Geis has four major continents; Mologan, Lothgar, Anterre and Puentas. From the Mystdawn until Mystfall (a period of over 6,000 years), Puentas was hidden behind the Myst.
Showing posts with label Behind the Scenes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Behind the Scenes. Show all posts
Monday, June 12, 2017
Geis Chronicles: Geography - Continental Maps
These are maps I created using Inkarnate. They've got good stuff over there and you should check them out.
Geis has four major continents; Mologan, Lothgar, Anterre and Puentas. From the Mystdawn until Mystfall (a period of over 6,000 years), Puentas was hidden behind the Myst.
First up is Mologan, home of the Kol Draahl, the Sroloc Empire and the Seven Kingdoms. Divided into three distinct areas, the Grand Marshes define the western part of the continent, separated from the rest of Mologan by the mighty Cragwall mountains. The Cragwall are the highest mountains on Geis, even the vaunted skyships of the Rune Age are forced to use passes for they are too tall to be overflown and their faces are nothing more than sheer walls. The north and southern ends are covered in forests; to the south are more deciduous woodlands while the north are rain forests. The rest of the continent is divided in turn by the Garrol Peaks. While not as high as the Cragwall, they are formidable mountains in their own right. North of the Garrol is the area known since end of the Age of War as the Madlands. These lands are not devoid of life, but all life that lives there thrive on killing each other. It is a predatory land, filled with and created by manitou gone mad. The very land itself shifts and moves. Dead trees continue to grow if they can find prey ignorant enough to land within reach of their limbs. Fierce predators that resemble nightmare creatures of all sizes prowl the land and skies. South of the Garrol is the fertile plain known as the Seven Kingdoms. Home to every race on Geis, the Seven Kingdoms were united during the Age of Dreams. Each of the Seven Kingdoms is represented on the Court of Kings. When the Presiding High King leaves office (normally at their death), the Court selects a new one. The new High King denounces rulership of their own kingdom to serve all seven. This system of governance is unique on Geis.
Next is Lothgar, home of Dogol, Kailang, Bel-Aq, Beltizhan, Wyverzia, Deep Bay, Elbareth, Manessa and Halior, as well as the Forbidden Forest and Sairao Goldriver, the Wolfmage. From the frozen steppes of the Northern Wastes to the tip of Gelnwatch, Lothgar has served as the home of many heroes and adventures. Both the largest desert and the largest plain are found here.
Anterre is the home of the Empire and its unconquered neighbor, Jiorta. Theirs is a calamitous and bellicose history. Throughout the Age of Dreams, the Empire loomed as a danger to the free people of Lothgar and Mologan but none more so than the island nation of Jiorta. Due west of them stands a symbol of the Emperor's might; the rock bare peninsular that was once the kingdom of Karon. Karon hosted and financed the Phoenix, a centuries-old group dedicated to the eradication of the seemingly ageless Emperor Krol. Krol tired of their antics and eliminated the entire kingdom so that no living thing - not even plants - remained to defy him. The tactic worked; it was over a hundred years before the Phoenix rose again.
Finally there is Puentas. The most dangerous continent of them all. The land here was terraformed by the Dragon Kings to suit their needs. The massive Four Towers each with peaks that mark them all as the highest places on Geis stand silent vigil for the falling of the Myst. It was here that the Dragon Kings were isolated by the great Myst. It was here they planned and plotted for millennia. It was here they eradicated all humanity and forced the other races; Sroloc, Ancilene, Grenis, Malacore, Helgaur and Minotaur to serve them or suffer the same fate. Dragons here are found in more abundance than anywhere else on Geis; the great beasts that soar the skies, massive serpents that churn under the water and even legless wyrms that burrow through the very firmament itself. All have been bent to their will and theirs have been bent to the Great Dragon King who rules over all from the fiery heart of the Dragon Court.
Geis has four major continents; Mologan, Lothgar, Anterre and Puentas. From the Mystdawn until Mystfall (a period of over 6,000 years), Puentas was hidden behind the Myst.
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Geis Basics: Timeline - Dawn of the Rune Age
The Age of Dreams lasted 1175 years when the Kol Draahl began once again to rise. Kingdoms the world over denied the sightings coming from the Southern Kingdoms in Mologan. Surely, everyone knew the Kol Draahl had been destroyed. Under the command of the Centaur High Queen Galien, the seven kingdoms united under her rule held the Kol Draahl at bay for nearly ten years while the rest of the world denied the very existence of the enemy.
During this time, the sorcerer Nirovei working under Solomon Uncas at Bloodstone Manor used Rune magic to create the first Spellshooter. This new device allowed non-mages to use a wand, rod or staff primed with a certain spell. This invention inspired others, specifically the group who would eventually form the nomadic tribe of rune mages called the Boergani, to push the boundaries of what Runes could do. By the time the Southern Kingdom's fight with the returned Kol Draahl reached its zenith, there were skyships soaring across the skies on their vaunted Runengines.
A squad of soldiers press-ganged into the war on Mologan stole one such skyship. Among them was one talented Rune mage named Aklhan Lazarus, who fine tuned the ship and named it the WolfWind. Those who served aboard her were known as the Windwolves. On their own, AWOL from the army, they fought the Kol Draahl and earned a reputation as being fierce opponents to the evil threat. After several Arcs, High Queen Galien pardoned them for their desertion and even commended them for their actions in the war. Almost two years after the Windwolves struck out on their own, the crew had a few changes of personnel and survived the Maelstrom. They then discovered that one among them was a member of the Kol Draahl's most dreaded forces; the Myde Laethe. He had turned traitor against the Kol Draahl and though the crew didn't trust him initially, after the Kol Draahl overran the capitol, they took a chance on him and launched a daring plan that would change the face of Geis forever.
The Kol Draahl hadn't adapted to the new ways Runes were being used, so they were dependent upon naturally occurring fonts of pure magical energy; mana. Spending two full Arcs in preparation, they sought to destroy one of these fonts. To do so, they needed to cast a spell of such power that it would drain the font. They reformed the Arc back into the moon it had once been. The resulting energy thus unleashed destroyed not only the font itself, but the entire crew of the Wolfwind. (The ship itself was transformed, taking on a form of life and sentience all its own. The son of Aklhan became the new Captain.) The loss of the font set the Kol Draahl back for it was one of four they had. The Kol Draahl controlled the continent of Mologan at the dawn of the Rune Age but were unable to move further until they recovered from the daring action and sacrifice of the valiant Windwolves.
I plan on updating this blog more. The past four years or so have been very hectic in my personal life. For the five or six people who follow this blog, I apologize.
During this time, the sorcerer Nirovei working under Solomon Uncas at Bloodstone Manor used Rune magic to create the first Spellshooter. This new device allowed non-mages to use a wand, rod or staff primed with a certain spell. This invention inspired others, specifically the group who would eventually form the nomadic tribe of rune mages called the Boergani, to push the boundaries of what Runes could do. By the time the Southern Kingdom's fight with the returned Kol Draahl reached its zenith, there were skyships soaring across the skies on their vaunted Runengines.
A squad of soldiers press-ganged into the war on Mologan stole one such skyship. Among them was one talented Rune mage named Aklhan Lazarus, who fine tuned the ship and named it the WolfWind. Those who served aboard her were known as the Windwolves. On their own, AWOL from the army, they fought the Kol Draahl and earned a reputation as being fierce opponents to the evil threat. After several Arcs, High Queen Galien pardoned them for their desertion and even commended them for their actions in the war. Almost two years after the Windwolves struck out on their own, the crew had a few changes of personnel and survived the Maelstrom. They then discovered that one among them was a member of the Kol Draahl's most dreaded forces; the Myde Laethe. He had turned traitor against the Kol Draahl and though the crew didn't trust him initially, after the Kol Draahl overran the capitol, they took a chance on him and launched a daring plan that would change the face of Geis forever.
The Kol Draahl hadn't adapted to the new ways Runes were being used, so they were dependent upon naturally occurring fonts of pure magical energy; mana. Spending two full Arcs in preparation, they sought to destroy one of these fonts. To do so, they needed to cast a spell of such power that it would drain the font. They reformed the Arc back into the moon it had once been. The resulting energy thus unleashed destroyed not only the font itself, but the entire crew of the Wolfwind. (The ship itself was transformed, taking on a form of life and sentience all its own. The son of Aklhan became the new Captain.) The loss of the font set the Kol Draahl back for it was one of four they had. The Kol Draahl controlled the continent of Mologan at the dawn of the Rune Age but were unable to move further until they recovered from the daring action and sacrifice of the valiant Windwolves.
I plan on updating this blog more. The past four years or so have been very hectic in my personal life. For the five or six people who follow this blog, I apologize.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Geis Basics: Timeline - Age of Dreams: Organizations part 3
Mimge, Hawthorne Agents and House Agents
There had always been those who moved between villages, towns, farms, ranches and cities bringing with them news of the world beyond. They are scholar warriors who remember history and tell stories that keep it alive for the people of the world. At some point after the defeat of the Kol Draahl, a number of these who were considered masters codified what would be accepted behavior for those engaging in these activities. A formal training regimen was created for apprentices to learn the tales and trade. A person must approach a Mimge and petition for admittance into the group. The Mimge then tests their knowledge and personality. Above all else, a Mimge must be willing to tell the truth of history as much as is known. Stories must be memorized to reflect the reality of what happened so that tragedies won't repeat. Any editorializing is quickly squashed; the Mimge feel the weight of the duty they've imposed upon themselves. They are to remain true to history, including and especially the ugly parts of it. That is of paramount importance.
Over the years, after the disappearance of the Doeneik, a man named Hawthorne who possessed incredible power and skill at teleportation. He formed an organization of information gatherers known as his agents. All were given an item of jewelry they could use to pass information on to the man himself. In exchange, they could petition for information from him. All was done at a price. Hawthorne and his Agents soon became walking libraries of information, much of it secrets. The organization lasted several decades, beyond the duration of a normal human lifespan, so it is assumed that Hawthorne died and someone else took over the organization. Some believe the bard Madigan had become the leader, but there is no evidence to support this theory. Shortly before the death of the Emperor of Anterre, largely considered the end of the Age of Dreams, Hawthorne's Agents disappeared. None know how it is the organization died away but as always theories abound. When an organization's stock and trade are secrets, often of a deadly nature, that are for sale to the highest bidder it is only a matter of time before the wrong secrets are learned. The most popular theory is that they ran afoul of the Characedo. If the Characedo actually exist.
As had been mentioned earlier, a constant throughout history are the Noble Houses. Noble Houses have a need to ensure their holdings, passing information, conducting investigations and generally acting in their best interests. They do this through their Agents. Unlike Hawthorne agents, an Agent of a Noble House has the backing of the Noble House they serve. This will provide them with equipment and authority as they need in order to carry out their duties. Some Agents are legal representatives to Court. Some are spies. Some are saboteurs or mercenary soldiers or even assassins. Each House handles their Agents independently. What is known that each House has them fulfilling various roles as they see fit. They have and continue to shape the world in accordance with the wishes of the Patriarch or Matriarch. They are fiercely loyal to the House, often this is a psychic or magical compulsion. Those who betray such oaths rarely live, even should they somehow get around the compulsion for the full power of the betrayed House will fall down upon them. Every House has secrets. It is the role of the Agent to protect them.
A note about Noble Houses and Agents; this sort of Nobility is based off certain conspiracy theories and history. European lines of nobility cross national boundaries. I took that idea and crossbred it with concepts like the Illuminati to come up with these Agents. Mimge are essentially House Agents without a Noble house; they serve history and humanity (here meaning all sentient beings) which puts them at odds with House Agents. In many ways, this is a shadow war that is constantly being fought with the House Agents striving to control the flow of information to favor themselves and the Mimge fighting to keep it pure and truthful. Agents and Mimge are spies, assassins and special forces operatives. Theirs is a dark, dangerous world that exist within the confines of polite society. The general populace is aware of Mimge only as storytellers and unaware of Agents other than Emissaries.
Hawthorne was a man trying to buck the system. He thought he could create an organization that ran counter to the Mimge, who work to keep the Houses from absolute rule over the 'little folk' and the Houses by manipulating the information flow. The Hawthorne Agents were almost certainly wiped out by a combination of Houses, likely by hiring the Characedo but that is a tale yet to be revealed.
There had always been those who moved between villages, towns, farms, ranches and cities bringing with them news of the world beyond. They are scholar warriors who remember history and tell stories that keep it alive for the people of the world. At some point after the defeat of the Kol Draahl, a number of these who were considered masters codified what would be accepted behavior for those engaging in these activities. A formal training regimen was created for apprentices to learn the tales and trade. A person must approach a Mimge and petition for admittance into the group. The Mimge then tests their knowledge and personality. Above all else, a Mimge must be willing to tell the truth of history as much as is known. Stories must be memorized to reflect the reality of what happened so that tragedies won't repeat. Any editorializing is quickly squashed; the Mimge feel the weight of the duty they've imposed upon themselves. They are to remain true to history, including and especially the ugly parts of it. That is of paramount importance.
Over the years, after the disappearance of the Doeneik, a man named Hawthorne who possessed incredible power and skill at teleportation. He formed an organization of information gatherers known as his agents. All were given an item of jewelry they could use to pass information on to the man himself. In exchange, they could petition for information from him. All was done at a price. Hawthorne and his Agents soon became walking libraries of information, much of it secrets. The organization lasted several decades, beyond the duration of a normal human lifespan, so it is assumed that Hawthorne died and someone else took over the organization. Some believe the bard Madigan had become the leader, but there is no evidence to support this theory. Shortly before the death of the Emperor of Anterre, largely considered the end of the Age of Dreams, Hawthorne's Agents disappeared. None know how it is the organization died away but as always theories abound. When an organization's stock and trade are secrets, often of a deadly nature, that are for sale to the highest bidder it is only a matter of time before the wrong secrets are learned. The most popular theory is that they ran afoul of the Characedo. If the Characedo actually exist.
As had been mentioned earlier, a constant throughout history are the Noble Houses. Noble Houses have a need to ensure their holdings, passing information, conducting investigations and generally acting in their best interests. They do this through their Agents. Unlike Hawthorne agents, an Agent of a Noble House has the backing of the Noble House they serve. This will provide them with equipment and authority as they need in order to carry out their duties. Some Agents are legal representatives to Court. Some are spies. Some are saboteurs or mercenary soldiers or even assassins. Each House handles their Agents independently. What is known that each House has them fulfilling various roles as they see fit. They have and continue to shape the world in accordance with the wishes of the Patriarch or Matriarch. They are fiercely loyal to the House, often this is a psychic or magical compulsion. Those who betray such oaths rarely live, even should they somehow get around the compulsion for the full power of the betrayed House will fall down upon them. Every House has secrets. It is the role of the Agent to protect them.
A note about Noble Houses and Agents; this sort of Nobility is based off certain conspiracy theories and history. European lines of nobility cross national boundaries. I took that idea and crossbred it with concepts like the Illuminati to come up with these Agents. Mimge are essentially House Agents without a Noble house; they serve history and humanity (here meaning all sentient beings) which puts them at odds with House Agents. In many ways, this is a shadow war that is constantly being fought with the House Agents striving to control the flow of information to favor themselves and the Mimge fighting to keep it pure and truthful. Agents and Mimge are spies, assassins and special forces operatives. Theirs is a dark, dangerous world that exist within the confines of polite society. The general populace is aware of Mimge only as storytellers and unaware of Agents other than Emissaries.
Hawthorne was a man trying to buck the system. He thought he could create an organization that ran counter to the Mimge, who work to keep the Houses from absolute rule over the 'little folk' and the Houses by manipulating the information flow. The Hawthorne Agents were almost certainly wiped out by a combination of Houses, likely by hiring the Characedo but that is a tale yet to be revealed.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Geis Basics: Timeline - Age of Dreams: Organizations part 1
I went out of order somewhat with the Manitou and Undead entry. I will finish the timeline before adding other topics in the future. I hope. Each of these organizations will be discussed in greater detail later; this is establishing a timeline for their appearance.
Noble Houses, Moragai, Beast Masters and Soul Riders
During the Age of Dreams, many organizations new and old appeared on the face of Geis. Prior to the Rune Expansion, as the next age is called, a sort of global outlook started taking shape among the population of Geis. While the vast majority of people still had a strong sense of patriotism for their homelands, there are those who looked beyond the borders of their own lands. In some sense these people always existed but there was a definite surge during the age of dreams.
The biggest of the global organizations by far prior to the Rune Expansion were the Noble Houses. These are old families, often with ties to royalty in at least one nation or another but some of the current Noble Houses are mercantile rather political. It started in the Southern Kingdoms on Mologan; certain families, through marriages, had ties to multiple monarchs and royal families. Over time, this gave them a sense of ownership over the land and peoples. As those families expanded beyond the continent of Mologan, their influence and power grew as well. It wasn't long before certain families had cousins in the royalty of all free lands. Power corrupts and the more power, the more corruption. Vast wealth and considerable power has that affect on people of all races. After centuries and generations of being the movers and shakers of political policy in all the free world, these Noble Houses created certain privileges for themselves among the laws of the nations and kingdoms that make up the world. In many places, a member of a Noble House cannot be arrested or charged with a crime for the Noble Houses have their own laws that transcend national boundaries. They have their own armies and agents with authority that is recognized wherever their influence has spread. They are a force unto themselves and they like it that way. The only free land that does not recognize the Noble Houses is Jiorta, for their political structure is not family based. The Mixtali also do not recognize Noble Houses but the nomads do not have a land under their control, choosing instead to roam freely about.
The first of the ancient orders to see a resurgence during the Age of Dreams was the Moragai. After their destruction by the Wyvern Riders, the Moragai became the stuff of legends and myths. Some three hundred years after their destruction, two Malacore named Jalan and Ailyn brought them back from obscurity. They started separately, researching the stories of the order and seeking to know the truth. Eventually, each discovered that the roots of the order lay within Bel'Aq. Jalan set off on his own while Ailyn formed a small group to travel with her, including a lost woman named Laurel. They met at the ruins. After a tense initial meeting, the two Malacore agreed to join forces. The two of them, using their combined might, were able to open the long-sealed cebarium that espoused the order's library of knowledge. There they studied for months, helping each other to understand the obscure language used. As they did, Ailyn's team further explored the ruins. Laurel, an initiate into psychic abilities, somehow unlocked a hidden container and found the fabulous artifact she called Jynx. The power of the Moragai of old had progressed so far as to be able to forge artifacts of such ability that they seemed to have more akin to magic than psychic abilities and one of the most powerful of these is Jynx. It is a statue that unleashed a Manitou of thought embodied in the form of a sapphire jaguar. Jalan and Ailyn unlocked the mystery of the greatest weapon of the Moragai, the item that immediately identified them: the mindsword. That final hurdle breached, they Moragai order was reborn. Over the next several decades, Lord Jalan and Lady Ailyn reformed and grew the fledgling order with Laurel as their first apprentice. Quinn-Jai, prince of Bel'Aq, was one of their first. He made a foray into the Madlands with the warrior Topaz and the mage Serival at the request of Lord Jalan. There, he apparently perished. As a result, King Nai-Jong banished all Moragai from the kingdom of Bel'Aq upon pain of death. When Quinn-Jai returned, he found his father to be under the influence of the Kol Draahl, who had not been wiped out. Laurel, with her husband the neutered Jiorti bard Madigan and the forces of Bloodstone Manor was able to free Nai-Jong from their influence but in doing so discovered the prince's secret. While in the Madlands, Quinn-Jai had been captured by the Kol Draahl where they attempted to pry from him the secrets of the mindsword. He was able to escape physically, but the torture continued. They tracked his movements and continued to invade his mind. He was going mad. Lady Ailyn and Lord Jalan, along with Laurel, worked in a gestalt to free him from the psychic blocks put in place by the Mein Grahl of the Kol Draahl. They thought they had succeeded and Quinn-Jai, his understanding of the mindsword now more complete than anyone's, developed the aura; a defensive item as powerful as the mindsword. All Moragai now carry both a mindsword and an aura. Unfortunately, Quinn-Jai had not been freed from the influence of the Kol Draahl. They had made it seem so, hoping that without the prince actively working against them they could probe his mind to unlock the secret. Lord Jalan, unknown to Lady Ailyn or Laurel, had placed a psychic trap in Quinn-Jai's mind around the mindsword. When the Kol Draahl finally located it, the trap was sprung and the minds of the Mein Grahl who had been inside Quinn-Jai were destroyed, reduced to babbling infants. So was Quinn-Jai. For this affront, the Moragai are forbidden from entering their ancient home upon pain of death. Lord Jalan resigned from the order, never to be seen or heard from again. It had been his intention to protect the prince and he failed.
Topaz's foray into the Madlands also returned another order from antiquity: the Beast Masters. They had been destroyed by the Dragon Kings in those last hours prior to Arcdawn. In his effort to evade the Kol Draahl that had captured Quinn-Jai and killed Serival, Topaz had fallen into a hole in the ground. There he found the stone pedestal of the Beast Masters. It called to him, bringing him to it. Not understanding what it was he was doing, he saw an odd raised portion that resembled a stylized beast's paw. Following the influence guiding him, he placed his right eye against it and raw power flowed into him, changing him. Topaz became the first Beast Master since Arcdawn. With his newfound power, he escaped the Madlands and made it back to civilization. There he joined the crew of the Soaring Narwhal, under the command of Captain "Midnight" John. The Narwhal's shore team were composed entirely of Stormchildes, as survivors of the Maestrom are called, and adventurers of note including Nia Voll. Not understanding what it meant to be a Beast Master, Topaz used his abilities purely in his mercenary efforts. The Soaring Narwhal was a Traveling ship, able to cross dimensions into other realms. It had been built for Midnight John by Sairao Goldriver and the Toffmarr Academy. During the course of their travels, they located and returned the Soul Rider Crystal to the Geis realm, which cost them Nia Voll who had to re-establish the order of Soul Riders. That was when Topaz left them to re-establish the Beast Master order. Nia Voll had a more complete knowledge of the Soul Riders and Beast Masters from her transformation and she passed along this knowledge to Topaz. The two of them traveled to the ancient site of the Great Library of Elbareth and were shocked to find the Library was open, with a new Librarian: a Malacore woman named Naliah. There, they were each given a tome so they could better understand their respective orders. Topaz left with his, where he traveled to the Moralay Archipelago and sought a secluded island. There, he studied the tome and was able to bring the stone pedestal. With the aid of the Beasts under his command, he constructed a home, which he then expanded into a training ground. The presence of the Beast Master Pedestal prevented the island from being submerged when the Chaos Current changed directions and shielded it from magical and psychic scrying. There, he slowly started to rebuild the order, guided by the Pedestal. Topaz was a warrior, not a scholar or leader and soon he found one better suited to commanding the Beast Masters; a Grenis man named Hyarg. The training ground grew into a compound under Hyarg's leadership. When Topaz passed away, they named the dormant volcano that dominated the island in his honor. The Beast Masters are still a growing order, learning more about their abilities with each passing year. The Beast Master Tome provided by Elbareth reveals things in its own time, according to the ability of the order to understand.
Nia Voll was initially a psychic bounty hunter and thief working with the shore team of the Soaring Narwhal. Another member was a fledgling sorceress called Bera who bore a powerful artifact known as the Light of Truth. That artifact was said to have been forged by the gods during the founding of the world but no one truly knew or understood its might. During one fateful trip, the Narwhal's navigating crystal was damaged and they arrived in a realm they hadn't intended to. They needed another powerful crystal to repair the damages and the Midewin Bird Man who was Midnight John's first mate sent them out to get it. There were other parties that knew of the crystal they sought and both parties had established camps in order to take it. One was a group of scholars and the other was a military force. During an exploratory foray into the military encampment, Nia was attacked and injured. She was saved by Garn Melthias, a Stormchilde from Geis who had ended up in the realm they were in. They were attacked by an Alahn from the Kol Draahl, who had also come to the realm and Nia was nearly killed. Bera attempted to heal her using the Light of Truth and while doing so, awoken the Soul Rider Crystal. The two powerful artifacts interacted, resulting in the Order of Precedence deciding in favor of the Soul Rider Crystal. Nia was transformed, a nearby beast being summoned and transformed as well. When the Order of Precedence was done, Bera and Lubast, another member of the Shore Team, were transformed as well and the Light of Truth was gone. The Soaring Narwhal returned to Geis with Nia and she left the ship to re-establish the order. Traveling with Topaz, they went to the ancient home of their respective orders, Elbareth and arrived to find the Library had returned. The new Librarian, Naliah, gave her the Soul Rider Tome and while Topaz left to study his own tome, she remained at Elbareth to study hers. Naliah's husband, Korys, was able to assist Nia with some of the tome as his knowledge of military matters far exceeded hers. The Master of the Undead sent an expedition against Elbareth, but were repelled by Korys leading the Vipak that lived in the surrounding area along with Nia, Naliah, her Moragai companion princess Xanna of Dogol and Naliah's apprentice, the Vipak sage Syristh. During that battle, Nia realized that the Soul Riders were meant to be a military force and after she ceded the mantle of Soul Rider Commander to Korys. Elbareth then became the seat of the Soul Rider forces, their number expanding under the leadership of Korys with Nia as his second. A powerful group, the Soul Riders are still learning the full extent of their power and are finding ancient artifacts made specifically for them.
Noble Houses, Moragai, Beast Masters and Soul Riders
During the Age of Dreams, many organizations new and old appeared on the face of Geis. Prior to the Rune Expansion, as the next age is called, a sort of global outlook started taking shape among the population of Geis. While the vast majority of people still had a strong sense of patriotism for their homelands, there are those who looked beyond the borders of their own lands. In some sense these people always existed but there was a definite surge during the age of dreams.
The biggest of the global organizations by far prior to the Rune Expansion were the Noble Houses. These are old families, often with ties to royalty in at least one nation or another but some of the current Noble Houses are mercantile rather political. It started in the Southern Kingdoms on Mologan; certain families, through marriages, had ties to multiple monarchs and royal families. Over time, this gave them a sense of ownership over the land and peoples. As those families expanded beyond the continent of Mologan, their influence and power grew as well. It wasn't long before certain families had cousins in the royalty of all free lands. Power corrupts and the more power, the more corruption. Vast wealth and considerable power has that affect on people of all races. After centuries and generations of being the movers and shakers of political policy in all the free world, these Noble Houses created certain privileges for themselves among the laws of the nations and kingdoms that make up the world. In many places, a member of a Noble House cannot be arrested or charged with a crime for the Noble Houses have their own laws that transcend national boundaries. They have their own armies and agents with authority that is recognized wherever their influence has spread. They are a force unto themselves and they like it that way. The only free land that does not recognize the Noble Houses is Jiorta, for their political structure is not family based. The Mixtali also do not recognize Noble Houses but the nomads do not have a land under their control, choosing instead to roam freely about.
The first of the ancient orders to see a resurgence during the Age of Dreams was the Moragai. After their destruction by the Wyvern Riders, the Moragai became the stuff of legends and myths. Some three hundred years after their destruction, two Malacore named Jalan and Ailyn brought them back from obscurity. They started separately, researching the stories of the order and seeking to know the truth. Eventually, each discovered that the roots of the order lay within Bel'Aq. Jalan set off on his own while Ailyn formed a small group to travel with her, including a lost woman named Laurel. They met at the ruins. After a tense initial meeting, the two Malacore agreed to join forces. The two of them, using their combined might, were able to open the long-sealed cebarium that espoused the order's library of knowledge. There they studied for months, helping each other to understand the obscure language used. As they did, Ailyn's team further explored the ruins. Laurel, an initiate into psychic abilities, somehow unlocked a hidden container and found the fabulous artifact she called Jynx. The power of the Moragai of old had progressed so far as to be able to forge artifacts of such ability that they seemed to have more akin to magic than psychic abilities and one of the most powerful of these is Jynx. It is a statue that unleashed a Manitou of thought embodied in the form of a sapphire jaguar. Jalan and Ailyn unlocked the mystery of the greatest weapon of the Moragai, the item that immediately identified them: the mindsword. That final hurdle breached, they Moragai order was reborn. Over the next several decades, Lord Jalan and Lady Ailyn reformed and grew the fledgling order with Laurel as their first apprentice. Quinn-Jai, prince of Bel'Aq, was one of their first. He made a foray into the Madlands with the warrior Topaz and the mage Serival at the request of Lord Jalan. There, he apparently perished. As a result, King Nai-Jong banished all Moragai from the kingdom of Bel'Aq upon pain of death. When Quinn-Jai returned, he found his father to be under the influence of the Kol Draahl, who had not been wiped out. Laurel, with her husband the neutered Jiorti bard Madigan and the forces of Bloodstone Manor was able to free Nai-Jong from their influence but in doing so discovered the prince's secret. While in the Madlands, Quinn-Jai had been captured by the Kol Draahl where they attempted to pry from him the secrets of the mindsword. He was able to escape physically, but the torture continued. They tracked his movements and continued to invade his mind. He was going mad. Lady Ailyn and Lord Jalan, along with Laurel, worked in a gestalt to free him from the psychic blocks put in place by the Mein Grahl of the Kol Draahl. They thought they had succeeded and Quinn-Jai, his understanding of the mindsword now more complete than anyone's, developed the aura; a defensive item as powerful as the mindsword. All Moragai now carry both a mindsword and an aura. Unfortunately, Quinn-Jai had not been freed from the influence of the Kol Draahl. They had made it seem so, hoping that without the prince actively working against them they could probe his mind to unlock the secret. Lord Jalan, unknown to Lady Ailyn or Laurel, had placed a psychic trap in Quinn-Jai's mind around the mindsword. When the Kol Draahl finally located it, the trap was sprung and the minds of the Mein Grahl who had been inside Quinn-Jai were destroyed, reduced to babbling infants. So was Quinn-Jai. For this affront, the Moragai are forbidden from entering their ancient home upon pain of death. Lord Jalan resigned from the order, never to be seen or heard from again. It had been his intention to protect the prince and he failed.
Topaz's foray into the Madlands also returned another order from antiquity: the Beast Masters. They had been destroyed by the Dragon Kings in those last hours prior to Arcdawn. In his effort to evade the Kol Draahl that had captured Quinn-Jai and killed Serival, Topaz had fallen into a hole in the ground. There he found the stone pedestal of the Beast Masters. It called to him, bringing him to it. Not understanding what it was he was doing, he saw an odd raised portion that resembled a stylized beast's paw. Following the influence guiding him, he placed his right eye against it and raw power flowed into him, changing him. Topaz became the first Beast Master since Arcdawn. With his newfound power, he escaped the Madlands and made it back to civilization. There he joined the crew of the Soaring Narwhal, under the command of Captain "Midnight" John. The Narwhal's shore team were composed entirely of Stormchildes, as survivors of the Maestrom are called, and adventurers of note including Nia Voll. Not understanding what it meant to be a Beast Master, Topaz used his abilities purely in his mercenary efforts. The Soaring Narwhal was a Traveling ship, able to cross dimensions into other realms. It had been built for Midnight John by Sairao Goldriver and the Toffmarr Academy. During the course of their travels, they located and returned the Soul Rider Crystal to the Geis realm, which cost them Nia Voll who had to re-establish the order of Soul Riders. That was when Topaz left them to re-establish the Beast Master order. Nia Voll had a more complete knowledge of the Soul Riders and Beast Masters from her transformation and she passed along this knowledge to Topaz. The two of them traveled to the ancient site of the Great Library of Elbareth and were shocked to find the Library was open, with a new Librarian: a Malacore woman named Naliah. There, they were each given a tome so they could better understand their respective orders. Topaz left with his, where he traveled to the Moralay Archipelago and sought a secluded island. There, he studied the tome and was able to bring the stone pedestal. With the aid of the Beasts under his command, he constructed a home, which he then expanded into a training ground. The presence of the Beast Master Pedestal prevented the island from being submerged when the Chaos Current changed directions and shielded it from magical and psychic scrying. There, he slowly started to rebuild the order, guided by the Pedestal. Topaz was a warrior, not a scholar or leader and soon he found one better suited to commanding the Beast Masters; a Grenis man named Hyarg. The training ground grew into a compound under Hyarg's leadership. When Topaz passed away, they named the dormant volcano that dominated the island in his honor. The Beast Masters are still a growing order, learning more about their abilities with each passing year. The Beast Master Tome provided by Elbareth reveals things in its own time, according to the ability of the order to understand.
Nia Voll was initially a psychic bounty hunter and thief working with the shore team of the Soaring Narwhal. Another member was a fledgling sorceress called Bera who bore a powerful artifact known as the Light of Truth. That artifact was said to have been forged by the gods during the founding of the world but no one truly knew or understood its might. During one fateful trip, the Narwhal's navigating crystal was damaged and they arrived in a realm they hadn't intended to. They needed another powerful crystal to repair the damages and the Midewin Bird Man who was Midnight John's first mate sent them out to get it. There were other parties that knew of the crystal they sought and both parties had established camps in order to take it. One was a group of scholars and the other was a military force. During an exploratory foray into the military encampment, Nia was attacked and injured. She was saved by Garn Melthias, a Stormchilde from Geis who had ended up in the realm they were in. They were attacked by an Alahn from the Kol Draahl, who had also come to the realm and Nia was nearly killed. Bera attempted to heal her using the Light of Truth and while doing so, awoken the Soul Rider Crystal. The two powerful artifacts interacted, resulting in the Order of Precedence deciding in favor of the Soul Rider Crystal. Nia was transformed, a nearby beast being summoned and transformed as well. When the Order of Precedence was done, Bera and Lubast, another member of the Shore Team, were transformed as well and the Light of Truth was gone. The Soaring Narwhal returned to Geis with Nia and she left the ship to re-establish the order. Traveling with Topaz, they went to the ancient home of their respective orders, Elbareth and arrived to find the Library had returned. The new Librarian, Naliah, gave her the Soul Rider Tome and while Topaz left to study his own tome, she remained at Elbareth to study hers. Naliah's husband, Korys, was able to assist Nia with some of the tome as his knowledge of military matters far exceeded hers. The Master of the Undead sent an expedition against Elbareth, but were repelled by Korys leading the Vipak that lived in the surrounding area along with Nia, Naliah, her Moragai companion princess Xanna of Dogol and Naliah's apprentice, the Vipak sage Syristh. During that battle, Nia realized that the Soul Riders were meant to be a military force and after she ceded the mantle of Soul Rider Commander to Korys. Elbareth then became the seat of the Soul Rider forces, their number expanding under the leadership of Korys with Nia as his second. A powerful group, the Soul Riders are still learning the full extent of their power and are finding ancient artifacts made specifically for them.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Manitou and the Undead
The Geis realm has two parts to it; the physical world and the world of the spirits. Everything in the physical world has a corresponding aspect in the spirit world. Every tree, rock, person and animal. Even concepts have homes within the spirit world. Those mortals who stand between and within both realms are known as Midewin.
The Midewin have the greatest understanding of the Manitou. Whereas the various religious orders concern themselves with the gods themselves, the Midewin focus instead upon the spirit children of those gods. All that is understood about the Spirit World comes from the understanding of the Midewin. They refer to the Spirit World as being like a long vast plain. The Near Spirit World is closer to the physical world and is nearly identical to it in geography. As one travels away from the Near Spirit World, one encounters the Manitou of non-physical things like forces of nature and concepts of understanding. This is called the Far Spirit World. The gods themselves live in the furthest reaches of the Far Spirit World.
Midewin use a sort of magic that is spiritual in nature, calling upon the relevant Manitou in order to attain the desired affect in the physical world. There are two known groups who have made permanent contracts with Manitou other than Midewin. These are the Bards, who have made covenants with the Manitou of Music and Story and the Palan Muerte, those servants of the Emperor who made covenants with the Manitou of Pain and Suffering. These three groups will be discussed in greater detail later.
The Manitou of Geis utilize their powers according to rules understood only by them. A mage or psychic may work with a Manitou without realizing it. Indeed, the Astral Plane and the Etherial Plane are simply other names for the Spirit World. Because of the nature of Manitou, information and knowledge may be stored within the Spirit World. This is not unlike the concept of cyberspace although the means for reaching it are vastly different. Midewin, Palan Muerte, Bards, psychics, mages and priests all can gain access to the Spirit World for the purpose of storing or gaining information. Each does so in a unique way, with only the Midewin being able to physically enter the Spirit World all others merely access it. However the Spirit World in accessed, there is danger to be found. The Manitou are intelligent and willful, they have perspectives vastly different from mortals. To apply concepts of beneficence and maleficence to them is folly for they transcend such ideas. The Midewin strongly caution all who seek to reach the Manitou for to do so is to literally court death or worse.
The further from the physical world one travels, the more powerful and foreign the Manitou one encounters. Many Midewin will never stray far from the physical world. Only the wisest or most foolhardy will venture into the Far Spirit World. Priests of the gods will regularly seek guidance and intervention from their deities. The prayers of these folk are direct connections to their deities and therefore the safest form of communicating with the most powerful beings of the Spirit World, for only the god being prayed to will hear and answer.
* As a side note, the names Midewin and Manitou come from the First Nations people of North America. My use of the terms is not meant as an insult in any way. I was inspired by stories of these people and the role they played in their society and wished to honor them in my fantasy pulp setting. The way I describe the Midewin does not reflect anything upon the reality of the Midewiwin in the history of their relevant peoples any more than the Druids of D&D reflect the ancient order found in Celtic tribes in Europe. *
The Master of the Undead is an intruder upon the Geis realm who has made a home for himself deep in the Far Spirit World. A powerful being of unknown origin, he contends with the gods themselves. His true desires are unknown. Prior to his arrival, there were no undead on Geis and as a consequence of it, the undead are different than in other settings.
To begin with, all Undead have an order of precedence. There are many types of undead from ghosts and skeletons to wraiths, liches and vampires. Some are mindless automatons whereas others are willful and otherwise independent thinkers that are enslaved to the Master. No undead exist without having made a pact of some sort with the Master. This means that some forms of undead like skeletons or zombies may indeed have intelligence and will, and others like vampires or wraiths may not. Do not seek to apply the rules of undead found in other settings to those on Geis for although the names may be the same, the creatures themselves may be vastly different.
The Midewin have the greatest understanding of the Manitou. Whereas the various religious orders concern themselves with the gods themselves, the Midewin focus instead upon the spirit children of those gods. All that is understood about the Spirit World comes from the understanding of the Midewin. They refer to the Spirit World as being like a long vast plain. The Near Spirit World is closer to the physical world and is nearly identical to it in geography. As one travels away from the Near Spirit World, one encounters the Manitou of non-physical things like forces of nature and concepts of understanding. This is called the Far Spirit World. The gods themselves live in the furthest reaches of the Far Spirit World.
Midewin use a sort of magic that is spiritual in nature, calling upon the relevant Manitou in order to attain the desired affect in the physical world. There are two known groups who have made permanent contracts with Manitou other than Midewin. These are the Bards, who have made covenants with the Manitou of Music and Story and the Palan Muerte, those servants of the Emperor who made covenants with the Manitou of Pain and Suffering. These three groups will be discussed in greater detail later.
The Manitou of Geis utilize their powers according to rules understood only by them. A mage or psychic may work with a Manitou without realizing it. Indeed, the Astral Plane and the Etherial Plane are simply other names for the Spirit World. Because of the nature of Manitou, information and knowledge may be stored within the Spirit World. This is not unlike the concept of cyberspace although the means for reaching it are vastly different. Midewin, Palan Muerte, Bards, psychics, mages and priests all can gain access to the Spirit World for the purpose of storing or gaining information. Each does so in a unique way, with only the Midewin being able to physically enter the Spirit World all others merely access it. However the Spirit World in accessed, there is danger to be found. The Manitou are intelligent and willful, they have perspectives vastly different from mortals. To apply concepts of beneficence and maleficence to them is folly for they transcend such ideas. The Midewin strongly caution all who seek to reach the Manitou for to do so is to literally court death or worse.
The further from the physical world one travels, the more powerful and foreign the Manitou one encounters. Many Midewin will never stray far from the physical world. Only the wisest or most foolhardy will venture into the Far Spirit World. Priests of the gods will regularly seek guidance and intervention from their deities. The prayers of these folk are direct connections to their deities and therefore the safest form of communicating with the most powerful beings of the Spirit World, for only the god being prayed to will hear and answer.
* As a side note, the names Midewin and Manitou come from the First Nations people of North America. My use of the terms is not meant as an insult in any way. I was inspired by stories of these people and the role they played in their society and wished to honor them in my fantasy pulp setting. The way I describe the Midewin does not reflect anything upon the reality of the Midewiwin in the history of their relevant peoples any more than the Druids of D&D reflect the ancient order found in Celtic tribes in Europe. *
The Master of the Undead is an intruder upon the Geis realm who has made a home for himself deep in the Far Spirit World. A powerful being of unknown origin, he contends with the gods themselves. His true desires are unknown. Prior to his arrival, there were no undead on Geis and as a consequence of it, the undead are different than in other settings.
To begin with, all Undead have an order of precedence. There are many types of undead from ghosts and skeletons to wraiths, liches and vampires. Some are mindless automatons whereas others are willful and otherwise independent thinkers that are enslaved to the Master. No undead exist without having made a pact of some sort with the Master. This means that some forms of undead like skeletons or zombies may indeed have intelligence and will, and others like vampires or wraiths may not. Do not seek to apply the rules of undead found in other settings to those on Geis for although the names may be the same, the creatures themselves may be vastly different.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Geis Basics: Religion
Geis has a limited pantheon. There are four worshiped gods, whose names are known by their followers but never used out of respect for the sacred nature of the names. Instead, they are commonly referred to as the Creator, the Destroyer, Death and the Master of Undead. All except the Master of the Undead have or had spouses but they are not worshiped. The Creator, the Destroyer and Death are collectively known as the divine siblings.
The most popular of all is the Creator. The Creator is regarded as just that; the Creator of Geis and all the attending Realms. He is commonly thought of as the driving force behind all things Good and Pure. His biggest ally is his wife who is known by many names; Mother Nature, the Goddess and Geis are but a few. Both the Creator and his bride act through many spiritual agents, those of the Creator usually take on forms of animals like the a bear or mouse or bird, while those of the Goddess are usually forces of nature such as the North Wind or Summer or the sea. Popular belief has them having five children, known collectively as the Great Manitou and they represent the five elements of Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit. These Great Manitou have, in turn, created severeal other Manitou, each of them representing everything in Geis from the physical to mere concepts. The Manitou aren’t worshiped like the Creator is, but many pay their respects to them, asking for blessings. The Midewin order concerns itself with the Manitou; caring for them and working with them.
On the opposite end is the Creator’s brother, the Destroyer. The Destroyer opposes everything the Creator stands for. The Destroyer seeks to bring the Abyss back and eliminate all of existence. He seeks to end all that the Creator makes. For him, a death is a step closer to his ultimate victory. This is viewed as why those who serve the Creator excessively beyond what he asks rarely die, but often are removed from the Realm of Geis and can return when needed next. The Destroyer gains power with the souls of those who worship him by deed, especially by those who die before fulfilling the Creator’s purpose for them. If a person succeeds in the purpose the Creator gave them, their Soul does not power the Destroyer. The Destroyer also has many agents who have reached diety status as well. The most powerful of these fall under the general name of the Seven Pits of the Destroyer. They are Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Rage, Greed and Sloth and are directly opposed by the Seven Pillars of the Creator; Faith, Hope, Charity, Fortitude, Justice, Temperance and Prudence. Popular myth also has the Destroyer exerting influence and power over the elemental children of the Creator as well. These may be different factions within each element, or a conflict over the elements themselves, it is unknown.
Then there is the mysterious entity known as Death. She revels in the removal of life by any means. She does not gain souls when they die, but rather seems to be in charge of the transfer of souls as happens at birth and death. She is the sister of the Creator and the Destroyer, though not necessarily believed to be as powerful as either one. Her followers are the fish-men of the deep sea and usually assassins and mercenaries or warmongers. She is known mostly as the being that is feared most, and the only prayers sent her way by non worshipers beg that she not visit them. Her Priests and Priestesses know her husband as the Great Judge who determines a Soul's path after death. Death is completely neutral in her dealings with all the other entities, she is as much a part of the Creator as she is the Destroyer.
The least understood of all is the entity that is known only as the Master of the Undead. This being created the first Vampire and directed the Maelstrom to create the Death Knight. An enemy to both the Creator and the Destroyer, he cheats Death as well. All undead beings fall under the Master’s power and he can make them stronger or remove their undeath from them, sending them into oblivion. If the Creator and the Destroyer are opposing forces, then it can be said that Death opposes the Master of the Undead.
For all beings of Geis, the Soul is immortal and oblivion is the worst punishment. The Destroyer will empower the souls of his most powerful to join him after they die in his eternal struggle, as does the Creator. Death's provenance is the transfer of those souls to where they should be, and the Master binds his followers’ souls to the Geis Realm. It is the fear of oblivion that drove Obsidia to the Death Knight and the Master. Most sages and theologians agree that the deities can be thought of as a pyramid, with the Creator, the Destroyer and the Master forming the three points on the base and Death sitting removed from them all at the top.
The Creation
In the beginning, the Creator, his wife, the Destroyer and his wife and their sister Death and her husband were all of one accord. Working together, the made the world of Geis. The Creator created the animals and birds, the plants and weather, the Destroyer created the insects in their infinite variety. Death assisted all of them in their work and breathed life into their creations. It was then that the Siblings created the first intelligent beings. Working together again, they created the Owaha (Fishmen) who worshiped Death, the Sroloc who worshiped the Creator and the Kr’tchk (Insectmen) who worshiped the Destroyer.
A discussion of their creations led the siblings to pursue matters further. The intelligent beings were widely recognized as their greatest creations but they needed trials in their lives whereby they might learn and grow. Forces needed to be created and control over those forces would be made available to all of them. The three primary forces were magic, mental and physical prowess. It was decided that creatures embodying the best of these primal forces and design for these creatures were given over to the siblings' spouses. The Creator's wife made the Griffons who were the embodiment of the great mental abilities available to all their intelligent creations. The Destroyer's wife made the Dragons that embody magic. Death created the Jortons who could utilize their spirit to enhance their physical abilities to the extent where they could stand on even ground with the psychic Griffons and magical Dragons. All three were given intelligence whereby they could instruct and advise the Owaha, Sroloc and Kr'tchk.
It was after that when the Destroyer and his wife started the First War for reasons that are unclear but it is suspected that it was to prove whose creation was the stronger. The Kr’tchk set about killing the Owaha and the Sroloc. Those beings fought back fiercely. The Sroloc and the Dragons forged an alliance based on their commonality and together they exterminated the Kr’tchk. In a pique of rage, the Destroyer killed his wife. He hid her body, and when the Creator found it, the Destroyer blamed him for her death.
Thus started the great enmity that now exerts such influence over the fate of Geis.
Death, distraught at seeing her brothers war, removed herself from them and set herself up afar from them. Left to their own devices, the Owaha waged a bloody war against the Sroloc. The Dragons, sensing that their Goddess was no more, withdrew themselves in mourning. The Creator, hearing the prayers of his faithful, split them into three sub-races; the amphibian Crocus, the dragon-like Dracus in remembrance of his brother's dead wife and the Chameus who worked so closely with the forces of Mother Nature. The Jortons and Griffons, realizing that they would disrupt the delicate balance of the world, also withdrew from humanity.
Over time, Death and the Creator worked together to end the war between their creations. They created the Helguar to ensure the two would not wage war again and as a peace offering to their brother, whose creations had been destroyed. He refuted them and rebuked them, swearing vengeance on them both. By some unknown means, he brought the Master of Undead to the Geis realm from where it is not known. He had hoped that the Kr'tchk would be raised from their state but the Master ever has his own agenda. Betraying the Destroyer, he rose their bodies and tied their souls to them to serve him. The Master desired the realm of Geis to add to his collection. With the Owaha and the Sroloc unwilling to work together and the Helguar outmatched, Death and the Creator realized that they needed another race, one that would be adaptable and fast breeding enough to thwart the designs of the Master. Thus was the human race born.
Eventually, the Ancilene, Minotaur, Grenis and Malacore races were made as offshoots from the Human race. The Elder races saw their societies decline. The Midling race, Humanity, spread widely across the Geis realm. The Younger races rose and fell, unable to match the Humans' progression and adaptability. Death withdrew from the constant conflict upon the Geis realm by the machinations of the Destroyer. The Creator's wife beseeched her husband to give all the races purpose. So it was that each race came to represent both a Pillar of the Creator and a Pit of the Destroyer for he always seeks to oppose his brother in all things. The Helguar represent both Prudence and Gluttony, the Ancilene Charity and Lust, the Sroloc Hope and Envy, the Grenis Justice and Greed, the Minotaur Temperance and Rage, the Malacore Fortitude and Sloth and Humanity, Faith and Pride. Once this was done, no more did the siblings create for their efforts had been enough.
The most popular of all is the Creator. The Creator is regarded as just that; the Creator of Geis and all the attending Realms. He is commonly thought of as the driving force behind all things Good and Pure. His biggest ally is his wife who is known by many names; Mother Nature, the Goddess and Geis are but a few. Both the Creator and his bride act through many spiritual agents, those of the Creator usually take on forms of animals like the a bear or mouse or bird, while those of the Goddess are usually forces of nature such as the North Wind or Summer or the sea. Popular belief has them having five children, known collectively as the Great Manitou and they represent the five elements of Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit. These Great Manitou have, in turn, created severeal other Manitou, each of them representing everything in Geis from the physical to mere concepts. The Manitou aren’t worshiped like the Creator is, but many pay their respects to them, asking for blessings. The Midewin order concerns itself with the Manitou; caring for them and working with them.
On the opposite end is the Creator’s brother, the Destroyer. The Destroyer opposes everything the Creator stands for. The Destroyer seeks to bring the Abyss back and eliminate all of existence. He seeks to end all that the Creator makes. For him, a death is a step closer to his ultimate victory. This is viewed as why those who serve the Creator excessively beyond what he asks rarely die, but often are removed from the Realm of Geis and can return when needed next. The Destroyer gains power with the souls of those who worship him by deed, especially by those who die before fulfilling the Creator’s purpose for them. If a person succeeds in the purpose the Creator gave them, their Soul does not power the Destroyer. The Destroyer also has many agents who have reached diety status as well. The most powerful of these fall under the general name of the Seven Pits of the Destroyer. They are Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Rage, Greed and Sloth and are directly opposed by the Seven Pillars of the Creator; Faith, Hope, Charity, Fortitude, Justice, Temperance and Prudence. Popular myth also has the Destroyer exerting influence and power over the elemental children of the Creator as well. These may be different factions within each element, or a conflict over the elements themselves, it is unknown.
Then there is the mysterious entity known as Death. She revels in the removal of life by any means. She does not gain souls when they die, but rather seems to be in charge of the transfer of souls as happens at birth and death. She is the sister of the Creator and the Destroyer, though not necessarily believed to be as powerful as either one. Her followers are the fish-men of the deep sea and usually assassins and mercenaries or warmongers. She is known mostly as the being that is feared most, and the only prayers sent her way by non worshipers beg that she not visit them. Her Priests and Priestesses know her husband as the Great Judge who determines a Soul's path after death. Death is completely neutral in her dealings with all the other entities, she is as much a part of the Creator as she is the Destroyer.
The least understood of all is the entity that is known only as the Master of the Undead. This being created the first Vampire and directed the Maelstrom to create the Death Knight. An enemy to both the Creator and the Destroyer, he cheats Death as well. All undead beings fall under the Master’s power and he can make them stronger or remove their undeath from them, sending them into oblivion. If the Creator and the Destroyer are opposing forces, then it can be said that Death opposes the Master of the Undead.
For all beings of Geis, the Soul is immortal and oblivion is the worst punishment. The Destroyer will empower the souls of his most powerful to join him after they die in his eternal struggle, as does the Creator. Death's provenance is the transfer of those souls to where they should be, and the Master binds his followers’ souls to the Geis Realm. It is the fear of oblivion that drove Obsidia to the Death Knight and the Master. Most sages and theologians agree that the deities can be thought of as a pyramid, with the Creator, the Destroyer and the Master forming the three points on the base and Death sitting removed from them all at the top.
The Creation
In the beginning, the Creator, his wife, the Destroyer and his wife and their sister Death and her husband were all of one accord. Working together, the made the world of Geis. The Creator created the animals and birds, the plants and weather, the Destroyer created the insects in their infinite variety. Death assisted all of them in their work and breathed life into their creations. It was then that the Siblings created the first intelligent beings. Working together again, they created the Owaha (Fishmen) who worshiped Death, the Sroloc who worshiped the Creator and the Kr’tchk (Insectmen) who worshiped the Destroyer.
A discussion of their creations led the siblings to pursue matters further. The intelligent beings were widely recognized as their greatest creations but they needed trials in their lives whereby they might learn and grow. Forces needed to be created and control over those forces would be made available to all of them. The three primary forces were magic, mental and physical prowess. It was decided that creatures embodying the best of these primal forces and design for these creatures were given over to the siblings' spouses. The Creator's wife made the Griffons who were the embodiment of the great mental abilities available to all their intelligent creations. The Destroyer's wife made the Dragons that embody magic. Death created the Jortons who could utilize their spirit to enhance their physical abilities to the extent where they could stand on even ground with the psychic Griffons and magical Dragons. All three were given intelligence whereby they could instruct and advise the Owaha, Sroloc and Kr'tchk.
It was after that when the Destroyer and his wife started the First War for reasons that are unclear but it is suspected that it was to prove whose creation was the stronger. The Kr’tchk set about killing the Owaha and the Sroloc. Those beings fought back fiercely. The Sroloc and the Dragons forged an alliance based on their commonality and together they exterminated the Kr’tchk. In a pique of rage, the Destroyer killed his wife. He hid her body, and when the Creator found it, the Destroyer blamed him for her death.
Thus started the great enmity that now exerts such influence over the fate of Geis.
Death, distraught at seeing her brothers war, removed herself from them and set herself up afar from them. Left to their own devices, the Owaha waged a bloody war against the Sroloc. The Dragons, sensing that their Goddess was no more, withdrew themselves in mourning. The Creator, hearing the prayers of his faithful, split them into three sub-races; the amphibian Crocus, the dragon-like Dracus in remembrance of his brother's dead wife and the Chameus who worked so closely with the forces of Mother Nature. The Jortons and Griffons, realizing that they would disrupt the delicate balance of the world, also withdrew from humanity.
Over time, Death and the Creator worked together to end the war between their creations. They created the Helguar to ensure the two would not wage war again and as a peace offering to their brother, whose creations had been destroyed. He refuted them and rebuked them, swearing vengeance on them both. By some unknown means, he brought the Master of Undead to the Geis realm from where it is not known. He had hoped that the Kr'tchk would be raised from their state but the Master ever has his own agenda. Betraying the Destroyer, he rose their bodies and tied their souls to them to serve him. The Master desired the realm of Geis to add to his collection. With the Owaha and the Sroloc unwilling to work together and the Helguar outmatched, Death and the Creator realized that they needed another race, one that would be adaptable and fast breeding enough to thwart the designs of the Master. Thus was the human race born.
Eventually, the Ancilene, Minotaur, Grenis and Malacore races were made as offshoots from the Human race. The Elder races saw their societies decline. The Midling race, Humanity, spread widely across the Geis realm. The Younger races rose and fell, unable to match the Humans' progression and adaptability. Death withdrew from the constant conflict upon the Geis realm by the machinations of the Destroyer. The Creator's wife beseeched her husband to give all the races purpose. So it was that each race came to represent both a Pillar of the Creator and a Pit of the Destroyer for he always seeks to oppose his brother in all things. The Helguar represent both Prudence and Gluttony, the Ancilene Charity and Lust, the Sroloc Hope and Envy, the Grenis Justice and Greed, the Minotaur Temperance and Rage, the Malacore Fortitude and Sloth and Humanity, Faith and Pride. Once this was done, no more did the siblings create for their efforts had been enough.
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