Legend of Ransera

Posted: **Wed Mar 02, 2022 11:18 am**

Ecith

Ecith is known to many as the Wild Continent, the motherland of Orks, the Unconquerable. It is larger than the continent of Ailizane and nowhere near as settled. It sits across the Crystal Sea from the southern borders of Ailizane, where travelers are greeted by Drathera, known to outsiders as the Three Cities. This is the beautifully sprawling capital of the Ecith Commonwealth, standing as a monumental bastion against both the natural forces of Ecith and those who wish to invade the land. The settled lands are dominated by Orkhan, a people dedicated to the protection of the land that birthed them, the people they love, and the history of the world. They are constantly at odds with the Primals of Ecith, enormous, monstrous beasts that rival and even prey upon the great dragons. The people of Ecith have spent many millennia of war and suffering, but seemed to have found their way in the modern age. Ecith welcomes all who wish no harm to the land or people, and will destroy any who choose otherwise.

Databases
-Linkmap
-NPC Library (Link Forthcoming)
-Flora (Link Forthcoming)
-Fauna
-Resources (Link Forthcoming)
-Primals (Link Forthcoming)
-Relics (Link Forthcoming)

About Ecith
-History
-Climate and Geography
-Government Structure, Laws, and Justice
-Religions of Ecith
-The Ecitharese Language
-The Ecithian Family Structure and Childcare
-The Primals, Relics, and Village Chieftains -
-The Unknown
-Healthcare
-Education
-Magic
-Technology
-Trade and Commerce
-Racial Variations and Demographics

Posted: **Wed Mar 02, 2022 11:21 am**

History of Ecith

The history of Ecith is largely the history of Orkhan kind and extends far into Ransera's past, only surpassed by Hytori who were the first people of Ransera. While Ecith's history is one of much suffering of the Orkhan, it is truly the tale of a people who came from nothing, discovered themselves through hardship and unity, and have flourished into a culture unlike any other. The history of Ecith is taught to all children through their rich and colorful oral traditions that have been passed down through every generation since Orkhan discovered speech and the ability to tell stories. As children grow, they are taught to read and write from an early age, and continue to be taught history for their entire lives. Ecith stands as a bastion for the preservation of history, and not just their own, but the history of the entire world and all those upon. The memory of Ecith is long and unyielding.

Official Time Line

Official Timeline

(Only specific years will be included in this timeline where they are available)

Age of Dreams

Age of Dreams (Pre -10220)

During the age of Dreams, the continent of Ecith rose out of the oceans, bringing new life and diversity with it. The land that was first born was rich with nutrition, fertilizer with the inherent properties of growth and life from the sea and ocean dragons that had lived in those waters. As these new flora and fauna developed and evolved, dragons of the air and land came to settle in Ecith as well. Many millennia of these great beings only further enhanced the fertility of this new, wild continent. This led to more and more beasts and plants evolving, many to great, enormous sizes. The jungles of Ecith stretch so high that clouds exist beneath the canopies, and among the great beasts, dinosaurs, dragons, and other monsters exist in a complexly woven ecosystem.

One of the greatest of these beasts was a self named, Jarkor, greatwyrm of the Wild Dragonflight. While all creatures have their territory, Jarkor's territory was the entirety of the lands and waters of Ecith and everything within it was tolerated or eaten by the greatwyrm. It was this beast that Malgar killed to forge the Orkhan from its blood and begin a new life upon this wild and untamed continent.

These first Orks were divided far across the continent and islands of Ecith, forming small villages that lived off their local ecosystems. These Orks pursued every beast, monster, and obstacle that could be overcome, and for many it took multiple generations until a progeny was strong enough to do so. Each of these villages had their own primitive tongue and culture, and they often warred when they discovered one another. However, over time, it was realized that the Orks all seemed to have formed and shared at least one singular belief. That shared belief would grow to help unite all of Orkhan kind and was the first of the many religions born in the continent.

This belief was of the Three Elements; The Land, symbolizing life and strength; The Sky, symbolizing wisdom and unity; and The Sea, symbolizing exploration and freedom. The Three Elements set the foundation for so many of the fundamentals of Ecithian culture and history, and were worshiped in all of the villages for millennia, complete with shrines and minor temples. Additionally, the Orks of Ecith also worshiped the idea of Malgar, though he did not play an active role in their lives. He was creator and nothing more. The Orkhan kind, however, had one other aspect that united them all as well, and it has held many names through the ages. During this era, it was referred to as the Unknown.

The Unknown had existed alongside the Orks for as long as their oral history could remember. None knew what it was, where it came from, or what its intentions are. What little is known about this entity or phenomena is that when the Unknown claims a person, that individual is removed from the memory of all. Husbands stolen away leave wives who cannot remember them in order to grieve, yet the emotional damage and trauma is still there. The Unknown has been a never ending and constant threat to Orkhan kind, and is the one obstacle, the one enemy, that seems completely unbeatable to them.

Then the Rift Gates of Sol'Valen ripped open, unleashing the Mist Lords and all the eldritch creatures upon the world. And Orks were pushed to their very brink, only the absolute strongest and boldest of their dwindling numbers surviving. And that was when Akrivar came forth, ushering himself into a new era of beliefs. Akrivar was the first of the pantheon of gods the Orks of Ecith would come to follow and worship. The old beliefs were changing, and Malgar the creator was replaced by Akrivar, the Everburning. The Three Elements would evolve into aspects of, rather than being replaced by, the three Dragon Gods that came to watch over this new generation of Orks. Fyrae, Dragon Goddess of Fire, Industry and Craftsmanship, would be shown as having the domain of the Sky, and artwork of her would always depict her flying or otherwise being within the winds, the sky, and the stars, sun, and moons.
Skar, the Dragon God of War, Strength and Honor, would always be depicting among the mountains, in the soil, grounded and steadfast in his representations, taking the domain of Land. Suion, the Dragon Goddess of Love, Passion and Desire, would be gifted the domain of the seas in this new religion, and she would always be shown in the ocean, in the surf, and otherwise entwine with the waters of the world.

This newly born and adapted religion would come to be referred to as the Draconic Era.

Age of Wonders

Age of Wonders (Year -10220 to -2220, roughly)

The Orks of Ecith continued to grow strong and to push themselves, and even as the monsters from the Rifts continued to wreak devastation on the world, the Orks found themselves in an age of simple prosperity. Their villages were still spread, but they were united by culture, and under the tutelage of their Dragon Gods, they grew smarter, no longer the simple beasts that Malgar had created. And they continued to push themselves. Eventually the heroes, Nadia of Blades, Pyrec of Songs, Lavistae of the Painted Veil would come into prominence. They held a special place in history for the Orks, and their children would go onto become the Triumvirate, the most prominent and dominant religion in Ecith, even into current day.

Each of the Triumvirate roamed the continent of Ecith, helping to guide and shape the lives of each and every Ork they could find. And their teachings were powerful. The lessons learned by generations of Orks led the villages to grow and prosper, becoming small towns and kingdoms. This was an era of peace and growth for the Orkhan.

Then civil war of Sol'Valen bloodied the shores of Ecith. The armies of Illixidor and Shaeoth came to Ecith, but for the first time in Ecith's history, all of the Orks united together behind the Triumvirate. This force was able to successful repel the invading armies, but now Ecith was aware and wary of the dangers of the world beyond its borders. This was when Raxen made his journey to the Northlands, meeting Arcas, and together, they eventually managed to banish Shaeoth, at the cost of Arcas' life, ending the Age of Wonders.

Age of Conquest

Age of Conquest (Year -2220 to -1220)

Global trade began to grow through Ransera, and Orks were finally visiting foreign lands. This is when Ecith considered itself its own nation, putting the entirety of the continent, its surrounding waters, and the sky above it under their protection and stewardship. The Orks that traveled abroad were often labeled as barbarians for their propensity for wearing clothing that emulated the natural fibers and materials found in their homeland, both from beast and plantlife, coupled with the unusual look of their tusks, scales, claws, and general propensity for physical betterment and competitive aggression. However, those who truly began getting to know the Orks would describe them as ever watchful, and having an excellent memory for song and dance, story and poem. Many of them could be seen keeping journals with them, writing constantly, and would spend their coins on artworks to bring back to Ecith for preservation.

Ecith continued to grow, many towns forming under their Godking and Godqueens. It was during this era that their culture of preservation of knowledge and culture became forefront on their mind, for the world was more peaceful, generally speaking. This left their biggest problem being the Unknown, which in this age had become known as the Shadow. Even the Triumvirate had found nothing new about the entity or phenomena, and they were not immune to its effects at making them forget those that had been taken. It was during this era, though, that tattooing became both a high art form and a way to record one's life as well as one's relationships upon their bodies. This made it so that if one was taken by the Shadow and forgotten by all, there was still evidence of them on the skin of those they were important too. This allowed Orks to begin grieving properly and focusing on moving forward in their lives. This ability to preserve the memories of those that were lost only heightened their fervor at pursuing all knowledge and art and history. This led to all Orks becoming highly literate and pursuing their passions and emotions through their artwork.

Ecith was yet again targeted by an outside force for invasion, this time, the Clockwork Empire. The Empire, wishing to quash the divinity of the world and to spread their technology viewed Ecith as pinnacle of the abominations, for the Orks had seemingly no interest in technological progression, preferring a progression of mind, body, and soul instead. However, the Clockwork Empire was unable to make any substantial attacks on Ecith, being defeated constantly and driven out of the lands.

Age of Clockwork

Age of Clockwork (Year -1220 to -400)

During the Age of Clockwork, fighting continued regularly between the two nations, however, Ecith had now decided to take the fight to the Clockwork lands. They were constantly considered to be savages and barbarians for their brutal tactics and savagery in combat, and they did nothing to dissuade this mindset. They viewed the Clockwork Empire to be filled with those who became so obsessed and reliant upon technology that it created individuals weak in body and spirit and devoid of community. Ecith's success against the Clockwork Empire only emboldened their beliefs in their methods, and Ecith would continue a growth of culture and progress without the need for technological progression. This heavy pushback from Ecith, as well as the other nations the Mage-King had declared war on is what led to the coup that caused the Sundering.

It was after this long war that Ecith vowed to never stop against an enemy simply for repelling them from their shores. Many from that time blamed themselves for not destroying the Clockwork Empire and preventing the Sundering from happening. Never again. From this point forth, when Ecith went to war, it would keep fighting with every breath until only one nation was left remaining.

Age of Sundering

Age of Sundering (Year -400 to 0)

As the Sundering was unleashed upon the world, the Triumvirate stepped forth and combined their powers to help protect Ecith. While they fought to hold back the worst of it, all of Ecith came together to protect each other. The dragons that had settled the land helped guard individual villages, mages stepped forth to try and dispel and absorb the attacks, warriors fought to keep the beasts back that were seizing opportunity in the chaos. The Orks of Ecith had already been united, but the Sundering united all of the intelligent beings that called it home. Everyone was fighting not just for their own survival, but for the survival of their neighbors and family, of the land, seas, and sky and all that call them home.

Ecith suffered heavy damage, many towns and villages wiped out forever, horrific scars upon the land, and yet, they seemed to have fared better than nearly every other nation. Raxen was wounded from Malgar's ambush, and the Triumvirate saw to his recovery and protection. However, with them gone so quickly after a major devastation, with the doubt created in many at Malgar's return as creator and subsequent defeat, with resources growing more difficult, the Orks of Ecith returned back to their savage ways they had lived under Malgar. In fighting was common place, villages were fighting one another and life seemed to be returning back to suffering.

That is until the Moratallen showed up looking for protection from the Sundering. It took longer than modern Ecithians are proud of, but eventually the Orks of the time realized that for once, someone came to them asking for help instead of trying to take it. Someone was coming to join their community and be a part of it. This inspired many leaders of the Orks and a rapid cultural shift took place. Those within the Ecithian community were not to be fought and killed by each other, no. The enemies were those outsiders who simply wished to take and damage. The Moratallen were accepted into Ecith and carved out their own place. With these new outsiders seeking refuge, and the Triumvirate still gone, Ecith decided to honor their leaders and built the Three Cities after them, cultural centers open to all who wished to learn the 27 Tenets of Ecith.

Ecith still had its normal issues of a hostile environment, of the entity now called the Empty, but they grew and prospered. The leaders of Ecith worked to model the various governments that rose up and were adjusted or replaced after the ideals taught to them by the Triumvirate and the old beliefs. Ecithians, while valuing their history, made sure to always learn from it, never getting stuck simply because that's how things are done. This openness of ideas is what allowed the new Cult of Mending to gain a foothold in the complex and ever growing beliefs structure of Ecith. Once the true intentions of the Menders was discovered, it seemed that Ecith would find itself once more on the precipice of infighting and civil war.

However, the arrival of the Dawnmartyrs and their beliefs that even the corrupted Orks could be returned to the fold through a strengthening of honor and duty that Ecithians already held dear. They helped drive out the Menders and Ecith became the stronghold for the Dawnmartyrs who helped the Ecithians heal, and heal their country, by being their best selves by their own measures. They reminded the Ecithians what it meant to be of Ecith and that would lead the people to be forever grateful to them. While the Graveplague was ravaging the world, Ecithians carried the banners of the Dawnmartyrs and of Ecith, and they fought in every corner. It was during this time that Orks and Ecith grew to international prominence, aiding any and all against the necromantic forces with a ferocity and fervor. There were no old grudges, there was no judgment by the Ecithians. All those suffering at the hands of the Menders would be helped.

Age of Steel

Age of Steel (0-Current)

For the first hundred years of the Age of Steel, Ecith focused on rebuilding and improving following the Graveplague. Populations began to stabilize and Ecith was able to enjoy some peace as they were attempting to self govern, while the Triumvirate was unable to rule. Ecithians modeled a new government after many of the ideals of the Dawnmartyrs and managed to keep from falling back into old habits of in-fighting and civil war.

In the year 102, the newly formed Galerian Imperium shocked the world by launching an unexpected invasion against the three cities of Ecith; Dratir, Kythera, and Ailos. It was a bitter war, largely fought in the Crystal Sea and the surrounding coastlines, until in 105, Ailos fell and was razed to the ground. The loss of their holy city enraged the Ecithians to a fury never seen by an invading force. During this time, the Triumvirate returned, Raxen seemingly healed from his injuries. A desperate plan was formed. In order to drive the Imperium out, Ecith gave up Kythera, allowing it to be razed to lure the Imperium further into the continent. This allowed Ecith to cut off a massive portion the Imperial Army, and they drove that army south, driving them into the wilds that even the Orks had not yet managed to conquer. They pinned the army between the vicious Orks fighting on their homeland and the Primals and monsters of the wilds, leaving no survivors. Meanwhile, the Ecithian navy struck a paid alliance with the pirates of Zythura, managed to drive the Imperial ships back to their coasts and further inland.

Ecith survived, but Ailos and Kythera were lost. The Five Kings' Accords, and Ecith was there to witness. But Ecith refused to sign, vowing that they would never find peace with the Imperium so long as it existed. A new capital city was built upon the remaining vestiges of Dratir, and it was named Drathera, after the three cities. It is a symbol of the new government, where the Ecithians govern themselves instead of being governed by their deities. It's a symbol that Orks united are stronger than any enemy and that they must always find the balance of their lives.

Posted: **Wed Mar 02, 2022 11:49 am**

Geography and Climate

The Commonwealth of Ecith claims the grasslands of North Ecith and the jungles of Central and South Ecith. They make no claims to the Atraxian Desert, which is within the control of Solunarium. Their cartographers have mapped the coastline over hundreds of years, and estimate the continent to be roughly 3 times as large as the continent to the north that contains the Galerian Imperium and Karnor. The northern portion of the continent is above the equator and borders the Crystal Sea. This coastal north is a large, rolling temperate grassland known as North Ecith, with a small desert region in the north east. North Ecith is where the capital of Drathera sits along the coastline.

North Ecith is the settled region of the continent of Ecith. It is the area that is most controlled by the Ecithian Commonwealth. North Ecith is vast, home to many rivers, lakes, and other freshwater bodies. North Ecith is characterized by its high seasonality and temperate climate. It has warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. This, coupled with the incredibly fertile nature of the Ecithian soil, has allowed for North Ecith to have one of the most vast and diverse agricultural zones in Ransera. North Ecith has experienced almost no freezing temperatures in its entire history, and most generations are lucky to witness snow, at most, once in their lives.

Heading further south, the rolling grasslands fade into the vast tropical rainforests and jungles of Central Ecith. The border area of Central Ecith is inhabited by many of the villages run by the Tribal Chieftains of Ecithian culture. These villages are the first lines of defense between the Three Cities and her agricultural villages and the massive beasts and monsters of Central Ecith, from the entity known as the Hunger. These rainforests are hot, extremely humid, and receive rainfall extremely often. These jungles have trees and plants that grow as tall as mountains, far taller and larger than plants in other parts of the world.

Discovered via sailing, South Ecith is of a higher elevation than North and Central Ecith. It is a dryer and subtropical climate. It experiences far less rainfall than the rest of the Ecithian continent and is characterized by smaller grasslands, scrublands, and smaller trees. It is not yet settled, though Ecith has had plans to attempt settlements there in the immediate future.

Posted: **Wed Mar 02, 2022 4:58 pm**

Ecith Government Structure, Laws, and Justice

Ecith is governed by a meritocratic Caste System, with a Triumvirate serving as leaders of the each Caste Track, modeled after how Raxen, Galetira, and Syren used to run Ecith before they stepped down. The Ecithian government is young, the current iteration having been in place since 107 AoS. The Triumvirate consists of three roles: the Chi'ufein / Chieftain, modeled after Raxen's role, oversees Oei'ngeh, a loose translation meaning Strength, the branch of government that oversees the military and the defense of Ecith; the Ohaman / the Shaman, modeled after Galetira's role, oversees Vonaiodon, meaning Wisdom, is the branch of government that oversees the legislation and service of Ecith; the Nuo'uv / the Muse, modeled after Syren's role, oversees the Ouraie, a loose translation of Soul Art, is the branch of government that oversees trade, craft, art and history preservation, and finances of Ecith.

The Chieftain is the leader of the Oei'ngeh / Strength Track. The Chieftain's primary duties are to, first, after receiving advisement of their Tribal Chiefs and Generals, declare or cease war, and second appoint said Generals. The Chieftain is selected from the Generals and Tribal Chiefs, by the Generals and Tribal Chiefs, and is typically both the greatest warrior and military leader of Ecith.

The Shaman is the leader of the Vonaiodon / Wisdom Track. The Shaman's primary duties are to approve or deny on the creation, alteration, or removal of laws, the creation and appointment of government services, and to act as the primary moral compass for Ecith while following the 27 Tenets of Ecith. The Shaman is elected to this position by all registered citizens from the existing Consuls, and is typically considered to be representative of the heart of Ecith.

The Muse is the leader of the Ouraie/Soul Art (often shortened to just Soul) Track. The Muse's primary duties are to ensure the longevity of Ecith, to focus on expanding Ecith's cultural memory, to encourage the growth of art and craft, and to work directly with the council of Guild Leaders to ensure a stable economy. The Muse is chosen from from nominated candidates from the pool of Guild Leaders and Assistant Guild Leaders via a cast of die or dice by the existing Muse if able. If the existing Muse isn't able to do so (such as having died), the members from the pool of Guild Leaders and Assistant Guild Leaders that are not candidates, will roll the die/dice instead.

The 27 Tenets of Ecith

The 27 Tenets of Ecith are the guiding principles upon which their laws are based. These tenets were crafted over thousands of years of cultural development and Ecith's spiritual advancement across their religions. These are not specific laws, but rather what shapes them, as determined by the Ecith Senate (past and present) and the Triumvirate that helped shape them.

Moderator Note:
I will not be creating every individual law for every individual situation. It is unrealistic. Rather, the thousands of laws that one might expect in a developed government will be formally unwritten but still existing within the sphere of these 27 tenets and will be applied as plot and situation demands.

Land
1. Stewardship - All land gives life and is to be protected and preserved. All who benefit from the land are duty bound to protect it.
2. Access - Land cannot be owned by any individual, and all who do no harm to land may be kept from it.
3. Past - Life comes from the land, and in death, one should return to it. The past is to be memorialized and learned from.

Skar - War, Strength, Honor
1. War - Ecith will not suffer an enemy to remain undefeated. The war must finish.
2. Strength - Strength is to be nurtured and grown and utilized for the betterment of the individual and for Ecith.
3. Honor - One's own honor is their life and must be applied to life always.

Raxen - Swords, Courage, Truth
1. Swords - All Ecithians must be trained in at least 1 weapon in preparation for protecting Ecith.
2. Courage - Fear is an obstacle to be overcome and Ecithians must continue to chase and face their fears to defeat them.
3. Truth - All Ecithians must speak and live their truth. To do otherwise means to not be Ecithian.

Sea
1. Freedom - The seas grant freedom in the world and are to be protected and preserved. All who benefit from the seas are duty bound to protect and preserve them. The freedom granted to all beings is to be protected and preserved as well.
2. Exploration - The seas cannot be owned by any individual and all who do no harm to the seas may not be kept from them.
3. Present - Just as the tides ebb and flow, Ecithians are duty bound to travel the seas of the world, and duty bound to return to Ecith. Life is to be lived in the present, and current events of the world to be known.

Suion - Love, Passion, Desire
1. Love - Love is to be cultivated, respected, and protected, no matter what form it takes.
2. Passion - Passion is to be pursued and applied to one's life.
3. Desire - Desire is the body and soul communicating what one needs in life, and should be pursued to achieve spiritual balance.

Syren - Music, Lust, Poetry
1. Music - All that which is art of music, rhythm, and sound; song and dance, must be recorded, protected, and preserved.
2. Lust - Sex is encouraged for all adults but is not to be controlled by any other than each individual partaking of it.
3. Poetry - All that which is art of the spoken word must be recorded, protected, and preserved.

Sky
1. Wisdom - To pursue wisdom is to grow one's self and one's community. Wisdom must be pursued and taught by all who benefit from it.
2. Unity - The sky unites all people beneath it, and all Ecithians are to protect their unity beneath it. The sky cannot be owned by any individual and all who do no harm to the skies may not be kept from them.
3. Future - The sky and all that within it are unending potential growth. The future is to be both strived for and protected.

Fyraea - Fire, Industry, and Craftmanship
1. Fire - The fire within all Ecithians is to never die and is to be grown and harnessed to improve one's self and one's community.
2. Industry - Hard work and progress are to be pursued, though not at the cost of the world around one's self.
3. Craftmanship - The highest of effort and the highest of quality must be strived for by all.

Galetira - Compassion, Writing, Fortunetelling
1. Compassion - None are to be excluded from any aspects of Ecithian life, no matter the reason.
2. Writing - All that which is art of the written word must be recorded, protected, and preserved.
3. Fortunetelling - The world is filled with signs of that which is coming, and those signs are to be studied and learned from.

Crimes, Triumvirate Council, Servants, and Banishment

In order to be found guilty of a crime, there must be an accuser, either acting as a Witness of the crime, or providing evidence that a crime has been committed. Anyone within the sphere of Ecith may be an accuser and anyone may also be found guilty of a crime. Once an accuser has stepped forward, they are responsible for finding someone of equal or greater Caste ranking of the accused, 1 from each Caste Track of Ecith for a total of three people. These three, upon accepting the role, become the Triumvirate Council for this trial. Upon formation of the Council, the Council first spends 3 days deciding if the witness' account or evidence is enough to enter into a trial. If it is not enough, the claim is dismissed and cannot be reopened. If it is deemed enough, the trial begins.

Upon the start of a trial, the accused has 3 days to gather witnesses, evidence, etc to prove their innocence, while the accuser can use those 3 days to strengthen their argument. When the trial comes, it is conducted in a public place with many witnesses and the accused and accuser must debate one another before the Triumvirate. Once the debates finish, the Triumvirate will discuss and consider the arguments for 3 more days. At the end of that period, the trial reconvenes and a verdict is decided. If deemed innocent, the trial is over and the case may not be brought forth with anyone again. If deemed guilty, the Triumvirate offers the guilty a choice and a length of time based on the severity of the crime. The choice is always the same, no matter the crime, it is only the amount of time that changes. All guilty are made to choose becoming a Servant in the Caste of the accuser (or of the accuser's choice) or to be Banished. Both choices share the same time duration. If the accused attempted to flee at any point during this process and is discovered/captured, they will be given a Banishment for the amount of time as deemed appropriate by the Triumvirate Council.

By becoming a Servant, the guilty is tattooed upon their face with a magic ink that will fade after the duration of their crime has passed. They are not allowed to move up in caste, own property, or gain money while serving as a Servant. They are bound to someone in the caste who is responsible for giving them tasks that would benefit the caste and all the people of Ecith. Upon completing their sentence, they are allowed to reenter the Castes as an M-1.

By becoming Banished, the guilty is stripped of all ranks, titles, and property. They are tattooed upon their face with a magic ink that will fade after the duration of their crime has passed. They are transported to the furthest southern reaches of North Ecith, given a simple dagger made of bone, and commanded to walk into the jungles of Central Ecith. They are ordered to not enter the protected lands of Ecith until they've completed their banishment. For many, this is a death sentence, but for others, its a chance at a freedom from servitude.

Strength Track

Oei'ngeh / Strength Track

The Strength Track is a service track dedicated largely to the military and policing aspects of Ecith, and as such, is separate from the Wisdom Track and the Soul Track. As such, members of the Oei'ngeh do not have access to property of their own while in service. All of their property is put into a blind trust and managed/invested by a member of the Soul Track. Upon exiting service honorably, the property plus interest, will be returned to the individual. All housing, equipment, food, and any other necessary expenses are provided for the soldier. The Oei'ngeh is tasked with defending the borders of the Commonwealth, as well as expanding them. They defend the country from both naturally existing threats such as the Primals, as well as foreign adversaries such as the Galerian Imperium. The Oei'ngeh creates and enforces its own laws, and these laws may not affect the Wisdom or Soul tracks. The Military has two Sects, Ovanai (an old translation of sword) / Sword and Ohi'uv (an old translation of shield) / Shield.

Ovanai is tasked with handling attacks against enemy states beyond the Ecithian borders, as well as expanding the controlled borders deeper into the jungles. Sword keeps a few armies stationed in Sangen, in accordance with their alliance, to protect the borders against the Galerian Imperium. Sword also patrols the waters of the Crystal Sea, largely for claiming resources. They are tasked destroying Imperial vessels and people on sight, conducting attacks on Imperial coast lines, and conducting emergency and rescue operations beyond Ecithian waters. Sword also conducts naval missions all around the entirety of the Ecithian coastline, though most of these are exploratory. Sword also sends forces into the jungles, slowly, to expand the borders of Ecith's control and claim more land.

Ohi'uv is tasked with both defending the borders from outside attack, as well as creating and enforcing the Oei'ngeh Laws. Shield's navy defends Ecitihian trade routes and ships, as well as Sangen ships in the Crystal Sea. Shield's navy also maintains a heavy defensive posturing along the entire southern coast of the Crystal Sea. Shield has outfitted Drathera with massive defenses after the fall of Ailos. Shield also keeps a line of outposts at the edge of the Ecith's agricultural zone, to ward off attacks from beasts and natural forces. Beyond this line, the villages, whose warriors are also part of Shield, have the primary duty of keeping the Primals out of the Drathera region. Shield also functions as the military police for the entirety of the military, and as such, every corps will have a number of Shield members in it solely for enforcing laws.

Military laws are enforced across the entirety of the military, and are established, changed, or removed by the Chi'ufein / Chieftain, with the G'uvniar / the Generals as advisors. Any soldier in breach of a law, will face a Triumvirate Council as all citizens do. If found guilty, the will receive the choice of becoming a O'uviva / Servant for one of the Castes or being banished into the southern jungles. This also forfeits all wages and assets acquired for the Servant. If a Servant completes their sentence, they may re-enter the military as an I'uvci / Recruit.

It should be noted that the Chi'uf / Chief of a village is considered to be equivalent to an M-9 General in all matters.

Force Identifiers
Aint / Army - Armies are dictated by their geographical region, as well as the number of armies in that region. They will also be dictated as either Sword or Shield based on their purpose. Ex. Sword 2nd Army of Sangen. Shield 1st Army of Central Ecith.

Coicho / Corps - Corps are dictated by the specialization of the force. Current Corps are Air (airforce), Water (naval), Earth (ground forces), and Special. Special corps are created as needed for particular situations and will be given an appropriate elemental name to suit them for the time. Typically Special Corps are disbanded after their mission has completed, either dispersing the forces into other Corps/Armies or honorably discharging the members. Ex. Water Corps of the Shield 5th Army of North Ecith.

Kigad'uv / Brigade - Brigades are identified by flower or fruit names. Ex. Orchid Brigade, Water Corps of the Shield 5th Army of North Ecith.

Kaearion / Battalion - Battalions are identified by weather event names. Ex. Tsunami Battalion, Orchid Brigade, Water Corps of the Shield 5th Army of North Ecith.

Conchant / Company - Companies are identified by animal names. Ex. Raptor Company, Tsunami Battalion, Orchid Brigade, Water Corps of the Shield 5th Army of North Ecith.

Chraeon / Platoon - Platoons are identified by gemstone names. Ex. Ruby Platoon, Raptor Company, Tsunami Battalion, Orchid Brigade, Water Corps of the Shield 5th Army of North Ecith.

Oquad / Squad - Squads are identified by color names. Ex. Violet Squad, Ruby Platoon, Raptor Company, Tsunami Battalion, Orchid Brigade, Water Corps of the Shield 5th Army of North Ecith.

Individuals - In addition to their rank, and the forces they are in, individual soldiers may have a specialist title in addition to their rank. A few of these might be Healer, Dragoon (cavalry), etc. Ex. Private Dragoon Bruno, Violet Squad, Ruby Platoon, Raptor Company, Tsunami Battalion, Orchid Brigade, Water Corps of the Shield 5th Army of North Ecith.

Wisdom Track

Vonaiodon / Wisdom Track

The Wisdom Track is a service track and branch of government that serves to run the day to day operations of Ecith, providing essential services, and act as the primary moral compass of Ecith. Their duty, first and foremost, is to serve Ecith in following the 27 Tenets of Ecith, and to help keep Ecith grounded and function in the present. This achieved through the existence of a Senate within the Wisdom Track, the pinnacle of state service, where Consuls and Senators debate any and all aspects of Ecith life to determine if they follow or go against the Tenets.

In order to combat the issues of nepotism, bribery, corruption, and other issues that Ecith had run into during previous governments. As such, members of the Vonaiodon do not have access to property of their own while in service. All of their property is put into a blind trust and managed/invested by a member of the Soul Track. Upon exiting service honorably, the property plus interest, will be returned to the individual. All housing, equipment, food, and any other necessary expenses are provided for the state servant.

All members of the Vonaiodon are elected by the communities they represent. At the lowest levels, these are direct elections conducted in their local council buildings, but the highest elections are conducted in the Vonaiodon Senate, one of the largest buildings in all of Drathera. All who live within the communities have a vote, citizen, servant, or not.

Each level of the Vonaiodon is also granted a budget by the Soul Track, paid for by taxes collected by the Soul Track. The Vonaiodon is given ultimate discretion of how to spend these taxes, so long as it is done in accordance with the Tenets. Utility services such as education, healthcare, historical preservation, etc are all paid for by these taxes as well.

It should be noted that the Ohanan, the Shaman of a village, is considered an equal to an M-9 Consul in all matters.

Community Identifiers

Ecith - This includes the city of Drathera, the agricultural regions around Drathera, and the villages. Overseen by the Shaman. 1 Shaman.

Drathera - This includes the city of Drathera and the 3 agricultural regions around Drathera. Overseen by the Consuls. 9 Consuls.

Region - Drathera is broken up into 3 regions, all of which are roughly equally sized and populated and include both city and agricultural areas. Overseen by Senators and Junior Senators. 27 Senators.

District - Each region is broken up into 3 districts of roughly equal size and population. Overseen by Marshals and Junior Marshals. 81 Marshals.

Borough - Each region is broken up into 3 boroughs of roughly equal size and population. Overseen by Archons and Junior Archons. 243 Archons.

Neighborhood - Each borough is broken up into many neighborhoods of varying size and populations. Overseen by Councilors and Aldermen.

Citizen - Anyone of an M-0 or higher Caste tier, anyone born into Ecith, anyone freed from slavery into Ecith. Those who refuse to join into the castes are not considered citizens. The Banished are also not considered citizens for the duration of their banishment.

Soul Track

Ouraie/Soul Art Track

The Soul Track functions far more simply than the other two tracks of the Ecithian Caste system. The Soul Track handles the creation and preservation of all artwork and craft, handles all economic growth and development, collection of taxes and trade. Much of this is handled through Guilds, which are a collective of similar businesses that unite together to help guide the future of the crafts and business they oversee. This includes everything from the safety legislations in place within their Guild, recruitment and training, foreign trade of the resources they require and the goods they produce, and the taxes that they must pay to keep Ecith funded. All taxes that Ecith collects comes from members of the Soul Track.

Even more importantly, the Soul Track is designed to protect and conserve both art and artists. This includes founding museums to safeguard Ecithian crafts, the opening of new art workshops for recruitment, the purchasing of art (or more likely copies) from abroad, etc. There are only 4 tiers in the Soul Track, largely based around the economic side of things. And since Ecith believes in a largely free economy, they allow the guilds to decide to be self determining in this caste.

The Leader of the Caste is the Muse (M-10), The Muse's primary duties are to ensure the longevity of Ecith, to focus on expanding Ecith's cultural memory, to encourage the growth of art and craft, and to work directly with the council of Guild Leaders to ensure a stable economy. The Muse is chosen from nominated candidates from the pool of Guild Leaders via a cast of die or dice by the existing Muse if able. If the existing Muse isn't able to do so (such as having died), the members from the pool of Guild Leaders that are not candidates, will roll the die/dice instead.

Guild Leaders (M-9) are chosen from business owners or master level artists/artisans within a guild. The process of selection is different for each Guild and they are allowed to be self determining on this, so long as it is in accordance with the 27 Tenets.

Guild Members (M-1) are employees, independent artists, entrepreneurs, etc within a guild. They make up the vast majority of a Guild and while they may have unofficial status and rank over one another, they all share the same official caste.

So'uviva / Servant (M-0) are assigned to anyone of M-1 Rank or higher, and is their responsibility for the duration of their sentence. The M-1 has full discretion over the level of service the M-0 must provide. Typically they are used for basic labor services such as cleaning, babysitting, running errands, so on and so forth. Servants are given a special tattoo upon their face indicating their status, and that tattoo fades after their sentence has been served and the Servant may enter into the Tier 1 of a Caste once more.

Standard Military Track

► Show Spoiler

Caste Rank	Title	Salary	Skill Requirements	Other Requirements	Responsibilities
M-10	Chi'ufein / Chieftain	400gp/day	Leadership (Master), Tactics (Master), 2 Combat Skills (Master), 3 Other Relevant Skills (Master)	Chosen by the M-9 Generals and Tribal Chiefs	Declaration of War, Cessation of War, appoints Generals, work under advisement of Generals and Tribal Chiefs to operate the Spear and Shield branches of the military.
M-9	G'uvniar / General	350gp/day	Leadership (Master), Tactics (Master), 2 Combat Skills (Master), 2 Other Relevant Skills (Master)	Appointed by the Chieftain from the pool of Colonels.	Oversight of an Army bound to a Geographical Area. Generals of the Sword are appointed based on the area being invaded or section of Central Ecith they are trying to expand into. Generals of the Shield are appointed based on the area of Ecith they are responsible for defending, which are the northern cities and agricultural zones.
M-8	Coron'uvr	300gp/day	Leadership (Master), Tactics (Expert), 1 Combat Skills (Master), 3 Other Relevant Skills (Expert)	Appointed by the General under whom they serve from the pool of Majors under that General.	Oversight of a Corps of up to 50,000 soldiers within an Army. Each Corps is specialized into Land, Naval, Aerial, or Special forces.
M-7	Najoi / Major	250gp/day	Leadership (Expert), Tactics (Expert), 2 Combat Skills (Expert), 3 Other Relevant Skills (Expert)	Appointed by the Colonel under whom they serve from the pool of Captains.	Oversight of a Brigade of up to 5,000 soldiers within a Corps. Each Brigade is assigned to an area within their Army's purview.
M-6	Cacheain / Captain	200gp/day	Leadership (Expert), Tactics (Expert), 1 Combat Skills (Expert), 2 Other Relevant Skills (Expert)	Appointed by the Major under whom they serve from the pool of Lieutenants.	Oversight of a Battalion of up to 1000 soldiers within a Brigade. Each Battalion is assigned to specific tasks or areas within their Brigade's purview.
M-5	Ri'uvue / Lieutenant	150gp/day	Leadership (Journeyman), Tactics (Journeyman), 2 Combat Skills (Journeyman), 3 Other Relevant Skills (Journeyman)	Appointed by the Captain under whom they serve from the pool of Sergeants.	Oversight of a Company of up to 200 soldiers within a Battalion. Each Company is assigned to specific tasks or areas within their Battalion's purview.
M-4	O'uvig / Sergeant	100gp/day	Leadership (Journeyman), Tactics (Journeyman), 1 Combat Skills (Journeyman), 2 Other Relevant Skills (Journeyman)	Appointed by the Lieutenant under whom they serve from the pool of Corporals.	Oversight of a Platoon of up to 50 soldiers within a Company. Each Platoon is assigned to specific tasks or areas within their Company's purview.
M-3	Coichoiar/ Corporal	50gp/day	Leadership (Apprentice), Tactics (Apprentice), 2 Combat Skills (Apprentice), 3 Other Relevant Skills (Apprentice)	Appointed by the Sergeant under whom they serve from the pool of Privates.	Oversight of a Squad of up to 10 soldiers within a Platoon. Each Squad is assigned to specific tasks or areas within their Platoon's purview.
M-2	Chivae / Private	25gp/day	Leadership (Novice), Tactics (Novice), 2 Combat Skills (Novice), 3 Other Relevant Skills (Novice)	Appointed by the trainers at their boot camp. Typically Sergeants from the different Armies and Corps will visit the boot camps to select the privates they want when they have openings. They may require additional, more specialized training for the privates they select.	Assigned tasks by their Corporal. May enter more specialized training.
M-1	I'uvci / Recruit	10gp/day	None	Cannot be a Servant or Banished.	Trains at boot camp.
M-0	So'uviva / ervant	0gp/day	None	Must be deemed guilty of a crime by a Triumvirate Council.	Servants are assigned to anyone of M-2 Rank or higher, and is their responsibility for the duration of their sentence. They are only allowed to operate in an extremely low level capacity and may not have access to sensitive information or weapons. Typically they are used for basic labor services such as cleaning, babysitting, running errands, so on and so forth. Servants are given a special tattoo upon their face indicating their status, and that tattoo fades after their sentence has been served and the Servant may enter into the Tier 1 of a Caste once more.

Standard Wisdom Track

► Show Spoiler

Caste Rank	Title	Salary	Skill Requirements	Other Requirements	Responsibilities
M-10	Shaman	400gp/day	Leadership (Master), Persuasion (Master), 5 Other Relevant Skills (Master)	Elected by the entire population of Ecith	Ultimate veto and approval power of Laws and Services.
M-9	Consul	350gp/day	Leadership (Master), Persuasion OR Rhetoric (Master), 4 Other Relevant Skills (Master)	Elected by the entire population of Drathera from the pool of Senators.	Oversight of Drathera and the agricultural areas, and must attend votes for any change at the national level.
M-8	Senator	300gp/day	Leadership (Master), Persuasion OR Rhetoric (Expert), 1 Relevant Skill (Master), 3 Other Relevant Skills (Expert)	Elected by the entire population of the Region they oversee from the pool of Junior Senators.	Oversight of Regional Governments and must attend votes for any change at the national level and the regional level.
M-7	Junior Senator	250gp/day	Leadership (Expert), Persuasion OR Rhetoric (Expert), 5 Other Relevant Skills (Expert)	Elected by the entire population of the Region they oversee from the pool of Marshals.	Assist the Senator in all matters and must attend votes for any change at the regional level.
M-6	Marshal	200gp/day	Leadership (Expert), Persuasion OR Rhetoric (Expert), 3 Other Relevant Skills (Expert)	Elected by the entire population of the District they oversee.	Oversight of the District and must attend all votes at the District level and Regional level.
M-5	Junior Marshal	150gp/day	Leadership (Journeyman), Persuasion OR Rhetoric (Journeyman), 5 Other Relevant Skills (Journeyman)	Elected by the entire population of the District they oversee from the pool of Archons.	Assists the Marshal in all matters and must attend votes for any change at the District level.
M-4	Archon	100gp/day	Leadership (Journeyman), Persuasion OR Rhetoric (Journeyman), 3 Other Relevant Skills (Journeyman)	Elected by the entire population of the Borough they oversee from the pool of Junior Archons.	Oversight of a Borough and must attend votes for any change at the Borough level and the District level.
M-3	Junior Archon	50gp/day	Leadership (Apprentice), Persuasion OR Rhetoric (Apprentice), 5 Other Relevant Skills (Apprentice)	Elected by the entire population of a Borough from the pool of Councilors.	Assists the Archon in all matters and must attend votes for any change at the Borough level.
M-2	Councilor	25gp/day	Leadership (Novice), Persuasion OR Rhetoric (Novice),5 Other Relevant Skills (Novice)	Elected by the entire population of the Neighborhood they oversee from the pool of Aldermen.	Oversight of a Neighborhood and must attend votes for any change at the Neighborhood level and the Borough level.
M-1	Alderman	10gp/day	None	Elected by the entire population of a Neighborhood from the pool of both Citizens and Residents that live there.	Assists a Councilor in all matters and must attend votes for any change at the Neighborhood level.
M-0	So'uviva / Servant	0gp/day	None	Must be deemed guilty of a crime by a Triumvirate Council.	Servants are assigned to anyone of M-2 Rank or higher, and is their responsibility for the duration of their sentence. They are only allowed to operate in an extremely low level capacity and may not have access to sensitive information or weapons. Typically they are used for basic labor services such as cleaning, babysitting, running errands, so on and so forth. Servants are given a special tattoo upon their face indicating their status, and that tattoo fades after their sentence has been served and the Servant may enter into the Tier 1 of a Caste once more.

Posted: **Wed Mar 02, 2022 5:05 pm**

The Religions of Ecith

Ecith is a deeply spiritual and religious society. Its history is steeped with gods and dragons, forces wild and natural. It is the birthplace of several religions and belief systems that have molded Ecith into the country it is today. And while Ecith does have a current, prominent religion based around the Triumvirate, it is by no means required or mandated. Ecith does not uses structured hierarchy or oppression and exclusivity in how they practice their religions. Many Ecithians take the aspects they need the most from across many religions, forming their own, unique belief system. In Ecith, the religions are viewed as one way to help guide an Ecithian to become the best version of themselves. Ecithians are always open to listening to new ideas when presented, and after some debate, may end up accepting some of these new ideas into their individualized belief system.

Stewardism

Stewardism / the Old Ways

Stewardism is the first of the Ecithian religions to have been founded. It was created during the Age of Dreams when Orks were still new and young, and all they really knew was the physical, natural world around them. They felt an attachment to the land from which they are born, to the seas that they could not navigate past, and to the sky that unites everything. This is where much of Ecith's three-sided balance was born from. Practitioners of this belief system feel it is their duty to protect and care for the lands, skies, and seas of Ecith. It is believed that all people are born from a marriage of these concepts, and are to be returned to them upon death, to keep the cycle ever going.

This belief system is still the primary religion in most of the villages of Ecith, and it expresses itself in many ways. For instance, many practitioners do not practice agriculture, believing that the land provides what is needed on its own. Typically practitioners will have small shrines in their home to each of the Land, Sky, and Seas. They don't typically practice offerings and sacrifices, but rather use these shrines as a way to focus their minds as they communicate with them.

Many practitioners are actively trying to repair the damage down to the world from the Sundering as well as the damage from the Godspire. It is widely believed that this has led to the creation of the science of ecology. Being a Steward means to live a life in harmony with these elements, to live by example. In death, practitioners will often dedicate their body to one of the three elements, either buried with a tree planted over their corpse (as both a means to create life, but also so the roots will keep the body imprisoned should the Graveplague return), sunk to the bottom of the ocean, or burned so the ashes can join the stars in the sky. Additionally, feeding one's body to a creature living amongst these elements is considered much the same as dedicating the body.

The Draconian

The Draconian belief structure follows the domains and teachings of Fyrae, Dragon Goddess of Fire, Industry and Craftsmanship; Skar, the Dragon God of War, Strength and Honor; and Suion, the Dragon Goddess of Love, Passion and Desire. It should be noted that despite not being a dragon, Akrivar, Mistlord of Tyranny, Oaths, is included in this belief system. These four were the foundation that moved Orks from being tribal, feral entities into the beginning of a real civilization.

This religion was adapted a bit into the beliefs of Stewardism. Fyrae would be shown as having the domain of the Sky, and artwork of her would always depict her flying or otherwise being within the winds, the sky, and the stars, sun, and moons. Skar would always be depicted among the mountains, in the soil, grounded and steadfast in his representations, taking the domain of Land. Suion would be gifted the domain of the seas in this new religion, and she would always be shown in the ocean, in the surf, and otherwise entwine with the waters of the world. Akrivar was often represented as an Ork himself, showing the bond of him and the people he helped save from Malgar's touch.

This belief structure existed for many years through the Age of Dreams and Age of Wonders. It is largely practiced through the worship of idols and personal shrines, as well as balancing one's life around the beliefs through acts of service and living the best example. In the modern day, this religion is practiced in some of the villages, typically those more closely situated to the city of Drathera, as well as those living among the outskirts and farmlands of Drathera.

The Triumvirate

The Triumvirate came to prominence in the later half of the Age of Wonders, largely adapting and replacing Draconian Era beliefs. The Trimvirate, made up of Raxen, domains of Swords, Courage, and Truth; Syren, domains of Music, Lust, and Poetry; and Galetira, domains of Comapssion, Writing, and Fortunetelling became the Ecithian Ideal. They were believed to be the marriage of the mortal and the divine, the truly attainable peak of Ecithian ethics and aspirations.

The Triumvirate, having been leaders of Ecith, now assuming as more of an advisory role, helped to found much of modern Ecith and modern morals and ideals. The addition of the Triumvirate into the belief systems led to the creation of the 27 Tenets of Ecith, upon which they built their government. There are temples built to each of the Triumvirate, however, these are not places for regular and organized worship and teachings. Rather, they are archives of artwork and stories about the demigod tied to the temple, allowing any who wish to experience how others perceive the Triumvirate. Many debates are conducted in these temples to better understand these demigods, and no belief is dismissed without discussion. Often these demigods will visit their temples, to view the new artwork and stories the people have added to the collections, and to even participate in the debates themselves.

The Triumvirate is the primary religion in the current day of Ecith, heavily practiced within Drathera and the surrounding lands. The villages will often acknowledge the Triumvirate and take some aspects of it, but it is rare for the villagers to follow it primarily. Many of the villages still begrudge the Triumvirate for the Fall of Ailos, and some even believe that the Triumvirate is making Orkhan kind weaker and more docile.

The Reliquary

The Reliquary is a newer, smaller belief system, coming into existence roughly around the fall of Ailos. The Reliquary centers around a single belief, a goal. This belief is that once all of the Relics are acquired, by Orks, Orks will be able to achieve their fullest potential as the race built from Jarkor. There is a split in this belief among the followers, some believing it only means to acquire the already made and existing Relics, while others believe it means that as well as slaying all of the Primals and crafting new Relics from them. This belief system does support Orkhan supremacy, one of the reasons why it hasn't become mainstream yet, with Ecith being a largely open and accepting community. This belief system also supports both the personal growth of Orks, much like many of the other religions, but thinks they are to be directed into the wildlands rather towards society and war against other nations. Exploration and bonding with the wild portions of Ecith are admirable, whereas furthering society and the like are contemptable.

The primary followers of the Reliquary are younger Orks in Ecithian society. However, while younger, this belief system seems to have spread across geographical bounds, and has followers in the villages, the city outskirts, and in Drathera proper. Since the failure and fall of Ailos, many of the younger generations are frustrated and seeking to prove themselves after such a stain on their country and people. The Reliquary is a bit rebellious against the mainstream idea of the Triumvirate, thinking that perhaps the old ways of rule through individual strength alone is best.

The Primals

The Primals / The Footprints

Following Their Footprints is the motto of those who practice a newer belief system centered around the Primals being the true Pantheon of Gods in Ecith. The practitioners largely believe that the Primals are gods that are misunderstood because no one has attempted to listen to, communicate with, or learn from them. They believe that the Primals attack and destroy villages and civilizations as punishment for failing to follow their ways, as well as retribution for having destroyed many of their kind over the years. This belief system is newer and has a very small following, largely within Drathera only. It runs counter to the Triumvirate because they believe that all of the Mistlords and Dragon Gods and their offspring are all foreign invaders of this land that Ecith is tasked with protecting, and that the Primals are the true gods. It is also believed that Jarkor, the wyldwyrm slaid by Malgar to craft the Orks, is the Primal of Dragons, and his death was the beginning of the war of the Primals versus the Invading gods.

This Primals belief system forces a shunning of the traditional gods, adopts nationalistic beliefs and Ecithian supremacy. It considers those who wield Relics to be godkillers and desecrators of their bodies, which should've been allowed to have been consumed by the land and waters and sky of Ecith. They believe Ecith needs to expel the False Gods and allow the Primals to shape Ecith in the way it should be. Additionally they believe the Relics need to be located, and returned to nature.

The Greater Pantheon

The Greater Pantheon is believed by some to be the next adaptation of the Triumvirate religion, which was an adaptation of the Draconian Era, which was an adaptation of Stewardism. The Greater Pantheon is newer but gaining traction, as it believes in following all of the Mist Lords and Dragon Gods and their demi gods, instead of just the favorite handful. This particular belief system does not view any of the gods as good or evil, but rather as a chaotic group whose purpose is to present difficult lessons and choices upon the world to test people in order for them to grow into their own individuals. They put a lot of emphasis on building one's own sense of moral direction, and not needing the laws of man and government to guide them, so long as they are learning the lessons of the pantheon.

Many are attracted to this style of free thinking and individualism, but others feel it carves a dangerous path back to the brutal savagery that Orkhan kind had when Malgar first created them. It is largely being practiced within Drathera, and some believe that with the Triumvirate stepping aside as leaders is a signaling that they agree with this evolution.

The Called

The Called is a belief system centered around one of Ecith's greatest taboos, the Unknown. The followers of the Called believe that those taken by the Unknown were chosen specifically because they achieved the most desirable state of being and were allowed to enter a paradise afterlife. The belief system itself is not actually about the phenomenon or entity known as the Unknown but rather the lives of those taken. They study the records and lives of those that were taken in an effort to better understand what commonality exists among them, so that they can model their own lives in such a fashion.

They focus heavily on the intense study and recording of people, both those taken and those not. It is an incredibly intense academic pursuit in joining this belief structure, having to be frank and knowledgeable about oneself and those around them. They've not yet discovered any commonality beyond the proximity to the wildlands and the Orkish and Ecithian born heritage. But they are hopeful that one day they will find the Unknown traits so that all may enter the Lost Paradise.

The Arbiters

The Arbiters are a fanatical sect who have given up all other beliefs for the sake of one. They believe that all of Ecith is broken and twisted and wrong so long as the Galerian Imperium still stands after the desecration of Ailos. They hold the Triumvirate and all those who failed as personally responsible for the destruction and do not believe they hold any authority so long as the Imperium still stands. These are separatists, either making their own strongholds in foreign lands to continue to fight the Imperium without the backing of Ecithian forces, or breaking one of the chief tenets of Ecith and hiding within the ranks through means of deception. Their goal is clear, destroy the Imperium and all who live in it and associate with it, at any and all costs.

Until then, Ecith is plagued by weakness and frailty and is a husk of its former glory.

The Arbityers believe that only they can save their beloved Ecith, and many of them believe that in addition to the destruction of the Imperium, they must also purge Ecith of those who failed to protect Ailos as well as those that stood by and were thus complicit. Their ideal world was that before the fall of Ailos and they wish to return to that golden era, above all else.

Greaya Mawoid

Credit to Eya for this creation.

Known by many outsiders as the Kin eaters.
The Greaya Mawoid, or Mawoiden people, are a sect of nomads that were lost to the great jungle of Ecith. Rather than perish they adapted becoming something entirely different from what they had already been.
Their culture had already deified the preservation of the skeletons of their kin to decorate and use for storytelling and recounting their oral history. The hard times forced upon them made cannibalism an easy leap for them, allowing them to make further use of their deceased. Thus in both flesh and bone the family stayed together, so too do the Mawoid people believe that they are keeping the souls of their family with them.
The greatest celebration to the Mawoiden is a funeral for family. Where a banquet is prepared all manner of dishes are then prepared using the deceased remains, sometimes into dishes they’d requested prior to their passing. All save the heart the liver, brain, and nerves.

The skeleton is presented at the end of the meal freshly bleached and prepared for decoration, then those who were closest in life to the now deceased recount their story and the week long process of decorating the skeleton and repairing it to be one of the puppets of the Greaya Mawoid. Their story is then written and stored with them so that they will never be forgotten and can continue to tell their story well into eternity.
The heart, liver, brain and nerves are then given to their artifact which distills the aether from them and refines what’s left into strange pseudo dragon shards.

The most powerful spirits make shards capable of creating some of the finest artificing cores for constructs. To be born again as a construct with ones soul intact is the goal of many members of the Greaya Mawoid.

In essence the Mawoid believe that if you eat something that had a soul, a part of that soul stays with you. To this end they believe in consuming their loved ones to keep their strength with them and to give each soul in the family to reincarnate until their spirit becomes strong enough to become a puppet after death.

The Mawoid do not eat strangers or outsiders.

The Mawoid do make and sell wooden and animal bone puppets but will never willingly part with one made from the remains of another Mawoiden. The Mawoiden corpse puppets are well cared for and are treated as family to disrespect them is an affront to all Mawoiden.

Posted: **Wed Mar 02, 2022 5:10 pm**

The Ecitharese Language

The Ecitharese language is one with ancient roots, and is one of the languages that was drawn from as Common was developed. Ecitharese is the commonly accepted language of Ecith, built from the many languages of the founding villages. When the Orkhan were first created, their language was heavy and grunt filled, guttural as they discovered how to communicate around their tusks. But time went on, and as the Orks began to worship the natural elements of Land, Sky, and Sea, their language evolved to match it. This led to their language following the flow of water between the heavy earthen grunts, and tied together by the airiness of their transitions. Compared to Common, this has led Ecitharese to not include several of the letters in the Common alphabet, sounds made annoying with tusks, and words made longer. Ecithian life and culture is centered around progression of the self while staying in balance has led to the removal of consecutively duplicating letters, representing constant change and growth, even with keeping to one's ancient roots. It is not considered an especially difficult language to pick up, as it is much more simplistic than Common. However, the simplicity of the language has put more emphasis on the intonation, context, and bodily expressions of the speaker which has caused difficulty for many a non-native speaker.

Language Translator and Word Index

Rules

Saying P, B, M, W, and WH - Orcs find these sounds challenging, due to their tusks, as they require your lips to close as they make each consonant sound.

These sounds are replaced, or removed completely in translation (see chart below).

A
B = K
C
D
E = ‘uv
F
G
H
I
J
K
L = R
M = N
N
O
P = Ch
Q
R = I
S = O
T = E
U
V
W = Vona
X
Y = T
Z

All consecutive duplicates of letters are removed until only a single occurrence remains. If any still due to the initial removal, these are removed as well until there are none remaining in the word. This includes the letters of 'uv and vona.
The suffix of -ing is replaced with...
The suffix of ion is replaced with...

This is the link to the translator currently being used. This will be updated regularly and (link to resource for requesting words to be added).

This is the link to the word index used in the translator.

Naming

1. Names should never be translated.
2. Names do not need additional modifiers. A lake will be named Nora, not Lake Nora or Nora Lake.
3. Names are not to be inherited.
4. Calling one by anything other than a name they have given you / given you permission to give is an extremely grave insult. Asking another to name you (nicknames) is extremely personal and intimate.
5. Names for people in Ecith are as such.

Ecithians acquire three names over the course of their lives.

Name of the Land - Their given name at birth, typically decided by their village/family. Usually this is a name tied to memories of where / when the child is born.

Name of the Sea - The name they give themselves upon entering adulthood. This name is one typically of aspiration for the individual, what they wish to be and the road they are on. Very taboo for anyone other than the individual to try and influence this name whatsoever.

Name of the Sky - This is a name given as an honorific by someone important in the individual's life, as determined by the individual. It is typically associated with great feats in whatever the individual has pursued in life, which can include anything from hunting prowess, masterpieces of art being created, or the birth of a first child. This is a deeply personal name and is typically agreed upon by the giver and receiver.

The order of the names is interchangeable as decided by the individual.

Typically the names are in an Ecitharese style, but it is not unusual for other language names to come into this style as well and they are just as accepted.

Language Nuances

This will be an ever growing list of aspects of the language so as to better understand it.

1. Ownership should not be expressed in regards to the Lands, Skies, and Seas of the world, nor should they be expressed towards any people (including in minor ways like 'my love'. This is also expressed culturally as slavery does not exist in Ecith nor is its presence tolerated in the slightest. Slaves that make it to Ecith are welcomed openly and granted freedoms under the Ecithian way. Additionally land, sea, and sky cannot be owned, only used by express permission of the stewards of Ecith (the Senate and its support systems). This privilege can be revoked if one abuses the land, seas, or skies they were given permission to use.

2. Ecithians will give introductions and departures in the language of the land they are in, if able.

3. The words for 'Village' and 'Family' are interchangeable. This is representative of both their origins of growing up in villages, and still maintaining villages to this day, but is also representative of their extremely complex and interwoven family structures in their polyamorous society.

4. Gendered titles and descriptors are never used when speaking of people. Ecithians have no qualms with using one's name repeatedly as necessary, as well as the non-gendered states.

Posted: **Wed Mar 02, 2022 5:15 pm**

Ecithian Family Structure and Childcare

The Ecithian family is a complex and broad structure. This is largely due to the vast, polyamorous relationships that are the norm in Ecith culture. Back when the Orkhan lived primarily in villages, maintaining population numbers was difficult due to the harshness of the land and the early state of the Orkhan development. Out of necessity, the Orks bred as much as possible to simply survive.

However, as they moved into their more modern version, many aspects influenced that necessity becoming a cultural norm. The coexistence of the Unknown alongside Orkhan culture causing people to be spirited away seemingly at random led to a hedging of bets, so to speak. Orks began to create many intertwined relationships with one another, so that no Ork would ever have to be alone. Orks have always been heavily communal people, reliant upon community and unity. After the Triumvirate came into the lives of the Orks, improving their mental and spiritual capacities, the Orks began their campaign of openness and debate that lives on to this day. This openness has led them to be accepting of all forms of love, all forms of people, a cultural acceptance for all form of sexuality, gender, and definitions of self.

An additional aspect that influenced their family's design is the lack of a system for inheritance, in both name and property. With Orks having no concept of ownership in regards to land, sea, and sky, they've had no need to develop inheritance systems for maintaining ownership within families and generating generational wealth. Instead, through their traditions based culture and fervor of historical and cultural preservations, Ecithians consider themselves Storykeepers. To be in a relationship with someone is to be one of the Keepers of their life's story and to pass it on to future generations.

In the Ecitharese language, the terms for village and family are interchangeable, and representative of the family unit. An Ecithian family is huge, with many people in it being of blood relation and many not. Relationships are all made by choice rather than obligation, and all Ecithians are expected to follow their true passions and desires in order to become their best selves.

Children, biological or adopted, are all perceived as equals. When children are old enough to begin making decisions for themselves, they get to decide who their parents and family are. This may be the parents that raised them from birth, this may be other members of their village. The ideology of "it takes a village to raise a child" is quite literally. With this in mind, most children end up having dozens of parents, chosen by themselves, people who will help them to grow happy and healthy and be ready for the world upon entering adulthood.

Childhood is sacred in Ecithian culture. Children attend small schools in their communities, to learn their history, their arts, to grow the strength of their bodies, and to develop the foundations for relationships that often last a lifetime. Children are expected to be allowed to be children until they come of age at 18. Children are never expected to follow their parents footsteps or trained to become soldiers or tools for the state. Any adult who tries to do otherwise will often find themselves on the receiving end of a bunch of angry and disappointed Ecithians.

While abroad, it is extremely common for Ecithians to seek out orphanages, orphans, and other children without parents. They will adopt all of these children if they are able, and bring them back to Ecith to be raised happy and healthy. Even while at war, if Ecithians create orphans by having killed their parents, they will still adopt the children and show them all the love and caring as they would any other child. This has been used against them in the past, primarily by the Galerian Imperium through the use of child spies, assassins, and the like, but Ecith still believes keeping the practice alive is more important than when they fall prey to the Imperium's tactics.

Posted: **Wed Mar 02, 2022 5:31 pm**

The Primals, The Relics, and Chieftains

The Ecithian continent is an ancient land, filled with powers great and lost, a land that is still wild and untamed throughout much of it to this day. It is a land filled with dinosaurs and dragons, jungles that stretch higher than the clouds and grasslands that could hide armies. But even greater than these are the Primals. The Primals are great beasts, most of which are ancient, massive entities that roam Ecith. They are powerful enough to openly challenge and defeat the dragons and have staked out massive swaths of territory across Ecith. The Primals that are closest to the settled lands of Ecith have long histories attached to them, for while driving one away is a monumental feat, destroying one is that which only a small handful have ever managed to accomplish. The Primals are not simply gigantic beasts, but seemed to have ascended beyond that. All of them have ascended to a higher intelligence and have somehow managed to align themselves with one of the Elemental Planes, and seem to actively feed off and generate effects from this connection to the Elemental Planes. However, even with their higher intelligence and their great powers, they do not appear to be nefarious creatures. Rather, they migrate, they fight, they defend their territory and act more often than not in the ways of a beast.

When Akrivar and the other Dragon Gods came to Ecith, helping to strengthen the Orkhan people, the first of the Primals, the great wildcat Kukan, was defeated by the chieftain of a small village that had been in the creature's wake, an Ork woman known as Luvina. From its corpse, and with the guidance of the dragon gods, a great weapon was forged. This weapon, a bow, was imbued with the powers of the Elemental Plane of Earth, and was named Mountain Mother. This gave Luvina some control over the element and when she combined her full power with all of that of the new Relic that had been forged, the arrows she would fire would build mountains and crags when they struck true. She used this power to better protect her village and forever changed the destiny of the orks living there.

Luvina would go on to discover that the intelligence of the Primal lived on within the Relic she had forged. It became an influential companion and friend, guiding her to a stronger bond with the aligned element and the natural world around her. This bond made her into one of the greatest heroes and Chieftains in Ork history, and led to the inspiration of many more such heroes. More individuals defeated Primals, forging new Relics and founding or leading their villages. As these chieftains died or aged, the Relics selected a worthy successor to be the new chieftain. And this tradition continued onward into the current age.

The Primals

The Primals of Ecith are unique, one of a kind creatures that have ascended the normal bounds of beast into something far mightier. It isn't clear how these beings come into existence, though it is widely believed that some of the taint unleashed onto the world by the Rift Gates has triggered an awakening mutation in some. But others believe this to be false, thinking that Primals existed before the Rift Gates, but Orkish history was much murkier back then. What is known is that they are solitary beings, they seem able to consume both organic matter like normal beasts of similar types, as well as subsist on the element of the Elemental Plane they are tied to. Additionally, where they travel, their element begins to alter the natural world in new and often unexpected ways, continuing to increase the diversity of the native wild life of Ecith.

Living
1. Vich'uvi, the Shadow Viper
2. Lak'uv Kakt, the Lake Baby
3. Fr'uvaki, the Fleet Breaker
4. Vonaoid Koid, Blood of the World
5. Kegumu Rakaka, the Silent Fisher
6. Oi'quvn, the Queen of Kythera
7. Ord Kruv, the Sky King
8. Nand Uvaeh, the Many Deaths
9. Unkoe H'uvi'uvd, Uncle Who

Deceased
1. Kukan - A great wildcat, similar to a cheetah. Earth Plane.
2. Gihah Vonae’uvi - Giant lizard in a waterfall. Water Plane.
3. Goraro Orarao - The Shooting Star Eel, Aether Plane.

The Relics

The Relics that are forged from a defeated Primal are weapons of immense power and influence. They are bound to and have some control over the elements tied to the Elemental Plane their Primal was attuned to. The Relics also contain the intelligence of the Primal itself. The Relics form a bond with an individual they determine to be worthy of wielding them and their power, an influence that is built by a combination of their own will, as well as that of those who helped to forge it. Each Relic is a unique, one of a kind creation, but all seem to share a few aspects.

1. True Ownership - The Relic can only be wielded by the individual it has deemed worthy. Others will find it entirely immovable.
2. Worthiness - The Relic can perceive all aspects by one who attempts to wield it. Past, present, memories, personality, intentions, secrets. It uses this to measure the individual's worthiness by the standards of both the Primal it was forged from and by those who forged the Relic.
3. Tier 4 Immunity - The weapon carries the strength of those who crafted it. This means the original Relics are of Tier 3 strength, having been forged by the Dragon Gods, while the later ones were forged by the Triumvirate making them Tier 4. Powers or beings weaker than the tier of the Relic cannot damage it. If wielded by a being that is higher than its own tier, the Relic will match the durability of that being only while in that being's ownership.
4. Enchantment - The weapon is able to bestow lesser versions of its Personal Abilities upon Items of the same type. Typically the ability(ies) it bestows first are those related to the aspects that the owner most needs to emulate to become more worthy for one day being claimed by and wielding the Relic.
5. Reaving Resilience - Using Reaving to bond with the Legendary weapon, or any of those it has enchanted, will pass on no negative side effects to the Reaver for using an enchanted weapon.

Relic List

1. Mountain Mother - Forged from Kukan, a shortbow, attuned to the Earth Elemental Plane. Currently claiming X as chieftain.
2. Vonai G'uvi, the Wind Singer
3. D’vuipkoid Vonae'uvi, the Deepwater Vein
4. Goraro Orarao, the Feasting Sack

The Village Chieftains

Village Chieftains

The Village Chieftains are all selected the same way, regardless of which Ecithian village they are in charge of. Each chieftain is selected by a Relic, which maintains a level of sentience within it similar to the Primal it was made from. It isn't fully clear the exact requirements that the Relic requires for someone to be selected as Chieftain, but at a bare minimum it does seem to require someone that is peak mastery at wielding it. Many believe that the Relic seeks out those who, when paired with the Relic, achieve the balance that many Ecithians seek to make the best version of themselves.

If a Chieftain is killed, the Relic becomes an immovable object from the place it has fallen until someone it deems worthy claims it once more. If someone comes along that is more worthy than the current Chieftain, in the eyes of the Relic, the Relic will leave the current chieftain and join the new one.

Chieftains are considered the highest authority in a village, and the territory of their village is often similar to the territory of the Primal the Relic was made from. While wielding their Relic, Chieftains are viewed by Primals as a rival Primal. Chieftains are free to run their villages as they see fit, but many follow the Tenets of Ecith regardless. Chieftains also serve as Generals in wartime efforts.

Living Chieftains
1. Boraba Ohadok'uvi, Chieftain of Ounokt Nora
2. Coid Ong Oping, Chieftain of Gihah K’uvfoi’uv Fi’uv
3. Marwoi the Blessed, Chieftain of Wawari Bobul

Deceased Chieftains

Posted: **Wed Mar 02, 2022 5:33 pm**

The Unknown

Hidden Information found here: Link

The Unknown has gone by many names over the millennia that Ecithian culture and Orkhan kind have existed. Almost nothing is truly known about the Unknown. It isn't clear if the Unknown is an entity or a phenomenon, if it has intent or if it is a randomized event. It is known to have existed since the beginning of Orkhan and Ecithian recorded history. It is known that it makes people disappear instantly, regardless of defenses or readiness. It is known that those taken are forgotten, in their entirety, by everyone in the world, with extremely limited exceptions, which is largely confined to Gods. It is believed, though not entirely confirmed, that the Unknown only takes those of Orkhan heritage or born in Ecith. It is also largely believed that those in the wilderness areas are more likely to be disappeared, but not guaranteed.

Many aspects of Ecith culture have been developed as a way to counteract the forced amnesia effects of the Unknown. Their drive to preserve any and all history and art is directly because of the Unknown. The practice of Vo'uveh, tattooing one's own life and the important relationships upon one's body, was created so that people would still have a method of knowing that someone that they cared for was taken from them. The act of choosing exile as a punishment for a crime is to increase one's risk of being taken.

Posted: **Wed Mar 02, 2022 5:35 pm**

Healthcare of Ecith

The Healthcare of Ecith centers first and foremost on preventative care, through healthy lifestyle management. Ecithian culture has long known the benefits of maintaining a healthy mind, body, and spirit in balance. Just like with all things, Ecithian healthcare is built around this balance. Ecithians are the foremost in the world on the specific effects diet has on health. Part of being a chef or a food provider is knowing the nutritional value of the food you prepare and how it will affect the bodies of those you sell to. Food is the direct connection of the Ecithian body with the life giving soil. It is widely known that many ailments are an imbalance of nutrition, so often Ecithian healers will prescribe a change in diet for their patients.

Additionally, proper exercise is a foundational belief in Ecith. This is taught from the youngest of ages, first through play, later through both combat training and just the general lifestyle of Ecith. Ecith has developed ergonomics, physical therapy, massage as healthcare, and many other advancements in the health of the body.

Magic and divinity have a strong place in Ecithian healthcare as well. Necromancersand other mages, and healers are revered for their skills, which are typically only utilized when various changes of diet, exercise, and lifestyle will not improve an aspect of health. Ecith doesn't utilize a centralized hospital in response to emergencies, but rather their healers are integrated into the culture. Their doctors and healers are much more likely to do a home check ups on those in their neighborhood than people are to visit their clinics. They've found great success and acceptance in this style of working with patients and the community.

Healers paid directly by the Ecithian Commonwealth through the taxes they collect, and are provided with whatever it is they feel is necessary for the care of their people.

Legend of Ransera

[OOC] Ecith Codex

[OOC] Ecith Codex

Re: [OOC] Ecith Codex

Official Time Line

Age of Dreams

Age of Wonders

Age of Conquest

Age of Clockwork

Age of Sundering

Age of Steel

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Re: [OOC] Ecith Codex

The 27 Tenets of Ecith

Crimes, Triumvirate Council, Servants, and Banishment

Strength Track

Wisdom Track

Soul Track

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Stewardism

The Draconian

The Triumvirate

The Reliquary

The Primals

The Greater Pantheon

The Called

The Arbiters

Greaya Mawoid

Re: [OOC] Ecith Codex

Language Translator and Word Index

Naming

Language Nuances

Re: [OOC] Ecith Codex

Re: [OOC] Ecith Codex

The Primals

The Relics

The Village Chieftains

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Re: [OOC] Ecith Codex