Tag: faerie
Well of Souls – The wellspring of the Aelfpaths
Posted on October 29, 2024
The Well of Souls is the wellspring of all the Aelfpaths of the iVerse, which all eventually lead back to. It was formed upon the self sacrifice of Asharae “Lady of the Stars”.
Isharae (first Aelf; “Lady of the Stars”)
Posted on August 13, 2022
Asharae “Lady of the Stars” was one of the first Aelfs (the first true Aelfs which journeyed from the Feywyld, into the cosmos of the material universe). The first Aelfpaths were coalesced by her power. As with all the ‘firsts’ of the Aelves, she willingly gave up her material form to create the original Soul Well at a nexus of Aelfpaths somewhere in the universe.
The Lost Constellation
Asharae continues in the faerie psyche as ‘The Lost Constellation’. HEr form became the star that cast its seed along all of the aelfpaths, pulling materials from the Feywyld and dreamlands and forming the proto-faerie creatures that would eventually evolves into the faerie creatures of the modern age. She is the star-lit pathway that those of her blood always seek. The Aelfpaths are the routes through the stars back to the ultimate source of truth. The Presence of all faerie is tied to her source materials and ideals.
Some say that she will re-coalesce, drawing together all the faerie bloodlines.
Mytrial Armaments secrets of Asharae “Lady of the Stars”: This ancient bloodline of faerie kin has actual silver in their blood. It is ancient and bonded, infused by their glorious mother ‘goddess’ Asharae. The further away from Aelf purebloods, the weaker the bond gets, though the affinity persists at lower measures.
Elven Wealds (clan-homes)
Posted on October 19, 2021
A Weald is the name given to the homeland of an elven clan of extended families and their adopted kin. A Weald is empowered with anima by each member, who shares its benefits and contributes to its power upon their coming of age or sooner – whenever the faerie activates their Flora Bound trait. In normal situations, all Wealds are anchor points that tie to a Soul Well.
A Weald has a mundi spirit that serves as the channel for the anima that anchors the binding. The community manifests in the spirit of the Weald – it becomes a force larger than the sum of its parts. The Weald has a multitude of instances of ‘Amesha Flora’, forming a network that alerts the sacred Weald Watchers when one of their number is hurt or any blight forms. There is also a calmness and serenity that they help foster.
- Amesha Flora: The bountiful protective plant that watches over the locale and whispers it’s soothing song in the breeze to those bound to the Weald.
- Amesha Element: The bountiful protective spirit; these are the same as the one bound to the Soul Well the Weald is anchored to. The spirit can inhabit a host body or Soul Shine. Each entity Flora Bound to the Weald can summon and control an Amesha Element through a ritual that is tied to their specific Weald.
- If ever the elemental entity is killed, it can only be re-summoned with the Weald specific ritual, in the Weald itself.
Functions Within the Weald
The Ubaidth Faction: Within each clan home is a faction which learns the ways of outsiders, tends to be more militant, and interfaces with outsiders. This faction has a leader, typically one of the best warriors of the clan. They and their attendants are the faces typically seen by outsiders. They are often referred to as “The Watchers” – scouts and hunters ranging far and wide using stealth and concealment.
Green Sleeves: There is one notable elder, donning the “Green Sleeves” of the traditional dress and which is the final word in all relations with other clans and any “contracts” outsiders will have between them and the clan. This is typically a matriarch or patriarch position.
Navel of Rhyl Forest (‘Songhome’)
Posted on September 27, 2021 in Steel-Realms
Deep near the heart of the Great Forest of Rhyl in the northern Steel Realms is a place known as Songhome – the Navel of Rhyl Forest. It is a place of great beauty, filled with strong hills, many glades and springs, and filled with light animal and bird sounds. This locale has all the common properties and powers of Navels of the Wylden in the Steel Realms. There is always a World-Tree of the Wyld in the Navels of the Wylden – this one fed with dragon blood, making it especially potent. Normally, at the deep heart of all The Great Forests, in the Navel/Hart where the center of power is, is a mated pair of Unicorn protectors – though only Heliki the Eternal has ever been contacted.
Rulership/Governance: {Integrity ?} NO FORMAL AUTHORITY CLAIMS IT.
Population: Smallfolk of Faerie in large numbers, a few select elves and creatures of the Feywyld have been seen.
An animus font pulses at the forest’s core, releasing energy into the Laey of Helca. They Laey is anchored in this place with barbs that channel elemental energies. Creatures that find their way here are generally welcome, except those of non-faerie Faeybrin origins – men and their primitive ilk. They are mostly immune to its true beauty, and see only resources to take where others see a thing that must be kept safe and preserved. Magic is stronger at the Navel, and it leads many intruders to their death. The forest itself actively seeks to keep this place hidden from those that would despoil it. Paths change, watering holes go foul, trees and foliage block the way and all other manner of attacks by swarms and changes to the terrain that impede such travelers. Faerie kind, the gentle halflings, and Skraelings are given more leeway than others, and even the half elves of certain perspective seem to be able to move through its deeper reaches – even getting to meet and speak to the legendary druid guardians. Not even world watchers are welcome without an invite or parley first.
The Har’ahdu Cunaigh – Aelpath of Helca twines through the Great Forest of Rhyl.
Klaurian Refuge in the Rhyl Forest: Among the refugees of The Blood of Saemon were a band of Klaurians. After the great battle in the Valley of Sighs subsided, they quietly left, following a beacon calling to their chief and shaman. For ages they were thought to have gone extinct, but they settled in the deep Rhyl Forest, and drew power from the Navel to keep themselves hidden until their numbers increased and they migrated to North Pines. They -They grew even bigger, and became its premiere guardians – the Kalurians (originally Klaurian was their clan name). They are massive, powerful, passionate, militaristic, and compulsive protectors of the forest.
- These places have a tendency to form a Dew Gate in the navel, drawing elementals, malicious small folk of the Faeywyld, and the child-thieving hags of lore in search of easy mortal prey; This has led to the Plague of Hags.
- It is thought that Vaaurouch of The Rimbus is still alive and being venerated in the Navel of Rhyl Forest.
Encounters & Dangers in the Area
See Encounters in the Grand Duchy of Rhyl for common potential scenarios of notable events and creatures.
- Normal Settlement Encounters > Patrols | Recruiting | Sellers | Begging | Crime
Chronicle/Facts of the Locale
Knowledge is broken down by ease of discovery/availability & Meticulous Record Keeping may improve usability; Any attempt to know more than what's Pervasive will require a reference, source, knowledge, check, or access to someone who can get or provide either of these. Specific Lores may increase the chance of knowing specific elements.
Pervasive Knowledge / Very Easy Difficulty
Information Sources: Mundane Reference | Associated Phenomenology Only | Specific Lore
For those native to or long-dwelling in the region, ALL Common Knowledge may be Pervasive.
Rumors About the Locale
See the Herald's Quarterly for world updates.
Rhyl Formative Events
CY 7007 The area of North Gate Garrison freed & The Red March created; Money, supplies, armaments, and manpower flow into the north to fight the Lich Lords.
CY 6514 The Grand Duchy of Rhyl is created by the High King. In exchange for the resources and organization that can be brought to bear against the now organized undead armies, the lands become part of the High King's domain.
CY 5980 The Kingdoms of old Rhylan united settled as a single Kingdom of Rhyl to fight the Lich Lords drive south. After centuries of warfare between territories and races, the common cause of the threat to the north secures a lasting peace.
CY 5580 Fall of Dundaria in the North - Frostfang spreads, the Lich Lord power rises. Hordes of the undead, fortunately disorganized (at first), sweep south and west from the heart of old Dundaria.
CY 2330's Fall of East / Rise of the Dark Lands (Orrishai Abandoned); Refugees flee - some cross the Tolkisson Mountain Range into the 'Lands of Rhylan' that would become the Kingdoms of old Rhylan and finally.
CY 1000 (Approximately) The Dragon of Rhyl is killed and its influence ends in the area around the Great Forest of Rhyl and the surrounding territories.
Common Knowledge / Easy Difficulty
For those native to or long-dwelling in the region, ALL Common Knowledge may be Pervasive.
Rare Knowledge / Very Hard Difficulty
A Drawing of Power: It is believed that both the walls (The Autumn Wall and The Blue Wall) hem in the power of the Lich Lord. Their own strength relies on some power that draws away the killing cold blasts of the Frostfang that would push its icy embrace across the lands. In addition to their own mystical manifestation, these walls also siphon some small bit of power from the Frostfang winds, feeding their own capabilities and exchanging, diverting or altering the actual weather in their area – diminishing it in Kaald and exchanging it on the The Autumn Wall at North Gate Garrison casting its cold temperatures and windows to disperse in Great Forest of Rhyl.
The Dew Gate in the Navel of the Great Forest of Rhyl pulls through some of the wintery weather, dumping it in the Faeywyld as a roaming storm of sleet and snow, and drawing the ire of those that make their home there, accounting for A Plague of Hags in The Grand Duchy of Rhyl.
Feyloise (faerie language)
Posted on August 18, 2021
Feyloise is a Preeminent Language branch of the iVerse. It typically has “SPOKEN” and “WRITTEN” expressions of communication.
A separate branch of Faeybrin language capable of being used by the various Faerie subspecies, but uses very high pitched sounds outside the range of most Faelen humanoid type species. Every community will have its own accent or regional variation.
Origins: The inclination and structure of all Feyloise variants makes it recognizable across multiple galaxies of the cosmos. Because all faerie share the same origins in Faerie Divinity the scattered seeds all share a communication pattern. Sharing a common Soul Well or Weald through a Flora Bound trait will also provide nuance.
Physiological Limits: The faerie genus contains extra bones and cavities in their face and throat to enable the high pitches. This prevents most of the other humanoid species from being able to achieve a high degree of lingual ability – most cannot achieve fluency. The use of some concepts go hand-in-hand with the pheromones’ of the faerie-kin, achieving a level of expression nearly unparalleled.
- Primal Feyloise: Physically expressive elements of Sylvanic have found their way into this. This is spoken by the more wyld species of faerie-kin, the majority of them in fact. This often appears as a physical flourish as they speak.
- Pure Feyloise: This is the more traditional mode. It often takes twice as long to communicate due to the long lifespan of of the ancient elves who speak it. The adoration of the expressiveness is maximized using this form of the language.
Feyloise in Social settings
Because many of the higher concepts exist in the physically limiting areas of speech for other races, non-fluent speakers frustrate faerie kin, especially aelves, elves, and their direct descendants. Faerie prefer to speak in other languages to those outside their own race. In doing so, they often find it distasteful with corresponding physicality that mirrors this (grimace, squint, furrow, etc.) – often without awareness they are doing it. When intimacy is required, faerie will speak only Feyloise. The ability for those being spoken to to understand all nuance often leads to faerie to make sure they wear clothes that allow for others to see their Soul Shine. Seemingly revealing clothes, plunging lines, gossamer like garments – all to ensure those capable can perceive their binding to the Soul Well they are part of.
Maximum Levels of Expression/Communication: Physical (spoken) 5 [mastery]/ Inscribed (literate) 5 [mastery]