belerencodex - Tumblr blog

belerencodex · 6 years

Text

The Kingdom of Vikash

The following is a passage from an Aigadosi ethnography written by Laretus Synacusa, a retired Koinoi senator who spent a century learning about the human subcultures of Aigados. The word ‘Kem’ refers to the Koinoi word the land now known as Ib. The Kingdom of Vikash was destroyed by the hordes of the Rage Prophet. The traditions, histories, and arts of the Vikashi people however live on amid Thaylites across the human realms.

In the eastern foothills of the Bluedrake Mountains lies the Thaylite Kingdom of Vikash, simply known as Vikash. It is a subregion of the Aigadosi Republic hemmed in to the wester by the high mountain range of the Bluedrakes on one side and the open plains of the Valley of Kem on the other side. Historically these foothills have been a meeting place of many different races but until recently had few permanent communities.

The region experienced extreme during depopulation during the Last Cataclysm as did much of the Valley of Kem. However nomadic tribes of humans, sylphs, elves, centaurs, and stone giants have all frequented the area in recent times. Traditionally this has been the border of the Artan Bay region and the wide plains of Kem.

Etymology: The name Vikash comes from Stone Giant and means “rolling thunder” this name refers to the region because of the fact that during the height of summer the low roll of thunder becomes nearly continuous as it echoes northwards out of the blue dragon breeding grounds. The full name of the region according to Stone Giants is Vikash Simaska meaning “Rolling Thunder Small Mountains.”

History

The year system Laretus uses for this ethnography sets Year Zero of Human history with the birth of Menswar, the first human to reach divinity. In the 30 page foreward of his book Laretus explains this as being the start of the largest string of migratory periods in human history. The great diaspora of the Thaylite religion out of Nashto in the year 550 left the tribes scattered in the wind, wandering across the wide floodplains of Kem, some crossed the mountains northward where the passes were lower and more inviting but many remained wandering tribes driving flocks of sheep and goats before them. With the arrival of the Windborn clans from the south around the 700s as well as pressure from northern barbarian tribes and frequent clashes with the indigenous centaur population many of these tribes abandoned life on the plains, instead moving to the more sparsely populated foothills, this however presented it’s own sets of dangers, early settlement was hampered as the Thaylites unwittingly crossed the trails of Stone Giants and clashed borders with Hill Giant and Ogre clans. In the end though they were able to settle in alright, building squat fortresses on the hilltops. These separate hillforts each served for localized power centers and strongholds in case of attack however no larger governance was found, only chiefs. These did however give those tribes who remained nomadic safe places to stop in to purchase goods they could not produce themselves and trade goods they brought from distant lands. In the year 843 King Levon I was crowned by the first council of chieftains. Assuming the role with honor, Levon set about driving the Ogres and Hill Giants from Thaylite territory and creating the Kingdom of Vikash. Under his rulership the kingdom became better connected, he had watch posts built at intervals between the hill forts, these created safe routes for shepherds traveling through the countryside to follow, bonfires would be kept burning at the tops of the towers with polished bronze mirrors to amplify the light they gave off, when danger was spotted the lights had shutters around them that could be used to give signals. King Levon’s death in 871 left the country in a state of disarray, individual chiefs began declaring themselves kings of their own land and the country fractured internally. Most of the watchtowers that had allowed the shepherds to travel safely were abandoned as the chieftains rerouted their troops to battling each other. Hill giants began to invade from the further reaches of the mountains again and slaver tribes from the plains began raiding the border towns. This chaos lasted 178 years until, in 949, Ilya the Peacemaker rose from the ranks of the chieftains. A devout Thaylite trained as a Paladin, Ilya didn’t conquer through force of arms but rather through personality and religion. After securing the backing of church elders, he went to the kings one by one offering them protection from raiders if they would honor their duty to him as their rightful king. He also allowed them to keep the title of petty king, each of them masters of their own domain but bound by his call to arms. He also created a centralized tax system and set about rebuilding the watchtowers. Little by little the reach of Vikash expanded into the higher reaches of the Bluedrake mountains. Shepherds had used the abandoned halls of the Dwarves that once lived there as safe redoubts to keep their flocks at night for sometime and communities had begun to spring up around these holds. It was from here that they built their towns in the fore-galleries of ancient Dwarven holds. The great great grandson of Ilya the Peacemaker, Hayk, moved the capital from the ancestral hold of Duros into the largest of these new communities, Whitegate. From here he was able to gather tolls as caravans crossed the lowest pass for some 200 miles in either direction. Whitegate grew in size as it became richer, becoming a regional capital that almost matched that of Solemnoi and Vaith in the neighboring country of Aigados.Catastrophe struck in the year 1178, when the Drow rebelled against the rulership of the republic of Aigados. As the coup d’etât spiraled into civil war Drow heavily targeted the human minority of the country. Many humans fled for their lives back to their cousins in Vikash. The high king at that time Zakar the Bear who retaliated against the crimes against his brethren by declaring a Vikashi Crusade to repel the Drow. Fighting was fierce, the Drow had discovered tunnels through the mountains that connected to the deeper recesses of the abandoned Dwarvish holds and were able to infiltrate several cities this way including the capital. While Zakar had been on campaign leading his troops in Aigados the Drow burned the city, slaughtering the royal family and leaving him heirless. At the end of the war, much of the countryside had been ravaged, few cities had been spared at least some violence and the Drow’s purges claimed thousands of lives. Zakar saw that there would be no peaceful solution to the succession conquest and so at age 63, sensing the end of his life approaching he signed an accord with the Republic of Aigados, officially incorporating the land of Vikash into the territory of country. Under this agreement the nobility of the region were allowed to maintain their titles and under the supervision of Republic officials convene to choose a new leader. This deal was blessed by the Thaylite church under Pope Avin II whose seat of power had already moved to Vaith in Aigados. A year later in 1206, Zakar passed away. In the initial years of the unification with Aigados things were somewhat stable, the petty kings respected the wishes of the old king and the pope and a new king, Vidus I was crowned. Vidus built a new capital in the pass near the ruins of the old one and named the city New Whitegate. Some of the watchtowers were rebuilt under his orders and a modicum of peace was established. However over the next fifty years as those who remembered the rule of King Zakar and were present for the election of Vidus died the region began to destabilize. The easternmost provinces of Marzon and Quruq felt under-represented and undervalued as little of the wealth of the new deal reached them and their infrastructure began to crumble. The final straw was in 1266 when the great-grandson of Vidus, Vidus III chose to be coronated in Vaith rather than in his homeland. The eastern provinces erupted, declaring him an illegitimate king who did not serve their interests, the young king returned home to New Whitegate to find an army lead by his former Master-At-Arms marching on the capital. Before the word could reach reinforcements in the deeper parts of Aigados the city was captured and Vidus imprisoned. The assembled kings then forced him to sign a contract of abdication, effectively ending the monarchy. Shortly thereafter they signed a document declaring independence from Aigados and establishing themselves as independent realms. A new petty king was appointed by the council to rule Whitegate and they returned to their lands. Aigados did not accept this secession though and two years later declared war on the independent realms. The city of Whitegate was captured and it’s king deposed and replaced with an elvish governor. The next forty years were a series of small but bloody wars as the realms were conquered by the larger forces of Aigados. However even after the cities and castles had been mostly captured an insurgency continued for sometime until 1321 when Pope Olris came to the country to speak to the rebels. He gave a great speech condemning the bloodshed they had brought to their land and the pain they had caused. Shamed to peace, the rebel kings laid down their arms and accepted the rulership of Aigados. This time there was no High King elected. Instead each petty king accepted rulership directly by the state of Aigados with the regional governor to collect taxes from them. To this day there still is no high king in Vikash and the petty kings pay the state directly. However the rulership of Aigados has relaxed significantly in the past 70 years, Vikash has nominal autonomy, setting it’s own internal taxes, gathering it’s own trade tariffs and setting it’s own laws. The land has known mostly peace now for the better part of a century, only fighting skirmishes with raiders and monsters.

Climate

There are three primary climate regions of Vikash, highlands, foothills and the steppe. All of these regions share some similarities, summers are long, hot, and dry, little rainfall reaches this part of the mountains, most of their natural water supply comes from lakes and rivers that run out of the mountains. In lower regions during the summer it can hit highs of 90-100 degrees though the winds that blow off the plains give a certain amount of reprieve from the heat.

During the winters the temperature drops harshly into freezing, most of the passes become blocked by large snowdrifts, only Whitegate continues to be open though blizzards have been known to even block this. Lows of -10 degrees are found here.

Spring is pleasant but crisp, and brings with it the return of the rivers, Fall is brief and dry as rivers dry up as their headwaters begin to freeze, the lakes begin to deplete as well.

Culture

The people of Vikash are almost entirely human, since the recent war with Aigados a larger population of city elves have moved in and there has been a boom in half-elves. Hill dwarves can also be found residing in well hidden villages cut into the lower peaks of the mountains and in the hills though these pay no allegiance to either the petty kings nor Aigados. The primary religion is Thalyinism, almost every community has at least a small chapel and wandering clerics maintain holy sites throughout the region. Artwork is mostly utilitarian, carefully decorated but functional items such as rugs, pottery, blankets, weapons, and tools. However the architecture of the region is remarkable, with high ceilings and sharply angled stone roofs their buildings have a unique style and are designed well for protecting against the threat of red and blue dragons, which is very real in this region.

The people of Vikash are of northern Nashteen origin but interbreeding with other ethnic groups and dwarves has changed their complexion significantly. They still retain the kinky hair of their forebears but it can now be found in shades of red, blonde, light brown and the traditional black. Their skin is ruddy tan with a fair amount of blush in the cheeks, and they do not generally freckle very much. Vikashi are generally long limbed with barrel chests that give them a lanky look, their brows are often jutting and the men grow thick facial hair. Traditionally this is trimmed into a mustache with no beard, the ends of the mustache are then allowed to grow until they have two long tails on either side of their mouth which are decorated with gold, bone, or brass rings. These mustaches symbolize wisdom in their culture and warriors will rarely follow men who do not have mustaches. Among women a similar practice exists in which the women of Vikash will bind their hair into dreadlocks which are also decorated with rings or sometimes small metal caps at the bottom of the strand. The number of separate strands of dreadlocked hair similarly represent wisdom and the strands will be carefully maintained.

A community in Vikash is generally made up of a small keep with a curtain wall at the top of the nearest hill, this will usually also hold a chapel as well as any smithies or other crafts-buildings the community may have, surrounding this will be a ring of residences whose main floor is set slightly into the ground to provide better insulation. Larger communities may have a second curtain wall around this. Past the buildings will lie fields where farmers grow mostly wheat, barley and other hardy food-crops. Traveling shepherds will drive their flocks from town to town, selling milk and wool to communities and several orders of paladins and rangers have been set up to patrol the countryside for any threats or hostile creatures.

There is little sport in Vikash but small tournaments are held during religious festivals where knights and peasants alike will participate in archery competitions, melees, and jousts. Horse races between villages are also sometimes held and horses are a symbol of pride amongst the people of Vikash.

The warrior class of the country is a mixture of heavy infantry and light horse, rangers and paladins make up the majority of the ruling elite and and men-at arms are kept on hand at all times in case of trouble. In particular orders of warriors called Shield Bears are a common sight as the personal guard of petty kings. These warriors train first in the use of tower shields, becoming powerful warriors with large spiked shields which they use to push back enemy forces and drive them from strong positions.

#pathfinder #d&d #beleren

0 notes

belerencodex · 6 years

Text

Storm Giants

Alotroian

The worst trait of the Alotroian is perhaps vanity. They see themselves as being near physically perfect and pride themselves highly on their dedication to the cause of making the world a better place. Their conviction to their cause is admirable but those they ‘help’ may not always see it that way. Alotroians are friendly and charismatic, seeking the company of smaller races, especially those that may treat them with reverence for their great power and beauty. Many Alotroian gain levels as clerics from the faith that these lesser creatures give them and take on this power with earnestness and good intent. However their understanding is limited by scale, it may seem to them that summoning great rains that swell the rivers and carry silt over the farmland will benefit the whole of the environment and the farmers therein but it won’t consider the consequences to individual lives of flooding. Due to their sometimes overzealously big-picture view on do gooding they sometimes therefore come into conflict with people just trying to live their lives unmolested by the whims of giants. Alotroians are soft hearted and do truly wish the best of the people they hold domain over but frequently will retreat to remote islands or sea caves as they grow older, pained by the guilt of those they have hurt.

#pathfinder #beleren #d&d #giants

1 note · View note

belerencodex · 6 years

Text

Cloud Giants

The Retishmanni & Ronishmalloi

Far below the towering peaks surrounding the valley of Ascren lie lakes of magma. Bordering the lakes, with metallic spires rising straight from the molten rock up to the ceiling, and jagged imposing edifices, sit the ruins of Jhovnik. At one point the Ruddgarem were the denizens of this imposing but decayed metropolis, their king was known as the Underking, having built a slave army of ogres driven by Ruddgarem warriors with flaming whips. But in the early age of Ascren the Underking was slain. His kingdom was dissolved and for centuries the Ruddgarem languished as hunted outcasts, but since the fall of the Empire they have begun to return to their lost capital. The matter of succession is far from settled though and riots in the rubble-filled streets of their subterranean city sometimes create earthquakes rocking the mountains above.

In appearance the Ronishmalloi are almost indistinguishable from the Retishmanni, a fact they revel in. Possessed of even relatively speaking quite large eyes and broad, honest faces and sky blue skin splotched with cloud like patches of white, Ronishmalloi will eagerly invite guests in much like their doubles, plying them with food and drink, filling them up and keeping them entertained while the castle floats away into the sky, sealing off egress. At this point the Ronishmalloi will usually drop the pretense and begin eating their overstuffed and inebriated houseguests. If their guests prove wary though they may be able to bluff their way to bed and make their escape in the nighttime.

#pathfinder #d&d #giants #beleren

1 note · View note

belerencodex · 6 years

Text

Stone Giants

Ruzvok

The longest ranging variety of stone giant clan. The Ruzvok base their long trails around a mysterious holy site they cannot reveal the name of, going on long journeys along ancient trails mapped in memory by generation upon generation. The Ruzvok enjoy creature comforts, they are willing to befriend most other races they encounter in exchange for whatever comforts they may have offer. Ruzvok can be rowdy guests though and left to their own devices will drink entire villages dry. Once welcomed they are difficult to convince to leave, this is a trick, Ruzvok never settle for long in a location and will move along either way but they know if they mention the idea of settling down people will give them bribes to leave.

#pathfinder #d&d #beleren #giants

1 note · View note

belerencodex · 6 years

Text

Neighborhoods of Feldri

Feldri is a huge, sprawling metropolis, the largest city on the plane, it stretches across the broad flatlands East of the Great Belnoi Wild. A great carpet of stone, brick, and steel, carrying on for miles upon miles. There are too many places to see in Feldri to count, a new adventure, a new sight to see around every corner. here are a collection of six of the more prominent neighborhoods of the city.

Dockside: Warehouses, taverns, bordellos, guild headquarters, inns, the seafront of Feldri is built to the needs of the massive trade fleets that come and go. Seawalls secure the harbor, dotted with forts patrolled by the Wakewatch. The high streets are patrolled by Wakewatch guards and Synod sacred bands to keep crime down but the side streets and alleyways are a and poorly patrolled maze. Gang fights, scores being settled, dark deals and black market merchants lurk in the shadows and disused warehouses of Dockside. It does have some of the best and rowdiest bars though.

Canal District: Across the river by the Bastion Bridge lies the Canal District, previously an area of factories and warehouses in the Ascren Empire. Riots burned much of that during the early days of the Fall. Traveling theater companies and music festivals began flocking to the derelict buildings and empty lots for rent free performance space. At first it was very rough and tumble, thieves and gangs preyed on the performers and their patrons, sometimes the performers teamed up with the thieves or even were the thieves themselves. The companies and performers began to organize into guilds, forcing out non-guild performers and paying the Six-Ring Company to provide security. Now the Canal District is the cultural heart of the city hosting some of the greatest theaters and most prestigious clubs, music halls, and houses of curiosities in the Crucible States.

Temple District: One of the eight great pyramids of the city is topped by a massive temple complex. Brass domed caps and lapis tiles of deep blue decorate the sides of the highest Temple of Yothri. At it’s highest peak is a flat topped tower, long staircases zig-zag up its sides while an enchanted stone platform offers levitation for those who need it to reach the top. A reflecting pool dominates the center of the top floor. Levitating in the air, brilliant as a full moon in the night, shimmering with rainbows and iridescent glory is a huge orb known as the Saint’s Beacon. It bathes the temple district in cool blue-white light and an aura of peace, requiring a Will Save 17 to commit any hostile acts. The Synod owns most of the Temple District but they promote peaceful co-existence with other good aligned religions, granting land to friendly temples. On the lower tiers of the pyramid there is more privately owned land though, Drakoverian organizations, more unsavory or morally gray religions and cults. Funnily several of the largest banks of the city are also found in Saint’s Shadow.

The Warrens: Beneath the pyramids and city streets run vast networks of tunnels. Whole hidden streets, homes, shops, and taverns. Ratfolk by law can’t live above ground and many smallfolk voluntarily reside below ground. Many of the people down here work in the core of engineers that maintain the air ducts, sewers, cooling and heating systems of the city. Life below is claustrophobic and strange things are said to lurk down here. But the people are for the most part friendly. For those looking to live on the wild side there’s many places underground beyond the law’s reach, gambling dens, black magic shops, tobacco shops and the seediest bars.

Rijani Enclave: Nested deep in the city on the canal’s edge lies a collection of buildings painted with brilliant geometric patterns and draped with colorful silks. The Rijani Enclave is a slice of home to the thousands of refugees who made their way to Feldri after the war. Ever since a steady stream of rescued slaves and prisoners have fed the colony. Water clan fishermen ply the river and canals for catfish and eels. Wind Clan families continue the dyeing traditions of their lost family workshops, fed silk and dye by far ranging Windborn smugglers and merchants. Fire Clan and Kulvinese defectors patrol the shaded streets keeping the peace and protecting their people from the many predators of the urban jungle.

The Fey Quarter: The Fey Quarter is a collection of tunnels, alleyways, parks, and gardens buried within the vast maze of Feldri. Their locations sometimes move, alleys suddenly bursting with life as pixies and gnomes hock wares and play games in the narrow street. However the neighborhood known as Euphesia's Garden is one permanently anchored section of the Fey Quarter. The light filters green through the canopy of willows and elms that line the wide boulevards. Slender elven homes of living wood nest in lush gardens, crooked, cris-crossing high-rises built by gnomes and halflings. Dryads planted in the squares play in the fountains and satyrs parade from tavern to tavern.

#pathfinder #d&d #beleren #feldri

0 notes

belerencodex · 6 years

Text

Government of Feldri

The Magnates

Since the fall of the Ascren Empire the government structure of Feldri has been dominated by a council of magnates. The magnates are a collection of landowners within the city who convene to decide policy and pass laws. The system does not have a set number of members as technically the estates could be parsed down near infinitely but at any time the council has numbered between seven and twenty, averaging around ten. The official requirements of office are fairly informal as are the proceedings, sessions of council have taken place at lavish parties on private estates, war galleys, and in extra-planar subspaces often with scant note-taking. The technical powers of the Magnates are broad, they maintain eminent domain over their entire estate, able to evict at will with little to no recourse. Not all landowners actually are active magnates, some prefer to remain private citizens or aren’t considered technically significant enough to warrant a place on the council.

Becoming A Magnate

An estate, or a piece of a larger estate is put up for auction, in cases of clear succession such as an uncontested will or transfer of power in an organization this auction is waived.

Petitioners wishing to acquire the estate appear before the Magnates and present their cases for admission to the ranks of the rulers of the city. Frequently with presentations of gifts to individual magnates or to the city such as monuments or works of music.

If the council finds no reason to deny the purchase or transferral of an estate the transfer is made and the owner of the estate can make a claim on a seat among the magnates. If the purchase or transferral is denied the estate returns to auction and is open for new petitioners to apply for.

A payment of 200,000 gold pieces is made to the government bureaucracy, this can be paid by second parties or collection but must be made as a single payment.

A state ceremony is held, most often this ceremony involves a parade and the hiring of bards to spread news of the new magnate, at the height of the ceremony the petitioner presents the city with a gift. Usually some form of entertainment or cultural artifact, historical examples include monuments to the history and people of Feldri, newly written symphonies and operas, the heads of slain foes of the city, and military exercises.

Enumerated Powers of the Magnates

Eminent Domain over all land holdings within the estate. In isolated cases this has been used to seize ships and caravans as well.

Private Armies are hired or trained by magnates or their subordinates to organize the defense and security of their sections of the city.

Lease of Property with little restriction, law prevents the establishment of magical workshops or stores in wooden buildings or sensitive districts of the city like near military installations and ratfolk cannot buy leases above-ground.

Surveillance is allowed anywhere within the estate of the magnate, for the sake of the Six-Ring Company and Wakewatch this right can be extended to other estates with the permission of the owner.

Social Laws such as prohibitions on alcohol, gambling, public drunkenness, carrying weapons, heretical or seditious speech, etc. All are within the purview of magnates to dictate over their estates.

Current Magnates

Tirrano Baez: Six-Ring Company Ascrene human general, 8 year member. Has charge of the walls of the city and organization of its forces in defense of Feldri and its interests. Ascrene and Rakkoni nobility in his blood with a knightly tutelage but a veteran’s humorless resolve. Tirrano’s family have been landowners.

Arp Nusfod: Wakewatch Grotari half-orc admiral, 5 year member. Has charge of the harbor defenses and port authority. Nusfod represents the mercenary navy known as the Wakewatch who patrol the trade routes and issue bounties for Kulvinese ships, pirates, and sea monsters.

Galena Phaedri: Phaedri’s Banners Ascrene human general, 33 year veteran of the council and four time commander of expeditionary forces in the name of Feldri. Phaedri’s mixed company of ships and soldiers are the spiritual descendants of the Ascrene military, Galena’s grandfather was an Imperial general.

Bargad Hafsted: Guild Liaison Ley-Dwarf merchant, 73 year member. The Hafsteds have their fingers in every guild across the city. Bargad served the family for a century and a half as head of the Musician’s Guild. During his time there the Empire fell, after his sister was killed in civil unrest he became magnate.

Finn Talenrand: Feldrine River Company Sindri hafling representative, 16 year member. A former riverboat captain and now official spokesperson for the Feldrine River Company. The FRC maintains a monopoly on river trade through Feldri and runs vital supplies for the Temple of Yothri.

Irianna Digherri: Landowner Urbini halfling aristocrat, 31 year member. The Digherri family can trace roots back further than the First Synod. Reduced to faux nobility by Ascren, the Digherri became major players in the Thieve’s Guild. Since the fall their lands have been restored though their reputation is mixed.

Gloncau Vicci: Landowner Urbini halfling aristocrat, 12 year member. The Vicci family’s story is very similar to the Digherris, the two families have intermittently warred and married across history. The Viccis have a reputation as robber barons and slumlords yet have maintained a loyal core of servants.

Vittorio Espanzi: Public Works Urbini halfling bureaucrat, 7 year member. Smallfolk have always ruled the public works of Feldri. The ducts and pipes that pump water, sewage, and cool air through the city would have come to a halt without them. Espanzi is the latest representative from their union.

#beleren #pathfinder #feldri #worldbuilding

1 note · View note