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Fantasy Ballad of Renegades Lore

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Corn Orc Vandal

Corn Orc Vandal

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Agonos Isles
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The Agonos Isles are located at the heart of Kirlia, in the center of the Tempest Sea. This chain of islands are in an enviable location, with numerous trade routes passing by. The weather is temperate year-round, and the soil is suitable for growing nearly anything. Even the Tempest Sea seems calm the closer one sails to the islands.

Yet crops fail, ships crash, and disease spreads like wildfire on these islands. One cannot walk more than a mile without stumbling across the ruins of past civilizations, some known and most forgotten. Things just go badly for anyone looking to settle on the Agonos Isles, and most have simply given up save for the stubborn, the desperate, or the magically inclined.

Located at the southern tip of the largest isle, Atychía is the only city of any significance on the archipelago. Some speculate this is only due in part to the Agonos Conclave, an order of mages who have occupied the tower which looms over the city for as long as anyone can recall. People from all over Kirlia travel to Atychía seeking the Conclave's help. Few receive it.


  • The city of Atychía clings to the mountainous coastline, each building clinging for dear life onto the craggy rockface. Whoever built this gravity-defying town obviously had no fear of heights. Visitors typically arrive by boat in the city's small harbor, where they are instantly set upon by desperate hawkers trying to sell new arrivals miracle potions sourced "directly from the Conclave," talismans to ward of evil, and guides promising to help gain the Conclave's favor.

    The city is a siren song for the desperate and ill, all looking for the Conclave's magic. They come seeking charity, but almost never receive it, and having spent their last few coins on the journey, become trapped in Atychía.

    Few businesses operate in Atychía, save for inns and a couple run-down taverns. Many simply sleep in abandoned houses or alleyways. The inns themselves are almost all rackets, designed to drain as much money from wayward souls and miserable pilgrims as possible.

    Most stay in Atychía until their money runs out or their spirit breaks, whichever comes first. Some, however, choose to stay, seeking to rough it out and gain entrance to the Conclave no matter the cost. Most succumb to despair or madness before they do, and end up empty husks wandering Atychía's streets. They howl and rave at their misfortune, laugh and grin at the absurdity of it all, weep and whine at the injustice done to them. Plenty of colorful characters amongst the locals.

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    The city of Atychía​
 

Westvale

Written by Aegis Aegis ​

Westvale is a small Barony in the West of a larger Kingdom, Braethia, ruled by the Sylvain family. Hardly large enough to be considered a major power in the Kingdom, the war between the Barony of Westvale and the Barony of Darkmire is considered to be a small internal power struggle and nothing more by the King of Braethia, Lionel Bowstrum.


  • Westvale, moreover, The Kingdom of Braethia-- follows the idea of feudal peerage where the ranking of nobility is as such (in order of political power)-
    1. Dukes
    2. Marquesses
    3. Earls
    4. Viscounts
    5. Barons
    6. Life Peerages (Knights)
    Above them, of course, rules the King of Braethia to whom all noblemen and women swear to as their liege lord in one way or another. The King keeps a feudal council comprised of the most powerful vassals (sworn lords under him) in order to run the Kingdom based on the strengths of the lands under their control.

    Westvale has always been ruled the Sylvain family from its establishment only a century ago; this makes House Sylvain a fairly young family in the history of Braethia. However, since it has fallen under the rule of Arnou's father, the land has cemented itself as a wealthy and relatively powerful political player in the Kingdom. The heir apparent is Renly Sylvain.

    Relations within The Kingdom:
    • Darkmire - Hostile
    • House Bowstrum - Friendly

 
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The Order of Seekers
Collab between BlueXBlood BlueXBlood , Corn Orc Vandal Corn Orc Vandal and @Xen6n​


Kirlia is an ancient land. Swaths of knowledge and history have been lost to the ages, swallowed whole by time's endless march. The Order of Seekers teeters on the edge of this oblivion. Once a fellowship of prestige, purpose, and meaning, the Order has since degraded into a shadow of its former self; a loose band of thieves, mad scholars, and foolhardy adventurers barely aware of their lodge's former oaths and purpose, and how they saved the realm several times over.


  • Kirlia was once home to many arcane and mystic relics. Some scholars say that these artifacts were shards of creation from when the world was made by the gods. Others postulate they were fragments of pure magic, condensed down into the purest form. Whatever the case may be, these mystical artifacts contained immense power, so much so that they presented a danger to the realm should they fall into the wrong hands.

    One such artifact, rumored to be a celestial shard, was used in a battle ages ago. The warring people's names have long been forgotten, but not the result. The shard destroyed an entire continent to the east, now known as Axasterke, reducing what was one a lush and vibrant country into a blasted desert of black sand and spires of ebony glass. After this apocalyptic misuse of power, the rulers of the realm convened to ensure that never again would such a relic be used to cause such death and destruction. Thus, The Order of Seekers was founded.

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    Axasterke post-destruction​
 
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Iyesgarth, Land of Strength and Independence

Written by BlueXBlood BlueXBlood

Situated in the far northeastern region of Kirlia, Iyesgarth stands as a large and fortified city caught in the rolling hills between the Lost Pines Forest and a ridge of mountains to the north. Holding fervently to its value of independence, the city secludes itself with a large stone wall around its perimeter, serving as a symbol of the things it takes pride in. On the outer territories of the wall, many settlements have arisen with farms, plantations, and vineyards. These smaller villages serve as the city's attempt at gradually becoming a kingdom.

In its younger days, Iyesgarth was nothing more than a meager settlement, sustained by men of ambition with lofty visions. As it grew, though, the lineages of those men became the nobility that now governs the great city, leading it in order, justice, and prosperity.


  • Iyesgarth was founded by six courageous men by the names of Heustis Polaseul, Algernon Chavanne, Clement Sublifort, Casamir Graykeeper, Ivor Bécharil, and Ozias Vimont. Old colleagues and acquaintances, connected for one reason or another and united by a single vision of creating an empire.

    The journey of establishing Iyesgarth was met with many controversies, such as how the settlement should be governed and by whom. Though it managed to survive without such a system of order, with each house living in cooperation, that peace was short-lived. Heustis was a militiaman before their pilgrimage, and he had insisted that the settlement take on a more battle-ready lifestyle, envisioning the world as an unforgiving place of conquest. Clement, his least compatible colleague, opposed him in this, claiming that diplomacy was the means by which Iyesgarth would gain power in the world.

    Casamir sided with Heustis, and Ivor with Clement, creating a deep rift of division amongst the leadership. Only Algernon and Ozias were left to contemplate the situation without the hateful delusions the opposing houses had developed toward each other. It was during that time that Ozias had devised a plan. A council in which each man's strength would be utilized, all for the good of Iyesgarth.

    To house Polaseul, he gave the responsibility of the military, training all who were able and willing to pick up arms and protect the settlement. However, he instructed that battle should only be used to defend, and Iyesgarth would not live by the sword. To house Sublifort, he gave the task of diplomacy, entrusting them as ambassadors and representatives of Iyesgarth. He stated, though, that Iyesgarth would value nationalism and its own might, never making itself a slave to another through dependence. To House Graykeeper and Bécharil, he gave the law and its enforcement, placing justice and order within their hands.

    Finally, to Algernon and House Chavanne, he gave a vision. Ozias, though efficient, was not merely a peacemaker amongst the founding fathers of Iyesgarth. He was a visionary, an oracle for the advancement of mankind. In his ambition, he saw the ability to transcend the realms and reach the gods, and it was that vision that he shared with Algernon, entrusting him with the pursuit of knowledge necessary to accomplish that.


    Under Ozias' leadership and guidance, the council thrived, and Iyesgarth along with it, till it became what it is today. House Vimont remains the most esteemed of the noble houses, and each house carries its legacy within the council.
 
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Southwestern Sanctuary of the Order
Written by BlueXBlood BlueXBlood ​

In the southwestern part of the land, between the verdant plains and sprawling desert, is a tranquil landscape that houses a secret and abandoned sanctuary belonging to the Order of Seekers. Sitting atop a ridge, it overlooks the western coast, offering a mysterious and captivating view of the horizon beyond Kirlia. The overwhelming silence within its desolate walls speaks volumes of the years in which it has been forgotten; its once-noble purpose of protecting adventures now faded with time.

The ward over the sanctuary remains, magically inhibiting wanderers from finding it until revealed by the Seekers' Cant.



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    Main Hall

    Upon entering the sanctuary, one is greeted by a staircase that descends into a large hall that has been overrun with vegetation, its many pillars tainted with moss and vines. Much of what once furnished the room has been reduced to rotten wood scattered across the ground. Blemished tapestries might still be found, though the images they bear are ruined beyond recognition. The stairs at the entrance stretch to the left and to the right, offering a means of accessing the upper floors of each wing. Underneath the stairs are two doors that lead to a hollow, interconnected room that was once used for storage in the past. Astonishingly, the room remains intact, merely dirty and dampened with rusted crates and equipment placed about.

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    The Terrace

    Past a corridor is a stone terrace that overlooks the ridge, providing a view of the western coast. Much of the stone railing has crumbled, and though offering a sense of peace and awe to an extent, one might look upon it and fear the fall that waits underneath. The crashing waves resound from the ocean beyond it, and the salty air fills the atmosphere outside. The silhouette of the Kingdom of Breathia is visible in the distance, along with the desert in the opposite direction.
 

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Axasterke
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  • Axasterke was not always the blasted and scorched desert it is today. Centuries ago, the continent was home to a diverse range of biomes, from the jungles of the south to grassland steppe of the north. In this half-remembered age, Axasterke was known as the homeland of the Orcs, a tribal, peaceful people with a deep and spiritual connection to their homeland. Their folklore says they existed in this state of bliss since the gods put them on the world, until ships came from across the Carved Sea.

    Elves from the Empire of Prigalla arrived seeking new land and riches, armed with steel and magic, both alien to the natives. The Orcs were shackled and enslaved, used as disposable labor to cultivate and destroy the land they loved. Their sacred places of worship were razed, hunting grounds decimated, tribes divided across all of Kirlia.

    The Orcs endured for generations, waiting for salvation from their gods to come, but it never did. So they rose up, reuniting fractured tribes and arming themselves with their farming tools or the weapons of their oppressors. The Orcs slowly pushed back the invaders in a protracted revolt.

    No one really knows who unleashed the weapon that decimated Axasterke, or even what it was; it is only known as the Cataclysm. The Orcs and Elves blame eachother, while some historians suspect a third party actually set the event into motion. What matters is that Axasterke was turned from a lush landscape to a blackened desert in a flash of white-hot fire, killing nearly all of the inhabitants. This only served to further enrage the surviving Orcs, who slaughtered the elves with little regard for innocence.

    The invaders were routed after decades, but now the Orcs were rulers of a ravaged land. With limited resources, they turned on each other for survival. Axasterke descended into a century of barbarity and warfare. This brutality was not unknown to the rest of Kirlia, least of all the Orc diaspora, former and current slaves scattered over the realm. Most saw no reason to return, but some felt the calling of their homeland and returned. Only one, though, united the tribes and changed the course of history.

    Kiraz Kurtar was a former Orc slave in the deserts of Prigalla, who rose through the ranks of the gladiators there and purchased her own freedom. She formed a mercenary company, its ranks mainly drawn from the Orc diaspora throughout Kirlia, and after honing their skills in mainland wars, she turned her warband to their ancestral home.

    Kiraz gathered the Orcish tribes under her banner through conquest, bribery, and promises. Promises of a new Axasterke, a prosperous one. They would not live to see it, but their children just might. With the tribes united once more, Kiraz turned to ruling as their empress, modeling their government after the very same nation that put them in chains. Under Kiraz’s reign, and those that followed, Axasterke slowly crawled from generations of war and famine into prosperity.

    However, the wounds of the past were not so easily forgotten. As Axasterke built up their nation, so too did they build their army, and at Prigalla’s weakest hour they struck. Soldiers sacked cities, killed scores, and took slaves back to their homeland as their enemies had done to them. Just as quickly as they struck, their armies vanished, like locusts over a field of wheat. This set in motion a series of seemingly endless conflicts between Axasterke and Prigalla over centuries, and these wars have only just now abated for the moment after attempts have been made to normalize relations between the two empires.

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    Axasterke post-Cataclysm​
 
Norskan is a town considered the gateway to the North in the kingdom of Jarnakkia (With a lenition of "J" so it's pronounced with a "Y" sound. Adjective Jarnakki). Here are the facts:
  • It's a large northern nation with a high volume of hills and mountains. The northernmost regions feature lush boreal forests, plus rich iron and semiprecious gemstone mines.
  • In the more southern reaches, iron-rich water drains from the hills into peat bogs. The biochemical processes here create the only known renewable iron sources in the world.
  • Norskan sits just before a well-traveled mountain pass that leads to frigid northern regions.
  • Humans and dwarves make up the overwhelming majority of the population. They typically don't discriminate against other people unless they look flagrantly monstrous or infernal/demonic, mostly due to superstition.
  • The king appoints jarls to govern regions of Jarnakkia from their homes in major towns and cities. They commonly wear iron circlets to show their position.
  • A lot of bartering happens in the marketplaces—instead of currency, merchants and consumers exchange goods and services. The most common trade commodities include iron, wood, semiprecious stones, furs, dried or salted foods, and hardy grains.
Written by Goonfire Goonfire
 
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This part of Kirlia's northeastern region is ruled by Baron Khomorith on paper but practically the forest and the surrounding areas are no man's lands, mainly because it's useless in both economic (except the wood) and strategic fields. In the past decades and century much tried to gain control over the forest but firstly it wasn't worth the energy and secondly, similar to the local belief, the Forest of Ubrä seemed to have a mind of its own. The pine forest were growing and expanding further with each year, looming over the few small villages in the area with a silent threat.
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The Forest of Umbrä is home to five villages, one of which is Rešava. The Umbrä started to surround and take over the old wooden buildings slowly. The population of the villages can be diverse but the villagers are usually humans, elves and halflings. The villagers are withdrawn, tough and hostile against everything or everyone new. They are skilled hunters and move with experienced grace within the woods, hunting for their daily meal.

However, being superstitious they don't dare to delve to deeply into the forest. To be fair they have no reason; the deeper parts of the Forest of Umbrä are lacking of rich wildlife since the vegetation gets thicker, blocking the beams of the sun to peek in and light the long forgotten ruins and whatever lurks under those silent trees.

Written by escapist escapist
 
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Prigalla Empire
Written by BlueXBlood BlueXBlood
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"The Prigalla Empire is a kingdom of Fire Elves and other diverse races in the southern desert, an oasis of glory and pleasure for wandering souls. In imitation of the capital, the city of Kiledo, the many communities and villages that lay scattered around the south indulge in dance, music, delicacies, and, most of all, battle. Though much can make a man happy in this empire, nothing is more fulfilling in the minds of the people than fame earned in the Colosseum."


  • The Castillo Dynasty
    Though few know the true origin of the Prigalla Empire and Fire Elf race, the natives pride themselves in the myth that the tribes began as celestials that descended upon Kirlia and brought prosperity to the deserts of the south. With their power, they caused springs of water to rise, giving birth to the oases that spur life amidst the scorching sands. The largest of those springs, which was named the Celestial Well of Kiledo, became the foundation for an emerging empire, known as the Prigalla Empire.

    Over the centuries, the City of Kiledo, named after the celestial well, became the capital of a decadent nation that spanned across the dunes of the south, with many smaller cities and villages being established on its outskirts as a means of expanding its influence. An imperial dynasty was established, with the House of Andrea Castillo ruling as the monarchy. Underneath a strong and faithful line of empresses, a parliament was made to offer guidance and wisdom, made exclusively of those who were deemed to possess deep connections with their celestial heritage.

    Andrea Castillo, the first Empress of Prigalla, was enamored with conquest, believing that the southern deserts were the domain of her ancestors and belonged to her people by divine right. Thus, she led crusades to possess the south, paying keen attention to the oases, which held spiritual significance to her. Due to the harsh conditions of the desert and the Prigallians’ advantage of lifestyle, it was not difficult to expand the empire throughout the central deserts. However, when Castillo’s attention turned to the east, her conquest had taken a traumatizing turn.

    The Conquest for Axasterke
    The lands to the east, known as Axasterke, were viewed more highly than any other part of the south, as its vibrant diversity of biomes led Castillo to believe that it was the very place upon which her ancestors descended and poured out their power to the lands. Axasterke then became a priceless treasure that Castillo was determined to claim as her people’s rightful inheritance. On the eastern coast of the desert, Castillo established outposts and a navy, intending to cross the Carved Sea and take the land by force. In her mind, there would be no place for other creatures in the holy land, least of all Orcs.

    The first of the attacks was a wondrous success, as the Orcs had neither known steel nor magic when they invaded. The natives’ homes were ravaged, and the inhabitants were taken as slaves to help in their cultivation of the land. Castillo, blinded by her desire to possess Axasterke, was merciless and vicious to the tribes of the Orcs, seeing them as an obstacle between her empire and her prize. One event, however, turned the tides in a manner unimaginable.

    After many years of battling with Axasterke, only gradually increasing Prigalla’s power over the land, the Empress had fallen dreadfully ill. The Elves blamed the other races amidst them, accusing them of treason and assassination, living in a delusional fit of denial at what had become the death of their ruler. As the parliament struggled to hold the empire together with Castillo’s ambitious and unfinished conquest, the only figure of a leader they had was her daughter, Dolores, who was too young to rule.

    In that time, the Orcs of Axasterke revolted and took back their land, driving Prigalla entirely out of the east and back across the Carved Sea. Without the passion of their deceased ruler, Prigalla no longer saw Axasterke as virtuously and lustfully, only viewing the land with hatred after it cost them their Empress.
 
Former Hua Kingdom, The Ying and Zhao Sects
Written by Daylight Fantasy Daylight Fantasy ​

  • The former Hua Kingdom was a monarchy, similar to the dynasties in China and the French Monarchy during the 1800’s. The Ying and Zhao Sect act like two different clans. Their territories are north and south from each other, both residing in the former land of the Hua Kingdom.
 
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Darkmire
Written by Aegis Aegis
​
Darkmire is a barony in the Kingdom of Braethia ruled by the Illmont Family. Due to it's recent victory in the struggle against Westvale, it has gained substantially more power and territory than it previously had; however, it's still only a moderately powerful barony in the eyes of the King, Lionel Bowstrum.


  • Darkmire, moreover, The Kingdom of Braethia-- follows the idea of feudal peerage where the ranking of nobility is as such (in order of political power)-

    1. Dukes
    2. Marquesses
    3. Earls
    4. Viscounts
    5. Barons
    6. Life Peerages (Knights)
    Above them, of course, rules the King of Braethia to whom all noblemen and women swear to as their liege lord in one way or another. The King keeps a feudal council comprised of the most powerful vassals (sworn lords under him) in order to run the Kingdom based on the strengths of the lands under their control.

    Darkmire has been under the control of the Illmont family for centuries as they are one of its oldest dynasties and The Swamps one of its most timeless endeavors. Originally, the Illmont family was a family of noble merchants who made their wealth as stewards for the Kingdom. However, interest in the swamps seemed to pull them away from their duties to the crown, and after being released from the council much of their previous riches have been poured into developing and exploring the swamps-- keeping whatever they find inside a secret known only to the now-reclusive Illmont nobles.

    Relations within The Kingdom:

    • Westvale - Hostile
    • House Bowstrum - Neutral
 
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The Archipelago of Ayrui
Written by BlueXBlood BlueXBlood
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  • The Nation of Ayrui, Long Ago
    Many centuries ago, the Archipelago was not the collective of island cities seen today. Rather, the plains stretched farther to the southeast than one could view from the mainland, once connecting to the black sands of the east. It was a magnificent kingdom called Ayrui, inhabited by men and women who learned to harness the powers of the seas and the sky. Great rivers carved through the land, which the people had transformed into wondrous canals through which ships would sail, transporting between the many districts that were divided by the waters.

    Amidst the nation, the City of Seraphis had served as the central metropolis, clothed in hanging gardens and cradled by the many rivers that coalesced around it. The city was like a monument, and the prosperity of the nation, an ever-growing staircase to enlightenment. Technology had yet to advance to what it is today, but the luxury, abundance, and sheer opulence of the kingdom were marvelous at its time. Seraphis housed many philosophers and wizards, who, together, pursued the knowledge of magic and resonation with the energies of Kirlia.

    Over time, the people learned to manipulate the waters and command the breezes, which further enhanced their love for the running rivers and expanded it into an obsession with seafaring. The people of Ayrui began to embark on many voyages overseas, taming the isles of the southeast and inhabiting the seas altogether. Many men obtained renown, too, as sailors encountered mystical beasts that would arise from deep in the oceans and slay them. In fact, the hunting of sea beasts became a virtuous sport that many aspired to participate in when looking to the seas for adventure.

    The Huntsmen and the Great Calamity
    Those who set off to sea for this very purpose became known as the Huntsmen of Ayrui, for which a guild was established. Gradually, the valiant had begun to brutally eradicate the mighty beasts of the sea, pushing even further toward the horizon in search of many more creatures. With every beast’s death, however, it was as though the sea grew in wrath towards the sailors, and storms would brew much more frequently, with waves thrashing about with greater ferocity.

    The king of Ayrui, known by obscured bits of history as Marcus Calvisia I, was advised by his many wise philosophers, scholars, and noblemen that the catastrophic changes in the weather were a result of the angered beasts, who grieve the losses of the many that had been slain. However, King Marcus I, in his stubbornness did not heed them, and the Hunstmen continued to hunt the creatures of the sea, regardless of the challenge.
    Finally, the Huntsmen had met their greatest challenge. A leviathan had emerged, utterly hostile to the sailors, which led to the brutal decimation of any ships that dared venture out at sea. Frightened and enraged by this, King Marcus I realized his mistake but was blinded by the desire for revenge. He then rallied all the naval forces available to Ayrui and commanded an attack against the great monstrosity of the ocean that plagued them. The battle was long, and the casualties were many, but in the end, man had won against the beast and it was defeated.

    The Ruin of Ayrui
    The nation of Ayrui rejoiced as though it was victorious, knowing little of the consequences they would face. As the Huntsmen celebrated, the sea began to quake viciously. The earth underneath the water began to erupt, and the land beneath Ayrui began to sink. To the ruin of many, the southeastern coast was dreadfully submerged, and the civilization of Ayrui was gone. All that remains of it, now, are a series of islands upon which a new community has been built, the only remnant of the old kingdom being the very tips of the Seraphis Palace poised barely above the surface of the water.
 
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THE TRAVERTINE ISLES​
Jutting out of the West Braethian Sea are the Travertine Isles, named after one of their primary exports. At one point, the isles were part of the mainland and called the Travertine Belt, but coastal flooding cut off any land routes to these regions.

The Isles are home to the dwarves—short and rugged people with long-standing traditions of craftsmanship. There are three "clans" of dwarves, named after their islands: Orr, Solv, and Kupari. Orr Dwarves, located the farthest west, are typically the most amicable of their kind. They make gorgeous jewelry from the precious metals found on their island. The Solv are to the south, on an island with incredibly lush forests. They export large quantities of high-quality lumber, in addition to their archipelago's namesake.

Both the Orr and Solv have recently come to abhor their easternmost brethren, the Kupari. After Chief Jern Hammerfist seized control of the clan, he introduced slave labor to the island. At first, it was political opponents and local criminals, but a greater demand drove the Kupari to cut deals with mainland officials. Instead of rotting in a cell or being executed, people of other races were subjected to the long hours of backbreaking labor in mines and workshops across the island.

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Kupari is now a prison island and Jern its warden. He conducts sinister magitech experiments in the Hammerfist Citadel. Word of his misdeeds never reach the mainland; the few who do survive their sentences are shipped back across the sea with their memories so thoroughly wiped, they cannot even speak their native tongues.
 


The Kellid Tribe
​
Written by Tool Tool ​
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Kellid tribespeople fighting off snow giants​

  • Unlike the other major Races of the World... the Race of Men were once only one people, and calling them a people would be generous. They were as the beasts, in those ancient times. They spoke only in grunts and cries and roars. They wandered in family groups through the land, being preyed upon by predators, wearing no clothes, knew nothing of fire or tools, ate whatever they could find - from berries and insects, to mushrooms and... even each other, when times were at their worst. They were brutish, capable of both mercy and cruelty, incapable of speech or the knowing of writing or numbers. Men were animals who walked on two legs. One of many such creatures.Other Races were each created to be a Race, by their Gods, but Men were merely one race of bestial half-people among dozens, and men arose from no Gods, but from the slow changes of time, affecting nature. In those long ago days, the Gods of the Wild, of Time, of Weather... the Old Gods... would take turns watching over different creatures. When it was Mahra's turn, the Mother of Beasts and the Green, she saw in Men something that made them different from the other beastly half-people animals of the world. None know what she saw in men, but she sought to protect it and guide them to become what she knew men could be capable of. She wanted mankind to become a true Race of People.Mahra gave Mankind gifts and secrets, uplifting them above the beasts of the wild, and made of Men their stewards, their keepers, their protectors, and made the beasts to serve the needs of the new Race of Men. Her children would provide man with meat, blood, bones, skins, hides, furs, teeth... all that they had, when there was need of it. In return, the uplifted Men would use their new gifts to shepherd the beasts of the wild, tending to their sicknesses and keeping their bloodlines healthy, making sure that each beast lived according to its nature, forevermore.There are other Gods... and not all of the Old Gods have kind hearts. Mahra had, in those days of primal nature, a mate, one who was black of heart. The Kellid do not call him evil, for to label selfish wants as evil is the view of others, but they are not Of The Wild, as are the Kellid. Their ways were not Kellid ways, and their Gods were not Kellid Gods. The Kellid knew that nature can be selfish and cruel, just as it can be loving and gentle and generous. As the soft rains give life to the flowers and the rivers, but the harsh storms can freeze the waters and kill without care for who is hurt, nature is both friend and enemy to all things. So it has always been and so shall it always be. That is the way of the wild, and the Kellid accept it and show it the respect it is owed, taking the bad with the good. In this regard, the Kellid accepted the King of Beasts, the Old God who was Mahra's mate... Karaan..

    Karaan is the King of Beasts... but he is not the father of all beasts. Many beasts, those who are not predators, were created by Mahra alone. She dreamed them and bore them inside her womb and gave them life in birthing them and so became their Mother. Some of these pleased Karaan and some did not. Ever a good mate, Mahra always tried. Mahra lay with her mate and created new beasts who would be more to his liking, creatures more savage than those she had made for herself and who carried more of Karaan's own ferocious nature in their spirit. Wolves and Dogs, Cats great and small, Raptor birds, The Great Reptiles of Thunder and Teeth... she gave birth to those beasts who would thrive not on berries or fish, but on the blood of other beasts, tearing flesh from bone with sharp teeth and taking what they felt was theirs. This pleased Karaan greatly, and he called them Predators and became their King. Karaan did not accept Mankind, even though men carry his fury and primal urges in hearts just as they carry Mahra's love and protective, nurturing spirit. Karaan quickly grew hateful of the Race of Men when Mahra placed all beasts beneath mankind for man to make use of and to watch over. She gave the Race of Men the power to tame, and this enraged Karaan like never before. He refused to allow Men to turn his prized predator creatures into friends and servants of a Race who had no hard hides, no strong bones, no great claws or terrible fangs... a Race he felt was unworthy of becoming an Apex species, when there were so many more deserving predators that were perfectly suited to killing and eating their new human 'masters'. In his fury, in his anger, he took as brides for only one night the greatest and most powerful of every animal in the land, and bred with it to create a far more powerful and dangerous breed. Each mother died giving birth to these enormous versions of themselves, and thus were born the Dire Beasts, whom Karaan had intended to be forever a threat to Man, and hunt him as they would any other animal. To this very day, the most dangerous predators do not recognize Men as something to be ignored or feared or respected, nor even to be curious about.... they see Men only as intruders and as prey to be hunted and killed, and so does the Race of Men continue to be at odds with predators in the wild, and must tread carefully through lands filled with dangerous beasts..

    In the earliest days of Men as a People knew nothing. Seeing that Men had been made a Race by the Old Gods, the older Races came forth and tried to honor the Old Gods' decision by giving gifts and ideas from their own Gods and their own Ways and Peoples. They taught Mankind about metals and how to dig into the stone to find it, what to do with it, how to make it do what we wanted. They taught Mankind how to build great structures and cities, how to honor the Gods with mighty temples as they did with their own Gods. They taught the People of Men about coin and the value of money, the idea that you could trade an object that only held meaning if you believed that it did... for things that were genuinely useful. Because, so long as everyone agreed that a coin was valuable, then everyone would accept them in trade, instead of trading real goods and services that they had for the real goods and services that others could offer. It is a mental trick, and one that has served truly good and genuine causes for other peoples. It is not inherently a bad idea. If you live in a hot land, you have no use for the furs of winter warmth. And so those who have come from the lands of ice and snow have nothing to offer, in exchange for what you have in abundance that they require. Trade is a good thing for most all Races. Men were shown Coin and how to use that, instead of warm furs... because it had value for all, everywhere. It was a kind gift. Unfortunately, like most of these gifts, it was not meant for Men. It is easy to use coin and lose nothing you value, yet gain what you need... and it is easy to live safe from storm and monster if your home is a great fortress of stone and steel. It is easy to fear no predator, when your body is covered in that which few teeth can pierce and few claws can scratch. It is easy to grow bold and reckless in courage, when your weapons can cut through all but the toughest hide, the thickest fur and muscle. Men accepted these gifts... and changed everything about the way lived, becoming more like all of the other Races had been taught to be by Their Gods...... than the way Mankind had been taught to be by the Gods of the Wild.One of these gifts which Mankind embraced first... was the knowledge of good and evil. And it was this gift more so than any other, that changed the Race of Man and began to divide them into different Peoples. It made them see each other as different from themselves, to either fight against other Men or to live further away. As time and nature change all things, so too did it change the Race of Men into truly new Peoples, over unknowably vast numbers of generations living as they did..

    Gods of other peoples demand worship. They demand sacrifices and candles and rituals, they demand to be celebrated and bribed with sweet words and gifts. Kellid Gods ask only to live as close to the ways of the First Men of the Wild as possible. Time, like wind, never stops moving. It blows from the ancient past before all memory, past those who stand in the now and on into the wild unknowns of every tomorrow that will ever be. Like the wind, it brings change along with it. Many people in other lands try to fly on those winds like the birds do, to move through the winds of time without needing to walk. They think this makes life easier for them, because they gain much from the changes that those tomorrows bring them.The Kellid are Men. Not birds. The Kellid are meant to walk, not to fly. It does not matter how clever the Kellid may be or how many tricks they might use... the Gods created Kellid with strong legs so that they could walk and not fall down. They gave Kellid strong arms so they could carry burdens without complaint. They gave Kellid a beginning and an end, so that Kellid could gather great tales and pass them on to others who come after. In this way, the Kellid people and their tales make a chain, one that is stronger than rope and stronger than metal. A chain of spirit, carried from parent to child, on and on. Kellid ways have lived forever with very little change..... for in change, something is always gained, but something is always lost.

    shaman.jpg
    A Kellid shaman​
 
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