CASTLE LARP: Valaran Culture Compendium - Version 1.3 Beta - BW

8/13/2019 CASTLE LARP: Valaran Culture Compendium - Version 1.3 Beta - BW

1/186

Valaran ulture ompendiuValaran Culture CompendiuFirst EditionFirst Edition


2/186

Tis page intentionally lef blank.


3/186

Cincinnati Association of Safe

Theatrical Live EntertainmentLive-Action Role Playing

Valaran Culture Compendium

First Edition

Version 1.3 Beta

September, 2013

Tis Culture Compendium is 2013, Cincinnati Association o Sae Teatrical Live Entertainment, Incorpo-rated and may not be reproduced or copied (including electronically or digitally) without express written per-

mission rom C.A.S..L.E. Inc. Tis Culture Compendium is designed or use within the Valaran Setting and allrights are reserved.


4/186

For the Players, By the Players, To the Players

Special Tanks

Franz Saile, Christopher Cynda Shell

Tis would have never become a reality without the outpouring o support that our players have shown to us.

For this we are incredibly grateul - now and as we move orward.

http://castlelarp.com

Culture Compendium Contributors

Stephen AdamsChristine Bair

Matt BairEric Bauer

Sarah Bauerera BosterAlex Davis

ravis DavisMaria DeHoffRobert DeHoffRobert Dreyer

Michael HickeyBrandon Kidwell

Phil KroskeJillian Kuhlmann

Alexandra LirtzmanSteven Looney

im SalugaSam SchardtJordan Selch

Sarah VersluisJ Whitney

Layout and Design

Sarah Bauerim Saluga

Sketches, Maps and Artwork

Robert DreyerBrandon Kidwell

EditorsSarah Bauer

Shawna HottingerJay Miley


5/186

Culture Compendium - First Edition

Table of Contents

Section 1: Introduction Page 1

Map of Valara 2 Creation of Valara 3

Valaras Continents 3

Valaras Bodies of Water 3

Gates 4

Ages of Valara 4

Societies of Valara 5

Section 2: Valaran Cosmology Page 6

The Realms 7 Realms of Essence 8

Life 8

Death 9

Realms of Prime Element 10

Fire 10 Water 11

Air 13

Stone 13

The Veil 14

Ereholme 14

Nurholme 16

Section 3: Valaran Religions Page 18

Section 4: Valaran Cultures Page 25

Human - Mankind 26 Human - Barbarian 34

Human - Wanderer 43

Elf - Valaran Elf 48

Elf - Moon Elf 54

Elf - Dark Elf 65

Hillfolk - Dwarvenfolk 75

Hillfolk - Goblinfolk 84

Hillfolk - Briarfolk 89

Warling - Orkling 95

Warling - Ogreling 100

Warling - Gearling 104

Kindred - Dragonkyn 110

Kindred - Florakyn 119 Kindred - Faekyn 128

Kindred - Feralkyn 139

Feline Feralkyn 143

Avian Feralkyn 149

Canine Feralkyn 153

Rodent Feralkyn 156

Less Common Feralkyn 158

Index Page 178


6/186

Section 1:

Introduction


7/186


8/186

Introduction

Trough the ages Valara has dealt with the choices oour ancestors. Some have shaped her and others havebroken her, but she still lives on. Our homes are lledwith majesty but danger lurks in the shadows. Teworld may seem so small in the eyes o those livingpeaceully behind their walls. Te world is not smallor lovely; beauty can be just as deadly and the scumo the world can be just as riendly. Each o the cul-tures creates their own scar upon Valara; it is merely atask to keep all o them in check. We leave the world toour children, those who will make the choices o Valaraonce we are gone. We leave our aith with our chosenParagons and we will ght on or what we believe in.Only time and patience will reveal our uture.--Donari Valius Guthar, Historian o Valara

Valaras Continents

Te world o Valara is composed o seven continents,our oceans, eight bodies o water and several un-claimed or uncharted islands. Tese continents are amix o lush orests, open grasslands and miles o moun-tain ranges, as well as harsh and almost uninhabitabledeserts, marshes and icelands.

Most o the islands are tiny land masses, unable to sus-tain populations. Tese islands are extremely rocky anddesolate and have been lef largely unexplored throughthe ages.

Altour Te continent o Altour is populated by pri-marily Humans, Moon Elves, and Dragonkyn. Manyo the Moon Elven cities rest in the Lunar Mountainswhile the Human kingdom o Ironwall sits on thecoast o the Caras Ocean. Much o the land around themountains contains ruins rom the time o the ancientAnturi Elves. Tese have become home to some races

while others are lef empty and some have not yet beenrediscovered. Altour is the only continent that main-tains two o the oating islands that the ancient Elvesonce pulled rom Valara hersel.

Sudareth Te continent o Sudareth is home tomany Briarolk and Orklings who share the hills andswamps to the south. Te urnip Hills and most land tothe north o the swamp are relatively calm and rich orarming. Te Fellwater Swamp and Barrow Marsh are

very diffi cult to inhabit and have a host o vile creaturesand diseases.

Isillia Tis small continent is home to the Goblin-olk that inhabit it. Te small hills and orest makegreat deenses and places or hiding and have allowedthe Gobinolk to dominate it or ages. Tese lands arerelatively cold and remain that way year around. A ew

times during summers it is possible or it to warm upor a day or two.

Alberna Te continent o Alberna is the home toDark Elves and some Human settlements. Primarilycovered in orest this continent is rich with undiscov-ered territory and resources. Primary travel is done ol-lowing the rivers; many unprepared travelers who ven-ture into the orests never return.

Nurahln Tis continent is primarily a desert thatexpands or many miles. Mostly uninhabited, thereare a ew settlements that litter the borders along theCrimson Sea o Garnet Mountains. Tese are primarilyMankind and Barbarian settlements with Dragonkynand Ogreling settlements located on the eastern side oNurahln. Te west side o the continent, while not adesert, is still a harsh environment with deep canyonsto the south and a ring o mountains to the north. Tecreatures here seem to be vicious and unorgiving.

Survahl Tis continent stretches rom the Sun-set Mountains to the Gastholme Mountains. Primar-ily made up o dense orests and jungles, these are thehomes o the Florakyn. o the ar south, nesting in thebase o the Gastholme Mountains, the Faekyn live ina large city. Tis entire area has very hostile ora andauna, similar to Alberna. ravelers ofen stick to thesae trails or roads, leaving many places undiscovered.

Te Winterlands Te two continents known as theWinterlands are unexplored and assumed to be unin-habited. It is rumored that these lands are or the soulso the dead, and getting too close could rip the soulrom body. Te waters are reezing cold and it looks asi an endless deense o sharp ice stops incoming ships

Valaras Bodies of Water

Caras Ocean: Te Caras Ocean is considered the shal-lowest o the oceans and the warmest. It is the primary


9/186

source o travel or those going back and orth betweenthe continents or trade. It is generally known as thesaest body o water, but due to a mixture o cold waterrom the north and south, storms in these waters areerce and deadly.

Kaal Ocean: Te Kaal Ocean is the largest ocean onValara and assumed to be the deepest. Te waters away

rom the coast look almost black and it is rumored thatmany monsters dwell here. As a result o ice melt romthe northern Winterlands, this ocean remains cold yearround.

Azkara Ocean: Te coldest o the oceans and one othe least travelled. Tese waters are dangerous due tothe glaciers that oat in its waters. Te glaciers breakaway rom the southern Winterlands and travel up to100 miles rom the shores.

Sea o Hallows: Tis sea is known or the mysteri-ous happenings that are rumored to occur in its wa-ters. Merchant ships that travel these waters claim tohave seen strange lights, heard haunting cries or helpor seen apparitions o other ships on the water. Someships that have ventured in these waters have disap-peared completely.

Chernaal Sea: Tis sea has warm, almost tropical, wa-ters and is known or many varieties o sh and crus-

taceans. It is an excellent source o seaood or manyValaran races.

Crimson Sea:Surrounded by mostly desert, the Crim-son Sea is known or its crystal clear, red-tinted, wa-ters. Te sea reects the Garnet Mountains and the sun,creating the red tint, however, among the natives, it isbelieved that people who have died in the desert stainthe waters red with their blood.

Sea o Vines: Tis sea is known or massive ormationso vegetation growing on the sea oor. Some say thatthe trees o the nearby jungles drove their roots intothe sea. Many o the vegetation ormations are edibleand are considered a delicacy among Valaran Elves andMankind.

Gates

Around the world o Valara are the ruins o ve Gates,

built by the ancient Anturi Elves during the Second AgeTese Gates were designed or easier travel between cit-ies, however the original Gates were never tested suc-cessully. Each Gate detonated when activated or therst time. Te original Gates were based on theoreticalmagic. It was theorized that the same magic that al-lowed Nurholme and Erholme natives to cross the Veicould be harnessed and molded into Gates or Valaran

races to utilize. Tis ended in the catastrophic chain oevents know reerred to as the Catacylsm and resultedin years o suffering or the Elven races o Valara. Teother races o Valara who were not affected began toresearch the ancient Anturi secrets.

A new Gate design sprang up an Age later, using a neworm o magic to power the Gates. Small, isolated cit-ies initially led the way in establishing support or thistype o transportation and eventually some major cit-

ies set up Gates within their territories. As these Gatesbegan to be established, the head o C.O.M.E.. begansearching out and destroying any knowledge o the waythese new gates were created. In the course o one hun-dred years, C.O.M.E.. had suppressed any knowledgeo how to create the new gates. Any who try to recreateor nd out or themselves ofen is placed under heavyscrutiny and censorship.

In many cases, those who have access to a Gate guardthe knowledge o its existence. Scholars even believe

that there may be working Gates on Valara whose exis-tence has been lost to time.

Ages of Valara

Te world o Valara is believed to have existed or al-most 8000 years. Scholars o Valaran history reer toour great Ages o Valara in order to distinguish someo the major occurrences that took place during thesetimes. Te rst Age is the Age o Learning.

The Age of Learning (The First Age

3129 years) Te Age o Learning is recordedas the time when the children o Valara were createdMany o the eldest races began their development andthey adapted to the lands. Stories rom this age tell oDragons and their hunger or energy. Te Dragonsclung to the chains linking Valara to the outer realmsand threatened to devour them. It is said Animastopped the Dragons and used her powers to banishthem into mortal bodies so they could never again har-


10/186

ness the power they misused. Some say that she sitswithin the center o Valara and continues to protect thechains. Te time when all the dragons vanished markedthe beginning o the second age.

The Age of Regret (The Second Age

2417 years) Te Age o Regret is recorded as asad and dark time or Valara. Te ancient Anturi elves

advanced their magic and society, gifing themselveswith long and healthy lives. Tis was the time when theAnturi accomplished amazing things such as raising theground rom Valara and building cities in the sky. Teirstudy o magic and their ar reach led them to constructthe gates. Tese gates were meant to speed travel romone city to another. Upon completing the gates the An-turi activated them by attempting to control unknownmagics. Te result was several catastrophic explosionsthat could be elt rom miles away. Te rise and all o

the Anturi marked the second age, and the explosion othe gates was the mark o a new age.

The Age of Power (The Third Age 2395

years) Te Age o Power began the time or con-trol. Te Anturi had controlled much and with theirdestruction the world was without a leadership role.Many o the different races began to claim territory andght or it. Te secrets and power lef rom the Anturiwere up or grabs and the world seemed to be at war.For many years this continued until lines were clearly

drawn. While combat did not cease the world did calm.Te remaining elves that had been scarred or alteredbegan to rebuild. Many resources that had once beenguarded had now been opened and the world was lledwith power once again. Upon the end o the third agethe strange mists began to appear.

The Age of Mists (The Fourth Age 13

Years (Current) Te Age o Mists has just be-gun. Te only records we have are the strange mists thatappear and vanish. Sometimes these mists leave behindpeople who claim to be rom another world and othertimes it merely leaves behind bodies. Te world is at anuneasy moment in history, where the unknown greatlyoutweighs what is known.

Societies of Valara

Valara has several established, world-wide societieswhose purpose is to govern the overall health o Va-laran natives. Te rst o these societies is the organiza-

tion known as COME, which governs the use o mag-ic. Te second society is the Blue Crystal Bank, whichgoverns currency throughout the world.

COMETEver since the destruction o the ancientElven civilization the Valaran Elves (also known asAntori, among themselves) set up a council to con-trol the advancement o technology and magical ex-

pansion. Te name C.O.M.E.. stands or the Coun-cil o Magical Education and raining and is hostedby the Antori who have invited other races to take aseat within their council. Te goal o this group is toprevent a disaster similar to the Anturi gate incidentrom reoccurring. It strives to keep in check carelessexperiments and unsanctioned rituals or uses o magicMany mages seek the training that COME providesand it is recommended that mages register or attendclasses at all C.O.M.E.-sanctioned colleges. Members

o C.O.M.E.. take their belies seriously and have beenvery strict and unorgiving when they deliver punishment or breaking the rules. Te Headquarters orC.O.M.E.. resides in the capitol Antori city, Ria Aleniand missionaries will commonly travel around theworld to educate and teach the ways o C.O.M.E..

The Blue Crystal Bank Te Blue CrystaBank is the only bank within Valara. While other bankshave tried, none could compete with the Blue CrystaBanks widespread inuence. Te Bank was ounded by

Frostnger, leader o the goblinolk. Te central bankand vault is located in his palace in ZeeZak on the is-land continent o Isillia.

Te Blue Crystal Bank boasts that they have never beenrobbed. Tey have commissioned dwarvenolk minersto dig tunnels rom Zeezak to all o their local branch-es. Tese tunnels are ar underground, even under theoceans. Afer the tunnels are completed, mine tracksare laid and maintenance securities are put in placeOnce the assurance that the carts can move to and romthe local bank and the central offi ce without aid, thewhole tunnel is lled with deadly toxic gas. Tis gasis so potent it kills within seconds and will even breakdown undead esh. Te Blue Crystal Banks branchesare always run by an alpha goblinolk, and are mostlymanned by goblinolk. Tey will sometimes employthe stronger races or guard duty, but only i there is adire need.


11/186

Section 2:

Valaran

Cosmology


12/186

The Cosmology of Valara

The Realms

It is said that the realms surrounding Valara are tetheredto it because each realm contributed to its creation. othis day these realms remain ever opposing orces that

conict and harmonize with Valara and themselves.Te Essence realms o Lie and Death are the largesto the realms and contained within these two are theElemental realms and the Veil. Te Elemental realmsare composed o Fire, Water, Stone, and Air. Te Realmso the Veil are mirrored shells known as Ereholme andNurholme, and these two acts as shields rom the outerrealms.

All o the outer realms intersect Valara with etherealchains that many say were put into place by the

Paragons long ago. Tese chains cannot be seen bynormal means. Only magic and strange phenomenonsare the way to see them. Scholars speculate that the Veilis the reason the chains are obscured. At times the Veilgrows weak and the Elemental realms are able to slipinto Valara.

Radiating rom the chains are streams o Essence andPrime Magic that ow orth rom Valaras core. Techains also prevent any o the outer realms rommoving too ar away rom Valara. It is theorized thatany realm moving too ar away will cause Valara to allinto a destructive state. It is possible or any outer realmto move closer over time causing uxuations such as

storms, volcanic activity, and tornados to occur.

Te Paragons o the Elemental realms are in a constantstruggle to inuence Valara with their element. Recordso the past tell us that Paragons do this by sending theirvassals to Valara during opportunities where the Veiis weak. Tese vassals, along with soldiers, will attemptto set up a oothold allowing or a direct pathway romtheir home realm. Tese are not open portals but seem toresemble a type o magical teleportation that our Sages

do not understand. Te ootholds that are establishedusually reect that o the element, and commonly arecreated o that element. Tey can be destroyed by usingthe opposite element to counteract the presence.

Te Realms o Lie and Death rarely establish


13/186

connections like this. Tose that have been discoveredare commonly camouaged into society or somethingwe do not yet know. On occasion there will be alarge presence o lie or death in an area and the onlyconnection we can make is that a stream o essence isclose to these areas. It is also not uncommon or templesto be built around these ootholds. Tis establishes amore secure connection and can cause a rather large

inux in the area.

Realms of Essence

Life

Te realm o Lie is split into two by a river thatstretches across the realm. On one side there are lushelds o grass and groves o trees all composed o awhite gold color. Te glowing gold seems to emanate

lie energy, healing anything nearby. Te other side isovergrown and rampant with vines, bushes, and weeds.Tis side has its own beauty and admiration but seemsoverpowering and deadly in a way that a rose wouldappear. In the center o the river sits a large golden citythat acts as the pinnacle o the Lie realm, hosting manynatives o the realm and the two Paragons that overseeit.

Te city itsel is known as the Fountain o Lie, namedafer the large waterall that pours at the most northernend o the cities walls. Golden structures can be seenscattered around the city itsel housing other nativeso the Lie realm. Tere are small towns lingeringthroughout the western side o the realm but theeastern side has very little space or living. In this realmthe light in the sky never goes away and it is alwaysday. Te air seems to take on a bright and vivid lightthat reects the positive energy o lie. It almost seemslike a screen o light is reecting off the sky and in thedistance, making the spores o lie lingering about.

Te western side o the realm is used as a way to herdand grow the Vitae (VEE-tay) that comes rom cleansedsouls. Tis lie energy is no longer a soul itsel and mustbe cultivated and returned to the plane o Valara toharness new lie or heal. Tis side is very important andis protected at all costs as the occasional thie will ndtheir way into the realm and attempt to steal or misusethe Vitae. Tis is how some undead are created, whenthe Vitae is stolen and used beore it is ready.

Te eastern side o the realm is uncontrollable and verydangerous. Even or the realm o Lie, one cannot beully protected rom unnatural growth and too muchpositive energy. Tis side o the realm is used ofen asa training ground or the soldiers o lie who protectthe realm and do the bidding o the Paragons. Tisside hosts an immense overgrowth o plants that tendto lash out and constrict those who wonder too close

Tese are eared because the realms lie energy will keepthe victim alive while they are being stabbed by needlesand crushed beneath the constriction. Te eastern sideis also host to creatures known as Lapis. Tese glowingblue behemoths will devour anything with a lie orcethis also includes the Vitae rom the western side. Teyconsume the Vitae o anything they eat, increasing theirown lie essence and growing larger. Tese creaturesdisrupt Lie energy and threaten the residents who seekto maintain it.

Te two Paragons who rule the realm o Lie arenamed Galar (ga-LAR) and Gelina (ga-LEE-na)one adorned in shining armor and the other in silkenrobes with wisps o lie owing around them. Longlocks o golden hair beautiully braided run downGelinas back, her robes embroidered with goldensymbols and incantations. Gelina rules the westernside o the realm which radiates with an organizationo lie. Gelars golden hair is cropped to reect that o asoldier. His armor is polished white gold in color with

similar symbols and incantations as Gelina. Gelarrules over the eastern side strengthened by power ogrowth. Te two Paragons are twins and reside withina temple at the heart o the city. Te temple is splitdown the middle with two thrones or the siblings tosit on. While the two o them represent Lie they alsoportray two different aspects o it. Gelina representsthe positive power o Lie and its abilities to heal andrevitalize. Gelar represents the natural order o Lieand trains his armies in the ways slaying threats tothe realm and abominations that appear on ValaraGelar does not seek to end lie and trains his soldiersto protect it and sees Valara as a ground or breedingabominations that seek to disrupt Lie energy. HoweverGelar also believes that one who cannot respect liedoes not deserve lie and can rot in the realm o deathIt is said that Gelar does not see eye to eye with some othe other Paragons, and his sister Gelina is the one whocommunicates between the other realms.

Tose not o this realm will not be able to survive or


14/186

long, and will begin to develop cancerous growths dueto the overpowering lie energy, even without travelingto the eastern side. Without protection the effects willbe rather ast, causing damage to the body as it beginsto develop uncontrollably. I a non-native is transportedto the eastern hal without protection they will almostinstantly burst due to the amount o lie energy.

Death

Te realm o Death is lled with a sea o dark sandsifing between large canyons. Te massive desertcontains a large pyramid shrouded in shadow. Smallstructures dot the land surrounding the pyramid thathouse inhabitants o the realm. Te sky in this realm isalways in a state o dimming twilight and a thin layero negative energy can be seen owing through the air.Te pyramid only has one entrance and within its stone

walls sits a large and dangerous labyrinth. Te mazeleads to the heart o the pyramid which is guarded by alarge Minotaur shrouded in the essence o death.

Death is ruled by the Paragon Seneroth (SEN-er-roth),who is typically described as a tall, looming male withthe mask o a jackal and a scythe unusable by any buthimsel. Beneath the mask, his eyes are like pools oblack oil, but his ace has the oddness o a lanky youngman. His hair is black, his skin grey, and his mouth hasthe crook o one who may be preparing to smile, but

whether in jest or kindness is unknown. I one has theopportunity to look closely, scars are present on mucho Seneroths torso. Tese scars are rumored to link himto several particular individuals in his realm. In theirlie, Seneroth warned these particular subjects that parto their body would at some point ail and keep themrom protecting their loved ones. He offered them achoice to replace the part o them that would ail withhis own, but in exchange or eternal service in hisrealm. Tese individuals are known as Te Body and

serve to escort spirits through their nal journey. ForSeneroth can maintain a watchul eye over his domain,but there are many that would threaten the process opurication.

Seneroth, as the Paragon o the Realm o Death, isofen thought o as ruthless and cold, but that is notnecessarily the case. Records indicate he can be lethaland swif when it comes to threats upon his realm,but he has an endless compassion that can calm eventhe most rightened young spirit. Tose who avoid

Seneroth in his realm are the tricksters and conniverswho think they can make it back to Valara. He allowsthem to skulk and sink in the shadows, because heknows they will eventually grow tired and return to himTe nal journey is very important and all o the deathelementals serve to guard the dead o their journey. Itis not uncommon or those on the journey to deny itand at some point, one who denies their journey wil

no longer be under protection o the elementals.

Entrance into the realm o Death typically happens aferone takes their last mortal breath. Lie is not completelyover at this point, as the lie energy or Vitae still clingsto the spirit. As a spirit journeys through the realm oDeath, the eventual outcome or most spirits is or theVitae to be slowly puried and ltered beore it leavesthe realm. No one but the Paragon o Death knowswhere these spirits go once they have been puried.

When a soul rst enters the realm o Death, having ailedto successully resurrect in its mortal body, it enters theSea o Sand. Tis Sea makes up a large portion o therealm, dunes rolling in a tide o unending black andcrystalline sand. I one is to observe this sea rom theshore, occasionally writhing and ailing gures wilappear in the surace o the waves, only to be draggedunder again as the waves crash. Some o the gures aregrotesque and corpse-like. Others may appear as theydid in lie or as mere remnants o themselves. Tese

gures may ght the waves o the Sea, or days, weeksor even years, actively denying their death and longingto return to the world o the living. At some point theymay give up their thrashing and sink to the bottom othe sea to brood. Each spirit takes its own amount otime to go through this process, but eventually a spiritwill nally crawl rom the bottom o the sea and ontothe shore, exhausted.

It is at this point when many meet the rst membero Te Body. He is a sturdy Dwarvenolk, who nevergives a name, but invites the water-logged spirit intoa small hut on the shore o the Sea. Within, he hasprepared a re, a meal, and a bed or the weary spirit.Afer the spirit has the opportunity to enjoy the mealthe Dwarvenolk will stoke the re and tuck them intobed, excusing himsel outside to smoke a pipe. Whenthe spirit wakes, they nd the re has burnt out andthe Dwarvenolk gone. At this point, many spirits willrage, thinking they had just ound a riend and possible


15/186

companion. It is not uncommon or the spirit to rendthe hut to pieces in their rage. Once they have donethis, they typically set off in a huff into the Jungle oFlesh. Tis Jungle is unlike any on Valara, as the treesand vines within are completely dead, and any leavesthat may seem to be present are actually strips o eshon closer inspection. As the spirits battle through thevines and thorns, their anger rises, and a oot that trips

on a limb suddenly becomes an enemy. I a spirit beginstheir journey into the orest with a nearly normal orm,it can be sure that when they emerge on the other sideo the jungle, their skin will hang in tatters, with severalpieces lef behind.

As the spirit exits the orest a chasm appears beorethem. Te chasm seems to possibly be miles deep, asany rock dropped in will never make a sound as i ithas hit the bottom. Te chasm also appears to be too

wide to cross with a normal leap. It is when the spirithas discerned this that they will ofen meet another oTe Body. A Goblinolk emale may reveal hersel romamong the dead trees opposite the chasm. She will offerthe spirit a vine to swing across the chasm on and swingit over to them. However, no matter how hard the spirittries, they almost never make it across the chasm andtypically dont make it back to the side they started on.Instead, they will come to a stop, while hanging ontothe vine and dangling over the bottomless canyon. Butthe Goblinolk has seemingly disappeared. Te spirit

may hear snickers rom the surrounding jungle, andattempts to cajole the Goblinolk to return and helpthem, to no avail. Teir pleas become more and morepanicked as the spirits eel themselves slipping rom thevine. Tey offer rewards, and ofen service, but receiveno response. And when the spirit has no remainingstrength, they all.

Te spirit alls or a long time in the darkness beorelanding in a lightless pool o tepid goo. Te spirit maydrag itsel out o the mire, but it is at this point thatmany spirits eel a sense o hopelessness and desolation.Tey berate themselves or trusting the Goblinolk, andwonder how they could possibly have ended up here.And although they have mustered up the strength orall o the previous portions o their journey, it seems,at this point, that they simply cannot go on. Manyspirits lie near the pool o muck or exceptionally longperiods o time, but at some point, the spirit will rise,and soon realize that there is one exit to the cave-like

room. Tey will exit rom the cave to nd themselveson a rise overlooking a sand-lled valley. Tere is anenormous pyramid centered in the valley, and it gleamsas though made o polished obsidian. A ew smalstructures dot the sand around the pyramid. As thespirit approaches the pyramid, it will likely meet oneo many children in the care o a emale Feralkyn, whoappears to be very similar to a pheasant. She is also o

Te Body. Te children run around her and she holdstwo babies within the olds o her wings. Neither iso the same race as the Feralkyn, but she treats themas i they are her own. She may talk to the spirit, buttypically has plenty to do, gathering up the smallerspirits o the children and not letting them stray tooar. I asked who is in charge, she will typically send thespirit towards the opening o the pyramid.

Standing guard at entrance are two large Cerberus, who

sniff the spirit, but allow it to continue on. It is saidthat the journey through the complex labyrinth withinthe pyramid is different or each spirit who entersNone who make the journey within the pyramid everreturn to tell the tale. Only Seneroth exits the pyramidWithin the labyrinth is a large Minotaur, who may aidor hinder the spirits as they complete the maze. TeMinotaur does not approve o mortal visitors howeverand i one has the olly o entering the labyrinth, swifretribution ollows. As the spirit reaches the center othe maze, much o what once made it has been stripped

away. Any negative energy is siphoned away into theatmosphere o the realm. Ten the spirit approachesthe heart o the maze. Here waits Seneroth, and the laso Te Body, a red-scaled Dragonkyn. Te breath o theDragonkyn hits the spirit, searing away any remainingimpurities. What each spirit sees at the heart o themaze is different, some a door, some a great lightBut as they approach the heart o the maze, Senerothsteps orward with a bowl. You must leave your Vitaebehind now. It will live on, to create lie anew, but itis no longer yours. And beore the spirit steps intothe heart o the labyrinth, Seneroth has collected theirVitae in a simple bowl. Ten the spirit enters the hearto the maze, and where it goes afer that, is unknownTe Vitae itsel is returned to the Realm o Lie, or usein new creation.


16/186

Realms of Prime Element

Fire

Te realm o Fire is vast and ull o lava ows churningagainst rigid rock. Many petried trees burn eternally,orging a orest o obsidian torches. Magma deepwithin the realm gushes orth, dousing the suracein more ame. Denizens o the realm live within thevolcanoes and cracks that give the appearance o anendless mountain range. Among the peaks, one standsas a giant over the rest and is the epicenter o the realm.Mortal Valarans reer to this particular mountain asMount Charathan (CHAR-a-thun). wo wide rivers olava constantly ow down the ridges o this volcano andpour into seas o molten rock. Ash seems to rain downrom a sky that is always ull o black, roiling clouds.Te heat is so intense that being exposed to the burning

air will instantly cause anyone not o this realm to burstinto ames, leaving nothing behind but puddles omelted esh and ash. Te intense conditions createmany rare, precious gems and metals that are uniqueto the realm o re. It is rumored that these materialsexhibit magical properties highly prized by the mortalso Valara and afforded only by the extremely wealthy.

Deep within the belly o Mount Charathan is the Keepo Living Embers. Tis structure looms, blacken andcharred, rom the magma as an imposing edice to

weaken the knees o anyone oolish enough to cast theirglance into the mouth o the volcano. At the center othe Keep is the throne room. Framed by a waterall olava, an obsidian throne rises jagged and grievous romthe river o molten rock that bisects the entire room.Te Paragon o Fire rules rom atop this throne.

Te Paragon Ratol (RA-toll) rules this realm. Heappears as a humanoid composed o crackling, hissingame adorned with obsidian armor. An ashen mask

sits upon his ace, controlling his ery eatures andonly allowing the orange-red ame o his eyes to showthrough. He is uncontrollable at times. Ratols temperis a reection o his realm, easily erupting in a restorm.

Tis Paragon, when in his own realm, is all-seeing andall-knowing o all that occurs within his dominion.He has no need o advisors or generals or armies tokeep his denizens in line. Tey, being o the realm andthereore o Ratol himsel, never question his rule andlive as he commands.

Valaran ollowers o Ratol believe that the realm oFire, in addition to being the source o ame on Valarahas a metaphysical denition as well. Tey believethat the heat o passion, desire and hatred are ueledby Ratol himsel. Much as a wildre brings death anddestruction to the orests o Valara, it also nurturesand cleanses the land and allows or new lie to spring

orth. As such, Valaran ollowers believe that re willclear away the unnecessary weight o useless emotionsto make way or new passions. Ratols ollowers tendto be ardent about their cause in lie and will stop atnothing to reach their end goals. Tey tend to act withcontrolled chaos.

Devotees o Ratol ollow the mantra: Ratol is all andall is Ratol.

Water

Te realm o Water is a vast ocean with no land massesvisible rom the surace. Te depth o the ocean variesthroughout, but most areas seem to be bottomlessBeneath the surace, however, is a landscape thatmimics the rolling hills and valleys o Valara. Denizenso the realm reside in structures grown out o rees oliving coral, warmed by the passing currents, or in thecool, dim stretches o the sandy, rocky bottom, withthe most vile and dangerous o them dwelling in thedeepest pits and dark, icy trenches. Watery orests oanacharis and meadows o ocean dwelling erns wavetheir ronds in the passing currents and innite varietieso colorul algae oat lazily on the surace. While theareas close to the surace are varied dependent uponthe currents and the ree, most o civilization is in thedeeper regions where very little light penetrates romabove. Native beings and the creatures o the deephave developed the ability to see in little to no light bysensing the natural auras o other denizens. Tere are

underwater caverns and naturally occurring pocketso breathable air but anyone not native to the realm owater will undoubtedly drown or reeze in icy depthsthat even the currents cannot warm.

In one o the valleys o the ree grows a palatial sizedstructure that Valarans call the Coral Castle. Tisliving castle is riddled with smaller structures thathouse endless varieties o aquatic creatures as well asnative beings that live to serve the Paragon. Naturally


17/186

growing plants sprout rom the mounds o rocky coral,urther proo that this structure is as alive as the beingsthat dwell within it. It is rom the Coral Castle that theParagon o water rules.

Te Paragon Undinae (OOH-di-nay), as a maniestationo the realm, is diffi cult to identiy in her natural ormas she is as changing and as uid as the water in which

she reigns. While moving through the deep, she cantake as many orms as she desires, rom the smallestsh to the largest leviathan. It is said that when shecomes to the surace she transorms hersel into themost beautiul mermaid with esh the deep blue o theocean and waving, oating seaweed as her hair. Due tothe nature o her being, she never rises completely romthe water.

Undinae, unlike Raol o the Fire realm and Cragmathe

o the realm o Stone, maintains a Court in the CoralCastle. She has Advisors, which appear as hybrids ohumanoids and aquatic creatures, to counsel her inmatters o the realm, Lieutenants, which take the ormso large water-dwelling beings not unlike the hugesea turtles o Valara, who are to lead her armies andKnights, in the various orms o sh-like creatures,who act as her soldiers. Beyond this court, there areAristocrats who see to the needs o Undinaes peoplewho reside ar outside the expanse o the ree where theCoral Castle sits.

Valaran myth has long held stories o a beautiulmermaid who is seen not ar off shore o the ocean,searching or her lost love. Te olklore says thatgenerations ago, when Valara was new and her childrenyet young, a being o water in the orm o a mermaidwith ocean blue skin and seaweed hair had come toValara to see what water, stone, re and air had createdin their images. She had come near to a mainlandshore, hoping to catch glimpse o the mortals that shehad helped to create. Tere, on the shore, was a youngman. Variations o the story disagree on the race othe lad, but all agree that he was there shing romthe sandy beach. She was enraptured by this youngellow, who had not long been in the age o adulthood,and oated there in the deep green waters or manyhours to watch him. For a ortnight, each day the mancame to the beach to sh, standing waist deep in thegentle currents o the tide and each day she came towatch him. Without ever speaking a word to the man,

she came to love him, enchanted by his quiet, gentlemanner and delighted with his two-legged orm thatmoved surely and graceully on solid ground. Curiousthe water being moved in towards the shore, desiringto speak with the man and know him. Afer his initialright, he came to know that this creature meant himno harm and he came to love her as she loved him. Shewas unable to leave the water to live on the land and

he could not leave the land to live under the water, buttheir love was so deep and so pure that he never took aValaran wie, instead coming to meet with his mermaidon the shore when the tides came in. But Valaransare ragile, mortal things and the mermaid was animmortal o the realm o water. One day, the man didnot come to the shore. Te mermaid waited or manyhours. She returned day afer day in hopes o ndingher love, but he never came to her again. Te storiessay that i you stand in waist deep in the ocean as the

tide moves in, you can catch a glimpse o her seaweedhair as she waits ever more or her mortal lover. Overthe centuries, the identity o the man was orgotten andno one ever knew that it was Undinae hersel that ell inlove with a mortal man.

o this day, Undinae returns to that place in the oceanWhether still hoping or the return o her love or insearch o a new love, no one can say. But her travels toValaran waters takes her away rom her Coral Castleor long stretches o time, leaving the realm o water

without a ruler until she returns. Te water titansbeings who live in the deepest, darkest pits o the realmare disgusted by the sofness she holds or mortals oValara. Sofness, to them, means weakness. It is orthis reason that the water titans seek to remove Undinaerom the throne o the realm to replace her with a moreconstant ruler. Te battles are erce and violent, buthus ar, Undinae and her Lieutenants have kept thetitans at bay, keeping her throne and maintaining herreign in the Coral Castle as Paragon o the realm owater.

Valaran ollowers o Undinae believe that the deepoceans o the realm o water are a source o calm andpeace. Tough it is ever-changing, it is the easy owrom one state o being to another that calls to herdevotees. Tey draw rom water the inner strength othe tides, eeling the unstoppable pull o the currentsAs water can erode away the tallest mountain, eventhe biggest obstacle can be overcome with persistenceand patience, helping them to remain calm even in the


18/186

direst o circumstances.

Followers o Undinae ollow the mantra: Undinae isthe calm that belies the under-current o my strength.

Air

Te realm o Air is a vast sky lled with ever-changingmasses o clouds that seem almost alive. Te cloudsthemselves, despite appearing wispy and insubstantial,are ofen packed so tightly that they orm a suraceupon which one could walk. Te weather in this realmis as varied as the clouds. A constant wind gusts in theouter reaches with seemingly random storms movingthroughout. As one moves rom the outer edges towardsthe center o the realm, the storms become darker andheavier until there is naught but the roaring o gale-

orce winds, blinding ashes o lightning and deaeningclaps o thunder. Tis is the mighty hurricane that is theheart o the realm o air. Natives o the realm, beingo all varieties o avian creatures, make their homesin the cloud banks and ofen take the orm o birds orother creatures that can navigate the tempest. ravelthrough this domain is diffi cult i one does not havethe ability to y. Te cloud masses shif and changeabruptly, leaving wide gaps that are impossible to jump.I a traveler should miss a step, they would be caughtup in the winds o the realm and lost orever in thehowling hurricane.

In the eye o the hurricane is a place o odd contrasts. Agleaming, white palace stands alone in relative stillnesswith the sofest o constant breezes drifing through theopen archways and wide passages. Ilmaerie (ill-MY-rhee) Palace is the ruling seat where Paragon Elyssinureigns over the realm o air. Tis cloud-like structureis held alof by pillars o swirling wind that are streakedwith silent lightning.

Te Paragon Elyssinu (EE-liss-in-nu) takes differentorms as she pleases. She is able to shif her appearanceto any avian creature, as well as a ew creatures thatarent birds, but do have the power o ight suchas the gryphon. She has a humanoid shape that shepreers, but it is said that she only uses this orm whenin dealings with mortals. At such times, she appearsas a stunningly beautiul and graceul woman dressedin gowns that are a bit too long. Tough no one has

ever been brave enough to nd out the truth, legendsays that her gowns are too long because she is oreverhovering above the ground and the long gowns hide theact that, rom the waist down, she is not a woman atall. Rather, she is made rom a column o air, a humansized cyclone that she uses to oat rom place to place.

Elyssinu, like Undinae o the realm o Water, maintains

a Court within Ilmaerie Palace. Her Dukes advise heron matters o the realm, but also act as ruling bodies inthe outer reaches o her domain, maintaining law as sherequires. She also keeps Generals and Soldiers, whichmake up her army. All o these beings appear as largebirds o prey: Eagles, Hawks, Falcons, Condors, etc.

Te realm o Air is in a constant state o turmoil.Paragon Elyssinu is locked in a struggle against theFive Raven Lords and their legions o Crow-men. Te

Ravens, being the wise beings that they are, believe thatthe Paragon is unworthy o her throne, being that she isighty, prone to ts o unpredictability and lacking inthe wisdom needed to rule an entire realm. Te FiveRaven Lords, however, know that outright attack is notin their best interest and so have not yet been able tounseat her.

Nivhita, Ventego, Sunka, Uragano and Nesrec wereonce the wisest o Council to Elyssinu, Paragon o AirTese ve beings have the bodies o men, but the heads

o Ravens with eyes dark as night and beaks sharp asrazors.

Te ve Raven Lords o Air tried to guide her wherethey elt the winds desired, but Elyssinu, the trueembodiment o wind and storm, deed their wisdomand ruled her realm according to her whim. Te RavenLords, perhaps having orgotten that their Paragonis and will always be the maniestation o the Realmdecided amongst themselves that Elyssinu was notwhat was best or the denizens and creatures o AirOnly they, with their vast knowledge o the languageo the wind, could guide the Realm to its true greatnessabove the lesser Realms. But the Paragon was adeptat deecting their attempts to push her, rather thanallowing her to oat on the breezes o destiny.

Nivhita, the oldest and wisest o the Raven Lords, beganto plot against his Paragon, gathering the other our intohis plans. ogether, they approached one o the lesser


19/186

beings o Air, one worshipped on Valara as the Deityo Storms, Vindurinae. Vindurinae was in agreementwith the Lords, believing Elyssinu too orgetul o thepower o Air, the strength and dominance that thestorms held. She, who drifed along like a buttery, wastoo busy to rule playing in the clouds and singing likethe thrush.

Vindurinae offered to share his power over storms withthe Raven Lords, i they would put him on the throne oIlmaerie Palace. Nivhita, speaking or the ve, agreed,provided Vindurinae would take on the Raven Lords ashis advisors when the deed was done.

And so, or time unmeasured, the Raven Lords, with thesecret aid o the Deity o Storms, have pitted themselvesagainst Elyssinu. Tey know that to strike at her directlywould be their undoing, or despite her almost constant

delight in where the winds take her, her ury, should itbe roused, would bring the deadliest storm the realmshave ever seen. She allows them, in her own wise way,to play their game o tactics and strategy, defly wingingaway rom their harmul intent in a dance o wind andthunder, lightning and rain.

Valaran ollowers o Elyssinu believe that the wide openspaces o air are a source o direction and o changeas the wind blows them where they need to be. Tebeauty o air is in its volatile nature: at once calm and

gentle with the potential or sudden ervor, storms thatloom on the horizon or crackle in the clouds withoutwarning. Her ollowers believe that there is no suchthing as ate, only the direction and guidance o thewinds o Elyssinu.

Devotees o Elyssinu ollow the mantra: Elyssinu is thewind that guides me and the storm that transcends me.

Stone

Te realm o Stone is an enormous cavern with tunnelsbeyond counting that seem to go on without end. Teceiling is lost in the darkness above, but light radiatesrom gem stones that are permanently implanted in therock walls to dimly illuminate the cavern. Small bodieso water can be ound throughout the caverns andstreams ow through cracks and crevices in the stone,leaving the rocky walls continuously damp. Even withthis source o water, plants are a rare thing other than

a specic type o ern that requires little light. Nativesto this realm take the orms o rock-like beings, thoughit is not unheard o to also nd cave dwelling creaturessimilar to those ound on Valara as well. Tese denizenslive outside the central hub in the tunnels that twist andturn throughout the entire realm. Tere exist in a ewo the larger areas small stone houses and structuresbut most o the beings that dwell here wander endlessly

through the stoic halls. Te orce o gravity this arunderground is heavy enough to crush those whosebodies cannot withstand it.

Many o the winding passages eventually lead deepinto the center o the realm where they open into a vastgrotto ull o magnicent rock ormations and gems. Inthe middle, surrounded by a cool stream, is a massivegeode o quartz and agate. Tis geode is protected bytwo guardians composed o granite with diamonds

and other gems reinorcing their densely made bodiesWithin this geode, known as Slieganach (SHLEE-gah-naiche) Crag, resides the Paragon o Stone, Cragmathe(CRAG-muh-thuh).

Cragmathe appears as a great, hulking tortoise madeo black marble veined in deep brown with a shell operectly aceted emerald. He is wise in his rule o therealm, just and yet rm. He is patient, but unyieldingand has the power to bring down the mountainsshould his authority be threatened. Unlike Undinae

o the realm o Water and Elyssinu o the realm oAir, Cragmathe does not maintain vassals. His rule isabsolute.

Valaran ollowers o Cragmathe nd stability inthe dependable, unyielding, unchanging nature ostone. Tey believe that it is unnecessary to concernthemselves with things that are beyond their control asthe Paragon o Stone will give them the strength to rideout the most dangerous storms. Tey are unyielding intheir belie, patient and un-persuadable.

Devotees o Cragmathe ollow the mantra: Cragmatheis my pillar o stability. Unchanging. Forever.

The Veil

Te Veil realms o Ereholme and Nurholme are easyor Valarans to access but they are just as dangerousas the elemental realms. Te Veil itsel is rumored to


20/186

be created o special magic that the Anturi once triedto use. It has been noted that traveling to one o thetwo realms o the Veil removes magical enchantmentsand the only magic that continues to ow is that othe Sage. It also seems that magical items rom one othese worlds do not cross over to Valara. Once the itemis in Valara it no longer has the magical properties itonce had. Te Veil also creates three special kinds o

energy: light, darkness, and dream. Tese energies owrom the Veil and are much weaker than other magicalsources such as Element and Essence. While creaturesand beings rom both Veil realms use these energies,Nurholme denizens are more attuned to darkness while

Ereholme denizens are more attuned to light.

Ereholme

Ereholme is the rst realm that creates the Veilsurrounding Valara. Ereholme is ull o oliage thatslightly reects the plant-lie o Valara. Tere are evensome geographical similarities to Valara but theseare only mirror-image reections where the Veils arethinnest. In Ereholme the sky is always in a state o dawnto dusk. Some even say that Ereholme is the reason orday in Valara. Te natives o Ereholme are commonlycalled Fae by Valarans but the Fae themselves have manydifferent names, types, and groups. Among these arethe Seelie and Unseelie who reign in Ereholme. Tese

two groups orm a Coterie (co-ter-ree) and both sidesare in a constant battle or land and power. Tere is adeep misunderstanding to how these two Coteries ghteach other, which is described more like a chess gamethan an outright clash o arms. Te Fae themselvesare the Kings and Queens, the Faekyn are consideredBishops, Knights, and Rooks, and all other Valarans arethe Pawns.

In Ereholme there are two Wells that radiate largesources o magical energy. Each Coterie maintains a

constant struggle to gain control o both these Wells,but this has never happened in the known history oEreholme. Te control o these wells is what has ledthe Seelie and Unseelie to be the dominating powerso Ereholme and most Fae. Tose Fae that live aroundthe Wells are known as the Royal Braid. Each Coteriehas a Royal Braid: the core members o the royalamily and powerul agents that act as the supremeauthority and power over the whole Coterie. Each canbe differentiated by their ornate hair braids, styled with

green or orange jewels and accessories in their hair orbeards; those with a higher status are decorated moreornately. Green represents an alignment to the SeelieCoterie and orange represents an alignment to theUnseelie Coterie.

Te closer the members o the Royal Braid are tothe Wells, the less reedom they have to move about

Ereholme. It is almost as i some invisible bond keepsthem rom moving too ar away rom their Well. It isbelieved that the Fae o the Royal Braid cannot leaveEreholme.

Each o the Coteries has a Bruiden (broo-yen) whichacts as a large meeting hall around the Well. Manytowns and ortresses have sprung up around theseareas making them well ortied and lively. Te SeelieBruiden is built out o white marble, topped by a dome

Light constantly seems to radiate rom the domebrighter than the brightest sunlight. Te UnseelieBruiden is made o black obsidian, cold as ice, whichgives off a mist that emanates rom its walls. Anyplace that the Seelie congregate sits in eternal summerand spring, while any Unseelie settlements remain ineternal autumn and winter.

Ereholme is also home to many creatures not under thecontrol o either side. Both Coteries attempt to rule overthese creatures in their power struggles. Fae who are

not sided with either o the ruling Coteries may regardthemselves as a part o Te Nameless Coterie. Memberso Te Nameless Coterie attempt to either break downthe political and social barriers between the othertwo Coteries or ignore the reign that oppresses themUnsided Fae use a silver adornments to represent theyhave no allegiance to either Coterie.

Fae are very unpredictable to Valarans. Tey do notshare an understanding o Valaran concepts and moralsthus they conict or conuse Valarans. Fae have theability to manipulate mortal dreams and primarily seethe manipulation o these dreams as great un.Te common ideals o the Fae have been recorded asaccurately as possible:

Seelie Ideals:

Te light is the guide, and should never alter.


21/186

Every positive story and happy tale that is mentioned othe Fae is rom the Seelie Coterie. However, this doesnot necessarily mean the Seelie are all good creatures.Tey seek to guide and inspire mortals, but theirreasons are not always revealed.

Honesty in all things.Deend love at all costs.

In lie, nd the beauty in everything.

Your word is your oath, and it must always be upheld.

I a debt must be paid, then you must pay it.

Let honor preserve you and keep your spirit pure.

Unseelie Ideals:

Secrets and power lie within the unknown; become theear others see within dark times.

Where the Seelie seek to inspire, the Unseelie seek tosow chaos, ear and doubt. Master manipulators andtyrants, the Unseelie are one o the reasons why mostbeings ear the Fae.

radition is a cage.

Chaos brought us lie, and we return the blessing.

Deend your passion and slaughter those who threatenit.

Accept the horror o lie.

Honor is the chain that binds.

Give so that others may hold a debt, or a debt mustalways be repaid.

Strengths: Faes primary strengths lie in their innatemagical abilities and manipulative powers. It is quitecommon or stronger Fae to use other, weaker Faecreatures as tools to meet their goals. Some o thecommonly used, weaker Fae creatures are Will-o-the-wisp, Coblynau, Fetches, and Hagstones. Tese tools areused or guiding people; orcing someone into workingeternally; stealing children or babies; and uncovering

magical appearances.

Weaknesses: Valarans have discovered one majorweakness among the true Fae: iron. Weapons made oiron seem to deal a considerable amount o damageand Fae cannot seem to pass over iron rails or bars. It isalmost as i it acts as a repellant.


22/186

Nurholme

Nurholme is the second realm that creates the Veilsurrounding Valara. Unlike Ereholme, there is little inthe way o oliage and trees and ew, i any, similaritiesto Valara are seen on this realm. In Nurholme the skyis always in a state o dusk to dawn. Some say thatNurholme is the reason or night. Te commonlyused terms to describe the creatures that come romNurholme are ends or Nadhirm. Many o the endsrom Nurholme are either highly intelligent or run onbase instincts.

Nurholme has no known ruler and is in a constantstate o chaos and power struggles. Tese strugglesare primarily between the Pahndir and the Unseen.Te Pahndir vary in size but maintain physical looks

similar to Valarans. Some have horns protruding romtheir head, spikes running along their body, tails, orleathery wings. Eyes are usually blood red or black incolor. Blackened ngers, scars, and other gruesomemarks are common. Unlike Fae and Faekyn, Fiends donot have purple, or any other color, masks o any sort.Te Pahndir determine leadership through power. Teability to dominate and overpower others is what winsa Pahndir the right to lead. Some Pahndir consumeother Pahndir on order to gain more power.

Te Unseen ends, unlike the Pahndir, do notnecessarily have physical orms. Te Unseen are bestdescribed as grotesque gures, smoky orms, andshadows. Tese ends live in extremely dark placesor underground and have no eyes. Te Unseencommunicate using telepathy. Tey attempt to gainpower over mortals using veiled promises o riches,glory or other desires. It is said that some Unseen cansee inside a mortal, knowing their darkest secrets anddeepest dreams or desires and will use that inormation

to gain any advantage possible.

Tere are no major cities or settlements in Nurholme.Te largest settlement is any that has a great numbero ends living in the same area. Some developcommunities while others continue to live alone. Teonly area with oliage is a dark orest that rests betweencanyons and a large swamp. Tis orest is home to manyUnseen and Pahndir typically do not enter it.

Strengths: Fiends eed off mortal Valaran dreams o

nightmares, ear, and anger. Tis energy helps sustainthem when they are unable to cross the Veil into Valara

One o the greatest strengths that ends o Nurholmehave is the ability to cross the Veil into Valara on thenights o the New Moon and the Full Moon. Tesetimes allow or the easiest passage because the shadowsare the strongest and ends use these shadows as

doorways to pierce the Veil. While extremely diffi cultduring other phases o the Moon, it is not unheard oor Fiends to nd their way to Valara outside the NewMoon and Full Moon.

Fiends cross into Valara or many reasons, although theprimary purpose o Fiends is to gain control over mortalValarans. Fiends who manage to gain control overmortals, either through a mortals willing acceptanceor through deceit, place a sigil on the mortals body

marking the mortal as their property. Once a seal is inplace, the end is able speak to that individual romanywhere and control their actions as i they wereenslaved. Individuals under the control o a end haveblack eyes and cry black tears.

Gaining control over mortals allows Fiends to sowchaos and open more dream-energy channels back toNurholme to eed the populace.

Some ends have discovered that by placing small

hidden shrines on Valara they can inuence andcultivate a specic emotion in an area and eed off thatemotion while on Nurholme. Tese shrines are diffi cultto nd and destroy.

Weaknesses: Fiends have ew weaknesses. All endsare susceptible to golden or magical weapons. Goldenweapons have a highly reective surace that reectslight at Fiends. Since ends preer darkness, light isconsidered harmul to them. Tey also seem to dislikesalt and cannot pass through circles or portals that havebeen sealed by a salt line.


23/186

Section 3:

Valaran Religions


24/186

The Religions of Valara

Tere are seven major religions on Valara based upona known, powerul deity rom the elemental realmsthat surround Valara: Anima, Undinae, Ratol, Elys-sinu, Cragmathe, Gelina and Gelar, and Seneroth.Te highest leader o each o these religions, knownas the Embodiment, sits in convocation to keep Va-lara in balance. Te Convocation o Embodimentsis led by an Embodiment that speaks or Valara itseland thus is closely related to the Anima religion. TisEmbodiment is known as the White ree and is al-most always represented by a Florakyn.

The Convocation of Embodiments

Te Convocation o Embodiments meets or onemonth every ve years at an ever changing secret lo-cation. Once everyone arrives the Convocation dis-cusses any items that currently threaten the balancein Valara. I, or whatever, reason one o the Embodi-ments does not show the meeting is postponed or 30days and the Embodiments religion must donate, inthe orm o goods or service, a set penalty ee. Dur-ing those 30 days a messenger is sent to the Embodi-ments head location to try to identiy i there is anissue. I, afer 30 days, the Embodiment or represen-

tative rom the religion still has not arrived then thereligion is expelled rom the convocation and all oits members are marked or death or threatening thebalance o the world.

Te convocation discusses and argues points in a-vor o their own religions goals but the White ree,as the spokesperson or Valara, has the nal decidingpower. Te White rees decision counts as ve votes.Te only way that the White rees decision can beoverturned is i all six o the Embodiments vote to-gether against the White ree.

The White Tree

Te White ree is chosen by Valara though Wild Mag-ic. When the chosen Florakyn reaches his or her 20thname day a star symbol grows on his or her chest. Tisis the symbol o the White ree. At that point the Flo-rakyn seeks out the current White ree, or travels toa place known as the Ancient Grove, and begins pre-paring or the next convocation meeting. Te AncientGrove is only known to the current or soon-to-beWhite ree Embodiment.

Te symbol or the White ree is the multi-pointed star

The Overflowing Spring

Religion of Water and Ice

Undinae is the calm that belies the under-current o mystrength.

Te Overowing Spring is a religion o inner peaceand hidden strength. Lie is constantly changing andone cannot step in the same ocean twice. Success andailure, gain and loss, comort and discomort all comeand go and there is little that can be done to control itOne can, however, decide to cease the struggle against


25/186

the tides o lie. Like Water, one must strive or in-ner peace while maintaining an underlying strength.One must be patient, but persistent and while it is wiseto seek out the path o least resistance, one should nothesitate to carve out a new path i necessary.

emples or the Overowing Spring are called Rees andtheir names are chosen rom the beautiul and owing

nature o Undinae. wo o the more prosperous Reesare known as the Living Ree and the Shimmering Ree.Every Ree is built either along a stream or, barring asource o running water nearby, over a well. Blocks ostone are set into the oor o the temple to create a poolthat collects water rom the stream or well to be usedor mediation and reection. Tese pools are requiredto be kept clean and clear at all times. Te pools arealso used or initiation rituals perormed by the clergy.Tey serve as a reminder o the peace and calmness

that Water provides.

Te priests are called Waves and there are our Wavesper Ree who teach the ways o Undinae. Te religiono Water has a central gure head, known as the ide,who provides supreme guidance and direction as theEmbodiment o Water on Valara. Te current ide is aMoon El by the name o Yadira who resides within theLiving Ree, south o Pozeph. Initiates are known asStreams. It is the duty o the Streams to keep the poolclean as well as help new congregation members learn

the process o pool meditation.

Te symbol or Overowing Spring is a downward tri-angle. Tis symbol is worn on necklaces by all devoteeso the religion.

The Scorching Conflagration

Religion of Fire

Ratol is all and all is Ratol.

Te Scorching Conagration is a religion o purity andperection. It is believed that once there was the perection o re, lost on Valara when Ratol gave o himselto create this new realm. Worshippers are taught thatthey must strive or purity in spite o their imperectnatures which are caused by the amalgamation o the

elements. Teir lives must be devoted to nding per-ection so that when their time on Valara has endedRatol will restore them to primordial purity by burningaway the dross o lie.

Houses o worship or the Scorching Conagration arecalled Chantries and their names are always a reer-ence to re, such as the Blazing Chantry. Each Chantryhas, at its heart, a throne made o volcanic glass, with

the more prosperous temples boasting thrones madeo such material rom the realm o Fire itsel. A rethat burns high around the throne is kept going at alltimes in the hopes that one day Ratol himsel mightappear to the congregation. Tis also serves to heat theChantry to an uncomortably warm degree and causesthe worshippers to sweat, another symbolic purging oimpurities.

Te priests are known as Flares and each Chantry hasseven Flares to guide believers on their own path to pu-

rity. Tere is no centralized place or person that servesto lead this religion as no Flare would ever dare pre-sume he could speak or Ratol directly, as they them-selves are still ar short o perection. Also in eachChantry are Embers, or priest initiates. It is the dutyo the Embers to keep the re around the throne burn-ing. Te process or becoming a Flare is a long andarduous journey o sel-reection. Most commonlythose who set themselves upon the path to becominga Flare have seen some catastrophe involving re andhave seen something within the ames that has calledthem to the service o Ratol.

Over time, what denes perection has changed, giventhe local Flares interpretation o what it might meanAs example, Flare Flug, an Orkling rom the ScaldingChantry in Te Worlds Furnace teaches that perectionis ound in the strength and surprising beauty o reo reach perection, one must hone their bodies to be-come as strong and as powerul as possible. Another


26/186

example is Flare Adorellan, a Moon El rom the Smol-dering Chantry in Te Aesner Desert, who teaches thatperection comes with knowledge and enlightenment,a purication o the mind that involves a symbolicburning away o excess and unnecessary thoughts andemotions, leaving behind the passion o truth.

Te symbol or Scorching Conagration is an upward

triangle. Tis symbol is usually branded on all devo-tees skin.

The Exalted Tempest

Religion of Air

Elyssinu is the wind that guides me and the storm thattranscends me.

Te Exalted empest is a belie system o ever changingand ofen unpredictable activity. It is taught that withlie comes change, sometimes on the back o a gentlebreeze and sometimes in the midst o a raging storm.One can either oat along with the wind like a utteringlea or one can stand against it and use the power o thestorm to lif themselves above the mundane routineso everyday lie. Devotees o Elyssinu are encouragedto step into the wind to let it guide them towards newexperiences. Like the volatile nature o Air, ofen thewinds o change can conict with each other and causea tumult o new sensations and emotions. Te congre-gation is taught to allow themselves to experience theseashes o high emotion so that they may learn the ullrange o emotional capability.

Te houses o worship or the Exalted empest arecalled Aeries and are almost always open air pavilion-like structures. Te Aeries are named or the wind, suchas the wister Aerie in Bokla high in the Garnet Moun-

tains or the Whirlwind Aerie on Lunea Majora. Teyare ofen made o a series o archways that are built ina circle. Sometimes there is a roo, more ofen there isnot or the roo is not a solid construction, but a serieso inner arches to allow ull movement o the winds oElyssinu. Te archways are usually carved with variousshapes o birds and leaves and owers. Tere are no settimes or worship. Followers o the Exalted empest

are encouraged to come to the temple whenever theyneed to eel closer to the winds o Elyssinu.

Te priests o Elyssinu are called Gales and there are sixGales per Aerie. Tere is no ultimate leader o this particular religion as there is no set doctrine. Te Gales arethere to provide advice in such a way as to allow parish-ioners to lead themselves to where they eel called. Ini-tiates to the Exalted empest are reerred to as BreathsWhile leaves and blossoms and other such natural de-

bris are not to be cleared rom the Aerie oors as theyare ofen gifs rom Elyssinu to remind her ollowersthat the wind may carry anyone to any place, Breathsare responsible or not only learning the ways o guidedreection, but also keeping dirt, dust and mud rom theoors and the pillars.

Te symbol or Exalted empest is an upward trian-gle with a line through it. Tis symbol is worn on theclothing or in the hair o the devotees that ollow thisreligion.

The Steadfast Crag

Religion of Stone

Cragmathe is my pillar o stability. Unchanging. Forever.

Te Steadast Crag is a belie system that preaches re-solve, patience and unwavering strength o character


27/186

Te world around us may change, but it is not necessarynor is it wise to change every time the wind blows. Oneshould seek to control wayward emotions to becomestable, dependable and unyielding to outside orces thatseek to sweep the unprepared rom their pillar o stabil-ity. Nothing can sway a disciple o Stone i they chooseto stand rm.

Houses o worship or the Steadast Crag are known asGrottoes and their names are chosen to reect the un-wavering character o Cragmathe. Te Adamant Grot-to o Kahlberg and the Persevering Grotto o Ironwallare two such examples. Grottoes are specically builtto replicate the deep eel o the realm o the Paragon oStone. I a natural cave can be ound, that is preerred,but a ree-standing structure build with thick stoutwalls and devoid o windows is acceptable as well. Teinterior is lef dark when services are not being held

and when they are, the only light that exists is the lightbrought into the cavern by the congregation and theclergy.

Priests o the Steadast Crag are known as Shards. Itis their responsibility to teach the ways o the stable,unyielding mind. Tere are three Shards per Grotto.Tere is also a central gure head known as the Dia-mond who guides the individual Grottoes on their wayto ollowing in the shadow o Cragmathe. Te currentDiamond is a Dwar by the name o Durgim inmoor

who serves his congregation in the Rooted Grotto inWeisberg. Initiates to the Steadast Crag are called Peb-bles and part o their duty is to carry light sources inand out o the Grotto or services.

Te symbol or Steadast Crag is a downward trianglewith a line through it. Tis symbol is worn on metal orstone badges o the devotees that ollow this religion.

The Fount of Vitae

Religion of Life

Gelar is the blood that lls my veins. Gelina is thebreath that lls my soul.

In the name o the wins, devotees o Lie seek to learnand protect Lies place in the Valaran cycle o lie, deathand rebirth. Like the Paragons, ollowers o Lie gener-ally all into one hal o the teachings. Tere are thosethat see Lie as an inuence o healing and revitaliza-tion to be cultivated and revered. Others embrace thaLie, while wild and dangerous on its own, should beprotected at all costs, especially rom those who wouldseek to escape death by hiding in alse lie. Neither halseeks to undermine or hold back death. Instead, theirpurpose is to protect it so that cleansed Vitae can be

returned to Valara and that the cycle may begin again.

Houses o worship are called Chapels and are ofennamed or some aspect o vitality, such as the Breath oLie Chapel or the Vital Spark Chapel. Tese templesare ofen not temples at all, but merely an area o natu-ral ground demarcated by our tall, white pillars usu-ally carved rom marble. Tree sides o this area are allowed to grow naturally with rose vines encouraged totwine around the pillars, grass grown tall and thick anduntamed brush and bushes. Te ourth side is used asentrance to this sacred area and is maintained with lushgrass and naturally growing owers and plants that ex-tend into the interior o the worship area. Roses arethe preerred ower as no other plant represents betterthe delicate balance o beauty and danger. Instead oan altar, there are two small thrones to represent thethrones o the wins in the Fountain o Lie. More a-uent Chapels can afford thrones o gold, but smallerChapels content themselves with thrones o locally


28/186

ound white stone.

Te clergy that maintain these temple areas alwayscome in male-emale pairs known as Vitals. Tere isonly one pair per Chapel and they preach together, onestanding beore the throne o Gelina and one beorethe throne o Gelar. While their message is the same,one preaches rom the perspective o the beauty and

sanctity o Lie and the other rom the perspective thatollowers must strive to protect Lie rom those that donot respect it. Initiates o Lie are known as Sparks,who also work in male-emale pairs, and it is their re-sponsibility to maintain the grounds with loving careas well as protect them rom desecrators and vandals.

Te symbol or Fount o Vitae is a jar with an openingin the top. Tis symbol is worn as rings or bracelets ondevotees that ollow this religion.

Harvest of Vitae

Religion of Death

Give o my Vitae. Return me to Sand. Death is a jour-ney. Seneroth is my guide.

Te priests o the Harvest o Vitae teach that Death isnot an end, but a part o the cycle o Valara. Lie isnot the enemy, but just another part o the same cy-cle. Te dying are not to be pitied, but should rejoicein the knowledge that their Vitae will be cleansed, pu-ried and then reborn. Vitae returns to the cycle olie, death and rebirth, but souls belong to Seneroth,the Paragon o the Realm o Death. While the truth isuncertain, there are various belies about what happensto the souls that Seneroth collects. Te most generallyaccepted doctrine is that all are the same in the eyes othe compassionate Seneroth, but the theory also exists

that souls are sent on to an aferlie determined by theweighing o their souls. No matter what an individuabelieves happens to the souls, all agree that the processo death is necessary or the cycle o Valara and shouldbe embraced as natural, necessary and inevitable.

Places o worship or the Harvest o Vitae are calledCathedrals. Cathedrals are castle-like structures built

rom dark stone. Constructed with the majesty andpower o death in mind, they are erected with sweepingarchways, and imposing towers. Each wall o the ele-gant, imposing edice is lined with windows o stainedglass that depict endless seas o black sand, greatchasms, black pyramids and, occasionally, an image oSeneroth with the head o a jackal. A ring o dark sandextends rom the oundation, two or three eet wideand behind each Cathedral is a larger pit o the samedark sand mixed with ashes that is used as a uneral

pyre. Inside, the oors are laid with black sandstone toreplicate the eeling o the desert o the realm o DeathEach house o worship contains an altar that holds aminiature version o a black pyramid and a bowl o aclear liquid. More affl uent Cathedrals may also place amask o a jackal head as well as a pair o Cerberus stat-ues next to the pyramid.

Te priests o Death dont generally have a title orthemselves, as that would set them apart rom the con-gregation. All are the same in the eyes o Seneroth

right down to his clergy. Tey believe that they are notabove being weighed in the heart o the maze and so donot seek to put themselves above the ollowers. All wilbe cleansed and puried in the end.

Te symbol or Harvest o Vitae is a jar with an open-ing in the bottom. Tis symbol is worn as tattoos ondevotees that ollow this religion.


29/186

Anima

Religion of the Creator Deity

Creator. Protector. Mother. Anima.

In the beginning, Valara was an empty, desolate husk.Te Paragons gave o themselves to change this realminto a living, breathing and ever-changing elementalutopia. Water owed, plants ourished, magma boiled,and the sky cried out in strikes o victory. Valara hadbeen born and she was young and beautiul. A guard-ian was chosen rom the ranks o the elementals andgiven the powers o each to continue the paragonslabors. Known as Anima the Creator, this guardianhelped to shape Valara.

Over time Valara birthed children to roam her landsand swim in her oceans. Te rst o these creatures

were small in orm, but great in number. Centuries

passed, and Anima grew lonely. Tough an eternalbond was shared with Valara hersel, the guardianyearned or something more. Using the gifs bestowedby the Paragons, Anima shaped and sculpted raw ma-terials collected rom Valara, and gave lie to creatureswho shared a similar orm to the elemental Paragonsthus creating the races o Valara.

Te religion o Anima is ofen a solitary practice orthose that hold the Creator deity in highest regardTere is no temple, no set time o worship, no congre-gation and no clergy. Devotees o Anima nd theirpeace and their purpose by communing in their ownway with the lie that the guardian has created. Aboveall else, it is believed that all things have purpose, all lieis precious and the cycle o Valara must be maintainedTe symbol or Anima is a circle with curved lines in itTis symbol is worn in numerous places on devotees

that ollow this religion.


30/186

Section 4:

Valaran Cultures


31/186

Races of Valara

Te world o Valara is populated by a diverse collec-tion o races and cultures. It has been documented thatthere are at least 16 known cultures, spread among vedistinct racial categories. Scholars grouped these cul-tures according to common traits ound among theraces. Over the ages, each racial grouping and culture

has been studied and inormation gathered and com-piled so that uture descendents will have a better un-derstanding o how these cultures have evolved.

Human Mankind

Mankind has survived through war, natural disaster,and many other hardships, shaping them as a people.

No matter where one calls home, he or she shares thesame heart, resolve, and emotions as ones ancestors.Tey have learned that adapting to ones environmentis the key to survival o sel and amily. Te ability toadapt is one o their strengths, positioning them intoa special niche lef void by the Anturi Elves rom longago.

Mankinds adaptations have taken a variety o orms.Tey excel at using industry to create settlements in ar-eas o the world thought to be harsh, almost unlivableenvironments. Mankinds innate curiosity and ability toanalyze their surroundings in order to build upon andimprove the existing land has made them one o thestrongest and longest surviving races on Valara. Man-kind also uses industry to overcome perceived weak-nesses or their race. For example, while some raceshave tougher skin or hides, Mankind countered thisby crafing strong armor to protect their more delicateesh.

Mankind categorize themselves into two classes: high-born or lowborn, depending upon the circumstanceso their birth. Highborn are considered superior andhold the power as wealthy merchants or leaders oMankind communities. Lowborn are considered com-mon laborers who provide the backbone support orhighborns. Without these commoners, most high-born would not be where they are today.

While they excel at adaptation in general, Mankind areconservative in their thoughts and attitudes, especiallyconcerning ones standing in society. Teir relianceon amily history and upbringing ofen means theyshare the same like-minded approach as their ances-tors did. Mankind believe everything ts in its placethose o highborn society remain highborn and thoseo lowborn society will almost always remain lowbornthroughout their lives. Lowborn seldom reach the

heights o their highborn superiors, but it is possiblewith hard work or great deeds to change ones positionin lie.

Given their ortitutde and adaptability, players o Man-kind may purchase the skills Resist Ruin and SecondWindonce per level. Additionally, players receive oneree purchase o Resist Ruinat starting level and everyve levels thereafer.

Out-of-Game Racial Requirements

Makeup Tere is no make-up or prosthetic require-ment, but players should wear appropriate period cos-tuming.

Preerred Skills Mankind tends to preer skills inwhich they are amiliar or have been exposed to in away which inspired them. For example, i a boy grewup with a ather who was a blacksmith, he might ndan interest in doing the same.

Disallowed Skills Since Mankind is so diverse andthey are able to adapt well in any situation, they havebeen able to overcome most limitations. I one nds ateacher, one will learn. Many believe they can do mostanything, and those who work or it will succeed.

Garb

Mankind as a whole is very particular about clothing


32/186

Ones current position or job commonly determineswhat is worn. Highborn tend to wear colorul and dec-orative clothing o expensive abrics such as silk andvelvet and avor ashy embellishments such as jewels,eathers or other adornments. Lowborn wear what isreadily available, comortable, and easy to work in suchas linen, cotton and wool. Lowborn abrics should besturdy and ofen earth-tone in color so as not to show

stains. Most lowborn clothing lacks adornments, pat-terning, jewels and other accessories.

Language

Mankind are considered the originators o the globally-used Common tongue. Created as a way or Mankindto be able to converse with all races, it has seen manyalterations in its existence but still remains the mostwidely known, and used language on Valara.

Mankind commonly judge others based on their un-derstanding and ability to speak Common. Te privi-leged and well-educated highborn use proper grammarand complex sentence structures. Tey take pride inusing metaphors and long-winded speeches to show offtheir status in society. Lowborn speak in less polishedlanguage and use simpler sentence structures.

When highborn speak to each other they use titles asa show o respect, especially or those o higher status.

Tose o lowborn status should address highborns asMaster or Mistress or use Sir and Maam in de-erence to those whose position is above their own insociety. Highborn Mankind considered it offensive ithose o lower birth ignore these rules. Tose who doshould expect to be reprimanded or stepping out oline.

Mankind ollow this rule when speaking to other races.It is common or these humans to expect other races toollow suit as well.

Male and Female Interactions

Mankind has many expectations and rules which tra-ditionally govern men and women. Some believe theyare the only race to have such a distinction between thetwo sexes. Tese customs may differ depending on thecountry, community, or amily, but in general they arevery similar.

A man is the head o the house and is expected to pro-vide or the amily and promote the amily name. He isallowed to hold land and title reely. When the head othe house passes, his eldest son or brother inherits histitle and estate. A woman is the caretaker o the amilywho prepares meals, cleans, and educates the childrenShe also commonly maintains the estate expenses and

resources either solely or in partnership with her hus-band.

Young men and women are commonly married to eachother out o amily necessity or to strengthen a amilysposition. Tose who are married ollow the traditionsset by their ancestors. A woman commonly inher-its her husbands amily and leaves her own, althoughthere are some instances in which two amilies mergeinto a single household. Te expectation to marry is so

ingrained among Mankind, that only those men andwomen who sacrice marriage to pledge their lives todeities, various organizations, or the military, are con-sidered exempt.

Most o how men and women treat each other is basedon dominance and mettle, regardless o gender. Somemen take great pleasure in controlling others throughany means, while some women preer a passive andcaring role. However, a strong-willed woman may bedeant and controlling, while a humble man may be

subtle and rail. Mankind is one o the only races withsuch a wide variety between the roles o males and e-males.

Interracial Interactions

Te enemy o my enemy is my ally.

Mankind has a long history o learning and adaptingthrough their interactions with the other races. Toughthey can easily embrace others with open curiositythey can just as easily push them away.

Elves: Teir kind are weak and slow to act.

Wanderers, Barbarians, Briarolk: While related tous in some way, we are clearly the most superior.

Faekyn: Tose sparkly little tricksters are always try-ing to take advantage o me. Ive reported so many tothe merchant guilds Ive lost count.


33/186

Dragonkyn:Dont get on their bad side. Teyre quickto anger, and rankly Im araid o them.

Ogrelings and Orklings: Green, red, and yellowskinned monsters. Teyre always at war with everyone,including themselves!

Gearlings: Tey are beautiul and mysterious. I reallywant to nd out how they were created.

Goblinolk: Ive never really talked to a Goblinolk.Tey take great care o my coin, but theyre a bit creepy.

Florakyn: All they ever seem to talk about is MotherValara. Ive never seen them working indoors.

Feralkyn: No two are alike. Be careul who you trust.

Ive only ever seen them picking up my trash.

Dwarvenolk: Teir crafsmanship is unmatched. Icommonly hire Dwarven masons when I am workingon new buildings.

While Mankind as a whole has a lighter side, there isalso a darker one that resides in all o them. Some holdgrudges or a very long time which will be passed on totheir children or generations. Tey have been knownto start wars with other races and even themselves or

what may seem like trivial reasons to others.

Mankind are known or building alliances with otherraces or a variety o reasons. Mankind believes theircho

Documents

CASTLE LARP: Valaran Culture Compendium - Version 1.3 Beta - BW