Subject: Re: Althainon 1.0
From: Jonathan Koehn (dgkoehn@gbasin.net)
Date: Fri Sep 24 1999 - 17:05:50 EEST
I like its nice :) On the floating islands I was wondering if you could send small outline drawing citadels and storage buildings. If not ill try to come up with something. Jonathan at "dgkoehn@gbasin.net" ----- Original Message ----- From: joshua 'akix' corning <hook@u.washington.edu> To: design-post <majik-design@majik3d.org> Sent: Thursday, September 23, 1999 8:56 PM Subject: Althainon 1.0 > Basically i just ran it through a spell checker and moved some things > into appearances. > > Joshua 'Akix > hook@u.washington.edu > > > > > > ALTHAINON > > 1. Description > 2. Climate > 3. Flora > 4 Fauna > 5. History > 6. Geography > 6.1 River of Black Tears (Harem's Tears) > 6.2 Forest of Abhorrence > 6.3 Floating Islands > 7. Cities/Landmarks > 7.1 Adremas > 7.2 Brearon > 7.3 Baor > 7.4 Jarpin > 7.5 Sadok > 7.6 Castle Theamar > > > 1. DESCRIPTION OF ALTHAINON > > Althainon is a region located on the southern portion of Majik's > second largest continent Eldiron. Life in Althainon is dictated by the > extreme seasonal changes brought on by its vicinity to the volcanos of > Tragothar. In the summer and spring months (The Sedise season) it is a > lush green paradise with grassy plains flower covered hills and lush > forests. In the winter and fall (the Antrok season.) all vegetation > dies, or becomes dormant and the land turns into a desolate waste of ash > ruled by marauding orcs. Western Althainon borders the smoldering wastes > of Tragothar. To the north it borders Areon and the Lamarhen lakes. > Several islands in the lakes are considered part of Althainon. To the > west is the region of Nin'calaris. The south is bordered by the Sea of > flames. In the south of Althainon is forest land with a small group of > short mountains, the east is mostly ash year around. The central area > are plains rolling hills and a nicely sized river that dumps into the > azure lakes. Also in the central plain are the Floating Islands, 30 or > so large gravity defying land masses that levitate 200 meters from the > ground, circling the central plains region of Althainon in a clock like > yearly migration. In the north near the coast are forests and marsh > lowlands. The primary inhabitants of Althainon are the Althainion people > who toil in the plains during the pleasant Sedise season (spring and > summer) then flee east during the ash driven storms of Antrok (winter > and fall). > > 2. CLIMATE > > Althainon's climate is controlled by the volcanic activity of > Tragothar. Luckily for the inhabitants it is somewhat predictable (This > can be be done in two ways. Either the winds blow west taking the ash > away during the summer and spring or the eruptions of the volcanoes only > occur during certain months.). The cycle is as follows during Antrok > (Winter and Fall) the land is dead and the sky dark with ash from > Tragothar with rare cloud breaks. Surprisingly the temperature is > actually hotter during these months by about 5 degrees caused by the > hot, ash heavy, air coming from Tragothar. Drastic differences in > temperature between Tragothar and the Lamarhen lakes create massive > storms during these months. Tornados, torrential black rain and > hurricane strength winds are common. > Because of a shift in the winds that blow away the ash storms > the summer and spring months are mild and sunny. During these months the > average temperature stays at a pleasant 72 degrees Fahrenheit (yeah, i > know this needs to be converted to Celsius) and a cool sweet smelling > breeze comes from The Lamarhen lakes and blows west towards the > hellscape of Tragothar. These conditions are by no means completely > constant the lengths of the two seasons are variable some years the > black clouds come late or not at all and in still others the westerly > winds do not blow and take the black storms away keeping Althainon black > all year long. in approximately One in 6 seasons the climate seems to do > one of the above. > > 3. FLORA > > Athainon's plant life is constricted by a six month growth > period. What it lacks in time it makes up for in quantity. The soil of > Athainon is rich with volcanic ash and a high water table. Whole fruit > barring Pipple trees grow 4 meters tall in these short months. In fact > the local inhabitants have forged a agricultural wonder out of this > abundance. It is said that enough food is grown in Athainon to feed all > of Eldiron. Every year hundreds of ships sail down the Black Tear River > laden with pipple fruit vegetables and grain sailing to all the ports > connected to the Lamarhen lakes some even sail as far as the southern > shores of the continent Minartan. Caravans bring the sweet Pipple fruit > to the winter trade center at the western edge of the Desert of > Ghalimcar to trade with the Brahjians. > Generally during the Antrok (winter and fall) months almost all > plant life decays and dies. Trees making up the Forest of Abhorrence > shed there leaves and become dormant. > Pipples are a fruit similar to oranges and other citrus fruit > except they are red and oblong. Their peel is a little tougher as well. > The plant itself is a fast growing tree that gets about 4 meters tall > bears fruit then dies but its roots do survive and will grow again the > following year. The Althainion people have domesticated this plant and > cultivate orchards that grow and disappear each year. > > 4. FAUNA > > Generally speaking large animal life in Althainon is rare. There > is of course the normal array of bugs, snakes, small rodents, lizards > and birds, none being supernatural or exceptionally poisonous. Although > mosquitos and gnats can be annoying along the River of Black Tears and > in the northern lowlands by Adremas. In the Forest of Abhorrence Larger > animals do exist such as monkeys larger weasels and predatory birds like > owls and eagles, but during the ashen black season all these creatures > either hibernate or migrate (birds). The only creatures that wander the > wastes at this time are rats, lizards, cockroaches and orcs. > > 5. HISTORY > > Althainon first became inhabited by humans some four hundred > years ago as groups of Areons slowly began to adapt to its lands. Before > that it was completely wild with no permanent settlement where only orcs > traveled through in their raids to Nin'calaris and Areon. It is unknown > as to who or what created the Floating Islands or Castle Theamar or even > if it was the same entity. Their origins lost in the sands of time. > > 6. GEOGRAPHY > > 6.1 RIVER OF BLACK TEARS > > Also called Harum's' Tears. Local folklore has it that when the > god Harum first saw Tragothar he stood on the plains of Althainon and > wept black tears of joy at the sight of it. Those tears became the > waters of the River of Black Tears. Whether this is true or not is > unknown. The river does run black however stained by the black ashen > soil that is deposited in huge amount from the volcanos of Tragothar. > The head waters actually begin at the small mountain range in the south > of Althainon and travel through the Forest of Abhorrence but mostly in > small streams or under ground. It does not become a full navigable river > until about the center of the Althainon plain. It moves in a generally > northern direction to the Lamarhen Lakes passing by the city of Sadok. > Fish and freshwater crustaceans do live in river dissipate the heavy > black ash sediment. Aquatic life is not abundant though and little > fishing is done along its banks. The Althainions leave that to fisherman > along the coast and concentrate on farming. > > 6.2 FOREST OF ABHORRENCE > > So named because of a great battle that waged here over a > century ago. It was a year in which the black ash storms did not break > and the westerly winds did not blow. Orc attacks were heavy and the city > of Sadok had fallen. An army of Althainions and Nin'calaris converged > here and met the Orc hoards. The battle lasted for six full months and > casualties where very high on both sides but the Althainions gained > victory. After the orcs had been pushed back to Tragothar and the black > storms had recided The forest was renamed The Forest of Abhorrence to > signify the Althainions hatred of Orcs. The Forest itself is quite thick > and only penetrable within four kilometer of its edge. During the Antrok > season most of its plant life become dorment and loose their leaves. > Those that do not live along the coast of the Sea of Flames and are > sheltered by the mountains their from the black storms of Antrok. A few > Althainions live in the Forest mostly on the outer edges. They are > Woodsmen who prefere to live in isolation and genneraly shun > civilization. They do consider themselves Althainions though and share > their characturistics. A group of druids also live the forests they too > are Athainion and are very genorus with their healing magics which the > Althainions take full advantage of often travilling here to mend broken > bones cure illnesses and heal battle wounds inflicted by orc raids. The > druids live deeper into the forest then the woodsmen and are belived to > be based near the mountains. Their exact location is unknown but > individual druids or small travaling groups are easily found with the > help of a local woodsmen. > > > 6.3 FLOATING ISLANDS > > If there is a set of world wonders on Eldiron these are high on > the list. Floating above the plains of Althainon are exactly 31 chunks > of rock that migrate along a precise counterclockwise elliptical path. > In early spring they reach castle Theamar and in early fall fly over the > city of Sadok. Most of the islands are small only a dozen meters across, > but four of them are exeptionaly large being between a hundred to five > hundred meters in diameter. They all float roughly 200 meters in the air > in a random formation covering roughly 10 square kilometers of air > space. They are solely possessed and inhabited by the Althainions who > use them for food storage to weather in during Antrok, to escape orc > raids and to retake Castle Theamar in the early spring when needed. The > four larger ones have citadels built atop of them giving protection for > archers, the smaller ones used as scouting positions to spot orc bands > off on the horizon. It is common knowledge among the Althainions to know > where each of 31 islands are at all times all being taught as children > with mathematical presition. Large stone slabs set by the Althainions > pock the plains marking the Islands path. Their migration used by the > people to set crop calendar. The origin of the islands is unknown. > Attempts have been made to change their path but all have failed often > in the destruction of the mucked island. Animal life in the forest is > abundent but consiting mostly of smaller animals. There are several > types of monkies a mutitude of birds and rodents, bugs, snakes and > lizards. Along the coast of the Sea of Flames sheltered by the mountains > there are some larger mamals. A few troops of apes, some forest deer and > large cats live here. > > 7. CITIES/LANDMARKS > > 7.1 ADREMAS > > Adremas is on the northern most border of Althainon. It is > located in the center of a marsh and most of the buildings are > constructed upon stilts. Because it is in a marsh many iron smiths > reside here collecting the ore deposits that accumulate in the lowlands. > They make weapons plows nails horse shoes axes etc. Many build up large > supplies of iron work during the winter to sell in Baor during Sedise > (Spring and Summer). The city also supports a small fishing community > and merchants come to buy agricultural goods produced in Althainon. Most > of the residance do not consider themselves Althainion though but are > Areons. It is mentioned here because about five hundred Althainions > spend Antrok (fall and Winter) here. The population is rughly two > thousand not including the seasonal Althainions. > > 7.2 BREARON > > Brearon is also not an Althainion town but is property of > Nin'calaris. About three hundred Althainions winter here mostly in tent > towns across the river from Brearon. Also nearby a hundred Althainion > Woodsman hold permanent residence in the Abhorrence Forest and often > come here to trade goods. About seven hundred people live in Brearon not > including the Althainions > > 7.3 BAOR > > Boar is not a permanent city it is a seasonal one. During the > Antrok season (winter and fall) it is completely abandoned. The > inhabitants either migrate north up the River of Black Tears to Sadok > and other small villages along the coasts of the Lamarhen lakes or seek > refuge, in The Floating Islands. During the Sedise season Baor becomes a > bustling trade center. Farmers from all around the Althainon plains > region come to sell their produce. Traders from Nin'calaris come to sell > farming goods and weapons. Smiths who weather in Adremas set up shop > here bringing iron goods and repair horse shoes, swords, and plows. > Woodsmen from the Forest of Abhorrence sell bows, fire wood, and other > crafts. Some even try their hand at farming. The city is in essence a > seasonal tent market. When the last leaves have begun to fall it is > empty of all human life. During the fall and winter months it is picked > through by Orcs who camp there and destroy any human remnants. The peak > population of Baor reaches about 10,000 humans during mid summer > although well over a third of which are not native Althainions, and > consist of traders merchants and suicidal adventurers traveling to their > graves in Tragothar. > > 7.4 JARPIN > > The city of Jarpin is wedged between the Lamarhen Lakes coast > and just on the Althainion side of the Nin'calaris border. It sits upon > a high cliff that overlooks the lakes with the only small path for a > half a mile in each direction that leads down to the water. At the > waters level the city has built several docks for merchant and fishing > ships as well as a few tunnels into the cliff walls in which some people > live and do business. Although most residents here do not share the > Althainion migrant farmer, bow slinging, life style of their plains > brethren they consider themselves to be Althainions. This arises partly > because of the some two hundred farmers who spend Antrok here but mostly > from their shared hatred of orcs who have been know to siege Jarpin on > their winter raids. There live approximately 6000 humans here including > the 200 who spend Antrok here. > > 7.5 SADOK > > Sadok is located at a bend along the River of Black Tears > roughly midway between Baor, where the river begins, and the Lamarhen > lakes where it ends. It is a well fortified city having two thick ten > meter tall walls encircling it and strong concrete towers that ring the > city about a kilometer out from it . The towers are used as outposts to > spot orc bands. If orcs are spotted large bonfires are lit atop the > towers to alarm the city. The area of the city is small for its > population. Private estates are none existent, housing consisting of > multilevel apartments with shops at street level. Building materials for > the dwellings consists of stone, concrete bricks and some wood but the > later is rarely used to protect against orc fire storm attacks. Every > year just before the beginning of Sedise a huge festival is held within > the city called Enantrokfest. The festival lasts for two days during > which all non-Althainions are closed from the city and a new mayor is > elected. All able bodied residents participate in the election by > gathering in the center of the city and stand next to the the candidate > they choose, a simple head count is conducted and whom ever has the most > supporters wins the mayor ship for a year. The population of Sadok > fluctuates through the year. During Antrok mostly only Anthainons reside > here keeping the population at roughly 7500. During Sedise it virtually > empties of Althainions dropping the population of Althainons to 2000 but > a large influx of traders merchants, and ship crews raises the > population to 5000. Althainion property is often rented out to the > visitors at this time. Outside the city about 3 kilometers to the west > Althainions have placed dozens of severed orc heads impailed open 4 > meter tall poles as a warning to any orc bands who travel nearby. > > 7.6 CASTLE THEAMAR > > "Abandon all hope ye who pass this point." Castle Theamar is > the last human settlement before entering Tragothar. When adventures go > to meet their doom in the western lands of Eldiron they will stop here > for provisions and information. It's construction is ancient and has > existed before any elf or dragon alive can remember. It is also > indestructible. It is said that the Gods themselves could not tear down > it's black smooth walls. This is however probably not true. They either > don't care or its existence purely amuses them. Though the gods have > never tried to harm the castle mortals have and none have ever left a > scratch. The structure itself is 100 meters tall and 18 meters wide at > its base. It is divided into eight 10 meter high tiers each one becomes > smaller as it gets higher. Each tier is self contained and defensible. > During the Antrok season (winter and fall) between 100 to 200 > brave warriors (i.e. lunatics) stay in the castle and defend it against > orcs. Most years they survive the onslaught giving up maybe half of the > tiers and a quarter of the men before Sedise (spring and summer) and the > return of the Floating Islands at which point the orcs retreat from the > arrows that fall on them from above. This is not always the case though, > every ten years or so the orcs do take the castle but usually give it up > in the Sadise season. > > PEOPLE > > ALTHAINIONS -Humans > > 1. Introduction > 2. Appearance > 3. History > 4. Culture > 4.1 Food & Trade > 4.2 Phylosophy and Temperment > 4.3 Military > 4.4 Law and Order > 4.5 Woodsmen and Druids > 5. Religion > 6. Language > 7. Althainon > 8. Role-playing > > 1. Introduction > > Althainions are foolhardy, reckless, talented and hardworking. > They are constantly on the move either running to plant crops on the > fertile plains of central Althainon in the Sedise (spring and summer) or > running from the harsh weather and onslaught of orc hoards that comes in > Antrok (fall and winter). They are similar in ancestry to the Areons of > the north. They have dark straight hair, although red hair does show up > especially among those living in the Forest of Abhorrence and across the > river from Brearon, and black, brown or hazel eyes. Their skin is very > dark, almost black in color and their features sharp with high cheeks, > sharp noses, and defined jaw and chin. > Althainions are ruled by the changing seasons of Althainon. > During the Sedise (Summer and Spring) they grow enormous quantities of > crops on the rich soil of the plains from the banks of the Black Tear > River to Castle Theamar. Then when the wind changes and black ash clouds > set in they pack up and flee to winter on the shores of the Lamarhen > lakes and within the well fortified city of Sadok. At which time they > hold extravagant feasts and engage in a mortal game of cat and mouse > with the invading orcs that pour into Althainon with the Black storms of > Antrok. > > 2. Appearance > > They are similar in ancestry to the Areons of the north. They have dark > straight hair, although red hair does show up especially among those > living in the Forest of Abhorrence and across the river from Brearon, > and black, brown or hazel eyes. Their skin is very dark, almost black in > color and their features sharp with high cheeks, sharp noses, and > defined jaw and chin. > Althainions generally appear unkempt with grubby faces, tangled > hair and dusty wreaked cloths. In the Antrok season (winter and fall) > they do clean them selves up a bit, bathing mostly and lame attempts at > keeping there cloths and hair tidy. Their tastes in clothing are > utilitarian in look and fashion. Both men and women wear thick pants > heavy shoes and plain long sleeve shirts or ponchos<--(there has to be a > better name for this). At festivals, though, women have been known to > wear dresses but these are usually reserved for the young and unwed. > Their physique is gangly and awkward having lean well muscled arms and > large strong calloused hands from plowing and harvesting. They are also > always with bow and arrows. Items that never leave their sight. > > 3. History > > The Althainon people arrived to there now home land some 400 > years ago. They are closely related to the people of Areon and in fact > slowly migrated from that land as they addapted to Althainon's harsh > conditions. Most of how they live has remained unchanged since they > migrated here exept for some refinements to the harsh enviornment they > call home. > War have played an important part in shaping Althainion history. > They have been at constant war with the orcs of Tragothar; the most > recent large scale war occured about 100 years ago when a great leader > unified the Orc tribes and set off to conqure all of western Eldiron. > Through an ueasy aliance with Nin'calaris, Thasia and the peoples of > Areon they where able to push back the Orcs. Many cultural prescidents > where set from this war. The most striking were the incorperation of > women apon the battle feild, the habitation of the Abhorance Forest by > Althainions, heavier fortification of Sadok and the Floating Islands, > and continued year long occupation of Castle Theamar along with a more > binding political military agreements with the Areon people. In the past > there has also been conflicts with the people of Nin'calaris. Mostly > border disputes and scremishes with Nin'calaris malitia who travel into > Althainon in pusute of Orc who yearly raid portions of Nin'calaris. > > 4. Culture > > Althainion culture is shaped by the land they live upon. They > are wild like the seasons that wreck the land and rebirth it again each > year. They live to the fullest be it in work or play and have a > tentative respect for nature and weather that is similar to how a seaman > views the Ocean. > Common life of Althainions is a wild binge and purge of > activities between hard work and leisure. In the Sedise season (spring > and summer) they rush madly to the Althainon central plains to sow their > crops. At this time they work hard often 18 to 20 hours a day. Then in > late Sadise they harvest what is left pack up and leave often with > enough food to last three years. They haul it on rafts, put it on mules > and stack full the graneries atop the Floating Islands. Most spend the > Antrok months in the walled city of Sadok but others winter on the > coast, in the Lamarhen islands, in the Forest of Abhorrence and atop the > Floating Islands. Then the feasts and festivals begin. Althainions are > renouned for finding reasons to celebrate. They have parties, > post-harvest fests, pre-planting fests, weddings, Orc raiding > calebrations both befor and after, coming of age parties for young men > and women even for funnerals. They drink eat and spend the large sums of > wealth which they accumulate from trading their crops. > Althainions are plaged by war brought by the orc who invade > Althainon year round. Though this is more prominent during the Antrok > season, which the Althainions avoid by migrating, it remains a constant > threat. A threat that has forged the Althainons into some of the best > archers in all of Majik. It is said that any Althainion child of twelve > can shoot the wings off a butterfly 300 meters away. They teach the > leasons of war to their children at a young age and regard it as an > unpleasent necesity for survival. These wars have faustered a deep > hatred of orcs and few things please an Althainion more then to watch > the death throes of an arrow filled orc. > > 4.1 Food and Trade > > The abundance of food produced during the Sedise (spring and > summer) season make Althainions some of the most well fed humans in all > of Majik. Huge stores of grain and fruit preserves are kept by them for > the Antrok season. Enough to feed them even in years when Antrok season > does not end. With the great aboundace of food they make a good sums of > money through trade. Most trading in Althainon accures at Baor durring > the Sedise season. Hundreds of ships, caravans, craftsmen and merchents > converge there to buy Althainion grown crops and to sell goods to > Athainions. The crops are usually sold for cheap because of the sheer > quantity produced but goods sales are fair the Nin'calaris usually kept > honest by the competition of tradesmen and craftsmen from Adremas and > the Lamarhen lake Islands. Little trade accures in the city of Sadok. > There is some exchange of luxuary good for festivals and the purchase of > fish livestock and woolen goods but generaly not as as much for another > city of its size. The city of Jaspin has fishing and trade to support > itself. The Althainion Woodsmen from the Forest of Abhorrence produce > bows and arrows, the bow strings made from the guts of orcs, plow and ax > handles and other crafts which they sell at Baor along with fire wood. > > 4.2 Philosophy and Temperment > > Althainions are simple, strait froward, loyal and honest. They > act how they feel and think. If they are angry they show it, if happy > they dance. Deceit is none existant among them. A common saying among > them is "No lying thief has ever lead a richer or happier life then any > honest man I ever heard of." They have a deep respect for the land they > toil upon and share that respect among thier brethren. Community among > the Althainions is a neccesity to servival. They are genouruse to one > another almost to a fault; riches and possessesions are seen as next to > nothing when compared to the freindship and loyalty they bestow upon > each other. It is not uncommon for a family to give up half their crop > earning to neibors who fall apon hard times. As stated above > Althainions show their emotions. This leads to the view that they are > very hot tempered. It is not uncommon to see Althainions screeming at > the top of their lungs at one another. Although disagreements are common > they never end in blood shed only in red faces and some shoveing and are > resolved with an even hand and quikly forgotten. Althainions are feircly > loyal. An indescretion against one Althainion is against all > Althainions. Sword play in a tavern against an Althainion often leads to > a quick death to any outsider. > > 4.3 Military > > Formal Oginization of arms does not exist among the Althainions. > Instead more of an organic cordination accures when the time is needed. > Every Althainion knows basic statagy and war tactics along with > exeptional archery skills all which is taught at an early age. It is > said that a bow is placed in an Althainion childs' hands, both boys and > girls, before they can walk. Althainions are the best human achers in > all of Majik if not the best period. They are accurate at a full run > while fireing at targets behind them. In Sedrok archers apon the city > ramparts and along the outer towers have range targeted, with leg fired > bows, as far as a kilometer out and kill orcs by the dozens each year > before the orcs even see who is fireing apon them. > After four hundred years of waring with the orcs the Althainions > have adapted a simlpe yet effecteive stratagy. They unload as much > arrows apon an attacking group of orcs as they can then run. Althainion > war tactics are based apon defence and soft retreating archers. Orcs > have been known to attack Althainions a hundred stong bering down apon a > group a fifth their size chasing the Althionions over kilometers of > plain to only be picked off one by one before they even get within sword > striking distace. The keystone to Althainion defence and survival are > the Floating Islands. The inacesibility of the Islands Combined with > althainions exeptional archery skills make them verual inpenitrble to > the orcs. They are used as a safe base apon which the althainions > waether the most feirce orc attacks. In fact most agricultuarl work is > done in cync with the moving Islands so that working Althainions on the > plains can flee to them at a moments notice never more then a few > kilometers away. Althainions are rarely offencive in battle prefuring to > flee only holding ground at Sadok, Theamar castle, and within the > Floating Islands. They have never attacked into Tragothar land but do > encurage adventures to do so in the hopes that some orcs will be killed > before the adevturers inevitable demise. > > 4.4 Law and Order > > Althainions lack any written set of laws and regulations. > Instead they rely upon "common sense and the law of the land" as they > like to call it. Luckly little enforcement and litigation is needed. > Althainions are to honest to be thives or huslters and most arguements > over land ond property are settled between themselves. If an arguement > is unsettleable a mutual freind will act as arbitrator who's desision is > almost always adhered to. Capital offences such as murder and rape are > treated quickly and brutily, death being the only sentace for such > crimes. Exucution of such punishments are done by mob, archer firing > squade as the preforable method. > Decisions and government are finalized by consencus or elected > official. Leadership positions are filled when the time is needed > scouting party and war band leaders are choosen on the spot with an > inpromptue election and unquestioned. Government in the city of sadok is > decided once a year by a general election but no decition is made by any > single man or women without some input by fellow citezens. Althainions > see themselves as freemen, and free women, and as such view servitude, > usuary and slavery as abominations and are simply not allowed. > > 4.5 Woodsmen and Druids (im not sure i should use the term druid > should i come up with something orinal in name) > > A small population of people live in the forest of Abhorrance > and are refered to as Woodsmen. They are of Althainion blood and > character. The Woodsmen are the extreem of Althainion belief and > temperment being highly individualistic and shun civilization. They > prefer the isolation of nature and the forests. Woodsmen live off of > what the forest provides. They produce wood crafts and exeptional bows > and arrows which they often sell at Baor during Sedise. Some even try > their hand at farming on and off through the years. Family groups of 3 > to 7 idividuals live in wood treehouse like structures that are nearly > imposible to see being well camoflaged from orc maraders. Lone woodsmen > living deeper in the forest are not uncommen. > Druids live deep in the forest and number from seventy five to a > hundred they worship Grebifor the god/goddess of nature and practice the > art of healing upon the population of Althainon. Their main residence > within the forest is not known even among the woodsmen. Each year a > group of five or ten travel to Baor where prospective children are > asesed and worthy one are allowed to join the Druids. The ages of those > chossen are between 10 and 12 and only 2 to three aare taken each year. > Druids can be found fairly easily within the forests for they often > travel among the trees and make their presence known to the woodsmen by > frequently stopping at their homes and staying for small times at commen > gathering places. > > 5. Religion > > Althainions are generaly privite among strangers in their > worship and do not hold grand cerimonies or have temples dedicated to > their god Grebifor. Their beliefs and spiritual feels do run deep but > they view religion as a personal affair and are humble in their worship. > Prayers are usualy done silently but can be spoken aloud at meal times, > with children at their bed time or befor the celebrations that acure at > Antrok. Althainions also sing spirituals about and to their god while > working in their feilds. They worship almost exclusivly Grebifor god or > goddess of nature. Grebifor lacks any gender because to the Althainions > nature has no gender. The druids of the Forest of Abhorrence are > holders of religios knowladge for the Althainions and those seeking > spiritual and religious guidence will travel to the forest for such > knowledeg often spending up to a year there learning the ways of > Grebifor. Althainions also pay homedge to Aerfik god of archery and > defencive war though to a much lesser degree. Befor a battle or while > making a bow they will sometimes say a silent prayer asking for his > favor. > > 6. Language > > Antrok means black and Sedise means green in Althainion. The > Althainion language is nearly identical to the lanuage spoken in Areon > exept for a few more dirogitory terms used by them to describe orcs. > > 7. Althainon > > Althainon is a region located on the southern portion of Majik's > second largest continent Eldiron. Life in Althainon is dictated by the > extreme seasonal changes brought on by its vicinity to the volcanos of > Tragothar. In the summer and spring months (The Sedise season) it is a > lush green paradise with grassy plains flower covered hills and lush > forests. In the winter and fall (the Antrok season.) all vegetation > dies, or becomes dormant and the land turns into a desolate waste of ash > ruled by marauding orcs. Western Althainon borders the smoldering wastes > of Tragothar. To the north it borders Areon and the Lamarhen lakes. > Several islands in the lakes are considered part of Althainon. To the > west is the region of Nin'calaris. The south is bordered by the Sea of > flames. In the south of Althainon is forest land with a small group of > short mountains, the east is mostly ash year around. The central area > are plains rolling hills and a nicely sized river that dumps into the > azure lakes. Also in the central plain are the Floating Islands, 30 or > so large gravity defying land masses that levitate 200 meters from the > ground, circling the central plains region of Althainon in a clock like > yearly migration. In the north near the coast are forests and marsh > lowlands. The primary inhabitants of Althainon are the Althainion people > who toil in the plains during the pleasant Sedise season (spring and > summer) then flee east during the ash driven storms of Antrok (winter > and fall). > > 8. Role-playing > > NAMES: In the words of Beregar "I demand names that has > preferably have nothing to do with any real life languages. Structure of > name must be suitable for their language (check words). If I, or > preferably players of this race find some person using unsuitable names > there will be punishment of some sort, like creation of new character. > Should same person continue violating these rules and I'll see > personally that he or she won't play Majik anymore."(Although I probably > don't have that kind of power:) ) > > BATTLE: In hand to hand Althainions use most types of arms; > swords, axes, pikes, spears, etc. All Althainions use bows and train to > be the highest proficancy in its implementaion as possible. On the whole > they are defencive warrriors and are exelent in the art of statigic > withdrawl. Often firing their bows then retrieting back past another > battery of archers and setting up to fire again. > > RELIGION: They are deeply religious and are unbending in faith > to Grebifor, but are private in their worship. They are often seen > praying but such prayers are silent. They do not not like to speak of > worship and religion with strangers. > > MAGIC: Magic at this point holds no peice of althainion life. > Though they have no aversion to it. It is not inconcivable for an > althainion to leave Althainon in search of magic. The Druids in the > Forest of Abhorrence do practice magic but it is of a religious nature > and primarily used for healing and defence. > > PHILOSOPHY: Althainions have little trouble saying what they > think. They should be played brash if not a bit rude. They are quick to > anger but not quick to start a fight. They are exeptionaly loyal and > will fight with their lives to defend a friend. They are not eisilly > allied with but when they do make freinds it is with the deepest love > and loyalty. They also hate orcs and will have nothing to do with them. > They usualy kill them on sight if it is within their power. > >
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