Treatise on Eruna
PART ONE OF AN ON-GOING PROJECT (p1 done)
RASILHI'IN
It is commonly known that the people of Budum-Ishi venerate the gods in more animalistic forms, representing them with the heads and temperaments of beasts and birds. It is less commonly known that they are the last decaying remnants of an empire that once spanned much of Eruna, now all but lost to the golden sands of the Cen-Cenla desert. However, only a fraction of the Budum-Ishian nobility recall the shared history that brought about both of these facets of their culture. As yet, no outsider that has stumbled onto the truth has returned to tell of it, for these twisted aristocrats have a singular loathing of lesser mortals speaking openly of these things.
Five days' west from Njarakere lies the ruined temple-city of Ushpnath, once the spiritual heart of the lost Ishian civilization, said to have been built over a magical nexus left over from the world's creation. Whatever the truth of that claim, there was undoubtedly some powerful magic working on its inhabitants, for on the days deemed most sacred to any given god, those born on that day were possessed of the heads of animals - and more interestingly still, these heads were of the same kind for each day. With the passing of decades, the initial horror and despair changed first to acceptance, then reverence, until at last even being a relative of a Holy-Headed One, a rasilhi, was considered a literal divine blessing.
Predictably, the rasilhi'in swiftly took over all priestly duties in old Ishia. Within a century of their ascension, they had dominated the citizenry utterly and begun projecting their own natures onto the god whose holy day they were born on. Then, equally predictably, the first schisms appeared as the rasilhi'in vied for even more power for their patron deities - and purely coincidentally of course, themselves in the bargain. Entire cities became converted into temple-fortresses dedicated to the worship of a single god, and to the scorning of the rest of the pantheon.
In Ushpnath alone was retained the sanctity of the pantheon as a whole; and though they bred true among themselves, a human could birth rasilhi'in only within that city, further adding to each faction's desire to control it totally. Such a tension could only have one outcome. Politicking gave way to subterfuge, which gave way to open persecution, which gave way to civil war. The city of Ushpnath was but the first to be ripped apart. The rest of the Ishian empire followed in a cataclysm of blood and ruin, and the last of all that had been good and pure passed into memory.
The heyday of rasilhi'in might have passed with that of Ishia, but they remain a notable presence within the noble houses of Budum-Ishi and, to a lesser extent, Sefu-Ishi. This is due primarily to the Chambers of Ascension, a hideous disguising of the slave pits they still maintain in secret below the ruins of Ushpnath to bolster their flagging numbers and slow inbreeding. Despite their best efforts, the rasilhi'in have been able to produce only a few dozen births each year, for early unspeakable experiments revealed that a purely human child is produced by premature removal from the womb, as the actual change into a rasilhi comes only during a natural birth on the appropriate sacred day. Similarly, ordinary human children are born to rasilhi'in of different patrons.
Rasilhi'in typically remain unseen by the lower orders of society, save for the most trusted of their servants, and almost no outsider is permitted to look upon them, for it is believed that they are not worthy to do so. Their existence is not so much a deliberate secret, as an accidental one. Certainly such dignitaries as the ambassadors from the Wintervale and the Lords of Sin work closely with rasilhi'in, but were emissaries to be sent from the Liberated Kingdoms, they would doubtless be met by human counterparts.
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RASILHI'IN TRAITS
Age. Rasilhi'in mature slowly, reaching adulthood in their thirties, and typically living to about 150 years of age.
Size. Relative to many species, rasilhi'in vary considerably in size, typically ranging from four to seven feet in height. They are all considered Medium.
Alignment. Rasilhi'in are taught from birth that theirs is a higher, nobler purpose than that of mere mortals, who must always show deference and may be punished at the slightest hint of impudence. Nearly all rasilhi are evil, tending towards lawfulness over neutrality.
Type. Despite their peculiar origins and physiology, rasilhi'in are considered Humanoids.
Names. Rasilhi'in names are drawn from the same pool as ordinary Ishian ones.
Ability Score Increases. Rasilhi'in are groomed early to dominate the lower orders and to understand clearly the nature of this divine right. Their Wisdom and Charisma scores both increase by 1.
Aquatic. Rasilhi'in of Hahtmet-ka have functional gills and breathe water as easily as they do air. When fighting underwater, they do not suffer disadvantage on attack rolls. However, they have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on hearing, due to a lack of external ears.
Bite Attack. This quality is shared by the rasilhi'in of Padmek-ka and Absoket-ke. Whenever they take the Attack option in combat, they also snap with their powerful animal jaws as an additional attack. They are considered proficient with their jaws and a successful hit deals 1d6+Strength piercing damage.
Emissary of Heaven. Rasilhi'in of Vornok-ka are the rarest and most venerated of all, given only the best of everything. Their Strength, Dexterity, Constitution and Intelligence scores are all increased by 1. When they are not deafened, they have blindsight out to 120ft and advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on hearing. When dealing with Ishians, including other rasilhi'in, they have advantage on all Charisma checks.
High Adjudicator. Rasilhi'in of Shemzan-ke are invariably tutored in the intricacies of law and religion, to properly fulfill their function as arbiters of society. They have advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks, as well as Intelligence checks related to law or religion. Their Intelligence is also increased by 1.
Keen Sight. This quality is shared by the rasilhi'in of Shemzan-ke, Nekhbet-ka and Tenlennen-ke. They have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on sight.
Keen Smell. This quality is shared by the rasilhi'in of Padmek-ka, Nekhbet-ka and Heshket-ka. They have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on smell.
Necrophage. This quality is shared by the rasilhi'in of Nekhbet-ka, Khephri-ka and Heshket-ka. They gain adequate sustenance even from rotten or spoiled foodstuffs and liquids, and are immune to becoming diseased or poisoned from such nutrition. In addition, non-corrupted meals are twice as nourishing, so they consider what would be half rations to most creatures equivalent to a full meal.
Patient. This quality is shared by the rasilhi'in of Khephri-ka and Absoket-ke, masters of conserving their energy and striking when the time is perfect, not a moment before, whether in battle or in diplomacy. They gain advantage on Initiative checks.
Venomous. Rasilhi'in of Seket-ka lack the strength to make biting an effective combat strategy, but may harvest their venom outside of combat to apply it to a weapon. A living creature hit by such a poisoned weapon must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or suffer 5 (2d4) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. They can harvest enough venom to coat a weapon, or up to five arrows or bolts, before needing to complete a short rest to replenish the supply.
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THE ISHIAN PANTHEON AND CALENDAR
Whilst the exact details of the various beliefs and practices are difficult to ascertain, careful studies have revealed the close approximations of the Ishian pantheon to that of the Farlandish. Complicating matters is that some deities seem to have been merged or are wholly unknown - and not solely among the minor gods. Rasilhi'in are master theologians, as is only to be expected, tutored from birth in the purpose and origin. Understanding the Ishian pantheon and calendar, then, is one step towards understanding the rasilhi'in.
Each god is strongly associated with a month, preceded by a intercalary day that is deemed most sacred to that particular god. Heshtail, for example, in his Ishian guise as the Herald of Floods, is most heavily venerated in the Flood month when the great river that flows through Budum-Ishi threatens to burst its banks - following, if only they knew, the annual autumn monsoons breaking against the Greatwall Mountains three months earlier.
Each month consists of five weeks, that are each seven days in length, leaving five days left over at the end of every year (and at the end of Vornoth's sacred month) as a celebration of the pantheon entire, as well having simply survived the year. It has been suggested that Bestra's absence from the pantheon, as well as the unusual structure of the calendar, means that the calendar is a relatively recent invention designed to cover up the goddess' excision from worship.
The calendar itself is built to remember a story about the gods, telling of how they formally established the passage of the year. After the people had finished a celebration (although of what, exactly, remains unsaid), there was a grim frost that told them the good times were coming to an end - a warning from the Lord of Balance. So the people swiftly planted crops in the Bosom of Absoket-ke, the fertile earth about the river, and prayed to Great Deceiver as they harvested them, that they might outwit the coming disaster. Foolish Tenlennen-ke watched them work, exhausted merely watching them and gave no aid, so there was much left behind when the Feaster Below rose up to take it. Behind him came Heshket-ka, bringer of suffering and hunger and misery.
But those who remained strong in their faith knew the gods would not abandon them, and a great wind rose to drive away the dark gods that were causing them harm, a reward from Shemzen-ke for their obedience. The Lord of Ruination followed to complete their defeat, a light frost settling in his footsteps, and in his wake Hatmeht-ka released the purifying waters to wash clean the evil and make the land fertile again. Then the people were happy again, for they knew that the good times were coming around once more, and in the deepest waters of the flood, they heard the comforting voice of Vornok-ka, who watched over them always.
By comparison to the old Aelfarian calendar, the modern Ishian one is significantly more accurate, which makes converting dates between the two something of a hassle, even to experienced chronologists. Much of the struggle comes from trying to resolve the problem of the biannual submonth Tanaros necessary in the Aelfarian calendar, as well as getting to grips with the fifteen unusual intercalary days in the Ishian calendar. As a consequence, what few records exist in either culture detailing events from the other are quite reliably inaccurate.
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THE BETRAYERS
When the rasilhi'in first started to fight among themselves, one faction stood apart from the violence, preaching forgiveness and fellowship. For this, their corrupted brethren turned on them with unrelenting brutality, excommunicating them and casting out their patron, Athwar-ke the Jubilant Mother, from the pantheon as having betrayed the holy purpose of their creation. Those they could not kill were driven into desperate exile into the Mountains of the Sun, then even into the sea beyond where at last, in the myriad small isles of the Selfhaven Archipelago, the embittered refugees found some measure of peace.
In those days, the islands had been inhabited by a curiously peaceful race of ogre-kin, of uncertain origin - perhaps refugees themselves from the first wars with the elves, perhaps a clan stranded there by accident, perhaps even descendants of long-forgotten explorers - and the outcast rasilhi'in gratefully, if a little grudgingly, merged their culture with that of their generous Havenish hosts. In time, more than just cultures were merged, with the first union being that between Tarog Starwatcher, a ogre-kin chieftain, and Mhynua Rage-As-Bull, a rasilhi priestess.
Their love became enshrined in legend and in time, their names evolved to become those of the new hybrid offspring, though ironically the original attributions have been reversed. Asterian Havenish are almost indistinguishable from the original rasilhi stock, but they typically have explosively short tempers and a fondness for petty cruelties. By comparison, Minotaur Havenish are as broad and intimidating as any ogre, but with much of their breadth seemingly dedicated to a disarming naivety and compassion.
For over two thousand years, these twin peoples lived in complete isolation from the world, until even the exodus that brought their ancestors there was forgotten. They knew nothing of the encroachment of the Cen-Cenla across Eruna, nor of the coming of the plagues to the east, nor of the endless warring between the splinter kingdoms of the west. Then came Black Wilhelm to their shores, once the most feared corsair of Daven and newborn Kale, now master only of a single pitiful sloop that had escaped the destruction of his pirate fleet.
It was he who saw the potential in the Havenish and taught them again of the outside world, quietly stewing in his own impotent rage and lust for revenge. Though he died before he could rebuild his fleet and sail again to raid and pillage, the shamed pirate left behind a new mood that gripped the Asterians strongly. Ignoring the cautious advice of the Minotaurs, over the next few generations the more adventuresome of them built seaworthy ships to sail in secret to the lands Black Wilhelm had spoken of with such hate-filled greed. They found that the pirates who had replaced him along the Davenian coasts were little more than smugglers and bootleggers, but thirsty for more - and the Asterians saw a way to exploit this.
So it was that the Selfhaven Archipelago started down the road to becoming the pirate haven that it is still known as. On occasion, a fleet would sail out of Elder Daven or Kale City or even Hangeria, assaulting the harbor-towns and shanty-villages along the islands' coasts. But at their heart, the Asterians hid behind the protection of their Minotaur siblings until the danger was passed, before manipulating more into their service like grim puppeteers, bringing despair to their well-intentioned kin.
Time and time again, pirates gathered at the old haunts. Robert the Blue was seduced by Asterian whispers when he sought to cleanse the infestation, instead becoming a part of it. Stephan Tormsson openly founded Inharbor some three centuries later, ostensibly to serve as a trade hub, yet it would take nearly as long again for the city to be recognized as the pirate nest it truly was, now fortified beyond the ability of any normal fleet to assault. The dread vampire Kibor even forged an alliance of convenience with the Asterians, for it was in their domain that he found the one whom he would help transform into the Lord of Gluttony, Saithith the Bloated.
Indeed, it was the learning of this final terrible act which tore apart the Havenish. Most of the Minotaurs abandoned the Archipelago and sailed back to the western mountains of Eruna, leaving the Asterians behind to plot and scheme and manipulate at their leisure. Of course, the twin peoples could not so easily divided. There is regular traffic between the Archipelago and the Mountains of the Sun, as Asterian and Minotaur alike travel to that land where their temperament will be most appreciated, leaving blood-kin behind in search of their soul-brethren.
And north of the Minotaur territories, where the last crumbling cities of the old Ishians still stand, their forgotten cousins watch from the shadows, the ancient hatred of the exiled rasilhi'in as potent as ever it was, waiting for the moment to strike and purify the world of the Betrayers at long last.
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ASTERIAN AND MINOTAUR TRAITS
Age. Asterians and Minotaurs will both live to about 150 years of age, but whereas Asterians age slowly, generally reaching physical maturity in their thirties, Minotaurs are typically full-grown adults by their early teens.
Size. The average Asterian will rarely reach six feet tall at the shoulder, but their horns will typically add another foot to their height. They are Medium in size. Minotaurs are typically ten feet tall at the shoulder, with their horns able to reach a staggering three feet in length. They are Large in size.
Alignment. Nearly all Asterians live in the Selfhaven Archipelago, surrounded by pirates and schemers and brigands, and thus usually end up drifting towards evil and chaos. Minotaurs, nearly all of whom live ordered and peaceful lives in the Mountains of the Sun, tend towards good and lawfulness.
Type. Despite their peculiar origins and physiology, Asterians are considered Humanoids. Minotaurs are treated as Monstrosities. Interestingly, magical effects such as Charm Person or Dominate Person will still work on Minotaurs when used by Asterians, although the target Minotaur will have advantage on the saving throw.
Names. Both Asterian and Minotaur names are drawn from the same pool as ordinary Havenish ones.
Ability Score Decrease. Asterians and Minotaurs are not easy to get on with, being respectively emotionally distant and naturally intimidating. Their Charisma score decreases by 1.
Bearer of Burdens. Minotaurs are treated as Huge creatures when determining their carrying capacity. Their speed only drops to 10 feet when pushing or lifting weight in excess of their carrying capacity.
Demonic Interest. Asterians have unknowingly attracted the attention of Baphomet, an archdemon terrifyingly able of reining in his baser instincts to make plans centuries in advance and treat with others almost as capably as a devil. His interest in keeping them alive to study manifests as granting advantage on any one roll they make, which they may do once each time they complete a long rest. Asterians neither realize the source of their mysterious good luck, nor so much as stop to think about it.
Gore. Minotaurs may make a melee attack with their horns, dealing 2d8+Strength piercing damage if they hit. They are considered proficient with their horns. If they move at least 10 feet straight forward to a target and then hit them with a gore attack in the same turn, they inflict an additional 9 (2d8) piercing damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it must make a Strength saving throw or be thrown up to 10 feet away and knocked prone. The DC is equal to 10 + the Minotaur's Strength bonus + the Minotaur's proficiency bonus.
Labyrinthine Recall. For some reason, Asterians and Minotaurs are gifted with memories for direction, able to perfectly recall any path they have taken and navigate the most convoluted of mazes. Indeed, even the maze spell has no effect on them.
Monstrous Might. An adult Minotaur has 9d10 HD, which are treated as levels in the ranger class, except the Minotaur does not receive any Favoured Enemy or Spellcasting features. They have a natural armor bonus of +4, a speed of 40ft, and increase their Strength and Constitution scores by 2.
Ram. Asterians may make a melee weapon attack with their horns, dealing 1d6+Strength piercing damage if they hit. They are considered proficient with their horns. If they move at least 20 feet in a straight line towards a target and then hit it with a ram attack in the same turn, they inflict an additional 5 (2d4) piercing damage.
Reckless. Asterians have a particularly short temper, a curious racial memory of when their ancestors were pure rasilhi'in exiles of old Ishia. They attack furiously and savagery in combat, able to choose to gain advantage on attack rolls as a reaction for the remainder of their turn, but all attack rolls made against them will also have advantage during this time.
Twin Peoples. Asterians and Minotaurs are a literally divided race, physically and morally, but inextricably united for all this. They are unable to breed naturally outside their race, even with human or ogre-kin peoples, from which they were both descended; and their children are equally likely to be Asterian or Minotaur, regardless of what the parents themselves are. It is worth noting that, despite the bad blood between them, neither Asterian nor Minotaur will tolerate infanticide if their child is of the 'wrong' kind, considering it the most heinous of all crimes.
RASILHI'IN
It is commonly known that the people of Budum-Ishi venerate the gods in more animalistic forms, representing them with the heads and temperaments of beasts and birds. It is less commonly known that they are the last decaying remnants of an empire that once spanned much of Eruna, now all but lost to the golden sands of the Cen-Cenla desert. However, only a fraction of the Budum-Ishian nobility recall the shared history that brought about both of these facets of their culture. As yet, no outsider that has stumbled onto the truth has returned to tell of it, for these twisted aristocrats have a singular loathing of lesser mortals speaking openly of these things.
Five days' west from Njarakere lies the ruined temple-city of Ushpnath, once the spiritual heart of the lost Ishian civilization, said to have been built over a magical nexus left over from the world's creation. Whatever the truth of that claim, there was undoubtedly some powerful magic working on its inhabitants, for on the days deemed most sacred to any given god, those born on that day were possessed of the heads of animals - and more interestingly still, these heads were of the same kind for each day. With the passing of decades, the initial horror and despair changed first to acceptance, then reverence, until at last even being a relative of a Holy-Headed One, a rasilhi, was considered a literal divine blessing.
Predictably, the rasilhi'in swiftly took over all priestly duties in old Ishia. Within a century of their ascension, they had dominated the citizenry utterly and begun projecting their own natures onto the god whose holy day they were born on. Then, equally predictably, the first schisms appeared as the rasilhi'in vied for even more power for their patron deities - and purely coincidentally of course, themselves in the bargain. Entire cities became converted into temple-fortresses dedicated to the worship of a single god, and to the scorning of the rest of the pantheon.
In Ushpnath alone was retained the sanctity of the pantheon as a whole; and though they bred true among themselves, a human could birth rasilhi'in only within that city, further adding to each faction's desire to control it totally. Such a tension could only have one outcome. Politicking gave way to subterfuge, which gave way to open persecution, which gave way to civil war. The city of Ushpnath was but the first to be ripped apart. The rest of the Ishian empire followed in a cataclysm of blood and ruin, and the last of all that had been good and pure passed into memory.
The heyday of rasilhi'in might have passed with that of Ishia, but they remain a notable presence within the noble houses of Budum-Ishi and, to a lesser extent, Sefu-Ishi. This is due primarily to the Chambers of Ascension, a hideous disguising of the slave pits they still maintain in secret below the ruins of Ushpnath to bolster their flagging numbers and slow inbreeding. Despite their best efforts, the rasilhi'in have been able to produce only a few dozen births each year, for early unspeakable experiments revealed that a purely human child is produced by premature removal from the womb, as the actual change into a rasilhi comes only during a natural birth on the appropriate sacred day. Similarly, ordinary human children are born to rasilhi'in of different patrons.
Rasilhi'in typically remain unseen by the lower orders of society, save for the most trusted of their servants, and almost no outsider is permitted to look upon them, for it is believed that they are not worthy to do so. Their existence is not so much a deliberate secret, as an accidental one. Certainly such dignitaries as the ambassadors from the Wintervale and the Lords of Sin work closely with rasilhi'in, but were emissaries to be sent from the Liberated Kingdoms, they would doubtless be met by human counterparts.
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RASILHI'IN TRAITS
Age. Rasilhi'in mature slowly, reaching adulthood in their thirties, and typically living to about 150 years of age.
Size. Relative to many species, rasilhi'in vary considerably in size, typically ranging from four to seven feet in height. They are all considered Medium.
Alignment. Rasilhi'in are taught from birth that theirs is a higher, nobler purpose than that of mere mortals, who must always show deference and may be punished at the slightest hint of impudence. Nearly all rasilhi are evil, tending towards lawfulness over neutrality.
Type. Despite their peculiar origins and physiology, rasilhi'in are considered Humanoids.
Names. Rasilhi'in names are drawn from the same pool as ordinary Ishian ones.
Ability Score Increases. Rasilhi'in are groomed early to dominate the lower orders and to understand clearly the nature of this divine right. Their Wisdom and Charisma scores both increase by 1.
Aquatic. Rasilhi'in of Hahtmet-ka have functional gills and breathe water as easily as they do air. When fighting underwater, they do not suffer disadvantage on attack rolls. However, they have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on hearing, due to a lack of external ears.
Bite Attack. This quality is shared by the rasilhi'in of Padmek-ka and Absoket-ke. Whenever they take the Attack option in combat, they also snap with their powerful animal jaws as an additional attack. They are considered proficient with their jaws and a successful hit deals 1d6+Strength piercing damage.
Emissary of Heaven. Rasilhi'in of Vornok-ka are the rarest and most venerated of all, given only the best of everything. Their Strength, Dexterity, Constitution and Intelligence scores are all increased by 1. When they are not deafened, they have blindsight out to 120ft and advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on hearing. When dealing with Ishians, including other rasilhi'in, they have advantage on all Charisma checks.
High Adjudicator. Rasilhi'in of Shemzan-ke are invariably tutored in the intricacies of law and religion, to properly fulfill their function as arbiters of society. They have advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks, as well as Intelligence checks related to law or religion. Their Intelligence is also increased by 1.
Keen Sight. This quality is shared by the rasilhi'in of Shemzan-ke, Nekhbet-ka and Tenlennen-ke. They have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on sight.
Keen Smell. This quality is shared by the rasilhi'in of Padmek-ka, Nekhbet-ka and Heshket-ka. They have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on smell.
Necrophage. This quality is shared by the rasilhi'in of Nekhbet-ka, Khephri-ka and Heshket-ka. They gain adequate sustenance even from rotten or spoiled foodstuffs and liquids, and are immune to becoming diseased or poisoned from such nutrition. In addition, non-corrupted meals are twice as nourishing, so they consider what would be half rations to most creatures equivalent to a full meal.
Patient. This quality is shared by the rasilhi'in of Khephri-ka and Absoket-ke, masters of conserving their energy and striking when the time is perfect, not a moment before, whether in battle or in diplomacy. They gain advantage on Initiative checks.
Venomous. Rasilhi'in of Seket-ka lack the strength to make biting an effective combat strategy, but may harvest their venom outside of combat to apply it to a weapon. A living creature hit by such a poisoned weapon must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or suffer 5 (2d4) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. They can harvest enough venom to coat a weapon, or up to five arrows or bolts, before needing to complete a short rest to replenish the supply.
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THE ISHIAN PANTHEON AND CALENDAR
Whilst the exact details of the various beliefs and practices are difficult to ascertain, careful studies have revealed the close approximations of the Ishian pantheon to that of the Farlandish. Complicating matters is that some deities seem to have been merged or are wholly unknown - and not solely among the minor gods. Rasilhi'in are master theologians, as is only to be expected, tutored from birth in the purpose and origin. Understanding the Ishian pantheon and calendar, then, is one step towards understanding the rasilhi'in.
Each god is strongly associated with a month, preceded by a intercalary day that is deemed most sacred to that particular god. Heshtail, for example, in his Ishian guise as the Herald of Floods, is most heavily venerated in the Flood month when the great river that flows through Budum-Ishi threatens to burst its banks - following, if only they knew, the annual autumn monsoons breaking against the Greatwall Mountains three months earlier.
Each month consists of five weeks, that are each seven days in length, leaving five days left over at the end of every year (and at the end of Vornoth's sacred month) as a celebration of the pantheon entire, as well having simply survived the year. It has been suggested that Bestra's absence from the pantheon, as well as the unusual structure of the calendar, means that the calendar is a relatively recent invention designed to cover up the goddess' excision from worship.
The calendar itself is built to remember a story about the gods, telling of how they formally established the passage of the year. After the people had finished a celebration (although of what, exactly, remains unsaid), there was a grim frost that told them the good times were coming to an end - a warning from the Lord of Balance. So the people swiftly planted crops in the Bosom of Absoket-ke, the fertile earth about the river, and prayed to Great Deceiver as they harvested them, that they might outwit the coming disaster. Foolish Tenlennen-ke watched them work, exhausted merely watching them and gave no aid, so there was much left behind when the Feaster Below rose up to take it. Behind him came Heshket-ka, bringer of suffering and hunger and misery.
But those who remained strong in their faith knew the gods would not abandon them, and a great wind rose to drive away the dark gods that were causing them harm, a reward from Shemzen-ke for their obedience. The Lord of Ruination followed to complete their defeat, a light frost settling in his footsteps, and in his wake Hatmeht-ka released the purifying waters to wash clean the evil and make the land fertile again. Then the people were happy again, for they knew that the good times were coming around once more, and in the deepest waters of the flood, they heard the comforting voice of Vornok-ka, who watched over them always.
Common Name | Ishian Name | Associated Animal | Special Notes |
Heshtail the Merciful | Hatmeht-ka (Herald of Floods) | Fish | Typically represented as a great fish, too powerful to suffocate out of water, the violence of his passage dragging the waters of the world in his wake. Growing in importance as a patron of healers. |
Bestra, Lady of Goodness | Athwar-ke (Jubilant Mother) | Cattle | See notes |
Kantor the Crusader | Padmek-ka (Lord of Ruination) | Cat (75% leopard, 25% lion; both sexes of the latter commonly have manes) | Appears conflated with Thranton and Flamgart. Depicted with a sword of lightning and a crown of fire. Hailed as an unstoppable warrior who shows no mercy to his vanquished enemies. |
Neltak, Lord of Law | Shemzan-ke (Judge of Adherence) | Bird (50% ibis, 30% crane, 20% owl) | Venerated as female, appears conflated with Janora. Her most important tenets are that to defy the law is to defy the natural order of the cosmos; and that the station of one's birth is both immutable and predestined. Highest of the three judges to examine a soul upon death. |
Dekk, Lord of Balance | Nekhbet-ka (The Shadowgate Warden) | Bird (80% vulture, 20% falcon) | Appears horribly conflated with Grlarshh. Patron of embalmers and necromancers, invoked to permit the dead to return to life. One of the three judges to examine a soul upon death. |
Bel, Lord Thief | Seket-ka (Great Deceiver) | Snake (50% hooded cobra, 50% horned viper) | Patron of sorcery, lies, and vengeance. Tricked his way into becoming one of the three judges to examine a soul upon death, intending to steal away the most interesting ones for his own personal use. |
Vornoth, the Dark Walker | Vornok-ka (Watcher by Silver-and-Gold) | Bat | Grim master of the Ishian pantheon, whose all-seeing eyes are the sun and moon. It is believed that eclipses signify Vornoth giving his full attention to the mortal world. |
Tal-Allustiel, Elflord | Tenlennen-ke (The Jester of Heaven) | Swan | Venerated as female, appears conflated with Reannan and Calbran. Invariably portrayed as a naive, feckless, childish buffoon who is only still alive due to good fortune and being an amusing pet to the superior gods. A popular folk deity to be made fun of in song and poem. |
Khuldul Rockcarver, Dwarf-father | Khephri-ka (The Feaster Below) | Vermin (50% scarab beetle, 25% scorpion, 25% spider) | Rasilhi'in of Khephri-ka are loathed by necromancers for depriving them of valuable material. They dispose of the corpses of particularly reviled individuals by eating them, symbolically assuaging the terrible hunger of Khephri-ka, who otherwise must content with the most unworthy of souls condemned by all three judges. |
Khuckduck Gemcutter | Heshket-ka (The Scuttling Despoiler) | Vermin (60% rodent, 40% mustelid) | Appears conflated with Bunga Proudfoot. Considered a bringer of plague and herald of woe, sent to punish and torment the unrighteous, without regard for harming the righteous as well. Has massively grown in importance since the absence of Athwar-ke, who formerly and formally opposed him as patron of healers. |
Aknor the True | Absoket-ke (She Who Waits) | Crocodile | Venerated as female, appears conflated with Salystra. Has informally replaced Athwar-ke as patron of women and motherhood. Teaches that perfection is patience and practice. |
By comparison to the old Aelfarian calendar, the modern Ishian one is significantly more accurate, which makes converting dates between the two something of a hassle, even to experienced chronologists. Much of the struggle comes from trying to resolve the problem of the biannual submonth Tanaros necessary in the Aelfarian calendar, as well as getting to grips with the fifteen unusual intercalary days in the Ishian calendar. As a consequence, what few records exist in either culture detailing events from the other are quite reliably inaccurate.
Ishian Month | Associated God | Rough Conversion |
Amekser, Second Frost | Nekhbet-ka | Late Kantalos to middle Neltalos |
Shefzi, Sowing of Earth | Absoket-ke | Middle Neltalos and Thrantos |
Aphenzi, Child From Earth | Seket-ka | Bestalos |
Kanku, Weariness | Tenlennen-ke | Heshtalos to early Janoros |
Ketsi, Foreboding | Khephri-ka | Early Janoros to middle Reeanos |
Ophuk, Torment | Heshket-ka | Middle Reeanos to late Flamgos |
Ptath, Great Winds | Shemzan-ke | Late Flamgos and Calbros |
Amekur, First Frost | Padmek-ka | Dekkos to early Belos |
Meht, Flood | Hatmeht-ka | Early Belos to middle Vornos |
Vorphu, Deepest Water | Vornok-ka | Middle Vornos to late Kantalos |
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THE BETRAYERS
When the rasilhi'in first started to fight among themselves, one faction stood apart from the violence, preaching forgiveness and fellowship. For this, their corrupted brethren turned on them with unrelenting brutality, excommunicating them and casting out their patron, Athwar-ke the Jubilant Mother, from the pantheon as having betrayed the holy purpose of their creation. Those they could not kill were driven into desperate exile into the Mountains of the Sun, then even into the sea beyond where at last, in the myriad small isles of the Selfhaven Archipelago, the embittered refugees found some measure of peace.
In those days, the islands had been inhabited by a curiously peaceful race of ogre-kin, of uncertain origin - perhaps refugees themselves from the first wars with the elves, perhaps a clan stranded there by accident, perhaps even descendants of long-forgotten explorers - and the outcast rasilhi'in gratefully, if a little grudgingly, merged their culture with that of their generous Havenish hosts. In time, more than just cultures were merged, with the first union being that between Tarog Starwatcher, a ogre-kin chieftain, and Mhynua Rage-As-Bull, a rasilhi priestess.
Their love became enshrined in legend and in time, their names evolved to become those of the new hybrid offspring, though ironically the original attributions have been reversed. Asterian Havenish are almost indistinguishable from the original rasilhi stock, but they typically have explosively short tempers and a fondness for petty cruelties. By comparison, Minotaur Havenish are as broad and intimidating as any ogre, but with much of their breadth seemingly dedicated to a disarming naivety and compassion.
For over two thousand years, these twin peoples lived in complete isolation from the world, until even the exodus that brought their ancestors there was forgotten. They knew nothing of the encroachment of the Cen-Cenla across Eruna, nor of the coming of the plagues to the east, nor of the endless warring between the splinter kingdoms of the west. Then came Black Wilhelm to their shores, once the most feared corsair of Daven and newborn Kale, now master only of a single pitiful sloop that had escaped the destruction of his pirate fleet.
It was he who saw the potential in the Havenish and taught them again of the outside world, quietly stewing in his own impotent rage and lust for revenge. Though he died before he could rebuild his fleet and sail again to raid and pillage, the shamed pirate left behind a new mood that gripped the Asterians strongly. Ignoring the cautious advice of the Minotaurs, over the next few generations the more adventuresome of them built seaworthy ships to sail in secret to the lands Black Wilhelm had spoken of with such hate-filled greed. They found that the pirates who had replaced him along the Davenian coasts were little more than smugglers and bootleggers, but thirsty for more - and the Asterians saw a way to exploit this.
So it was that the Selfhaven Archipelago started down the road to becoming the pirate haven that it is still known as. On occasion, a fleet would sail out of Elder Daven or Kale City or even Hangeria, assaulting the harbor-towns and shanty-villages along the islands' coasts. But at their heart, the Asterians hid behind the protection of their Minotaur siblings until the danger was passed, before manipulating more into their service like grim puppeteers, bringing despair to their well-intentioned kin.
Time and time again, pirates gathered at the old haunts. Robert the Blue was seduced by Asterian whispers when he sought to cleanse the infestation, instead becoming a part of it. Stephan Tormsson openly founded Inharbor some three centuries later, ostensibly to serve as a trade hub, yet it would take nearly as long again for the city to be recognized as the pirate nest it truly was, now fortified beyond the ability of any normal fleet to assault. The dread vampire Kibor even forged an alliance of convenience with the Asterians, for it was in their domain that he found the one whom he would help transform into the Lord of Gluttony, Saithith the Bloated.
Indeed, it was the learning of this final terrible act which tore apart the Havenish. Most of the Minotaurs abandoned the Archipelago and sailed back to the western mountains of Eruna, leaving the Asterians behind to plot and scheme and manipulate at their leisure. Of course, the twin peoples could not so easily divided. There is regular traffic between the Archipelago and the Mountains of the Sun, as Asterian and Minotaur alike travel to that land where their temperament will be most appreciated, leaving blood-kin behind in search of their soul-brethren.
And north of the Minotaur territories, where the last crumbling cities of the old Ishians still stand, their forgotten cousins watch from the shadows, the ancient hatred of the exiled rasilhi'in as potent as ever it was, waiting for the moment to strike and purify the world of the Betrayers at long last.
*****
ASTERIAN AND MINOTAUR TRAITS
Age. Asterians and Minotaurs will both live to about 150 years of age, but whereas Asterians age slowly, generally reaching physical maturity in their thirties, Minotaurs are typically full-grown adults by their early teens.
Size. The average Asterian will rarely reach six feet tall at the shoulder, but their horns will typically add another foot to their height. They are Medium in size. Minotaurs are typically ten feet tall at the shoulder, with their horns able to reach a staggering three feet in length. They are Large in size.
Alignment. Nearly all Asterians live in the Selfhaven Archipelago, surrounded by pirates and schemers and brigands, and thus usually end up drifting towards evil and chaos. Minotaurs, nearly all of whom live ordered and peaceful lives in the Mountains of the Sun, tend towards good and lawfulness.
Type. Despite their peculiar origins and physiology, Asterians are considered Humanoids. Minotaurs are treated as Monstrosities. Interestingly, magical effects such as Charm Person or Dominate Person will still work on Minotaurs when used by Asterians, although the target Minotaur will have advantage on the saving throw.
Names. Both Asterian and Minotaur names are drawn from the same pool as ordinary Havenish ones.
Ability Score Decrease. Asterians and Minotaurs are not easy to get on with, being respectively emotionally distant and naturally intimidating. Their Charisma score decreases by 1.
Bearer of Burdens. Minotaurs are treated as Huge creatures when determining their carrying capacity. Their speed only drops to 10 feet when pushing or lifting weight in excess of their carrying capacity.
Demonic Interest. Asterians have unknowingly attracted the attention of Baphomet, an archdemon terrifyingly able of reining in his baser instincts to make plans centuries in advance and treat with others almost as capably as a devil. His interest in keeping them alive to study manifests as granting advantage on any one roll they make, which they may do once each time they complete a long rest. Asterians neither realize the source of their mysterious good luck, nor so much as stop to think about it.
Gore. Minotaurs may make a melee attack with their horns, dealing 2d8+Strength piercing damage if they hit. They are considered proficient with their horns. If they move at least 10 feet straight forward to a target and then hit them with a gore attack in the same turn, they inflict an additional 9 (2d8) piercing damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it must make a Strength saving throw or be thrown up to 10 feet away and knocked prone. The DC is equal to 10 + the Minotaur's Strength bonus + the Minotaur's proficiency bonus.
Labyrinthine Recall. For some reason, Asterians and Minotaurs are gifted with memories for direction, able to perfectly recall any path they have taken and navigate the most convoluted of mazes. Indeed, even the maze spell has no effect on them.
Monstrous Might. An adult Minotaur has 9d10 HD, which are treated as levels in the ranger class, except the Minotaur does not receive any Favoured Enemy or Spellcasting features. They have a natural armor bonus of +4, a speed of 40ft, and increase their Strength and Constitution scores by 2.
Ram. Asterians may make a melee weapon attack with their horns, dealing 1d6+Strength piercing damage if they hit. They are considered proficient with their horns. If they move at least 20 feet in a straight line towards a target and then hit it with a ram attack in the same turn, they inflict an additional 5 (2d4) piercing damage.
Reckless. Asterians have a particularly short temper, a curious racial memory of when their ancestors were pure rasilhi'in exiles of old Ishia. They attack furiously and savagery in combat, able to choose to gain advantage on attack rolls as a reaction for the remainder of their turn, but all attack rolls made against them will also have advantage during this time.
Twin Peoples. Asterians and Minotaurs are a literally divided race, physically and morally, but inextricably united for all this. They are unable to breed naturally outside their race, even with human or ogre-kin peoples, from which they were both descended; and their children are equally likely to be Asterian or Minotaur, regardless of what the parents themselves are. It is worth noting that, despite the bad blood between them, neither Asterian nor Minotaur will tolerate infanticide if their child is of the 'wrong' kind, considering it the most heinous of all crimes.