jarlshall

[jarlshall]

Lessons From the Grand Sage: On the Gods (The Caravans)

Celdos reveal, your grace.

The will of the gods is seen to by their mortal servants, but not all the servants of the gods toil in temples. Indeed, some never stop in their travels. It should come as no surprise that Celdos’ faithful devote their lives to the road.

Known as the Celdorite Caravans, they are well known across the continent and beyond for their wanderings often take them to its distant corners. It is commonly believed that their travels are aimless, but in fact they plan their routes out quite carefully, with a single Caravan making circuitous routes across swathes of the continent.

They acquire goods and supplies as they move, though how they do so changes between Caravans. Fortune telling, circus performances, flea markets, acting troupes, musical shows, or even simply labor. As they pass through many lands, there is no one people that looks much at all like the Caravaneers, though they often favor many layers of flowing garb dyed in a myriad of hues.

The Caravans bring a spark of joy or at least intrigue wherever they go. They gather (and are quick to share) news and rumors, drawing both peasantry and nobility to their shrouded wagons. It is not uncommon for some to become so infatuated with the Caravans that they leave their old lives behind to join them.

As devotees of Celdos, their ranks hold many Mind mages. This is often used to enhance their performances, but also makes them a valuable source of knowledge. In many areas, the most powerful Mind mages will be found in the Caravans. Indeed, the Temple Knights of Celdos can often be found riding along with the wanderers.

Though, of course, in the dark days of the Empire’s fall they often had to make use of that Mind skill to evade desperate mobs searching for scapegoats.

Regardless, the Caravans remain a thread that ties distant places together. Not only through their traveling, but through the stories they tell about the places they have been.

Celdos guide you.

- The Grand Sage

[jarlshall]

Lessons From the Grand Sage:

Celdos reveal, your grace.

We move from known lore to the realm of philosophers and theory. For now we speak of the nature of existence and how it impacts the mortal realm.

All reality can be split into three aspects.

(art by @ohsweetsweetie)

The Mortal Realm, also known as the Prime Material or the Crucible, is the gleaming star in the center. It is here that all that you know of has ever transpired. Very rarely, mortals might slip the bonds of the Prime Material in great quests to the other aspects. But this is the stuff of legend, almost never seen by any alive.

Below is the World Bones. The Eternal Green. The Primordial Lands. The Realms of the Elemental Lords. Here, the reality we know is propped up by the constant flow and merging of the foundational elements: Air, Water, Fire, and Earth. We will speak of the World Bones later.

Above is the Cosmic Infinity. The Endless Grey. The Echoing Chamber. The Unknown Country. This is where the actions and deeds of mortals find new life and flesh of their own. These new beings form realms of similar substance. Good and evil. Law and chaos. And a host of other concepts besides.

The Cosmic Infinity is vast beyond all comprehension. Beings great and small are born by the deeds of mortal kind, and one event might spawn a host of Grey spirits.

For example. Imagine a thief enters the home of a freeman. The freeman’s wife sees the thief and knows chilling fear. The thief attacks and the freeman kills him to defend his family.

What is born from this? A spirit of chaos from the theft. A demon of fear. Another of murder. An angel of love, another of protection, and another of vengeful justice. And last of all, a spirit born of the peasant’s dread, knowing their home is no safe harbor.

Perhaps none of those spirits are mighty – at least to start with. They might grow in strength as the ages pass, but the core of their being is determined by the action that gave birth to them. In this way each is unique and is indelibly influenced by the actors that made it, though sages will often lump them into larger groupings.

These spirits are greater and lesser in strength, ranging all the way to the gods themselves, who embody entire concepts by themselves. For the Trine, a lifetime dedicated to these concepts, incredible magical skill as mortals, and the acquiring of a divine spark elevated them to godhood.

What connects the mortal life to the Cosmic Infinity is the Spirit or Soul. It is the spark of life by which creatures are animate. It is tethered to the mortal body by life force. When a creature dies, the life force enriches the world and releases the spirit to the Cosmic Infinity.

The spirit reaches a mid ground between the Mortal Realm and the Cosmic Infinity known as the Realm of Souls. There, they visit the Grandmother Nox and are judged by Cassan. Beyond this, almost nothing is known of the afterlife, though many cultures have many different thoughts on the matter.

And here our lesson ends.

Celdos guide you

- The Grand Sage

[jarlshall]

Lessons From the Grand Sage: On the Gods (Temple Knights)

Celdos reveal, your grace.

The gods act in many ways. Rarely do they act directly.

Much more often, rather than shows of direct power, they rely upon the actions of their trusted servants and the day-to-day works of the faithful. For most purposes, this is sufficient.

But the world is seldom peaceful. Evil creeps into the hearts of men and dark powers toil against life itself. At times, a strong sword arm and a will of iron are needed to see the will of the Trine through.

For this, there are the Temple Knights.

Officially founded during the reign of Evander the Resolute, last ruler of the Four Good Emperors, they are the militant arm of the Temples. Each of the Trine has their own force of Temple Knights. Neither Elak nor Dagwos have knights sworn to their service.

They all share a handful of duties – protecting holy sites, defending the priesthood, and championing the faithful. Beyond this, each order is focused on widely differing tasks as befits the deity that they are sworn to serve. Certain sects may arise with the orders focusing upon one specific duty above the others; most Temple Knights, however, can be seen as ‘generalists.’

First are the Temple Knights of Lumanox – the Hospitallers. Once the most numerous of the orders, they suffered greatly at the hands of Empress Soleil. Their primary monastery in Dulinor was destroyed by the Empress, along with a large share of their full members.

(art by uhhhhh... I don't actually have my notes for this one. :( )

Blessed by the gods of life and death, the Hospitallers walk a fine line between the two. Luman tasks them with matters of healing. They are battlefield medics and traveling master surgeons. Nox tasks them foremost with putting the dead to rest, making them the continent's finest undead slayers.

Generally, their Truesilver blades are meant for the dead – with oaths to not harm the living – but a rare few professions are their eternal enemies. Necromancers are slain on sight by Hospitallers, and torturers are as likely to meet the same fate as not.

Next are the Temple Knights of Celdos – the Wayfarers. Most often seen in metropolitan cities or on the road, they are considered a lucky omen by any who travel.

(art by cremi draws on instantgram)

Their duties are the most eclectic of the Temple Knights. Primarily, they are charged with ensuring the safe travel of wanderers, scattering pirates and bandits, and protecting Celdorite Caravans. In addition, they find themselves as translators and scribes. Some are tasked with collecting rare or lost texts for libraries, or searching for long lost ruins.

There is no telling exactly what a given Wayfarer will be doing at any given time. But the grand majority of them spend their time traveling, with only a rare few being tasked to guard truly precious sites of knowledge.

Finally, the Temple Knights of Boucassan – the Arbiters.

(art by @redlerred7)

An uncommon sight in royal courts, the Arbiters ensure the just application of law and are often seen representing the weak against their masters. They investigate accusations of corruption and mediate disputes between rebels and lords. They are also charged with upholding the customs of war: they guarantee the safety of truces and ceasefires, oversee prisoner exchanges, and ensure treaties are upheld.

As the gods of justice also possess the power to dissolve oaths, lords who earn the Arbiters' ire often find their vassals and levee troops abandoning them.

Arbiters are the most heavily militaristic of the orders. Each wears the heaviest armor they have access to, often being covered head to toe in plate armor. Further, as masters of Spirit, their fury is unmatched in much of the continent.

Do not earn the ire of the Temple Knights just as you would not their masters.

Celdos guide you.

- The Grand Sage

[jarlshall]

Lessons From the Grand Sage: On the Gods (Celdos)

Celdos reveal, your grace. A particularly apt greeting for today’s subject. For now we turn our attention to the great gods Celdos.

We reach the end of the Five Who Are Ten. Already we have spoken of the four other pairs: Lumanox, gods of life and death. Boucassan, gods of justice above and below. Dagwos, the gods of nature. Elak, the gods of power.

Now we reflect upon the last and most complex of the gods – Celdos, the gods of wisdom and knowledge.

(art by @noanieactuallydrawingalot)

Celdos.

These gods are tied to Mind. The subtle shift of perspectives brought on by experience. The understanding granted by knowledge. The endless pull between teaching and learning, and how easily one can switch between them.

Unlike the other pairings, each half of Celdos bears the name Celdor. Indeed, some argue if there are two Celdor at all or if it is simply one god wearing two masks. In either case, each Celdor is known by their epitaph – Celdor the Storyteller, and Celdor the Traveler.

Celdor the Traveler, the Laughing One, Lady Luck, the Righteous Hedonist, Lord of the Forked Road - the deity of luck, travels, and experience. The Traveler lives up to their name and spends all waking moments searching for what lays beyond the horizon. They are the veins that bind distant places together, the joy of discovery and sharing.

Their temples are the crossroads and inns, their hymns the sound of foreign songs eagerly shared. They take on the form of any who ever walked beyond sight of their homes. And though the Traveler is fond of trickery and deceit, there is rarely malice to their mischief - though woe betide those who break sacred hospitality.

Celdor the Storyteller, the Smiling One, the Muse, the Sage, Lady of the Secret Chords - deity of knowledge, lore, and art. The Storyteller lives immersed in tales and art, always seeking to understand what the Traveler has found and bind together the gathered notes into one beautiful song. They the spark of sudden inspiration, and the dawning moment of clear revelation. Prayers to them come from many lips. Sages and artists. Strategists and minstrels.

The Storyteller is the joy of learning and creating. Their holy places lay in the scent of old tomes and a blank canvas. Their prayers are the sound of quill against parchment and chisel against stone. Though they bear a deep love of lore, the Storyteller knows some things are best left forgotten, and some knowledge comes at too great a price to gain.

As befits gods whose domain spans knowledge and travel, their priests can be found along the roads and deep within the great cities where they guard carefully collected lore. The Celdorite Caravans travel for love of it, often performing for the cities they visit.

In keeping with Celdos’s virtues, you have heard all that I have had to say upon the gods. Take pride in this, but just for a moment. Remember: There is always more to learn.

Celdos guide you.

- The Grand Sage

[jarlshall]

Lessons From the Grand Sage: On Magic (Cultural Proficiency)

Magic is a part of the very fabric of the world. It pools and flows, changing and shifting. It is inescapable. Knowledge of the elements, and skill at wielding them, therefore become critical for societies.

Some elements are better suited for certain tasks than others. Body magic excels at mending and preservation; the Grey can be used to make one laborer as productive as many. The uses are endless… as is the depth to each element. Thus, it follows that all societies specialize in certain elements over others.

This is not to say that a given culture will have no mages outside their specialty. But the skill of their mages – and how numerous they are – depends heavily upon their cultural specialty. Not only for the number of teachers they have, but because of the great well of cultural knowledge they will have to draw from.

Further, certain philosophies and world views lend itself well toward certain elements – one who embraces the teachings of Lumanox will quickly find their skill at Body magic to excel, for instance.

This is true across species as well, with some notable quirks. Primarily there is a distinction between ‘Elvish’ magic and ‘human’ magic. Neither is strictly limited to those species – dwarves are part of the ‘Elvish magic’ umbrella, and orcs under ‘human’. The true difference in lies in depth versus breadth of specialty.

The Elvish societies that reach us to the modern day focus their energies upon one element, to the point that their subculture is named after that element. Hence the Kwaychan being known as ‘Mind elves’ and the Tereshi of the Dodecopolis being called ‘Spirit elves’. There are five major Elvish societies on the continent, one for each of the elements. Dwarves are specialized in the Grey and thus are part of this grouping.

This specialization grants them tremendous mastery and ability over their element that seems to almost defy the laws of magic as they known. But in truth, their depth of knowledge and ancestral skill simply allows them to know how to push their element to its furthest edge.

Meanwhile, human societies tend to trade depths for breadth. Nearly all human societies favor two elements – often, but not always, elements in opposition. It is very common for subcultures to share one element and then differ in their secondary element.

For example, the Magnian Three Men. All share a mastery of Body, but the Telinor favor Mind, the Ledmians Spirit, and the Aesane the Grey.

While they lack the sheer magical capability of the elvish style mages, human societies instead have a greater variety of mages and thus more means by which they can tackle a given problem. Whereas an elvish society will have to address every problem through the lens of their one element.

Knowing where the specialty of each society lays – for both friends and foes – is vital for any leader upon the continent.

[jarlshall]

Lessons From the Grand Sage:

Celdos reveal, your grace.

We move from known lore to the realm of philosophers and theory. For now we speak of the nature of existence and how it impacts the mortal realm.

All reality can be split into three aspects.

(art by @ohsweetsweetie)

The Mortal Realm, also known as the Prime Material or the Crucible, is the gleaming star in the center. It is here that all that you know of has ever transpired. Very rarely, mortals might slip the bonds of the Prime Material in great quests to the other aspects. But this is the stuff of legend, almost never seen by any alive.

Below is the World Bones. The Eternal Green. The Primordial Lands. The Realms of the Elemental Lords. Here, the reality we know is propped up by the constant flow and merging of the foundational elements: Air, Water, Fire, and Earth. We will speak of the World Bones later.

Above is the Cosmic Infinity. The Endless Grey. The Echoing Chamber. The Unknown Country. This is where the actions and deeds of mortals find new life and flesh of their own. These new beings form realms of similar substance. Good and evil. Law and chaos. And a host of other concepts besides.

The Cosmic Infinity is vast beyond all comprehension. Beings great and small are born by the deeds of mortal kind, and one event might spawn a host of Grey spirits.

For example. Imagine a thief enters the home of a freeman. The freeman’s wife sees the thief and knows chilling fear. The thief attacks and the freeman kills him to defend his family.

What is born from this? A spirit of chaos from the theft. A demon of fear. Another of murder. An angel of love, another of protection, and another of vengeful justice. And last of all, a spirit born of the peasant’s dread, knowing their home is no safe harbor.

Perhaps none of those spirits are mighty – at least to start with. They might grow in strength as the ages pass, but the core of their being is determined by the action that gave birth to them. In this way each is unique and is indelibly influenced by the actors that made it, though sages will often lump them into larger groupings.

These spirits are greater and lesser in strength, ranging all the way to the gods themselves, who embody entire concepts by themselves. For the Trine, a lifetime dedicated to these concepts, incredible magical skill as mortals, and the acquiring of a divine spark elevated them to godhood.

What connects the mortal life to the Cosmic Infinity is the Spirit or Soul. It is the spark of life by which creatures are animate. It is tethered to the mortal body by life force. When a creature dies, the life force enriches the world and releases the spirit to the Cosmic Infinity.

The spirit reaches a mid ground between the Mortal Realm and the Cosmic Infinity known as the Realm of Souls. There, they visit the Grandmother Nox and are judged by Cassan. Beyond this, almost nothing is known of the afterlife, though many cultures have many different thoughts on the matter.

And here our lesson ends.

Celdos guide you

- The Grand Sage

[jarlshall]

Lessons From the Grand Sage: On the Gods (Temple Knights)

Celdos reveal, your grace.

The gods act in many ways. Rarely do they act directly.

Much more often, rather than shows of direct power, they rely upon the actions of their trusted servants and the day-to-day works of the faithful. For most purposes, this is sufficient.

But the world is seldom peaceful. Evil creeps into the hearts of men and dark powers toil against life itself. At times, a strong sword arm and a will of iron are needed to see the will of the Trine through.

For this, there are the Temple Knights.

Officially founded during the reign of Evander the Resolute, last of the Four Good Emperors, they are the militant arm of the Temples. Each of the Trine has their own force of Temple Knights. Neither Elak nor Dagwos have knights sworn to their service.

They all share a handful of duties – protecting holy sites, defending the priesthood, and championing the faithful. Beyond this, each order is focused on widely differing tasks as befits the deity that they are sworn to serve. Certain sects may arise with the orders focusing upon one specific duty above the others; most Temple Knights, however, can be seen as ‘generalists.’

First are the Temple Knights of Lumanox – the Hospitallers. Once the most numerous of the orders, they suffered greatly at the hands of Empress Soleil. Their primary monastery in Dulinor was destroyed by the Empress, along with a large share of their full members.

(edit: found the artist! @onaxart)

Blessed by the gods of life and death, the Hospitallers walk a fine line between the two. Luman tasks them with matters of healing. They are battlefield medics and traveling master surgeons. Nox tasks them foremost with putting the dead to rest, making them the continent's finest undead slayers.

Generally, their Truesilver blades are meant for the dead – with oaths to not harm the living – but a rare few professions are their eternal enemies. Necromancers are slain on sight by Hospitallers, and torturers are as likely to meet the same fate as not.

Next are the Temple Knights of Celdos – the Wayfarers. Most often seen in metropolitan cities or on the road, they are considered a lucky omen by any who travel.

(art by cremi draws on instantgram)

Their duties are the most eclectic of the Temple Knights. Primarily, they are charged with ensuring the safe travel of wanderers, scattering pirates and bandits, and protecting Celdorite Caravans. In addition, they find themselves as translators and scribes. Some are tasked with collecting rare or lost texts for libraries, or searching for long lost ruins.

There is no telling exactly what a given Wayfarer will be doing at any given time. But the grand majority of them spend their time traveling, with only a rare few being tasked to guard truly precious sites of knowledge.

Finally, the Temple Knights of Boucassan – the Arbiters.

(art by @redlerred7)

An uncommon sight in royal courts, the Arbiters ensure the just application of law and are often seen representing the weak against their masters. They investigate accusations of corruption and mediate disputes between rebels and lords. They are also charged with upholding the customs of war: they guarantee the safety of truces and ceasefires, oversee prisoner exchanges, and ensure treaties are upheld.

As the gods of justice also possess the power to dissolve oaths, lords who earn the Arbiters' ire often find their vassals and levee troops abandoning them.

Arbiters are the most heavily militaristic of the orders. Each wears the heaviest armor they have access to, often being covered head to toe in plate armor. Further, as masters of Spirit, their fury is unmatched in much of the continent.

Do not earn the ire of the Temple Knights just as you would not their masters.

Celdos guide you.

- The Grand Sage

[jarlshall]

Lessons From the Grand Sage: On the Gods (Celdos)

Celdos reveal, your grace. A particularly apt greeting for today’s subject. For now we turn our attention to the great gods Celdos.

We reach the end of the Five Who Are Ten. Already we have spoken of the four other pairs: Lumanox, gods of life and death. Boucassan, gods of justice above and below. Dagwos, the gods of nature. Elak, the gods of power.

Now we reflect upon the last and most complex of the gods – Celdos, the gods of wisdom and knowledge.

(art by @noanieactuallydrawingalot)

Celdos.

These gods are tied to Mind. The subtle shift of perspectives brought on by experience. The understanding granted by knowledge. The endless pull between teaching and learning, and how easily one can switch between them.

Unlike the other pairings, each half of Celdos bears the name Celdor. Indeed, some argue if there are two Celdor at all or if it is simply one god wearing two masks. In either case, each Celdor is known by their epitaph – Celdor the Storyteller, and Celdor the Traveler.

Celdor the Traveler, the Laughing One, Lady Luck, the Righteous Hedonist, Lord of the Forked Road - the deity of luck, travels, and experience. The Traveler lives up to their name and spends all waking moments searching for what lays beyond the horizon. They are the veins that bind distant places together, the joy of discovery and sharing.

Their temples are the crossroads and inns, their hymns the sound of foreign songs eagerly shared. They take on the form of any who ever walked beyond sight of their homes. And though the Traveler is fond of trickery and deceit, there is rarely malice to their mischief - though woe betide those who break sacred hospitality.

Celdor the Storyteller, the Smiling One, the Muse, the Sage, Lady of the Secret Chords - deity of knowledge, lore, and art. The Storyteller lives immersed in tales and art, always seeking to understand what the Traveler has found and bind together the gathered notes into one beautiful song. They the spark of sudden inspiration, and the dawning moment of clear revelation. Prayers to them come from many lips. Sages and artists. Strategists and minstrels.

The Storyteller is the joy of learning and creating. Their holy places lay in the scent of old tomes and a blank canvas. Their prayers are the sound of quill against parchment and chisel against stone. Though they bear a deep love of lore, the Storyteller knows some things are best left forgotten, and some knowledge comes at too great a price to gain.

As befits gods whose domain spans knowledge and travel, their priests can be found along the roads and deep within the great cities where they guard carefully collected lore. The Celdorite Caravans travel for love of it, often performing for the cities they visit.

In keeping with Celdos’s virtues, you have heard all that I have had to say upon the gods. Take pride in this, but just for a moment. Remember: There is always more to learn.

Celdos guide you.

- The Grand Sage

[jarlshall]

Lessons From the Grand Sage: On Magic (Cosmic Infinity)

Celdos reveal, your grace.

We move from known lore to the realm of philosophers and theory. For now we speak of the nature of existence and how it impacts the mortal realm.

All reality can be split into three aspects.

(art by @ohsweetsweetie)

The Mortal Realm, also known as the Prime Material or the Crucible, is the gleaming star in the center. It is here that all that you know of has ever transpired. Very rarely, mortals might slip the bonds of the Prime Material in great quests to the other aspects. But this is the stuff of legend, almost never seen by any alive.

Below is the World Bones. The Eternal Green. The Primordial Lands. The Realms of the Elemental Lords. Here, the reality we know is propped up by the constant flow and merging of the foundational elements: Air, Water, Fire, and Earth. We will speak of the World Bones later.

Above is the Cosmic Infinity. The Endless Grey. The Echoing Chamber. The Unknown Country. This is where the actions and deeds of mortals find new life and flesh of their own. These new beings form realms of similar substance. Good and evil. Law and chaos. And a host of other concepts besides.

The Cosmic Infinity is vast beyond all comprehension. Beings great and small are born by the deeds of mortal kind, and one event might spawn a host of Grey spirits.

For example. Imagine a thief enters the home of a freeman. The freeman’s wife sees the thief and knows chilling fear. The thief attacks and the freeman kills him to defend his family.

What is born from this? A spirit of chaos from the theft. A demon of fear. Another of murder. An angel of love, another of protection, and another of vengeful justice. And last of all, a spirit born of the peasant’s dread, knowing their home is no safe harbor.

Perhaps none of those spirits are mighty – at least to start with. They might grow in strength as the ages pass, but the core of their being is determined by the action that gave birth to them. In this way each is unique and is indelibly influenced by the actors that made it, though sages will often lump them into larger groupings.

These spirits are greater and lesser in strength, ranging all the way to the gods themselves, who embody entire concepts by themselves. For the Trine, a lifetime dedicated to these concepts, incredible magical skill as mortals, and the acquiring of a divine spark elevated them to godhood.

What connects the mortal life to the Cosmic Infinity is the Spirit or Soul. It is the spark of life by which creatures are animate. It is tethered to the mortal body by life force. When a creature dies, the life force enriches the world and releases the spirit to the Cosmic Infinity.

The spirit reaches a mid ground between the Mortal Realm and the Cosmic Infinity known as the Realm of Souls. There, they visit the Grandmother Nox and are judged by Cassan. Beyond this, almost nothing is known of the afterlife, though many cultures have many different thoughts on the matter.

And here our lesson ends.

Celdos guide you

- The Grand Sage

[jarlshall]

Lessons From the Grand Sage: Cultural Studies (The Felfolk)

Celdos reveal, your grace.

To the north and east lays a land caught between rolling mountains and the storm tossed sea. A place of gray skies and mist shrouded forests and endless flowing rivers and springs.

This place is known as the Fells, and its people are called the Fellish, or the Felfolk. Since time immemorial they have dwelt in that ancient land. Even their tales cannot give a name to any home they had before it.

In its last century of life, the Empire launched numerous wars against once-friends. The Year of Burning Boughs. The Siege of Long Winter. But first and most ferocious of all was the Conquest of the Fells. Though it was never complete, the claws of the Empire raked deep furrows into flesh and bark.

Historically, the Fells was made up of twenty four or so realms. The borders and names change. Some have kings. Others princes or chieftains. Some are confederacies of tribes pulled together by common bonds. These realms fought each other as much as any outsider.

Currently, a third of these realms are occupied in some way by Magnians. Some have been fully colonized; others are ruled by the Marcher Kings, formerly the lords of the Empire’s borders.

Culture varies wildly across such a space, but there are constants to the churning chaos. All Fellish realms recognize the bard and the druid as cultural touchstones. The terms may be foreign, but they describe something known.

Bards are Mind mages and keepers of lore and songs. It is said that poetry sings in Fellish blood like no other and bards are the greatest proof of this. They travel the Fells, bringing news to distant corners and being gladly fed and housed by all, from the lowest peasant to kingly halls.

Druids are Green mages who barter and bargain with Green spirits on behalf of the Fellish people. Any village worthy of the name has a druid to attend to it. Some watch over the beasts of the wilds; others ensure the health of a region. Their wisdom is considered sacrosanct, scorned only by fools.

Abroad, the Felfolk are known for the crafts of loom and woodcarving, most of all the latter. When a great tree falls, it is considered a solemn duty to ensure that none of its beauty leaves the world and so great care is given to ensure its wood is used in gorgeous words. Fellish lutes, harps, and flutes are some of the finest on the continent for this reason – as well as their great war bows.

We could spend a year and a day in study of the Fells, but the candle draws short now.

Celdos guide you

- The Grand Sage

[jarlshall]

Lessons From the Grand Sage: On Magic (Cultural Proficiency)

Magic is a part of the very fabric of the world. It pools and flows, changing and shifting. It is inescapable. Knowledge of the elements, and skill at wielding them, therefore become critical for societies.

Some elements are better suited for certain tasks than others. Body magic excels at mending and preservation; the Grey can be used to make one laborer as productive as many. The uses are endless… as is the depth to each element. Thus, it follows that all societies specialize in certain elements over others.

This is not to say that a given culture will have no mages outside their specialty. But the skill of their mages – and how numerous they are – depends heavily upon their cultural specialty. Not only for the number of teachers they have, but because of the great well of cultural knowledge they will have to draw from.

Further, certain philosophies and world views lend itself well toward certain elements – one who embraces the teachings of Lumanox will quickly find their skill at Body magic to excel, for instance.

This is true across species as well, with some notable quirks. Primarily there is a distinction between ‘Elvish’ magic and ‘human’ magic. Neither is strictly limited to those species – dwarves are part of the ‘Elvish magic’ umbrella, and orcs under ‘human’. The true difference in lies in depth versus breadth of specialty.

The Elvish societies that reach us to the modern day focus their energies upon one element, to the point that their subculture is named after that element. Hence the Kwaychan being known as ‘Mind elves’ and the Tereshi of the Dodecopolis being called ‘Spirit elves’. There are five major Elvish societies on the continent, one for each of the elements. Dwarves are specialized in the Grey and thus are part of this grouping.

This specialization grants them tremendous mastery and ability over their element that seems to almost defy the laws of magic as they known. But in truth, their depth of knowledge and ancestral skill simply allows them to know how to push their element to its furthest edge.

Meanwhile, human societies tend to trade depths for breadth. Nearly all human societies favor two elements – often, but not always, elements in opposition. It is very common for subcultures to share one element and then differ in their secondary element.

For example, the Magnian Three Men. All share a mastery of Body, but the Telinor favor Mind, the Ledmians Spirit, and the Aesane the Grey.

While they lack the sheer magical capability of the elvish style mages, human societies instead have a greater variety of mages and thus more means by which they can tackle a given problem. Whereas an elvish society will have to address every problem through the lens of their one element.

Knowing where the specialty of each society lays – for both friends and foes – is vital for any leader upon the continent.

[jarlshall]

Lessons From the Grand Sage: On the Gods (Celdos)

Celdos reveal, your grace. A particularly apt greeting for today’s subject. For now we turn our attention to the great gods Celdos.

We reach the end of the Five Who Are Ten. Already we have spoken of the four other pairs: Lumanox, gods of life and death. Boucassan, gods of justice above and below. Dagwos, the gods of nature. Elak, the gods of power.

Now we reflect upon the last and most complex of the gods – Celdos, the gods of wisdom and knowledge.

(art by @noanieactuallydrawingalot)

Celdos.

These gods are tied to Mind. The subtle shift of perspectives brought on by experience. The understanding granted by knowledge. The endless pull between teaching and learning, and how easily one can switch between them.

Unlike the other pairings, each half of Celdos bears the name Celdor. Indeed, some argue if there are two Celdor at all or if it is simply one god wearing two masks. In either case, each Celdor is known by their epitaph – Celdor the Storyteller, and Celdor the Traveler.

Celdor the Traveler, the Laughing One, Lady Luck, the Righteous Hedonist, Lord of the Forked Road - the deity of luck, travels, and experience. The Traveler lives up to their name and spends all waking moments searching for what lays beyond the horizon. They are the veins that bind distant places together, the joy of discovery and sharing.

Their temples are the crossroads and inns, their hymns the sound of foreign songs eagerly shared. They take on the form of any who ever walked beyond sight of their homes. And though the Traveler is fond of trickery and deceit, there is rarely malice to their mischief - though woe betide those who break sacred hospitality.

Celdor the Storyteller, the Smiling One, the Muse, the Sage, Lady of the Secret Chords - deity of knowledge, lore, and art. The Storyteller lives immersed in tales and art, always seeking to understand what the Traveler has found and bind together the gathered notes into one beautiful song. They the spark of sudden inspiration, and the dawning moment of clear revelation. Prayers to them come from many lips. Sages and artists. Strategists and minstrels.

The Storyteller is the joy of learning and creating. Their holy places lay in the scent of old tomes and a blank canvas. Their prayers are the sound of quill against parchment and chisel against stone. Though they bear a deep love of lore, the Storyteller knows some things are best left forgotten, and some knowledge comes at too great a price to gain.

As befits gods whose domain spans knowledge and travel, their priests can be found along the roads and deep within the great cities where they guard carefully collected lore. The Celdorite Caravans travel for love of it, often performing for the cities they visit.

In keeping with Celdos’s virtues, you have heard all that I have had to say upon the gods. Take pride in this, but just for a moment. Remember: There is always more to learn.

Celdos guide you.

- The Grand Sage

[jarlshall]

Lessons From the Grand Sage: On Magic (Cultural Proficiency)

Magic is a part of the very fabric of the world. It pools and flows, changing and shifting. It is inescapable. Knowledge of the elements, and skill at wielding them, therefore become critical for societies.

Some elements are better suited for certain tasks than others. Body magic excels at mending and preservation; the Grey can be used to make one laborer as productive as many. The uses are endless… as is the depth to each element. Thus, it follows that all societies specialize in certain elements over others.

This is not to say that a given culture will have no mages outside their specialty. But the skill of their mages – and how numerous they are – depends heavily upon their cultural specialty. Not only for the number of teachers they have, but because of the great well of cultural knowledge they will have to draw from.

Further, certain philosophies and world views lend itself well toward certain elements – one who embraces the teachings of Lumanox will quickly find their skill at Body magic to excel, for instance.

This is true across species as well, with some notable quirks. Primarily there is a distinction between ‘Elvish’ magic and ‘human’ magic. Neither is strictly limited to those species – dwarves are part of the ‘Elvish magic’ umbrella, and orcs under ‘human’. The true difference in lies in depth versus breadth of specialty.

The Elvish societies that reach us to the modern day focus their energies upon one element, to the point that their subculture is named after that element. Hence the Kwaychan being known as ‘Mind elves’ and the Tereshi of the Dodecopolis being called ‘Spirit elves’. There are five major Elvish societies on the continent, one for each of the elements. Dwarves are specialized in the Grey and thus are part of this grouping.

This specialization grants them tremendous mastery and ability over their element that seems to almost defy the laws of magic as they known. But in truth, their depth of knowledge and ancestral skill simply allows them to know how to push their element to its furthest edge.

Meanwhile, human societies tend to trade depths for breadth. Nearly all human societies favor two elements – often, but not always, elements in opposition. It is very common for subcultures to share one element and then differ in their secondary element.

For example, the Magnian Three Men. All share a mastery of Body, but the Telinor favor Mind, the Ledmians Spirit, and the Aesane the Grey.

While they lack the sheer magical capability of the elvish style mages, human societies instead have a greater variety of mages and thus more means by which they can tackle a given problem. Whereas an elvish society will have to address every problem through the lens of their one element.

Knowing where the specialty of each society lays – for both friends and foes – is vital for any leader upon the continent.

[jarlshall]

Lessons From the Grand Sage: Cultural Studies (The Felfolk)

Celdos reveal, your grace.

To the north and east lays a land caught between rolling mountains and the storm tossed sea. A place of gray skies and mist shrouded forests and endless flowing rivers and springs.

This place is known as the Fells, and its people are called the Fellish, or the Felfolk. Since time immemorial they have dwelt in that ancient land. Even their tales cannot give a name to any home they had before it.

In its last century of life, the Empire launched numerous wars against once-friends. The Year of Burning Boughs. The Siege of Long Winter. But first and most ferocious of all was the Conquest of the Fells. Though it was never complete, the claws of the Empire raked deep furrows into flesh and bark.

Historically, the Fells was made up of twenty four or so realms. The borders and names change. Some have kings. Others princes or chieftains. Some are confederacies of tribes pulled together by common bonds. These realms fought each other as much as any outsider.

Currently, a third of these realms are occupied in some way by Magnians. Some have been fully colonized; others are ruled by the Marcher Kings, formerly the lords of the Empire’s borders.

Culture varies wildly across such a space, but there are constants to the churning chaos. All Fellish realms recognize the bard and the druid as cultural touchstones. The terms may be foreign, but they describe something known.

Bards are Mind mages and keepers of lore and songs. It is said that poetry sings in Fellish blood like no other and bards are the greatest proof of this. They travel the Fells, bringing news to distant corners and being gladly fed and housed by all, from the lowest peasant to kingly halls.

Druids are Green mages who barter and bargain with Green spirits on behalf of the Fellish people. Any village worthy of the name has a druid to attend to it. Some watch over the beasts of the wilds; others ensure the health of a region. Their wisdom is considered sacrosanct, scorned only by fools.

Abroad, the Felfolk are known for the crafts of loom and woodcarving, most of all the latter. When a great tree falls, it is considered a solemn duty to ensure that none of its beauty leaves the world and so great care is given to ensure its wood is used in gorgeous words. Fellish lutes, harps, and flutes are some of the finest on the continent for this reason – as well as their great war bows.

We could spend a year and a day in study of the Fells, but the candle draws short now.

Celdos guide you

- The Grand Sage

[jarlshall]

Character Dossier: Lona

(art by @stealingpotatoes)

The people of the Fells, the Felfolk, are renown for two arts. The first is poetry – the bardic tradition finds its roots in the misty woods of the Fells and the only minstrels properly called a Bard are Fellish.

The second is woodworking. The trees are ancient and beautiful, and carvers take care to make every plundered branch or fallen tree into something as gorgeous, so that no net beauty is lost in the world.

Lona is a wood carver of some renown within the Fells. Oak and beech, yew and juniper, elder and silver birch – she knows the trees of her homeland down to their very grain. The crwths of bards, proposal spoons for lovers, carved idols placed upon Dagwos’s altars. All these and more she has crafted with hand and knife.

But her finest work was made for her lover, Aderyn. Aderyn’s mentor, a Dagfolk by name of Hynfwr Onn, gifted her a branch from his boughs. With love and skill Lona carved it into a bow of ash, a practical gift that would ensure her lover never went hungry – and a token of safety in a darkening world.

[jarlshall]

Lessons From the Grand Sage: Cultural Studies (The Felfolk)

Celdos reveal, your grace.

To the north and east lays a land caught between rolling mountains and the storm tossed sea. A place of gray skies and mist shrouded forests and endless flowing rivers and springs.

This place is known as the Fells, and its people are called the Fellish, or the Felfolk. Since time immemorial they have dwelt in that ancient land. Even their tales cannot give a name to any home they had before it.

In its last century of life, the Empire launched numerous wars against once-friends. The Year of Burning Boughs. The Siege of Long Winter. But first and most ferocious of all was the Conquest of the Fells. Though it was never complete, the claws of the Empire raked deep furrows into flesh and bark.

Historically, the Fells was made up of twenty four or so realms. The borders and names change. Some have kings. Others princes or chieftains. Some are confederacies of tribes pulled together by common bonds. These realms fought each other as much as any outsider.

Currently, a third of these realms are occupied in some way by Magnians. Some have been fully colonized; others are ruled by the Marcher Kings, formerly the lords of the Empire’s borders.

Culture varies wildly across such a space, but there are constants to the churning chaos. All Fellish realms recognize the bard and the druid as cultural touchstones. The terms may be foreign, but they describe something known.

Bards are Mind mages and keepers of lore and songs. It is said that poetry sings in Fellish blood like no other and bards are the greatest proof of this. They travel the Fells, bringing news to distant corners and being gladly fed and housed by all, from the lowest peasant to kingly halls.

Druids are Green mages who barter and bargain with Green spirits on behalf of the Fellish people. Any village worthy of the name has a druid to attend to it. Some watch over the beasts of the wilds; others ensure the health of a region. Their wisdom is considered sacrosanct, scorned only by fools.

Abroad, the Felfolk are known for the crafts of loom and woodcarving, most of all the latter. When a great tree falls, it is considered a solemn duty to ensure that none of its beauty leaves the world and so great care is given to ensure its wood is used in gorgeous words. Fellish lutes, harps, and flutes are some of the finest on the continent for this reason – as well as their great war bows.

We could spend a year and a day in study of the Fells, but the candle draws short now.

Celdos guide you

- The Grand Sage

[jarlshall]

The Lands of the Cycle

(map drawn by @noanieactuallydrawingalot)

Magic

Overview

The Green

Body

Mind

The Grey

Spirit

Object Counters

The Beasts of the Cycle

The Gods and the Faithful

Boucassan, the gods of justice

Dagwos, the gods of nature

Lumanox, the gods of life and death

Elak, the gods of power

Cultural Studies

The Citalen Republic

Hydris

Magnia (The Three Men)

Character Dossiers

Main POV Characters

Mila Secunda Ohante Numitore | Quote

Alric 'Nuwanqu' Lightsworn | Quote

Aderyn of the Fells | Quote

Julian the Scoundrel | Quote

Bjorn 'Chayllur' Lightsworn | Quote

Side Characters

Thane Wulfrik

Lady Ingeborg

The Huscarls

Jarl Haakon

Richomeres

Dame Hildegard

Lord Bramble

High Priest Telvant

The Acolyte

Longview Khazir

Hynfwr Onnen

Wonders of the World

Cathedral of Dawn Resplendent