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The cats that live in my house are fully capable of opening doors.

One in particular likes to open the hallway door (which closes on its own) then pretend to be stuck while he cries at my door. It would be adorable if it wasnt at 4 in the morning.

#COMPLETEANARCHY #fully automated luxury gay space communism

Petition

Make crisp a good adjective.

"Check out these crisp new jeans"

Tribulation

Working on making a from-scratch rpg, with original setting, non-traditional mechanics, etc. This will detract from posts on Æoreth for a while, maybe a long while. In the meantime, there will be posts about Tribulation, the new game.

OC Donut steel

Seladon and Ornas

The first set of twins by Isahol and Myra, Seladon and Ornas are occasionally depicted as husband and wife or as dual aspects of a single god.

Both are associated with fire, just as their sisters are associated with water. Ornas represents the controlled, peaceful fire of the forge and the house. Seladon represents the raging flames of war and destruction, and in stories where she is depicted as a child, she is often seen playing with Morolok, goddess of wrathful death and pain.

Seladon

Alignment: CN

Portfolio: Fire, Metal, War, Destruction, Warriors

Domains: Fire, War, Earth, Chaos, Destruction

Subdomains: Revelry, Rage, Blood, Metal

Seladon is the patron goddess of all who fight ferociously, and those who slay many on the battlefield before they themselves are killed are said to eternally war on her behalf against the Abyssal legions that raid her realm. She is the tallest of the gods, wielding an impossibly large sword in each hand. Typically, she is also accompanied by her herald, the demi-god Aras,who, ironially enough, is a deity of sexuality and art, who wields a whetstone for his mistress to sharpen her blade upon. Seladon is typically scantily clad, or else wearing the hide of the great beast Romjanguur (mostly in Reodrassi mythology, but occasionally in Asvuldic and Norstron portrayals as well).

Ornas

Alignment: LN

Portfolio: Craftsmen, the Forge, Order, Peace

Domains: Fire, Earth, Law, Protection, Strength

Subdomains: Resolve, Metal, Loyalty, Defense, Solitude

Ornas is universally depicted as a large, burly man, only as tall as his sister’s shoulders, but twice as broad at his own. He has a beard made of flame, and wields the great shield Varnamadhur. Though he once also had a great gauntlet that allowed him to left any amount of metal with ease, legend states he gave it as a gift to the first dwarves in return for letting him stay with them for a while. He is slow to anger, and only one legend describes him as furious: that legend describes his wrath as all the volcanoes in the world opening simultaneously, when a human trickster-figure wounded Seladon. Ornas rewards those who protect peace, as well as honorable warriors. His followers are said to spar against each other in his realm, preparing for the day when Asmodaan will betray the world and unleash his own army.

#pathfinder #worldbuilding

Myra, the Mother Goddess

Alignment: NG

Portfolio: Family, Creation, Motherhood, Childbirth, Produce

Domains: Air, Community, Healing, Plant, Protection

Subdomains: Family, Home, Growth, Purity

Other Names: Mora, Iorka, Gro-N’sha

Spouse(s): Isahol

Offspring: Seladon, Ornas, Relcor, Karakas (In some forms, Karakas and Tinuniel are twin daughters of Isahol and Myra)

Myra is universally considered the Mother goddess. She is also the only deity to have a consistent gender across cultures. She is depicted as a woman of indiscernable age, and throughout the year she often grows pregnant (art of her in 1 Isahol, for example, depicts her as non-pregnant, whereas she is full-term at Ragnos, the last month). Her clergy is universally composed of females, except in Drow society, where men are the predominant members of her faith. She is said to intercede to Isahol on behalf of mortals, and is considered the creator goddess of halflings. Her temples often serve as cozy inns, where travelers are taken care of by the sisters who operate it.

#pathfinder #worldbuilding

Isahol, God of the Sun

Alignment: LG

Portfolio: Nobility, Rulers, Humans, Sun, Agriculture, Justice

Domains: Law, Good, Healing, Sun, Nobility

Subdomains: Redemption, Leadership, Day, Light

Other names: Ish-Sol, Solisha, Artocus, Helmang

Spouse(s): Myra, Tinuniel

Offspring: Seladon, Ornas, Relcor, Karakas (In some forms, Karakas and Tinuniel are twin daughters of Isahol and Myra)

In all forms of 12 God Folkism except Orcish, Isahol is the leader of the gods. He watches over all of the mundane plane, ensuring that all things go as they are supposed to. Though the earliest writings of Isahol are of elvish origin, even in these he is called “Father of Men,” a phrase which has caused a fair amount of strife over the years. He is generally portrayed as benevolent, if a bit harsh to his wards. He governs the cycles of harvests, and the harvest months (First and Second Isohal) are named in his honor. In addition to the harvest, he is said to personally protect wise and just rulers, while protecting the oppressed in tyrannical nations.

In Orcish religion, however, Isahol is the hateful god Helmang. To orcs, a naturally chaotic evil race, Helmang’s “justice” is the worst ideology: being bound to laws that shackle the strong to the weak. Though devotees of Helmang are not unknown, they are often poorly received by their kin. Orcish society focuses on a pack mentality, where the weak are destroyed by the strong. On a related note, they even revile his agriculture aspects, as they see this less as a provision, but more as starvation: Helmang only gives the orcs two months to raid crops neighboring settlements.

#pathfinder #worldbuilding

12 God Folk Religion

Though the Church of the Arbor is one of the most powerful religious organizations in Æoreth, Arborists are far out numbered by practitioners of the 12 God folk religion. The worship of the 12 is known in every nation, to some degree, with the exceptions of the Axotl Dominion, where the Naga Priest Kings hold themselves to be divine; Wyrmdin, where the Dragon Council commands their citizens to worship Bahaul and Triammas; Porygomos, where the Elemental Titans are venerated as deities; and the Faewild, where the inhabitants worship the Nine Fae Lords (though some speculate the Lords may worship the Twelve).

The Twelve are as follows (scholarly “Common” names are given. Also, note that the gods are technically without gender, but are commonly portrayed as one or the other. This list uses the Common Scholar’s list which is supposedly the most accurate)

Isahol, God of the Sun

Myra, Goddess of Creation

Seladon, Goddess of War

Ornas, God of the Forge/Fire

Tinuniel, Goddess of Calm Waters

Karakas, Goddess of Storms

Relcor, God of Animals and the Hunt

Izidon, Goddess of Wisdom and Art

Heli, God of Peaceful Death and Gifts

Morolok, Goddess of Painful Death and Punishment

Ragnos, God of Judgment

Rashkolas, God of Pestilence and the End Times

More will follow, where I go into each of these deities in depth.

#pathfinder #worldbuilding

PSA

It’s important to note that the ancient histories of Æoreth are founded mostly on oral traditions and time-scrying, rather than on any sort of record keeping. That makes certain things a little... uncertain. Especially the more ancient bits. That being said, here’s a condensed version of certain events throughout ancient Æorethian history.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

#pathfinder #worldbuilding #i never did finish this

Catena, The First City

Certainly not the true "first" city, Catena was the first of the Free Western City to become "free," by deposing its king eight hundred years ago. Now, Catena is a city of boundless wealth, partly due to its successful slave trade, but mostly because it is home to the Free Bank of the West. The Free Bank of the West is the largest banking organization in the world, with branches in every country in Araradel and several branches in Chalencia. The Catena Bank is the largest of these, having been built on the ruins of the ancient Catenan king's palace. Its very walls are lined with gold leaf, and there is a spectacular dome of life mithrilatop the building (much to the chagrin of the Kraggendûr dwarves, who once held a monopoly on the mineral). Back security is incredibly tight, and once deposited, it is neat impossible to retrieve funds. However, the Bank does issue credit tablets, which allow for speedy transactions without the need to carry gold. This is made possible, of course, by the Bank's immense supply of seeing stones and its legions of in-house Wayfarers.

#pathfinder #worldbuilding

The Torch Bearers

Most of the religions of Æoreth are ancient, some reaching back before recorded history; this makes the rise of the Torch Bearers that much more unusual.

Founded in 1153 CE by Yiktor Moliev in Artzka, theTorch Bearers are perhaps one of the fastest growing religions in Chalencia. While there is no official hierarchy and all members are considered equal, there is no doubt that the High Speaker holds all the authority.

The Torch Bearers are a simple group. They worship what they call “The One True God,” or “The Secret God.” They are very determined that this god is the only one, and therefore all other worship is blasphemous.

There are four “sects” of Torch Bearer clergy. The first are the Friars, men and women who dress in sackcloth robes and wear hemp rope necklaces. Friars often act as healers and ministers to believers. They also operate inns that cater to pilgrims. There is a subset of Friars called Speakers, who travel the world to spread their faith. To this end, many offer healing services in the name of their god, though just as many may fight against evil forces to liberate those under oppression.

The Faith Militant are the equivalent to Paladins of other faiths. They actively fight “enemies” of the Torch Bearers with sword and shield. Heavily armored and highly trained, they follow a strict interpretation of the Torch’s teachings, and act as the wrath of god to those who violate it. Most favor heavy cudgels and maces, but swords are not uncommon.

The Nameless Children are masked Inquisitors who seek heresy and dissent in order to cut it out. They act in shadow as a secret police force, but can be recognized by their black cotton robes and heavy iron masks, though they just as often wear street clothes to blend in with a crowd.

The fifth sect consists of a single person; the High Speaker. The High Speaker has no known name and yet is one of the most powerful people in Artzka. While he is technically equal to all other members of the faith, as there is no recognized hierarchy to the Torch Bearers, refusal to follow his commands or accept his teachings is enough to get one hanged in Artzka these days.

All members of the Torch Bearers take a vow of poverty, and there are no religious buildings. Even the High Speaker resides in a small mud hut with only a writing desk, a fireplace, and a pile of hay as furniture. Of course, the meeting places of the Faith Militant or the Nameless Children can often be spotted by the burning bodies and piles of corpses of those who were found guilty of grave sins.

#worldbuilding #homebrew pathfinder #pathfinder

Selsany, land of the Holy and the Profane

Without a doubt, the land of Selsany is one of the most influential nations in Æoreth. It is the only country with a trans-oceanic colony, and the only country that has, in recent history, successfully repelled the advances of the Ynderi Empire. Though the two were historical allies, the Sundering of 1055 CE, when the the Arborist Churches in Selsany formed he Northern Orthodox Church of the Arbor and Archbishop Sellion I was proclaimed High Bishop of the Most Holy Orthodox Church of the North, challenging the authority of the Ynderi primacy. Since then, the two have fought fierce battles over what foreign commentators called “insignificant pieces of dirt,” with the notable exception of the long and bloody Bordûn wars. The Bordûn wars ended only five years before the campaign takes place, the product of a tense and fragile truce following one of the bloodiest battles in the current era.

Selsany is a feudal state, ruled by a tribunal currently consisting of the Grand Vicar Morov Khalavik, King Roldo Germane VI, and Prime Minister Herevi Lycun. The Grand Vicar represents the Church, and is appointed by the High Bishop. The title of King is hereditary, and the King’s duty is to represent the interests of the landed nobility. The Prime Minister is chosen by the Council of Ministers, who in turn are elected by Yeomen, free people who are not Nobility. This form of government has proven very unstable in the past, and Selsan politics are notorious for their level of intrigue.

Serfdom was once extremely common in Selsany, and Hobgoblins are used as slaves in Far Selsany, but in the Motherland all people are considered “free,” with the exception of criminals and prisoners of war.

The landscape of Selsany consists almost entirely of a sprawling temperate rainforest dotted with swamps and bogs, with ancient trees towering over the villages hidden in the forest. These forests, though beautiful, are some of the most dangerous forests in Araradel. Selsany has long been plagued with undeath and other evil forces, and spending the night in the wilderness will almost certainly result in a visit with a pack of Wampyre or draugr. Of particular interest in this regard are the city of Varym and the ancient Castle Zvire.

Varym was once a metropolis, and clturally it rivaled the Selsan capital Freemarket. However, a plague struck the city sudenly in the year 1150 CE, and within months the city was overrun with undead horrors that had never been seen before. The Church put up a protective barrier of positive energy to keep the abominations contained, but this has not stopped adventures from heading to the city to reclaim what ancient treasures are left in the city.

Castle Zvire is rumored by the locals to be haunted, and Lord Zvire is used by mothers throughout Selsany to convince children to go to sleep. In truth, Arlondo Zvire is reclusive, as is the entire Zvire family, but their is little to connect the Zvire clan to the frequent disappearances in the hold.

People from Selsany are called Selsans, and they speak Common, though extremely isolated rural areas my speak a pidgin language consisting of Common and Old Selsan. Selsany’s main exports are wine, steel, lumber, and linen, and wool. To support their linen industry, Far Selsany has been converted to a single large plantation, overseen by Lord Vopol Across-the-Sea.

The flag is a work in progress.

#pathfinder #worldbuilding #vexillology

Ephalion Cadel and the Battle of the Mistgrass Plains pt. 2

For three days the world stood silent as Ephalion awaited the Devil Lord’s response. On the third day, the great doors of the tower parted, and out stepped Orguz. He towered above Ephalion, nearly twice her height. He wore the great armor Shadowsteel, forged from the blackness of the night sky. In his right hand he wielded the sword Greatbane, which had been forged in ancient times by Asmodeon himself. In his left hand was a chain and ball, which was called the Usurper.

It was with great patience that he emerged from his keep. Orguz and Ephalion stared long at each other, until they both charged at once. The clash of steel against steel rang from sunrise to sunset, when at last Ephalion scored a blow against Orguz, sundering his shinguard from his left leg. She then hacked at his leg, wounding the devil greatly. With a houl of pain and desperation, Orguz threw his chain around Ephalion, halting her attack. He then pulled her to him, running his sword through her body.

Flames engulfed her, and she fell screaming to the ground. With his chain, he tied her above the tower gates, a sign to all who could see. The remaining Nolwyn feared for their cause, but nonetheless they prepared for a final assault. All the while, Ephalion’s body burned above the great bronze door, giving hope to her followers that there might yet be hope. After a year of burning, Ephalion opened her eyes.

Her charred body fell from the chain, and she slowly go to her feet. Now the hordes of Orguz stepped even further away from her; not because of the righteous conviction that had protected her before, but because they could sense the change in her.

She had become the Champion of Orguz.