The World of Evernyth

An open, submission-based experiment in communal worldbuilding and storytelling.

[mischieffoal]

The star chart of Evernyth - feel free to add constellations.

If I have the time I will add constellations from as many of the cultures as I can! 

Evernyth is a community world-building project that is really, really cool. Just go and have a look at it.

[evernyth]

Race: Oathkeepers

Demons:

Can have: Any color hair

Can have: Black, Red, Violet, or Yellow eyes

Life Span: 600 years

Special Features: Smaller Magic, Slit Pupils, Horns, Tail

Solar/Lunar Demon Kings— The Kings are followed by about half of the demons, the other half following the local leaders. The Kings follow a deity and are given some perks as long as they follow the deity’s terms. Failure leads to penance and sometimes death.

[lyfthelm]

I suppose I should have put a note saying that I hadn’t finished this. Hahaha OTL

Edits:

Name: Oathkeepers

Solar/Lunar Truth Keepers -> +Can be usurped through a duel.

Wings are possible, but highly uncommon. The horns, wings, and tail can be hidden on the body as magical tattoo-like markings.

I’m calling one of the Keeper positions (just so you know) as I made that with a character in mind. Solar or Lunar doesn’t really matter, since either works for me. The other position is up for grabs.

[evernyth]

((haha mix-up with the mods here, i forgot to ask sammy if she was done with her draft before i posted it... here's the rest of it!))

[evernyth]

Demons:

Can have: Any color hair

Can have: Black, Red, Violet, or Yellow eyes

Life Span: 600 years

Special Features: Smaller Magic, Slit Pupils, Horns, Tail

Solar/Lunar Demon Kings— The Kings are followed by about half of the demons, the other half following the local leaders. The Kings follow a deity and are given some perks as long as they follow the deity’s terms. Failure leads to penance and sometimes death.

[evernyth]

aiurtheethereal submitted:

Dear Evernyth, I’ve had this idea for quite some time and it’s about a tribe of sorts whose whole society and physiology and magical abilities revolve around the sun and moon where as if one is born in the sun they are stronger physically and those born in the moon have stronger souls basically magical ability and those blessed born on the equinox have both pushed beyond limits but cannot survive this most the time. They also live in a floating island that roams across the sky. The tribe name is The Cycle. Cheesy a but yes but tells your thoughts please and if you need and more information! - Thanks for your time good day.

[evernyth]

This is what I had in mind for the Yarúni and their dress, skin tone, and eyes.

[evernyth]

I will digitally finish this, but this is just to show that I have drawn up how [I believe] the younger boys of men and dwarfs would look from Aedrenad. I will probably have a better version tomorrow or Saturday (digital). This is just a representation.

[evernyth]

Where the grassland meets the mountain

Aedrenad- An old house merged into the landscape to help protect from the elements… and any potential thieves that may pass through the area. 

[evernyth]

The Ruther: Ice people of the Mountains

High in the mountains of Aedrenad, and along the icy bay, there is a race of rather rowdy creatures, akin to that of frost giants, although much smaller, and even said to be rather graceful. They are called the ‘Ruther’ by most, but  they are referred to themselves as ‘Yegoths’. They are not the largest race in Evernyth, but they do have many a number.

Their skin is a light frosty blue, as if they were frozen to the core, but are seen as a rather cheerful, hearty people. Their hair ranges anywhere from a deep glimmering purple, to a beautiful silver, depending on age and region. Their eyes are usually many shades of blue, yellow, and orange, which thick eyelashes to keep snowflakes from getting in their eyes. Usually ranging from slim to curvy, they stay rather trim and fit, obesity is very rare due to their fast metabolism. 

In their culture,they respect both men and women very highly, both making wonderful warriors. Marriages between the same sex is common, and accepted as a part of life.  They are a monarchy, with a well respected family of royals, that seems to be very popular among the people as of late. The current king is Linnara Khoulda, newly crowned, and married to Jindi Ghung, a human male, which surprised many an elder.

They have no gods to which they worship, and do not see the point in ever having one, being free spirits. They do, however, believe that there is a darkness that lives in the world. And that is something in which they wish not to speak of.

In terms of clothing,is is similar to Russian and old Norse clothing, having furs and leathers being an important part. They favor light colors, and deep blues and purples,although red seems to currently be coming into fashion.

Although peaceful, they are magnificent warriors, used to fighting large Ice Bears, which are nearly the size of elephants. They excel in using weapons like swords, halberds, and spears, and many a Ruther is trained in archery.

They are in good terms with most countries, not seen as a threat to many, although some ideals do clash heavily. The current King is well respected, despite his young age, and choice in Queen. He has proven his worth to many, in several occasions. 

(I will be making the king’s full … thing… later, complete with awesome picture but, I…. Well, I have to go to school.)

[evernyth]

Fine Hallin cutlery, best used for enjoying one of the many banquets held for a successful year of trading.

[evernyth]

On the Elves of Evernyth

Every nation has a legend about elves, whether it is the dark-skinned, ritually scarred Aneth’il of Yarún, the impossibly pale Cedra’il from the forests of Hallin, the river-dwelling Jusin’il of Dagramir, who allow moss to cultivate on their own skin, or the legendary eagle riding Umaed’il that are said to live in the mountain range that sprawls across Aedrenad and the Araventian Republic. These stories and songs often depict heroes who stood beside the humans, dwarves, and ke’rata against great evils, practically dancing through battlefields, untouched by their foes. They created art and music without compare, to look upon their beauty was enough to make anyone fall in love, and their lives stretched on for centuries at a time. Many of the other races wish to be as the elves, and some even model themselves after what they believe elven culture to be like.

To be an elf, however, is anything but desirable. Though beautiful and seemingly ageless, the elves of Evernyth are cursed to perceive the world at a slower rate than everyone else. To them, a second feels like ten, an hour is a day, and a year stretches on for eternity. It is this very quick processing time which allows them to rain down death upon their enemies while dodging slashes that appear impossibly fast to the other races. But it is also this which leads their existences to be boring.

In the early days, elves did what they could to tolerate the ponderously slow thought processes of the humans, the dwarves, the ke’rata, and the countless rarer races that populated the world. It grated on their nerves to spend so long doing anything while in the presence of others, but in the interest of forging strong bonds, they persevered. They made alliances, shared their arts, trained the lesser races in combat. But it could not last.

Many of the elves grew tired of constantly being better at everything they did. Being worshiped and praised was pleasant for a time, but there were no challenges, and changes in the way of the world took far too long. And so, they began to retreat, to disappear into strongholds only they knew of. The Umaed’il and Cedra’il went first, leaving the western side of the world to its own devices. The Aneth’il stayed only somewhat longer before abandoning their great cities to the sands. Only the Jusin’il remained to carry on the legends of the elves, and even they tired of their lives some centuries later.

Bards would claim in the following years that the elves had left Evernyth altogether, fleeing through a mystical gate to another world and concealing the coming of a powerful, world-ending evil from those they once called allies, but as time went on, these rumors were forgotten. By and large, the elves were forgotten. When no one could personally vouch for the skill or beauty of the elves, it became easier to assume the legends were overstating things. In fact, if the ruins of elven cities did not dot the world, most would assume they never existed at all. But whatever the stories say, elves are surely gone from the lives of men.

And that is exactly how the elves like it. Barred up in their fortresses, they are able to function more properly. If one were able to find a way into an elven city now, it would be a bustle of impossibly fast movement, conversations so fast they’re difficult to understand, political maneuvers too clever and quick to keep up with. Here, the elves find the challenge they always wished for. Here, they vie for power with one another in an endless political game, the rules of which are too complex for anyone but themselves to stand a chance. Each sort of elf plays the game their own way, but there is one constant: climb the ladder, at any cost.

A select few Umaed’il have recently taken advantage of the chaos in the Araventian Republic to begin slaving. Though those they snag are not necessarily the quickest slaves, they serve for manual labor beneath the level of any elf. Jusin’il occasionally venture forth from their keeps to paddle the rivers of Dargamir, wearing hooded cloaks to conceal their ears, and sharing their wares with those who live on the river banks. Famous for their fiery tempers and impatience, but also for the impeccable quality of the goods they sell, these “boat bogeys” are a vital part of the culture along the river. And ever child in Yarún is warned of the shadowy archers that have sometimes slain entire hunting bands so that they might claim a kill. But none imagine that elves are tied to these legends.

The only real connection to elves is a term used mostly in the Araventian Republic and Dagramir to refer to humans who are so skilled they could plausibly be descended from elves. Though there is rarely truth to these claims, it is not entirely unheard of. Though he does not even know it himself, the swordsman Ludic Carvate’s great-grandmother was Jusin’il. And the entirety of House Ghaest, driven into exile by revolutionaries, possesses a bit of the elven spark.

Aside from these rare cases, the elves of Evernyth are the stuff of myths and faerie stories. The day may come when the slavers of the Umaed’il or the hunters of the Aneth’il consider returning to their ancient homes and forcing humanity to bend the knee before them, and the mysteriously silent Cedra’il may well come pouring out of their forests to claim Hallin as their own, but for now, Evernyth is blessedly safe from the elves. For now.

[evernyth]

in aedrenad, there’s a poor-off district named crimson. officially its because the buildings were built partially with red river rock, but ask any of the natives and they’ll tell you its because off all the cutthroats. its much more well off twin is indigo, so named for its production of dyes. also, its not uncommon to see slaves (or if slaves arent a thing, servants) smeared with honey or syrup. this is to keep flies off their masters. 

[evernyth]

Dead Mages and Glyphs

The blood poisoning effect that glyphs have on non-magic user occasionally makes the user desperate for a greater ability to wield magic without the harsh effect. This greed for a gift not naturally given to them, drives the non-magic user to find other means of obtaining magical abilities, most often peacefully. Since the usage of glyphs on non-magic users became normal and relatively accepted 714 years ago, approximately four dozen have become Dead Mages. This usually occurs once a person has used their glyph far too many times, causing the blood poisoning type effect to spread throughout most of their body. In acts of cruelty and greed, they try feeding off of natural magic users by killing them and consuming their flesh, hoping to gain magic from it. They do, but at great cost. In comparison, less people who are naturally able to use magic become Dead Mages, only drawn to the dark power after and during extreme loss and crisis. Most of the few were created after seeing their Wards, people they have glyphed, change. Since the usage of the glyph 716 years ago on non-magic users, only 18 magic users have become Dead Mages.

[evernyth]

The Mountain Race

On the top of the Muhjah mountain range lives a recluse society, the Laetra, a people long forgotten from the texts and tomes of the countries outside of their domain. They claim the mountains as their own, and fiercely protect them from adventurers or lone wanderers. The Laetra are a tall race with dark jewel-colored eyes and pale skin and hair. They are almost completely androgynous and wear shapeless robes and tunics from the fur of the animals that live alongside them on the cold peaks. They are deeply religious, and trace their ancestry directly to their main goddess, Mavena, who created the cosmos and rules the heavens. They survive on root vegetables and the meat of the Ganrall, a shaggy goat-like animal that they have bred and domesticated over the centuries. 

The Laetra have innate magic ability that enables them to manipulate the weather and the mountains to protect both themselves and their domain. Magic is severely limited, only shamans and religious heads of clans are permitted to summon the winds or shape the ground, to break these rules is seen as grossly prideful and disrespectful of Mavena. If one of the Laetra frivolously uses their gift they are culled, their body used as an offering to their creator and a warning to others, even though the death of a clan-member is a great loss.

Some trade has occurred between lost travelers, but they are not permitted to leave, and the outsider must accept the ways of the clan and stay, or be killed and left to rot. 

Mentions of ‘snow people that live with the wind and sky’ are mentioned in some folklore, but such claims are generally dismissed.

[evernyth]

Nud'um Mines

In the Mountains near the border between Aedrenad and The Araventian Republic, there are a series of Mines populated with slaves of different races, though mostly human children due to their abundance both across the land and for sale in black markets. Here these people are marked with glyphs for digging and clearing rock and are sent down into the earth to mine for minerals and precious commodities. Due to the blood poisoning effect of the glyphs, most miners die within a number of years of intensive work. Conditions in the mines are terrible, being stuffy and cramped, but everyone is given two square meals, once at the beginning and then at the end of each shift to keep up strength- the handlers would burn through people too fast otherwise. Unfortunately this doesn’t stop them from making examples of disobedient or lazy workers though, often pitting children of different races against each other for sport or to resolve arguments between them. Despite the horrid atmosphere, singing is a common pastime in the mines- older children teaching each new generation what they have called the ‘Songs of Sunlight,’ a combination of verbally invoking their working glyphs and reminiscing of the world above.

"He looks strong- I’ll take him for Nud’um"

[evernyth]

Technology and Drugs

Because the Yarún live in a difficult place to reach, by the other countries standards, and the ability to survive without an experience desert-dweller on hand is low, the Yarún have a bit of an isolationist worldview.  As such, their technology has flourished without the influence or interference from others.  Despite the differences between the tribes, and their occasional rivalries, the unifying trait between the twelve tribes is their trading.  Through this, the technology level of all the tribes is extremely high, as scientists and inventors combine their personal, often rudimentary skills in math or forging or designing into bigger, better, and more efficient ideas. This has allowed them to build larger, stronger buildings, unique in their curving architecture and their habit of being larger at the top of the building than the base.  They have created means of preserving food and keeping cool indoors.  Due to both the Lunitiri and the Alohmbra tribes claiming relationships to the stars through their religions, astronomy is also quite advanced, albeit more of a religious topic than a scientific one to the Yarún.  Through experimenting with the reflective properties of gold discs and the mathematics behind projectile forces, the Yarún tribes have also created extremely powerful weapons that, while mostly unused, have proved extremely effective against their enemies.

Currently, the most advanced minds in the highly respected “philosopher’s circle” (the name of the social group of inventors and scientists that communicate from within all the Yarún tribes) are working on a way to fly, based on the designs of two brilliant sister mathematicians, Celisije (pr. seh-LIS-eh-ha) and Foreena (pr. foe-REE-nah).  Unfortunately, their studies into the airship structure capabilities of a low-density mineral known as “vinjente” found a reddish rust that forms upon the processed mineral upon contact with oxygen.  When the rust is inhaled via mouth or nose, it produces a strong hallucinogenic reaction that has lead to many deaths, as the one hallucinating cannot distinguish dangers in the real world, and will walk off cliffs thinking they’re on flat land or eat sharp bits of metal mistaking them for sandwiches.  The metal was lightweight enough for the flying machines, but the rust forms quickly, and anyone attempting to fly or maintenance the machines is often affected.  

Some clever and cruelly capitalistic minds got ahold of vast mines of the stuff, and made a fortune processing and sneaking it across the borders of Yarún to sell, for high prices, in other countries.

[evernyth]

Are you guys going to create the stories?

One or both of us might eventually write some stuff or draw some comics when we get a chance, but anyone who wants to do so as well is free to! 

[evernyth]

Deep in the marshes of Dagramir... An ancient coven of dead mages resides and grows power. It was once thought they were a myth.. A story told to children to stop them from wandering too far into the swamp. That is, until SHE finally decided to appear. SHE, their leader. SHE who has finally garnered a sanith stone from the edges of Evernyth. Her name was once Arietta, but her twisted ways have transformed her into a monster. She is coming, and Dagramir, and Hallin, and all of Evernyth will know.