maybeitswander

[maybeitswander]

Choir of Moths

Supposedly a pre-departure cult that worshipped Ahkraius, Queen of Moths, followed by Karemis, Divine of Magic. Being a rather elusive order, they hide away in the darker corners of the world in an attempt to bring light to Altiereámis through knowledge and use of magic. While little is known about how the order functions or who is even apart of the order, it is known that they aren't antagonistic towards other religions and prefer to be left alone to work on their projects.

[maybeitswander]

The Sundered

There is a rather sizable population of Altiereians who have had their access to their internal pool of Mana severed. Cases vary in reason but more often then not it seems to be a blockage of ones Ethereal Gate, a metaphysical part of someone's soul that connects them to the Blesefian. Some say that this is punishment from Karemis, Divine of Magic for one reason or another while others surmise that it happens more naturally, as there are certain plants and mushrooms that can induce Ethereal Closure.

[maybeitswander]

Mana and it's consequences

All living beings in Altiereámis have an innate well of mana (previously known as ones "Lifesong") that fuels their soul. Normally, this pool is rather small and limited thus many people don't use it, but since the appearance of Karemis who, to the best of their ability, spread the remaining pool of mana equally among the sentient races of the world allowing anyone willing to learn and apply their knowledge could use the Blesefian, the bedrock of reality, to manifest their will into the world. While the properties of Blesefian have yet to be fully explored and documented, both the mages of Spire and The Choir have learned enough to understand how to use Karemis's gifts but not how to properly manage ones own well of Mana. If a wright, or anyone really, uses too much of their own well of Mana it could lead to persisting health issues that will follow the wright until they find a way to replenish that well. Many mages and wrights have found ways around using their own well and instead pull from their surrounding environment to fuel their spells, these mages have been named "Runic Mages". The effects this has on the world are still being researched.

[maybeitswander]

Wedukin

The various Valin and Beastfolk that inhabit the Wedu. What sets them apart from their counterparts in either Altier or Thivander is the appearance of horn like growths of various sizes on their heads and arms. Many of the Wedukin see this as a blessing from Ahlespo, God of the Hunt and Hunted, believing themself chosen by them. Alongside the King of the Wedu, they also worship The Shepherd, a deity that guides the spirits of those blessed by Ahlespo to the afterlife. The primary culture and religion of the Wedukin follows something called The Hunt, a structure of blessing by both Ahlespo and The Shepherd that informs how the Wedukin live their life, both in reverence and fear. Most Wedukin live in small tribes, with one or two werewolves alongside them protecting them from the tribes that live as thralls of the vampires. It isn't uncommon for them to wage small wars against each other for the various resources and hunting grounds.

"Blessed be the Lord of the Wedu, King of the Hunt and Imperator of the Hunted! Grow thy horns to bring forth the blessing of our Lord and save ye spirit so the Shepard may guide ye souls to the next life beyond the Wedu!"

[maybeitswander]

Bladelings

Told by a Researcher working for the Spirian Department of Supernatural Investigation. "According to our research, we may have discovered a new supernatural entity. The working name for them is Bladeling, on account of them having some kind of sword and dagger embedded in their chest. These creatures seem to be extremely driven to maim if not kill their target and rather spiteful towards anyone who gets in their way. We are guessing that they are the spirit of dead combatants since they appear to not be flesh and blood, instead being made of… something? It is difficult to explain. Their body is formed around the weapon that killed them, however we don't know exactly how that body is formed. My guess is that they are taking mana from their surroundings to make a corporeal body. Theorizing aside, they will relentlessly hunt down their target, generally being the person that left their weapon behind in their victim or just a forgotten weapon, the jury is still out on which it is. If anyone gets in the way of the Bladeling and the target they also become a target. The best way to deal with these entities is to just not let them get close to you or better yet, not let them form in the first place. We are still working on that last part. These things are resilient too, extremely difficult to take down however they do seem to have a weakness to specifically iron, not steel or silver unlike many other supernatural creatures. From the reports of the few hunters that have dealt with these entities, you can also rip the weapon embedded in them to stun them, allowing you to use their own weapon against them."

[maybeitswander]

Remnants

The catch all name for Archeotech creatures that have long lost their docile forms and now terrorize the land of Altiereámis. There isn't a consistent form of remnants, coming in varying shapes and sizes, but all are hostile and fearsome. Most however have two consistent traits; they emerge from the Tower of the Forebearers or the other ruins dotted across the continent and they are range from being fully made of Archeotech to being fully flesh and blood.

[maybeitswander]

The Corpse City

Home of the Prophets of the Dead God, this city is nestled in the rib cage of a giant skeleton said to be that of a long dead god. Supposedly it is one of the gods from before the Departure but since no one but Ahkrema remembers the old gods so only he could answer that question. One of the odd properties of skeleton is that isn't positionally locked, which is to say it moves. At an undetermined interval, the town will translocate to another place in Altiereámis, causing a blinding beam of light at both the skeletons current location and the location it is translocating to. It isn't understood how the location is chosen or how it teleports.

[maybeitswander]

The Forebearers

The original inhabitants of Altiereámis. Precious little is know about the Forebearers, only that they left Altiereámis for the heavens in the Departure in exploration for unfound wonders. When they left they took the memories of those who remained, cleaning the slate of civilization. This forced the remaining inhabitants of Altiereámis to start anew, with only the assistance of the remaining gods.

[maybeitswander]

The Mortal Coil

One of the Coils that make up reality. Coils, in a simplified manner, are the rungs of existence. At the bottom you have the Blesefian, although it is difficult to exist within it due it its ever changing and volatile nature. The various Divines hold coils between the Blesefian and the Mortal Coil, and above the Mortal Coil exists the many coils under control of the Keepers. There are theorized to be Coils above the Keepers which are likely to be home to the Old Gods or the very stars them self. Unfortunately, many coils have been left empty since the Departure, as the domains which used to inhabit them were left to decay and crumble since the gods maintaining them no longer existed.

[maybeitswander]

The Roost

A small city-state sat upon an island just off coast of Spire's southern border. Founded by the Brandt household, a family of owl like Beastfolk, this small city grew to become a respite for both travelers and merchants on their way inland. The main city itself it built in an Elder Tree, while the surrounding area is composed of smaller clusters of buildings. It's position just off the shores of Altier makes it easily defendable from any invaders while still being accessible to anyone by airship or boat. This island town act as the main location for imports from and exports to the other continents on Altiereámis, more specifically Thivander and it's neighboring islands.

[maybeitswander]

Bellstown

A city found in the Middlands, founded near the Stois River and between the borders of Ahsterfel and the Spire. They heavily worship of Ainordian, dedicating Day of Bells an entire season to them. This small settlement has five large bells in the town, one sat in the center in a large tower and the other four positioned in each cardinal direction in smaller towers. They mostly export grains and other crops as the town has produced large quantities of food since it's founding to which many living here attribute it to the blessing of Ainordian.

[maybeitswander]

Day of Bells

A festival held in honor of Ainordian and to encourage a healthy crop yield for that years harvest. While most of the polytheistic nations hold the Day of Bells sometime during Automber, Bellstown however dedicates a majority of the season to the festival.

[maybeitswander]

The Four Houses of Ahsterfel

Flahlkren, Ilsenmor, Alphonse and Friedrich are the four founding and ruling families of Ahsterfel. Together they make and uphold the laws and traditions of Ahsterfel.

Flahlkren: First Family founded. Held dominion over Oerriche Mountain. They will more often then not put their family before the others, being a rather selfish sort however they are also the family which has taken in the most amount of non-royal bloods into their ranks.

Ilsenmor: Also known as the "Honorable Family", this family is known for their focus on maintaining their honor, whether that be through good deeds or dueling for it.

Alphonse: Originally being seated in the eastern shores of the dominion they have since moved westward while keeping power in their original home. They made their name by creating ships that could easily traverse the Grand Sea. They have strong ties with Ezlanore as trade is common between the two.

Friedrich: The most industrious of the four families, they are the one who push the most for the Göttlicher Fortschritt and tend to give grants to up and coming inventors.

[maybeitswander]

Angels, Demons, and Minor Deities

Lecturer at a college within the Ahstefelian borders. "Angels and Demons are the easiest to classify so we'll start there. Angels are the creations of the divines, created the same way one would mold clay into a useful form. From there they impart a little of their own will into the form and congratulations, you have an angel which will follow your commands. Demons are similar, but instead of being created by a divine, they are created by keepers. They do all the same things but one serves a divine and the other serves a keeper. Simple enough. Minor Deities on the other hand are another conundrum. Unlike the remaining eight gods we have today, the minor deities are rather numerous and it is difficult to pin down an exact number as many of them are regional gods. A decent example is Abhrudeva, God of Omens, who is worshiped by the residents of the Corpse City. Another example is our very own, Proestia, patron goddess of our little college. Yes, you in the back... what about Primus Yoluric? I can't speak to their godhood as Eld Othrin tends to keep their king's going-ons under wraps. Anyone else? Good, let us continue with today's lesson."

[maybeitswander]

The Lorn Empire

One of the many empires that existed before The Departure which is now presided over by Vernistat, The Lost King, who is sat on the Throne of Absolute Order. This throne is located at the peak of the capital, Erizra, previously home to the Divine of Order during the First War.

No one really visits the Lorn Empire's lands anymore as their are many undead and stonemen left to wander the fortified isle with no resources worth risking skin for however it is worth it to the various treasure hunters that come to the isle in search for relics and other goods.

Eriza despite it being left uninhabited for many, many years is in decent condition. The various grey marble buildings remain untouched by time. From the testimonies of treasure hunters in the area the effects of Sephdehid's Blesefian manipulation is still rampant here as most, if not all, color is drained from the city. Supposedly this removes the city from the standard flow of time but that is much harder to prove, especially because any measurement devices brought into the city are quickly brought under siege by the stonemen and undead that reside here.

[maybeitswander]

Mechanical Kingdom of Eld Othrin

Eld Othrin, or just Othrin, is kingdom sat on the island of Kimorian and is notorious for their rather strict border control, only allow citizens and certain merchants in and out of the state. Little is truly known about the internal workings of Eld Othrin to outside parties.

Within Eld Othrin exists the ruling party, Primus Yoluric and the Eternal Court which is comprised of the many lords and military commanders of the state and the many forges and companies creating new guardians based off of the Forebearer's designs, with modifications made to further improve on their functions. Iropolis, the capital of Eld Othrin, is a sprawling town, bordering on the size of the Forebearer structures, such as the Tower or The Spire, leading to some questions from the Archeotechian Guild. Very few outsiders have been let in to Othrin, let alone Iropolis so precious little information has reached The Spire regarding the city's construction.

While not known for being an expansionist country, under command of the military leader Lord Gerald II they have been slowly expanding southward into the mainland of Altiereámis and beginning to butt heads with the States of Dharmahsen. To what end they have begun their march south for has yet to be understood. Neither of the states have officially declared war on the other or even acknowledge that they are stepping on each others claims.

Eld Othrin's research division, according to the few informants that make it out of the country, has a specific motto that sums up their research policy; "Looking to the past to move forwards." Through this we have gathered that they believe that the Forebearer's technology that litters the island is superior to what we have now and the best way to move forwards is to replicate it. Most of the reports of their technology hold great resemblance to various broken pieces of archeotech here on Altier proper.

[maybeitswander]

The God Hunter

An entity whose spite for the divines and keepers knows no bounds. Ahkrema has on multiple occasions given cautionary tales of the God Hunter to those willing to listen. According to him, the God Hunter has existed since the gods have. Chasing them down across the stars, raising armies to contend with the followers of their faiths who willing give their lives to defend them. Despite taking the lives of many gods in the past, it appears that their inquisition was yet to end even through The Departure. They were killed shortly after the Departure however death has not stopped them in the past as they another person will appear with the same motive and goals as the God Hunter. While Ahkrema isn't sure where the God Hunter reincarnated in the modern era, he is certain that they've returned.