Lakungdula: The Pearl and Fireleaf Archipelago

The Pearl and Fireleaf Archipelago is also known as the Lakungdulan Archipelago, residing in the middle of the world. Within it flourishes great jungles and fauna, flourishing under the great temperate weather and the blessing of the Immaculate Sun, which shines life-giving Diwa upon the islands. The Archipelago is part of a greater world known as Sanlibutan, a world of decaying glories, of myths and a past now wished back. To its east is the Continent of Silanan, where the people of the Girin make trade. To the South is Sur Janubia, where the desert burns but hides secrets of a bygone age, and he North is the Continent of Hiraga, and the Mountains of Ice.

The people here in the Archipelago are infinitely diverse. The natives have been trading with the other continents since the dawn of time. Now however, the Pearl Archipelago toils under the iron fist of the Conqueror Saints, the Empire of Al-Kaig. It has been a hundred years since their conquest, and most of the people have forgotten or demonized their Old Gods, and worship the God of Light. Despite this, however, the natives hold within their heart the light of rebellion, as the Moon God hearkens to their souls.

You live in a Time of Malice, islands of light floating upon a sea of darkness. The trees and forests are angered at the intrusion of the Conqueror Saints. The a Tabi- works no longer. The lambana watch with caution and fear in their emotionless soul-husks, the diwata flee at the sight of man, tamawo fight back and hunt in the forests. The mountains are filled with caverns where bungisngis cyclops tread and rabot ogres rip men apart. Only the are safe, within their bamboo stake walls. Despite all this, you go out to venture. As a Venturer, you are no hero, no great man. You are a lowly mortal trying to make a name in the world, or discover vast wealth.

Will you survive?

Systems and Rules

Rolling and Skill Checks Extended Skill Checks

When trying to perform something that would be If it is important to figure out how long something takes to challenging, the referee will ask the player to roll one of their accomplish, make the player roll a normal skill check. If they Skills against a certain Difficulty. fail, the job takes longer than convenient. Otherwise, set a particular amount of time (say, a day) and make the player To make a skill check, the player rolls 2d6 + Skill Rank roll at each interval and determine a number of successful + an appropriate attribute modifier that applies to the skill checks needed. This can also be used when two situation. If the added result of this all meets the target characters are competing in some extended opposed task, number or higher, the player succeeds on the Skill Check. such as political scheming or a foot race. ll

Example: Skill Check Difficulties Jed [Playing Liveo]: Alright then, I guess I want to get over the crevice to get to the device on the other side. No This task is something the character might be Check expected to accomplish regularly with their Referee: How do you do that? background, especially if time is not an issue. Jed: Can there be like, rocks and platforms that are jutting out?

7 A task that a trained person usually can Referee: Sure. accomplish, and untrained people even have a Jed: chance.

bounce on the jutting rocks and platforms to get to the other 9 These are tasks that challenge a trained side. character. Referee: Alright, cool. This is pretty challenging. Roll a DEX 10 These are tasks that would require true experts Mod/Athletics Skill Check. to accomplish consistently. Jed: Can I know the Difficulty?

12 These are tasks that only an expert has any real Referee: Not right now. Let me see how well you roll first. chance of accomplishing.

a 6, plus my Dexterity Modifier of 1 and Athletics-1. 14 These are tasks that push the limit of what a master can plausibly accomplish. Referee: Liveo leaps and bounces on every platform, and hits

15+ The referee assigns this only when a master the momentum. tries something that is only possible theoretically. More entertaining than flat

Opposed Skill Checks

An opposed Skill Check between two or more people is solved as thus: all parties roll their relevant Skill Checks, with the highest roll winning. If there is a tie, solve it as a tie. If it does not make sense as a tie, make them roll once again.

Saving Throws Terrain Speed Modifiers

When suffering effects that you did not foresee, your Referee Empire Roads or Trade +50% Speed might deem it appropriate to roll a Saving Throw to counter Wind Paths these effects. To do this, roll a 1d20 against 15, adding the appropriate modifier. As you increase in level, this Saving Plains or the Sea No Modifier Throw decreases by one point. There are three types of Saving Throws: Light Forestry and Hills -25% Speed FORTITUDE Saving Throws are for resisting physical and Dangerous Waters effects, and for feats of endurance. Add the higher of your STR or CON to your Fortitude Save. Heavy Forests and Rainforests or Sailing -50% Speed • Suffocation A character can go for a number of through a Storm minutes without air equal to 4 + the character Constitution Mod. Once you run out of air, you Marshes and Swamps -50% Speed must make FORT saves for every round or six seconds you go without air. If you fail, you fall Mountains -90% S[eed unconscious. An unconscious character will die after 5 minutes without air. Unencumbered travelers move 3 miles per hour. Those lightly encumbered move at 2 miles per hour, those heavily REFLEX Saving Throws are for challenging your physical encumbered can move at 1.5 miles per hour, and those fully quickness, moving out of the way in time to avoid harm. encumbered can manage a mile an hour. • Falling Characters take 1d6 damage for every ten feet that they fall. A successful FORT or REFLEX Encumbrance save halves this damage. Counting Encumbrance is as such: SPIRIT Saving Throws are for resisting against both mental influence and domination, as well as purely magical attacks • heavy armor, get +2 that harm the soul. Encumbrance. • carrying 6 or more different items, get+1 Encumbrance. For every 5 more items you carry, Travel get accumulative +1 Encumbrance. Robes, clothing, cloth, and other worn items usually do not count themselves as encumbrance. There are roads, trails blazed by the Empire leading the • Carrying an oversized item gives +1 natives. However, these roads are small, and these roads are Encumbrance. singular, as the land itself fights back. The most popular travel of choice is still either overland or sailing across the Encumbrance Points sea.

It should be noted that these roads are anything but 0-1 Unencumbered safe. Adventurers and caravan guards are now respected professions thanks to the prevalence of dangerous monsters 2-3 Lightly Encumbered known as maligno, the dangerous natural beasts known as halimaw, and even the horrible guerrilla tulisanes that raid 4-5 Heavily Encumbered Empire caravans and kalesas and wagons. 6+ Fully Encumbered Hold An Action is a Move Action, allows you to delay all your Combat actions and activate them as an Instant action.

Life is dangerous in the Archipelago. Life-or-death is at the tip of the On Turn Actions are simple but fast acts, such as readying an blade, or at the mercy of the night, or the creatures that live within. But item, dropping something, or downing an herbal remedy blessed by combat is dangerous, and even an accomplished warrior can be felled diwata of fertility. The character may perform as many of these in one to brutal wounds. A might be protected by his umalagad, round as they but the flames of Al-Kaigian fires could be stronger. Instant Actions are special: the character may use this action even if turn. This is usually some magical capability, Initiative but some combat actions are also instant, such as Total Defense which you cannot When combat breaks out, every participant rolls 1d8 and adds their use Total Defense) and adds +2 to their AC until their next turn. Dexterity or Wisdom modifier. In case of ties, the PC wins. Initiative Making Attacks is only rolled once. Unlike Skill Checks, rolling to see if an Characters move from highest initiative to lowest, and then loops opponent in combat is done with Hit Rolls. A usual hit roll consists of back around to the fastest. One full sequence of this is called a round, rolling a 1d20 (not 2d6!) + Attribute (usually Strength or Dexterity) + which is usually six seconds of full frenzied actions. Skill Rank (usually Brawling, Melee, or Ranged If characters are surprised, the surprisers roll Dexterity/Stealth Class. If it is equal or higher, you hit!

get one free round of actions before rolling initiative, also known as a Similar to Skill Checks, if your skill is at Rank-0, you have a -2 surprise round. penalty to your Hit Roll.

A character may wish to delay their action. If so, the player must If the blow hits, the attacker rolls their damage dice (usually from say what they are waiting for, and say what they do when that happens, the weapon) and add their relevant attribute modifier. Unarmed like a trigger. When the thing the player is waiting for happens, whatever they plan to do occurs immediately. If the event never hit points. actions can plausibly be held. Armors

The players always add your Dexterity modifier to their Armor Class Taking Action .. Armor Type Armor Class Penalty Outside of combat or where narrative timing is less important to the None (Robes, Clothing) 11 None flow of fiction, these things do not apply. But when the bolos are Light (Buff Jackets, 14 None unsheathed, arquebuses are loaded, and clash with geom, the Chainmail) timing becomes more important. Medium (Lamellars, 16 -2 to Reflex A single Round is six seconds long. Each Round is segmented into Hard Leather, Karabaw Saves Turns, which all exist within those six-seconds, like a paragraph, Hide) exchange, or comic book panel. Heavy (Full Plate, 18 -4 to Reflex When comes up, be reminded that there are Cuirass) Saves four types of action: Main, Move, On Turn, and Instant. Light Magical (, 17 0 Enchantments) Main Actions are major actions that absorb most of the six- Heavy Magical (Power 19 -2 to Spirit second round. Characters only have one of these per round. This Armor, Enchanted applies to attacking, but also usually trying to apply magical healing Bamboo Plate) upon an ally, defending something, manipulating some strange Aghaman device and whatnot. If wanted, the hero may replace their

Main Action for the round for a second Move Action.

Move Actions are baseline. Characters get one of these per round. Climbing or moving through hazardous terrain or swimming amongst others halves the A hero may split their move action, such as

Range from an opponent without disengaging provokes an Opportunity Attack, allowing the opponent to make a melee attack against the character. The character uses your Main Action to Disengage. Weapons The examples of weapons given here are not exhaustible, of course. In addition, the damage dice are modified by the attribute listed below, and are added to the result before comparing to the damage chart.

Weapon Modifier Damage Dice Unarmed Strength 1d2 Light (Daggers, Dirks, Kris) Strength or 1d4 Dexterity Medium (Tenegre, Kampilan, Strength 1d6 Bolo, ) Heavy (Greatswords, Lances, Strength 1d8 etc.) Magical Light (Relict Strength or 1d6 Balaraws, Relict Lubid) Dexterity Magical Medium (Sandata, Strength or 1d8 Relict Bolo, Relict Tenegre) Dexterity Magical Heavy (, Strength 1d10 Grand Sandata)

Advancement New Skill Rank Skill Point Cost Minimum Character Level

Karanduun are known to advance, and they will always be known to 0 1 1 advance, until they can reach their legendary potential.

1 2 1 To level up, a Karanduun must have both accrued enough Experience Points (XP) and spent enough Dominion. Dominion is 2 3 3 similar to the Dominion r

3 4 6

Character Total XP Required Dominion Spent 4 5 9 Level 1 0 0

2 3 2 3 6 4 Buying Attributes 4 12 10 In addition to Skills, you may also choose to improve your Attributes. 5 24 22 This is known as an Attribute Boost. Boosts always add just +1. 6 48 38 You may add +1 to your Attribute modifier by spending 3 Skill 7 72 57 Points. The second one after that (all of them are +1s, but are 8 96 76 cumulative) costs 5 SP. The third 8 and you must be Level 3+, the 9 130 95 fourth 11 and you must be Level 6+, and the last 13 SP and you must 10 170 124 be Level 9+. 11+ +24 for each level +30 for each level No more than five attribute boosts can be bought by a PC. In more more addition, PCs can never raise their Attribute beyond 4. If the next Attribute Boost would raise your Attribute from 3 to 4, double the Skill Most games only last until Level 8 10. However, if your game Point Cost. calls for higher level games, do not be afraid to invent new Gifts and Miracles for the game. Attribute Boost Skill Point Cost Minimum Character Level Benefits of Gaining a Level First 1 1 Second 2 1 Once they achieve the amount of Total XP needed and spent the Third 3 3 required amount of Dominion, their Sinag bolsters and burns within Fourth 4 6 them, propelling them to face greater challenges with renewed vigor. Fifth 5 9

• Add Hit Points: You gain 3HP + your Constitution to your

Maximum HP.

• Better Saving Throws: All your Saving Throws go down by 1. • Raised Attack Bonus: Add +1 to your Attack Bonus. E.g. At Level 2, this means your Attack Bonus is at +2. • Maximum Effort and Influence increased: Add +1 to your Overt Effort, and +1 to your Influence. You only add +1 to your Subtle Effort at Level 3, 6, and 9. • Gain Gift Points and Skill Points: You gain 2 Gift Points that you can either use or bank. You also gain 3 Skill Points that you can use to raise Skills or buy skills.

Buying Skills

Skills bought after leveling up is assumed to have been trained over the

developing them. You cannot spend your points mid-scene.

Every skill must be purchased in order. If you want to buy Rank- 2 in a skill, you must buy Rank-1 first, and to buy Rank-1, you must buy Rank-0 first. Dexterity (DEX) Character Creation A measure of your hand-eye coordination, agility, reflexes, and balance. This is important for combat-oriented classes, adds to AC, and is the main attribute for missile weaponry. Add your DEX Roll Abilities modifier to attack rolls with ranged weapons and you your Armor Class (AC). When rolling for Initiative, you may choose to add Roll 3d6 in order: Charisma, Constitution, Dexterity, Strength, either your DEX mod or your WIS mod to the 1d8 roll. Intelligence, and Wisdom • Initiative Modifier -- Choose either DEX or WIS to Or assign 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, and 8 and assign however you wish. signify your reaction times and how quick you take to action. On an Ability Score of 3, your modifier is -2, on 4- Ability Score Modifier 8, it’s -1, on 9-12, it’s 0, on 13-17, it’s +1, and on an 18, it’s +2. 3 -3 4 - 5 -2 Intelligence (INT) Determines how well you reason, learn, or remember. It also 6 - 8 -1 measures your Language Ability and number of Languages you know. This Ability is useful for Ilustrado characters. 9 - 12 0

13 - 15 +1 INT LANGUAGE ABILITY BONUS 16 - 17 +2 LANGUAGES 3 Unable to read or write, broken 0 18 +3 speech 4-5 Unable to read or write 0 6-8 Can write simple words 0 9-12 Can read and write native 1 languages What Each Ability Score Does 16-17 Can read and write native 2 languages Charisma (CHA) 18 Can read and write native 3 A measure of your personality and force of will. It measures how langauges creatures react to you from their reaction modifiers and your number of retainers and their morale. Refer to the table below: • Reaction Modifiers -- When encountering people whose reactions to your presence and doings seem Strength (STR) uncertain, the Referee might deem it worthy to roll a 2d6 Rates your brawn, muscle, and physical power. This ability is reaction roll. Your Charisma will modify this roll with especially important for characters that focus on melee combat. your reaction modifier. The higher, the better. Add your STR modifier to attack AND damage rolls, as well as attempts to exert brute force. • Retainers -- Retainers are hirelings and other people that serve you and enjoy both your protection as well as your company. Wisdom (WIS) Determines your willpower, common sense, perception, and CHA REACTION MAX # OF RETAINER intuition. Wisdom represents being in tune with and aware of MODIFIER RETAINERS MORALE one’s connection to the greater nature. 3 -2 1 4 4-5 -1 2 5 6-8 -1 3 6 9 - None 4 7 12 13- +1 5 8 15 16- +1 6 9 17 18 +2 7 10 Constitution (CON) A measure of your health, endurance, and stamina. Add your Constitution Modifier when rolling hit points.

Roll or Choose Background Thousand Islands of Zuhayras You may choose or roll on the tables below, or make one yourself, with your Referee. To create a Background, think of two 1d12 Background Background Skills that for the description, and choose one. You are considered to be at Rank-0 at your Background Skill. Choose three 1 Prayle - You are a person of the mendicant orders of the more Skills that fit your backstory or the character you wish to friars, either of the Sacrosanct Order of Saint Eshthea or play. the Immaculate Order of Holy Baerius. You work for society, but Zuhayras toils under you. Background Skill: Sex Faith or Presence

2 Peninsulares - You are an Al-Kaigian born in the Kivhran 1d4 Sex Peninsula and enjoy a higher social class. Background Skill: Presence or Administration 1 Male

3 Insulares - You are an Al-Kaigian born in Zuhayras, and 2 Female you suffer a lower social class then Peninsulares, and even

discrimination. Background Skill: Lore or Trading 3 Asug Laki (Transgendered from Female to Male) 4 Intelligentsia - You are a native, a Zuhayran, with the prestige of education and wealth. Background Skill: Lore 4 Asug Bai (Transgendered from Male to or Occult Female)

5 Negosyante - You may not be raised with education, but

Where You Were Born? you know your way around money. Background Skill: Trading or Connection

1d8 Birth Region 6-7 Sundalo You are a soldier in the Zuhayran arm of the Al- Kaigian Army. Background Skill: War or Ranged 1 Thousand Islands of Zuhayras 8-10 Trabahador - You are a worker in some industry, 2 Liway trampled upon by the higher classes. Background Skill: Working or Artisanry 3-4 Kivhran Peninsula 11-12 Magsasaka - You are a farmer living in the rural areas, 5-6 Near Silanan frequently exploited by Peninsulares or even Insulares hacienderos. Background Skill: Working or Athletics 7-8 Sur Janubia 13-14 Pulubi - You are a poor person living in the confines of the cities, stealing and being forced into labor for work.

Background Skill: Awareness or Stealth

15-16 Tulisanes - You are a bandit that has taken to fighting against the government and raiding haciendas. Background Skill: Melee or Ranged

17 Tagabundok You are a warrior or barangay folk living in the mountains. Background Skill: Melee or Survival

18 Albularyo You are the mix of Yavuman rituals and incantations but with the prayership and beliefs to the gods of the land, the lambana, diwata, , umalagad, and apo. Background Skill: Faith or Occult

19-20 Pirate You hearken back to the original virtue of your ancestors living freely in the sea and reigning the waters. You are a pirate and raider, and the galleon ships fear you. Background Skill: Ranged or Sail Kivhran Peninsula Liway 1d10 Background 1d8 Background Kaigian House Imperial - You are born in the highest prestige: one of the seven houses of Kaig. Background Skill: 1 Ginu - You are a noble in the barangay, directly serving 1 Presence or choose from the Houses below. Roll 1d8 on the under a , or maybe you are the Datu. Background table below. Skill: Melee or Presence

Yavuman Sacerdote You are part of the Clergy and enjoy 2 Atubang You directly give advice and become the sage 2 great power within the Empire, being imbued with the and vizier of your Datu. Background Skill: Lore or authority of Yavum. Background Skill: Faith or Lore Administration

Kaigian Gentry You are a noble, but not part of the Royal 3 Katalonan You are a paragon of the Dayawan Faith, 3 Houses. Background Skill: Lore or Trading worshipper of nature and the gods that live within, the ancestral spirits, and wise-man and medicine man. Only Kaigian Freeman You are a free, but you must work to females or Asug Bai can become Katalonan. Reroll if you 4 make sure you are provided for. Background Skill: get this and you do not meet the prerequisites. Artisanry or Working Background Skill: Faith or Performance

Kaigian Soldier You are a warrior fighting for the Al- 4 -- You are a freeman. You cannot marry into 5 the Ginu, but you are educated, and you only work for Kaigian War Machine. Background Skill: Melee or Ranged your Datu. Background Skill: Trading or Eloquence Slave You are subservient to someone of the higher class, 5 Maharlika -- You are a warrior in your barangay, 6 and must live, without any period for rising above your following your Datu into battle. Background Skill: Melee current class. Background Skill: Athletics or Working or War Correctionist You are a member of the secret police 6 Oripung Horohan - Like a maharlika, but they are a 7 known as the Correction Bureau, under the House Ilisus. warrior for a person, like a personal guard. Background Background Skill: Stealth or Connections Skill: Melee or Brawl Kivhran Tribal Warrior You are a native Kivhran 7 Oripung Tuhay - Servants that had their own property, 8 warrior of one of the Kivhran Tribes. Background Skills: but must pay a percentage of their earnings to their Slash or War masters. Background Skill: Working or Artisanry Kivhran Shaman You call upon the spirits of the earth to 8 Oripung Alalay - Slaves that lived with their masters and 9 enact great miracles, as well as prophesy and divine the wills can only marry with the consent of their masters. of your totem spirit. Background Skills: Pray or Talk Background Skill: Athletics and Working Kivhran Tribesman You are a comfy tribesman just trying to make a living, but you are considered lower than 10 even the slaves by the Al-Kaigian Empire. Background Skills: Work or Survive.

Imperial Houses Near Silanan

1d8 Background 1d12 Background

1 House Kaig, the rulers, judges, and deliberators. Background 1 Giroan Jegugi - You are a direct relative of the current Skill: Manage Emperor, and that gives you responsibilities you must bear. Background Skills: Trading or Presence 2 House Alaria, Conquerors, Warriors, Disciplined Fighters. Background Skill: War 2 Ssihan - You come from one of the four Imperial Clans. Your Background Skill is either Administration or choose 3 House Shilomius, Priests, Ministers, and friars. Background from below. Roll a 1d10 to figure out which Clan you come Skill: Pray from below.

4 House Fulmus, scholars and savants. Background Skill: 3 Janggwan - The ministers, from which many government Know officials hail. Background Skill: Trading or Lore

5 House Ilisus, the assassins, spies, and infiltrators. 4 Gundan or Simingun - Official Soldiers, paid well and with Background Skill: Sneak a higher stipend, and are usually brought up to be politicians. You may also choose to be Simingun, which are 6 House Daniado, traders and sailors. Background Skill: Trade the same, but not educated and come from the peasantry. Background Skill: War or Lore 7 House Quanitus, the workers and farmers. Background Skill: Work 5 Nongbu - You are one of the peasants, lowest classes, but highly respected. Background Skills: Athletics or Working 8 Reroll 6 Jangin - You are one of the artisans--jewelers, metalworkers, and even artists. Background Skills: Working or Artisanry.

7 Sangin - You are one of the merchants, regarded as a lazy cheat in the whole of society. Background Skills: Trading or Connections

8 Noye - You are a slave, in the lowest rung of society. Background Skills: Stealth or Survival

9 Bulgachog - You are one of the absolute untouchables, that had nothing to do in life, whatsoever. Background Skills: Survival or Athletics

10 Koccha Kishi - You come from one of the three monasteries of Omist thought in the mountains. Koccha Kishi are flower and poets. Background Skill: Performance or Melee

11 Gwanliin - You do not exist. You are the keepers of secret and lore, a master of finding information. Background Skill: Stealth or Trading.

12 Gisaeng - You dictate the beauty standards of Giroan society. You manipulate and declare society accordingly to your body or your sensual words. Background Skill: Eloquence or Performance

Imperial Houses Sur Janubbia

1d10 Background 1d6 Background

1-2 Bekjae - Scholars, archeologists, Effisian Savant -- You are well- and travelers. Background Skill: versed in crafting aghimuan, Trading magical artifacts from the Golden 1 Age of the Karanduun. 3-4 Gikuo - Leaders, speakers, orators, Background Skill: Artisanry or and wise-men. Background Skill: Working Presence Fahurian Malah -- You have lived 5-6 5-6 - Gomeon - Hunters, traders, and worked in the moskas (holy trailblazers. Background Skill: temple) of the Fahurian Faith Survival within Effisia, making sure that the word of Gavarikh and the 2 7-8 7-8 - Ssilla - Merchants, architects, Teachings of Obo Sindo is given to and arithmeticians. Background the people. You also master the Skill: Artisanry esoteric names of the Six Billion Angels. Background Skill: Faith or 9-10 9-10 - Mushin - Berserkers, poets, Occult and warriors. Background Skill: War Fahurian Malah-Saif -- You have lived in the fire mountains of Sur

Janubbia, within monasteries of 3 Addafahu concept of the blade within them, thus your title: Swordpriest. Background Skill: Faith or Melee

Bakhthirian Nomad - You rove with your brothers and sisters in the desert of Bakhthir, bringing 4 cattle, rooting and uprooting bone houses, and following a holy leader. Background Skills: Survival or Working.

Desert Tomb Raider - You pride yourself in braving the dangerous firesands of the Sur Janubbian Desert, digging deep and finding 5 the immaculate ruins left behind by the Karanduun of the past. Background Skills: Awareness or Survival.

Sambalan Samsara - You are born in the Priest-King of the City of Light, also known as Sambala. You are part of a city of duality, one that values both peace and 6 war. Choose or roll 1d2 to see whether you belong to the Buddha (and get Faith as your Background Skill) or the Ashura (and get War as your Background Skill). Specialist might be a great artisan or whatnot. Specialists are explorers Choose a Class as well as experts in their fields. Specialist Abilities

There are seven classes you may choose from, endemic to the Skill-Monkey: You gain access to two Class Skills and set those at Sanlibutan setting. These are the Warriors, Specialists, Traveler, Rank-0. In addition, you gain +1 extra Skill Points at each level, which Katalonan, Ilustrado, Pari. you cannot spend on Melee, Ranged, Occult, or Faith.

When choosing a Class, make sure to be mindful of their Class Expertise: Once per scene, you may apply Grasya upon your Skill statistics. When you pick a Class, choose one Skill from their Skill List. Check. Mark that as Rank-0 in your Character Sheet.

Unless noted, all Classes except the Warrior begins at a +0 Attack Bonus. Traveler

Requirements: Constitution 11 A Note When Rolling Hit Points Hit Dice per level: 1d6 When you roll your Hit Dice, if you roll a 1 or 2, you may choose to Allowed Armor: Light and Medium reroll it. You may only do this once. Allowed Weapons: Light and Medium

Warrior Skills: Survival, Trading, Connections, Ride and Sail A Traveler is exactly that, one who travels across the world. A traveler Requirements: None is expected to have connections and the indomitable will to connect and speak with other people in a variety of cultures. They are explorers Hit Dice per level: 1d8 and trailblazers, almost an indisputable part of the team. Allowed Armor: Light, Medium, Heavy, Shields Traveler Abilities: Allowed Weapons: Light, Medium, and Heavy Melee and Ranged Know Where You Go: By a mixture of natural intuition and some Skills: Melee, Ranged, Presence, Athletics, and War preternatural sense you are almost never lost. You may choose to still get lost (and suffer Wilderness Checks). If you do, you gain 1 Grasya A Warrior is a wide name for a variety of fighters in the greater that you can apply to any roll you wish. Archipelago. These include native maharlika, or city guwardya sibil, or tulisanes bandits. Any woman or man with the grit and resolution to Traveling Athleticism: You have a connection with a single large area fight their way through the Archipelago fall under the Warrior. and may call upon that connection to deal with whatever problem you have once per story. Warrior Abilities

Combat: You may use all forms of weapons and armor. You also begin with an Attack Bonus of +1. Katalonan

Martial Prowess: Once per fight, as an Instant action, you may negate Requirements: Wisdom 13 a successful attack against you or automatically hit with your own attack. Hit Dice per level: 1d4

Hardy: You gain +2 HP at every level, in addition to your Hit Dice. Allowed Armor: Light Allowed Weapons: Light Specialist Skills: Performance, Faith, Eloquence, Presence, and Awareness

A Katalonan is a spiriteer, medium, speaker, and bridge between the Requirements: None mortal flesh and the divine spirit. Nowadays, in the colonized Pearl Hit Dice per level: 1d6 Archipelago, they are commonly called Albularyo, and their spirit- talking must be conducted in secret, to avoid the eyes of the Yavuman Allowed Armor: Light and Medium Priests and their Inquestors. Other nations have different shamans as Allowed Weapons: Light and Medium well, but Katalonan are the most numerous and most significant.

Skills: All Skills, choose two. Katalonan Abilities

A Warrior has grit and resolution, but a Specialist has much more up Taruna: Taruna is the tradition of speaking with the spirits and the their sleeve. When you need something done, you call this guy in. A gods, although this can also apply to all kinds of shaman. At first level, Specialist is one person particularly skilled in one form or the other. you are considered to have the Skill Taruna at Rank-0. You may use Usually, they are a specialist in their background. A Worksman your Skill Points to raise this. At Rank-0 you are an Apprentice; at Rank-1 you are a Novice; at Rank-2 you are an Adept; at Rank-3, you Magical Tradition: Choose whether you practice Kulam, the Old Path, are a Master; at Rank-4, you are an Archmaster. or Salamangka, the New Way. Both are equally powerful. See the Spellcasting List Below. Both of these Skills use Occult. • Apprentice: You know the names of the spirits, herbs, livestocks, and their importance in herbology as well as their Mangkukulam or Salamangkero: After choosing a Path, you symbolism. You are considered to have your Third Eye immediately begin as an Initiate. However, you can spend choose to opened, so you can sense and detect magic, as well as see into use one of your Skills to raise your Initiate into Adept. You cannot the spirit world existing underneath the flesh, Espiritu. You reach Master until you have a skill rank of Occult-2, and you cannot may perform healing magics or fraying magics with your reach Archmage until you have a skill rank of Occult-4. knowledge of herbs with a magnitude of 1d4. You may talk Harnessing Bala: You have a Pool of Effort equal to 1 + the higher of with spirits, but you cannot bargain with them. You may your WIS or CON mods. choose to prod various lambana to achieve certain affects, however, but these cannot be controlled (such as annoying or impassioning a lambana of fire living within a candle, and thus making that candle a Pari the house you are in with you.) Requirements: Charisma 13 • Novice: You now have the divine authority to bargain with spirits. You may speak with them as if they are normal Hit Dice per level: 1d4 people, and may even ask them to perform tasks for you that they can accomplish (a fire spirit will not be able to create Allowed Armor: Light water on its own, but it can control flames). If attacking or Allowed Weapons: Light

usage of spirits to conduct miracles. Pari is the Zuhayran term for Priest, and it applies to all priests that • Adept: You can speak with the Gods and perform more confer with an established religion, or specifically, those that worship Yavum. Pari are the most charismatic of the lot, with a great potent rituals, and can bring to a specific endeavor (- /+2 to a Skill Checks) as well as restore vigor to a group. You personality and force of will that allows them to lead their flock of can now see further into the spirit world of Espiritu, and believers without any hesitation. even travel there. You can now bless yourself or your allies Pari Abilities: with Grasya or others with Gaba once per day. • Master: Once per day you may order a Lambana or Diwata Devotion to Yavum: Once per day, you may apply Grasya upon to perform one thing in exchange of being in debt to them in yourself or one of your allies that believes in Yavum. the near future. One does not need to speak to them--the Light of Yavum: You may touch a corpse (animate or not) and deal order is absolute. The Spirits usually abhor this when (Level)d6 damage upon the corpse. performed. The magnitude of your spells rise up to 1d8. • Archmaster: Only the oldest and wisest of the wisemen Passion Incarnate: You begin with one faithful servant to you. Speak attain this degree of mastery. They can break , cure with your Referee to create him. He has the following stats: 1HD or non-magical diseases, bewitch people, and order an Apo, or 4HP, +1 Attack Bonus, 15 AC, 1d6 damage. As your Charisma rises, a God, once per story. The magnitude of their healing and you may gain more of these faithful servants. damaging attacks rises up to 1d10. Skills Gossamer Glossolalia: You can speak the language of the Spirits. By now you probably have one Background Skill and one Class Skill

Ilustrado at Rank-0, or you may choose to raise an existing Rank-0 Skill to Rank- 1 instead using the two Skills you have left to assign. Requirements: Intelligence 13 Skill List Hit Dice per level: 1d4 Administration, to manage an organization, handle paperwork, Allowed Armor: Light analyze records, and keep an institution functioning on a daily basis. Allowed Weapons: Light and Medium Roll it for bureaucratic expertise, organizational management, legal knowledge, dealing with the government and councils, and An Ilustrado is a term used by the colonial government to denote those understanding how institutions really work. that are learned in the secret sciences. As such, salamangkero and mangkukulam, witches and magicians, all fall under this. Ilustrado are Artisanry, to build and fix things. The complexity of such usually looked upon with suspicion, and most of them gather in their artifices depends on the crafters background. A Panday from the cabals and secret lodges to speak esoteries and experimentations at barangay will probably not know how to manipulate and repair the each other. workings of an Elemental Engine, for example.

Ilustrado Abilities: Athletics, to apply trained speed, strength, or stamina in some feat of physical exertion; to run, jump, lift, swim, climb, throw, and so forth. You can use it as a combat skill when throwing things, though it Trading, to sell or buy things, figure out where to get contraband and illegal goods, to fast-talk the Governor-General into buying your wooden Larauan for the price of a painting, or even to haggle with that Awareness, to spot anomalies or interesting facts about your panciteria cook to lower his prices. environment. Roll it for searching places, detecting ambushes, spotting things, and reading the emotional state of other people. War, to lead armies and warbands, marshal troops, and affect cunning stratagems fit for a Datu or commander. Use this with Brawl, to fight without the use of weapons, both in melee or Charisma to lead your host into a battle with certain death and win. range. Tooth and nail, elbow and knees. Working, to plow fields, work wood, create weavings of abaca, Connections, to find people who can be helpful to your purposes construct buildings with others, and even to watch over a morgue. The and get them to cooperate with you. Whether this be a slave trader, a purview of daily labors. If Art is not Artisanry, then it is Working. witchdust. You may also use this to gether knowledge about foreign cultures and languages. You can use it in place of Talk for persuading people you find via this skill. Finishing Touches Take whatever weaponry or armor you wish, appropriate to Eloquence, to persuade, charm, or deceive others in conversation, your background and class. You begin with 1d12 + 3 (6 if you’re to believing what you want them to believe. a prayle) reales, the currency of the Archipelago. Faith, to know what a priest, nun, or shaman of a particular religion would know, as well as a measure of your general piety and faith. Write a Name and a Concept.

Lore, to know things scholars and savants and historians would know; the history of Zuhayras, the societal role of the Datu, or what the different maligno are.

Medicine, to cure the sick and mend the bloodied ally or foe. Healing from herbs of an albularyo, or the secret prayers of a katalonan, can effect great marvels through this skill.

Melee, to strike an opponent with any form of melee weaponry: a sword, spear, axe, hammer, shield, or relict Sandata.

Occult, to know the secret sciences and old paths of knowledge, for things occult and esoteric, as well as using that knowledge to achieve magical effects.

Performance, to dance, sing, orate, act, or otherwise put on a convincing or emotionally moving performance. This must be a performance skill.

Presence, to do. Appeal to their emotions, or let them know your passion for your nation, to follow you to death for the sake of freedom.

Ranged, to strike at an opponent from afar with any form of ranged weaponry: a bow, crossbow, a musket, a thrown stone, a blowgun, or even a relict rifle.

Ride, to ride beasts such as horses or even the mythical bannog, and other land vehicles, such as kalesas. This also includes repair for land vehicles.

Sail, to maneuver the galleon ships, or the intricacies of a , or the greatness of balangays.

Stealth, to perform things without being noticed, usually illegal things: pick the pockets of the guwardya sibil, sneak past the friars to go into their room full of riches, or even to unlock the locked vaults of the Basilica de Sanctuary. Survival, to handle animals, navigate difficult terrain, scrounge for resources, make basic tools, and avoid wild beasts or gangs. Magic and Spellcasting Adept At this level, a mangkukulam has begun to learn healing magics by Magic in this game is not Vancian, but rather, Effort based and split exploiting Sympathies between life and death, curing or instilling into two schools: the more Primal Kulam and the more scientific illnesses. In addition, they have already begun to study the act of Salamangka. Using a spell always forces a character to Commit Effort, Sympathy with Human Subjects, using hair strands and other usually for the day. sympathetic connections to affect a target with a spell from up to a Mile away. In addition, due to their knowledge of the natural world, they may Commit Effort to enchant a mundane weapon and turn it into a Kulam Magical Weapon.

The Old Way. The Ancient Sorceries have large and grand effects and all of them require a full Ritual to perform: 12 hours, from the Noon Master Sun to Midnight or from Midnight to the Noon Sun. At this level, the mangkukulam learns magic. She can bring curses The Mother of all Sorcery, Kulam, is the act of using knowledge upon people, instilling a +2/-2 upon their actions. She can cobble of the natural world to affect it using the Sympathies between them. together leaves and stones and create a Fire Stone that ignites upon touching another stone. She can still water by using the appropriate Witchcraft, even if their own Sorcery came from this. Another name herb and stone mixture, and more. At this level, Witchdust can be made. resonating with the first few steps of when the first few Races knew Awareness, and learned to use the power of nature to their advantage. Most Mangkukulam have the trappings of a witch, but Kulam Archmaster does not exist within a centralized coven. Each practitioner of the With the proper tools, this level of expertise in the Old Path incurs Kulam has their own way of finding spiritual and natural harmony. powerful magics. They can affect anything from any point in the world However, each Mangkukulam has similarities, as Kulam is still a as long as they have a powerful enough Sympathy. They may heal tradition, and one built upon hard rock. Studying Kulam usually takes instantly for 1d6, as if a Miracle, but they must Commit Effort for the either 7 years or 10 years if they did not have a teacher. The numbers day. They may break curses, or they may manipulate the elements with are said to hold spiritual significance, hence the 7 year Apprenticeship greater knowledge. They may learn to create fetishes, and may even-- or the 10 Year Initiation. Committing Effort for the Day--see into a single point into the near future (next day all the way to next week.) Kulam comes from the usage of actual items that have spiritual symbolism within them, and fusing them together or otherwise using their symbolism to their will. This power draws upon the Natural or Primal world. It draws upon the spiritual significance of things that already exist and are material, and deals with the manipulation of it through natural means, such as aging, or fermentation, or whatever else, by combining or otherwise applying. Applying Shadowed Ashes upon yourself can cause a veil of shadow over you, for example, or otherwise the usage of a potion mixed with various dream-inducing herbs fermented with alcohol, when thrown to the ground, can induce harrowing illusions upon those who smell it.

A popular usage of Kulam in the Time of Malice is the Witchdust powder. A mix of ash, fireleaves, balayong petals, and alcohol, creating an explosive mixture that can be used to fire off bullets, but also spells inscribed onto the petals of the balayong. Practitioners of Kulam are usually shunned and are feared by the rural people.

Apprentice At this level, mangkukulam begin to learn the true names of things, connections, and herbology, physics, and geology to study the truth of nature, which they will eventually learn to bend with clever tricks of sympathy.

Salamangka

Salamangka is more refined, usually seen as a more academic version of Kulam. However, unlike Kulam, which seeks to create a connection with nature, Salamangka tries to harness it and control it. Salamangka is not quite the advance of technology, at least not yet. The practice of Salamangka is something kept hidden within circles. Salamangkero can Commit Effort to prepare one ritual that they have prepared into a physical object, usually a potion or a stone.

When the Effort is released, the effects of the ritual immediately goes off. This is in addition to the Effort for the day cost in performing rituals.

Apprentice At this level, a Salamangkero can perform minor miracles provided they have prepared it as a ritual beforehand. They can create flames erupting from papers, or summoning winds from banana leaves. Minor elemental manipulation is the highest reach here, with magnitudes reaching to 1d4. You may also read a minor prophecy by consulting the stars, by Committing Effort for the day. Perhaps the most important skill gained as an Apprentice is gaining the ability of research and valuing knowledge. You gain Lore- you already have Lore-0, you get Lore-1. If you already have Lore-1, nothing changes.

Adept At this rank, a Salamangkero can begin to call upon spirits and demons, creating pacts and bindings, but they cannot summon any spirit or demon with Hit Dice higher than their level. You may see into the immediate future or the future of up to one week by Committing Effort for the Day and consulting the stars. Major Elemental Manipulation is now available at this rank, with the ability to manipulate flames and ice and lightnings with effects of up to 1d6.

Master At this rank a Salamangkero can summon angels and other otherworldly entities that have Hit Dice up to +2 his level. They may make the beings fight as well. Elemental Manipulation as well as manipulating Diwa, the prime substance of the world, becomes available, although manipulating Diwa still requires the knowledge of the stars. One may now see a major change in the future and attempt to change it by manipulating the stars.

Archmaster A very rare rank. A Salamangkero that lives long enough to become an archmage can summon objects and beings made of pure Diwa. They may change the stars as they see fit once a year, and they have mastered control over the elements, allowing them to create them out of thin air. If used to attack, they deal 1d10 + 1 damage. In addition, they can summon the Old Gods (the Apo) or one of the Merak once per year.

Gazetteer of Sanlibutan The Underworld, or Sulad Nature of the Tapiserya The Underworld in the Natural world is the abode of the creatures that live within the earth, the hot flames underneath the earth, and the vast kingdoms of earth-dwelling and maligno, including Tapiserya is the word given by the ancient God of Knowledge Apung duwende and the others. Lately, beings from the Spirit Underworld, Pamahres to the whole of the world from Sulad to Maka. Thus, this is known as Sulad or Hell in other cultures, have been seeping into the what most of the people call it now, although the Al-Kaigians call it Natural Underworld, whereas amalanhig and have begun to Telurian. The Tapiserya is a world full of danger, and one that houses threaten the kingdoms of the duwende. Pandaki is known to inhabit two worlds within itself. Outside of the Tapiserya is the Beyond, where, the Natural Underworld. Portals to the Near Shore of the Underworld, some say, the destroyed planets lie. known as Sulad, exist in every nook and cranny, whether it be a small The world of Karanduun is known as the Sanlibutan, and the shrine of bone and flesh, or a never-ending hole that only fits one Sanlibutan is part of the great cosmic realm known as the Tapiserya. person, or a huge maw of a cave underneath an underground cave. The World of Karanduun is very much unique in several ways. Sulad is where ALL the souls go to once they die. Sanlibutan is a fractured world, where people fight sword, faith, and It is guarded by Sitan, guardian of the Underworld, and it can be word over a land that is the corpse of a primordial god. traveled to by sea, through Magu'yawan, by river, by the Crocodile It is oft-whispered about by the Apo, that the Universe is made up Psychopomp God Apung Buwaya, or by seeking out various of seven cosmic layers. Although this has been subject to much passageways in the grounds, navigating a complex, all leading to deciphering and thought by natural philosophers, much is still the Lingay, a rock that all Souls will pass to, before you meet Sitan. The unknown at the extremities. One thing is known for sure -- they cannot Underworld is ruled over by Panlinugun, God of the Underworld, and be sure that there is an Abyss, nor a Throne. It was only knowledge causer of Earthquakes. given to them by Pamahres, God of Knowledge. Some parawali put the The Waters flows into the Underworld, thus why Magu'yawan is also Below as the First Stratum, whereas others put the Above as the First the ferry of the dead. The rivers of the great mountains -- when three Layers. It does not matter. Such arbitrary categorizations are followed to their end -- can cause a mortal to arrive at the Underworld, trifles of mortals. and if they survive, the Spirit Underworld as well.

Below The Middle The First three layers of the Universe is made up of the things below There is only one realm in the Middle, and it is arguably the most the earth. important one, for it is the center of the universe. This realm is Sanlibutan. Abyss Something toils restlessly within the nothingness of the Abyss. The Midworld, or Sanlibutan and Espiritu This is the flat realm of man and the other flesh races. Walking

alongside them are the spirits lambana and diwata, along with the The Waters engkanto, whom live in the Espiritu, the invisible spirit world of concepts and wonders that exists underneath the flesh of reality. The This is the seas, and the domain of Maguyawan, the Guiding Waters anito also walk this land as well if they are allowed by Sui-dapa to cross, and Psychopomp of the Dead. She makes sure that the souls that die or manage to ask Magu-yawan to ferry them back, or if they manage are ferried to the Underworld. This layer makes up every source of to trick Suimuran and Siginarugan, the two giant guardians of the water, from the sea, to the oceans, to the rivers. It is why, it is said, that underworld, or if Pandaki manages to save them from the Underworld. one can find water underneath the ground. If one were to bury all the way past the world, one would find the Waters. Sanlbiutan is mostly made up of various islands, as the Waters still dominates all. center of the world is the Archipelago itself, named Many of the aquatic races live within, such as the siokoy, magindara, Lakungdula by human scholars. The rest of the world is waters, with and the tiburon. other islands existing. Some islands are larger than others and those become the continents. Tambanokano, who lives in the Sea, blocking the Hole to the Abyss. At the borders of the world are the Jaws. These are the ends of the earth, This place is known as the Navel of the Sea. When he leaves, the waters and you will fall off, or be crushed by the jaws. One should possess rush into the hole, causing low tide, but when he inhabits it once again, impeccable timing to be able to jump through the Jaws of the Horizon, the high tide returns. He is so powerful that when he blinks his eyes and arrive bodily into the Skyworld, or Maka. lightnings flash, and the great waves of the sea are because of his movements within the Waters.

The Lakungdulan Archipelago is the Archipelago Continent in the middle of the world. It is composed of the Thousand Islands, now known as Zuhayras, Liway, Tabun, and T'kapi. this Empire has spread its wings to the south, colonizing the Thousand Islands and establishing trade with the City-State • Zuhayras is the heart of the world, the center of trade and ji, Qirong, and lately travelled Northwest to the first world colony. In its wicked, horrid heart beats the

Indigo Metropolis, made of 7 cities, a grotesque steam

complex powered by the essence of slain diwata and anito. Imagine Spain and Greece but more or less Christian or Due to the sheer size and constant trade, other races have Zoroastrian. created dynasties and families and homes here, turning the Indigo Metropolis into the largest cultural melting pot in the • To the west of Al-Kaig, far from the center of power which whole pot. All things are possible here in the Metropolis of is the Kivhran Peninsula, lies the Myriad Kingdoms. While Indigo. The largest library in Sanlibutan, known as the all technically under the Emperor of Al-Kaig, they each have Indigo Librarium, is the largest collection of books and their own rulers and function more or less like independent scrolls across the entire Sanlibutan. city-states.

Silanan is the Eastern Continent, split into two. The Near East, where Located somewhere in Zuhayras, is said to be a huge the Giro'jji Kingdom lives, and the Utter East, where the Grand Naga mountain that, if hiked up to the peak, one will find Empire of Qirong plots domination. Mountain of Madja-as, which houses the Tree of Life at the top, as well as the gates to Maka. • is the Empire of the Girin, the serpent-tiger that bit the dragon. They are ruled by a powerful noble caste made Think Revolutionary Philippine Era, with a bit of the up of humans that burn with the blood of the Qirong Naga, Commonwealth Era aesthetics (but without cars) but with granting them power over the elements. These are called the diversity of Modern . dedicating itself to absolute protection of its nation, for it • Liway is the country to the west, unbowed yet by Al-Kaig, faces threats from every side. The Capital is Kyeol, a and practitioners of Dayawism. Their current political powerful kingdom made of silk, jade, and bamboo, but climate is made up of the three Kedatuans that fight against burning with the spiritual light as they bind various shin, or each other in a bid for the throne of the of the nature spirits (their translation of diwata) into creating Makkalan Lakandom. Think Pre-Colonial Philippines and energy for them.Think Joseon or Goreyo Era Korea or Han near the Seas and the island Kingdoms, but more Dynasty China. of Ayutthaya Kingdom Thailand and Khmer Empire Cambodia nearer the mainland. • The Naga Empire of Qirong rules past the Spine of , separating the Near East and the Utter East. • Tabun is the blessed island of the gods, and one can see most There the crumbling yet still proud and indomitable nation of the Apo talking and residing here. It is protected by of the Qirong stands, readying for either civil war or total powerful god storms and only those worthy or have the world domination. Think Modern China but with Serpent- sanciton of the Apo of Weather, Apung Anitun Tabu, may Dragon people. pass and trade with the abundant wealth within its forests and mountains. Think of and Cordillera Region • The Insect Kingdom of Hotaru have begun their first steps Philippines. into conquest, and have begun to launch attacks against the relative peace • is an island now ruled by the dalaketnon Empire of for the last decade. Think Sengoku Era Japan but with Ija Yawa, but now the Fahurian belief has empowered the Beetle Samurai, Moth Priests, and Ant Peasants. humans that live alongside its coast, and a mounting offensive against the dalaketnon has begun. Think of Sur Janubia is the Southern Desert Continent, filled with broken ruins. and the Sulu Sultanate. To tread through the flammable sands of the Aljaggian Desert, south of the more fertile Avkassian Crescent, one must ride on Sur Janubian Hiraga is the Northern Continent. It is also split into two -- the Jackals that grow up to four feet tall, rippling with muscle. The only Peninsular Region is where the Holy Yavuman Empire of Al-Kaig Point of Light here is the Coastal Trade City of Effisia, which is based heads their world-spanning empire. Above the Peninsular Region is on a salvage culture thanks to all the ruins and salvages, built up by the Galadarian Mountains, which serves as a hard, geographical Fahurians and have since created a great cultural monolith within the barrier, separating the Peninsular Region from the Frozen South, causing most of the Southern civilizations to convert into Salvagewastes. Fahurianism. • Al-Kaig, its capital on the Kivhran Peninsula and its • Effisia is a city-state built by the Abba Fahur, the head of influence spreading across every place in the Southern Fahurianism. Along with that, Effisia has put to good use the Salvage Lands. Al-Kaig is one of the most powerful empires vast amount of artifacts and relicts that lie underneath the in the world, and they hold within their ranks powerful Sur Janubian Desert, and thus they have bolstered their trade Saint-Kings known as Deus that have been chosen by with promises of great Aghaman marvels and gadgets. Yavum, granting them the power to rival Celestial Beings. Despite being mainly Fahurian, all faiths are respected here, The capital is Phaedrus, a city of wonders and marvels, and it is ruled by a Naga Senator Rabbo. The third largest dieselpunk in aesthetic. Currently led by Holy Kaisar Yunus, library in Sanlibutan (next to the mystical Aklatan), the Library of Kiansiasen, is located here, allowing those that Tagos, Diwa echoing Air. This is the Diwa that binds things travel to share books. together. It can be manipulated at this level, and if one were to have some means of seeing the invisible machinations of the gods, they will

see tiny strands that link everything to everything, as well as the Diwata Think Greece or Athens or Egypt but with Science Fantasy tha magitech. indeed, the Agents of Heaven call this Tadhana. Tagos permeates all things, can fill something, and can even nudge the direction of reality. Above The Espiritu, or the Spirit World, is made almost entirely of Tagos, and manipulation of Tagos can lead to travel into Espiritu.

The Skies Bala, Diwa echoing Fire. This is the Diwa that burns within every This is the realm of air that exists above the earth. It is the abode of the living being, and everything is a living being because everything has a Lipod, and they share this with other air creatures such as the diwata. The Human Eight-Point Soul is made up of this Burning Diwa, bentohangin, the winged half-horse, half human, and the kubot, a bird and so are the powerful essences of the Karanduun. Burning Diwa can that resembles a flying kite. It is also here that the corpses of Adlaw, be used to affect other states -- most commonly by having a lot of Bulan, and Suga exist the Sun, Moon, and Stars respectively and wheel Burning Diwa, you have more say in how reality works. Thus why about the sky. Similarly to the natural Underworld, this can be seen as Burning Diwa in all beings the Natural part of Maka. Once one goes into the Near Shores, they measure of capability, and it is well known that the Karanduun possess

Gods.

Sinag, Diwa echoing the Primordial Power. This is a special kind The Skyworld, or Maka of Bala that has been released into the world after the Thousand Tears This is the realm of the Apo, and it resides above the Skies. This is also and Lightnings Apocalypse. Sinag burns and it propels those that the abode of human mediums and intermediaries as they speak with accrue it to greater heights, burning with power and divinity and grace the anito of the Skies, or the Apo. Not much is known about the and radiance. These are the Bala that our Heroes are made of. Skyworld, other than it having one section where the Soul of every Tigas, Diwa echoing Earth. This is similar to Flowing, except it is living thing is kept within tight clay jars. This section is guarded by a raw Diwa turned into matter. It usually manifests as a colorless glowing being with eight heads and a thousand eyes, whom one Apo has called lump that is infinitely malleable, similar to clay. Some might say that Walo. Among the heroes that have managed to jump across the Jaws the diwata, when they materialize, are in this Calcified state, and when of the World and live, and come back to tell the tale, they spoke sang they dematerialize, returning to the spirit, they are in the Permeating of a grand and vast city of white ivory towers and pure spiritual rivers state. coursing through everything. The city itself was unmatched in glory, and had seven layers upon it, upon the seventh of which the Apo All beings have Bala. Particularly powerful beings -- such as Gods conglomerated. Those diwata that are not given enough prayer live in or Mortals or Spirits -- can actually raise their Bala, making them the most bottom stratum of Maka, toiling in divine poverty. stronger and granting them power. Karanduun have access to a powerful Heroic Bala that spurs them to greater heights, allowing them greater success in a dead world.

The Throne Gaining and raising Bala can be two ways: either by killing living The Throne belongs to the supreme being to which the rest of the anito beings with Bala, or by cultivating it through sheer meditation. answer to, and to which the Diwata confer, and this supreme being is Maykaptan, the Mad Sky. This place is also where the spirits of good across every vein of religious thought, from Omism to the Yavuman people go to after they are saved by Pandaki. In this layer can be found Faith and Dayawan Scripts. Cultivation through meditation is longer the Tree of Life, where the name of every person to ever have lived is and takes a more pacifistic route, meditating in various natural spots written, carved by Sui-dapa himself from the Mountain of Madja-as. in the world that have lots of Tagos Diwa that they can absorb and turn into Bala. Eating the heart of something or stealing their heads is a great way to earn large amounts of Bala.

Diwa Spirits

There are three kinds of Spirits, as categorized by the joint work of Al- Diwa is both the building block and the string upon which all of reality Kaigian Essudio de Idjidio, and Dayawan Guro Magadla. They are the is spun. It permeates all things, and exists in varying states of matter. In a manner of speaking, that chair you see in front of you is Diwa, in Diwata, Anito, and Umalagad. a given form. Break it down to its most essential components and you The Diwata are the Spirits of Nature. They are the ones that embody shall see Diwa. everything -- there is a Diwata of a stone, of waterfalls, of trees, of However, Diwa can be used more than that. It exists in four states: lightning, of justice, of storms, of the sky. In addition, they have their own society, which is now the Invisible Society hidden in Spirit. The Agos, Diwa echoing Water. This is the normal state of Diwa, the Hierarchy is as follows: Diwa that makes up all things. • At the bottom of the rung are the Minor Diwata, or and the two would combine. The Katalonan would have access to the Lambana. Lambana are usually non-sentient, existing only powers of a Diwata. Minor Diwata are the easiest to perform Tolona with. Heavenly Diwata usually takes days to perform the ritual with, Unlike other Diwata, a specific thing or concept might have made up of long prayers, a sung epic, intricate dances, and numerous multiple Lambana attached to them. They usually sacrifices. materialize as floating sprites, in various sizes ranging from There are some Katalonan that focus on channeling a single type of anthropomorphic to platonic (cubes, spheres, flat circles). Spirit. Those that are more adept in channeling Anito are known as • Next are the Earthly Diwata, or simply, Diwata. These are Anitowan, and those that are more adept in channeling the Diwata are Diwata that are already sentient, and are known as Diwateros. thought. They exist in a state of being separate of their embodiment, and can have emotions, although they still reflect what they embody, and are ultimately that which they The Anito are the spirits of old humns and great ancestors. Ancestral embody. They also usually have very alien conceptions of Spirits, as they are called, are the spirits of a specifi -dead emotions, as they are not privy to normal human emotional Ancestor, a great warrior may be an Anito, or a wise sage. Similarly to limits. A river Diwata might fall in love with a mortal man, the Diwata, anito are prayed to by their families as ancestor worship is but their emotions might be rushing like the river, and she prevalent in the islands, even in the midst of colonization. The more will leave him in the next instant as a river pushes against a prayers the ancestor gets, the more power he earns in the afterlife, large rock that bars its way. She may express regret, but she which is either trudging around Sulad or living it up in Maka. Most will never return to that man. Such is the nature of earthly anito, when prayed to, are most happy to give advice and even concrete diwata. help, such as a family heirloom, or a piece of potent magic. They can also possess a being, and can also be the target of a Katalonan. • The highest on the rung are Heavenly Diwata, or the Apo. Sometimes, though, they would do it voluntarily.

in the modern sense of the word -- powerful beings that Umalagad are guardian spirits. They are either anito or diwata possess greater power than humans. Currently it is said that that have been bound, by their own will, to protect either a house or a the most powerful Apo is the Mad Sky, Maykaptan, although particular person. Most people earn more Guardian Spirits as time should the Actor of Power return there would be a Clash of pass, and this renders them more impervious to diseases and helps Strengths. Apo can embody more than just one concept or them wither strikes, but not death itself. Karanduun usually have natural object. They can embody fire as much as they can powerful Umalagad that grant them a number of powers and gifts. embody war. They can embody disease as much as they can

their way of thinking, and can get desperate when required, Espiritu and Gadlum especially in the decadent metropolis of Maka. Most Heavenly Diwata live in Maka, the Skyworld, but that is not The two realms of Espiritu and Gadlum are polar opposites of each a mandatory thing. Bu-an and Sui-dapa both live in the other, standing on two sides of the cosmological axis. The realm of Mountain of Madja-as, for example, and Mayari, the Espiritu is much younger than the realm of Gadlum. They are both Crescent Moon, is nowhere to be found. called by many names. Espiritu is called the Enchanted Place at times, due to it being the home of the wicked fey engkanto and being full of It is not impossible to rise in the hierarchy. What one needs are chaotic, unbridled magik, whereas the Gadlum, the Shadowed Realm, Prayers, which is a currency in the Society of the Diwata. Prayers for shades and wraiths and chained souls as well as shadowed engkanto directly power diwata, granting them more power, bolstering their Bala live here, subservient to the will of Saragnayan, Lord of Darkness. and giving them a place in the hierarchy of power. Thus why diwata are need humans, and mortals as a whole, to worship them. A more powerful form of Prayer is Sacrifice. The Spirit World, or Espiritu Generally, the act of Praying is something that can bolster any Bala, The Spirit World is known under many names, such as "Diwa", "The provided that it is sufficient. Mortal Bala needs exponentially more Spirit", the "Shadow", and the "Feywild" to Al-Kaigian faithful but it is prayers than a diwata does for the purposes of rising in power. arkly reflecting Diwata hold the Karanduun in both respect and contempt. Respect mirror of the Natural World. After the sundering of the spheres due to because they are the ones that fought against the tyranny of the Mad the Thousand Lightnings and Tears Apocalypse, most of the Diwata Sky, as well as generally helping the diwata gain prayers during the have withdrawn to the Spirit World, and have been there for a Sinaunang Kedatuan. Some of them hold the Karanduun in contempt thousand years. In the present day, Diwata of greater age or power tend because they were born with the capacity to become better than them. to be more alien and harder to understand than younger ones. Heavenly Diwata, Apo, tend to either be of the two extremes -- either Katalonan are humans (and Karanduun) that bargain and speak and they are too human in their dealings, too prone to passion, or they are exchange pleasantries with all types of Diwata. Usually, a Katalonan too cold and distant, too alien. would allow a diwata to possess them, in a process known as Taruna When a Spirit is dematerialized, it is currently skulking through the would last for hours would be used to possess the body of the medium, Espiritu. Since the Espiritu is the reflection of the Natural World, it is actually there, and hypothetically, there are always Spirits about you, guardians of Sulad. Here the world is less of a mirror and more of a they are just impossible to interact with. shadow, with the shadows able to controlled and changed. The Kalilim Forest in the Natural World might not be the same in the Middle But that is not always the case. The Spirit World is not perfectly parallel Shores. to the Natural World. Truly, in fact, it has three different Shores, which measure how far they are from the Natural World. The Far Shores Dambanas Thee Farthest Shores, and the last of the Shores that are safe. Within When the Spheres of Natural and Spiritual were sundered, the two these Shores are Maka to the metaphysical up, and Sulad to the halves of the same whole still clung to each other, even as their metaphysical down. The only thing that separates the two is the Great metaphysical, spiritual link frayed. In the time of Malice, this Ocean. Unlike the Near and the Middle Shores, these are not anymore unwillingness to completely disconnect are seen in Dambanas. reflections of the Natural World. Maka is a completely autonomous Dambanas are powerful confluxes of spiritual power that appear out in society filled with decadent apo and diwata, spirit-gangs and triads, the world. They are not exactly part of the Espiritu, but rather, are parts and even syndicates of gods that rule the poor quarter of Heavenly of the natural that still have a strong connection to the Espiritu. Most Diwata that are not receiving any prayer. dambanas are great places of worship and ritual, and truly, many of the To the South, the land of Sulad is bleaker, but quieter and a hell of a lot Apo use dambanas as their altars. Dambanas are natural places of more peaceful. Most of them follow the rules of Siginarugan and power. They could be a special lake, a great mountain, a clearing in the Suimuran, the two guardian giants of Hell who also keep Souls within forest, a desert of fine embers, a field of black glass, a hot springs Jars. The formal rule complex, or even a cliff face overlooking the sea. Dambanas are natural covers the Earth. The Guardian of the Underworld is Sitan, a powerful places of grandeur and geomantic splendor. god of death and a guardian spirit. Saragnayan is here, chained outside Most dambanas are also protected, kept safe and away by virtue of the and far from his realm of darkness and shadows, known as the diwata that surround them. These places are known as Sanctums, and Gadlum, protected by legions of automata warriors made by Golden are most prevalent within the forests, where tamawo and palesekan Age Panday. and other engkanto honor the virtue of Sanctums. Dambanas can usually be condensed in power into a small, usually The Farthest Reaches stone or wooden figure, known as Larauan. Most of the time, Larauauns are human shape, and house Umalagad within, and thus is The last vestiges of things understandable by the Human Soul. It is the where the Espiritu is connected, through the spirit living within the event horizon right before total chaos. It is here that the other planets Larauan. -- now destroyed -- used to exist. In addition, it is here where, in the Metaphysical up, resides the Throne of Heaven, which has been unaccessible for a thousand years. It is also where, in the Metaphysical The Near Shores down, exists utter Oblivion, guarded by Bakonawa and the two giants of the Underworld, Suimuran and Siginarugan. This is the Espiritu right beside the Natural World, or otherwise right underneath the skin of reality. This is the least populated Shore. Most Minor Diwata drift through this Shore, anchored to whatever they Beyond embody in the Natural World. A Diwata can simply materialize into the Natural World from the Near Shore. Most Engkanto Societies exist In the beyond it is impossible to describe. Some say this is where other here as well, and truly there are even physical passages (known as universes exist. Others say one can find the Five Principle Spindle of Hedges) to the societies of the Engkanto, such as the tamawo Biringan, the Great Weaver. In these areas, Mortals and Karanduun are subject and the duwende Kingdom of Libing-Libing. The Near Shores are near to powerful mind-vexing truths -- their Souls are not meant to be there, perfect replicas of the Natural World, save that everything is more after all. The longer they spend in the Beyond, if they even reach it, the malleable. It is well known that mortals that simply seek to go from one more they are contorted, and the more they are barred from entering place to another might cross the wrong thicket, and might end up in back into the Creation. the Near Shores. Following a or a tamawo's footsteps might lead you through a series of intertwining branches and vines and esoteric rabbit holes that lead to the Espiritu. Thus they warn to never Gadlum stray off into the forest, or walk away from the trail blazed. The realm of darkness. The Kingdom of sorrows. The plane of shadows.

The Middle Shores The realm of Gadlum is known this and more. Most information and Farther than Near Shores, but one can physically travel from the Near knowledge of the great shadow realm was gleaned by a team of morbid Shores deeper and deeper and find themselves lost within the Middle savants and witches, the most prominent among them being Savandra, Shores. It would take Spiritual Travel to the Near Shore before the a mystisa who learned the ways of a mangkukulam, became a being can materialize. Most Diwata Societies exist here in the Middle barangan, and eventually focused to hone her Salamangka. Shores, as well as the rich Anito that have been allowed passage by the The great Savantress Savandra revealed to the greater scholarly seas and rivers are filled with monstrous gawigawen, pack-hunting community of Zuhayras that Gadlum is a realm that resides very much sigben, carnivorous tiburones, and the ocean imperial magindara. near the underworld of Sulad, but not quite. Here, the forces of The mortalfolk and engkanto that have survived the Thousand Tears darkness and evil chain the ghosts of those not buried with great riches and Lightnings Apocalypse have managed to rebuild bastions of safety, or not prayed for by their descendants, those without family, and give sanctuaries within the sea of darkness, points of light in the darkened them false promises of "a better life, better than Maka". Of course, these world. The following are the Empires that have managed to become were all hollow. They became beings that served in the Ebony Empire points of light in this world of darkness, creating large sanctuaries of Saragnayan and the Dalaketnon. Beings that become chained in this where mortal life can flourish once again... but once they go out the way become known as "multu" as they are privy to entering the world walled bastions, they will be subject to the dangers of the sundered of Sanlibutan easily through spriritual convergences between the world. Natural and Shadow known as "anino", or "shadow". These haunted souls seek release from the shadowy chains of Gadlum. The anino demesnes are crossing places, places within the world tinged The Lakungdulan Archipelago with dark and shadowy diwa. If a mortal were to walk into an anino, there is a great chance that they might be pulled into Gadlum itself. The Center of the World is the Divine Archipelago. Rumored to be Most aninos are usually places of great death, or vistas of corpses where Yavum sleeps, or where the great All shall rise, or where the without proper burial, or a place where dark magics has unfolded. Accounts differ according to religions. Within Gadlum, the air is thin, and the colors are muted. It is rare to see more than just black and white in this realm, where the land is in One thing is definite it is the realm where the Sinaunang eternal night. Outside of the obsidian walls of the various city-states -Kaigians knew this, that the that thrive within, filled with dalaketnon and other engkanto of the ancient empire that their holy texts spoke of is this exact one. itim faction, such as agta, duwende itim, and their sigbin dogs, ghouls The four largest isle island groups are Tabun to the North, the of all stripes roam the eternally black lands and occasionally white Thousand Islands or Zuhayras to the East, Liway to the West, and sands (which is ground bonedust) of the realm of Gadlum. There are to the South. The climate gets exceedingly colder in Tabun, no stars nor moon in this realm. where it is the farthest from the Mid-ring. It is known that the upper Perhaps, most malevolent of all, is Gadlum's ability to taint. If a person half to Tabun is covered in snow-peaked mountains. should enter here, black darkness and shadow immediately begins to tinge the person's heart, enticing him more and more to fall into the abyssal darkness. This is how the perverted and twisted mirrors of the The Captain-Generalcy of the Thousand Islands of Karanduun, the Lingkag, are born. They are not worthy of song but Zuhayras rather, singers of dirges. The Captain-Generalcy of Zuhayras is the heart of the world. It is the It should be known that various Aswang also live within Gadlum, and ultimate nexus of all things in creation, and a dark secret burn within almost all of them command some form of political power within the its depths. The diwata whispers its ancient name -- the Islands of shadow politics of the place. Many of them are preparing for the Sanlibutang Ikiran. In modern times it became to be known as the imminent strike into Sanlibutan and eventually to Espiritu, to free Thousand Islands, before Al-Kaig subdued it to its divine will and Saraganayan. Of course, the return of the Karanduun have thrown a turned it into Zuhayras. wrench into those plans. The Thousand Islands is now under Zuhayras, thanks to the military might of the Al-Kaigians coupled with the willingness of the native people to adopt their way of life. The only people not A Time of Malice succumbing to Al-Kaigian rule are the Mountain-Dwellers. Zuhayras is the most colonized of all the islands. This island was Despite the name, the Time of Malice was a majestic, beautiful thing. simply known as the Thousand Islands to the natives before the Al- Close your eyes and imagine a flat world, surrounded by bony Jaws. Kaigian Empire took over and renamed it, although the natives still Upon this flat earth are grand vistas, tropical rainforests, waterfalls refer to it as the Thousand Islands. Zuhayras is known for having the cascading down into boulders where nature gods sit and make merry, most sundered people, known for having the Hundred Lakandoms rivers run down to small villages where the people wash their clothes, within their islands. This made it easy for the Al-Kaigians to maneuver down to the sea where the water is drenched in blood, churning around them, bribing some, converting some to Yavuman, and because of the ongoing war between a pirate fleet of natives and the bringing others to heel. Now most of Zuhayras is conquered and colonial empire. This is the Time of Malice. It is a time that trudges on, industrialized by the Al-Kaigian Empire, because of their abundant but like a boat on the edge of a waterfall, is simply veering into disaster. natural resources, most notably jade, gold, and Tigas mines, which The world of Sanlibutan is mired in darkness. The naturebound allows for better technological advancements among the Al-Kaigian Halimaw, the Hellspawn Yawa, and the blighted Maligno all roam the Empire. world as if they were its kings. The Thousand Islands of Zuhayras are filled with forests that seep into either the Espiritu or Gadlum, and some even send poor souls to Sulad directly. Hinterlands, wildernesses, Geography and Climate The Islands of Zuhayras expand across the most of the center of The first island conquered was outside the Makkalan Lakandoms the world, with the other closest landmass being the Lakungdulan sphere of influence - Ugad. The Lakungdulans there fought back Island to the West, the Tabun island to the north, and the Continent of Kat-jja to the Near East. There are approximately six thousand with them a islands according to the latest Census of the Emperor. large galleon fleet, including the now renowned Saffida binti Paleogia. With its strategic location smack dab in the center of the world, it They arrived at the Northern Isles and converted the powerful is a prime spot for cultural mixing, which it has indeed become. With Datu Kiskisang Sinag, who then gathered his barangay and fought under the Al-Kaigian Empire. It is said that Datu Kiskisang Sinag and Al- actually fought against the Al-Kaigian Explorers and defeated them, the Lands in Sanlibutan the Explorer ship, Brother Owl, taught them of the Yavuman belief, The climate usually ranges from Humid hot to Humid wet. It is a which the Datu found to be constant state of humidity here, basically requiring the wearing of silk better than Dayawan. And so, the Al-Kaigian Empire gained a and light clothings. Near the last three months of the 12-month cycle, foothold. In a matter of a few years, the Polity of Datu Kiskisang Sinag however, Zuhayras experiences Dry Cold, although not as cold as the (whose name was changed to Sinag de Ibis) expanded and the Al- Isles of Tabun or Hiraga, or the Far East. Farming and agriculture as Kaigian Empire with the large polity of Sinag conquered the Thousand well as fishing are the most common native exports here, as well as Islands in the name of Emperor Zuhayr. having the greatest natural supply of the five divine materials (Dalisay, Platino, Tanso, Pilak, and Bakal-Anino). Lately many of the barangays The Conquest Efforts of Agidyo lasted from 955 to 992, with the have become turned into factories for mass manufacturing silk, oil, Makkalan Lakandom being a worthy opponent against the Empire of grain, and also diwa energy. Al-Kaig. Indeed, halfway through the Conquest Efforts, the Al-Kaigian

The four weathers here are usually dictated by heat and wetness. converting into Yavuman and following their tenets, and lending their In a 12-month year, which is before dictated by harvests, but with the invention of the Saviarian Calendar, it has since become codified, the first two months is the Season of Falling Leaves, which are the coldest The fact that the Makkalan Kingdom suffered political infighting of the months and also the season with the second least amount of on its last few years thanks to the failure of Lakan Makkasa has rains. The next five months are the Season of Rising Flames, which are certainly contributed to the Conquest Success. when the Isles begin to warm, and water becomes a bit scarce At 1070, most of Thousand Islands save for the north-east quarter eventually ending in the season of purest heat, with little to no rain. has been conquered, and was under the name of Zuhayras Islands, The next six are the Season of Storming Waters, which begin with the becoming an Archipelago Colony for Al-Kaig. The Zuhayras Colony humid wet season and eventually ending in numerous storms and was then solidified with trade and the creation of various cities and typhoons which usually form from the Southeast, which is where the trade routes. The notorious Thousand Islands Forests were conquered massive Ocean of Dagat wraps around the world. with a mix of technological prowess and spiritual aid from the Katalonan who helped the Al-Kaigians, blazing paths through the forest and finally creating land travel. Horses became prominent in the History islands as well after more trading, where before they were only popular The people of Zuhayras were originally the people of the bamboo in Liway and Tabun. that moved east. These people learned how to craft advanced maritime Various highland areas became settlements and cities, whereas technology, adopting cannons, warships known as karakoa, and coastal areas became trading ports and nexuses. Notable cities are: becoming trained pirates. When Makkalo, the First King, rose up from Liway (Liway is the large island to the West of the Thousand Islands) The Metropolis of Indigo, a gigantic metropolis made up of and conquered the Thousand Islands, the already fractured people of almost race and the Capital of the Colony Empire. The sheer size of it the Thousand Islands toiled in eternal unrest, for they did not like has caused Al-Kaig to lose grip on its capital city and many other races having someone over them. that the Al-Kaigians would sneer at have now become permanent societies. It is made up of Seven Cities, of which Sanctuary is part of it. Eventually the Empire of Al-Kaig arrived on their shores, and The seven cities are thus: Sanctuary, Issario, Thunderbell, Afirian, brought with them the Word of Yavum and the Sword of Truth. At this Okkosias, De Sandrio, and Si Setanta. time, the people of the Thousand Islands have already traded much with the free Empire of Giro'jji, leading to much racial mixture, as well Sanctuary City, situated as a Coastal City and the main city of the as harbored Kivhran refugees. Despite that, because of the harsh Indigo Metropolis. politics in Liway, the religion of Dayawan did not have as strong a hold Firada, situated in the Island of Dawa to the North, in a valley as it did in Liway. Partly because of geographic limits (oversea travel covered by two large mountain ranges. being inherently harder than overland travel, although the Thousand Islands people are exponentially better than the Liwayan people at Stormfront, situated in the northwest island of Atlu, furthest traveling over sea), and because of the lack of unification. Each from Sanctuary, and created on top of a plateau. Living conditions here barangay was a polity unto itself, with its own laws and own beliefs. A are notably colder and harsher. The Zuhayrans here share the plateau Thousand Islands made up of a thousand million peoples. That is, until with the native Akatan People, living higher up the mountain, whom the Empire of Al-Kaig disseminated the teachings of Yavum. Governor-General is in command of the navy and military, as well as exactly amicable. the economic planning and the Head Magister of the Royal Audience of Zuhayras (the Supreme Court of the colony). Cathedra, in the Western Island of Leogia, named after Saffida. Cathedra holds the largest Arcanum College and Church, headed by In general, there exists the Royal Houses of Yavum at the top, the Jeremian Priests who followed after the Great Prophet and which are detailed in the Al-Kaig Section. Below that are the various societal hierarchies. Within Zuhayras it works differently, although the concept is more or less the same. Crosspost, to the west of the island of Osa, acting as a large trade hub city and a nexus for traveling to other parts of the Archipelago. A daambakal line, or a steel railway, has been constructed to facilitate Alkadia System quicker shipment of goods and oil and steel between the Indigo Metropolis and Crosspost. Outside of the Cities and the Metropolis, the various sections of land lkadium Saffida binti Paleogia was well known for b - - Kaigians place natives (and those Al-Kaigians who travel to the abilities to coerce many of the (already willing) natives to turn to the Colony). Heading those are the Alkadi. Unpacified military lands (near the Native Lakandoms and those struggling from born into a royal family before her name was tarnished in poltics, and she was sent to the gutter, where she worked in the various carpentry headed by Corregidores, chief magistrates of unpacified lands and and engineering professions while disguised as a man, before enlisting head of the military efforts there. The classes within the colonial into the fourth Imperial Regiment, where she displayed exemplary empire are split between the nobles, the congregation, the freemen, and military and tactical prowess. Before long, the Imperial General of the the slaves. Valencia Satrap, Atzazio de Kasseen, recognized her after seven years of service and promoted her to Prefect Status, before revealing her true identity. Thanks to the political power being a Prefect Status is -- and with her being personally raised by the Imperial General himself, who known as barangay -- as copied from the old villages of the natives -- had a high rank in the Imperial Senate -- many of the Al-Kaigians had headed by a cabeza, which was the senate of the pueblo. One notable to live with the revelation. aspect of the cabeza is that they are all part of the noble ruling class, known as the Principalia, and they are actual descendants of and She was the head spear going into the conquest efforts of tumao of the barangays before the coming of the Al-Kaigians. They Lakungdula. It is rumored that the Senate and Emperor did this so that have the same job and exert the same authority, which smoothed the she would be far away from the Mainland. Al-Kaigian conquest because of the quick and efficient application of Her great granddaughter, Ignazi binti Katala now leads the the colony government. Reconquista against the three Kedatuans within Liway. It is rumored To the natives, this system is a dark perversion of their original that she eventually married a Lakungdulan and that all her descendants class system. The slaves were slaves, and treated with malice. The are of mixed descent. freemen were basically slaves to the congregation. The Congregation themselves seem to be the most powerful among the classes.

Much of the slaves have been reduced to pure work, without the different Caste system that the Makkalan Lakandom offered. Slaves are

usually given, stolen, or sold, like they are property, and so do the -as? Zuhayrans and Al-Kaigians treat them. Most slaves work in the haciendas of the richer men and women, under Dons and Donyas, with The suffix -as in the Al- meager pay other than being housed by their hacienda. Most slaves are Thus many estates in the empire have -as in the end to signify to whom gotten from within Zuhayras itself. Indeed, much of the natives have the estate belongs to. (Ie. Maridas, Sayyadas, Aesias). been turned to slaves.

Society Citizenry The Colony is governed by the Emperor of Al-Kaig, Yunus, through The freemen are reduced to the merchantry, the mercenaries, and the the Six- farmers that more or less own their own land, although that is not created laws, heard supplications, and deliberated on administration. always the case. The freemen are not free, they still need to work for The Governor-General (formally known as a Talon in a Serpent their money, after all. Much of those that live within the cities, such as Council) is then the direct representation of Yunus, with the current Crossroad and the Metropolis, tend to look down on their rural Governor-General being Ignazi binti Katala. The Seat of Power is in brothers as lesser, not having formal education most of the time or not Selorong in Liway for the time being, having been moved from contributing to the work force of the Empire. Of course, this is a Sanctuary, seemingly because of the reconquista efforts. Ignazi is dangerous and even evil point of view, and at the same time, not all notable for being the first Islander to become Governor-General, and citizenry is susceptible to this line of thinking, it is simply one that the as such she is under close scrutiny of the Archipelagian Council. The most share. Of course, those living in alkadia are sometimes educated, sometimes not, but they are not inherently lesser, and definitely are Industrialization more varied than the citizenry. Also, recently, thanks to the new industrialization of various The people living in the alkadia and not in the Cities are known commodities, the invention of the printing press, and the Elemental to wear lighter and simpler clothing. Wearing simple silk shirts and Engine which uses particular Diwa essences to power technology such shorts or light pants. The citizens of the cities are more prone to as power armor, automata, the Daambakal, lighting grids, telephones, wearing more Al-Kaigian fashion, such as jackets, polos, trousers, and other new technology. The method of gaining these Diwa essences belts, and leather shoes despite the tropical weather. is long, however, needing the coaxing of Diwa from Dambanas (sacred Most of the Yavuman Congregation have more power than even sites, both altars and natural formations such as holy waterfalls and the royalty, for they hold with them the influential power of Yavum. mountains) with the usage of Katalonan, or the ritual known as Siphoning from natural sources. Priests and Missionaries are known to be graceful to their flock, The Al-Kaigians have found an easier way, however, and one that especially those that live outside of the cities. The farther from the Seat works with the speedy industrialization of the world: the various of the Colonial Governemnt, the more the missionary or priest has Diwata are made of Diwa. It is their corpus, their physical corporeal assimilated. Far out priests have begun to call out to Maykapal instead form is made of it... of Yavum when praying, as do many other Zuhayrans. This is, of course, blasphemy and heresy. The Al- - in its Industrial Revolution. More commonly, the priests are liable to abuse. They can extort In addition, the residue created from using this Diwa is released remove them from the right to education, and show racial into the air, and takes a very long time to seep back into nature. Thusly, it is causing an imbalance in nature, which is causing the engkanto to roar in fury. Rebellion brews in the Seven Cities. It is only a matter of exception. It happens far more often than one thinks. time.

Al-Kaigians are almost always principalia, and are further split into two classes -- the Mainlanders (that is, Al-Kaigians that were born Commerce and Currency in the motherland [the peninsula of Kivhra]) and Islanders (those born in the Archipelago). Although officially they are equal, there is Most of Al-Kaig and Al-Kaig's Colonies use the Centralized Daniado prejudice against the Islanders by the Mainlanders. Most high Currency System, which creates a copper, silver, and gold decimal positions in the Empire are only attainable by Mainlander Al-Kaigians, system. Copper and silver coins are called "reales" [re-YAL-es] or which has wrought some wrath from the growing number of Islander singularly, real [re-YAL]. Copper reales are issued for (cuartero) 1/4 Al-Kaigians. and (medio) 1/2 a real. Silver reales, the more common ones, are issued in 1, 5, 10, 50s, and 100s. The gold coin is called "escudo" and are priced

at 50 reales each. Wait, serpent council? In Zuhayras, they have adapted the use of pesetas, silver coins that The Senate of the Al-Kaigian administration is known as the Serpent can be divided into 8 reales. Natives have called it "salapi". Council, headed by a Head (usually the Emperor, or one of his Viziers). The Royal Daniado Trading Guild is also in charge of the monetary The second highest are the Fangs, which are the Viziers themselves, system of the Empire, keeping charge of tracking money and who also act as the head of the Supreme Council. The third highest are fluctuations in commerce, as well as the production of new coins, the Talons, usually heads of Provinces and Colonies (of which the working hand in hand with the Mining Company of House Quanitus. Exarch is one). Below them are the Heads or their Representations of In addition, they hold the largest coin reservoir in Phaedrus. each of the Royal Houses. This Senate deliberates on administration and other such activities, and usually hold meetings once a month.

Cities Especially rich Principalia usually have large manors of their own, Other than Selorong, Zuhayras is a hub for trade, specifically Sanctuary made in clearings of towns or in islands that they have bought on their and Crosspost, along with the four other main cities of the Colonial own, having their own private military and business. This Empire, where they traded using galleons with the various races across phenomenon is not restricted to rich Principalia, but also to rich Sanlibutan. The most notable of this is the Phaedrus Galleon Trade of merchants and traders, especially Giroans and Zuhayran-Giroan the Royal Daniado Trading Guild, which has also made the Sanctuary- mixed bloods (known as Mestizo de Giro). Zuhayras Galleon Trade, leading to greater richness and a booming economy for the Colony of Zuhayras. which has trade routes to almost Recently, with the rise of literate and educated men and women, every known world country, and has established a foothold in Liway a new social class has cropped up. The Illumined are the class poorer through Selorong, and Zuhayras through Sanctuary. Through this, than the noble-blooded Principalia, but more educated and richer than various commodities and trade goods were introduced to Lakungdula, the common man. The illumined became fighters and writers, and the such as various cloths and fruits (such as avocado), as well as the promise of revolution against Al-Kaig has begun to broil under the introduction of riding horses that could be used to travel great sewage streets of Sanctuary. distances quickly, which eventually led to the creation of the kalesa. work as fortune tellers within the floating boat-buildings. Your arm cut Despite this, the usage of carabao only strengthened, as land trade and off and you need a replacement? Several aghimuan savants offer their travel became more important, carabao wagons saw more and more services for a premium, but their replacement prosthetics are built off use. Weapons and newer technologies were also traded, of which the of the scrollworkings of Golden Age machinations.

The City of Issario is the City of Gold and Grime. Whether the technologies have since surpassed them. gold will be pyrite or not is up for you to decide. The Zuhayran Colonial Capital is located in the great Metropolis The City of Thunderbell is perhaps the most anomalous. To the of Indigo, a great and large city chained together by the Metropolitan far northwest, furthest from the City of Sanctuary and the seat of Train System, or the Daambakal, which winds through each of the governmental power, much of the non-human Souled Races have cities. The Metropolis of Indigo is made up of seven interlocking cities, come from outside the metropolis and have created their own each one of them under the Governor-General of Zuhayras. The Cities communities within the city alongside humans. Much of the Civil are: Sanctuary, Issario, Thunderbell, Afirian, Okkosias, De Sandrio, Guard don't bother or are even compliant with the nonhuman races of and Si Setanta. Thunderbell, mostly because of a mix of monetary influence as well as Within the Metropolis of Indigo is the city of Sanctuary, which is the sheer power of the nonhuman races that have amassed with, as well right by the harbor. It is a large walled city made up of different sectors, as the reconquista efforts that have just begun and have siphoned away large enough to be an island on its own. Sanctuary grows larger and military power from the metropolis. richer as you go towards the middle. Shantytowns lie outside like scabs It rests at the outer limits of the Indigo Metropolis and thusly it on its gray wall. The Headquarters of the Inquest can be found in this rests against the great Brass Wall of Indigo. Upon the brass walls rests great metropolis. various houses made up of conglomerate materials, such as recycled Sanctuary also has no real floors, instead being made up of brass, galvanized steel, and abaca fiber, and even tree sap. complex and large walkways, metal mixed with narrawood. The Within these shantytowns that resemble hives are various human and bottom of Sanctuary is simply the sea, whereas the part of Sanctuary nonhuman races. Among the humans are mostly those that are already that is above shore is covered in sluice streets and is the poorest part of socially outcast, or have decided to live alongside their other the city. Sanctuary has become the main nexus for trade, and nonhuman brethren. everything passes by this large metropolis. According to pure geographics, Thunderbell is the largest of the Lately, the Office of the Governor General has been moved to the Seven Cities. Two large rivers converge in the midst of Thunderbell, Harbor Trade City of Selorong, to the West of Liway, wherein they are the Sajan (sa-Han) River to the west, and the Kalawan River to the East. attempting to launch an attack against the Warring Kedatuans. They converge into the large Hinatuan River. Interestingly enough, the River stays clean for the most part, and has only become dirtied as it The City of Issario within the Metropolis of Indigo is widely enters into the City of Issario. known as the river city, as it is mostly stationed around the city that cuts through most of the Metropolis, the Hinatuan. Issario is the city There is a community of nonhuman races here that do not follow of both thieves, merchants, and con men, the boundary and distinction the usual flow of things. Tamawo and Lipod are in odds with each other of which becomes intentionally blurry within it. Noteworthy places are in political games, reminiscent of feudal lords that hold various the Sampaguita Scents Shop which is run by an albularyo tamawo portions of the urbanscape. The palesekan live in the little pocks of named Plantasya, who is running on five hundred years old. Within trees, along with the . Most tamawo hire palesekan as elegant the Sampaguita Scents you can get every herb you want, even those that singer-courtesans and assassins. become holed up in their are more... psychoactive in nature, and is largely used by practicing large houses. Kapre tend to be hired as musclemen. Garuda live on the mangkukulam and albularyo within the metropolis. Sampaguita tops of the brazen walls, and are in good terms with the lipod. The Naga Scents is also a well-known brothel that offers non-human services, that live here are more docile, less nationalistic, and are more or less which has become popular to thrill-seeking boys and girls and... harmonious with the rest of the people. The monolithic power of the priests. Naga no longer exists in Thunderbell, after all, and so most Naga live alone and work on their own. Duwende live in underground cities as Most popular about the City of Issario is the Hinatuan Floating well. Up the river the shantytowns of Thunderbell are commonly Market. This is largely illegal as the colonial government has issued a assaulted by the siyokoy tribes to the north. decree that trading 'on' the river or on the riverbanks is now banned. However, with the recent reconquista effots and the hold of the Buildings in Thunderbell are a weird cultural mix of all the races, Merchant Lords of Issario, this is obviously not heeded. All sorts of but are mostly a weird brass-leaf conglomerate that does not blend well things one might not usually find within markets can be found in the with the rest of the cities. Great shantytowns kept together by magical Floating Market -- salvage from the Golden Age of Heroes that might sap and lit up by spiritual fire are stacked on top of each other creating or might not work, prosthetics built from hodgepodge corpses, coins great architectural complexes that reach the height of the hundred- that always teleport back into your hand, horse saddles that never fall foot-tall brazen wall. off the horse, and other such trinkets and wondrous items. The City of Thunderbell, once named for the military unit that In addition to this, the City of Issario is the City of Services. Need created the first settlement here against the hinterlands, has now a mercenary to protect your caravan? There are almost five mercenary become the hub for nonhuman races to live and thrive when they are bars in one street. Need to speak to a deceased loved one? cast out of their own prospective cultures. Necromancers (or as they like to call themselves, katalonan) double Barangays always have a plaza in the middle of them, which was This would not stand, the Triad Gods of War -- Yna Guinida, adopted from Al-Kaigian culture. This is the place for merrymaking Makanduk, and Barangaw -- had said once to a small barrio. The and masses and special fiestas. It is not uncommon to find larger Zuhayrans had taken all that they needed from the Al-Kaigians. It is buildings near the plazas and the commoner buildings near the time to reclaim the land, they said. outskirts of a barangay, where the rice paddies can be found. Here they Zuhayras, they said, shall be free. hold all the fiestas that differ from region to region.

The infrastructure of Zuhayras is very similar to the mandala structure of the Lakungdulans, with a main body of government being Nonhumans in Zuhayras the center of a society. In Zuhayras case, this is Sanctuary. The further All forms of races -- human, demi-human, and engkanto -- all one gets from Sanctuary, the less the overbearing influence of Al- exist in societies within the seven cities of the Metropolis of Indigo. Kaigian colonialism and the more influence of the native cultures The richest cities most notably, Si Setanta and De Sandrio have the intermingling with colonially introduced concepts. Many Katalonan highest density of humans, and they tend to be only mystiso or mystisa, and albularyo have become literate in both reading and writing, or only Al-Kaigians. There is a distinct class divide when it comes to writing down their concepts and learnings on paper. Many Datu (now these cities. Si Setanta itself has its own private military organization, provided by one of the richest families within: the Family. The furthest corners of the political mandala, one can find Datu attending Hamsa has provided the Azure Guard to protect Si Setanta, and also masses of Yavuman priests, and Yavuman priests who are tattooed any other organization or even city should they have the price. The from head to toe. Azure Guard are known to have the highest of military technology, and Lately there has been a cabal of literate Katalonan who have begun can bust out power armor if needed. to transcribe old myths, legends, folklore, and religious texts into The other races (and the workers, and the poor people that have books. Another cabal of scholars and historians, a mix of Zuhayran and arisen out of industrialization) have found refuge in the various other Al-Kaigian, have begun to record various Scripts indigenous to the cities within the Indigo Metropolis. It should be noted that outside the islands so as to preserve them. Metropolis, the races are scarcer to find, mostly because most of the But not everything is beneficial. Corruption and racial prejudice alkadia are owned and privately seen over by Al-Kaigian nobles, which from Mainlander Al-Kaigians against Islander Al-Kaigians abound. means they can oversee what races are within their purview or not. Al- Under Al-Kaigian rule, harmony with other races have almost Or little shadows. A derogatory term for the farmers and mountain vanished, beginning with the demonization of the other races. folk. The Al- and anito, disrespecting all that they had known. Al-Kaigians rightful vision for the canvas of humanity, and are thus shunned. The missionaries and priests are prone to killing farmers and stealing from engkanto races are demonized the tamawo are fallen angels that use them, raping women and children. beguiling beauty to steal you away into their trees and kill you in your The Administration itself is capitalizing on the prime spot for sleep or while you are ravished. The palesekan are forest demons that trading and the rich natural resources of the islands for riches, and they sing tunes of hell and rip you apart piece by piece and attach your limbs have been becoming rich. It is well known that they are preparing to soil, which eventually grow into grotesque flesh trees. Duwende are resources for a massive war with the Dragon Empire of Qirong. The earth demons that cause you diseases and rashes and should be killed to prevent this. Tikbalang are tricksters only tricksters and one sparked outrage. Even the Middle Class Illumined people and the should never go into the forest during night lest they find one of the Islander Al-Kaigians have been barred from positions of power. They tikbalang and become ravished. The tikbalang are demons that prefer were powerless. women to rape and kill. The sarangay are bull-headed demons that live in forest groves waiting for god-abiding men and women to cross, and And with the creation of the Elemental Engine and the faster then they kill them, turning them into jewels that they add to their creation of things, the Industrial Revolution upon the Metropolis and collection. Garuda are barbaric winged demons that raid and kill those Al-Kaig as a whole, men of business and intelligence combat the men in the barangay, especially those after it is sleeping time, or those that of wisdom and science to create more and more businesses and did not go to weekly mass. Kapre are nothing but black demons that capitalizations. Kalesa businesses, businesses to create better books, the smoke too much, and can only be useful for manual labor. business of power. Children are routinely forced into labor, shoveling calcified Diwa into the Elemental Engines, suffering face on the All of these sound like propaganda, and they are. These are all debilitating effects of being exposed to too much natural spiritual attempts to demonize the various races that have grown into harmony power. veer since the Apocalypse. Of course, this never stopped the humans that knew the truth from intermingling with them. As of late, entire Most of the children and the poor that are used for free labor cities most notably Thunderbell, which is farthest from Si Setanta come home -- if they have a home -- blind, their tongues split in two, and Sanctuary have entirely mixed races, and even the Metropolitan their hair now green or writhing as grass, or having lost all of their Guard have become amiable to them within Thunderbell. The city limbs, all thanks to the mutating effect of too much raw Diwa. itself is reviled and avoided by most Al-Kaigians, although they do send Diwa used to power the Metropolis. special forces to crack down on crimes and rebellions, and a lot of the waste from kapnayan experiments are dumped onto Thunderbell, with Prejudice, corruption, and exploitation. A vicious cycle. the slightest intent of poisoning the entire city. Of course, the city is made up of magical creatures, those that can cause of his conversion to Yavuman. But the foundation of Dayawan cleanse waters. But the people of Thunderbell are not stupid they is not lost, and still shines through even in the colonial religion. know that if they stage a full-scale rebellion, they would be crushed by Zuhayras has adopted the Yavuman Faith, but has twisted it so the Al-Kaigian War Machine. And so, they wait. Patiently. that it fits the things that they find true and have believed in since the beginning: the truth of the diwata and the anito. Belief in a Supreme Being is easy, and thus easily captured. The fear of maligno was only Language intensified with the coming of Yavuman, which associated darkness The language of those that live in the Thousand Islands are few and far with evil. This was also a useful tactic for the Priests that sought to keep between. Each major polity (of which there were around thirty-three) their flock both safe and controlled. -Kaigians For the Zuhayrans, they believed in a Supreme Deity (which swept over the land that they were all unified to speak Zuhayran (which ad angels to serve him in Heaven. But they also believed that the Anito are the spirits of their language gradually evolved to become Zuhayran, which became the ancestors that answer to Maykapal. So do the Diwata, which can be lingua franca. Since the time before Zuhayras was mostly an oral found in every natural place, all being lower deities when compared to culture, and the Al-Kaigians only encountered one writing system Maykapal, and he ruled over them from above. This is a perversion of which belonged to a neighboring Barangay, the barangay of Datu Yavuman teachings, because the only supernatural beings in Yavuman Sinukuang Agila. When belief is Yavum himself and his angels, along with those that rebelled. barangay Agila, the Al-Kaigians immediately recorded their script, which they call Kidlat (their word for lightning), which was the first Maykapal is also worshipped to be the lord of all anito, sending word they made a character for, which eventually evolved into an them off to various deeds to help their descendants. abugida language after they tried to spell other words and failed. (The Maligno are now deemed Demons, and are said to be controlled - by Sitan, the Keeper of the Dead. Every other deity had been either Kaigians found that Kidlat perfectly fit the language of Datu Kiskisang, turned into low-ranking Diwata or demonized, as was the modus of and decided to adopt that for dissemination, since it fit th Yavuman Priests. language better than theirs. They also introduced a handful of new characters and markings to enhance the precision of the writing. There is validity in allowing the clergy to establish the barangays, as the maligno, halimaw, and yawa are all anathema to any barangay Only the educated or those who live in the city know how to speak with a chapel with them. They cannot enter as easily, although a Al-Kaigian. Because of this, the language has since become associated corrupted enough barangay or chapel is free for them to enter. It is with pride and privilege. Writing Al-Kaigian is different from speaking - it, usually, and only those with formal education actually know how to Kaigians came to ward the barangay against various evils and dangers. read the Al-Kaigian alphabet. Magic is now wholly associated with witchcraft and evil, despite

there being a lot more nuance to it. Only Yavuman-approved sorcery Travel is taught, which includes the Astral Academy of Salamangka in Sanctuary. Travel between the thousand islands are usually facilitated by boat rides, which have been turned into businesses by the seafaring natives Despite this, Kulam and Barang are all equally practiced, and the who have mastered the art of sea-travel even before the Al-Kaigians calling upon other entities for powers have evolved from just having came. Overland travel was scarce before the arrival of the Al-Kaigians, Dayawan beings to also having Yavuman beings, and the combination but have since been changed with the introduction of horses from the of ingredients and prayers to Yavum in the Kivhran tongue (although north and raptors from the east. those that did their research still use Diwatan for the most genuine effect) for their rituals. In the mountain regions have come the famed Bannog Riders, those who ride and tame huge god-birds that lord over the mountains. The usage has had a drop off recently, but has since returned with These Bannog Riders are widely sought after and are usually brought the usage of gold-carved Usbong. Usbong before the Al-Kaigians came back to become military men in the Al-Kaigian Military. are known to be the idols and sacred images that the natives worshipped. Within cities, the usage of the horse and the kalesa (horse-drawn carriages) were the most prominent. Raptors within cities were seen as Along with this, the usage of a Deck of Cards for reading fate and weird, but not out of the blue. fortune was popularized within the isles, which combined the usage of reading through various different mediums as well as imagery The Colonial Administration has access to relic-tech, giving them inherited from Al-Kaigian myth and stories. The Deck of Cards, which access to the brass skyships powered by perpetual sorceries.

of:

Religion 1. Angel (Biraddali) 2. World (Kalibutan) Before the Al-Kaigians arrived the people of the Thousand Islands 3. Sun (Adlaw) adopted the Dayawan religion. The Polity of Datu Sinag has always 4. Moon (Bulan) upheld a Supreme Being over the other Diwata, which became the 5. Star (Suga) 6. Lightning (Linti) were the Hill Stone Forts, that is, large stone fortified fortresses built 7. Devil (Saragnayan) upon hills, only found in the farthest of the northern islands. It is 8. Death (Sui-dapa) speculated that these Forts actually came from Tabun, which the Al- 9. Traitor (Rebelde) Kaigians have yet to penetrate. 10. Bishop (Pamahres) Before the coming of the Al-Kaigians, the architecture was mostly 11. Wheel (Gulong) cultural and different. Those that lived in islands usually had ships that 12. The Three War Gods (Barangaw, Yna Guinida, Makanduk) could work as houses. The most common type of housing is the nipa 13. Justice (Katarungan) hut, or the , with thatched roofs and wooden walls and 14. Temperance (Timpian) bamboo slat floors. The , a house made of stone that usually 15. Sword (Kampilan) housed and the Datu classes were popular as well, and have 16. Love (Dihan-Ma-Salanta) actually survived until the coming of the Al-Kaigians. Longhouses have 17. Four Natives (Tagabundok) also seen use as well. 18. Magician (Salamangkero) When the Al-Kaigians came, they brought with them their Each one having different meanings depending on placement and architecture, creating brick and cement houses with wooden windows, on where they were put. Those that practice card reading are held in but the usage of the nipa hut has always been in use, and never really the same regard as Mangkukulam. went out of style for barrios outside the larger cities and barrios. Every tenth day of the month, Zuhayrans go to mass, where they Farmers usually stuck to nipa huts as well, which are cheaper to are taught the tenets and truths of Yavum. If an Al-Kaigian Mainlander construct and are effective against the constant monsoons. were to listen to a chapel p With the arrival of the Al-Kaigians they introduced a number of it looks and feels differently from those from the city -- they are not new architecture, notably the cathedral, the large buildings, and the teaching the true teachings of Yavum, but rather, are teaching the first few locomotives, as well as the horse-driven kalesa. The Smoke Zuhayran Folk Yavuman that the Zuhayrans have built for themselves. Rail Locomotive is the first locomotive to have been finished and is Despite this, much of the original Dayawan Gods are now lost mostly used for transporting goods and a small number of passengers and/or have been demonized. Many have said that they have rich enough to pay for it. The Smoke Rail starts from Sanctuary and encountered the Gods themselves, the Apo, doing their usual duties ends at Crosspost. despite the loss of worship, and have expressed their sadness at what Surely one of the most impressive structures is the Inquest has happened. But more of them express that something is not right Cathedral in Sanctuary. A large edifice with gothic embellishments, with Al-Kaig itself. And even more express the broiling contempt and baroque architecture made with the highest beauty. A large convent rage of those subjugated to Al-Kaigian rule. that stands half the height of the great Sanctuary wall. The religion of the Giroans have also been transported to the Sanctuary itself is an architectural wonder -- shanty towns and Zuhayran Colony, leading to a rise of Qirong-mideumians and Omists. houses built atop each other in a neverending stack, held in place by The religion of the Balaarians and the Bakhthir Desert Nomads have suspension bridges, never taken over by the sea below.

Balaarian City-State of Effisia. The Balaarians have introduced more ways of interacting with technology, as well as more ways of reading the stars, and the Bakhthir have introduced an epic form of writing that seems to have worked in parallel with the oral epics of the Military Lakungdulans. -Kaigian Army, but the latest The Karanduun are mysterious and new, and not much Governer-General has begun to conduct investigations and probes mentioned in the Yavuman Texts, save for the quick story of the into an apparent revolutionary army being garnered underground. The Zuhayran Theme is given special attention, with Zuhayras quickly becoming an important economic center of Al-Kaig, even though it is of the Church -- the Inquest -- focused on eliminating the Dukes also degrading upon them. (alongside other maligno and Aswang beasts). The Zuhayran Theme of the Yavuman Army is constructed of two halves, each filled up of 5 Regiments. The first half is the Military Half, and usually will either classify them as an angel or a demon depending the ones tapped upon by the Colonial Administration for conquests on the context of their meeting. In outer regions, they are classified as and protection. Each legion is composed of 1,000 to 2,000 men, a mix Engkanto or Diwata when they are seen showcasing their Usbong, and of infantry (both heavy and light), cavalry, and artillery, although the outside people often mistake them for Saint-Kings. cavalry is given less emphasis given the geography of Zuhayras. Special emphasis is put upon naval warfare in the 4th and 5th Zuhayran

Regiments, each which is led by a Principalia who used to belong in Architecture thalassocratic polities -- Datu Kayaan, now known as Marshal Kayaan Servante, and Datu Gibo, now known as Marshal Gibo Saralian. The Most architecture were either stone structures for those living in the 4th Regiment, led by Marshal Kayaan, is also a widely feared for its northern islands near Tabun, or those living in the irregular combat strategies, with the usage of natural terrain and Mountains/Plateaus. One popular building found by the Al-Kaigians guerilla tactics. It is said that various conquest efforts from the overneath, with large narrawood kalasag shields and thick karabaw Fahurian Principate of Effisia have been thwarted thanks to them. leather helmets. Spears are the mostly used weapon, with a as a sidearm. They are usually the frontline, made to counter powerful fire The 5th Regiment, led by Marshal Gibo, is known as the and cavalry, while the pangil units use arquebuses and muskets to pick off the enemy line. s and invaders from the Far East -- the Qirong Empire. The special unit of Pating are mostly limited to the naval legions of the 4th and 5th. These naval legions also constitute the navy, and The warriors of Classical Zuhayras find this to be a new thing, for even the Al-Kaigian Emperor himself cannot argue that these men of most of their military adventures had been a band of men with swords, the fighting for honor, glory, or vengeance. They were well adapted to their are masters of naval movement and sailing, with an intricate environment, lending themselves to guerilla warfare, but strategy was knowledge of barrier reefs and edgy coasts. The Pating units are known more or less lost. The only strategy they needed was the intimate for their heavily tattooed bodies (similar to Maharlika), so much so knowledge of their surroundings and their oneness with nature. This that they treat the tattoos as clothing (as was their native culture). They gives the Zuhayrans a significant advantage when fighting in their rode on karakoas, a native invention (of which the Zuhayran Naval Regiments use more than Al-Kaigian ships), with recent karakoas being outfitted with lantaka cannons. These karakoas were a match almost heretical saying) is largely considered to be true. even for the hardsteel turtleships of the Giroan navy, mostly because Each Regiment is split into 12 companies, which were further of its speediness and the mastery of the crew over the sea. divided into subdivisions known as different subdivisions. The foot infantry known as the pangil, the cavalry unit known as the kawalerya - The Mountain Tribes

There are a great number of Mountain Tribes. Because of limitations armors. The 4th and 5th legions have their own elite naval subdivions in manpower, and because of the Mountain Tribes' unfortunate (or

fortunate for them) position and geography, the Al-Kaigians haven't been able to fully conquer them. In truth, the Mountain Tribes are up of 20 - 30 people. These companies were usually made up of a mix powerful, spirit-born people that use the land to their advantage. To of land infantry -- pikemen, musketeers, swordsmen, grenadiers, and them, the land is their most powerful weapon, and guerrila tactics are arquebusiers, using their pneumatic riflings. their greatest spear. A special unit in every Regiment, separate from a javelin, is a unit The Mountain People, collectively called "Tagabundok" by the Zuhayrans and the "Na-itos" by the Al-Kaigians, are actually a and Pre-Colonial Zuhayras that functioned similarly to a and multitude of disparate tribes, each one having their own varied and usually had better physical prowess. A maharlika unit is usually made colorful culture and mythology, believing and having their own up of able-bodied natives well-trained in the art of the native weapons, Diwata, and filled with folklore that is entirely endemic to them and and were usually trump cards against enemies, with their knowledge not learned from the rest of the world, uninfluenced by either the of the environment, becoming the perfect guerilla warriors which is the Makkalan Lakandom nor the Zuhayrans nor the Al-Kaigians. As such, they are a formidable force, either if they're friend or foe. far as to say that they were blessed by nature itself. The 4th Regiment is notable in that they have a total of 20 Maharlika Units spread across their companies. Most of the men of this unit are tattooed from head A Bandit and Pirate Problem to toe, as their native culture had expressed them to do. Outside of the city, in the rural side that dominates most of the The kawalerya division is the cavalry unit, made up mostly of Captain-Generalcy, other than the constant maligno and the necessity horses and raptors (which were an earlier introduction because of chapels to ward away maligno, halimaw, and yawa, there is an Giroans have traded with Zuhayrans before the arrival of the Al- epidemic of tulisanes that is spread throughout all of the islands. It is Kaigians). These were usually used within the larger islands of Osa, Dawa, Atlu and Leogia, or outside of the islands themselves. They have especially raiders from become important in the Conquest of Lakungdula, because of the are spread throughout the entire sea, and thus, travel in Lakungdulans usage of elephant mounts. general is horribly difficult and necessitates guardians always. A special subunit known as the Sakay-hari unit permeate the skies and see more use, but are rarer. They are riders of great god-birds known as bannog, which are large enough to pick up karabaws. Sakay- hari are usually not brought out save for the direst of circumstances, and are usually accompanied by Al-Kaigian Skyships. Whispers broil beneath the skin of Zuhayras: much of the Sakay-hari have become part of the inner rebellion.

The heavy infantry of Baluti are usually made up of heavily armored men, with large chainmails with karabaw leather hide armor Liway -- Makkasa -- made a grievous mistake in launching an attack to seize the Northern Liwayan Forests, which have

become a haven for the engkanto. This has caused the great Makkalan The Ancestral Lands. The Promised Time. The home of the First Lakandom or Bayan, both terms are interchangeable, to fracture into Bayan. The Birth of Dayawism. three different Kedatuans, each one led by a different Datu. Liway is the Elder Diwatan word for one thing: Dawn. And truly, Datu Durat is one that was hailed for his physical prowess and his this is the Land of the Dawn. Situated to the Middle-West of overwhelming charisma. He and his Kedatuan, situated in the forested Sanlibutan, to the West of the Thousand Island/Zuhayran region of Central Liway, worked together to kill the Legendary Archipelago, it is a land of mostly temperate weather. Snow and ice and Halimaw Boar Gago, after which they managed to establish the Durat dryness is unheard off in the Southern Areas. The climate is more Kedatuan. They became vassals to the Makkalan Lakandom moderate in the middle area, and periods of dryness, hail, and the rare afterwards, and are now one of the three Kedatuans trying to seize the snowfall can be found in the Far Northern Tip. guard, and as thus he believes he is the one that deserves the throne. Liway itself was built upon seven hundred years worth of lakandom and warring. It all began from the great Makkalo, the First Datu Indara is a Dayawan Guro, that is, he teaches the Liwayan Lakan, who created a vast Lakandom that he passed down to his religion of Dayawism, the Religion of a Million Gods. He is well known children. for being extensively learned, perfectly wise, having summoned yawa from the depths of hell to help his architectural marvels such as the The Makkalan Lakandom was a grand and vast Empire that, for great Dambana Temple of Indara, as well as other such dambana. He better or for worse, united all of the Lakungdulan Archipelago under has written many seminal works on the topic of Dayawism, and has one name. They managed to accomplish a great deal of feats, before it also learned much about other religions. He has created a natural philosophy known as Halamanan, which is a science of praying to gods assault on their fellow people. within natural items to coax out their best qualities. Mixing two During the time of the Makkalan Lakandom, various religious, elements together would mix two gods. It is due to Halamanan that the architectural, cultural, economical, and warfare feats were vastly sought-after wine, alak lambanog, was made, due to coaxing accomplished. They created vast stone structures in the inland cities as shrines and temples (which they call dambanas) alongside natural vizier and planner, and as such he thinks that wisdom should be the places becoming places of worship. Their organized religion main crux for choosing the next Lakan. It just so happens that he is the flourished, with various guros teaching the creation myth, wisest. mathematics, astrology, and theology within their stone dambanas. It is under Datu Indara that the great Sayada Dawa Dambana was Horses were primarily used for overland travel, although river made. travel was used even more than overland travel, with the Makkalan The greatest of the Dayawan Temples, and it being the largest. It River Routes being fully mapped out. Water travel was more utilized than overland travel, especially when carrying large and heavy Ridge Mountain Range, on the 1012th Year of the Masked Moon. construction materials like limestone and large woods. Commissioned by Datu Indara, It was partially built by the greatest of Dambanas made of wood are stationed outside of every forest route dedicated to the deity Uwinan Sana, where they have to place they were given permission and aid by Dumakulem, God and various sacrifices on the dambana for safe passage through that route Guardian of the Mountains, who carved away the hardest rocks with (it is highly believed that the routes were made thanks to Apung Uwin- his bare hands. The Sayada Dawa has since become the premiere place sana, Lord of Grasslands, and Apung Okot, helping the early of learning and enlightenment, and within its whistling halls they trailblazers of the Time of Malice). This includes food like crushed rice, practice mathematics and astrology, and teach literature of both oral to flowers like hibiscuses, jungle flames, Sambak jasmines, and jade and written varieties, and pass down the stories of the past generation vines, to used weapons like the kampilan, or the panabat, or bolos. to the next.

The Makkalan Lakandom had every island under its control, until The Sayada Dawa City situated by the base of the temple is also the dalaketnon began fighting back, pushing the Makkalan Lakandom Dogs, as well as the various anito (ancestral spirits), some of which are fought back the Makkalan Lakandom out of Tabun. By the time this Sorcerers, and are said to have kept their sorcerous prowess even in happened, the Makkalan Lakandom was on its last legs thanks to afterlife. political disruption and the horrible administration of Makkasa, It is here they also teach of the fabled Bakonawa, who sought to -Kaigian Empire came, they ate the seven moons, but was defeated by Bu-an, his sister Halea, and sundered the Makkalan foothold on the Thousand Islands for the Al- his husband Sui-Dapa. It is said that even with Bakonawa gone, her Kaigians befriended the islanders that did not like the Makkalan

Lakandom as a whole. Finally, Datu Hurusa is a feisty, powerful, rebellious, and utterly Most of the Makkalan Lakandom was promptly pushed back into charming presence near the eastern coasts. Under her command, she the island of Liway. was able to beat back Al-Kaigian warships, Ija Yawan corpse-ships, and even managed to conquer back a small fraction of the Thousand Islands. Datu Hurusa is known as the Warrior Princess of the Dawn, Alalay: They are the oripun that live with their master and have and she carries with her a legendary bow named Wind-Piercer. She was no house of their own, and can only marry with the consent of their supposedly the bride of Makassa before he died. Now wh master. If they are allowed to marry, they become Tuhay because the master is not obligated to pay for their house. Most people living within this subcaste are unmarried children of Tuhay or prisoners of wars and Liway fall to the Al-Kaigians. raids.

Caste System Cities in Liway

Liwayan Society upholds a caste system: Sayada Dawa point of interest is of course, the vast Sayada Dawa Dambana, a temple The Ginu Caste built onto the side of the mountain. This Dambana is not only a temple, The Nobles of a barangay. The Datu is included here, and in a but also a place for study. The Thousand Scrolls of the Great Datu is Lakandom, the Lakan is the Highest of the Maginoo. Maharlika compiled here, imperishiable within the stone walls and enchanted by (warriors paying fealty to the Datu) are considered among the engkanto magicks, which cannot be undone without equally powerful Maginoo. This Caste is hereditary as well, with it being impossible to magicks. The sages within are known formally as Parawali, and they move up to from the timawa or maharlika caste. The Katalonan are are the first and foremost scholars when it comes to learning the decidedly part of the maginoo caste. Those that are part of the Royal natural lay of the land. They own vast knowledges, and any Liwayan Family are part of the Datung Ginu Caste, which is the same thing as noble that wishes their child to grow up to become a powerful scholar the tumao save for the difference that the next Datu can only be a of the Dayawism is sent here. Datung Ginu. Contrary to popular belief, Datu Indara does indeed live within the Sayada Dawa Dambana, as its heavily fortified position and walls can comfortably cover as a fortress when needed. Daru Indara has is The Timawa Caste own chambers, near the heart of the mountain, where it is said that he The Timawa are the middle classmen, made of freemen that were uses the very molten heart of the mountain as a forge, and even educated and were sometimes vassals of the datu, although they cannot consorts with Tolus Ka Gomanan when creating new technologies and marry into the Ginu class, and are still expected to help their datu in studying new lore. land or sea raids. They rendered and paid taxes to the Datu. An important facet of Sayada Dawa is also the fact that its academy, which is the Dambana itself, accepts students only once a year. And they are placed into three different Schools the Path of the The Maharlika Caste Righteous Scholar, which covers learning and scholarship, the Path of Part of the Timawa class are the Maharlika, military men specifically the Saint Soldier, which covers military training combined with trained in warfare to fight and defend. Any of the classes can become asceticism and channeling the various diwata as a katalonan would, but Maharlika, which enjoy the same amount of rights as a Timawa. They only in combat, and the Path of the Upright Shaman, which covers are people with martial and raiding ability who serve alongside their training for up and coming katalonan so that they may have a more datu. They are trained to be fighters and raiders alongside their Datu. intimate connection with Maka and the Apo. They are technically military freemen, who work for their spoils in war, Sayada Dawa is constantly learning new things, and it is said that and splitting it with the Datu. the God of Knowledge, Apung Pamahres, lives within its halls, away from the clutter and noise of Maka and the Skyworld.

The Oripon Caste Kalakalan shore with trade winds that help it move immediately out of the area, Traditionally the caste of freemen. The oripun are a complex caste that this is the port of trade and majesty. While the City of Sayada Dawa has both slaves and freemen and warriors working for their masters. has all the Indaran knowledge, Kalakalan although not to the vast The concept of Obligation heads this Caste. This caste is further extent of Pinagsama and Metro Indigo is known for its great and vast divided into three subcastes: variety of trade. They share books and knowledge, scholars and viziers Horohan: Horohan is a hereditary subcaste, wherein instead of and traders and merchants come there all the time, tied under a serving obligation through labor, they serve their masters as warriors. mystical spell of trade and neutrality. Some speculate this is because of Unlike the maharlika, they were not considered , but also is obligated to do communal work and pay a vassalage fee to the Datu. because diwata of peace, camaraderie and rest come there to gather and disperse their essence with the people. However, these diwata are only Tuhay: They are oripun that lived in their own house, which were seen near the shore, hence why people are not so amicable up the city, built on the property of their masters. They were obligated to pay a away from the shore. Still even others believe it is because Datu Hurusa percentage of their earnings to their masters. They may also buy their is a great mangkukulam, or witch, that simply befalls a spell upon them way out of debt and obligation and marry freely without consent of all. their master.

Datu Hurusa, for the most part, is known for her beneveolent rule, for war with the three other Kedatuans, and they have the favor of both if not sometimes a bit iron-fisted and too focused on maintaining Makanduk and Yna Guinida, two of the great War God Triumvirate. peace. She is surrounded by seven viziers, two of which are from Barangaw they say refuses to take sides. which are from Al-Kaig, and they all give her advice Pinagsama is one of the Cities that stand within Kalilim. Nestled on how to enact laws, what laws to enact, what decisions to make, how on both sides of the large Bokosan River, Pinagsama used to be two to make trade go smoothly, how to deal out justice, etc. Her viziers are separate barangays that have since joined together to create a larger also in charge of various governmental departments, such as the barangay ruled by one Datu. It is currently not part of a Lakandom, Bureau of Trade, Bureau of Justice, Bureau of Foreign Affairs, etc. and is a popular trading port for its position near the middle of the The city has a standing military as its city guard, and Datu Hurusa Kalilim as well as having access to the river routes. The current Datu is has her own personal guard known as her Handmaidens. Her Kagani, who lives on a fortified, triangular hilltop known as an to Handmaidens, which always number at five women at any given time, the right half of the city. The left of the city is where most traders are are all masters of combat. It is rumored that she meticulously chooses known to arrive, with many districts for trading. It houses large who the five will be, since there is always one that can speak and is concrete buildings that sometimes go up to three floors in height. A immaculately beautiful, one that is supernal with the blade, another know popular attraction is the Camarin, the gambling house of Kogar. that is large and can protect her team, another that is great with a bow, Kogar is the Boss of the Alab gang, consisting of a mix of maligno used and another that can use technologies to their best extent. as slaves, engkanto, and humans that hold an iron grip on the commerce and trade of Pinagsama. Kogar is a good friend of the Datu, Tabak Banal is the capital city of Datu Durat, and is an intense and they share their earnings with the Datu, in return for making and militaristic city. Its geography is struck through by a million little Pinagsama flourish trade-wise. The Datu, in the other hand, has an creeks that provide constant water and gold coming from the high elite group of Maharlika painted with Tinta that fight off every threat. Sapaan Mountain to the East. The Tabak Banal is heavily fortified, and This balance of dark and light, of crime and law, is the crux of the it is headed by the intense and accomplished War General Datu Durat. Barangay Pinagsama. It was the actual head of the Makkalan Lakandom, before Datu Durat marched into the City after the fall of Makkasa and took it for himself. In addition to this horizontal split, Pinagsama has also been split None of the other Kedatuans have attempted to seize it, yet, for it is down vertically. Pinagsama, having been built on a river that floods well-fit with powerful cannons that fire balls that burn with a frequently and has since become a region of a million streams, now has smokeless fire. The walls themselves seem to be made of pure thick two layers. A first, Stream layer that is completely navigable only by bamboo and stone, like the walls of a great torogan, and then fortified with Diwa. layer that is made up on the various large trees with platforms of bamboo, knotted and twined and webbing together by suspension The weapons here are adapted from the Makkalan Lakandom, bridges and clotheslines made of silk and thread. In the middle of it all which itself salvaged many aghimuan relics from the Time of Heroes is a single large plateau, which was believed to be a Dambana until and has since become viable for reproduction. The front lines of the recent time, when the Al-Kaigians from Selorong arrived and tried to military and city guard of Tabak Banal are both equipped with "Apoy inject their religion. Unfortunately, the Pinagsamaans accepted Sibats", spears with heads not made of steel or stone, but congealed and quickly, more or less, not feeling strongly for religion and happy in the calcified flame sharpened to a point. Their shields are made out of fact that there is more trade to be had, w narrawood that is enchanted with Diwa. export and livelihood. In return, the Al-Kaigians created a chapel on Every citizen of Tabak Banal istrained to be ready for war, and the Plateau Dambana to Yavum and made it a plaza. thus Tabak Banal has a grand militia in their hands. Most of the people It was said that the gods were exceedingly angered at this slight, know how to wield an apoy-sibat, a sword, or a witchlock revolver, but they never did anything. created by the mangkukulam that have pledged allegiance with Datu Durat in return for their protection. Pinagsama, being a hub of trade (and a large one at that, being near the middle of Kalilim) is home to a large variety of humans as well One of the most well-respected professions in Tabak Banal is the as supernatural beings. It is not strange to see a garuda flying by over weaponsmith. The only school in Tabak Banal, the House of Blades, is the heads of kapre, or seeing tikbalang sharing large mugs of lambanog known for teaching basic educational virtues before making young with other human drunkards. It is said a small section of the city is students choose between two tertiary courses: Smithing or Combat. home to the rogue dalaketnon, along with a community of tamawo that Those in Smithing are taught the secret diwata within minerals has sparked ire with the rogue dalaketnon that live within. Some that can be spoken to with the right words to coax them out and to alitaptap-- insect people -- that have come from the far south cities also make their iron better for creating weapons. They are also taught live here. Non-human species are popular and unfaze the natives of simple spells from mangkukulam to enchant their blades, basic Pinagsama. herbology and alchemy to learn how to make oils for their blades, as It is also speculated that Biringan the Enchanted City, resides well as the metaphysical studies to learn how to create apoy-sibats, within the dense forests of Kalilim, but none have ever found it. Kalilim hard light kalasags, and other such aghimuan that require knowledge itself is a forest to behold, with the deepest parts being so dense that of Diwa and Tigas. venturing through in the night would almost be impossible for the light Tabak Banal barely has any non-humans within, adhering to the Makkalan Lakandom tenet of pure humanity, but holding good Enchanted City is said to be so vast and so large that it does not exist relations with Biringan and such. They are well known for gearing up physically within Kalilim. Instead, to physically enter into Biringan, one must find the various engkanto roads hidden within the Forest. These roads are usually innocuous, impervious to telltale signs, but it is said that when an engkanto wants you to find an engkanto road, they will make sure that there is a balete tree right beside it.

When entered, Biringan is a thing of beauty and grand legend. Towers of glass and vine, of crystal and Tigas. Rolling bridges that appear and disappear as a citizen steps upon it. Diwata and anito walking among them freely and without the pall of reality separating flesh and spirit. Immaculate garuda beings flying overhead and living on houses made of clouds. It is also as vast as it is tall, and it is well known that it one can lose themselves when within the City of Dreams. It is currently within political upheaveal, however, as the Datu of the City, with his Atubang, are making sure that the hierarchy of the tamawo being at the top is preserved, it is becoming more and more apparent that the other folk within Biringan are not wanted as they are trampled upon. This has caused the first Engkanto Revolution, which has caused major damage to the City and has even had Apung Bulalakaw and Apung Linti, Gods of Disease and Storms respectively, to step in and end the strife before it could get any worse. Because of this, there has been a great political divide, and many tamawo, as well as other engkanto, have already left, seeking refuge within the Fleshlands.

Tabun

Tabun to the North, is actively blessed and watched over by Apung The City of Downport is known as thet connection line. It is Anitun Tabu, the Goddess of Weather and Storms. There are fewer made up of various sailors and priests all dedicated to Bu-an, who seafaring tribes in Tabun, and more plains people as the rain is more worship the shore as a Damabana, or a holy place. The City itself is, of abundant. Further to the north one experiences the four seasons, from course, a trade city, albeit not at the great magnitude as Pinagsama or Spring to Winter, as opposed to the Cold Dry, Hot Dry, Hot Wet, and Sanctuary. They usually trade goods that cannot be had within the Cold Wet seasons of the Center, the reason of which being that the island, which is scarce, but various dalaket trees are missing within, as cnter of the world is subjected to the harshest of Maykaptan's well as other types of supposed evil flora due to the Tabun's land being judgments due to it being the heart of his most hubristic child. inherently divine. Many spices are included in this, and many of the people of Tabun have realized how much they loved spice in their food. Tabun has the tallest mountains of Lakungdula. One such mountain is known as Mount Madj-as, where Apung Bu-an lives with Before every voyage or every time a voyage is coming, they are his husband Apung Sui-dapa. It also has a kingdom of wind people -- first met with Lipod that guard the storms. They must speak and make the Lipod, the consorts of the Apo. It is worth noting that Al-Kaigians a plea to enter into Downport. When done, they will be led to the have a particularly touch time gaining a foothold within Tabun, thanks entrance of Downport, and powerful Windfolk Katalonan perform a to the concentrated efforts of the tribes, the direction of their Gods and ritual that creates a corridor of calm over the storm to keep the boat the Anito, and thus the island itself being more hostile, along with the from destruction. This means nobody can simply enter, but at the same entire island seem-ingly swept within perpetual Godstorms. Powerful time, nobody can simply leave. There are currently 6 of these storms that sweep up and absolutely destroy galleon trade ships and Katalonan that perform the ritual, with only two more teenagers in war ships. training.

Because of this, Tabun is the most untouched of the islands, and Major exports of downport are the blessed rice of the Heavenly it is also the smallest of the islands. It is well known that there are only Terraces, various blessed by the gods themselves, vast amounts two cities within it, and the rest is vast wilderness for the spirits and the of gold, weaving of intricate okir patterns that mimic the pattern of gods to garden and flourish. The city of Downport and the City of reality, and much much more thanks to the abundnant flora and fauna Winds which winds around Madja-as. of Tabun. To the north and northeast of Tabun is the Dararat Oceans, to the otherwise known as the Sea of the Four Winds.

The most notable city here is the City of Winds, which wounds about the Mountain of Madja-as. Here there is an entire kingdom, mostly composed of Lipod and humans, and the inevitable crossbreed between the two, which has produced the Windfolk, humans with silver hair with the power to either fly or control the winds (the Lipod can do both). The City of Winds is known by many names, but it usually bears the same name as the mountain. It is ruled over by Lipod Lords, who control the flow of magic and winds and also act as intermediaries to the Gods. Education is through houshold passing down of knowledge, which is beneficial to many as many of the households learn all that is needed for life within the Kingdom of Madja-as -- farming, fighting, and writing. Usually, those that are literate in the script of the Lipod are sent to the heavenly Aklatan and made to record and/or create copies of books upon bamboo scrolls that are kept within Maka's Aklatan. This is usually seen as a thing of great prestige, and the family is paid heavily, even though sometimes the scribe may die from over exhaustion or might never come back.

Most people end up working in the Heavenly Terraces of Madja- as, which cascades all the way down to the bottom of a valley. Here, these Heavenly Terraces, rumored to have been made by the Apo themselves, provide bountiful and healthy diwata to send to Maka, as well as bounyiful food for the people of Madja-as

The culture is more or less the same as those from the Makkalan Kingdom, without the need for the Oripun Caste. Many of the menial labors and tasks are done by minor diwata of service. However, hard work that requires hands, such as reaping, sowing, farming, or whatever, requires the hands of humans and Lipod alike. T’Kapi others--if one digs deep enough, one will find a... strange surface, seemingly reflective, with the texture of bone. Once you reach that area, the legends of the titanic crab that sleeps at the navel of the world least Al- sings in your mind. This deep crab-skin rock is used to mine and create darker and darker, blacker and blacker as one progresses towards the weapons of unbreakable bone and red-tinged blades. -dapa, God of Death, who holds a land above ground while the giants of the Perhaps it is of great wonder to see a large, floating chunk of rock Underworld holds land below ground. However, it is said that this is chained down to a leviathan that moves around the archipelago no longer true, as the entire land is filled with echoes of the dead, following the movement of the world as it rotates, creating a year, but walking corpses that defy the flow of life, as well as maligno, or evil it is there. The Leviathan is known as Dagat Dambuhala, and it pulls engkanto. It is said that the Ija Yawa, the empire of the Dalaketnon, the great floating Island of Atsa-as. It is notable in that in its underside is the upside down city of the Atsa-asian Garuda, living within great not so stone towers and praying inside great clay temples. On the right-side not managed to venture within and leave alive. up lives the untouched Lakungdulan Kedatuan of Lawana, who are said to be masters of speaking with the Dagat Dambuhala and worship Many people speak of the horrors of the Bone Empire of Ija Yawa. it as a great diwata of the sea. Lawana is said to have an elite caste of Some people call it a horrid place with a horrid stench, houses made people that have crossbred with the garuda. out of dalaketnon trees and then decorated with bones and skulls. When one sees a ship that seems to be a floating ship of flesh, wood, Sometimes, when one looks at the sky, one will see a city sailing across and bone, it is said that that ship has come from the Empire of Ija Yawa. the clouds. This is the City of the Four Winds, a well known trading Not much is known about Ija Yawa, other than they are seeking to free company that uses wind and sky spirits to propel itself in the air. Saragnayan, the Lord of Darkness, from His chains, as well as find a However, for it to stay in the air, the spirits must be fed, and the only way to start the rebirth of the Lingkag, the Undead, Dark Mirrors to sacrifices they accept is laughter, smiles, good-will, and exchange. The the Karanduun. cabeza of the city is a well known Lipod (windfolk, not spirit. Like wind elves but not that) that speaks in the native language of the diwata. At To the Southern Tip, however, out of reach from the Bone Empire circles the entire world, beginning from the center, and then heading of Ija Yawa with its ivory bone ships, resides Lakungdulans and north, south, east, and west, before returning to some nebulous island Effisians. They have come from the City-State of Effisia, spreading the in the Zuhayran Archipelago. Whenever it appears in a major city, it Tenets of Fahurianism. The major city is known as Hambra, and is said docks by the harbor or an area untouched by urbanization and lays to be a major trading hub with Effisia. down a stone that--if one were to step on it--would bring people into Hambra is the city of gold. It is ruled by a single Datu, His Royal the City with sorceries of wind. Everytime a the City docks, it is usually Highness Datu Kuninam, with his spouse, Dayang-Dayang Atopcha, celebrated as "the Festival of the Four Winds" and is something many who is said to be of Giroan ancestry. The people of Hambra are well great collectors, savants, and rich-men look forward to, as the City known for having their own writing system, unique from Effisia after seems to bring things not seen before, seemingly coming from either they managed to assimilate their culture. They follow after their own the distant past, or some other world... version of Addafahu, whom they call Abba, and believe that war is the The Island of Batubato is known to disappear for half of the year, and ultimate crucible of Abba's life. And thus they subject themselves to then appear again for the other half. It is covered in sheer coral forests war. Through war and trade they have managed to create vast pearl and mountains, limestone cliffs, and strange floating jellyfish. Be cities enhanced and made a strong as imperishable steel by Diwa careful when one enters into it, for the people inside are not who they through sorceries. They hold a strong belief in Addafahu and follow all seem, but those who do enter and get out alive are rewarded, for the the core beliefs, and trade with the Effisians, but they do not treat their annual submerging of the island has somehow preserved a tomb from old gods as saints, but rather, as lower gods that serve Abba. They are an ancient Karanduun long ago. also well known for their visual arts, in the field of okir and wood carving.

Most important of all, they have adopted the technologies of Effisia and turned them into military weapons of destruction. Great pearl are mounted upon moving wagons pulled by six-legged karabaw, their shields are made of winds and cloth that catch blows from their enemies reflexively. Their weapons are great swords that can return to the wielder once thrown. Hambra is a dangerous force now, and it is the reason why their raids upon the Southern Zuhayras has been so effective... and deadly.

A Thousand Islands Tambanokano is a large, flat island with numerous natives. It is seen a few miles away from the North of Osa. Many people live within to make trade here. The locals do not discriminate, allowing even nonhumans within its rural barangays. Its land is different from Hiraga The humans that were saved from certain doom being travelling It begins temperate enough, with beaches that eventually give way to from Tabun, the Island wherein they were protected by the Apo, specifically, Anitun Tabu and Dihan-Ma-Salanta. Eventually humanity wings, and the trees of permafrost appear signaling the border between spreads out once again. The First Barangay is established in the the land of ice and the land of greeneries, until eventually the vast Land northern tip of the island of Osa. At this point, there is only one Datu. of the North is bordered from the world of the living by the great Before long, however, a dispute rings out over which god brought them Galadar Mountains, wherein strange mountain-folk live. victory and the ability to survive. This began the first major war of the This is Hiraga. See there, the goats and the lambs that stand atop humans in the Time of Malice. The war lasted for a hundred years, the chilly winter wind. Turn and hear the howling of wolves from an sputtering out into an agonizing end with hostilities on all sides. outwood, from copses of trees that bear corpses of the dead. Smell the Weapons of war were honed, sorceries were accepted, and the First pallid, bland stench of frost, but also the temperate climate of the Barangay was fractured. Humanity was once again against each other. Kivhran Peninsula, where the Septumvirate staked their claim and the The War of the Four Datu began. greatest empire in the world was created, the scion to the Milennium Other natives did not move down with the rest of them, instead Kingdom of Yavum, Al-Kaig. moving up further North, to Hosk-Ebro. Here they discovered the icy The Continent of Hiraga rests above the center fo the world. To Salvagewastes, at the feet of the Galadarian mountains and created the left it is flanked by the Somersend Sea, where the further north you entire societies around them, and set to learning these lost go, the whiter and icier the water gets, and the stranger the creatures as technologies. they are warped by the frostic energies of the north. Travel even further When the war eventually ended, a race of tamawo half-bloods north and one arrives at the Galadarian Mountains, where the decided to travel North, away from the Thousand Islands, as suggested mountain dwellvers live, which the Kivhrans have called the Stone by their tamawo forebears. These seven humans were known as the Folk. The climate around the area of the Kivhran Peninsula is generally Septumvirate, and learned much from their tamawo mothers, for they temperate, but as one moves north, the more the ice becomes a frigid were half-bloods. When they arrived and settled in Kivhra, they began permanence. a new way of philosophy and religion, interacting and learning and adopting the doctrine and the knowledge of the pale-skinned humans who were native to the region. This is where they first learned about Al-Kaig the Seven Gods.

The native Kivhrans believed the seven men to be the Seven Gods, and named them after their gods. Soon enough the half-bloods Lakungdula, escaping the War of the Four Datu, and traveled north, conquered all of the Kivhran region (which was no empire, rather, a arriving at the wintry land of Hiraga. They, and with their families and bunch of small settlements with some ability to measure the stars and slaves, wreaked havoc across Hiraga, until they came upon the Kivhran rudimentary knowledge of mathematics) and began building their own Peninsula, which housed the snow-skinned Kivhran Tribes that empire. To the far north of the Kivhran Peninsula, buried in ice, was worshipped the seven gods. an old tomb which was raided by a party of adventurers headed by Kaig, one of the Seven. In its deepest parts, having only two of the When Kivhra had been conquered, they adopted their beliefs, and original companions with him, Kaig found a leatherbound tome became a polytheistic tribal people that believed that the Septumvirate written in a language that he was only able to comprehend because of his innate diwata blood. There, Kaig heard the voice of Yavum. He Slumber, the Septumvirate eventually devolved into fighting, until a witnessed the manifestation o certain Son -- the middle child, named Kaig, found the Tomb of revelation broke him and killed him. In the next second, however, Kaig Yavum, further to the north beside the Irikairan River. There, he awoke in a pool of his own blood, and a halo around his crown. He was gleaned the secrets of the truth, of the Dream, and how all of Reality is Blessed, Chosen, the First Prophet. but a Nightmare. He unlocked the secrets of his soul as he read the occult writings of the book. He wept tears of blood, and bled from The First Prophet spoke and sang to all that could hear, and he every orifice, but he came out a different man, wherein those same spoke to all that could not. He spread a message of solitude with one sigils would appear out of his hands. higher enlightenment through the Canticle. He garnered the 14 Kaig became the First Prophet. The first of the Saint-Kings. Disciples and went to spread the Yavuman Faith. The six other siblings of the Septumvirate all worked together to kill him, fearing they would Tears. be too strong. The six killed him in the Battle for Heshkelios (a cliffside plain in the Peninsula nearing Saviro) a horrible and awesome war that This is the Holy Yavuman Empire of Al-Kaig. forever marred the cliffside plain of Heshkelios. It was eventually

left alive. History These were the first few steps of the empire-spanning Yavuman After the Thousand Tears and Lightnings Apocalypse, the humans Faith. regressed. This invention they called dragonflame powder, and was in a sense easier to craft. The Six began fighting amongst themselves, subjugating the tribes in the Kivhran Peninsula and in the surrounding regions into seven Around the 534th named Obo Sindo, who refused to convert into Yavuman at first and followers from all the Seven Cities and they launched a counterattack. lived in a small offshoot region to the East that still practiced a heavily 7 Days after Ka modified version of the Indigenous Kivhran Polytheistic Religion, was the Congregation of followers, which numbered 200 in total. There, in that Congregation, the First Prophet gave them the Blessing of Yavum, tself an Eloshan, a powerful creature that which shone Halos upon their crowns. They became the First Saint- served as a servant and messenger for the Highest of the Gods, whom Kings. And with that done, Kaig ascended to the Seat of Heaven, and they simply called God, or as all the others that do not know how to there they decided that Kaig was God Incarnate. ndo gathered his own followers but was shunned by most The Saint-Kings went out into the world and preached, and people of his tribe. He fled into the mountains, where he saw the great Eloshan once again, who introduced itself as Gavarikh, the Prince of became the Yavuman Faith. The First Father, the eldest Disciple Princes and Communication. This Eloshan gave Obo Sindo the named Ebro, stepped up to become the leader of the Church, and all blessing of Addafahu, and he became one of the Blessed once again. He the Seven payed tribute to the Patriarch. became what people thought Saint-Kings looked like.

Gavarikh then enlightened him to the fact that he was part of a until the Third Father, Baerius, who was a warmonger and echoed the long line of Prophets that began from Kaig, and that only the Prophets Warring Aspect of Yavum the most, that the Seven Cities erupted into were gifted this power by Addafahu. Obo Sindo graciously accepted

the title of Prophet-King, and he returned to his tribe and with his new ...after fifty years of War, the Seven Cities became one Empire exaltation converted most of the people there. Eventually, the people the Yavuman Empire. It spanned the entirety of the Kivhran Peninsula, of Obo Sindo became known as the Fahurians, wh along with the Eastern Havrian Region, the Nomadic Plains of Jyliean, the Inner Sea of Saviros, and the Near Northern Mountain Regions of The Fahurians would then siege and eventually take the Holy City the Snowsword Peaks. of Phaedrus in 584. It took two different holy campaigns to eventually win the Holy City back from the Fahurians and this lasted for ten years. Tome, which they decided to name the Canticle of Light. Within it, When the Fahurians were vanished, Obo Sindo trekked south, through they blocked off and reproduced the second volume of the Canticles, Kat-jja and eventually to the deserts of Janubia, and there, with his which they called the Canticle of Secrets, which are only allowed to be amassed followers from every nation, created the City of Effisia, where used by Magisters and, eventually, the Inquest. The knowledge gleaned he died, and was immedeiately followed up by his Son who had become from th the next Prophet and was given vast Sorcery by Addafahu. they called upon the various angels of Yavum, known as the Merak, to Around 613, the twenty-first son of Kaig, Iabdeki, became the first plea for the manipulation of reality. Patrilineal Leader of the Empire. So far, they had been led by a line of Thanks to their faithful, the Yavuman Empire flourished. They Priest-Kings, the Fathers, until Iabdeki became a Saint-King and retrieved many artifacts from the tomb, and the Saint-Kings, subsumed the power. The Church still had immense power over the continued to be exceptional leaders, bishops, warriors and savants-- esteemed members of society. Under Iabdekian rule, he appointed Province Governors for the The Yavuman Empire took its first steps to divine domination. now Seven different Provinces. Each of these Provinces were given a degree of autonomy, but they all paid tribute and they all followed the Soon the Qirong Naga established trading routes along the Yavuman Faith. The Seven Provinces were: Phaedrus, Kivhra, Havria, Eastern Jyliean, Saviros, Snowsword, and the newly conquered region to the The Al-Kaigians and the Giroans fight over ownership of the Far West, which consisted of those that fled the War of Seven Altoannian Strait, but the Yavuman Empire in the current year has Blossoms, known as Ikigian. With each of the seven provinces decreed, gotten the upper hand, allowing the Dragon Lines to open. Trade with Qirong has brought about a whole slew of new technologies, although power, and he was under no corrupt compulsion. Only the compulsion the crystal technology that the Dragon Lords of Qirong used was kept of religion. His last and final awesome decree was thus: to change the as meaningless esoterica. Nevertheless, the Kaigians gleaned important - insights and concepts from them. Notable inventions (or more likely, rediscoveries) of this timeline include the pneumatic rifling alongside It was met with some hostility from the Church itself, but the rest crossbows (which were learned from the rian), flowsteel armor of the populace backed the idea, and it was so: It was fully dubbed as (expensive to find, even more expensive to craft), and craftlight The Holy Yavuman Empire of Al-Kaig, or simply, Al-Kaig. (alchemical fixtures that create light and is the primary source of light Several dynasties followed after: the Jannian Dynasty from 693 - in the seven cities). The Qirong have lately been able to steal the knowledge of witchdust from the Lakungdulan Isles, and have - managed to create a powder that could be exploded within a barrel. The Shilom Cathedral is the largest cathedral in the Known Zhayfrithem, as he toiled in his abyssal cage. World, and is also in the capital city. Prevalent in this city nowadays are child laborers due to the exponential increase of industrialization. The Valuyan Dynasty from 732 - 789 was marred with political In many ways, Phaedrus sees itself as the center of the world, with trade conflict between the Provincial Governors. Emperor Valu, however, and knowledge and culture and technology and military power in their succeeded in creating the Great Stone Wall of Phaedrus, making it hands. impervious to destruction. He set about to creating a larger wall to the north that would protect Al-Kaig from the shapeshifting witches and The human-only Empire of Phaedrus houses all kinds of human horrors of the night, the name of which they learned from the beliefs. In the well respected University of Phaedric Studies, which Lakungdulan Sages -- Aswang, but he was assassinated and replaced by welcomes both Dreamer Yavuman and Rhapsodic Yavuman, as well as a Saint-King known as Ohraimon the Vizier. tho down upon by the other students. Here they also study and teach The Ohraimon Dynasty lasted from 789 - 923, the longest it has alkimiya. ever been. The Saint-King weeded out political opponents himself, moving through the night. During this time, technological jumps were In the Kivhran Region, the following cities are well known: made, and the great Kaigian warmachine constructed the feared Rassania is a city further northwest, but not yet in the freezing armadura power armor, which was powered by spiritual energy (their colds of Huskede. In Rassania, the Al-Kaigian population is blended word for Diwa). The Dynasty also raised the stature of the Saint-Kings more with the Kivhran population, producing lots of mixed races. even more, and they became manifestations of Yavum, gaining idols Rassania is as large as Phaedrus, but less dense, giving it a sense of and murals upon the various Cathedrals. larger scale despite their similarities. Trade is less important here, but In addition to this, they created the great Temple of Ohraimon. much of the Noble Houses have their Ancestral Homes in this city. Ohraimon, possessed of wisdom given to him by Yavum, being the Much more interesting, and lesser known to the rest of the public, wisest man to have ever lived, had contacted 99 Demons to do the job Rassania sits above the tomb upon where the Al-Kaig found the first for him. These demons were handpicked by Yavum for redemption, copy of the Chronicles of Light. Some say this is the reason why and said that those that would serve under the Ohraimon would be Rassania is unwavering in its principles. It also houses the Kaig given redemption. Half of them were redeemed, but the other half were Cathedral, the third largest cathedral in the known world, that is a possessed of their natures, and as such they rebelled, bringing havoc training ground for those Blessed by Yavum. and destruction. Ohraimon ascended to the Seat of Heaven, leaving the trouble of the 50 wrathful Demons to the next Saint-King in line: Ashastum is much further to the north, leading them to be much Zuhayr. further from the cultural and civilizational center of Al-Kaig. Those that have been exiled or have become war criminals are sent to the The Zuhayran Dynasty lasted from 923 to 1068, and he created Black City, where they fight with the steel men. the Inquest, which was made specifically to destroy devils and demons, and in addition, keep the Empire safe from all terrors. In addition, They also come in contact with the stone folk of the North, which Zuhayr enacted the great Manifestation of Fate, and branched out from has led them to adopting a native religion of worshipping a metal god, their Peninsula to colonize the Thousand Islands as well as the which is obviously heresy. Those that come from here have become disillusioned to the safeties of southern civilization, and most of those that come here on their own free will are mercenaries, adventurers, or The current Dynasty, lasting from 1068 to Present, is the nobles that are bored, for there is a larger swathe of earth to the north. Yunusian Dynasty, headed by Emperor Yunus III. He has redoubled Some say that if they continue walking forward, they will find the end efforts to colonize the Liwayan Islands and the entire world, and has of the world, and will be swallowed by a huge ice serpent. actually suffered devastating losses with the Kaigian-Qirong War during the first few years of his reign. The rest of the Kivhran region is pocked with various villages and towns, most of which are heavily fortified with wooden barricades

because of the constant threat of demons lurking about. The Kivhran Provinces of Al-Kaig Region is situated in a peninsula, and surrounded by water to the south, east, and west. To the north is the colder Havrian Region. The There are seven major provinces in Al-Kaig are: Phaedrus, Kivhra, region of Kivhra is warmer to the south, and colder to the north, and Havria, Jyliean, Saviros, Snowsword, and Ikigian. experiences all four season -- the Season of Ice or Long Nights, Phaedrus is the capital city, situated in the southwest tip of the followed by the Season of Grass, and then the Season of Fire, and finally Kivhran Peninsula, and is considered as a province of its own due to the Season of Wind before finally ending in the Season of Ice. both its political power and its sheer size, being half the size of Kivhra, Agriculture is a major export, and the Kivhran Wine is a sought after which is as large as an entire peninsula. It is a bustling city that has just wine that is made from Kivhran Nieveberries, which are known to turn entered a sort of industrial revolution. Power has been upturned and a bright electric blue after fermentation and distillation. The Peninsula merchants are becoming rich oligarchs, and even the Al-Kaigian also supplies food, grains, crops, wood to the rest of the Empire. Emperor is having a hard time managing them. The Kaigian Basilica, Culture in the Kivhran region is known to be very rigid, but also known as the Senate Building, is where most of the administrative welcoming of the two branches of Yavuman. duties are done.

Havria is the province of dangers. It is situated to the Upper Right because of the mines in Galadar, where they are constantly harried by of the Al-Kaigian Empire, near the Sorrowful Pathway that leads past the Stone Folk. the Galadarian Mountains. They are flanked to one side by the Lately, however, with the mining operations slowing, the people Salvagewastes, to the other side by various Tombs that seem to have of Snowsword have become amiable to the Stone Folk, and have begun survived from the Time of Gold, and the dangers of the mountain to learning their ways. Some have even found that they could procreate the north. It is always cold in the Havrian region, and many of the with them, resulting in... humans, albeit with Stone Folk features. mortals here don't always get the chance to travel to the Imperial City. Many Fulmusian scholars now seek to come here, but recently Most of them are content with having to survive the cold here. Here, Snowsword has become a distant province, as if they want to keep the the presence of the "Little Gods", as indigenous Kivhran belief has rest of the Empire from the Galadarian Stone Folk and their secrets. taught them, is more present. Although with more Yavuman Monasteries being built here, the prevailing thought is that these Little Gods are devils and demons sent by Shafrithem to lead the Faithful The Emanations of Society astray. The main city of Havria is the City of Havris, situated right at the crossroads. It is known as the safe haven from everything in the The Al-Kaigian Empire is split into five discrete social classes, or mountains and everything else within this dangerous region. It is also -Kaig, it is known as a gateway to the relics of the Time of Gold, and thusly many Fulmusian Scholars make their way and live within the City, leading to of importance, with the First Emanations, the Imperials, being the it having a booming engineering trade and home to many mechanical closest to God, with the Fifth Emanations, the slaves, being the furthest, marvels, such as the floating houses, the walls made of rime, great but it is said that they are only simply born into it, and it is entirely mechanical armor that rise up to seven feet tall known as Knight- possible to move up the Emanations. However, it is said that the First Riders, and the ability to create light without fire. Emanation is always just an Emanation one is born into, and the highest a Fifth Emanationist can get to is Second. Jyliean is further inland, to the West of the Kivhran Peninsula. It is mostly farmland, but the vast majority of it is untamed and evil The first Emanation is the Imperials, wherein those that live wood. Gnarled wood trees and pines are cover the land like a dark within the Imperial Cathedral have all the other Emanations working wood. The three Trails that have been blessed here are meticulously for them. This Emanation includes the House Heads of each House, guarded, as evil demons and monsters from within the forests are and every royal personage from that House. However, a child born known to attack the caravans and wagons that travel past here. The between an Imperial and a Peasant is usually looked down upon and three Trails--the Trail of Arinsa, the Trail of Mahara, and the Trail of not deemed to be born into the First Emanation. At best, they are born Zuniga, are all important hubs cutting past the Million Forests. Many into the Second. Monster Hunters venture out here to learn more, contribute to The Imperials primarily concerned in governing, and they all bestiaries, and to hunt for game. There is a booming caravan- make up the governing body of the Empire, known as the Senate. Each prorection service here because of the dangers of traveling through the of the House Heads has a platform and a seat within the Senate to allow Milion Forests. each House to speak their needs and concerns. Saviros is to the East of the Kivhran Peninsula, bordering the There are Seven Nobles Houses, each one having their own Somersend Sea, and is known for its polytheistic communities. It is in Noblesse Oblige. They are as follows: Saviros that Odo Sinbo, prophet of the Fahurian Faith, rose up. Many nomadic tribes still live here, with a Port City known as Anyalia that specializes in trade with Qirong and Giro'jji. This trade of information House Kaig and knowledge has led Anyalia to become a hub for trade and has incorporated many Giroan communities, alongside the indigenous polytheistic regions. Thus, many Omist temples have been built within The Rulers. They are the firstborn sons of the and the Anyalia. children of Kaig, (hence the Al-), and are directly in line for Emperor. Criminals are also sent here, other than Havria, where they are The Emp expected to work for Anyalia or to live their lives in the Ancient Prison most spited house, and the house constantly under fire. Their emblem of Kahesta, built upon a huge, unmelting glacier that floats in the is the Five Pointed Star, representing the most powerful and greatest Somersend Sea. Here they are subjected to rehabilitation and training, manifestation of Yavum as the First Light, a being of vast power and and some are turned into Inquestors or given to the Regiments so that strength. Each point corresponds to one of the Five of the First they would not clutter up the Prison. Servants that embodied parts of the world, and all of them bound together meaning that Yavum rules over them all. Snowsword is further up the Northeast, and is known for housing many indigenous tribes and for mingling with the Stone Folk. They live Many Kaigians are trained to become successors to the crown, but in the only other open path past the Galadarian Mountains, which of course not all of them end up that way. Many times Kaigians are consists of going through snowy tundra and icy seas. Here they trained in the art of speaking and persuasion, taught to meditate in worship the Emperor himself, and not just Yavum, and think it to be a ancient monasteries to come closer to God, as well as to be virtuous so holy blessing to have the Emperor send them goods or other officials that they may occupy spaces as Judges, Deliberators, and Mediators to their region. Snowsword is the smallest Province, made up of mostly within society. small hunter communities and three cities. They are kept, however, Noblesse Oblige: Ruling, Administering, Caring. They are the sharers down wisdoms and meditations upon books, making sure that the common folk live an upright and holy and just life accordingly to the too much responsibility being put onto their shoulders. They are sayings of Yavum. trained rigorously since childhood until the end of their first Tour of Noblesse Oblige: Preaching, Ministering, Blessing. They are the Duty. The most obvious obligation they must do is rule over the rest of ones that propagate and conduct the Imperial Masses, as well as every the Empire of Al-Kaig, and they must put forth humanity without other thing to do with the state, such as laws, sovereignty, and what omats things to celebrate or revere. They are effectively the shadow of the as well, and to lead the rest of the Houses, and make sure everything is throne, and Emperor Yunus knows this, hence why his Prime Vizier is working efficiently. Danilo Al-Shilomius, Head of the House. The Pontifex Magnus is the House Head: Emperor Yunus, First of His Name, the Greatest Lion, Emperor as well. Under them are the Glaves and the Magisters trained. Retaker of the Archipelago House Head: Danilo Al-Shilomius, Supreme Pontifex of Yavum, Slayer of the Seven, Shadow of the Throne

House Alaria

House Fulmus The Warmasters. They are descended from the eldest son, Alar, who was a master of martial combat, tactics, discipline, and warring. It was The Scholars and Savants, who push the boundaries of accepted said that Al- -Kaig not canon. Many of the scholars within this House are open-minded and found the Tomb of Yavum. For this reason, they are constantly at odds are not beholden to their religion, accepting many different theories. with Al-Alaria, and the Head of Al-Alaria is rumored to be a militant They are the House of Sorcerers, and are probably the House with the atheist. most prejudice. They are also in good terms with the House Al-Alar, The Al- mostly because their technology helps them become more efficient, as greatest of the generals and commanders are from Alaria. Alarians well as them sharing similar beliefs in progress. They are descended work closely with Fulmusians to create greater war machines, and so from the youngest and most curious of the siblings -- Fulmus. far they have succeeded. Using ancient blueprints found in the Tomb They are foremost engineers in their field, creating and solving of Yavum, they have created vast swords made of imperishable gold the greatest of mysteries. Thanks to them, they have created the first known as orichalcum, and have created living armor that bonds with printing press, leading to the creation of books, as well as the Steam nd giving them power, known as Engine, which has led to the rise of industrialization. Their House Armadura armor. Those that are worthy to wear Armadura have their Emblem is the Serpent, symbol of knowledge and heresy. This does not martial capabilities enhanced to far beyond the peak. help their public image. Their emblem is the Lion, representing their fury and strength Noblesse Oblige: Teaching, Inventing, Pushing. They are masters and tenacity. of teaching and education, and teach their alphabet and writing and Noblesse Oblige: Disciplining, Conquering, Protecting. They are natural philosophy for free, causing most of Al-Kaig to be literate. They the trainer of Al- are the inventors and creators, and the Jeremian Order is subservient of it, as well as the order that pushed for the mandatory military to them, allowing them to create and push the limits of technology. training for every civilian, meaning every Al-Kaigian citizen can fight. Because of them, new advances in skyships (which use geoturgic They are the leaders in the battlefield, masterful warriors, and train the techniques) and weapons (such as pneumatic riflings and the even secret order of Soulfists -- in the Monastery of the Blossoming Fist in rarer blazebolters.) the mountains of Anatius to the East. They are unrivalled in the arts of House Head: Ilyana Al-Fulmus, Supreme Master of the Phaedrus war, and some would argue they would take over Al- Collegium, Sorceress of the Dragon, Breaker of Bonds, Interpreter of for their devotion to Yavum and the crown. Apocrypha House Head: Aquilus Al-Alaria, Imperial Legate of the First and

Second Regiments, Slayer of Aker, the Pagan Black Goat God House Ilisus

House Shilomius Infiltrators and spies. The only reason they are not prejudiced by the

public is because even the public does not know much about them -- The Priests and the Congregation. They are descended from the second eldest son, Shilom, who is said to have conferred with the Old House is kept under the veil of secrets. Because of this, the Emperor Gods of Kivhra, and then helped Al-Kaig kill them off one by one. entrusts them with every single secret, occult, and arcana. They know Their emblem is the Owl, representing the purity of their souls and everything, but you will never know that. They synergize well with the House of Al-Fulmus, for the obvious reason of them both seeking knowledge past the norm. Even the House of Al-Shilomius depends on Not all Alarians become priests, although it is very fairly common. them when needed. They are also the most neutral party, only having A lot of the Shilomians become priest-scholars and writers, writing one clause when asked to perform acts of larceny and skullduggery -- others fighting back. It is worth noting that the Guild is made up of they put the Emperor and the Empire first. They are descendants of the purely mortal humans, their head is not any Saint-King or any only daughter of the Septumvirate, Ilis, who was known to never be supernatural being. Although they do employ demons and sorcerers there until she needs to be, or if one was actively finding her. She was and Biraddali to do their work for them, the administration is also a master painter and artist, and manipulated her looks with completely human. Illusion Magic. They are descended from the fifth son, Daniado, who was House Ilisus is the head and creator of the fabled Correction probably the most talkative of the Septumvirate, and had the most Bureau, an organization outside of the Emanations that take in all concubines. Their emblem is the Crow. The bird that seeks the shiniest kinds of people to become infilitrators, spies, and intelligence seekers of things. and keepers. The Empire of Al-Kaig has secrets, and some of them Noblesse Oblige: Trading, Traveling, Sailing. Those of this House are taught to be traders and master mathematicians, as well as hagglers. to shut up. In other words, Ilisus is the Imperial Secret Police, led by They have access to every vehicle imaginable -- even the first of powerful Biraddali spies and rogues that lead the greatest of Al- skyships and spiralwings. They are almost always born in the galleon infiltrators into missions of intel and assassination. trade seas as well. This House also tries to open trade routes with every Their emblem is the Fly. That insect that you will never catch, but race, allowing for more trade to boost the economy. So far, they have will always be there. To the general populace, their emblem is the Bull. opened trading with the mountain folk, a few of the beast tribes, the For their endurance in travelling. Qirong Empire, the Giroan Empire, Lakungdula, and the garuda clansmen. Right now, they are focusing their efforts in opening trade Noblesse Oblige: Keeping, Infiltrating, Serving. They are taught with Biringan, the Underground Kingdom of Libing-Libing, and the from a very young age to keep secrets, and never tell them. They are, Island of Tabun. as mentioned, the secret keepers and takers. They travel to the farthest of reaches of Al-Kaig -- they are the first House you will see when going House Head: Offanus Al-Daniado, Haggler of Ambrosia, Trader to a new land -- and gather information. Their job is thankless, but of Ether, Traveler of Sea and Sky crucial to the success of the Empire. They are also trained to be master

Assassins and Infiltrators. Secrets that are not meant to be leaked out will not leak out of a dead body. House Quanitus

House Head: Keeper of Shadows, Fracture of Dark and Light. Their real name is unknown. It is rumored (by the House itself, The farmers and masters of agriculture. This House is descended from nonetheless) to be a tamawo. Three Aristoi receive messages from the sixth child Quani, the most diligent of the siblings and also the one them whenever needed, and carry out their orders. The only thing sure that provides the final decision on things. Despite being the sixth child, about them is that they only have one loyalty: to the Emperor of Al- he was arguably the most responsible. This reflects the House of Al- Kaig. Quanitus, wherein they are mostly humble and lowly, and focus on showing their nobility through action instead of speech. Because of this, the lower Emanations hold them to high regard, but they are House Daniado brushed aside by the higher Emanations. In addition to this, the head of House Quanitus, Assan, is one of the foremost advocates of giving rights and power to the people of Lakungdula. Noble traders and sailors and merchants. Head of the Al-Kaigian Guild, as well as the Al-Kaigian Navy. They specialize in all forms of Their totem is the Karabaw, an animal native to Lakungdula, trade, including slaves and contraband. They are responsible for wherein they represent diligence and hard work to reap the seeds of almost every part of transportation and commerce in Al-Kaig, and has effort even on the hottest of days. allowed it to flourish like it has. In conjunction with the House Kaig, Noblesse Oblige: Sowing. Harvesting. Farming. They are the they have a booming trade economy and even trade with Qirong representatives of the lower class of freemen that work the fields near (before the Qirong Wars), the City of Hambra, Tabun, the mysterious the outskirts of the town. They understand that agriculture is the Zuhayras. Under them, the rights of sailors and merchants are have existed. Despite this, they work silently and humbly. Many of the protected, even though many of the Daniadoans become pirates scouring the seas of the world. alongside the farmers (and usually not within manors, instead within They are the heads and creators of the Royal Daniado Trading the same houses as the farmers.) Guild, which has a shop and store at every City across the entire world. House Head: Assan Al-Quanitus, the hardworking veteran of war who decided to work on the fields and to uphold the rights of the employ various other hands, such as Ilisians, Biraddali, and skilled freemen. He holds a disdain for the Gentry, although it is not outright Mercenaries, to make sure that their power is kept. Because of this, the hatred. Royal Daniado Trading Guild has established its economical hooks into the entire world, and has almost every resource at their disposal. Although they do not exactly have a monopoly on every resource, they are certainly powerful enough to get what they want or need without Women in Al-Kaig

Taking great stock and pride in their women, the Empire makes sure Freemen that women are held to high esteem because of their emphasis on The fourth Emanation is the Freemen. Most of the Freemen are family and family values. While is not unheard of for women to join citizezns, living within the walls of the great holy cities of Al-Kaig. The Yavuman monasteries, most women in Al-Kaig do wish to create freemen are split into four spheres -- the Soldiers, the Farmers, the families, sometimes in the unspoken hope that their child would Profiteers, and the Crafters. become a Saint-King. Although attitudes among men dictate that women were to be secluded and segregated, this is almost never the The Soldiers are very numerous among the citizens, for almost case, and this opinion and point of view is only seen among those in everyone is trained in basic military training. the foremost Emanations that live within the Cathedral and do not Those who become Soldiers answer directly to House Alaria, and interact with commoner women. Many of Al- are trained to be the absolute best. Regiments are usually sent to areas outspoken, and the greatest singers and generals are women. Women of fierce dangers and temperatures, filled with barbarian tribes that have their own spaces, but they usually act as a social hub for womanly seek to kill on sight. Because of this, the Al-Kaigian War Machine has events, such as spinning, weaving, singing, and writing among women. been undefeated for the better part of the millennium. Women cannot become Priests within the Prophetic Order, but The Farmers, usually called Peasants, are those that farm and live they can become nuns within a cenoby, and the texts of the Yavuman in the outskirts of the city-bastions. They are usually hardy fighters as Faith dictates that men and women are spiritually equal and have well thanks to the constant threat outside of the cities. They are the different roles in society. backbone of food and wealth of Al-Kaig, and answer directly to House Al-Quanitus.

Clergy The Profiteers answer directly to Al-Daniado. They trade and ride ships into far areas to trade, and are usually employers of various slaves The Second Emanation is the Clergy, consisting of the priests, and and mercenaries. They are also merchants and make profit from scholars, the educated and the powerful and the ones that perform the everything that they can get their hands on. The Profiteers are in good vast rituals of both native Kivhran rituals and the new Yavuman rituals. terms with almost everyone. The Crafters answer directly to Al- Fulmus, and they invent and work in smithshops. Slowly, thanks to known as the Yavuman Order. Much of the Clergy also comes from them, Al-Kaig is moving into industry. House Shilomius, but that no means the only place where they come from. Enterprising young mortals and humans that seek to get closer The Crafters are hardy people who are usually in good terms with to God can approach one of the Yavuman Monasteries and be accepted the Profiteers. if their spirit is deemed clean enough. However, a life within the clergy is sometimes deemed even worse than a life outside of it, for one is subjected to various rigorous training, discipline, fasting, and the Slaves observation of rituals and traditions. The fifth Emanation is the Slaves. The slaves are traded by both the Gentry and the Freemen. Most slaves are Lakungdulans or Al-Kaigians who did not follow or fulfill their responsibilities to their superiors and Gentry must work to pay their debt, or those who have been captured as The Third Emanation is the Gentry, which consist of every person that prisoners of war. This includes rebels. These slaves are usually fed well owns a fief, and is a vassal of the Imperial Class. Most of the Gentry and given good treatment conditions, but not all the time. They are not associate themselves with a Noble House. The lowest Noble Class is the paid, but slaves freed by their masters may move up the rungs of Al- Youngest Sons of a Lord of a Manor, while the highest one is a Satrap Kaigian society. They are usually the ones forced to do hard labor and of a Satrapy, or a certain Province. Each Satrap answers to the Duke of -- as industry rises -- more and more of them are working in industry. their House, or the House Head. The conscious and strangely ethical House of Al-Fulmus use mechanical golems to carry out their hard labor. Another kind of Gentry is the Knight-Seeker, wherein they go on quests and travel far and wide in the Name of the Emperor, sent by the Emperor himself to perform acts for the Empire. This includes The Correction Bureau spreading the word of Yavum, setting up and protecting trading posts and outposts, and even slaying fabled monsters. Any noble can go into A branch of administration from the House of Ilisus. The Correction the Knight-Seeker vocation, and are directly employed by the Bureau takes the spies, thieves, criminals, infiltrators, and assassins of Emperor. the Empire and trains them into legendary spies for the empire, seeking information and keeping information and making sure intel is left in Perhaps one of the most popular kind of Gentry are the colonial the correct hands. Thus, they are the Correction Bureau, correcting governers, known as the Governer-General. The Governer-General is mistakes and making sure things are aligned. As expected, the usually a military commander or high-ranking official although Biraddali mesh well with this, and truly they work within the sometimes also a simple noble with great administrative skills that is Correction Bureau under the blessing of the House Head of Ilisus. Of sent to one of the colonies to oversee the sovereignty of the Empire course, the powers of the Laon are subtle enough that nobody suspects there, as well as handle disputes and make sure that everything is them of being agents of Tadhana, the Great Will. running more or less smoothly.

They also double as the Secret Police, and work in tandem with The Cavalry arm of the Regiments had mounted grenadiers the Inquest. (grenadiers are often people of prestige in the Yunusian Dynasty). The Heavy Cavalry are known as the Cuirassiers because they always wear The Correction Bureau, when dealing in political affairs, is cuirasses upon their horses, thus being heavily armored, used to break completely neutral, and truly the Houses can hire Correction agents to enemy ranks. Dragoons are mounted artillery units, equipped with help them in their agenda, as long as they pay. Detachment is part and muskets and riflings. Light cavalry uses shortbows that are easier to parcel for the Correction Bureau. When dealing with information and reload and faster than the musket or rifle and they conduct military assassination, that is to be expected. The Correction Bureau is mostly raids. In moden times most light cavalry are known as raiders and are just a rumor or a boogeyman for most citizens and peasants outside of usually made up of Zuhayran and Giroan natives as well. Lancers are the city-walls, but they are truer than true, and can be signified by a also popular, thanks to the long reach of the lances, and is known as an black cloak with a white five-pointed star. anti-cavalry force.

The Artillery arm of the Regiments used cannons and howitzers. The Inquest Included is the siege artillery, using howitzer and mortar artillery pieces to siege fortresses and large castles. Field artillery to fire directly The Inquest serve directly under the Emperor, and are all at once tax- upon visible enemy troops were also used, mostly in wars against collectors, peacekeepers, and demon-hunters. The Inquest itself is such Qirong, Arimangoa, and the Giroans as well as the hundred kingdoms named because they seek out the evils and wrongdoings that plague the to the west. Horse artillery is also used, using a smaller cannon to Empire. Those that have not paid their taxes, other tax-collectors that provide supporting fire. Less popularly, but more notorious, were the have wronged the people, and criminals that have escaped are all under the iron sword of the Inquest. indignation upon the earth, upheaving the battlefield. Such sorcerers The leaders of the Inquest are almost always Saint-Kings, and are were usually prized and well protected, as sorcery would usually take a almost always either old criminals or monks that have no qualms about long time, with rituals and prayers necessary for calling upon great enacting out savage justice. They are trained in the arts of war and are meteors that could change the tide of battle in an instant. Of course, always subjected to an Inquest Monastery, where they are taught Miraclers are few and far between, and not all Regiments have them. various skills such as how to torture, interrogation, speaking, and The Crown Cabal are the well-renowned and well-feared squad of martial training. ten Miraclers that worked straight for the Emperor and would be The most powerful units of the Inquest are known as Tribunals, employed by him to fight for the Regiments more often than not. roaming courts of justice made up of an entire Five Star Fellowship of When a Crown Cabal shows up in a fight, it is usually a fight worth five Deus from each of the five Divine Roles. These are both feared and winning. They are led by a Deus only known as the Hooded Priest. celebrated in the outside villages. If one is visited by a Tribunal one Al-Kaig is technologically advanced, especially their war mu machines, for they were forged on the crucible of conflict on all sides - wrath of the Tribunal. - from the Qirong Naga to the East, the Stone Folk to the North, the In truth, the Inquest created the Tribunal to at once train their tamawo and human raiders from the Archipelago, the Hundred Deus as the Saint-Kings as they are, exposed to glory and fervent Kingdoms to the West and recently, the Giroan people from the Near worship, as well as practical knowledge of being out in the world, East. They have developed the ability to harness Diwa, the underlying surviving hardships, and being tossed into battle. However, their main essence of sorcery that, when used in the correct ritual, can be used for purpose was told by the Emperor Iabdeki himself to root out the Hell nigh-infinite energy. They have since made leaps and bounds in Dukes that still live in the world and to banish them from it. Every technology, creating automata, war-armors, skyships, and pneumatic Emperor since than has believed that the Tribunal is the key to riflings and slugshots. eradicating all the evil in the land, and that once that is done, the final The Al-Kaigian A barrier to achieving the Millennium Kigndom will be destroyed. Marshals that command 1-3 Regiments. The Al-Kaigian Army is made up of 30 Regiments, split into three callings. Those with conquering and military endeavors are in the Conquest Wing, those tasked with The Regiments the guarding of the cities and pueblos become part of the Vanguard The Regiments are the professional standing army of the Empire, Wing, and those tasked with defending the royal family, capital city, founded during the Jannian Dynasty and evolved by Zuhayr and and the Yavuman Congregation are known as the Aegis Wing. The Yunus when technology inevitably advanced. The Regiments are Conquest Wing and the Vanguard Wings both have twelve legions equipped with sabres, lances and bayonets, with cannonballs and under them, while the Aegis Wing has six legions underneath them, canisters as siege ammunition. spread across the Continent of Hiraga and Zuhayras.

The Infantry arm of the Regiments fought in the front line. The Each Regiment is split similarly like the Zuhayran branch, into Frontliners are those that fighht in close order, and the Skirmishers - 12 each, fought in open order as light infantry. Grenadier units, mostly splitting up the 2,000 large Regiments. In each of these Companies, the composed of those of larger build, used hand-thrown grenades and usual makeup is: An Infantry Squad, a Cavalry Squad, and a Tech cussers. Squad. Tech Squads were a recently new addition, but are usually filled with war-artificers and sappers that use explosive technology and reverse-engineered relic tech, and also doubled as artillerists. A More importantly are the manufacture of skyships, which are Company was usually led by a Captain. strictly sorcerous workings, meaning that there are only around three of them, each of them stationed in each of the three big cities. It is well

known that the designs were copied from relic technology. Education

Schooling in Al-Kaig begins from the age of 5 until the age of 14, where The Sacred Order of the Yavuman Prophets they enter a pueblo primary school. Here they are trained in Arithmetics, Lore, Religion, and Martial Arts as core subjects. The Sacred Order of the Yavuman Prophets is a monastic order that Afterwards, they may go into working in Phaedrus or become a farmer follows the teachings and sayings of the First Prophet Kaig. It puts forth or apply to the military, depending on what career they are looking for. that the Deus are far above human mortals, and that most Deus have the right to mortal servitors. In truth, most Deus are almost always Or they may choose to go into a specialized secondary school. So trained in the Order, taught the ways of Holiness and Virtue, as well as far, there have been three different and powerful academies of which a the Yavuman Martial Arts, which was detailed in the Book of War. thousand children are admitted to almost yearly. Kaig put a great emphasis in martial abilities. The Floating Castle of Secrets is exactly what is on the tin -- it is a The Yavuman Faith is the Religion of Light, Dream and Song. The lazily floating castle that moves across the entirety of Al- world is a world of Nightmare and Darkness, and it is up to those who of influence. Upon it are Yavuman Savants and Miracleworker Novices practice and adhere to the Faith to spread it to the world for the world being trained in the secret art of Yavuman Sorcery. to become a better place, as well as to save the world when Yavuman awakes and comes down to the world of mortals once again. The basically a large military compound for training the best of combat Pontifex is usually closely connected to the Emperor, who is almost soldiers. Many Secrets Students who seek to go into the military move always the Pontifex Magnus. here after four years of studying sorcery to learn combat thaumaturgy. The Pontifex lives in the Shilom Cathedral, upon a vast stone Those trained here usually take 4 years, and are immediately sent to dambana upon which Diwa flows. Prayer goes directly up to Yavum, the barracks, before eventually joining the Regiments. contributing to the resting God. In addition, those that seek to become The Supernal Sophia Academy is situated smack dab in the Propheteers are subjected to monastic education from either the middle of Phaedrus, beside the Shilom Cathedral, and is where most Shilom Cathedral or, further north upon the Yahashnian Mountains, people who seek to learn engineering, as well as advanced arithmetics, in the Temple of Rain, where they also train various warrior monks in natural philosophy, theology and theosophy and more academic the Brotherhood of Steel. pursuits adventure to. Many of the people that study here are rich Those that seek to become priests are then educated in the ways people who seek a position in the Senate. of the Yavuman, how to live like Kaig, the First Prophet, and how they are also Prophets for the truth of Yavum. These monasteries also expand and explain the three branches of the Faith, and stress that once Architecture you are a Propheteer, whichever branch you land on or believe is not Architecture in Al-Kaig were usually built with brick and plaster along important. with stone. They usually were well known for their large domes painted The Sacred Order of the Yavuman Prophets, which follows after with beautiful mosaics for public buildings such as the Justice Building, Kaig, is the most powerful political being in the Empire, as they are the ones that ordain the newest Emperor. Most Kaigians and Alarians Phaedrus. They also had windows tinted with alabaster to softly become Propheteers. However, Propheteers cannot become the illuminate interiors. Emperor, but it is just as well, because a Propheteer can become the Much of Al-Kaigian interior are large and wide, soaring high and Pontifex, who is usually more powerful than even the Emperor. supported by marble columns and then beautified by mosaics. Houses Those that seek to become Prophet Monks are first turned into are usually also brick and stone, and were usually one to two floors Prentices within the Cathedral or the Temple of Rain. Within the high. Those in the city and capitals usually have larger buildings, and Cathedral they are subjected to trials and other such events where they some of them even have house complexes that houses more than one are taught humility and the other virtues of the Faith. Then, they must room which is made to sell rooms to those needing them, similar to an choose whether they seek to become a Brother of Steel, a Priest, a inn, but more permanent. Journier, or a Sage. Upon choosing a Path, they are then educated in The Steamway is a vast and intricate railway system that connects the tenets of it. Whichever one they choose, they are taught how to Phaedrus, Rassania, and Ashastum, with various different provincial fight, the religion and history of the Al-Kaigian Empire, and how to stops in the midway. This took a total of fifty years to fully construct, fully master their Deus being. and so far there have been five steam-powered locomotives that are Whenever one faces a Prophet, one simultanesouly faces the running. Each locomotive takes fifteen days to fully travel from greatest warrior of the Empire, the foremost priest and scholar of the Phaedrus to the ice wastes of Ashastum, and then another fifteen days realm, and the greatest living being to have ever existed, all in one. to return.

Although the different nuances and canon of the Yavuman Faith and it is their job to awake the people from the dream. There are two is now being hotly debated, with each debate creating a more virtuous Yavum, which will or perfected version of the texts from the Canticles of Light, the main give them a full life and a chance to be with Yavum if they follow the tenets of the Faith are as follows, and are something every follower of Four Great Teachings, or Death, the forceful waking, although it is said the Yavuman Faith knows. In fact, these basic philosophies, known as that they might be sent to Limbo, the great twilight between damnation the Commandments, are written into the Book of Lore within the and salvation. The Dreamers are also forceful people, but Dreamer Canticles of Light. Scholars are well known to be forceful in their inventions, and have

Book of Lore (3:1 – 3:8) There is third branch that nobody ever talks about, mostly 3:1 – This is the Law, and the Whole of the Law, and is the because it is composed of those that are native to the region and are Entirety of the Law, and the law is the Word of Yavum the those who have learned about the Scriptures directly from the second Most High, God of Creation. man who read the Canticle, after Al-Kaig -- the historian and scholar 3:2 – Yavum shall return, but He shall send a Prophet, and Sallano Jerem, who purported that the Dream and Song rune was just this Prophet shall create more Prophets. This is the whole of a metaphor (putting forth that metaphor was in important part of the the Law. The First Prophet is the Greatest Prophet, appointed by Yavum. is Light, and that the world is Darkness. Many of the Illumined do not 3:3 – Verily, the whole of Yavum’s Law is the consummation intrude upon the Dreamers and the Rhapsodists, although they suffer of eternity. The fruit of life that lives within the heart. the same amount of conflict with them. The Illumined are looked upon with prejudice because of their usage of Jeremian Theurgy, which is 3:4 – Thus speak freely, but never speak the name of Yavum in vain, lest ye incur righteous indignation. easier to use and channels the Merak, and puts forth that humans have the Light of Yavum within them, which is something heretical to the 3:5 – Thus work freely, but render Yavum your God and Only Dreamers and the Rhapsodists. God. Yea, only the Most High requireth worship and praise. All other Gods pay obeisance to Him. The Dreamers and Rhapsodists have been at odds with each other, and the Illumined try to avoid them to cultivate their light more. 3:6 – Thus live daily, but thou shalt render prayers to the Most High in five points of the day, lest ye forget the However, under the Holy Yavuman Empire of Al-Kaig, they were Holiness of thte Most High. mandated neutrality and safety in the Seven Provinces, and were also given the right to scholarly debate and discourse in the universities and 3:7 – Thus befriend freely, but be discerning, and know if schools spread across them. thou art befriending a demon, for the Dukes of Hell knoweth no honor and only exist to beguile and destroy the whole of Icons are beloved among the Rhapsodists, and are tolerated but Yavum’s Garden. vehemently disliked by the Dreamers and are a sign of great artistry if 3:8 – Finally, knoweth the truth of the matter: the Deus are an artist in the Yavuman Faith (and the whole of the Kivhran region). the Kings of Kings, Lord of Lords, Chosen of Yavum and Pieces of worship, such as the Prayer Braces (iron braces clasped over Yavum Alone. They are the rulers of the Millennium wrists) -- a seven-pronged star -- are Kingdom, and will soon herald the return of the Millennium accepted and are usually created and traded for profit among the Kingdom, and final Unity with Yavum. Furi, Ashram, Yavum. Islands.

The Yavuman Faith is split up into two interpretations of the text, Yavuman Miracles a rift stemming from the teachings of the First Prophet being interpreted in two different ways. When he spoke of the world and Their main form of sorcery is one powered by Yavuman Faith, which Yavum, he had used an ancient Yavuman word, which translated into they simply call Miracles. Thesemiracles tend to follow strict either Dream or Song, depending on how you accentuated the speech. guidelines, and have a peculiar connection to the movement of the sky. Stars, sun placement, and the lining up of the heavenly bodies are Sevarios, a military commander who gave his life fully for the crucial to performing powerful and large rituals for ceremonies. The Yavuman Faith and his Lord Kaig, fought with fervor and perpetuated Prophet-Priests are known to be able to inspire with nary but words, the thought that they are the Song, and as such, he Sang in the using some special training used to fill their words with sorcery. The battlefield hymns and chants to Yavum. Many military men and First Class Team of the Empire -- the Godglaves -- have been infused with this techno-sorcery, and are known to be a changer in the converted under the battlefield hymns. The Rhapsodists were known battlefield. They have the same impact as three cannons, with the to interpret reality as notes in a song, and that Yavum is the original ability to teleport here and there with hushed sorceries, and having a singer. heightened state of awareness. It is said that no single Godglave is seen In another hand, a nomad bandit named Namashdi awoke from in the battlefield more than once. Many rumors pertain to the fact that a dream with a sign from Yavum after having meditated upon the their bodies cannot contain the sorcerous implements and most of Scriptures. In his Dream he said that Yavum spoke to him, and told them either go mad or are killed off. him that the Dream is him actually awake, and that when he awakes, he is actually Dreaming. He then said preached, with arm and sword, It is a well-known fact that this sorcery only works as long as the one and worst of all, creatures from within the earth--deep within it--have who implemented it or the one who becomes the conduit for such begun to surface, and those living within the subterraneans silungans sorceries has a great faith in Yavuman, strengthening the theory that were the first to be assaulted. their supernal sorcery works by connection to their God. Now only a quarter of those silungan-dwellers have resurfaced The Yavuman Faith also depends on the Canticles of Light, the written with the help of the duwende that owned the land. Given the ability to word of Yavum Himself. Many peasants and commoners are illiterate, manipulate reality with glamour, the magic of the engkanto, the and so many of the interpretations and readings of the Chronicles of hundred last surviving silungans began to rebuild. In the span of a Light only come from the Priesthood. thousand years, kingdoms rose and fell, city-states ate other city-States and made empires, and those empires were destroyed by other

kigndoms whom they called "Barbarians". Western Hosk is a vast area, Shilom Cathedral of plains and forests, and split away from the rest of Hiraga by virtue of the Million Forests, which is the main reason why the budding Al- The largest of the Cathedrals among all of Al-Kaig, the Shilom Kaigian Empire couldn't conquer the Myriad Kingdoms. Now the Cathedral is one of the most beautiful creations of modern greatest of the Myriad Kingdoms have made names for themselves, architecture. Built upon an ancient Dambana upon which Diwa trading with Al-Kaig, Zuhayras, Liway, and even Effisia. flowed, it is a wellspring of power, as prayers are conducted here everyday. It is built of imperishable orichalcum and obsidian, with One known truth about the silungan-dwellers was that not all of walls of reflecting mirrors and marble and with glasses of stained them were ultimately human. Some of them procreated, or were forced murals, the Cathedral stands out in either night or day. to, with other beings, thus creating various beastmen. One such race that surfaced were the Asadani, the lion-folk the children of humans The Shilom Cathedral stands in the middle of Phaedrus, with a and Asadarabi, Kivhran Lion God of the Fire and the Sun, who then singular large Church Area in the middle for all the Faithful to attend protected and became the patron of the Asadani, especially after Masses and perform all kinds of other rituals. The Cathedral has five Yavum took their lands. The Asadani seemingly have sailed towers, each of them ten stories high, creating five lances piercing Northwest, and never came back. Apparently, they have found land. heaven. These towers are placed equidistant to each other around the main Mass hall area, creating a five-pointed star with their angles. Within the chambers of the North Tower is the chamber of the One of the million Kingdoms within the Myriad Kingdoms is Pontifex, where he lives and apparently communes with Yavum Kishathura, a in the crux of three rivers, Akshimani the East Sword, Himself. Sahanthi the West Arrow, and Oktha the Northern Spear, named after Within the five Towers are also the living quarters of the five the legendary weapons of the great hero Uruk-Hari who was said to Living Saints, five Deus that are the living representations of the Five have lived within Western Hosk for a thousand years before ascending Merak that helped Yavum create the world with their Song. Below to Heaven. Kishathura believes in the Karanduun, which in their them are the Bishops of each district of the city, and the Bishops of each tongue they call the Vahaathura, although also use the word City, as well as the Bishops of the various provinces. Those Bishops "Qalanduhu" to describe them, which is derived from Karanduun. lord over the individual priests, missionaries, and monks of their Kishathura is one of the most powerful of the Myriad Kingdoms, with region. large castles and led by a King named Aregia. They are the first to believe in the Yavuman Faith in the Myriad Kingdoms. They are

known for their powerful war machine, wherein they use glass-cussers Cult of the Old Gods to unleash elemental energies upon their enemies, and replace their artilleries with "Binders" who bribe elemental spirits with Ambrosia The Seven Gods of Kivhran myth have more or less been subsumed as (which they get from the depths of silungan raids) to stay with them angels and demons -- the Gods of Fire and Justice, Jihan and Sara-ojja, and to prepare reality-shaking abilities. have been turned into Ufrithem and Safrithem respectively, becoming Angels of Fire and Justice. The God of Death, Sharisa, is said to have become the Demon of Perversion, Shasathem. One of the many Kingdoms that stands to face them are the Chosen children of Naraktha, a God of Death that lives in the land. Whispers say that Naraktha was one of those nephandic beings that drove the Myriad Kingdoms people out of the silungan. The Kingdom of Naraku inherit and use the To the furthest reaches of the West, as the land becomes the sea glamour magic given to them by the duwende, and make sure to use it. of Merigan, the region known as Western Hiraga is pilfered and run They can summon plants and illusions with a snap of a finger, and they over by a Myriad Kingdoms. This name is a bit of a misnomer, as a lot excel in guerrilla tactics with the usage of glamours that change the of them aren't even kingdoms, but rather, city-states and little tribes. entire battlefield before the battle has even begun. They, however, are The History of the Myriad Kingdoms region hearkens back to the time careful never to wear iron or eat salt. Thus, they are known as the of the Apocalypse, where many humans sought refuge within little Ironbanes for they never use iron weapons, always either gold, bone, shelters known as silungans [si-LOONG-ans] which were magically or stone. It does not matter, of course, because their weapons and fortified and warded by an ancient Karanduun named Walong architecture are enchanted with the glamour magic of their forebears. Kataastaasang Karunungan (Eight Highest Wisdoms). Unfortunately, when Walong Kataastaasang Karunungan perished in the Apocalpyse, the silungans began crumbling. Revolutions began within the abodes, Many Al-Kaigians that seek to be free of Imperial Influence travel here. Many Imperials fear that this might lead to political unrest, and if any of the Hundred kingdoms there subsumes the rest, they might have the power to overthrow the Empire of Al-Kaig.

Kat-jja hibernating and growing for a thousand years, with the Empire itself subjecting those that are not naga such as engkanto, asadani, From the tropical beaches, mangrove forests, thick clumping bamboos, humans, garuda, and even diwata to their power as slaves, and the and serene mountains of Lakungdula, to the icy peaks, frosted plains, Qirong Empire, that monolithic tyrannical shadow, is now seemingly and chilly woods of Hiraga, travel to the Near East, to the continent encompassing the world. In the meantime, however, they trade with known as the Jade Splendor, the land of high mountains, low valleys Al-Kaig and Zuhayras, and go to war with the Giroans in the mountain with the spirit of cold winds running through then, of bamboo forests borders between them. arkling stream wherein fish may become dragons. Vast farmable lowlands and river valleys provide life and agriculture for Kat- porcelain jade and black volcanic rock, and multicolored leaves of the reddest and greenest colors. [Pronounced: gee- ʔchiʔ]

Unlike the Archipelago with its tropical and subtropical climates (with Serpent- temperate humidity only apparent in the islands of Tabun), Kat- climate is similar to Hiraga albeit less extreme. It is subject to the same four seasons that Hiraga suffers. The reason why Lakungdula does not The Giroans are the proud people of the Girin, the word that describes experience these four seasons is attributed to the religious belief that a legendary creature that roams the mountains of the Near East Kat- the heart of the world is the most stable, and thus does not experience jja, said to resemble a tiger with the whiskers and the scales of a dragon, the chaotic four seasons and instead experience the stable duality. The with the scales hiding beneath a fur coat made of fire and lightning. Lakungdulans and Near East Kat-jjans both have the similar concept of the duality. For the Lakungdulans, the period of heat is the period of power, strength, overwhelming, overcoming, the male, force, and the The descendants of the Giroans were the humans who lived in the world of flesh. Whereas the period of rain is the period of serenity, joy, Eastern Continent of Kat-jja, where they were protected by Karanduun peace, rest, the female, and the world of spirit. Of course, the heat can Vassal City-States against the naga. The naga, a civilization of contain serenity, joy, and peace, while the rain can contain power, humanoid dragons covered in scintillating scales and iridescent force, and strength. Most notably in the monsoons. The seasonal feathers, whom they eventually came to worship when Karanduun climate is not uniform across Kat-jja. It is well known that the bitter protection became worse and wars were fought between Karanduun cold bites harder in the Utter East, with winters that last longer than Overlords that absolutely ravaged the country and they were forced to two summers, whereas Kat-jja is more uniform with its seasons. travel to the Utter East. The naga (which in Giroan is simply Qirong.

The Continent of Kat-jja is as vast as Hiraga to the North. The own pleasure and usage. They became the tillers of land, the footmen continent itself is split into two regions the Near East and the Utter thrown into the fray when dealing with the horrors of lands past the East. This split was categorized by Tiger Scholars of the Giroan Empire, Utter East, where one can see the Jaws of the World. They became the and was popularized when brought into Zuhayras. The Near East is personal slaves and attendants of the Qirong Naga, the engineers and known for its four seasons, bamboo forests filled with cherry blossoms hard laborers of the sorcerous empire even if the Naga had the magic that form a canopy over twinkling brooks, beautiful sparkling coasts, that allowed them to assemble entire pagodas and cities with powerful rivers that usually bring about floodplains, and villages covered in dry geomancy. Furthermore, the Qirong Naga took random humans and greens. Mountains covered in deep forestry that is home to abundant experimented upon them with their abhorrent sorcerous experiments, wildlife and is a very popular place for many spirits to live within. creating mutants and horrid creatures, a lot of which will come back to Dambanas are popular here, and truly, they are usually the sites of haunt the current Giroan Empire. Those experiments that succeeded and castles, of great libraries and fortresses. however, became humans with the blood of the Naga, and they were born with the innate geomancy that theNaga possessed, that allowed

them to control the elements, albeit one at a time. These successful The Utter East is less picturesque, subject (or victim) to the hottest experiments, the Imugi, were used by Maykaptan to fight the summers immediately followed by biting winters, which eventually Karanduun and the Aswang, and ultimately lost. It is speculated that mellow out into uncomfortably moist springs that bring about a the humans were not completely averse to the idea, perhaps because of strange time of quiet climate, which is then immediately ended with the fear of the Karanduun. the bombardment of typhoons, monsoons, and strangely enough, seasonal volcanic eruptions. Through it all, the great Qirong Empire of the Naga, the veritable dragon-sons of Bakonawa, has existed since The 12,000 Imugi eventually went to become the generals and closest before the Apocalypse, and has stood strong and withstood the test of friends of the Karanduun, and the Qirong Naga were left with a time. In their strength, they have managed to create spheres of vehement hatred for humanity. However, the Qirong Naga still owned civilization that give them temperate weather, and they have subdued millions of human slaves, humans whose features have been the increasingly angry weather (which itself is brought about because pronounced and changed as they were exposed to the ambient Diwa of of angry gods that are angered because of their tampering OF said the Qirong Naga. weather, thus creating a vicious cycle). The Empire of Qirong has been

The humans, known as the Chii-tse in Qirong tongue, sweat and bled and holy, and is said to be blessed by a powerful river god who now and cried under their draconic overlords, with the eventual faith that protects the people of Kyeol. The city of Kyeol has now expanded they too will become Qirong Naga in their next lives. outward, with the central district around the Balhada made up of commerce and multi-story business pagodas that are both bureaus and

trading centers all at the same time. Surrounding the commercial However, an Imugi warlord, ventured to Qirong Naga with his Imugi district are the residential apartments, which are usually four to five fellowship, and with the great miraculous technologies of the story-tall apartment complexes made of brick, jade, and bamboo that Karanduun, who were too busy fighting the forces of Saragnayan, and make the people living within like bees within a beehive. they declared that under the Vision of the Girin, which they saw on their way to Qirong lands, that Chii-tse would be freed. And thus, began the Ten-Year Revolt, that eventually ended with the new Giroan The next few Emperors were the descendants of the First Holy Empress State, led by their Imugi warlord who is now only known as the Holy and had names recorded. They were all Imugi, meaning they lived, at Girin Seer, right as the Final Wars of Sunder began. In the Giroan State, the minimum, a hundred years each. The next Emperor, Yujao the Holy Girin Seer made it so that the Karanduun were demons and devil-kings, for he was one of the people that remembered the ravaging from their capital, finding out more dambanas. It is here where he -Tigers will not began learning geomancy once again, reading from scrolls stolen from the Qirong Naga, and learned that it is possible for dambanas to be nodes within an eternally interconnecting and interweaving network

of lines, which he called Dragon Lines. These nodes he called Dragon After the Apocalypse reduced much of the population and helped Nests, which are the best places to procreate with Imugi blood to create reduce Qirong power, the Giroans escaped from the Utter East and more Imugi. These nodes, dambanas in Lakungdulan belief, is a moved to the Near East of Kat-jja, where they have created a vast resource of vast power, and thus he seeked out various nodes. This Era Empire that spans for most of the Near East. of Expansion lasted for three hundred years, all the way to the 671st Year of the Girin, or the 321st Regent Year of the Dragon Scholar.

During this time, they found and named twenty-three Dragon Nests, The Apocalypse created a new breed of humans, those that worshipped and each one became a great city unto themselves. The ones that stand both their draconic overlords but also gave rise to a new religion, to this day are to the East, upon the Bramble Omism, as much of the humans lived alongside nature itself. Many Grove Hallow which now stands and has expanded to create a wall and Dayawan Parawali have made sure to note that Omism is similar to house the Tiger Scales, the elite military force in charge of keeping the invading Qirong Naga at bay to the Utter East, facing the Dragon with nature, whereas Dayawan purports oneness with the spirits of Mountains. Saja Azura nature and living with its dangers. Song Nest which was influenced by the Fahurians and, truly, the shijang, or the City Leader (akin to the Barangay Leaders or Alkalde

Mayor of Zuhayras) of current time is a Fahurian Priest and advocates The foremost Omist leader is Upright Pillar of Earth, who was known for religious equality with Omism and Qirong-mideum. Saja Azura is, to be an Earth Breed Imugi that traveled with a host of mortal followers in modern times, a fortress city that fights back against the barbarian that spread the teachings of Omism within bamboo scrolls kept tribes to the south and the strange anggitay, who are female centaurs together by hemp rope. This bamboo scroll was known as the Virtuous that fight using musket, shortbow, and sorcery. To the north, against Bamboo Teachings, said to have been written upon nature because it was nature that lent its knowledge to the Upright Pillar of Earth. partly upon a piece of permafrost and partly upon a stony cliff. It is a Omism has since become a powerful religious force, and constantly vast city that has three districts the Top, where most hwangtsir live, contends with Qirong-mideum, which is the current state religion and the Bottom, where the sagikeon [sa- is the religion that was a holdover of their enslaved past for it still puts untouchables live and perform less than legal practices, and the Cliff, forth that the Qirong Naga are the highest reincarnation within the the portion of the city built upon the side of the cliff, kept together by cycle. bamboo, twine, and the reinforcing diwa of the Sea Shear Nest, the cliff as a Dragon Nest.

The First Emperor was not Holy Girin Seer, although he is deified as the God of War, or Mushin and the founder of Giro-jji. The First Perhaps the most important geomantic construction was the -chow], or construction of the Jade Wall Border to the East, which kept away (female Emperor-King), the Third Daughter of the Holy Girin Seer, who is simply known as the First Holy Empress. is made of jade, stone, and steel, reinforced by the Diwa that runs underneath it. Truly, the Jade Wall, which runs five thousand miles

from north to south, meant to keep out barbarians, evil spirits, the The First Holy Empress was a Water Breed Imugi, and iss known for naga, and the perverted abhorrences that were the failed product of the Sorcerous Experiments that created the Imugi, known as the Kimela. ith power The Kimela (kee-meh-lah) are horrid humanoid mutants with arms in the center of the mile-wide river known as the River Balhada. This and legs and bones and flesh contorted, turned into flame, eyes turned powerful dambana, known as the Mushin Hallow, keeps the river clean into sprouts of bamboo, feet turned into slabs of rock, spines turned into water, fingers turned into jets of air, with hearts beating with the Yavuman Faith as well as missionaries from Al-Kaig come in. Even pulse of a controlling Dragon Drum, unafraid of anything, and only worse, the Kimela seem to have redoubled their efforts, seemingly seeking to turn the world into the chaos that they have turned into. duplicated and made more by the Qirong Naga, creating vast behemoth kimela of various mutants sewn together by silk of diwa.

During this time, the Fahurians have traveled through and shared many valuable knowledges, such as alchemy, astrology, and the power All of this, the current Emperor must face.

The current Emperor, or Yujao [yoo-chow] (which roughly translates to Emperor-King [yu for King, jao for Emperor, both Qirong terms]) House Haedo, a Fire Breed Imugi, took over and immediately set to militarizing the entire nation, and created, for a time, the Empire of Gikuo. This particular Yujao, who is beginning the Regent Year of the Haedo, which sought its sights on Al-Kaig, Zuhayras, and eventually Mooncopper Tiger, is known to be a poet, warrior, and lawgiver all at Qirong itself. However, the other City-States rejected this, saying that once, having studied in the Prestigious Kyeoulian Academy of Heaven they are better off making sure the land is pacified and not conquering in the Capital, Kyeoul, is well known for wanting to replace the state anything. Embittered by this, Samsa declared war against those that religion with Omism instead of Qirong-mideum, and so far there is a sought to fight against him. This began the Five Kingdom Period of lot of favor within the populace and the scholars, but not among the Haedo, now the fractured Kingdom. The Five Kingdoms were: Bekjae, imperial and noble classes, who get prestige within society due to their the Kingdom of Scholars, Gikuo, the Kingdom of Priests, Ssilla [shee- han lah], the Kingdom of Merchants, Gomeon [go- caste reject this change because the Imugi enjoy greater social power of Explorers, and Haedo, the Kingdom of Warriors. with that state religion as the Imugi are believed to be the next step right next to becoming naga.

The Warring Kingdoms Period lasted for approximately one hundred and three years, ending with the death of The Perfect Cascade the controversial annihilation of the Haedo Family. This ended the The Giroans have a strong sense of nationalism, partly inherited from Reign of the Burning Sword, which lasted 153 years, at the 804th Year the naga, and partly because of their achievement of liberation from of the Girin. them. To them, the Rebellious Girin will not bow to any, not even to their former masters. Not even to the God Heroes that once ruled the world. In the half-whispered myths of the streets, it is said that the After this, the Gikuo appointed the descendants of the First Holy Giroan Military is preparing to assault the center of the world. Empress, the Mushin clan, as the Imperial Warriors, and the throne

lips together and saying the K from the bottom of the throat, a mixture The Draconics preach that there is a natural order to all things. o Breed Everything has its place. Social mobility is something that more or less, Imugi. does not exist with Casacade.

Neoyujao Kkojja ruled in relative peace, save in the 1019th Year of the Girin, where they fought with the Alitaptap Nation of Hotaru. It is only The Qirong-mideum Religion, the state religion of Giro-jji, puts forth the Zuhayrans that call the Hotaru alitaptap, as they call themselves the Perfect Cascade as written by the Draconic Hwi Shin, the heir strange insect warriors, being Immaculate Scholar is as follows: on top are the Qirong Naga, great xenophobic, caught the Giroans off guard, who have been living in a beings in the form of powerful Dragon Gods that are the closest to the and Honorable Admiral of the Hotarunian Sea, to defend Giro-jji from the Imugi, which includes the Emperor (who is always an Imugi), the the powerful navy of Hotaru. He eventually succeeded, and was Jegugi Imugi, and the Ssihan Imugi. The Imugi are the closest to the immediately deified and became a Badashin, or sea god. The Hotaru Supreme Peace, and thus their mere presence commands the utmost would not stop, however, and would eventually gain a foothold into respect, both because of their placement within the Ladder of Giro-jji soil, and the war with the Hotaru are being fought unto this Enlightenment as well as their role in creating Giroan society. Peasants, day. slaves, and merchants are forbidden from looking at the Imugi in the eyes, and must always prostrate themselves when one passes by.

The reign of the Usurper ended in 1102, and she was followed by the Right below the Imugi are the mortal Jegugi and the mortal Ssihan. reign, the living descendants of the Haedo family who have been living Below the mortal nobles are the Janggwan, the caste of Ministers that in the Southern area of Near East Kat-jja, which is mostly makes sure the rest of the Empire is running cleanly and smoothly. unconquered, have begun to assault the southern areas, now following Included in the Janggwan are the soldiers of the legions, or the gundan, the Fahurian Faith. To the Northeast, many cities have adopted the and the caste of secret peacekeepers known as the gwanliin. Below the betrayal. While the Clan of Haedo exists today, Haedo is no longer Janggwan are the nongbu, peasants who are still no less treated because regarded as a Holy Sage, and in his place is the Clan of Mushin, who they are the tiller and creator of food where without which the people claims to have descended from the great God of War the Holy Girin will surely die. Along with them are the jangin, the artisans and Seer. craftsmen, scultpors, metalworkers, blacksmiths, and artist sof all stripes. Both of them are so valued in Giroan society that it is written that they have the highest chance of becoming Imugi in their next life The Five Ssihan Clans are exogamous; one cannot marry within the if they live a virtuous existence. Clan, or that would be incest. However, a Ssihan must marry another Ssihan. Betrayal of this is a major social faux pas and may lead to

ostracization. Those that are not Ssihan but still part of the Clan may The sangin, while more or less written in the Perfect Cascade as socially marry any Clansmen--even those not from the Five Holy Clans--for equal to the nongbu and jangin, are regarded as lessers (and truly, they the patrilineal line is the one regarded important in the Empire. are almost vehemently hated by the writer of the Perfect Cascade) because of their line of work, regarded as cheats that only trade things that have already been created. Below even the sangin are the noye, the BEKJAE CLAN slaves, who have a hard time and are usually regarded as mere animals "Innovate like fickle fate." used to do work by the Ssihan. Below even the noye are the bulgachog, disenfranchised and untouchables, mostly made of drunkards and Associated Breed: Air dregs of society, unwelcome into the society of the Empire. The Bekjae Clan maneuvers through thick and dusty tomes and bamboo scrolls of during business hours. They are the Clan fo Savants and Engineers, in charge of making sure the world is running properly The Yujao through sheer knowledge of how it SHOULD run. While not all are scholars or smartmen, Bekjae is known for trying to preserve things as they must be preserved. However, Bekjae is known for being more -year-old unconventional than their fellow Clans. While preserving sacred child emperor, the Mooncopper Tiger, stands atop the societal knowledge from the past, they are the ones most susceptible to hierarchy. Almost everything goes by him. The Emperor lives within upending and changing traditions. the Imperial Nest of Kyeol, the Capital of the Giro protected by the Bronze Claws, the personal imperial guard of the greatest warriors among the land. The Emperor is always surrounded The Bekjae have always been politically involved, progressive minded and advised by five main viziers, each one from the five Imperial Clans, and trying to inflict change for the better, but most of the youth think as a way to showcase both neutrality and to represent every major that the Bekjae are inflicting change for the sake of change, which is political faction. definitely something the elders abhor.

The Jegugi, or the Imperial Family, have the highest societal status Modern Bekjae clansmen are scholars, archaeologists, and travelers, but many become bureaucrats as well. The Bekjae is bound by their relatives, and is usually important mainly for reasons of succession. willingness to innovate and change, to travel, carried on the winds of change. They are odds with the Gikuo thinking they are too rigid and beholden to dead tradition. They are friendly with the Gomeon Clan Ssihan and the Five Imperial Clans who share their love for trying new things. Their Clan symbol is a single wing splayed upon an indigo star.

The relatives of the Emperor belonged to the Ssihan, the nobles that are part of the five Imperial Clans. Those of the five Imperial Clans enjoyed a social status close to the Emperor within Giroan society, and they would almost always have a seat in major governmental bureaus, GIKUO CLAN such as the Office of Censors, the Office of Resources, and the Office "Strong and stable." of War. The overwhelming educated caste, it is the Ssihan that makes up most of the Girin Deliberative, a special court made up of mostly Associated Breed: Earth Imugi Ssihan that get to create and pass laws, change the lay of the The Gikuo Clan rules is the current Imperial Family and rules over government or political land, and more or less direct the direction of Kyeol itself. The Gikuo Clan are known for their priests, mystics, and the Empire. shamans that spoke with the great gods and embodiments of nature. Because of their constant connection with nature, they are known to be the main proponents of Omism becoming the new state religion of The Five Clans are descended from the Five Holy Sages and were Giro-jji. arranged so because they were good. Only one Clan has been changed in the one thousand years of Giro'jji's grotwh: the Fire Breed Clan of Haedo, which was deposed and spat upon after their almost traitorous Politically the Gikuo has always been stable and the center of it all. It is known to have been a business-minded and ruthless Water-Breed said that their Clan Patriarch, Gikuo, was the right-hand man of the Imugi who taxed travel through the rivers of the Near East, and paved Holy Girin Seer and helped the Holy Girin Seer in making sure that the the way for Yujao Yasa to actually enact the Era of Expansion with his spirits would not reject the state. Thanks to Gikuo, the Spirits became creation of the fabled Giroan Trade Roads which were made of white amiable with Giro'jji, imparting invaluable wisdom even after the jade stone. Sundering of Flesh and Spirit.

The Ssilla therefore, have a legacy of trade, knowledge, knowhow, and Modern Gikuo clansmen tend to follow after Gikuo's foosteps, a lot of practicality. They are usually characterized by ruthless pragmatism, them give great emphasis upon persuasion, virtue, and following the and this is not always false, but the Ssilla are definitely capable of more wisdom of those that came before, strictly bound to tradition and than just that. However, each Ssilla scion is taught in the arts of trade convention. Leaders, speakers, orators, performers, singers, monks, all and mathematics, more or less creating a clan of intelligent and logical of them. They are at odds with the Gomeon, their inherent Clan people, which the Emperors have always relied upon. Thusly, Ssila are Philosophies at odds with each other, and they are friendly with the known to create the demographic reports and other such important Mushin Clan for they are the apparent descendants of the Holy Girin logistics for the Empire. Seer. Their Clan symbol is a Pillar of White Jade upon a black diamond.

Modern Ssila clansmen are merchants, traders, architects, and GOMEON CLAN arithmeticians. They are bound by their ruthless pragmatism and ability to cut through obstacles with methodical precision. It has been "To the ends of the earth." said that the year that a Ssila becomes Emperor is the year Giro'jji Associated Breed: Wood becomes a World-Spanning Empire. They are at odds with the Mushin whose warring and discpline and beholdenness to old virtues is seen as The Gomeon Clan is, in their own words, understood. They were the an obstacle to better economies. They are friendly with the Gikuo who Clan that pushed for the spreading of Omism, the one that welcomed they believe are their brothers in crime when it comes to solving the Lakungdulans to their land as people, and also created trade with the problems of the Empire as well as the friends that they require to have other nations with their innate ability to speak and negotiate. Yawa and a stable point of entry. Their clan symbol is a circular wave upon a engkanto are people they have had to deal with and are beings they black circle. regularly trade knowledge and commodities with now.

MUSHIN CLAN All this has been invaluable to the main thesis of the Clan, and that is to reach the ends of the earth. They are less concerned with conquering "Bow not to God, Hero, or Dragon." everything (although it is definitely a popular sentiment within the Associated Breed: Fire Clan) but would rather instead use it as a way to catalogue new species with their Bekjae friends, or see new sceneries, create new experiences, The Mushin Clan are used to being the honored and feared of all the blaze new trails, and learn more culture, in an attempt to be even closer Ssihan Clans. First and foremost, they are the descendants of the Holy to All. Of course, the younger Clansmen have made this into an Girin Seer, and thus their prestige reverberates within every Giroans attempt at world-domination, and unfortunately, many of the elders nationalistic heart. Secondly the Mushin are known to be powerful are too decentralized and away from the rest of the youth to set them warriors, leaders and always led by the ferocious Tiger Scales. Not only on the right course. warriors, they are also poets, tacticians, beings made and influenced by pure passion. This is what the Mushin are.

Modern Gomeon Clansmen are travelers, trailblazers, ranger, hunters, and couriers, who have no fear or qualms about going into places The Mushin, while being great and exalted, are also held up to a similar they're not supposed to. They are at odds with the Ssilla Clan for being regard. If a Mushin messes up in a royal party or gathering, or if a too beholden to their commerce and ideas and being too rigid, and they Mushin is humiliated in battle--especially in single combat--it will resonate with the Bekjae for being as free spirited as they are. Their weigh upon the rest of the Clan. Hence Mushi Clan training is begun Clan symbol is a bamboo clump surrounded by a green ring. from the fourth year of age and ascending. Utmost attention is expected, with training beginning from the wee hours of dawn, at the

sixth day dragon bell, to dinner at the eight-night dragon bell. After SSILLA CLAN dinner it is expected, but not mandated, for a Mushin to continue training. "All things have a price."

Associated Breed: Water This grueling training process has weeded out "the weak" within the The Ssilla Clan are used to being looked down upon, but this does not Mushin Clan, and hence the Mushin Clan very rarely slips out, now bother them. Of course, most of Giro'jji's treasury belongs to their living up to their suffocating reputation. However, this is not depths, after all, all the gold and jade talents are produced by them, and something exalted by other Mushin members that fled. The fact that all the trade routes answer to their janggwan. The Ssilla Patriarch was there are more Mushin clansmen that deserted than there are Ssihan else, and their life is usually not pretty. Among the sangin a popular Mushin is a testament to the training process. profession is being a slavetrader, which grant large money thanks to

Modern Mushin clansmen are warriors, berserkers, poets, peacekeepers, and generals. They are fueled by the fire of both The bottom rung of it all is the bulgachog, the disenfranchised conquest and nationalism, nothing shall take over Giro-jji ever again, and untouchables of the Empire. They are the ones scorned by the be they God, Hero, or Dragon. The Mushin keep this mantra as they Emperor for trying to kill them. Some of them are the descendants of train their newest members through fire, sometimes literally, to attain the Haedo clan, other times they are people from outside the realm, the ideal of the Giroans, to become the paragon of Giroan society. They but they are almost always the vagrants, wanderers, drunkards, are at odds with the Bekjae for being too carefree and innovative, murderers and drunks that do nothing but waste their lives away. The sometimes thinking that they do not care for Giro'jji at all. They are bulgachog is the lowest rung of the Ladder of Enlightenment. friendly with the Gikuo for they were the ones that made them into a family in the first place and they value Gikuo's respect of the virtues of Giro'jji. Their Clan symbol is a fan of red flame upon a white pentacle. Trade, culture and commerce of the Girin empire

The Girin Empire is one that has always been open to trade except with the Qirong. They have opened trade routes with Phaedrus, Zuhayras, The Respected Rungs Effisia, and even Hambra. The Giroans have always had connection with the Thousand Islands, however, with their trading history dating so far back that the Giroans have had their culture influenced by the The janggwan, or the Ministers, are the third highest, and they are Zuhayrans and the Zuhayrans have many things that Giroans deem usually the most well-educated since they are educated from a young usual Zuhayrans use white jade products as fine ceramic ware for eating similarly to the Giroans, and the existence of dry noodles is government, they are still liable to be well paid since they are educated. something Giroans brought. They were also the ones to have brought They also travel the countryside to make sure the provinces are raptor mounts into Zuhayran culture. Zuhayrans, on the other hand working properly, without graft or corruption destroying the order of have brought the love of nature and influenced the writngs of Omism, the Perfect Cascade. Much of the soldiers of the Legions, or the and have also introduced many gold-based items into the Empire of gundan, are said to be in this caste, but only those formally taught in Giro-jji. military academies. Peasant, citizen, and mercenary soldiers are stuck in their caste, and are known as simingun.

The Empire of Giro-jji uses jade talents for their trade. The lowest denomination is the jade quarts, which is equal to a single talent. A cut The nongbu, or the Peasants, are one of the lowest classes but are is equal to half a talent. A stack is equal to 10 talents. A nail is equal to highly regarded for they farm and produce the food from which 50 talents. A block is equal to 100 talents. everyone sustains themselves. They usually live outside the cities and are well-protected by the imperial army. They rarely have a day off and In conversion, a single talent is equal to 10 silver reales, or 1/5 an are usually the hardest workers, and are still taxed. escudo.

The jangin [jang-in], or the Artisans, are on the same societal level as Much of the coins are minted, made, and cut from pure jade blocks the peasants and include the painters, potters, carpenters, and mixed with copper within the banking factories of the Ssilla Clan. metalworkers, and jewelry makers. As with the Peasants, they are highly regarded for their skills.

Spokes in the Ladder

The Scorned Rungs An order of monastic knights known as the Koccha Kishi, the Flower Knights, are said to be trained in the mountains of the East. They

follow the teachings of Omism, seeking to distance themselves from The sangin, or the Merchants, are on the same societal level as the the naga. They employ poetry and sutras in accordance with their commoner, but are regarded as lazy cheats and traders that only work fighting style, creating an order of educated Poet-Warriors that are for their own profit, and do not contribute to society as a whole. This privy to a certain Martial Art that is widely feared and revered by was because they could gain so much wealth that they could challenge almost all of the Known Lands of Sanlibutan, known as the Starflower the nobles and the imperial family. Ever since that happened, Song Style, which the Koccha Kishi know to be the Lower Echelon of restrictions have been placed, such as mandatory enlistment and the Starweave Rhapsody Style, a Martial Art that is esoteric to even the overwrought taxing. most well versed of martial artists.

The noye, or slaves, exist in Giroan Society but are usually criminals The gwanliin do not exist, but they are known as the Keepers of and those deemed evil by society. They are forced to work for everyone Secrets, employed by the Bureau of Lore and Academy. They are in charge of keeping certain information confidential, or finding intel upon anything. It is well known that there is nothing the gwanliin have distinct names that reflect their greatest achievements. The Third cannot know. In addition to this, gwanliin work hand in hand with janggwan judges to make sure people are working properly in their that delivered the killing blow to the Qirong military. The First Paw is respective cities and satulis. protected the capital of Giro'jji.

Names in Giroan Society usually are made up of a first name that and a family name that is the name of the father, followed by the three but it was crucial to the delivery of messages, sabotage of supplies, and indicators of place in the family as decided by the family (tsu for infiltration. The 28th was also responsible for the tide turning daughter, ko for son, and tsi for a neutral sound). assassination of the Sixth Glorious Dragon General.

Names are always one to two syllables long, as mandated by the Second Each Paw has a population of around 10,000 soldiers. Each Paw is split Emperor of Giro-jji for ease of calling and recording. into 4 to 5 smaller subgroups known as Claw. Some Claws work and have autonomy, while other Claws are split even further into smaller

Scales. The White Tiger Paw is known to have been split into six Claw, Names usually end in -a, -i, -im, -eum, -u, -eul, or -ur and each Talon was split into Quarters, and each quarter was split into 5 Scales.

A list of first names: Koccha (Flower), Bulka (Fire), Soneul (Sky), Tsii (Violet), Kigeum (Gold), Negyi (Cat), To-hlang (Tiger), Kuleum A Paw is actually self-contained armies of combined arms, consisting (Cloud), Jikku (Earth), and Bami (Sea). of both military and support services. Paws are capable of fighting and defending themselves until reinforced, but Paws are usually kept at a

days march of each other. A single Paw was led by a Tiger Marshal, one So, names can look like this: S rank higher than a normal Marshal, who commands a single Claw Tohlang). within the Paw.

The Legions Most Tiger Marshals and Marshals are Imugi who always lead from the frontlines and almost never ride upon cavalry, as their innate burning The Legions are split into three different social echelons. Those on top auras may harm their cavalry. The only ones that do ride mounts are are the Yongjeonsa Units, which are always made of Imugi, who are legendary in status er of the Golden almost always the ones leading the charge, commanding, marshalling and have access to the vast technological treasury of Giro-jji which has two-headed gryphon, that buffeted her raging whipping wind aura, stood since before the Apocalypse. Below them are the Gundan units, which are made up of the mortal Jegugi, Ssihan, and Janggwan soldiers, completely ignored his prickling wooden skin. who enjoy more pay and a quicker ability to ascend the ranks. And on the bottom are the Simingun [see-meen-gun] units that are made of mortal peasants, artisans, and slaves. Each Claw was usually an Earth Paw, which meant they were infantry, or a Riding Paw, which meant they were cavalry.

The most elite of the Legions are the Bronze Claws, the guard of the Emperor, with soldiers numbering around the twelve-thousand. It was The Earth Paw was made up of either Light Infantry or Line Infantry. an entire legion unto its own, the military example upon which the The Elite of the Line Infantry were the Grenadiers, required to be the Legions would follow. They had entire infantry, cavalry, and artillery tallest and most imposing as they were to be the face of the army. The arms. Elite Light Infantry of the Line were the Vaulters, and were to be the most skilled and agile men of the army. They were supposed to skirmish and scout for each Claw. The Fusiliers were the gunners, The Giroans hold a yearly census that spans the entirety of their equipped with state of the art dragonflame powder firearms. mandala of influence. The main reason of this census is to look for able bodied, 19 to 28-year-old men who are conscripted to Military Service.

The Riding Paw, or the Cavalry was made up of horse-riders and split into the heavy and light cavalry. The Lamellar Cavalry wore heavy The White Tigers spread like flame. It is well known that Tigers are a lamellar armor on top of their horses, breaking ranks. The gunriders lonesome predator, but so is the Giroan. They rely on no other strength were known for wielding dragonflame rifles and were usually the than their own, similar to how the Tiger guts the Dragon. The Giroan frontline along with the Lamellar Cavalry.The Fangs were medium- Military is split into 27 different Legions, with the Third Legion being weight riders that were used for battle, scouting, and skirmishing, and There are two dominant religions in Giro-jji: Omism and Qirong- they used both sabres and bayonets. mideum.

The Light Cavalry was composed of the bowriders, regarding Qirong-mideum -doom) is the majority religion and the themselves the best horsemen and bowmen of the army, they were the official religion of the state. This states that the naga are the highest eyes, ears, and egos of the Giroan Legions. They were used for form of reincarnation right before ascension or Supreme Peace. This reconnaissance and skirmishing, and many of them rode on raptors, emulates the naga, which includes veneration of the dead as well as great bipedal lizards that were quicker than the normal horses. The worship of the First Flame, from which the Naga came from. The head raptor hunters rode upon raptors as well, but were not held up to the pantheon of the Qirong-mideum are made up of naga as well. Various same prestige as the bowriders, and they were commonly armed with shrines are scattered across the Near East land, mostly natural vistas sabres. Lancers rode upon raptors as well, but half of them rode on with statues of the Naga carved into them so that they can pay tribute. horses as many raptors did not have the same stability as horses did. The rest of their religious practice involves fasting as well as practice and following of the Dragon Lord Sutras, which was written by a

Human loving Naga named Shengren Ranshao. The Naga Dragon Artillery also existed, and much of it was made up of a mix of mudang Lord Sutras, which they call the Ashen Scrolls, are read and followed or shamans, that would converse with spirits to achieve magical powers by the monks and priests and adherents of Qirong-mideum. that could change and upheave the very nature of the battlefield and the much-feared Omist alchemists that would produce great magical effects by ingesting various substances and elixirs. Many of them could Many Qirong-mideum Temples and Monasteries pock both the cities breath fire, send lightning from their fingers, or create barrier of pure and the countryside, and many come to the Temple to seek forgiveness force with rituals and papers. These sorcerers were supplemented and and purity to help them on their way to a virtuous life. They consider covered by the fast-moving horse artillery that would use fast light Omism to be the highest of heresies and disrupting the Perfect guns. Cascade.

Foreign troops were popular and they were put in a completely In Qirong- different Paw, known as the 29th, and they were called the Dayan Paw. for every form of it. Dambanas are called Dragon Nests and spirit-lines They were usually made up of Al-Kaigians, anggitay, Zuhayrans and are called Dragon Lines. The Spirit World is known to be the Invisible, Effisians. where the spirits live, whom one can learn from. The Qirong teach that one can be reincarnated as a spirit or a god, bringing one closer to the

Supreme Peace. The Support Regiments were made up of the Engineers, who would create bridges, sappers that worked to remove enemy fortifications; the Logistics carried food, provisions, and mapped out the rations of a The Dragon Emperor is taught to be the Yujao or Neoyujao of the campaign; the Medics had the least glory but the most important job Empire, but the religious head is known as the Exalted Dragon, who after every battle, hence why the Tiger Marshals made sure that there speaks the truths and knowledges of the Ashen Scroll and once a year were half as many or even more than half as many medics as there were soldiers; the Communications Dragon is known to be a Bamboo Breed Imugi. Below the Exalted Dragon are the Lesser Elementals, each one corresponding to an

Elemental Breed and showcasing the truths of that element. The Fire A military man is usually illiterate, completely trained in combat and Priests speak of tradition and conservatism. The Water Priests preach strategy. Literate soldiers usually ascend the ranks, eventually hardship and conflict to be the crux of growth and enlightenment. The becoming Marshals on their own right, but none, whether they be Earth Priests preach of construction and the channeling of Qi. The Gundan or Simingun, can reach the high administrative ranks of the Wood Priests preach repair and removing of impurities. The Air Imugi. Priests preach of the goal of reaching perfection to be the ultimate virtuous goal.

Religion Omism is the belief in oneness with the All, which is all of creation and The Giroans worship their ancestors and have various festivals to celebrating the dead, as well as hold various famous ancestors in the same regard as they hold their gods. They believe in reincarnation, and perform things with such oneness with the all that they do it without think that the highest attainment of reincarnation is the Naga, which actively thinking about the activity. This Oneness is the ultimate goal is said that when you reincarnate from being a Dragon Lord, you attain in Omism. either the Supreme Peace for 3,000 years, or ascend past the confines of the earth.

In the annals of the writings of the Virtuous Bamboo Teachings, Omism purports that the Om has two aspects, both live within each other and balance each other out. These aspects are Serene Geom and Karanduun are known for being innately able to manipulate Black and Forceful Heuin. Together they are called the Geom-Heuin, the White Qi both, although their form of Qi is said to be Empty, meaning Positive-Negative, and one cannot talk of one without referring to the it can contain both or neither at the same time. This has made Omists other, for they are both parts of a mutual whole, which is the Om. think that the Karanduun are beings of pure Geom-Heuin within mortal, human vessels. As to why, they haven't reached a satisfying

conclusion. The Geom-Heuin, they purport, is the main basis for everything, and truly it IS everything within the world, including the spirit besides. The The sorcery required to manipulate the Black Qi is found inherently many of the Omist adherents fervently believe in. Once one has innate within men. With their stability, Black Qi Manipulators can balance with the Geom-Heuin, one can finally begin the true path to manipulate darkness, make themselves colder, or make themselves Oneness with the Om, the ultimate goal of the Omists. more stable, albeit at a lesser degree and scale than the Imugi. White Qi is found inherently within women. With their overwhelming

strength, White Qi Channelers can call flame, burn white hot, and even The Ultimate Tenet of the Omists is to follow the way, or the Flow of channel light. Again, at a lesser degree and scale than the Imugi. the World, or Om. Characterized by water, Omist Monks write that fighting against the current of the world is like trying to swim rapids upriver, you are fighting a battle that has no benefit or end. Thus, going The best Manipulators are those that take time to study both, who are with the flow of the world, being in accordance with the Om, is the called Balance Channelers. It is well known that if one calls upon only path to happiness, contentment, and ultimate balance. one side will be corrupted by that side, as they are only calling upon one aspect of diwa.

Omists believe that once a person dies, they return to the Om, and their Soul is purified of the process and then brought down to earth once Manipulating comes in cycles with four main relations -- again. It is a very technical, almost mathematical belief. To them, Interpromoting which means the transmutation of one element to the cultivation of inner Qi is of utmost importance, with this cultivation next, Interacting which means manipulation of an element, Overacting coming from either alchemy, or External Cultivation, or Meditation which means the production of that element, and Counteracting, and Training, known as Internal Cultivation. which means the destruction of that element or effect.

Unlike Qirong-mideum and Yavuman, the Taoist belief hinges on the Most manipulators can do all of these, but those that focus simply on fact that there is no Ultimae Goal, since everything is part of the greater Black Qi or White Qi can only do the cycle with the elements that Om, the mere act of Cultivating and failing is PART of the Om, and resonate with those Qi. (ie. Black Qi Manipulators can only use the thus doing it is in accordance with the Om. Element of Earth and Water, but they cannot perform a complete cycle which corrupts the Soul.)

Within each being there is Black and White Qi. Black Qi is resonant with Geom, Darkness, and the Elements of Earth and Water and the The Cycle is followed by the Cycle of Generation and Overcoming as Moon. Whereas White Qi is resonant with Heuin, Light, and the thus: Elements of Fire and Air and the Sun. The state of Wu-jji is the state of balance and emptiness, and is resonant with shadow, the Element of Wood and the Stars. Omists believe that each person is born with a The Element of Wood, of the Star of Geumseong the Azure Dragon, balanced set of Black and White Qi within them, as they begin from feeds the Element of Fire, of the Star of Mogseong the Vermillion Bird the state of Wu-jji. This balance is tipped as they grow and are taught creates the Element of Earth, of the Star of Sueun the Yellow Dragon, the traditions of their sex, whichever on they choose or grow up into. nourishes the Element of Air, of the Star of Hwaseong the Metal Tiger, Once a person learns the truth of the Om, he then must begin his quest collects into the Element of Water, of the Star of Toseong the Black to achieving this balance once again, to become in accordance with the Tortoise, which nourishes Wood Om. Those that are in balanced with the Om are known as Bosal.

Wood then parts the Earth, which dams Water, which extinguishes The Geom-Heuin can be further split into the five-stars known sa the Fire, which dissipates into Air, which ravages Wood. Byeol Daseo. The five stars, which make up the five seasons as well as represents the five elements and the five planets, govern all of human life and the ability to manipulate it with Black and White Qi Thus, is the Cycle of Generation and Overcoming. In Combat Harnessing is something many Omists aspire to do, and they Manipulation, Generation strengthens the combatant (ie. if a eventually do. Manipulator summons Earth to attack a Channeler that is in a stance of Air, the Earth will be ineffective against the Channeler and the

Channeler will gain some Qi of her own to use). Meanwhile Overcoming weakens the combatant (ie. if the same Manipulator summons Earth to attack a Manipulator of Water, their Earth spell will for the Al-Kaigians. The second area is up a non-craggy mountain, on sap some of the Water's strength. Similarly, an Earth Lance spell will the top of which is a great tower built by people of times now gone. Its shatter through a Water Barrier Spell). defenses can be manipulated through various stone and mooncopper tablets. So far, the tower's savants have only been able to activate the

Watchlight System and the Sword System, which allows for beams of pure malevolent Diwa to eat through belligerents. Lakungdulan Locations Crosspost is a city west of the island of Osa, acting as a large trade hub and a travel nexus to other parts of the Archipelago. A daambakal line, The Thousand Islands of Zuhayras or a steel railway, has been constructed to facilitate quicker shipment In the center of the world are the Thousand Islands, now christened of goods like oil and steel between the Indigo Metropolis and as Zuhyaras. It is a conglomerate of many, many islands, from Crosspost. nameless islets to the great islands with their own mountain ranges. Tambanokano is a large, flat island with numerous natives. It is seen a The Thousand Islands are now under Zuhayras, thanks to the military few miles away from the North of Osa. Many people live within to might of the Al-Kaigians coupled with the willingness of the native make trade here. The locals do not discriminate, allowing even people to adopt their way of life. The only people not succumbing to nonhumans within its rural barangays. Its land is different from Al-Kaigian rule are the Mountain-Dwellers. others--if one digs deep enough, one will find a... strange surface, Zuhayras is also the name for the greatest and most colonized of all the seemingly reflective, with the texture of bone. Once you reach that islands. It is known for having the most sundered people, the Hundred area, the legends of the titanic crab that sleeps at the navel of the world Lakandoms, within their territories. This made it easy for the Al- sings in your mind. This deep crab-skin rock is used to mine and create Kaigians to maneuver around them, bribing some, converting some to weapons of unbreakable bone and red-tinged blades. Yavuman, and bringing others to heel. Now most of Zuhayras is Perhaps it is of great wonder to see a large, floating chunk of rock conquered and industrialized by the Al-Kaigian Empire, because of chained down to a leviathan that moves around the archipelago their abundant natural resources, most notably jade, gold, and Tigas following the movement of the world as it rotates, creating a year, but mines, which allows for better technological advancements among the it is there. The Leviathan is known as Dagat Dambuhala, and it pulls Al-Kaigian Empire. the great floating Island of Atsa-as. It is notable in that in its underside Whispers say that Zuhayras is the ultimate nexus of all things in is the upside down city of the Atsa-asian Garuda, living within great creation, and a dark secret burns within its depths. The diwata stone towers and praying inside great clay temples. On the right-side whispers its ancient name -- the Islands of Sanlibutang Ikiran. In up lives the untouched Lakungdulan Kedatuan of Lawana, who are modern times it became to be known as the Thousand Islands, before said to be masters of speaking with the Dagat Dambuhala and worship Al-Kaig subdued it to its divine will and turned it into Zuhayras. it as a great diwata of the sea. Lawana is said to have an elite caste of people that have crossbred with the garuda. The City of Sanctuary is the nexus of the world, the cultural melting pot of every culture, every race, both spirit and flesh. It and other six Sometimes, when one looks at the sky, one will see a city sailing across cities form the Indigo Metropolis, all connected by the great river Nila the clouds. This is the City of the Four Winds, a well known trading which empties out into the Sanctuary Bay. The largest Yavuman company that uses wind and sky spirits to propel itself in the air. temple, Cathedral of Saint Ohraimon, resides here, floating above However, for it to stay in the air, the spirits must be fed, and the only ground on various aghaman. It resides by the southern tip of the Island sacrifices they accept is laughter, smiles, good-will, and exchange. The of Osa in Zuhayras. cabeza of the city is a well known Lipod (windfolk, not spirit. Like wind elves but not that) that speaks in the native language of the diwata. At The Metropolis of Indigo (and at large the City of Sanctuary) utilizes circles the entire world, beginning from the center, and then heading a grid within the city that provides steam power across it, almost north, south, east, and west, before returning to some nebulous island perpetually, and allows Sanctuary to run without ever stopping. This in the Zuhayran Archipelago. Whenever it appears in a major city, it power grid is so powerful that geomancies can be effected upon the docks by the harbor or an area untouched by urbanization and lays city, creating massive towers of bamboo and jade and porcelain and down a stone that--if one were to step on it--would bring people into glass without crumbling, stabilized by Diwa. Thus, Sanctuary is also the City with sorceries of wind. Everytime a the City docks, it is usually known as the City of Lights, a technicolor cascade of bonfire burning celebrated as "the Festival of the Four Winds" and is something many a wicked sacrifice to the Apo of Machinery. The truth of the matter is great collectors, savants, and rich-men look forward to, as the City that, deep underneath the city, where the earth meets the water, a vast seems to bring things not seen before, seemingly coming from either technosorcerous construction that has been dubbed the "Essence the distant past, or some other world... Engine", powers the steam monster-god that is Indigo. However, it is powered by the harvested "Diwa" (essence) of diwata, or nature gods. The Island of Batubato is known to disappear for half of the year, and then appear again for the other half. It is covered in sheer coral forests Off the southern tip of Osa, facing the City of Sanctuary, is the and mountains, limestone cliffs, and strange floating jellyfish. Be fortress island of Heridoro. It is perfectly positioned to see all forms careful when one enters into it, for the people inside are not who they of craft entering the Metropolis. It has two parts--by the shore and the seem, but those who do enter and get out alive are rewarded, for the bay is Barangay Heridos, where the native barangay there has been annual submerging of the island has somehow preserved a tomb from converted into a sort of holding area for military men. The an ancient Karanduun long ago. Lakungdulan natives have been turned into slaves, wives, and wenches