Winds



...was the second coming of the Mists to the world of Arastonia. It was, in actuality, a battle between Kaichea, Goddess of Chaos, and her sister, Chaulatae, Goddess of Law. Chaulatae was dissatisfied that she was not allowed to effect any of the seasons, geography or weather of the planets. In retaliation, she forced the gravity of Arastonia's moons to affect Arastonia's oceans. What is remembered as the Coming of the Tides brought more than the rise and fall of the oceans, it nearly destroyed Arastonia.



During the Time of Creation, Kaichea encased all of the worlds in Mists. These Mists were both the tools and the substance from which all the features of the worlds were formed. When the clouds of the sky again thickened and descended in the second coming of the Mists, most of the face of Arastonia was shrouded. Wherever the Mists flowed, changes followed.



Belara was a land of lush rain forests. The Mists transformed the northern and southern portions of the continent into dry, barren plains, though the jungles in its equatorial region were left relatively intact.



Isvir saw the greatest metamorphosis. The Mists overwhelmed the land, and the oceans surrounding it. Its majestic mountain peaks were exaggerated into thin, elongated spires, and its canyons plunged into dark chasms. As the Tracene and Shidek Oceans flooded the deep valleys, they began to whirlpool, creating a slow but enduring erosion effect upon the continent.



Caladia changed drastically. The vast grassy plains of southern Caladia became dotted with forests and swamps. It was further torn by new mountain ranges and broken by new seas. Many civilized realms were destroyed, and new lands emerged. When the Mists cleared, the face of Caladia had been completely transformed.



Lornkira was torn by the Mists. Portions of the northland were dragged from the heart of the arctic circle into the warmer latitudes. When the Mists cleared, the ice layer covering the southern realms of Lornkira had melted, and thick forests now flourished.



Tirringir was spared from the worst of the Winds. It is widely believed that of all of Arastonia's races, Kaichea favored the chaotic firefolk creatures the most. The Mists all but surrounded the continent, but never once swept across its peaceful shores.



Tulmaria was saturated with pockets of descending Mists which radically altered its characteristically flat, green plains and rolling hills with low-lying, oily marshes and steep, rocky mountains. Most of the larger Tulmarian cities were spared, though much of the fertile farmland was transmuted into sterile, red clay.



Yindurin was thickly covered by the Mists. As the Mists flowed down the icy mountains into the deep valleys, changes were wrought upon the south arctic. Deep beneath the ice, volcanic activity surged. Within the valley basins in the heartland of Yindurin, hot springs erupted. When the Mists lifted from the south arctic, many of its most protected valleys had been transformed into lush, tropical paradises blanketed by dense rain forests and sheltered by heavy cloud cover.



The Time of Rains



...immediately followed the end of the War of the Winds. As the winds which had driven the Mists began to lessen, the Mists began to break apart. Though some of the Mists thinned, and ascended into the sky to become clouds, most took shape as tornadoes and hurricanes. Other parts of the Mists retained their dense consistency and remained on Arastonia's surface. As countless tornadoes ravaged the lands and hurricanes wreaked havoc upon the oceans, Arastonia became increasingly covered in a thick layer of storm clouds.



For an entire human generation, the torrential Rains inundated the world. Only the brave, the stubborn or the incredibly foolish willingly ventured out into this world of thunderstorms and sudden floods. Rivers and lakes increased to horrifying proportions. Valleys became lakes, and hills were reduced into plains. Even the underworld was not unaffected by the Rains, for intense earthquakes rocked and destroyed portions of the subterranean world. But the underworld's populace weathered the time better than most, and several of the more powerfully evil races actually prospered during this time of disaster.



The Rains were not the sole tragedy of the era. Illnesses accompanied the wind and rain, and it was the duration and magnitude of the storms which intensified illnesses into the dark plagues. Additionally, the Rains also brought the great famines. Kaichea's firefolk who had previously prospered upon Caladia were nearly obliterated, though Chaulatae's dwarven-like peoples continued their stalwart, dutiful existence virtually unaffected. But the dark plagues and the great famines ended as the Rains stopped as suddenly as they had begun. As the Rains finally ceased and the clouds parted, the races of Arastonia were eager to venture forth into their new world.




The New Age



... of Arastonia, as it is called, has introduced, in essence, a new world. Though most of Arastonia's races of people and animals managed to survive the Winds and the Rains, those creatures unfortunate enough to be unsheltered from the onslaught of the Mists were transformed into new, fantastical races both monstrous and magnificent.



Much of Arastonia has been irrevocably altered by the Winds and the Rains. Some regions have endured nearly intact, while others are unrecognizable to those who still remain from before the Winds. Where once nations had thrived, now there remained only swamps and jungle. Thick forests now grew where the Mists had flowed across grassy plains. Where once woodlands stood, rocky hills now dominated the terrain. It is altogether, a new world with little left of the old eras. It is a reborn world filled with new and exciting adventures.



</blockquote>
(contd)

[Sable]

The Oceans of Arastonia cover an estimated seventy percent of the surface of the world that is not shrouded by the Mists. All of the oceans receive their currents from the southern hemisphere. The waters of the world originate deep within the heart of the Eilgoren Ocean, out of an immense eruption known as the Storm's Eye. The Eilgoren flows out of the southern arctic circle, and its icy currents intermingle with the more temperate oceans. While all of the individual oceans possess their own currents, all the waters traverse the entire circumference of Arastonia to flow into the Olgarn Ocean of the northern arctic, to ultimately empty into the World's Well.

The thunderous smashing of Black Trident's hull and the screams of its crew could be heard above the roar of the howling wind. Glamga Pune clung to Pagan Horn's mizzenmast, grasping his silver medallion and praying. From above, the lookout's yells confirmed his suspicions that Black Trident was sinking beneath the waves. Pagan Horn's captain was near him, fighting with the ship's wheel and shouting to the men in the rigging. The Admiral also stood on the sterncastle, but he was silent. Well he should be, too, for it was his own foolishness that had brought the wrath of Naultan upon them.

Pune ran his fingers across the lightning bolt and cresting wave symbol emblazed upon the medallion, and remembered when the admiral had ordered Patriarch Motorn to summon foul weather. The clear night would betray the ships to the forts of Rundi, he had said, while clouds would cloak their approach. Motorn had agreed with the Admiral, and prayed diligently to Naultan for a summer rain. But when his prayers had gone unanswered, in his anger the Admiral had keelhauled the Patriarch. And still, the fleet had sailed on.

The night had begun warm and serene, and Glamga Pune had taken care not to speak to the admiral, lest he share the greater priest's fate. But near midnight, clouds began to hide the moon and the waters of the gulf became increasingly violent. Still the Admiral would not turn back. But as they neared the shore, a typhoon came upon them quickly. Never before had Glamga Pune witnessed a gale of such incredible ferocity. Fighting against the storm, the ships tried to escape, but one by one, they floundered and collided into the reefs. Of the original nine ships, only Pagan Horn and Red Coral still survived. Better to have taken the clear night than to incur a storm of Naultan's fury.

The War of the Winds and the Time of Rains drastically altered most of the surface of the world. During the First Age, dwarven-like, neeblings, gnomads, and humans sailed across only a small portion of the globe in search of new lands. When the Mists descended, the oceans were reshaped. Seas were formed in channels between the Mists, and both separate and connect the oceans.

The Eilgoren Ocean completely surrounds Yindurin, the south arctic. It is a dark and icy ocean whose swift currents channel through the Darincian, Ildaric, and Yesaruc Seas to reach the more temperate oceans. The waters of the Eilgoren are violent and harsh, and prone to horrible storms. In the outer reaches of the arctic circle, the Eilgoren is heavily laden with great icebergs which shear free of Yindurin and float along the treacherous ocean currents into the connecting seas.

Deep in the Eilgoren Ocean lies the what is known in the elfanir tongue as the E'rana Mortiris, the Eye of the Storm. The six oceans gush forth from this pillar of water which erupts from out of the murky depths, to rise high above the waters. The E'rana Mortiris - the Storm's Eye - is not stationary, rather, the hurricane-like force is always moving. The great spiral of water moves through the Eilgoren's heart, apparently imprisoned by the surrounding Mists which split the waters and channel them into the five other oceans. Arastonian legends speak of an island which floats upon the tremendous air currents at the top of the Eye of the Storm. It is known to them as Carendragor, or "Isle of Dragons".

The Jortirrien Ocean encompasses the continents of Belara and Isvir. The Jortirrien's main current flows in a circle between the two continents. It receives its greatest influx of water from the Yesaruc Sea. While it must pour through the Multenan Sea or Salburi Channel to reach the Shidek, it empties directly into the Tracene Ocean. But the Jortirrien is restricted by Belara, Isvir, and the Mists.

The Jortirrien is a murky ocean whose turbid waters are muddied as they whirlpool between the two continents. The interaction of the Yesaruc and Jortirrien causes a great upwelling along much of southeastern Belara. While this deposits silt upon Belara's continental shelf, it erodes the southern islands of the Broken Isles. The Jortirrien threatens northern Isvir as well, for the ocean's currents pull away from Isvir to empty in the Tracene Ocean, and deteriorates the stability of the Broken Isles in the process.

The Olgarn Ocean is inhospitable and icy in even the warmest of seasons. It lies high in the north arctic circle, and completely surrounds Lornkira. During the summer months, great icebergs break from the north arctic, and find their way into the heart of the Olgarn. Fortunately, they usually melt before reaching the warmer waters of the Shidek or Ultanic.

But where the cold Olgarn meets the currents of these oceans, terrible storms arise. The storms of the Olgarn are, without doubt, the most violent of Roil. And the worst of them are found in the sea channels which lead into the Olgarn itself. The storms manifest quickly and without warning. They can occur at any time, and in all seasons, thus making ship passage within the Olgarn hazardous throughout the year.

The primary reason for the Olgarn's turmoil is the World's Well. It is a whirlpool of gargantuan proportions into which all of the oceans empty. The World's Well is an unexplainable phenomena, but nonetheless, the vast vortex pulls the waters of the oceans and seas to it, then drags them down into its endless maelstrom.

The Shidek Ocean is the second largest ocean in the world. It is a vast expanse of open ocean which touches only one of the known continents. It encompasses Caradia's entire western coast, and borders two of the Olgarn's channels before its currents flow south to skirt the equator.

Unlike its marvelously blue eastern counterpart, the Ultanic, the waters of the Shidek are an ugly and turbulent muddy brown. To the north, the warm waters are churned about as they are pulled into the cold currents of the Olgarn. Far to the south, the hot waters of the Boragin and Multenan Seas merge with the more temperate currents of the Shidek. Along Caradia's southwestern coast, the Shidek and Tracene Oceans clash together, and occasionally form typhoons which batter Caradia's southern Belaran nations.

The Tracene Ocean is slightly smaller than the Shidek Ocean. It does not possess the turbulent fury of the Olgarn nor the blue beauty of the Ultanic. But it does have the most active current of all the oceans. The greatest body of the Tracene parallels southern Caradia. Its prevailing winds travel eastward, until its currents encounter the cooler waters of the Ultanic, when they slowly begin to turn south toward the equator.

As the North Tracene is relatively small in comparison to the Shidek, it readily feels the interaction between its warm tropical waters and the cooler currents of the Shidek. The result is a powerful upwelling along the southwestern coast of Caradia. Though the Shidek's winds cool Caradia's coast, the tropical air currents of the Tracene are pushed directly into inland Caradia, where they are largely responsible for the arid climate of the Lyrmaddyn Desert.

The Ultanic (Selindawn) Ocean is the largest single body of water upon Arastonia, and is believed by many to be the most beautiful. To the Gelfanir, the Ultanic is known as the Selindawn, the gentle mother of the water serpeants who dwell within its depths. The Ultanic stretches across much of the globe, touching the eastern coast of Caladia and the western, southern, and eastern coastlines of Tirringir. Additionally, the Ultanic also reaches far south, where its waters connect to the Eilgoren Ocean through the Darincian Sea.

The waters of the Ultanic are spectacularly clear, and visibility beneath its beautiful, sapphire blue surface often exceeds one hundred feet. Hidden somewhere in the Ultanic is the fabled Meremans continent of Tirringir. Shrouded in secrecy and mystery, and concealed by the Mists, the legendary Tirringir is rumored to lie at Selindawn's heart, though only the firefolk truly know where.

[Sable]

The following post is to share with you all of the Deities that are worshipped around Arastonia. Just as the real world has numerous religions, Gods, beliefs, etc; so does Arastonia. I hope that I've set this up so that you, the reader, can understand it easily.


****


<center>The Deities of Arastonia



Burthaggid the Timeless | Gadaru the Timeless | Isbri the Air Goddess | Motara the Warrior</center>



... all exist as a single pantheon of deities, or powers. The deities have priests and followers amongst all the races of humans. However, not all of the humanoid and non-human races worship all the deities.



Aside from the truly divine entities, a vast number of lesser powers, most commonly known as spirits, also exist. The different spirit powers are worshipped by humans, humanoids and non-humans alike. These spirits are represent animals, the elements, and natural environments.



Of the deities, some are more powerful than others. The five elder gods are the greatest powers of the pantheon. They are the most well known, the most widely worshipped, and the most influential. There are nine more major powers which came about as the result of interaction between the elder deities. There are also fifteen lesser powers which are offspring of the latter nine greater powers. Lastly, there are six minor powers. These six were mortals who attained
personal power so vast that they ascended into divine status.




"The Gelfanir, gnomadish kin, and the Sonhali share the broadest beliefs in the spirits. They content that all things have life within them, and that there exists millions of spirits, all borne from the magical energies of all things, animal, mineral, vegetable, and elemental.
Earth, air, fire, water, metal and wood are the truest, and hence the strongest, elemental spirits. Every mountain range, group of hills, valleys, every lake and stream, forest, desert, every pit, chasm and marsh breathes life into a spirit. The sun, moons, planets and stars all have an association to a great spirit. Each different type of animal is a spirit unto itself.



The greater animal spirits evolve from the life force generated by all the living members of the particular type of animal. Thus, they believe that the spirit of Nurava the Caller lives in all wolves. The death of a wolf lessens the might of Nurava, while the birth of a new wolf strengthens Nurava..." -Nadamis the Legender
</blockquote></center>



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<FONT FACE="ARIAL" SIZE=2>
<FONT COLOR="#FFFFCC" SIZE=3>The Pantheon of Arastonia</FONT>



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The Powers
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gender
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ethos ¹
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realms
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Greater Powers:

Olhantam the Creator

Chaulatae the Binder

Kaichea the Loner

Sethanit the Lord of Evil

Vendaneran the Wise

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male

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male

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L, N

C, N

E, N

G, N

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Nature, Plants, Creation

Order, Serenity, Unity

Randomness, Chaos, Individuality

Evil, Underground, Reptiles

Wisdom, Knowledge

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Major Powers:

Ankaris the Fire Lord

<A HREF="burthaggid.html" STYLE="text-decoration:none">
Burthaggid the Timeless</A>

<A HREF="gadaru.html" STYLE="text-decoration:none">
Gadaru the Jester</A>

<A HREF="isbri.html" STYLE="text-decoration:none">
Isbri the Air Goddess</A>

Jasamai the Mage

Lhuramni the Protector

<A HREF="motara.html" STYLE="text-decoration:none">
Motara the Warrior</A>

Ul'ty the Cold

Zandaron the Earth Lord

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Fire, Summer, Animals of fire

Time, the Dead

Fortune, Fate, Mischief

Air, Autumn, Animals of the air

Magic, Intellect

Love, Fertility, Healing

Law, War

Water, Winter, Animals of the water

Earth, Spring, Animals of the earth

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Lesser Powers:

Aieridyn the Watcher

Alchenda the Unseen

Arcannis the Righteous

Delundar the Artisan

Eteris the Horrid

Felicityn the Bard

Huthunic the Accursed

Monlotos the Learned

Naultan the Furious

Rancorin the Rogue

Syrtolyn the Scholar

Tayne Three-Faced

Throntis the Strong

Viest the Fated female

Whogam the Huntress

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N, G

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L, E

N

C, N

C, N

G, N

L, G

L, G

N

C, G

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Guardianship, Dawn and the Moon

Night, Darkness, Stealth, the Stars

Fairness, Truth, Competition

Crafts, Commerce, Prosperity

Death, Disease, Famine

Music, Poetry

Hatred, Revenge

Intelligence, Learning, Lore

Lightning, Thunder, Storms

Thievery, Roguery

Civilization, Education, Culture

Protection, Security, Courage

Strength, Leadership, the Sun

Fate, Destiny

Hunting, Agriculture

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Minor Powers:

Gouldakai the Silent

Ilus the Master

Luliki the Gambler

Mharow the Elder

Oln the Strider

Salarian the Pure

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Mental Mastery, Perfection

Skill at Arms

Recklessness, Gambling, Festivities

Subjugation, Industriousness, Destruction

Travel, Negotiation, Exchange

Innocence, Integrity, Forthrightness

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<P ALIGN="LEFT">¹ - L: Law, C: Chaos, N: Neutrality, G: Good, E: Evil</P>
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[Sable]

<center>Continents of Arastonia



Belara | Isvir | Caladia | Lornkira | Tirringir | Tulmaria | Yindurin</center>



Belara is a continent of striking terrain contrasts. It is nearly centered upon Arastonia's equator, though it spans to the north and south. Its equatorial region is dominated by thick, tropical rain forests, while the cooler extremities to the north and south are largely covered by dry, barren plains.



Belara's climate is predominantly sub-tropical, but it cools to become more comfortably temperate on the plains. The heavy equatorial rain forest cover at Belara's mid-region offers no respite. Instead, it maintains an almost insufferably high humidity which only contributes to the sweltering heat. The Yesaruc Sea brings the arctic currents from the Eilgoren Ocean and deposits them into the Jortirrien Ocean. The Yesaruc's cold waters merge with the Jortirrien, but split at the southern tip of Belara. The Multenan Sea flows along the entire western coastline, while the Jortirrien borders only the southeast. Nonetheless, both bring the cooling winds of the Yesaruc into southern Belara.



Northern Belara owes most of its temperate winds to the Shidek Ocean. The Multenan Sea quickly becomes sub-tropical as it crosses the equator, and the Salburi Channel which borders the northeastern coastline does very little to cool Belara. As the Shidek's currents flow down from the north, they are accompanied by cool air currents. While these temperate winds lessen the tropical climate, the clash of warm and cold ocean and air currents form devastating typhoons and hurricanes which ravage northern Belara.



The weather patterns of inland Belara are quite similar to that of the coastal regions. The hot equatorial jungles receive an enormous amount of rainfall in the form of sub-tropical thunderstorms. It is not unusual for downpours to occur several times in one day in the same portion of the jungles. The barren plains are a different case, however.



The coasts have a moderate supply of fresh water supplied by numerous underground springs which surface near the beaches. But the inland plains are little more than scorched deserts. Near the coasts, fresh water ponds and extensive salt marshes prevail. Farther into the plains, swamps and greenery succumbs to scrub brush. The hearts of the barren plains are infamous for their enormous black tar pits. The pits become hidden as films of desert sand are blown across them, and they readily swallow up the unwary who are unfortunate enough to accidentally travel into them.







"Of Belara's history prior to the War of the Winds, there is virtually nothing. Although this lack of substantial evidence renders little other than inconclusive speculation, it is highly unlikely that the Belaran populace developed any significant society or culture until very near the end of the First Age.



Dwarven-like historians of the pre-Winds era cite several encounters between Belaran sailors and the gnomadish settlers of western Isvir. However, while these testimonies confirm the existence of Belaran civilizations for centuries prior to the Time of Rains, there is no evidence that Belaran explorers ever reached any of the continents other than Caladia or Isvir before the War of the Winds. Thus, though they escaped extinction during the War of the Winds, they emerged from the Time of Rains as an altogether unremarkable race..." -Nadamis the Legender







The First Age is an era which is not well chronicled by Belaran historians. The oldest accounts of Belara reveal the continent to have been the birth place of numerous diverse human clans. As early as five hundred years before the War of the Winds, Belaran clans began to settle the fertile lands to the north and south of their equatorial jungle. Some four hundred years before the end of the first age, they established cities in the northern and southern expanses. The cities quickly divided themselves into three different and distinct cultures. The clans of the north reduced themselves into savage barbarian tribes, while those remaining in the equatorial jungles continued their peaceful existence without notable change or advancement. The tribes which migrated south flourished. The strongest of them formed a single nation, and soon after began to undertake ocean voyages. Less than one hundred and fifty years before the War of the Winds, they discovered and began exploration of southwestern Caladia.



The New Age brought radical change to Belara. During the War of the Winds, the Mists swept across much of the continent. Though the rain forests of the mid-region were left largely intact, the realms to the north and south were reduced into barren wastes.



The northern tribes were decimated by the devastation wrought during the War of the Winds. The typhoons, hurricanes and tropical thunderstorms which manifested during the Time of Rains wreaked havoc upon the northland. But even though the rains eroded the land, it was the volcanic activity deep beneath the surface which ruined the soil, and nearly destroyed the tribes.



Southern Belara contained a fairly extensive civilization prior to the War of the Winds. But the Mists swept harshly across the southland, leaving little trace of the Belaran society in its wake. The plains had been covered with lush vegetation, but the passing of the Mists left them nearly as barren as the northland. Belaran clans still survive in the southland, though their existence is not as pleasant as it once was.



Isvir is not actually a chain of islands at all, though it is called "the Broken Isles" for good reason. During the War of the Winds, Isvir was shattered by the Mists. What remains now are only the sad remnants of the once great and proud continent of dwarves, gnomes and halflings. Those who remain on Isvir are reluctant to leave their home. Though many of the canyons and valleys have fallen to the erosion of the two oceans, the legendary granite mountains still peak several thousand feet above the ocean surface. Despite all its misfortunes and disasters, Isvir still boasts a vast wealth of raw ores and metals. But the richest of the veins stretch deep into the hearts of the mountains - far beneath the surface of the murky Jortirrien Ocean.



Isvir's climate is a haphazard one. The Adralenk Sea keeps the southern coast cool throughout the year. The northwestern coastline is inundated by the warm prevailing winds of the Jortirrien Ocean, and remains much more temperate. During the spring and summer months, the heated air currents sweep across the inland mountains and collide with the cooler winds from the Adralenk. The resulting turmoil creates a dense cloud cover which shrouds much of southeastern Isvir, making it gloomy and overcast for most of the summer.



The northern islands remain temperate during much of the year, but become very hot in the summer months. The central mountains are nearly tropical at their bases, but the temperature decreases with the elevation, and they are nearly always snow-capped. Most of the northern coasts of the Broken Isles receive ample rainfall, though rain is rare in the high central mountains. Isvir's southern coasts experiences violent rainstorms, especially during the early summer. The storms continue inland over the southern plains, though they are rarely sufficient in strength to pierce through the mountains to reach the northland.



The First Age was a time of prosperity and expansion for the dwarves, gnomes and halflings of Isvir. The great mountains, the deep forests and the vast rolling plains were their homes, and they seemed content to dwell within them forever. But their isolation from the remainder of the world ended abruptly, when sailing ships containing elven explorers landed upon Isvir's eastern shores.



Ultimately, an armada of ships was commissioned. The first ocean expedition delivered the dwarvf-like, gnomads and neeblings to the southern shores of Caladia. But the fleet had been almost completely destroyed by storms, and they were unable to return to Isvir. Late in the First Age, a second armada set sail. This fleet managed to traverse the entire northern Ultanic Ocean before entering the hostile waters of the Olgarn. Though several of their ships were lost, the flotilla survived the violent north arctic ocean, and landed in the Northern Reaches of Caladia.







"The folk of Isvir are most peculiar. Though they profess to a passionate abhorrence of ocean travel, they have sailed through two oceans to explore the newly discovered continent. Though they affirm a love for Isvir in preference to all other lands, they assembled the largest armadas described within their recorded history to transport their numbers from their homeland to another continent. Though Isvir contains an incredible wealth of precious metals and minerals that is said to be rivaled by no other known source upon Sraoil, they claim to have journeyed across the oceans to learn of all the treasures of the world.



The unanswered question which remains is why did they come to Caladia. Did they harbor unmentioned aspirations to walk upon all the lands of Arastonia? Did they aspire to possess all the metal and mineral wealth of the world for themselves? Or did they truly seek out all the wonders of Arastonia simply for its own reward. Perhaps their words are sincere. And yet, it is conceivable that all of their effort to come to Caladia was born simply because the others found it first..." -Nadamis the Legender





The New Age heralded a time for change. The War of the Winds nearly drove Isvir into the ocean. But the ensuing Time of Rains did little to harm its inhabitants. While much of the world suffered through plagues and famines brought on by the Rains, the dwarves, gnomes and halflings survived in reasonable comfort within their underground cities. For this reason, they were able to recover from the disasters wrought by the War of the Winds somewhat more quickly than races dwelling above ground. When the rains ceased, they emerged from the strongholds to assess the damage to their homeland, and to commence the reconstruction.




Caladia



... is the largest continent of Arastonia, and is the only one populated by all the known races of humans and humanoids, along with a significant number of different races of non-humans. Caradia has a great variety of climates and terrains, as its lands reach from the equatorial tropics to the lowest latitudes of the northern arctic.



Caladia has its healthy share of deserts, jungles, mountains, and plains. Its entire northern coastline receives the full brunt of the freezing currents of the Olgarn, and the arctic winds. While the north coast is quite cold, inland temperatures quickly warm to become temperate. The southern coast skirts along the equatorial tropics, and is appropriately hot and humid. The temperate winds which blow with the currents of the Ultanic Ocean offer some respite to southeastern Caladia, where the Ultanic merges with the Tracene.



The expanse of Caladia extends nearly to the sixtieth latitude, but does not quite enter the North Arctic region. Nonetheless, the northern area of Caladia sees bitterly cold winters. The heartland of the Corlennian Empire suffers greatest from the ice and cold of the north breath, as it is closest to the Arctic Circle. The other northern expanses are far more fortunate. The high forest of Firefolk Tree protects the Whisties from much of the winter chill which dominates nearby lands. The collection of lands known as the Northern Reaches sees its fair share of the winter season, but even it is spared the greatest of Olgarn's winter wrath. The people of the northern lands are separated from the warmer, southern civilizations by the great chain of the Silverpeak Mountains, and rarely do they see weather equalling the hot climate which dominates the plains of southern Caladia.



Caladia's lands are vast, and largely untamed since the destruction wrought by the War of the Winds. The people here are a tough folk, hardened by their difficult lifestyle and resourceful by sheer necessity. But Caladia is a harsh land, and the effort required to civilize it demands more than most can muster. And yet, many individuals forsake their homes and countries to set out into these new, frontier lands. These are realms of grave dangers, with fabulous rewards for those who succeed against the odds, but they contain little remorse for those fail.







Its walls were blue, not of stone but of ice. Great blocks of dark ice, cut from the glaciers deep in the heart of the north arctic. Upon the shores of the Rhul Nugath the blue tower stood against the cold, harsh winds of the Olgarn, it alone breaking the bleak, gray horizon. From high in the tower, Robatalor stared into the storm clouds, willing their tempest to bring the fury he needed. As the thunder rolled in response, the sorcerer turned from the window and walked to the center of the room. His staff was black, carved from obsidian and enchanted. As he scraped its tip upon the floor, the ice hissed and melted from its fire. The diagram complete, Robatalor thrust the sword into the blue flames of the cold hearth and began to recite the incantation. As the metal began to soften in the cold, the dwarven smith drew forth his hammer, ready to forge a weapon of true power.







The First Age of Caladia saw its change from a predominantly unsettled land to a continent populated by all of the known races. The only known indigenous race of Caladia was human tribes of barbarians which roamed its lands prior to the War of the Winds. Humanoids were the first to discover Caladia, though they did so largely by accident. Dwarven-likes, gnomads, and neeblings from Isvir later arrived and settled upon Caladia. Human explorers from Tulmaria and Belara discovered and settled into southern ICaladia only a few years before the beginning of the War of the Winds.



The New Age of Caladia is a marvelous era for all of its lands and peoples. The War of the Winds scattered the Mists across the continent. Wherever the Mists of Kaichea flowed, the land was changed and its inhabitants altered. Many of Caladia's populace did not survive the Winds and the Time of Rains. Entire civilizations were erased from the face of the land, while others were shattered into fragments of their former glories. And yet, some nations emerged unscathed.



All in all, the continent of Caladia is a reborn realm which retains some familiar remnants of its prior self. Regions once settled have become harsh, renewed frontiers. From the depths of the oceans, the Mists had dredged new lands, and breathed life into them. Old powers have faded from the land, and new states have emerged. It is a time of new awakening.




Lornkira is the continent which lies at the heart of the northern arctic circle. It is an iceland region whose endless, frozen facade rarely changes. Yet, it is a land which is never the same. Lornkira is a true land mass, and not just solid ice. At least, this is true in the lower latitudes. Nearer the polar north, the ice has never been penetrated sufficiently to uncover any earth beneath. The humans who dwell upon Lornkira are an incredibly resourceful people. They have learned not only how to survive in the arctic tundra, they have prospered in the frozen wasteland. To outsiders, their culture appears savage. But while their society can be harsh, their civilization is far from barbaric.



Lornkira is an absolute and untamed wilderness. It is unforgiving and without mercy to any who dare to trespass upon its stark terrain. In any case, few people ever journey to the north arctic. Its coastline is completely surrounded by the Olgarn Ocean, and ships which attempt to sail to the continent must overcome the most violent storms of Roil. And the vessels which successfully reach the northern arctic can rarely find safe harbor in the harsh, sheer icy bluff which dominates the coast. Some of the southernmost portions of Lornkira which do not have a perpetual ice layer experience mild seasonal changes.





Tirringir is the firefolk continent of beauty, resplendent in its wooded magnificence. Forests of unmatched splendor and majesty span from coast to coast. Great trees, unrivaled by any other on Saroil, rise far into the sky above as sunlight bathes the thick, green grass of the forest floor. At the coastlines, pure white sand beaches ring the continent, and separate the grassland from the clear blue waters of the Selindawn Ocean and the Nyn' Luryncian Sea.



Tirringir is the wooded paradise of the firefolk. They live in harmony with their homeland, complimenting their natural surroundings rather than working to overwhelm them. This is a land which has never seen the vast stone strongholds nor the widespread clearing of woodlands which mark the advancement of the realms of most civilizations.



Tirringir has an unremarkable seasonal change. The summers are mild, scarcely much warmer than the spring. The winters are also mild, hardly any colder than the cool autumn nights. The few mountains which rise above the tree lines are capped with snow during the winter months. But the warmth of early spring quickly thaws the snow into icy and refreshing mountain streams which race down the mountains into the fertile lands below.



The continent of Tirringir is the homeland of the firefolk people, and it is to Tirringir that all the firefolk eventually return. But the firefolk have successfully enshrouded their land in magic, hiding it from those who would seek out the legendary nation. While it is rumored that no non-firefolk has ever travelled to this land, scholars unanimously agree that Tirringir is no fable. Firefolk ships sail from their homeland, and bring many of their native wonders to trade in human and non-human societies.



The First Age was a golden, if not seemingly timeless, era of Tirringir. The firefolk historical ballads sing of thirty-seven elven kings and queens who ruled the royal court during this time of renaissance. Early in the reign of the thirty-seventh king, fleets of firefolk ships sailed forth upon the Selindawn Ocean to seek other lands. Before the end of the age, the firefolk had discovered all of the known continents, but had settled only upon Caladia.



The New Age brought an end to a dark time of elven history. Though the Mists of the War of the Winds had never blown across the elven continent, the Time of Rains devastated much of the elven farming communities. The process of recovery would be slow before the new age could signal a new era of growth and renewed exploration.





Tulmaria is home of the oldest known human civilization. Tulmaria's northern extreme skirts the equator, and most of northern Tulmaria is sub-tropical. Southern Tulmaria is somewhat cooler, owing to the lower latitudes and the chilling air and ocean currents provided by the Ildaric Sea.



Tulmaria is completely surrounded by the South Tracene Ocean. The Tracene is a warm, equatorial ocean, and its hot, slow-moving air currents do little to cool northern Tulmaria. While there are scattered forests, most of the northland is arid plains and rocky mountain ranges. The climate is predominantly dry and hot, though the temperatures become more moderate in the high mountain plateaus.



The cold waters of the Ildaric Sea empty into the southern Tracene Ocean. There they invigorate the slowing ocean currents and push the cooled, revived waters vigorously along the southeastern coast. Cool air currents accompany the Ildaric's cold waters, and blow along much of the southern half of the continent. Though the winds quickly diminish against the long, southeastern mountain chain, they keep the coastal expanses comfortable during all but the most severe of summer months, and help to provide an extended, though mild, winter season.



The First Age holds many secrets for this ancient continent of humans. The nations of Tulmaria, at their peak, undoubtedly contained many fabulous achievements now lost to mankind. It is known that the great marble sphinxes of the High Plateau were constructed over a millennium before the start of the War of the Winds. The exact method of their construction, however, remains unknown.



Ancient Tulmarian writings give insight to a great exodus from many of the Tulmarian cities just prior to the terrible wars between rival noble factions. For years, many Tulmarians confined themselves to the inner sanctuaries of the great sphinxes. While this allowed them to survive their times of devastation, it was not without its consequences upon their culture.



The aristocratic social circles which dominated the heart of Tulmarian lifestyles grew to gargantuan proportions. As the wars neared their end, the Tulmarian people had become segregated into rigid social and economic circles of the extremely poor and the enormously wealthy. Human injustices wrought upon the poor and unfortunate worsened and festered in the close confines of the sphinxes.



When their wars drew to a close, the Tulmarians were quick to venture back into their world. They had scarcely begun to realize their newfound freedom, when the social unrest which had seethed within their collective society unleashed itself as a massive civil revolution. Tulmaria's poverty-stricken outnumbered the wealthy by a ten to one majority, and the attacks they launched soon escalated into full scale warfare. The richest and most powerful houses of Tulmaria brought themselves together into a single domain, calling themselves the Ruthanland Empire. The poor of Tulmaria were soon defeated by Ruthanland's War Wizards, and they retreated from the High Plateau into the harsh and unsettled coastal regions.



During the three hundred years of the Ruthanland Empire's golden era, Tulmaria became a continent of many wondrous achievements. But their advances were not restricted only to Tulmaria, for great advances in astronomy, navigation and shipbuilding prompted many ocean expeditions. It was during this renaissance that they discovered the continent of Caradia, naming it for Ruthanland Emperor Caradin III. And it was not soon thereafter that Tulmarians began to settle this new land.



The source of much of Tulmaria's advancements was a group of sages, scholars, and magicians known as the Magarium. Their study and research benefited nearly all the populace of the Ruthanland Empire, but they also held even greater power. The Grand Magarium of Ruthanland was, in this beginning, a wise council which advised and guided their emperor. The Magarium continued in this capacity for many generations, and the Ruthanland Empire prospered from the knowledge which the Magarium shared with its populace.



But despite the rewards reaped from the Magarium's efforts, many of its members slowly and unknowingly began to isolate themselves from the common folk and their concerns. And as their efforts turned to darker studies, the War Wizards began to incorporate their numbers into the Magarium. Eventually, the Magarium had little interest with the common affairs of Tulmaria.



Using the name of their emperor, the Magarium began assuming greater roles in Tulmaria's government. But as the less fortunate of Ruthanland's populace began to suffer from the Magarium's callous and uncaring actions, Tulmaria began its decline. When the Magarium's scholars began to question the actions of some of its magician members, they too were removed. Finally, the Magarium split as its strongest radical members lashed out against their opposing peers. Ultimately, the deterioration of the Magarium led Tulmaria into a civil war which brought their empire to a close and gave birth to the Ruthanic Imperium.



For a century, the Ruthanic Imperium ruled over both northern and southern Tulmaria. But their corruption escalated, and theirs was a civilization of decadence and perversion. The Imperium could not regain any of the splendor of the Ruthanland Empire, but its noble families lived in extravagance as its poor suffered in famine and poverty. Their decline could not be averted, and only years before the Mists descended, the Imperium collapsed as barbarian hordes from coastal Tulmaria swarmed through the weakened nation.



The New Age unveiled the new Tulmaria to be much like the Tulmaria of old, but only geographically. The grand Ruthanland Empire and Ruthanic Imperium are but ruins. The nomadic barbarians who dwell in the land now are little more than savage remnants of their once highly developed cultures.





Yindurin is not unlike its northern counterpart. While Yindurin is slightly smaller than Lornkira, in comparison, the south arctic is literally teeming with life. The arctic continent is an unstable region of high volcanic activity. Deep in the polar cap, great mountain chains house lush, temperate valleys filled with thick, tropical forests. Vast underground lakes and rivers surface throughout these protected basins as hot springs, warming them into a hot, humid paradise.

[Sable]

The Human Races:


Belarans | Corlennians | Caladia | Lornkirans | Tulmarians | Yindurins

Humans are the only race known to have originated on more than one continent. Belara is an ancient homeland of humanity in Arastonia's eastern hemisphere, while Tulmaria gave birth to the human races of the west. The northern and southern polar regions of Lornkira and Yindurin also have human inhabitants, though it is unknown if they originated in the iceland. The continent of Caladia is the birthplace of many races of humans, and is populated by all of the known races.

"They are as prolific as rabbits, or so the half-neeblings say. They are more fickle than the firefolk, or so the dwarven-like say. And the ferocity with which they attack their environment rivals the voracity of the neeblings, or so I say. Altogether, humans are the most fascinating race I have ever encountered..." -Nadamis the Legender

Humans are the dominant race of Arastonia. They are also the most diverse of any of the races. The various continents of the humans have each born different races of humans. The most dominant of these races are typically named for the land from which they hail. It is important to note, however, that these are the major races of humans, and there are many others.

Humanoids and Non-Humans comprise a virtually countless collection of Arastonia's intelligent races of inhabitants. The word humanoid is not entirely synonymous with the phrase non-human, for while all humanoids are non-human, not all non-humans are humanoids.

"The word humanoid implies a two-armed, bipedal creature which stands upright on its own volition. While human sages have on occasion argued that dwarven-like, firefolk, gnomads, half-neeblings and neeblings would fall into such a category, the debate has never been a popular topic with the aforementioned races. But in any event, discussion of the subject is undoubtedly pointless. While a dwarf-like, firefolk, gnomad or neebling might devote decades of thoughtful consideration to such a debate, it is unlikely that the human lifespan would provide sufficient time to produce any argument which might sway the opposing viewpoint.

It is said that the dwarn people are the chosen of Chaulatae, and that the Gelfanir are the favored of Kaichea. But most humanoid and non-human creatures have their ties to the powers of light or darkness. Many scholars would debate the origin of the humanoid races, but there are several which are indisputable. Of the gorgonas wrought by Sethanit there are the medusa; conceived as a product of love-making between the Lord of Evil while in the guise of a man, and mortal women. And there are the orgons, or ogres, born from the wicked giants created by Sethanit's vile servant Volgathis. Lastly, there are the orcanians, also wrought by Sethanit's gorgons, and favored by Mharow..." -Nadamis the Legender

The term humanoid applies to fantastical and monstrous creatures such as firefolk, giants, orcanians, and gorgonas. Humanoids and non-humans live on all of the seven known continents, they dwell underground and in the air, and they exist within the oceans and seas. The myriad of humanoid creatures in all of Roil defies categorization, but there are only a few which can be found in virtually every land.

The Dominant Belaran Races:

Ahnlarans | Korularans | Vasularans

Belarans as a collective whole are a reddish-skinned folk. Their colorations rarely vary from their atypical deep bronze or copper tans. Most have long and straight scalp hair which is usually full and quite dark in color, though facial hair is an uncommon trait. The normal eye colors are shades of brown and black.

Belarans have strongly pronounced features, and rarely appear delicate regardless of physical stature. The average male or female is slender, slight of build, but possessing a sinewy muscular form. Belaran men average about five feet in height, and weigh about 130 pounds. Belaran women tend to be slightly shorter than the men, ranging anywhere from four to five feet in height, and usually weigh about 100 pounds.

Belarans prefer a distinctive dress which emulates their ancient and traditional native garb, regardless of where they dwell. The warm, dry climate of the Belaran homeland gives them cause to favor lightweight and loosely worn cloths to heavier weaves. The result became known as the padu. The padu is a strip of cloth, typically three feet in width and about ten feet in length. The garment is elaborately wrapped about each shoulder, between the legs, and the ends are joined about the waist. Padu are employed as a symbol of social status amongst Belarans, and range from plain cloth to elaborate, dyed weaves. The wealthy wear padu of silk, adorned with their family heraldry and trimmed with silver or gold thread.

Belaran soldiers customarily wear tabards embroidered with heraldry. Some carry small shields, also painted with their heraldric devices. Belarans rarely don metal armors, though they suffer no restriction which precludes its use. The typical Belaran warrior is lightly armored, lightly armed, fast moving, and dangerous. Small, one-handed weapons and short bows are preferred, and some regularly utilize sleeping and damaging poisons. Belarans often use horses and other mounts, and their light cavalry units and horsebowmen are justifiably considered elite forces.

Long before the New Age, the people of Belara effectively divided themselves into three separate and very different cultures:


The Ahnlaran dynasties which formed the southern kingdoms.

The Korularan jungle clans of the equatorial mid-region.

The Vasularan tribes of the north.

Ahnlarans

Ahnlarans are Belarans who left the jungles to venture into the southern realms. Of all the expeditions, the Ahnlaran migration to the south proved to be the most successful. These Belarans prospered, and formed the grand southern kingdoms of Belara. They are the only Belarans to have ventured forth from their own continent onto the oceans to seek new lands. Consequently, these are the Belarans most often found outside of the continent of Belara.

Their culture is one of devoutly religious sects which almost unanimously dictate certain philosophies of personal dignity, integrity and scrupulous character. Owing to these orthodox beliefs, these people are traditionally a proud race who place enormous value upon their personal honor. They are loathe to allow themselves to be maneuvered into compromising situations, and they will not advantage of another's misfortune. Their spoken word is their bond, and the intent more important than any manipulation of words.

While there are some who do not hold true to such morals, as a whole Ahnlarans have a strong reputation for devout honesty. Because of this, they make excellent negotiators, and often find enduring diplomatic positions in the more goodly-aligned nations.

Korularans

Korularans are the Belarans who remained in the equatorial rain forest jungles. The Korularan people are clans of simple folk who enjoy their simple lifestyles. They are very rarely encountered willingly outside of the jungles, and the Corlennian airships have never met with great success when gathering them as slaves.

They are a quiet people given to religious superstition to so great an extreme as to border upon fanaticism. Of the different Belarans clans, they hold truest to the beliefs held during the Winds and the Rains. Their clans do not war with one another, but work together to overcome common problems. The same concept of group unity typically remains with the jungle dwellers who have left their rain forests for other lands.

Vasularans

Vasularans are the Belarans who left the jungles to settle in northern Belara. The harsh environment left by the Mists has made them into aggressive and primitive warrior tribes which fight every day to endure the barrens.

The Vasularan clans of Belarans are a suspicious and distrustful people. Their tribes are plagued with frequent internal disputes and fighting. The weak do not survive in their civilization, and only the strongest can lead the tribes. As individuals, they tend to have prominent self-centered outlooks, and are willing to pay dearly to leave the barrens.

****

Corlennians

The Dominant Corlennian Races:

Chaynir | Geaughee | Yhon' rho

Corlennians are perhaps the most exotic of the human races. They are believed by some scholars to have not originated upon Arastonia. Almost all of the known Corlennians dwell on the continent of Caladia. In the vast and harsh plains of the upper northwest, they have established the heartland of their Corlennian Empire.

Corlennians have never been a common race, a key factor which has lead to considerable intermingling between them and other human races. Children born from interracial relationships do not often retain the features of their Corlennian heritage, thus increasing the rarity of pure Corlennian strains. Corlennians consider themselves superior to all other races, and do not relish the necessity of procreation outside of their race. They are not known to interbreed with any non-human races. There are three races of the Corlennians, and each is particularly distinctive.

Chaynir

Chaynir are the rarest of the Corlennians. They are, rarely, the offspring of two Geaughee, or, more commonly, of two Chaynir. Their skin is a flawless, inky black, which causes many Geaughee to look upon them with disdain. Chaynir have very little body hair. Their scalp hair tends to be black, silver or white in color, though some have dark, midnight blue hair. Their eye coloration has an extensive and varied range. The iris of their eyes tends to be either light blue or light green. The pupils can be of any color, though they tend toward black, ivory, grey or amber. The green and blue pupils so common among Geaughee are rare in Chaynir.

The Chaynir, as with all Corlennians, are quite tall. But they are much heavier in build than either the Geaughee or the Yhon'rho. Chaynir men and women both average over six feet in height, and women tend to be slightly taller than the men. The men normally weigh anywhere from 200 to 300 pounds, the women are lighter, averaging about 200 pounds.

The Chaynir, much as the Yhon'rho, are far less aggressive than the Geaughee. They tend to be the scholars and philosophers of their society. They are prone to careful forethought and thorough planning, traits which alienate the Geaughee. But those Chaynir who do choose warrior careers typically excel as such, and are often renowned for their tactical prowess. Owing to these facts, it is somewhat easier to understand why the Chaynir are tolerated by the Geaughee.

Geaughee

Geaughee are the most common sub-race of Corlennians. Their skin seems impossibly fair, and is imbued with a golden pigmentation which causes them to seemingly sparkle in bright sunlight. Most Geaughee have platinum blond, silver, or white scalp hair, but have little other body hair. The majority have eyes of emerald green or sapphire blue.

Geaughee Corlennians are usually lean and well muscled, and have impressive physical builds. Most men average well over six feet in height, and weigh about 240 to 280 pounds. The women average about six feet in height, and weigh from 140 to 200 pounds.

Geaughee have a passion for heavy armors and large weapons, and revel in their use. They prize intricately ingraved and elaborately gilded plate armors, shields, and weapons. Geaughee greatly enjoy donning ornate and flamboyant dress armors as ostentatious displays of their house's importance and their own personal status.

The Geaughee Corlennians are a brash, aggressive people, infamous for their intolerance and impatience. They judge others by their actions, and have little use for lengthy discussion or negotiation. Compassion and benevolence are rare traits amongst the Geaughee. Likewise, complacency and tranquility are unknown qualities. Power rules their society, and in their belief, the more the better. The strong rule the weak and take what they want by force. Theirs is an empire, after all.

Yhon' rho

Yhon' rho are a less common race of Corlennians. While similar in height and build to the Geaughee, they tend to be physically stronger but less aggressive. They all possess sensitive, milky white skin which burns and blisters in hot weather. They are hairless save for their thick scalp hair, which is usually light blond or light blue in color. Their eyes are predominantly hazel, slate gray, or blue. The Yhon' rho are tall, well muscled men and women standing over six feet in height. Yhon' rho men weigh from 260 to 300 pounds, and the women usually weigh about 180 to 250 pounds.

It is conjectured that the first Yhon' rho Corlennians were the offspring product of the Geaughee Corlennians and Lornkiras. The Yhon' rho temperament and physical height, weight and appearance bear too great a resemblance to the North Arctic natives for the possibility to be discounted. Further, Corlennian history contains many documented accounts of Corlennian slave ships raiding small seashore villages of the North Arctic. These speculations are completely discounted by most Corlennians, however, as the doctrines of Mharow clearly state that the races of the Corlennian people are all his children, moulded from the Mists by his will.

The Yhon' rho are a mild mannered people, given to patience and slow to anger. They take great pride in their workmanship, and rejoice in their accomplishments. Laboring on long and tedious tasks typically please the Yhon' rho, who excel as sculptors and artists in their culture.


Lorkirans

Lornkirans are a reclusive race of the North Arctic. Seldom do outsiders see the shores of their ice-covered continent, and the Lornkirans are rarely enticed to leave their land willingly. They are peaceful and quiet folk, and appear content with the day to day struggles of their harsh lifestyle.

As a whole, most Lornkirans have pale white skin, black hair and bright blue eyes. Most of the males tend to average about six feet in height, and females nearly so. The men typically weigh about 200 to 250 pounds, and the women average about 175 to 200 pounds.

It is speculated that the non-aggressive Lornkirans may well be, in part, the ancestors of the Yhon'rho Corlennians. Regardless of its accuracy, it is certain that, in times past, they were taken as slaves by the Geaughee Corlennians. As Lornkirans are quite strong, and are hard workers, they were heavily sought after and taken from their homeland early in the New Age by the Geaughee Corlennians.



(contd)

[Sable]

The Dominant Tulmarian Races:

Dumarans | Lulmari | Tamarins

Tulmarians are a mixture of different human races. Most Tulmarians have tanned skin, with hair of red or blond, and eyes of amber. The men average about six feet in height. There is no apparent average weight for Tulmarian males. While many weigh about 200 pounds, there are also slender and obese subjects. The women are normally five to six feet in height, and weigh anywhere from 100 to 200 pounds.

Once, before their wars, the forested continent of Tulmaria boasted a very powerful and extensive civilization. The Tulmarians of this era were sages and scholars, magicians and mathematicians. Their literary works, their charts of the continents of Arastonia, the great marble sphinxes, all still exist in the world today as silent tributes to this once fabulously advanced race. But even as the ancient Tulmarian explorers sailed the globe, their society crumbled from within. Their civil war destroyed the ancient and deteriorated Tulmarian culture, and freeing the new Caladia colonies. From these ruins, three different clans of Tulmarians arose.

Dumarans

Dumarans are the Tulmarians who remained upon the High Plateau following their civil war. These Tulmarians established the Ruthanland Empire which prospered for centuries, then evolved into the Ruthanic Imperium. Their culture continued on for another century before the Tulmarians from the south overran the weakened and declining society. Dumarans are common in Illuminati, particularly in the Cabraal Empire and other countries which were originally settled by these ancient Tulmarians.

Dumarans are a proud and haughty people. They are contemptuous toward all non-Dumaran humans and display open hatred toward any of non-Dumaran Tulmarian descent. They are a secular folk given to carnal acts and wild, worldly ways. The outright decadence which characterized the final years of the Ruthanic Imperium is still quite prevalent in Dumaran culture.

Lulmari

Lulmari are the Tulmarians who were driven from the Marble Sphinxes and out of the High Plateau into the coastal regions of the south. They are a wild and savage race who retain little of their once proud civilization. Most of them are an emotional and passionate people prone to distinct and sudden mood swings ranging from quiet contemplation to volatile moments of raging anger. Many of the Lulmari who exist upon Caladia today are descended from slaves brought by the Dumaran Tulmarians during the last years of the Ruthanic Imperium.

Tamarins

Tamarins are the Tulmarians who migrated from the High Plateau to the forests of northern Tulmaria. Tamarins were the most widely respected and learned scholars of Tulmarian culture. They saw the wars, and the probable results, with clear vision. When their predictions and eventually their objections to the fighting went unheeded by the rival noble factions, they left the ancient society for the sanctuary of the northern forests.There they preserved what they considered to be the finest attributes of their declining culture, and disregarded the rest. During the early decades of the Ruthanic Imperium, some Tamarins returned from their seclusion. Most of these Tamarins acquired passage to the Caladia colonies, and comprise the Tamarin presence on Caladia today.

Most Tamarins are quiet, reserved people who are content to pursue their scholarly interests. They are rarely given to the emotional outbursts which commonly characterize the Lulmari and Dumarans.

Yindurins differ greatly from the north arctic dwellers. They are a people prone to sudden violence, and they possess a fierce territorial instinct which is similar to that of the Lornkiras.
Like the Lornkirans, the skin of the Yindurins is pale white. But they have considerable body hair and thick crops of coarse, white scalp hair. The most unusual feature of these South Arctic humans is that they are all pure albinos, and possess pale, pink eyes. Most Yindurin males and females average between five and six feet in height, and tend to be slender in build. The men normally weigh about 170 pounds, and the women weigh about 150 pounds.

Their unusual albino features are precisely what make the Yindurins unique among the human races. Unscrupulous humans who have come to the frozen shores of the South Arctic have on occasion captured them, and taken them from their homeland. Geaughee Corlennians greatly appreciate the distinctive appearance of the Yindurins, and prize them as slaves or concubines.

Yindurins are a truly pure race of humans, owing to their inability to have offspring with any other race. But their incapacity has bequeathed them with a hostility towards all non-Yindurins. They view the other human races with indifference, and absolutely despise all humanoids and non-humans.

Most of the Yindurins who remain in the frozen wastes have few religious beliefs or beliefs. Those who do tend to adopt the ways of the Air Goddess, which are easily as harsh as the lands in which they dwell. But there are Yindurins who have discovered the hidden tropical valleys which lay deep within the ice-covered mountains. They do not share in the worship of the Air Goddess, but are, to all accounts, very much like the Yindurins who live upon the ice.



The Dominant Native Caladia Races:


Aututhans | Dautani | Matawi | Poun' Tahl | Sonhali

Caladians are a mixture of many different human races. Belarans, Corlennians, Tulmarians, occasional Lornkiras, and other races of humans have come to the shores of Caladia, and they have left their mark.

The human folk of Caladia are quite likely to be of almost any build, complexion, and hair and eyes coloration. Their heritage is almost always mixed, and their new cultures have grown with the lands they now inhabit. They are the most diverse people of Arastonia, and each of the many countries of Caladia has its own distinctive society and background.

Long before human or humanoid settlers left the other continents and came to Caladia, tribes of human barbarians roamed its lands. As best as can be reckoned, these clans originated on Caladia. Once the entire continent was dominated by the great barbarian hordes. But their lands and numbers have steadily dwindled as each new race of settlers came to Caladia. Today, the barbarian tribes have scattered across the continent. They have interbred with the other races of humans who have come to Caladia, so their once pure strains remain dominant only in isolated tribes. The primary barbarian tribes are:


The Aututhans who dwell in the northern steppes.

The Dautani who live in the southeastern plains.

The Matawi who roam the great plateau and the Lyrmaddyn Desert.

Aside from the barbarians, there are two other major human (some would argue they are non-human) races indigenous to Caladia: the Poun'Tahl and the Sonhali. Neither have established countries, nor do they claim regions of Caladia as do the barbarians. Nonetheless, they are a prominent presence in many of the countries of humans and non-humans alike.

Aututhans

Aututhans are the barbarians who dwell in northern Caladia. They are a savage and primitive people, prone to sudden violence and possessing strong superstitions of anything unfamiliar. Though they are very numerous, their clans do not often work together for a mutual benefit. They are a selfish, hateful people, distrustful of outsiders, with little semblance of a productive culture.

Most Aututhans have olive skin, red or black hair, and eyes colored hazel gray to green. The men average anywhere from five to over six feet in height, and weigh from 150 to 250 pounds. The women are typically slightly shorter than the men, and correspondingly weigh less.

The various Aututhan clans are very similar in physical appearance. While most of the Aututhans have inherently hostile natures, it is the distinct differences in their outlooks which divides them into two major clans: the Cucatha and the Ruthatu.

Cucatha are the largest clan of the Aututhans. They almost completely comprise the tribal "packs" of the White Wolves, the barbarian tribes which roam the upper portions of the northern steppes of Caladia. Though the Cucatha clan is divided into many different tribes, they all have similar beliefs and values. While minor skirmishes between the Cucatha are common, major wars amongst the packs are rare. Most of the Cucatha are fickle, self-centered, and untrustworthy. But they are not openly evil, as are their Ruthatu brethren south of their lands.

Ruthatu are the second primary clan of the Aututhans. Most of these barbarians live along the northern edge of the Silverpeak Mountains. As a whole, they are an aggressive and despicably evil people prone to unexplainable and sudden violence against not only their own tribes, but neighboring states as well.

Dautani

Dautani are the barbarians of southeast Caladia. They are an aggressive people, headstrong but not narrow of vision or foolish. Their tribes are their strength, but rarely are their leaders strong enough to pull them together.

Dautani have dark copper-red skin, with long, naturally curly gray hair which lightens to pure white with age. Their eyes are usually either dark brown or black. The Dautani are shorter than most native Caladia. The average height for the men is about five and a half feet, and women average only about five feet. They are also a very lean people, and rarely weigh more than 150 pounds, male or female.

The majority of the Dautani call themselves the Blue. Of the tribes, there are three dominant clans which inhabit the Wilds of the Blue: the Ataun, the Gautaun, and the Daitaun.


Atauns comprise the bulk of the tribes of the Wilds of the Blue. They are an unpredictable folk but tend to honor their agreements. Atauns rarely war outright with one another, but equally, they seldom cooperate together. The Atauns are a fiercely independent people who love their vast, open plains. Their lifestyle is harsh and primitive, but they are largely unwilling to forsake it for the comforts of the Tulmarian states.

Gautauns dwell along the southeastern coastal plains. Their characteristically impulsive and impetuous natures are very much like that of the Atauns, and they also share similar feelings of individuality and independence. But while the Atauns roam the great plains, the Gautauns cling to their beloved coast.

Daitauns are the smallest of the three major clans, and the most violent. Many of the Daitauns have sheared their bonds with the remainder of the Blue and live as the tribes of the Blood Moons in the plains west of the Sylvbriar Forest, removed from the Wilds. While they possess the strong desires of individual freedom which characterizes the Blue, the Daitauns are a ferocious people whose brutal culture promotes hatred of laws and organization.

Matawi

Matawi are the barbarians of southwestern Caladia. The Matawi are the most complacent and least hostile of Caladia's barbarian hordes. As a whole, they are an inherently peaceful people who despise and avoid the contentious Aututhans and Dautani. With the exception of the Tautani, the Matawi tribes are also the least nomadic of Caladia's barbarians. The tribes take great pride in the lands they claim, and all have strong territorial senses.

The Matawi as a whole, are a darkly tanned race whose deep brown to black skin pigmentation rivals the inky black of the Chaynir Corlennians. They are a tall, thin and wiry people. Most of the Matawi men and women average slightly over six feet in height, but rarely weigh over 150 pounds. They have very soft, fine scalp hair which is typically black in color. Their eyes are almost always bright green.

The Matawi are categorized as barbarians because much of their present society has been reduced to savagery. But they are an ancient people who, Neebling chronicles reveal, had erected their fabulous empire which spanned nearly all of southwestern Caladia centuries before other human races ever reached its shores.

There is no explanation for the downfall of their ancient civilization, but the ruins of their massive cities are a silent testament to their once majestic empire. And though they are few, there are Matawi cities which were somehow spared from their empire's collapse. These Matawi comprise only a small portion of their entire race, but they are the only preserved remnants of their ancient empire.

Even with this irrefutable evidence, the Matawi are still referred to by most others as savages. And it is not altogether unsubstantiated, for most Matawi are primitive people. Nearly all of the Matawi have divided themselves into different tribes, which are themselves separated into three clans which call themselves the Daujoni, the Hagaki, and the Tautani.


Daujoni clans are the most common of the Matawi, and are found throughout southwestern Caladia. Many of their number comprise the barbarian tribes which inhabit the dry plains along the eastern border of the Lyrmaddyn Desert. These Daujoni have forsaken the nomadic desert lifestyle for permanent settlements, and have interbred heavily with the Belarans of Nirinthine and Seychelo.

It is primarily the Daujoni who inhabit the ancient Matawi cities which survived their empire's collapse. Their attitudes are often drastically different from the majority of Dautani. Their tribes tend to be more organized and militaristic than the other Matawi clans, and their rich culture is as civilized as that of any race upon Caradia. Theirs was an empire which once ruled most of southwestern Caladia, and there are those of their number who want to reunite the Daujoni tribes and recover their lost era of glory.


Hagaki are the smallest of the three major tribes. Like the Daujoni, they too have left the deep desert to dwell in the more temperate plains bordering the Lyrmaddyn. But they retain their nomadic tendencies, and are the gypsies of the western Lyrmaddyn's outer fringes.

Tautani are the roving tribes who remain within the Lyrmaddyn Desert. They roam the vast wasteland, living their nomadic existence largely in exclusion of the Belaran nations and the other Matawi clans.
Poun' Tahl

Poun' Tahl are a race whose society is comprised of countless small clans. Poun' Tahl are wanderers, gypsies and merchants. They are not a barbaric people, but they have never produced any actual form of organized government, nor claimed any land as a country.

They are a very short people who scarcely reach three feet. They are stocky, with misapportioned heads larger than appropriate for their bodies. The result, sadly, is an appearance perceived as comical by many other human races.

Being short and round, with little apparent muscle mass, the Poun' Tahl are nothing more than a race of clowns to cruel societies. Ruthless and sadistic cultures such as the Geaughee Corlennians often capture hapless Poun' Tahl, and enslave them as jesters. But the Poun' Tahl have an affinity with halfneeblings and gnomads, and share a tangible, though somewhat distant, kinship with dwarves. They are also akin to the faerie folk, and are welcomed in all the forests and lands of the elves.

The Poun' Tahl are actually not an unattractive people. They have very fair complexions, their skin is a light cream color which rarely tans, and their features are surprisingly delicate. Young Poun' Tahl have thick scalp hair which often thins to balding with age. Their hair is usually blond to light brown, though red or black is not uncommon. Their eye colors range from brown or blue to hazel. Most Poun' Tahl men boast thick, full beards or moustaches.

The Poun' Tahl are typically a mild-mannered people who avoid trouble and confrontations when they can. They prefer the company of other Poun' Tahl to that of bigger people, though they are ever fond of halfneeblings and gnomads. But Poun' Tahl cannot remain happily settled in one area for extended periods of time. So their little families wander the countries of "big" humans, and often become clans of travelling merchants.

Poun' Tahl rarely wear armor and do not often carry weapons. Metal armors and shields are virtually never used by Poun' Tahl. They preferring warm, temperate climates to the hot tropics or cold northern latitudes, and dress accordingly. The Poun' Tahl favor light cloth weaves dyed in colorful patterns and they greatly admire intricate embroidery.

The Poun' Tahl rely upon their wits, and their faith in the spirits to save them in hostile encounters. Though few Poun' Tahl worship any deities, nearly all of them venerate the spirits of Arastonia. In every family, at least one member can speak to the spirits, and implore a spirit for help if the need arises.

Sonhali

Sonhali are considered human by most of the non-human and humanoid races. Most of the human races, however, do not readily agree. Indeed, their origins are something of a mystery to most sages and scholars. Sonhali are humanoid in form, but are exceedingly ugly by most human standards. They are usually obese, and have dull, olive-green, hairless skin. Their facial features are broad and prominent, with faded, yellow eyes that have no discernible iris. Instead of teeth, the Sonhali have a hard, sharp bone ridge protruding from the upper and lower gums within their elongated jaws. Their toenails and fingernails grow very slowly, but are exceedingly hard, and are usually sharpened for emergency use as weapons.

Sonhali appear to take great delight in their appearance, and the uneasy response they receive from most humans. They rarely wear clothing upon their upper torso, and frequently pierce their folds of fleshy skin with gold and ivory rings and studs. They enjoy promoting their reputations as uncouth animals, and they happily mock theatres, circuses and other "civilized" entertainments. But the Sonhali are rarely satisfied with meager existences, and they heavily indulge in material comforts, particularly fine clothing, food, drink, perfumes, scented oils, and tobacco (they prefer chewing to smoking).

Like the Poun'Tahl, the Sonhali do not settle long in any place and they have not ever sought to establish their own countries. The Sonhali are cunning, and their greed makes most into brigands, pirates, or dishonest, unsavory merchants. But the Sonhali have an excellent survivor's instinct. They seem to have an unerring ability to know when their lives are endangered. It is a gift they both need and exploit, for most are without decency or morals, and they tend to make enemies wherever they go.