Korrosin Chronicles Workshop #1
So, as I said last week, I’ve decided to take a break from Tabletop Tuesday for awhile. Instead I’ll be posting some lore for the novel I’m writing. The series is called the Korrosin Chronicles, after the main character Sarah Korrosin. It’s a high fantasy YA that follows a half-human girl on her quest to gather other Chosen Champions of the gods. The dominant races are many, with humans being a fresh arrival to the world through some unknown occurrence; in fact, humans have only been in this world for about 20 years.
To start off the workshops, I’ll be describing the many different races that will make a notable appearance during the series, starting with the Quastani. There are a total of 10 races besides the humans, and I will describe one each week. And now, for the Quastani!
The Quastani are bird-like humanoids that rule Xitarka. Excellent scholars and mages thanks to the energy rich land they inhabit, they show little interest in the dealings of the outside world. Ruled by the notorious Council of Wisdom, they retain their neutrality and peacefulness even during all out conflict unless they are actively threatened. Unlike the other races, the Quastani change radically as they age, which confuses newcomers as to whether or not there are subraces. The appearance of these stages seems to tie into choices and events that occur throughout a Quastani’s life, meaning one can potentially determine exactly the kind of character a Quastani has solely based upon their appearance.
The Quastani came to be several thousand years ago during a time of great strife. The mammalian Bukushar slaughtered the ancient, reptilian Qanala under the deceit of Dorinum. When the Blood Raids succeeded in killing every last Qanala in Orstrys, the balance of the world had been destroyed. Shakkar, the goddess of life, death, and rebirth, took it upon herself to create a new race to fill the void using the souls of the Qanala, at the cost of their memories and culture.
Magic 9.5 - Quastani are inherently magical due to both their origins with Shakkar and their magic infused homeland. They are excellent mages at any age, and only get more powerful. Intelligence 9 - The Quastani way of life ensures that knowledge takes precedent over all other pursuits. It is for this reason that the most scholarly citizens bail from Xitarka. Defense 3.5 - Despite being gifted in the magical arts, a Quastani’s natural physical defenses are extremely poor in comparison. Their bones are hollow to aid in their flight, and as such break very easily. Offense 6 - While young Quastani aren’t the best physical fighters, adults and elders tend to develop talons and increased musculature and can cause quite the nasty wound by swooping in from above. Speed 7 - In addition to being excellent flyers, Quastani are also fast on their feet. Some Quastani even grow up to be flightless, but make up for this by being much faster on the ground.
Infant The infantile stage of the Quastani is similar in appearance to your typical chick. Eventually they grow their down, and will retain this until their third molt.
Child The child stage of the Quastani is similar in appearance to that of a songbird, though varying in actual appearance. They will remain in this stage until their 12th molt.
Teenager The teenager stage of the Quastani is entirely unpredictable, in that one’s appearance seems most dependant on environment and can change abruptly should one change that environment. Typically, a teenage Quastani will appear similar to a raven, however. They will retain this until their 21st molt.
Adult The adult stage of the Quastani is similar in appearance to a bird of prey. Molting slows down once reaching adulthood, gradually increasing in time between. They will remain this way until their 50th molt.
Elder The elder stage of the Quastani is similar in appearance to an owl. These are among the oldest and most experienced Quastani, and tend to make up the Council of Wisdom. Molting slows down even further once in the elder stage, and some Quastani Elders have been recorded to reach 400 years old, with outside influence. Typically, this is the last stage a Quastani will achieve before death, though one more exists.
Ancient The ancient stage of the Quastani is similar in appearance of a Phoenix. It is unknown just how a Quastani reaches this final stage, with various Ancients having done many different things to become one, but its existence has led many to believe that the Quastani are the direct offspring of Shakkar, and this belief is well established in folklore and religion. Once achieving the Ancient stage, a Quastani is unable to die by age or sickness, although they can be killed.
The Quastani were the first to learn the secrets of the Qanalan ruins, unlocking vastly advanced magic and technology and cementing themselves as the central governing body across most of Orstrys. Despite following an impartial ideology and focusing on personal enlightenment, most of the other inhabitants of Orstrys turn to them for political and spiritual guidance. They act as mediators in political disputes to ensure it doesn’t escalate to all out war.
Internally, their value of wisdom and age leads to their central governing body to consist of the oldest and wisest Quastani. With their centuries of experience they guide Xitarkan society by trying to avoid the mistakes of the past. Many younger Quastani disagree with this approach, leading a lot to travel the world instead.
Notable Quastani include the Chosen of Teribos Quastiili, the Chosen of Dorinum Mastiil, Sulisii Malaande, and Vessel Hiisimaan.
