FathersDislikeMe
Don't Forget to Kill Tim
Westward: A Story Beyond the Horizon
The archipelago of Kei’Olu has existed independent of foreign influence for time immemorial. Even before the first Songs of the nation’s people, the lianu have turned away travelers and would-be invaders.
After centuries of isolation, however, visitors from the Long Lands to the west have landed on the northern island of Daurim. Tribal scouts have told of the settlement they have built, their ships large enough to hold an entire village, and how their skin ranges in shade from obsidian black to pale as the froth of a wave. All of them hold weapons of metal, and some even wear metal clothing!
Most of the Oluah – the people of the Kei’Olu nation – have never even seen an outlander. The only natives to have interacted with the Long Landers are the Wuadakem – or “wordpainters” – a conclave of mystics dedicated to recording knowledge and developing the first written script of the Oluah. Keth, wise among the wordpainters, has spoken to the eight tribes of the southern islands. A great tribal congress was called.
Some of the tribes called for war to drive back the invaders. Some called for seclusion. It was Chief Wei Motu, however, renowned for leading a force of warriors against the kuru, who decided that the Wuadakem should go and teach the Long Landers the customs of the Oluah. Perhaps to gauge the foreigners' intent, as well.
To protect the Wuadakem ambassadors, it was suggested that a band of olunos – those blessed with the gifts of the divine spirits – accompany the wordpainters on their journey (to the chagrin of Chief Rokkmu Wotaw, Motu's bitter rival). Motu has called for a trial to be held at the tribal capitol of Wanu Lem, and each of the eight tribes have volunteered one oluno – no more than twenty cycles of age, without mate or child – from their tribe to compete.
Those found worthy in the eyes of the chieftains shall attend the Wuadakem on their journey to meet with the visitors from the Long Lands.
The Game
Each character will be a representative of one of the eight tribes asked to participate in the trial. I have only designed three tribes:
Players may choose one of the these tribes, or create their own. (I could really use some help designing the ferik tribe, as I literally can't even with catfolk.)
Characters will begin competing in the trial at the capitol and, from there, accompany Keth and his Wuadakem on their travel north to Daurim. From there, they will have to make a difficult choice: stay and protect their home, or do the unthinkable - leave Kei'Olu and travel to the Long Lands.
GAMEPLAY & SETTING THEMES
Setting
”Here the sun breaks on the sea
Beads of sunlight rolling past
So far from tribe and shre
But never have I felt so near
So near, to the crashing waves
So near, to the tribal fire
So near, to Ola’s embrace
I feel so near.”
Oluah Prayer Song (translated to Andiran)
CULTURE
COURTSHIP & ROMANCE
TECHNOLOGY
”Long had I traveled over frothy wave
Song and gold and drink I crave.
But in the port of the Rajanmen
I found not gold nor drink nor friend.
“I walked the market as I was told
To where slave flesh was bought and sold
And saw a girl no chains could tame
Who spat and hissed at all who came.”
“Her hair was dark, her eyes were blue
They called her the savage from Kei’Olu.
Her vicious defiance was legend, no lie!
(And my eyes, they strayed to copper thighs.)
“So, a fellow, what was I to do?
I purchased the girl from Kei’Olu.
She bit me twice on my nose, square
This bestial beauty with long, dark hair.
“I lead her along to the pier
And she bit me thrice, on my left ear!
I levied gold for passage by oar
To take her back to her home shore.
“I sent her off over ocean blue
The dark-haired girl from Kei’Olu.”
The Girl from Kei’Olu (sea shanty composed by Captain Caiden Scapolle, Sea Marshal of Witchport)
RELIGION
Setting
”Here the sun breaks on the sea
Beads of sunlight rolling past
So far from tribe and shre
But never have I felt so near
So near, to the crashing waves
So near, to the tribal fire
So near, to Ola’s embrace
I feel so near.”
Oluah Prayer Song (translated to Andiran)
CULTURE
Though a tribal society barely emerging from an era of Neolithic technology, the Oluah people are far from ignorant savages. In truth, many would find them more socially advanced than most “civilized” nations. Their Songs – a form of oral history – detail their in depth laws governing behavior, civil matters, and tribal conflict. They even have members of their tribe who function as lawyers and judges.
They enjoy riddles and intricate, language-centric comedy. Many Oluah have jokes specific to their tribes (an archaic form of “memes”, if you will). Buffoonery and puns are considered the humor of children, not adults.
Though the Wuadakem have yet to create a written language, oral history Songs are aided by weavings and paintings denoting important events in their nation’s past.
Their “gods” – the divine spirits – extol virtues of innovation and personal accomplishment along with honoring one’s family, one’s tribe, and one’s self. Elders are encouraged to teach the young not to believe as they do, but to be wise when they become mature enough to make their own decisions.
Hygiene is tied to spiritual wellbeing, and few Oluah suffer from illness or infection.
They enjoy riddles and intricate, language-centric comedy. Many Oluah have jokes specific to their tribes (an archaic form of “memes”, if you will). Buffoonery and puns are considered the humor of children, not adults.
Though the Wuadakem have yet to create a written language, oral history Songs are aided by weavings and paintings denoting important events in their nation’s past.
Their “gods” – the divine spirits – extol virtues of innovation and personal accomplishment along with honoring one’s family, one’s tribe, and one’s self. Elders are encouraged to teach the young not to believe as they do, but to be wise when they become mature enough to make their own decisions.
Hygiene is tied to spiritual wellbeing, and few Oluah suffer from illness or infection.
COURTSHIP & ROMANCE
Romance among the Oluah is complex, sacred, and far more chaste than in most of the Long Lands (especially among the amorous Andirans). Calling a woman “beautiful” or a man “handsome” is an admission of feeling, not just a fleeting compliment. The word “modesty” takes on a different meaning in Kei’Olu, as it refers to words and actions and less to dress. As Kei’Olu is a tropical land, clothing is light, breathable, loose, and generally less is considered more.
Among the Rajanmen and Andirans, a woman with exposed shoulders and a man with a shirt partially fastened is considered enticing. Among the Kei’Olu, it’s just the norm. Most of the men don’t even wear shirts unless for protection or on cool nights.
Courtship is a slow process that can begin as early as childhood. Women and men both show their intended affection by performing feats of personal accomplishment (hunting dangerous prey, feats of athletic skill, composing original songs, etc.) and kindness towards the others friend and family.
The Oluah believe that romantic relationships are sacred, and though tribal nobility may desire to arrange mateships between favored sons or daughters, if there is no love between a pair, the relationship is simply seen as “not meant to be.”
The Oluah have seven words for “love.” Three refer to non-romantic love, and four refer to different levels of romantic love: childhood love (a charming but passing fancy), love between two women, love between two men, and love between a male and female mate. Each love is seen as equally important and sacred.
Polygamy is not unheard of in Kei’Olu, but is more a social construct than polyamory. If a mate is suffering, has lost his or her mate, or has lost his or her mate and suffers from a condition that makes them unfit to survive alone, they may be taken into the home of a mated pair. Leeda Janu, the chieftain of the Ail’ne tribe, has three husbands.
Though this may seem idyllic, there is still prejudice and violence among the Oluah. Children born of lust rather than love are forced to live on tribal outskirts, are any children born with kuru features. Violence is justified by law if an offender greatly insults another’s family, harms another’s family or friends, or in cases of infidelity. Though uncommon, a number of Oluah have died in single combat against a jilted mate.
Among the Rajanmen and Andirans, a woman with exposed shoulders and a man with a shirt partially fastened is considered enticing. Among the Kei’Olu, it’s just the norm. Most of the men don’t even wear shirts unless for protection or on cool nights.
Courtship is a slow process that can begin as early as childhood. Women and men both show their intended affection by performing feats of personal accomplishment (hunting dangerous prey, feats of athletic skill, composing original songs, etc.) and kindness towards the others friend and family.
The Oluah believe that romantic relationships are sacred, and though tribal nobility may desire to arrange mateships between favored sons or daughters, if there is no love between a pair, the relationship is simply seen as “not meant to be.”
The Oluah have seven words for “love.” Three refer to non-romantic love, and four refer to different levels of romantic love: childhood love (a charming but passing fancy), love between two women, love between two men, and love between a male and female mate. Each love is seen as equally important and sacred.
Polygamy is not unheard of in Kei’Olu, but is more a social construct than polyamory. If a mate is suffering, has lost his or her mate, or has lost his or her mate and suffers from a condition that makes them unfit to survive alone, they may be taken into the home of a mated pair. Leeda Janu, the chieftain of the Ail’ne tribe, has three husbands.
Though this may seem idyllic, there is still prejudice and violence among the Oluah. Children born of lust rather than love are forced to live on tribal outskirts, are any children born with kuru features. Violence is justified by law if an offender greatly insults another’s family, harms another’s family or friends, or in cases of infidelity. Though uncommon, a number of Oluah have died in single combat against a jilted mate.
TECHNOLOGY
”Long had I traveled over frothy wave
Song and gold and drink I crave.
But in the port of the Rajanmen
I found not gold nor drink nor friend.
“I walked the market as I was told
To where slave flesh was bought and sold
And saw a girl no chains could tame
Who spat and hissed at all who came.”
“Her hair was dark, her eyes were blue
They called her the savage from Kei’Olu.
Her vicious defiance was legend, no lie!
(And my eyes, they strayed to copper thighs.)
“So, a fellow, what was I to do?
I purchased the girl from Kei’Olu.
She bit me twice on my nose, square
This bestial beauty with long, dark hair.
“I lead her along to the pier
And she bit me thrice, on my left ear!
I levied gold for passage by oar
To take her back to her home shore.
“I sent her off over ocean blue
The dark-haired girl from Kei’Olu.”
The Girl from Kei’Olu (sea shanty composed by Captain Caiden Scapolle, Sea Marshal of Witchport)
The technology of the Oluah people is simple. Most weapons are made of wood, hide, jade, stone, bone, shark teeth, and obsidian. Armor is cloth and hide sometimes braced with wooden or bone splints. They have no concept of fuel or smelting ore, though they do often use hammered gold and rough gems to ornament their attire.
Artistically, the Oluah favor stark, geometric patterns and their architecture, though simple, is sound and solid. They rarely use stone for building, but when they do, their structures weather centuries of salt winds and rain storms.
Oluah fabric - woven from mixtures of plant fiber, domestic animal fur, and hide strips – is sturdy, breathable, and remarkably comfortable. It is considered the most supple material in the Middle Sea. Many a merchant or noble who has had the chance to feel Oluah fabric begs to learn where they can get more.
Artistically, the Oluah favor stark, geometric patterns and their architecture, though simple, is sound and solid. They rarely use stone for building, but when they do, their structures weather centuries of salt winds and rain storms.
Oluah fabric - woven from mixtures of plant fiber, domestic animal fur, and hide strips – is sturdy, breathable, and remarkably comfortable. It is considered the most supple material in the Middle Sea. Many a merchant or noble who has had the chance to feel Oluah fabric begs to learn where they can get more.
RELIGION
“I had heard only rumors of Kei’Olu’s existence, and how it was guarded by a long island of fierce giants. As such, when the captain suggested we take a northern current to avoid the archipelago, I agreed.
“We harbored near a small island where a band of tribal explorers had a camp. Not to alarm them, I set out alone each evening on a canoe and played the lyra on the shore in plain view. On the third evening, a young woman joined me and played songs I had never heard on a jade whistle.
"She spoke Rajanish, learned from her time as a Rajan slave, and I invited her on board. She saw the plaque in my cabin bearing the crown and rod of Kahlhaim. She asked what it was, and I told her that it was a symbol of my god. When she asked why my god did not travel with me, I told her it was because he lived in a court of spirits far from the mortal realms.
“Her eyes heavy with sympathy, she touched the back of my hand and said, ’It must be frightening and lonely to have a god who does not live among your people. I am sure he will return soon.’”
A Passage from Middle Sea Histories of the Bard Laureate of Solm, by Tomas the White
The Oluah do not so much worship as pay homage to their divine spirits. The divine spirits are terrestrial, and a number of Oluah have told stories of meeting one of their avatars or the spirits itself. The handful of foreigners who have ever visited Kei’Olu find it odd that the Oluah speak to religious symbols as though they are the gods themselves.
The Oluah find it odd that Long Landers worship small statues.
Though the divine spirits are not completely benign nor completely malevolent, they can be apathetic when the mood strikes them. The primary divine spirit of the Oluah is Oluai. The Song of Beginning (which is quite similar to other creation stories, specifically in Andiran mythology, Rajan history, and the United Church of Gazria) tells the story of how, before the time of the mortal races, a titan of earth and fire had a dream of the mortal races. The gods begged the titan to give them his dream so that they could guide the mortals, but the titan refused and kept the dream in his sleep.
Ancevmai, a dark god of secrets and trickery, snuck into the titan’s dreams and stole the mortals from it, dividing them among the gods. Oluai, seeing the decadence of the other gods, took his part of the dream to the islands of Kei’Olu, and set the Oluah people upon the shore.
To better guide and protect his people, Oluai broke himself into three parts: Olu (the father), Ola (the mother), and Oli (the spirit wind). He gifted the divine spirits with a portion of his will and tasked them with guiding the people.
The Oluah find it odd that Long Landers worship small statues.
Though the divine spirits are not completely benign nor completely malevolent, they can be apathetic when the mood strikes them. The primary divine spirit of the Oluah is Oluai. The Song of Beginning (which is quite similar to other creation stories, specifically in Andiran mythology, Rajan history, and the United Church of Gazria) tells the story of how, before the time of the mortal races, a titan of earth and fire had a dream of the mortal races. The gods begged the titan to give them his dream so that they could guide the mortals, but the titan refused and kept the dream in his sleep.
Ancevmai, a dark god of secrets and trickery, snuck into the titan’s dreams and stole the mortals from it, dividing them among the gods. Oluai, seeing the decadence of the other gods, took his part of the dream to the islands of Kei’Olu, and set the Oluah people upon the shore.
To better guide and protect his people, Oluai broke himself into three parts: Olu (the father), Ola (the mother), and Oli (the spirit wind). He gifted the divine spirits with a portion of his will and tasked them with guiding the people.
MAGIC
”Magic? I love magic! It has always fascinated me. And to address the rumors that my success is due to sorcery, I assure you all that the only magic I use is my silver tongue and disarming smile.”
Cyrus “The Baron” Blackshire, Owner of the Western Ainnelmain Trading Company
The Oluah have no concept of arcane or divine magic. The best way to describe their magic would be to call it “primal.” The olunos, or “spirit gifted”, inherit the ability to control and communicate with spiritual energy through the blessing of their patron spirit. Olunos are rare, and even the larger tribes only give birth to a handful of olunos in a generation. The Rokkmu tribe boasts the highest concentration of olunos, and almost all of them inherit the spirit gifts of Ssekli.
Being an oluno is often, but not necessarily, hereditary, with higher rates of oluno children born to mates who are both olunos. Olunos are seen as blessings, and if they pass their initiation and their gift fully awakens, their destiny as tribal ambassadors and protectors is set in stone. Those oluno who do not honor their destiny are seen as betrayers and are called noknoku, which is a derivation of a very foul word in the Oluah language.
Being an oluno is often, but not necessarily, hereditary, with higher rates of oluno children born to mates who are both olunos. Olunos are seen as blessings, and if they pass their initiation and their gift fully awakens, their destiny as tribal ambassadors and protectors is set in stone. Those oluno who do not honor their destiny are seen as betrayers and are called noknoku, which is a derivation of a very foul word in the Oluah language.
CHARACTER CREATION
”So I arrest this group last night. The barmaid at the tavern across the street saw them sneaking into someone’s house and sent a runner to tell me. So me and the boys head in, put ‘em at sword point, and they tell us they were hired to investigate some guildie rumored to be a cultist. They tell me they’re ‘adventurers’, like it gives them some kind of immunity.
“So I say, ‘hey, I hire adventurers too. They’re called Blackcoats.’ I didn’t cause any lasting damage, but I had my boys rough ‘em up a bit before we tossed ‘em in the stockade.
“Adventurers, they said. What a bunch of characters. Eh, Renny? You know what I’m talking about.”
Constable Gedry Mason, Witchport City Guard
This story is skill-heavy and story-heavy, so I’m not initially too concerned about the fine tuning. Generally, I’m willing to work with my players, favoring fun ideas over rules lawyering. Got an idea? Toss it at me. So long as it isn’t gamebreaking or minmaxing. I do not abide minmaxers.
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