Codex of Thayne Lore

The most popular religion of Althanas

The Core Deities

The Elder Thayne Deities and the City-States they championed.

Hromagh the Strong, Kachuck (Alerar)

Aspect: Strength, Beasts, Retribution, and Wrath.
Center of Worship: A temple of his stands atop a plateau, somewhere in Kachuck.
Manifestation: Often depicted with the head of a bull, paws and mane in the semblance of a lion, and the body more or less of an upright bear. His size and weight is often depicted as variable, although it is generally accepted that he is of overwhelming size and stature. Depicted as male.
Mannerisms: The “beast god” is known for his temper, and is said to be easily angered and provoked, with a reaction much, much more terrible than originally conceived. Illiterate, and speaks through body language: primarily his eyes. Native American, Norse, and Hatian in theme.

Acts Attributed to Hromagh: Mass unrest in the actions of beasts and a worldwide tendency toward strife.

Chief Relic: The Madstone (See Relics and Artifacts).

Khal'jaren the Sage, the Black Desert (Raiaera)

Aspect: Intelligence, Knowledge, Mathematics, Linguistics, History, Learning, and Arthropods.
Center of Worship: An extensive library and observatory stands in the midst of the Black Desert as his center of his favor, now fallen into disrepair, yet still used.
Manifestation: Whenever he manifests, either in dreams or otherwise, he takes the shape of a man-sized mantis. The patterns on his compound eyes have been characterized as a plotting of a mathematical equation so complex, it’s inconceivable to mortal minds.
Mannerisms: The “sage god” is humble, yet can be somewhat patronizing in his seemingly infinite knowledge. When angered, he forms the most intricate plots towards someone’s downfall. When appeased, he grants his knowledge and counsel. Enigmatic, yet benevolent to those he deems worthy. Depicted as male. Middle Eastern in theme.
Acts Attributed to Khal'jaren: Cultural Golden Ages, Dark Ages, and all things having to do with learning. He prefers to have less direct influence, and simply influence individuals and cultures toward greatness.
Chief Relic: The Panopticon (See Relics and Artifacts).

Draconus the Ancient, Gorandis (Corone)

Aspect: Constitution, Endurance, Fortitude, Longsuffering, Peace, Sloth, and Reptile-like creatures.
Center of Worship: An ancient fortress stands somewhere in Corone, high walls and stable embattlements. No signs of wear at all.
Manifestation: Reptilian and male, with characteristics of most reptiles all rolled into one. He usually is presented with a large ruff of skin behind his head (very similar to a “Frilled Dragon”). He presents himself as an enormous dragon, stricken with a blight of slow decay. His manifestations are often a progression of him going from healthy, to decaying into a rotting undead creature due to his being trapped in the Antifirmament (See Planes of Existence).
Mannerisms: Calm, yet bitter. He can be extremely dangerous when his anger gains momentum, although he is characteristically slow to act. For this reason, his acts of aggression are often seen as unwarranted, simply because they’re so far detached from the provoking event. He is the embodiment of the concept of armor in both body and attitude, and is extremely difficult to move once he’s set his mind on something. At times he can be very stubborn, with a love for riches and grandeur. Also referenced under the titles of “Wyrm-God” and “the Drowned God.” Roman, Mesopotamian, and Incan in theme.
Acts Attributed to Draconus: Destruction from an unknown source, survival against overwhelming odds, stirring of dragon-like or draconian creatures from their slumber.
Chief Relic: Greylock’s Warsuit (See Relics and Artifacts).

Y'edda the Wild, Ruild (Concordia)

Aspect: Dexterity, Cunning, Precision, Accuracy, Escape, Revolution, and winged creatures.
Center of Worship: Ruild, a druid-town high in the Concordian canopy, is a shrine occupied by wood-dwarves who believe their town stands atop the shoulders of the fabled Root Walker (See Bestiary).
Manifestation: Always female, and usually bird-like, she often takes the shape of a beautiful yet wild woman clad in woven vines, feather jewelry, and beadwork. When in bird form, she most often takes the shape of a bird of prey of unique coloring. The fastest thing in the sky. Also known as “Sky Queen,” “the Rogue,” and “Sky Mother.”
Mannerisms: A born fun-loving daredevil; meeting all challenges with every inclination of success. Y’edda values freedom above all things, and has proven herself to be not only impossible to cage, but an escape artist as well. She is the most elusive of all deities, and you get her attention, keeping it can be an infinitely frustrating task. Asian in theme.
Acts Attributed to Y'edda: Widely varied, as her intentions are chiefly her own, although protection of the Concordian Realm is one of her concerns.
Chief Relic: Light of the Ebon Brand (See Relics and Artifacts).

Jomil the Hermitess, Wilderlands (Berevar)

Aspect: Wisdom, Unmaking, Entropy, Amphibians, Chaos, Introversion, and Sadness.
Center of Worship: Technically, it is everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Jomil travels constantly, thus taking the “axis mundi” of her influence with her wherever she goes. She never stays in one place for too long, although she always returns to a region of Berevar she refers to as the Wilderlands.
Manifestation: Female. Almost always, she manifests as a humanoid clad in a ragged, burlap robe. According to accounts, however, of those who saw her bare skin, she has a pale blue-green tinge to her flesh, with irregularly placed dark teal flecks, and rivals the beauty of her sister V’dralla. Despite her dress, she seems impervious to Salvar’s biting cold. Also known as the “Queen of Unmaking,” because in her presence, there is a high chance that mortal-crafted objects begin to corrode.
Mannerisms: Extremely humble, and assumes everyone thinks she’s hideous as most of the attention has been given to her sister, V’dralla. A quiet and gentle soul, she has tendencies to collapse into herself and leave everything behind (often in ruins). Nearly obsessed with her appearance, although in a tragic, negative sense. One of her biggest flaws can be her tendency to be self-defeating. Slavic in theme.
Acts Attributed to Jomil: Mushrooms in a staggered line (said to sprout in her footsteps), devolution, retrograde motion of stars, low tide, wilting of plant life.
Chief Relic: The Icehenge (See Relics and Artifacts).

V'dralla the Fair, Bal Cada (Elorren)

Aspect: Charisma, Beauty, Persuasion, Fertility, Nature, Immortality, the Elements, and Narcissism.
Center of Worship: There are rumors of a hidden shrine to her on the island village of Bal Cada, said to possess revitalizing waters with the ability to grant youth to the weary.
Manifestation: Female and faery-like. As the dominant force of nature, she has four prime manifestations in concordance with the four seasons. Winter gives her a pale allure that’s led many an adventurer to a freezing death. Summer, however, is a radiant figure that can blind those who dare to look at her. Her spring manifestation is, by nature of the season, quite fruitful and supple. Autumn, in contrast, is the exact opposite. Where her spring manifestation bestows youth and new life, her autumn manifestation saps youth, for a rebestowing of it in the spring. Her purpose here is that of a pruner, constantly giving life to some beings, and taking it away from others.
Mannerisms: Vain. Extremely vain. She feeds off of compliments, and rewards flattery with pleasure, thus leading her to be one of the more popular deities among males. She is, by her very nature, a femme fatale. V’dralla has been said to be somewhat playfully cruel, in leading men blindly to their deaths with her beauty.

Acts Attributed to V'dralla: Changing of the seasons, high tide, natural disasters, rampant growth, disease, fertility and lack thereof.

Chief Relic: The Cup to V’dralla (See Relics and Artifacts).

The Lesser Thayne

Narnal'neth: A male, half-celestial creature that sired an inbreeding, matriarchal race known as the Hegido. Not much is known about this demigod, other than him being very family oriented and suspicious of outsiders. Their system of nomenclature is quite unique, in that the first generation is Narnal’neth himself, whereas other cultures have a tendency to list first generation stock after the patriarch/matriarch (See Bloodlines).

N’jal: Female. By all rights, N’jal should be an Elder Thayne, although she has been forsaken by the other six. In The Siring (See The Book of Thayne), when the single entity known as the Thayne divided itself into seven parts, there were six portions of it that had inherently distinctly and positive force. What was left over, however, what was left over was the being’s negative force: a destroying and corrupting energy that manifested itself in the form of a foul-looking spider, banished to an asteroid in far orbit around Althanas. She has since sworn to bring back The Days of the Torrent (See The Book of Thayne), and bring a great remaking upon the world. Her disciples, known as the Children of N’jal (See Cults and Sects), are furthering this goal. Understanding that for her revenge to be complete, she mustn't strike down the other Thayne, as her own power will always be tied to theirs. Instead, once the world became rich, and opulent with wealth and resources, she would begin her descent on Althanas not as a spider descends from a ceiling, but with the entire craggy asteroid that she was imprisoned on, thus creating a planet-wide rebirth, and begin again the Days of the Torrent. She currently has no recognized centers of worship, or relics to speak of, and her chapter in the Book of Thayne has either been removed from all copies of the text and hidden, or outright destroyed. It is said that through this book, the path to becoming a N’jalian Mage (See Bestiary) can be taken. Ronus: Male. A dwarven ancient about as old as the mountains themselves, Ronus is said to have communed with V’Dralla (See The Elder Thayne), which could very well mean that he is immortal. Ronus is rumored to have the power to summon the fabled Rootwalker (See Bestiary).

Stil'Khan: Male. Stil’Khan is said to possess an amazing understanding of science and the function of the world, and even rumored to have brought innovations such as the wheel and pully, and lever systems to Althanas. According to legend, he was supposedly cast into isolation for the crime of murdering his wife and fellow lesser Thayne, Ta'Rah, and has never been seen since. Stil'Kahn was a Human with sparkling blue eyes that seemed to glow with a strange inner light when he worked on his many projects. His skin was evenly tanned despite his lack of exposure to sunlight. Legend says his love for his wife brought all the light he needed to his life. Current appearance, if alive, is unknown. However, despite his human physiology, he spawned an entire different race of creature known as the Stilkink (See Expanded Player Races).

Ta'Rah: Female. A powerful geomancer whose blood was spilt on the very land she cultivated, she was believed by some to have been resurrected by an Elder Thayne. In life, Ta'Rah was an elegant human female. Long orange hair adorned her head and sparkling green eyes shone from her face. She commonly wore green linen robes usually coated in dirt as she often worked the land creating her many gardens. Current appearance is unknown. She spawned the Geohm race, a people who speak to the rocks of the earth. In truth they are speaking to Ta'Rah who uses the earth on which her blood was spilt to communicate to her children. Few know of the Geohm (See Expanded Player Races).

The Many Planes

Firmament: The material world that we can all see and touch. That which occurs in the Firmament affects the Antifirmament directly.

Antifirmament: The world of ghosts, and spirits that haven't passed to the afterlife. Grey, hollow, and desolate, that which occurs in the Antifirmament affects the Firmament directly. The Great Nether: Damnation. All curses that were put over a being's head in life befall him tenfold in the Great Nether: a place of continuous death, torture, plague, and overwhelming strife - a constant, never-ending melee Phantaria: The nexus between all planes of existence that ties them together and links them while simultaneously keeping them apart - a land of doors.

The Lands of Judgment

The Containment: The place of ultimate judgment, where decrees made in the Pyre are carried out, characterized by a fate-crafting forge upon which new lives are struck.

The Pyre: Souls who haven't proven themselves to be either benevolent or maleficent are placed atop the Pyre to determine their next life. The Elder Thayne gods create the being's body in whatever form the flames craft.

The Two Gates

Dream-Gate: Nightmares stem from the Antifirmament and extend into the Firmament, and "astral projection" broadly conceived places one's mind in the Antifirmament (and possibly the Containment). A gate traveled subconsciously by most, though 'mind walkers' use this gate to prey on their victims.

Wulfgrud, The Dream-Gate Guardian

As a shield maiden of the same time and land as Björmund, but as his antithesis. She's nowhere near as fatigued as her direling (See Expanded Player Races) counterpart, as she hasn't been fighting nearly every attempt to pass through her gate. She's much more permissive in that regard, though fending off the projected mind is much easier than something's spiritual existence, she feels it best to allow the living to hear what the dead have to say in their dreams. She does have trouble with the occasional mortal turning ethereal or extending their consciousness into her realm, and the few that make it past generally have little effect on the Antifirmament.

Wulfgrud is armed with a magical throwing axe named Whyrm, that returns to her grasp after striking its target. Her shield is coated with a mirrored finish, that traps projected consciousness attempting to cross the gate, and sends it back to its native plane. She wears no armor, but rather the clothes of a peasant. One must be more lithe and wary to combat a mind's onslaught. Death-Gate: Haunting and some forms of undead travel the Death-Gate to the Firmament, and the recently departed travel to the Antifirmament where they are taken to the Lands of Judgment.

Bjormund, The Death-Gate Guardian

A direling as ancient as the continent of Salvar itself. He stands firm under the arch of bone, through which the dead are said to pass when they travel to the Antifirmament. Each soul requires his permission to pass in and out, though he's much more concerned with keeping souls from leaking out of the Antifirmament, than keeping them from getting in.

Resting his arms on an enormous claymore, Bjormund is clothed from head to toe in furs and stands like a mountain in the midst of a blistering, biting arctic wind. He becomes more tired with every passing day, allowing a few spirits to slip past his wavering guard.

Cults and Sects

The Mark of Bjormund - Accepting Members

Overview: A collection of priests, paladins, metaphysicists, and hunters of the undead who specialize in tracking down the dead and returned beings that slip past Björmund's (See Planes of Existence) guard. Highly elusive and somewhat detached from society, preferring to focus on their sacred duties, they wear no defining clothes of any sort.

The Children of N'jal - Accepting Members

Overview: Also known as the N'jalian Magi (see Bestiary. They were once mostly wood-elves, but their lust for knowledge the power gained thereby led them down a path of rot and abomination. Known to reside in a specific part of the Concordian forest, they very rarely venture out of their realm, preferring to drink of the unholy powers emanating from the trees themselves. Those that do are often much weaker than those living in Concordia. They are quite easy to distinguish from other creatures. In most accounts, they have been noted as having distinctively elven torsos atop a giant spider's thorax, although other races have been sighted converting to N’jal’s cult. They are eyeless, earless, tongueless, and noseless, preferring to focus all sense on touch alone. Slipping by them unnoticed is nearly impossible, as their home is riddled with their silken threads. They are immensely strong, and incredibly quiet. A single touch will infect a victim with a soul-rotting blight. It is this same blight that Draconus the Ancient (see Core Thayne Deities) was infected with.

The Knights of Dawn - Accepting Members

Overview: An underground network of humans bent on the eradication of all non-human sentient species. They are usually seen wearing a patch embroidered with what looks like an armored fist, behind which radiate a burst of sun rays. They are presumed to be inactive.

The Hex Magi - Accepting Members History: In order to understand the magic, one must first understand its reason for being created. 2000 years ago, the demons waged wars that ravaged nations, and destroyed Civilizations. At that time there existed a kingdom, trying desperately to fight back, located in Berevar. As the war waged on the king saw many en dying on the field of battle, yet the results were the same, it seemed that for every demon slain, ten more took their place.

At that time the King assembled his brightest scholars, Lazarus the Artificer, Mordechai the Magician, Marius the sorcerer, and Aleric the Conjurer. Each had specialty in his own field concerning the realm of magic, perhaps the most potent tool in the fight against the Demons. As they toiled away each created a field of magic, or artifacts of great power, and in turn tried to protect their kingdom to the fullest. Mordechai’s creation was Hex Magic, a magic that was born in artificially created Homunculi that would fight the demons, with viciously potent magic, that forms mid battle.

The results were admirable, the created humans would rush forth into battle and few would die, taking slews of the Demons with them. As Mordechai gained favor for his creations he began to grow corrupt, instilling his magic into Nobles around the castle, with a far different agenda than the first generation of Hex Magi. It was this second Generation that would forever be known as the Brood of Mordechai. While the first generation was sterile as a precaution, the second generation was not. It is known that of the seven bloodlines that were tainted by Mordechai’s vile magic, only two have survived to today. The Dahlios bloodline, once a proud line of humans that protected the king with their all, and the Demorio bloodline, the Elf Ambassador from Raiarae, are the only recorded bloodlines to have survived.

As Mordechai imbued his vile ilk with Hex Magic he began to corrupt them into loyal minions. Each would specialize in a separate art of Hex Magic, and it is to great relief that none of these bloodlines has intermingled, as recorded. Of the seven Traitor Generals only two survived the Traitor’s War. However each was a physical specimen, glorifying Mordechai’s ability to manipulate the very souls of his brood. There are however, rumors of a specimen created by combining the bloodlines of all seven Traitor Generals. This Homunculus is only recorded in history as Mordechai’s Mistake and is presumed dead.

The Generations: There are four generations of Hex Magi, each stronger than the last in terms of magic they can draw upon. It is for this reason that the Hex magi are sought and destroyed. When creating a Hex Magi, understand that each generation gets rarer the closer to pure blood you get. Small enclaves of First Generation Hex Magi exist, but hide for many years, only leaving to gain more genetic code from existing bloodline mages in order to prevent pure inbred dead end mutation.

For the purposes of this exercise assume it is possible to have four tendencies towards hex magic. For every one you have, the stronger the magic carried within. When two Hex Magi breed, they each donate two of their tendencies towards the child. However, there is a chance that if they are missing a tendency, they will only give one, instead of two. In the case of a Hex Magi coupling with a non mage, there would only be two.

First Generation – These are the purest strain of Hex Magi, containing four tendencies towards Hex Magic. These mages are capable of taking any spell known to man, and even powers that the gods themselves would use during the Demon Wars. They are the direct descendants of the Traitor Generals and because of this, they are often hunted in order to try and prevent another rise of the Hex magi. The ratio of powers to soul paid is often a low ratio yielding more power for their soul. Because of this they resist corruption better, but if they should fall, are nearly impossible to recover.

Second Generation – Second generations contain three tendencies and have access to every spell known to man. Because of this they are still hunted with intensity, but they can be often left to their own devices. Often these being are created when someone doesn’t know of their heritage. They are more prone to corruption, having to pay more of their soul to gain power.

Third Generation – Have two tendencies towards the magic. They are able to take a few of the more powerful spells known to men, but are often restricted to weaker spells. Because of this they often pay even more for their spells, easier to recover from their fall to corruption, third generations are the most common form of mage.

Fourth Generation – One Tendency marks the fourth generation. Often restricted to weaker spells, fourth generation Hex Magi pay the most for their abilities often getting a couple of weak spells for their trouble. Because of this they are also the easiest to recover from corruption, as they do not have such a strong taint on their souls. Fourth Generations are often awakened on accident, and upon doing so often live normal lives, only taking spells the help with their everyday lives.

The Awakened: Hex Magi do not begin their paths to corruption by themselves. In order for them to become full fledged magi they must first go through the awakening. The awakening is simplistic, and yet it is because of the two step process often needed to use it they remain unaware of their natures. The process begins by Hex Magic being cast upon a person, allowing the magic to resonate in the body of the Magi, awakening it. This will begin the siren call, the programming of Mordecahi to kill all non Hex Magi.

The second part is the mage must know their heritage. Often a mage will know the call to battle to stressful situations. The sirens voice tempting them to danger, however, they will not know what it means. It isn’t until their potential is divulged that they even begin to understand the call, and further how to harvest it for a spell. The first Hex magi were awakened by Mordechai, in order to ensure they would be properly trained in awakening others, and that they would know their heritage.

Known Problems: It is known that any part of a dragon will dispel any hex magic a mage can cast. This is because of the overpowering nature of Draconic magic. Because of this, to a Hex Magi, Dragon material does not exist in their world.

The Conjurer Aleric was not without thought. Seeing Mordechai’s betrayal he modified his own branch of magic Spirit Magic in order to counteract the effects of Hex Magic. To represent this, spirit Magi will not trigger any new abilities in a Hex Magi.

Creating a Spell: A spell is created only in a stressful situation, or time of intense emotion. It will begin with a piece of the soul resonating in the mage, making its presence known. After the magic in the mage has assessed the situation, it will produce the best spell possible to counter the effects of the situation. This means a slow spell would be produced against a rather fast opponent, or a reversal spell against a potent spell, they mage cannot possibly dodge or survive.

Relics and Artifacts

Cup to V’Dralla: An ornate goblet made of silver, the cup is shaped like a group of twisting vines that come together to form a cupped flower of sorts that holds about a quart of liquid. With emeralds crested into the sides, its value is hardly concievable. The cup allows the summoning of a fey type creature to answer either two yes or no questions or one of any kind. The question can be about the future, present or even past, and also may concern information about other people. However, to activate this ability, the user must fill the cup to the brim with fresh morning dew, a task as frustrating as finding the cup itself. As a matter of fact, the cup will take approximately either five completed threads, or forty-five posts to fill up. If a player opts to five completed threads, he or she have to at least fill the cup ICly four times during the thread, and if you do the forty-five post requirement, then you obviously count every time you post in the action in a thread. After the character has gathered all the required dew, then he or she must drink from the cup and then the fey will be summoned after a prayer to V’Dralla.

The Panopticon: (To be edited)

Prism of Reflections: Khal'Jaren's solid, septupled Prism in which a grey cloud presides. The prism, when held up to a person, will change the grey cloud inside into a different color reflecting the alignment of the target. Hence, a good target will result in the cloud becoming white, and an evil target, in the cloud clouding over in black. Also, if the target follows one of the Elder Thayne (or N'jal), the cloud will have a tinge of a color associated with the specific deity, which are as follows.

N'jal- Red
Draconus- Blue
Khal-Jaren- Yellow
Jomil-Violet
Hromagh-Orange
V'dralla- Green
Y'edda- Teal

Temper of Hromagh: A marble sized orb with orange stripes spiraling around it. The sphere remains cool and clear the majority of the time, but when the owner becomes either enraged or deeply saddened, the orb reacts in one of two ways. If the owner of the orb is a follower of the deity Hromagh, then these two effects are controled and commanded. If not, the user may suffer the ill effects as well.

Enraged - The orb intensifies in color and in temperature, and soon afterwards the air around the orb spontaneously combusts and is consumed in flames.

Saddened - The orb dims to a smokey grey, then emits a ash-filled haze; thus creating a smokescreen about the user. The Madstone: Hromagh's Madstone comes in the form of a rock-hard concretion of bone, hair, and sinew. This small totem bestows mystic powers to those who understand its secrets. As the stone is never predictable, its effects range from three which are easily determined by rolling a 6-sided die, having someone guess a number between 1-3 (2-6, 3-9, whatever), or some other completely random means. One effect is strictly positive. Another has both benefits and drawbacks. The last has only drawbacks, and no benefit to the user whatsoever. To envoke the stone's ability, one must actively concentrate with the stone as a point of focus.

Positive Effect: User gains a boost in strength. 50 lbs * (character level + 1.5) for a short while (3 posts or so).

Neutral Effect: User gains the ability to use a sort of mystic divination, but his mad ramblings can only be comprehended by himself. What he learns is impossible to impart in any sort of communication, and makes the user impossible to understand as long as he posesses the knowledge bestowed upon him. Being able to clear one's mind, then, becomes a skill highly valued.

Negative Effect: User no longer sees the material plane, and can only see things in other planes of existance. This makes the madstone quite a dangerous object to envoke while in a threatening situation. Luckily this state only lasts 1 or 2 posts.

The Icehenge: In the frozen reaches of Berevar, one would expect to find nothing but the cold touch of death. However, when one thinks of it, it would be hard to find a place more suitable for the Goddess of Wisdom and Sadness. Everything about the barren wasteland embodies Jomil's humility, and knowledge awaits those who can see past the icy rags of the landscape. Standing firmly upon the frigid plain is a circle of incoherent blocks of frozen rock. A shining layer of thick ice has encompassed every single one. It is said that this ice is unbreakable, eternal, protected by Jomil's personal, divine favour. When a worthy combatant stands inside the circle, he will see that his appearance is reflected by each and every one of those stones, their image as clear as a mirror.

The Icehenge thereby delivers the opportunity for such a heroic personality to fight their mirror image, a doppelganger, if you will. For many, the image of seeing themselves stepping out of one of Jomil's stones is frightening enough to chase them away from this sacred, desolate place; yet those who persevere may take up the challenge by pointing their weapon at their counterpart. Only the challenger may enter the circle; characters foolish enough to linger within while the challenge is underway will instantly die of magical frostbite, no matter how fiery their soul.

In the Icehenge, a warrior is confronted with his own qualities and weaknesses. The doppelganger is inhuman, perfect in its movements, but it cannot use any skill or spell that the challenger is not capable of. The fight continues until either combatant dies. There are no retries; should the challenger ever leave the icy circle, the mirror image will vanish, and they will not be allowed to do it again. Should one survive such a battle, one would attain true introspective insight. It is a transcendence that few can hope to achieve, but a great reward awaits those who succeed.

The Frost Eye: (To be edited)

Draconus's Tooth: A great curved sword made of one of the Ancient's very teeth. It is covered in runes, with a highly polished crossguard and an inlaid stone that resembles a reptilian eye. Thick bars of silver wind round the crossguard straddling a hilt wrapped with comfortable rayskin and contoured with spiralling silver wire. Since the blade is from the very mouth of a Thayne Deity, it is extremely strong. The point is said to be so sharp, that it is capable of peircing the strongest defenses, magical or physical.

The runes translated are largely poisonous or with origins in fire, enabling the blade to be set aflame, and when cut, a victim may find that his blood begins to clot in his very veins. An ultimate weapon for any swordsman, Draconus's Tooth is a furious thing with a history bathed in the blood of thousands.

Light of the Ebon-Brand: A ring that sat on the very finger of the Thayne Deity, Y'edda. It's band is formed of cut, fine onyx, carved with great detail and elegant depictions of hawks and eagles, the most noble of birds. The stone that sits upon the ring is of untold origin, inside of which lays a small, supernatural black storm cloud.

While at first the ability may seem random, when the wearer is in great distress or in a grave mood, the black cloud inside of the gemstorm flashes occassionally, as though the storm is stirring within the ring. In moments, a powerful thunderstorm is summoned upon the area, no matter the current weather conditions. This may seem more of a bothersome curse than a useful gift, but it is truly a blessing in disguise in the eyes of a tactician.

Greylock's Warsuit: (To be edited)

Greylock's Visor: Full helm with a red horse hair plume resembling ancient Roman plumes, with two addition black horse hair plumes resembling streamers that stick up from the top of the helm about eight inches. Two twisted ram like horns come out of the front, right above the eyes, and curl back over the top of the helm to end in pointed spikes a few inches straight out from the back of the helm. The eyes are shaped like eyes, allowing for maximum vision and protection. Coming down from the center of where the eyes are is the nose guard, but instead of ending at the tip of the nose it extends all the way down to the edge of the helm, making a very small opening around the mouth.
Greylock's Highwall: Three-quarter body shield. A large half-bubble like raised potion in the center of the shield holds a short twisted spike - about six inches - used mainly for a bashing combat weapon in case things get dicy. At both sides of the shield is a small indent that allows for a spear to rest - usable by both right handed and left handed people. The top is shaped like that of a V, which in addtion to allowing the user to look through the V while still being able to protect him/herself, it also provides another spot for a spear to be placed. The bottom is shaped like a half circle, possibly to provide a roll point when engaged in combat and the shield is planted on the ground or to help deflect shots.
Greylock's Cuirass: Molded in the guise of a human chest, the Cuirass fits on most body types comfortably, no one really knows why, only that it does, and is for some reason rather light weight, allowing for faster movements and greater flexibility. The back plate is shaped in much the same matter, only in the shape of a human back.
Greylock's Jackboots: Knee high boots plated in the front with the same metal that the rest of the suit is crafted of. Polished to a brilliant black these boots seem to some how provide the wearing with a great sense of comfort. They also seem to provide the wearer with a great deal more traction than standard jackboots.
Greylock's Bandolier: From a distance it closely resembles a great red sash tied around the waist of the wearer, its two long tie strings - which are useless because it does have a belt buckle, the strings are for show - being bushy and really being like a sash, but a closer examination reveals that it is really a belt. Equipped with six pocket like pouches with lids, three to each side, as well as a sword loop just incase the wearer looses his/her scabbard - or perhaps just wants another sword or dagger - the Bandolier provides its wearer a place to put extra ammunition or bandages, or anything else a solider or adventurer might need. Each pocket is etched with a gold trim with fanciful designs, a different one for each pocket, etched in silver and gold in the center. The belt buckle, which is hidden behind the tie strings, is of a very elaborate elven design, carved in pure ivory it resembles that of a large tangle of vines. So real in fact that it looks almost alive when looked at.

The Harp of Khal'jaren: Deep within the catacombs of Khal'jaren's great library and observatory in the Black desert lies a golden harp of the most marvelous of quality. The frame of the harp is fashioned like the arms of a mantis, Kkal'jaren's mortal manifestation, and is said to have been crafted by Ronus, the Lesser Thayne.

The Harp of Khal'jaren (as it is now called most often) itself is believed to have been infused with it's own intelligence (as the Sage God would have no less) that give it powers that can be only described as extraordinary. The first of these powers is the Hymm of Khal'jaren which the harp can begin to play on its own, and does so whenever the owner of the harp is within fifty feet of immediate danger. The second of these abilities allows the harp to speak, which it will often do, recounting tales of it's past owners' exploits to help the current owner through immediate or similar problems.

Considering the last owner of the Harp was Khal'jaren himself, there is no telling the knowledge that could be gained with this item. But beware, the journey into and through the catacombs is a deadly one. It has been cleverly booby trapped and defended in way that only Khal'jaren could ever begin to think up...

Bestiary

The standard description goes as follows . . .

Name: (Originality is a must)
Origin: (Which Thayne god or demigod does this creature stem from?)
Alignment: (Any of the 9 alignments)
Location: (Let's try to stick with official Althane locations, continents, and planes of existance contained in the lore as well)
Description: Basic stats, coloration, behavior, social habits, etc.

Name: Allorin
Origin: Draconus
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Location: Alerar (Fields of Khu’Fein)
Description: Cousin to the Antolin, Allorin are lizard-like creatures only 2 feet tall. They are generally green, though some reports of red Allorin have come up. Their skin is just as tough as an Antolin’s (iron). Allorin use enfeebling magics to fight their enemies, paralyzing prey in order to feast easily. Allorin are rare, and only attack if they are hungry or feel threatened. Humans are not an Allorin’s first choice of food, but Dwarves, Elves of all kind and Vampires are more desirable.
Allorin Abilities: Tangle Muscle: Using this spell, the Allorin paralyzes a limb on its target, giving the limb a numb, uncomfortable feeling. Allorin are generally smart enough to target a leg. Constrict Throat: This ability tightens the throat of the Allorin’s target, making it very, very difficult to breathe. It lasts until the target dies, or the Allorin expires. Heart Squeeze: This ability targets the prey’s heart or chest, dealing immense, sometimes paralyzing pain.

Name: Antolin
Origin: Draconus
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Location: Alerar (Fields of Khu’Fein)
Description: Antolins are massive, lizard-like creatures that have been known to reach sizes up to 20 feet high, but their specifics (tail length, eye color) vary. They are bulky, meaty monsters with skin as tough as iron. They have large pincers for hands that can crush steel. The lizards are the manifestation of souls from The Great Nether (see Planes of Existence) that are sometimes allowed to roam Althanas as unthinking abominations. After they are killed, the souls return to The Great Nether. Antolins lash out at any creature they see, but are usually slow enough to flee from. Antolin skin is obviously fairly valuable, but nobody dares hunt the creatures, fearing their immense power. Some even think that because they are such tormented creatures, a human killed by one will be sent to The Great Nether themselves. Antolins are very rare.

Name: Drave
Origin: Hromagh
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Location: World-wide, though species vary by continent.
Description: Draves are species of large, wolf-like creatures who have been known for their versatility and ability to adapt to their environment. Much less pack-minded than their smaller relatives, their nesting instinct is much more den-like, the immediate family being the core grouping. Known to eat nearly anything they can fit into their mouths, salvagers have been known to find relics and ancient artifacts impacted inside a Drave's belly, along with bones and pieces of wood, a testament to their survivability in times of famine. They will cannibalize their own dead, if need be. This survival sense has turned them into very tenacious, and very opportunistic predators; often ambushing their prey or frightening herds off of cliffs. Quite common in wilder areas such as Concordia and Salvar where the land has not been tamed nearly as much as Tesserar and the more civilized areas of Corone. Coloration varies from blacks, greys, browns, tans, whites, and yellows depending on the continent where the drave's den is located. They stand nearly 4 feet tall at the shoulder, and have been used by smaller goblinoid species as mounts. Very protective of eachother, the hyena-like manes that extend down their backs ruffle up when they feel threatened. Their paws are oversized, and nearly as punishing as their equally oversized jaws.

Name: Gorian Fel
Origin: Jomil
Alignment: True Neutral
Location: Concordia only.
Description: No more than three feet tall at the shoulder. Two-legged with a long dark slug-like tail, the Gorian Fel is a disgusting thing to behold. A pair of deep-set black orbs serve for eyes, under which hang five blue tentacles around a mouth much like that of a Lamprey. Highly elusive. They live much like trap-door spiders, preferring to stay away from the open air. When the beast is not feeding, which is most of the time, a severe headache when in proximity of the beast is all that creatures suffer. When the beast is hungry, it emits a psionic pulse that disrupts electrochemical signals, and blocks them at the synapse between nerves. Prey becomes incapable of thinking clearly, reacting to stimuli, and even obeying its own commands to run and yell. The Gorian Fel acts like a sort of anemone, incapacitating creatures that unknowingly get too close to its nesting ground. The closer the prey is to the Gorian Fel, the more intense the effect.

Name: Ka-Boom Beetle (Ka'Ha Bahm) - Submitted by Firehazurd
Origin: Khal-jaren
Alignment: True Neutral
Location: Mostly subterranean
Description: The Ka-Boom beetles are large, brightly colored insects that live in rocky areas. They usually make their nests caverns deep beneath the earth, but often enough forage for food on the surface. Ka-Boom Beetles can grow to immense proportions if left unchecked. The largest reported beetle was nearly fifteen feet long. Ka-Boom Beetles have a diet of vegetation, a combination of roots and leafy materials. The Ka-Boom Beetle gets it's name not only from the fiery appearance of its carapace, but from the beetles amazing ability to cause an internal explosion, destroying its predator and hopefully saving others of its kind from suffering it's fate. Larger and older Ka-Boom beetles hardly ever resort to this method of defense, since they are much larger than most predators. Ka-Boom Beetle grubs are highly sought after as a source of the explosive chemical they store within their bodies.

Name: Maul
Origin: Hromagh
Alignment: Any Evil
Location: The deep depths of The Red Forest in Raiaera.
Description: A Maul is a very territorial creature, spawned from its ancient ancestor the Bolesch, a smaller yet more intelligent version. It stands an average of 15 to 20 feet tall, and is covered in shaggy brown fur. Its huge head holds four mandibles that contain sharp, jagged teeth, and his whole body is lined with deadly spikes. It has two sets of arms, one which is placed slightly higher on its body. The hands have four clawed fingers with no opposable thumb. Mauls are relentless and hostile; devouring or pummeling anything that enters its territory (hence the name). So dangerous in fact, that, that it isn't rare to see a Maul with more wounds inflicted by its own spikes than from anything else. In the blood of a Maul lies a magical substance that allows the creature to remain somewhat connected to Hromagh, the unique cell formation allowing a more permanent fixture on an applied item, such as a weaker blade made slightly stronger. Mauls are often used as servants to evil armies, often armed with plates of steel bolted directly into the skin along with metal coverings for their spikes. However, Mauls have no collective master and are particularly slow witted, their stupidity and rage being both an asset and a liability.

Name: N'jalian Spidermage
Origin: N'jal
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Location: The main nest is in Concordia, though tribes have strayed elsewhere.
Description: One of the most nefarious creatures known to the living world, the spawn of N'jal were once a race of wood elves. Given over to an undying evil, reading records and tomes not meant for the mortal eye, the elves proved that even the immortal aren't immune to N'jal's dark whisperings. The N'jalian Spidermagi, her acolytes, are a race of eyeless, earless, noseless, and tongueless elves. They had gone through dark rites once becoming one of the order, which involved mutating their lower-halves into the thorax and legs of a giant spider. Their fair skin has been replaced by a sickly gray, drained of all life. An attribute of their undead nature denies them of both a shadow and a reflection. Their spiders' bodies are black and brown with white bands.
N'jalian Spidermagi Abilities: Arachnid's Strength: With their six spider-like legs, comes the ability to use them to bolster their own strength. As such, a N'jalian Spidermage is stronger than most mortals could ever hope to be. Capable of lifting over a metric ton with ease, their strength is nothing to be taken lightly. Web Control: as the sole makers of their much coveted silken threads, they have developed a magick that allows them to control their threads and craft them into whatever form they wish. This includes N'jalian spidersilk worn as clothing. Shade's Embrace: If they touch a shadow, they can melt into it. They also have the ability to travel between shadows in a sort of carrier-wave that passes into the Antifirmament. Blight: Their spider-like parts are covered with a bristly hair, and one touch - just one touch - is enough to paralyze a human, elf, dwarf, and other medium-sized creature entirely. However, if not incubated, their toxins sweat through the skin and wear off after a day. This isn't fatal. However, if a Spidermage has the opportunity to paralyze its victim and wrap it in a coccoon of its spidersilk, the toxins liquify the victim's entrails and kill quickly. A strange thing happens then. The victim perishes, yet still lives on as an undying revenant - one who has died, yet returned. If the rotting that then ensues isn't stopped, in its path, the revenant will live a life of torturous decay lasting nearly three months. If a way to stop the aggressive rotting has not been found (being the lost Burial Salts of Gor'reaham), the victim eventually rots away and becomes a wraith-like Ghast, traveling the Antifirmament until judged.
Known weaknesses: They have an extreme aversion to light. If a bright light exists, they will attempt to shy away from it. Note: All light creates shadows...

Name: The Rootwalker
Origin: V'dralla
Alignment: Neutral Good
Location: Concordia only.
Description: The last of his race, the Rootwalker is a prize of the Concordian forest. Nations and folk from far and wide hear of the creature only in legend and fairy tales It stands 400 feet high at the highest branches, and appears to be composed of a combination of wood, soil, and stone. In appearance, it stands and walks muxh like a gargantuan gorilla, its forelegs much larger and stronger than its hind legs. When seen, the Rootwalker is usually mistaken for an enourmous tree, sighing in the breeze, even if it wants to be seen. Extremely dangerous if provoked, and anything resembling fire will anger him greatly, as he is reminded of the days when his brothers and sisters were hunted down for their extremely valuable husks. Wise beyond its years, which are practically unfathomable, the Rootwalker is known to commune with druids and creatures of any 'good' alignment, along with true neutral ones.

Update: Another Rootwalker has been confirmed as the Treasure Tree in the center of Beinost, Raiaera. It is now possible that others may exist around Althanas.

Name: Wing Drake
Origin: Y’edda
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Location: Alerar (Fields of Khu’Fein)
Description: About 2 feet tall, 3 feet wide. Wing Drakes have the appearance of small dragons, and are either red, green, light blue or grey. They have short legs and tiny arms, wide wings and waddle when they walk, which is practically never. They are incredibly agile and quick, thus favoring their matriarch, Y'edda, in their lineage. Wing Drakes meet the ground only when they need to eat their prey or rest, so they are in flight for about 8 hours of each day. Due to their low weight, their wings are more than strong enough to handle the strain. The Drakes have been hunted for decades due to the worth of their claws and teeth, but are more than capable of handling themselves in battle. Wing Drakes are capable of using a weak ‘breath’ attack, which is actually a powerful gust that has been known to reach 100 pounds of pressure. Their claws and teeth are at least as strong as Titanium, hence their worth. Wing Drakes are common.

Expanded Player Races

Name: Direling (Direlings, as plural)
Origin: Hromagh
Alignment: Varying
Location: Salvar - Berevar
Description: (Monstrous Humanoid) A hearty breed of men, when savagery was more commonplace and the wild truly was wild. The shortest among the adult males stand 6'8, where the tallest are upwards to about 8'3. They're broad-shouldered, and often rather hairy. A direling's flesh is a pale, pale white. Hair is often red or blonde, with beards to match. However, what sets them apart, other than their abnormal size, is a pair of stark white tusks protruding from either side of their upper jaw, which are skeletally connected to their cheekbones. These begin to come in during puberty, and can be a rather painful experience for the males (and those around them, as pain often incites a direling to violence). The females are of a similar hight, but much more slender. They are commonly referred to as the 'Maidens of the North,' though the title has mislead many a hapless traveler into thinking that they were remotely interested in marrying an outsider. They aren't nearly as foul-tempered as their male counterparts, but not by much. Their milky alabaster-white skin, bleached by the cold and their adaptation to their climate, is known for its fierce beauty. Common weapons for a direling to use include spears, axes, javelins, pole-weapons, hammers, and two-handed swords much like a claymore.
History: In the ancient days the gods created the different races in their own image. When V'dralla kissed the lands of the north with winter, she created a population of beings to encapsulate the beauty of the frozen Wilderlands, much to the dismay of her sister Jomil. The beings were fragile creatures, and could not survive well without protection from the ferocious beasts there. Historians refer to them as "aquatic elves" although their original name isn't known. They were a race created entirely for reasons of aesthetic appeal. To protect this new race, V'dralla charmed her brother, Hromagh, into creating one of his own. Thus the direlings were born from the mountains themselves. They grudgingly accepted their task to fight and die, so that the weakling race of aquatic elves could survive in lavish idleness. Then came a day known only to the history books and the direlings themselves, when a direling herald known as Björmund met a rather insolent elf of the race he was sworn to protect. The "mouth of Björ," as he was called and a noble warrior in the service of Lord Björ himself, looked an elf in the eye: an act of defiance by their law. The elf then sought to demean the proud warrior by treating him as a servant, and thus, assert his own position. Björmund, no longer able to contain his frustration, threw the elf to the floor, lifted his claymore high in the air in both defiance to the gods and to ensure that they were watching, and drove it through the elf's back. he could have stopped there, but didn't. Instead he slew anyone who got in his way, direling and elf alike, on his quest to wipe the entire race of aquatic elves from the face of Berevar. By his sword alone, he sent thousands upon thousands through the Death Gate. Legend regards him as "Björmund who Floods the Gates of Doom." For having sent so many innocent lives through that very gate, the gods prolonged his life and placed him in sole responsibility for keeping that gate shut. He then became the sheaphard of the dead. The Direlings now strive to regain their honor.

Name: Taurek
Origin: Hromagh
Alignment: Lawful Good
Location: Various
Description: (Monstrous Humanoid) Tall and strong would be two very good words to use in association with the Taurek. Frightening may indeed be another. They are very large, some of them known to reach heights of 8 feet, though the average is closer to just over 7. From the waist down they are much more similar to a bull, with huge, powerful, furred, animalistic legs that end in large hooves. From the waist up however, they resemble heavily muscled humans. In addition, two large horns - similar to those of a bull - protrude from the sides of their head. Their eyes, hair and furr can be most any normal color.
Culture: The Taurek live in small, close-knit tribes scattered across Althanas. They are mostly reclusive, preferring to keep to themselves unless it is absolutely necessary to make contact with others. This stems from an ancient fear of the kings and rulers of outside races, for long ago they served as a slave race to one who was particularly cruel. They are a fairly war-like species, many minor conflicts being fought between the different tribes on a regular basis, as well as their ages-long war against their cousins, the minotaurs. There is no such thing as a lie among the Taurek, nor dishonesty of any kind. And cowardice is looked down upon so hard that any Taurek found to have a yellow stripe in his fur will usually go into a voluntary exile. Family is incredibly important to the Taurek, and they mate for life.

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