Alastor's Domain

Many years ago, a human named Halas Torstead was made a god. The circumstances of the how and why have long been lost to history. He is now the god Alastor. As such, he has a piece of a plane that is all his own, his Domain, just as all Gods have.

Alastor's domain appears to be the combination of a Victorian garden and a hedge maze. It is a series of rose gardens connected by hallway-like corridors made of plants. Navigating these corridors is nearly impossible without Alastor's help. Each rose garden is a different color, and causes those within the garden to experience different emotions.

His favorite section of his gardens is his observation room. There is a large pool of shiny silver liquid that can view different areas in the mortal realm. Alastor spends much of his time watching here various mortal pursuits such as wars and bizarre sporting events.

Alastor's Domain is the source of the Festoons de Fervor, which are bouquets made from flowers from several of Alastor's gardens. The roses can be used to influence the feelings and emotions of those around the bearer of the bouquet. Alastor is very careful about distributing these bouquets, as they are quite powerful. He does tend to give out single roses to visitors, friends, and persons of interest to him. These roses are eternally in bloom and have very limited emotional power on their own.

Encyclopedia Divinia

This is Aed's most prized possession. In his quest to catalog all the gods of the realms, he records herein information on any Gods, Goddesses, and other Dieties he discovers or hears about.

DENOTHOLAN GODS

Hetragarin

Goddess of Time

Symbol: Hourglass

Stern and humourless (boooring)

Idonis

Deity of Truth, Beauty, And Love

Symbol: Hand holding a flower

Androgynous deity devoted to music and poetry

Johrd Ironthumb

God of Craftmanship, Building, And Engineering

Symbol: Obelisk

Labourers, craftsmen, and warriors

Mowren

God of Conflict, Strife, and War/God of Fate and Chance

Symbol: Pair of dice

Most see him as a meddling trickster

Niashra

Goddess of Nature And The Land/Goddess of Motherhood And Life

Symbol: Woman’s face made of leaves

Chief deity of the Denotholan pantheon

Vekik

God of Science, Alchemy, And Magic

Symbol: Composite of magical and mathematical symbols

Maintains the laws governing the physical world

OTHER WEll KNOWN GODS

Erixalimar, Dragonliege

Dragon God

Once was normal dragon until he ascended

Rallonoch The Giving

Savior Deity

Symbol: Number 8

Monotheistic god, followers think others are demons (maybe all demons are really gods…)

The Dead Gods

Hanavere Trinity

Nalos, Tayana, and Seron

“Killed” by the dramojh

The Rune Messiah

Litorian runechild

Xyphon

Verrik God

Symbol: Eye within an eye

Banished by the Verrik

NEWLY DISCOVERED GODS

Alanis

Goddess of Not Really Irony

Symbol: Bouquet of spoons(but no knife)

Alastor

God of Passion/God of Annoying Sigrid

Symbol: Rose

Aka Halas Torstead

(Patron God for Halden)

Alessio

God of Clockwork Beasts

Symbol: Turtle with a Gear for a shell (turtles are easier to draw than Bearverines)

Banjo

God of Puppetry

Symbol: Face with googly eyes and a clown hat

Bixi

Goddess of Finding Swords

Symbol: Sword inscribed with a question mark

Sister of Mixi and Wixi

Chulda

Goddess of Sea Sickness

Symbol: Face with a hand over the mouth

Cletus

God of Smiting Undead

Symbol: Cracked Skull

Eliran

God of Suddenly Dying

Symbol: Tombstone being struck by lightning

(Patron God for Leif)

Jubilexis

God of Defeating Monala

Discovered by Paerk and Soern during the founding of the New Hora Quan

Miirehk

Goddess of Random Songs

Symbol: Die with musical notes for pips

(Patron goddess for Kheriim even though she doesn't believe)

Mixi

God of Finding Goblets

Symbol: Chalice with a question mark

Brother of Bixi and Wixi

Nysa

Goddess of Starting Random Fights

Symbol: Two clashing fists

(Patron Goddess for Janan)

Pio

God of Not Listening to the Verrik

Symbol: Face with hands to sides of head

Rinaloo

God of Finding Islands Full Of Bees

Symbol: A bee on a field of waves

Samani

God of Keeping The Heart Of The Sea From Blowing Up

Symbol: A heart cracked down the middle with hands holding it together

Sklajh

God of Arguing Over Marching Order

Symbol: Series of footprints moving around one another

Taquelen

God of Shiny Things

Symbol: Starburst

Wit

God of Judgement In The Afterlife

Symbol: Balance weighing skulls

Not to be confused with Whit

Wixi

God of Finding Staffs/Staves

Symbol: A staff bent into a question mark at the top

Brother of Mixi and Bixi

Whit

Goddess of Descending Into Dark Dungeon Tunnnels

Symbol: Stairs in front of a dark tunnel opening

Not to be confused with Wit

Zava

God of Not Being Eaten By The Harrid

Symbol: A chained beak

(Patron God for Stavros)

NPC Profiles

*Updated 6/20/09*

Sifqar - Male Verrik Champion of Magic

Sifqar originally from the Verrik desert (south of the jungle from which Kaperi and Kheriim hail). He came to Xanadu more than a decade ago while Sigrid and Gannen were after a Verrik named Qadara who had killed one of their Champions. Sifqar claimed that Qadara (who was his half-sister) was innocent and he was there to clear her name. As time went on, it became clear that Qadara had indeed gone rogue and Sifqar was forced to kill her. Sigrid saw this as an act of loyalty and invited him to stay. He's served the empire ever since. He's currently trying to find any trace of Paerk.

Jorik Malason - Male Human Champion of War

Joriik is native to Gorzam. He joined the Order of the Axe at a young age and served with Sigrid for about a year before she went off on her adventures on the Ocean's Blade. They also dated for a few months during that time but never really hit it off. He's been in charge of the Order (and the Empire's army) for the last five years, since the last General retired.

Halas Torstead - Minor Male God of Passion

Halas is Sigrid's father. He is also known as Alastor. He's never been much of a father figure. He occasionally appears in Sigrid's life when he thinks she's doing something interesting. He's the reason she's a runechild. She didn't inherit much from him except his extreme emotions. He showed up on Chak Itzin along with some other minor gods. Sigrid calls on him for information occasionally.

Cein Skystar - Male Faen High Priest of the Latter-day Church of the Hora Quan

Cein is a Greenbond who came to Xanadu after hearing about it from his friend, Paerk. He's a Greenbond and soon quickly became enthralled with the Heart of the Sea and its connection to the Green. With Sigrid and Gannen's blessing, he formed the Latter-day Church of the Hora Quan, which is mainly an earth-based, green-based spirituality, but does include numerous Gods (Cein is a Faen, after all).

T'nara'l - Female Dracha Champion of Freedom and Knight of the Axe

T'nara'l came to Pental from White Shoal Island shortly before the first Ao-Manasa coup and resulting war with the Giants. She fought valiantly and made a name for herself and has been one of Sigrid and Gannen's top generals ever since. When either Sigrid or Gannen goes off to battle (they don't ever go to war together for various reasons) T'nara'l is always right at their side. She takes their safety very seriously and considers every wound they recieve a mark of her failure. T'nara'l is also responsible for smoothing over Xanadu's relationship with Mixastomere.

Rasi Karradottir - Female Human Oathsworn

Rasi arrived at Xanadu four years ago at the age of fifteen. She demanded an audience with Gannen and told him that she had sworn an oath to protect his life. At first, neither Gannen nor Sigrid took the girl seriously. But Rasi was insistent and eventually, Sigrid and Gannen accepted her. Over the years, she has completed a number of tasks for them and her most recent oath was to discover the truename of the jealous God of Chak Itzin. Halden used to be quite infatuated with Rasi, but learned a few months ago that his crush was unrequited. He was quite upset about this and became even more angsty.

Zarstrak - Mojh Mind Witch

Zarstrak is the representative of the Mojh settlement on Pele Kor. The Mojh started showing up on the island a few years ago and have built a series of small villages. They practice magic and cultish rituals and generally keep to themselves. Recently they've attempted to tame the velociraptors with their strange magic. Their success rate is about 50% and is rising. The mojh decided they should send Zarstrak to Xanadu during the summit to make friends with the leaders. After all, they're here for completely legitimate, peaceful reasons. Honestly.

Don Marko and Gorzams Gang War

Don Marko:

Sons of The Family are often left to their own devices, and are never given anything for free, unless they somehow “convince” people to give them things. Eventually, one of a generation is ruthless enough, clever enough, or well-liked enough that they are chosen to be the next Don (by the current Don). Don Marko’s first name also happens to be Don, and he won his status through more benevolence than ruthlessness. That is not to say he is any sort of pushover or pacifist. He is a fair person… for a pirate from Gorzam.

Don Marko is a few years younger than Blank, and has only been Don for about 15 years. Before that, he was in the traditional second-in-command position, running the Black Market on Gorzam’s main street. In the year 7, Iliam assassinated the old Don, and tried to claim that title as his own. But most of the inhabitants (and all of the Family patriarchs) recognized Don Marko instead. With the help of Blank, Don Marko hunted down and defeated Iliam. Shortly after, the Hora Quan officially annexed Gorzam.

 

Gang War:

Year 16: Two Brothers, Maurice and Gabriel Antolini, have a falling out at age 18. They become bitter rivals, and opposing gangs form around them. As time goes on, Maurice becomes more violent and ruthless, more than the Family usually is. There is a bar run by Maurice’s gang that is rumored to have rum, despite the shortage. It’s very expensive though, and has tight security. Gabriel stays true to the old ways, though he is less lenient when dealing with his brother’s gang.

Year 20: Patriarch Pazzesco disappears one moonless night. He is found months later, wearing animal skins and wielding a staff while chanting to a fire, in the footsteps of the mountainous region to the northeast. He is convinced to come back to Gorzam, but he begins recruiting people into his cult. Little is known about the cult, other than they occasionally lure Yetis down from the mountains to cause havoc, and that they have cabals out in the mountains footsteps.

Year 22: Gabriel becomes less patient, Maurice becomes more aggressive, and Pazzesco is becoming a greater problem, though he is seen less and less in Gorzam. Don Marko is trying to keep the peace and remain neutral, but he fears that a cleansing bloodbath is inevitable.

Geography:

The city is on the southern end of the island.  There is a main street that goes from the main port (1) to the black market city section (2), then angles to the east. The black market city section is where Don Marko’s headquarters are, and the family has a tight hold on that section. South of that section on the west side of the main street (3) is controlled by Maurices gang. The entire city on the east side of the main street (4) is where Gabriel has the most influence. The north section (5) is controlled by Pazzesco and his cult. That is to say, Pazzesco has little presence elsewhere, and it is the area with the most Yeti problems.

Outside of the city, to the west, is the rural area (6), where people lead a very similar life to those in the city, only they live on and operate farms, and are less affected by the politics of town, and more dominated by personal control of ones own farm. On the west coast of the island, is the Pirate Cove (7), currently under tight security by an unknown pirate. North of those areas is the Frozen Wastes (8), which are designated by no other geographical marker than it’s where things stop growing, so the rural folk have no reason to venture in there. North east, are the mountains (9), where vicious creatures such as Yetis, and some reclusive humanoids live in caves.

The Events of the Past 22 Years

Year 0 is 1759 by the local calendar (not, note, the giant calendar) and 2500 by the old Hora Quan calendar.

Year 0 -- Restart the Heart of the Ocean
Year 1 -- Zho Dan starts to rebuild itself
Year 2 -- First set of twins (Leif and Freya)
-- Ea-Shamar and Dar-Shada get married
Year 3 -- Chak Itzin "materializes," complete with population (no memories)
-- Ice caves discovered beneath Xanadu
Year 4 -- Second set of twins (Annika and Halden)
-- Soern starts a magic academy
Year 5 -- Zho Dan finishes building itself, initiates formal relations with Xanadu
Year 6 -- First Ao-Manasa coup
Year 7 -- Brief war with the giants
Year 8 -- Chak Atzin's jealous god shows up (or at least, makes his presence known)
Year 9 -- Another magic showdown with Monala on the Jeweled Tree Island
Year 10 -- Blank founds Battlewitch Order
Year 11 -- Trade established with the southern cities
Year 12 -- Other Chak Atzin gods show up
Year 13 -- Jeweled Tree Island discovered to be growing
Year 14 -- Second Ao-Manasa coup
Year 15 -- Xanadu forces retake Ao-Manasa
Year 16 -- Soern takes Aed as an apprentice
Year 17 -- Giants disrupt trade with the southern cities
Year 18 -- Rumors start that Paerk is a giant snake
Year 19 -- Ghalib arrives and starts studying at the library
Year 20 -- Several sightings of a strange, unknown dragon
Year 21 -- Border skirmish with the giants
Year 22 -- Sigrid holds her summit

The exact details are still subject to change, but this lays out the broad outlines.

Notes on Litorian Society

Tribal structure—chief (either gender, more likely female simply due to numbers), council of elders, shaman / loremaster of some sort; then by age & ability. Most important virtues: honesty, responsibility, loyalty

Patrilineal; Polygamy as norm due to high ratio of females to males. Also: adult females go into a “heat” – not uncontrollable, but sex is usually encouraged during these periods due to the greater chance of conception. When not in heat, conception is very rare. (There is an old fathers’ tale of Litorians that children conceived outside of heat are more likely to be boys.)

Males, once adult, make their own tents. This signifies their availability and they are then courted by adult females. If the male agrees to take a female or females as mates, the females move into his tent and provide for him (hunting, etc.).

Considered adult at age 15. May have truename ceremony or other acknowledgement of maturity before then, but 15 is the standard age for a litorian to leave their parents’ tent.
Nomadic—tents, but no horses, or very few. The tribes follow hunting trails but make semi-permanent camps where the males raise children & small crops. Females hunt in packs, faster and more deadly as a group.

Males considered precious because of rarity—a man who fathers sons will have more women wanting him as a mate, like any other good quality.

Children are in effect raised by the whole tribe, and may not even know which of their mothers is their biological mother (although most probably do) and most likely do not care or understand why other races’ children would care.

approx. 150-200 people in tribe at any given time; many leave for a different tribe upon adulthood

Litorian tribes don't put much stock in territoriality; it's impractical to have one person lead-and thus be responsible-for too many people. Each chief is chosen by the tribe's former chief, with the majority agreement of elders and shaman, and trained to take over--who does best in what role, etc. One chief will concede authority to another chief (if tribes are together) due to greater knowledge or experience--generally peacefully, sometimes after a physical calling out. There's no bad blood between tribes; all tribes are considered really one tribe, that of Litoria. Tribes often assist one another after attacks by Rhodin tribes or after illness, natural disasters, etc.