Story Elements

Character Histories

Jonathan Perish was born in Virginia in 1758. When he was 18, he joined a band of men who would go on to be known in American history as the minute men. He was among those who stopped the British at Lexington and Concord. Over the next 7 years, Jonathan gained rank until he became a captain. After the war, he was given a group of men to help put down Shay’s rebellion against the early confederate government in 1786. After the ratification of the constitution in 1789, Jonathan was commissioned as an officer in the United States Army. While on leave, Jonathan was visited by a strange woman bearing an odd device. The year is 1790.

William Perish was Jonathan’s uncle. twenty years his nephew’s elder, he was mostly responsible for raising the lad after his parents were killed by Indians. Due to this, when Jonathan was commissioned, he felt a responsibility – much to William’s objection – to provide for his aging uncle. On one such visit; a strange woman came to the house bearing an odd device. The town where William lived was soon after attacked by spider-like creatures. With much struggle, Jonathan and his friend Ned fended off the monsters. William, however, was injured in the fight and died soon after.

Edgar “Ned” Benning was the best friend of Jonathan Perish since childhood. One year Jon’s elder, Ned joined his friend among the minute men and later in the continental army. Ned retired from service after the war’s end, having lost his right eye in the invasion of New York. Ned was summoned by William Perish, Jon’s uncle, to surprise Jon for his birthday. During the celebration, a strange woman appeared bearing an odd device she claimed to have found in some ruins nearby. Soon after the woman left, the town was attacked by a mob of spider-like creatures. Ned and Jon fought off the creatures, but William was injured and several of the townsfolk were wounded.

Jayana Hulinall was once the crowned princess of the kingdom of Ekolos. when she was twenty-four, she was forced to flee when the kingdom of Voray attacked. Her family was quickly killed in the assault, though she managed to escape with the map to find the Kulinor, an ancient relic of her people for which the soldiers of Voray were searching. As she fled, she passed the border of the Zylaya forest and stumbled into a large glade and hid in a knot at the base of a large oak tree. she continued to back into the knot until she found she was backing out of it. Confused, she turned to find herself in a completely different wood. Instead of the massive, ancient trees of the Zylaya forest, this wood had shorter, younger trees. as she wandered, she found the remains of an old shack. taking refuge within, the found, against all her hope, the Kulinor. Taking it, she fled to a nearby town. She knocked on the door of a random house where there seemed to be the sounds of merriment and asked for shelter. The strangers agreed to harbor her, but the town was soon attacked by the Golems of Voray.

Catibreus Gerinor is the uncle of Jayana and the king of Zylaya. He is a powerful sorcerer who Jayana asks for help to remove the Kulinor from Jonathan’s arm. Catibreus says he cannot and sends them off when the golems attack the forest. He holds off the attackers, committing himself to an unknown fate.

Viltinor Trinimond was the greatest general of the kingdom of Voray and a skilled artificer. His skill in crafting golems was unmatched, and his Hilkendaur, the spider-like machinations, were his deadliest creations. In the year 3675 of the 6th age, Viltinor of Voray led an army of nearly half a million golems of every kind against the kingdom of Ekolos. He had convinced the king of Voray that the people of Ekolos were conspiring with Tyka to invade, and that a preemptive strike was needed. The aging king, whose mind was far passed its prime, agreed. Thus, Viltinor invaded. the army was tasked with finding the map that led to the Kulinor. Failing that, the Hilkendaur were ordered to track the Ethereal trail of princess Jayana’s soul, having discovered her missing. The golems passed through an ancient oak of the Zylaya forest and came upon a small town in a strange land. Wishing to find the map quickly, Viltinor ordered his golems to capture the townsfolk and search their soul records – or memories – to find where the girl was. A small battle was fought wherein an old man was wounded and killed. His fleeing soul revealed the location of the princess.

Faolimidh the Fair and Cannochut Andarian the Black Faolimidh and Cannochut were a young children when their mother was murdered before their eyes twice. Once by the men to whom their mother sacrificed herself for the sake of her children, and again by their father, Chumhain. The sacrifice of their mother, however, was what inspired the two. Many years after the tragedy - and after their father had died - Faolimidh and her brother were members of a Tribal chieftain's household when they were taken captive. Questioned, but without information to give, both siblings were eventually threatened with the death of the other. Fearing for her brother's life, Faolimidh begged the marauders to kill her instead. She was relieved when they agreed, though she soon discovered that Cannoch made the same vow. The two siblings were slain for the sake of the other, and the display of such love moved the heart of Eirintar, who made them immortals like their mother. For centuries, Faolimidh and Cannochut traveled Kosmotom as mercenaries, Faolimidh securing the contracts and Cannochut doing the fighting. As they neared a Millenium of life, Faolimidh noticed a change in her brother. With the centuries of fighting came the tainting effects of killing, making Cannochut heart turn cold. Still, he was indomitable in combat, and he never betrayed his sister, so he maintained his immortality. As Cannochut grew more callus and cold, Faolimidh began to seek a way of escape. She soon came across a company of riders, descendants of a long lost kingdom. They were skeptical of her at first, as they were with all newcomers, but they soon welcomed her into their fold. As centuries wore on, Faolimidh soon rose to a position of authority within their ranks. As for Cannochut, after his sister left, there was no one to temper him. Cannochut soon became too violent to be contracted, and he descended into a barbarous savagery, slaying all those he felt had wronged him in any way. Ever did his hatred burn for his sister, whom he believed had betrayed him, and yet an unwillingness to see her slain remained. One day, centuries later, Cannochut received a summons from the city of Voros, they wanted to hire him for a long-term assignment. The kingdom of Voray was going to war with Ekolos, and they needed a captain to lead the armies. To hide his true self from his future enemies, the courtiers of Voros gave Cannoch a suit of black armor as well as a new name, Andarian the Black.

Character sketches

Jonathan Perish

Jonathan is a thirty-two-year-old man of about six feet and two inches. He is broad in the shoulders and narrow in the hips. His most defining feature is a long scar which runs from his left ear, across his cheek to his chin. He has long red hair which he keeps, most often, in a ponytail. He brandishes a typical officer’s saber of the American military, with a bronze-plated hilt and a capped eagle head on the pommel. He couples this with his brace of dragoon pistols. He wears simple garb, a cotton shirt with cotton pants and a dark leather waistcoat. he wears a three-cornered hat.

William Perish

William is a man of fifty-two years who stands at about five feet, ten inches. His grey hair is sparse, and his face wrinkled. His eyes seem almost shut under his loose folds of skin. Still, he stands straight with now cane, and his frame displays the remnants of a man who was once strong. His hands still bear the calluses of a saber, as he was an officer in the British military during the early years of the war with the French. His left leg is missing, replaced with a wooden peg. He despises canes as a sign of weakness and taught himself to balance with just his two legs. He objects constantly to Jonathan’s sense of responsibility to care for the old man, telling his nephew often to care for his own life rather than waiting on an old man. His clothing is simple, with just a cotton shirt and pants.

Edgar “Ned” Benning

Edgar Benning is a man of Saxon decent, his family being able to trace their lineage proudly back to the days of King Alfred. Despite this pedigree, the family was poor enough to travel to America shortly before the war broke out. This is where Edgar was born, raised among the rolling hills and forests of Massachusetts along side his friend Jonathan. He is a tall man of six feet and seven inches with short blonde hair and a beard to match. He is missing an eye which he lost in the revolution. His frame is large and blocky, and some would say he bears more resemblance to a box than a man. With his size comes brutish strength, and he was often seen in battle bearing a headsman’s axe slung over his back along with his gun. He dresses simply, with a cotton shirt and pants with a brimmed hat.

Jayana Hulinall

Jayana Hulinall is tall for her people, though only about average for human standards, standing at about five feet and nine inches. She is fair-skinned, having never felt the weathering effects of a hard life. She is as petite as her station as a princess would suggest, being thin and fair of form. she is not broad in the shoulders, though her shoulders are wider than her hips, and both are wider than her waist. She has long, fair blonde hair and a softly triangular face. She wears what she fled the capitol with, a fine dress with a hastily gathered cloak. When she reaches William’s house, her dress is frayed by her ankles.

Catibreus Gerinor

Catibreus Gerinor is a thin man with a wizened face. He lives in the forest, and the weathering of the elements shows over his body. He wears few clothes aside from a kilt and two leather straps over his torso which hold many knives. He has many self-inflicted scars over his body to symbolize all the challengers for his throne he has killed. despite his age, it is clear that he is not weak.

Viltinor Trinimond

Viltinor Trinimond is a man of foul heart and fair form. He is known for his quick and conniving whit, though he has a fair enough face and appearance than most are willing to look past. He has a soft round face with red cheeks set on a large head. Viltinor’s body is almost as vast as his ego, with a waistline that would cause trees to seem as twigs. This mass, however, just not jump and juggle around with every move. It is all firm, though little muscle can be found in his full diameter. His hair is white and curly, as is his beard. Children love to hear his stories of far lands, as he is a general and thus travels a lot on campaign. This hearty exterior hides a course interior, as the decades of war have made him cold toward all save for children. He is a man known for his shrewd genius and his long grudges. He dresses in fancy garb, with a fluffed fur collar over a purple-hued silk waistcoat.

Faolimidh the Fair

As her name implies, Faolimidh is a woman of immense beauty thanks to the heart she shares with the goddess of light. She has long fair locks of fiery red hair and a well defined, triangular face of fair white skin. a few faint freckles dot her cheeks and the bridge of her nose, though might miss them for the sake of beholding her deep emerald eyes. From her neck down, she is as graceful as the sea on a cool summer day. Though she travels with a group of mounted warriors, she bears no marks of the road. Despite her queenly appearance, she dresses as a warrior, with a gown of mail and a thick leather jerkin adorned with deep green threads around the hem and lining a stark emblem on her breast of a red dragon. Aside from her armor, she bears no tools of war, however, and has never shed the blood of another. She is as gentle as her manner.

Cannochut Andarian the Black

The dread warrior of Voros, Andarian the Black - first named Cannochut - is a man of cruel hatred. Thanks to his immortality, he bears no marks of battle. Even so, battle has left its mark as Cannoch is a cold man. His hair is short and red, crowning a pale face with no marks. All of this is hidden - save for his piercing green eyes - by his war mask; a face of black metal made to resemble a gaunt warrior with mouth agape in sorrow. His armor is of the same make, with narrow curves with a sinewy texture that gives him a ghoulish appearance. Because of his armor, many have given him the name of the Dead Hand of Viltinor. Under the armor, though, he is very much alive, with a well-defined physique and tall figure, making him a daunting foe for even the most season warrior.

Further Worldbuilding

Eikolok and Thaochan

Eikolok and Thaochan were founded centuries ago by the brothers Eichola and Thaochana. They built the great city of Tylindale, with Eichola ruling North Tylindale and Thaocana ruling south Thaylindale. The two halves were connected by the Thalina pass, from which the city got its name. As time passed, the two brother’s houses grew and their realms with them. Soon, both kingdoms became prosperous but distant. With the diplomatic distance came the decision of both kingdoms to close the pass, building walls at their respective ends.

Citadel of Hiltinar

The citadel of Hiltinar was built by the kingdom of Ekolos as a refuge for the people of Tylindale, with a siege tunnel leading straight to the fortress and several false tunnels going in either direction to divert invaders. The fortress has one entrance that is accessed by a large causeway narrow enough for two men abreast or a single cart to pass which leads to a pair of iron doors barred with an iron beam. the walls are thick enough for two horses to run comfortably abreast and made of large granite stones stacked twenty-times higher than a man stands.

Voros

Voros is the oldest city in the realm of Riok, and indeed predates the kingdom for which many assumed it was named. The original builders of Voros are unknown, but it is a marvel. The city walls are built along the inner banks of the Gerintun river that flows around a large gulley into lake Gerintun, which feeds a small mountain spring that flows into the Kismet river. The Gerintun river forms a natural moat around the walls.

The Chulchinor

The Chulchinor appears to be a metal and leather armband. The material is actually hyper dimensional existing in multiple planes of existence at once. While in local space time it appears to grant the user hyper regeneration, strength and the ability to teleport through space time, it is actually an interface between a 6th dimensional entity known as Khiora the Sly, and the lower 3rd dimensional plane. Recently the Chulchinor was a gift from the sorcerers of Dhurndhlar to the king of Ekolos to give to his champion after the first union of the kingdoms. For hundreds of years, the relic served the champions of Ekolos, making the kingdom the most feared. During the civil war of Eicholocht – fearing the relic could be used for a rebel champion – the king of Eicholocht sent it away. It was sought after by the Artificers of Voray because of a rumor that the effects of the armband could be passed onto any golems made by one who wore the relic, making the creatures truly invincible.

Golems of Viltinor

The Golems of Viltinor are ornate automatons given life through magic. Constructed of brass and feylene—a silvery metal stronger than copper—they feel no pain, suffer from no disease, feel no fatigue from a long march are extended melee, hunger for no food, thirst for no water, and weather no passing of time. While the commander possesses the command rod and holds fast to his will, the golems will never stray from the objective. Save for the greatest of dreads, they will never flee. They are the perfect soldiers. Golems are created through the sacrifice of life. as a soul leaves the newly perished body, it is captured in a new form and trapped there for eternity until the form is destroyed. A golem can only be felled by any wound that would kill a mortal instantly or by any weapon made of iron or an iron alloy.

Voray

Voray was founded last of all the kingdoms of Riok. It was originally formed from refugees in unclaimed land on the north of the peninsula, though it quickly turned into a powerful Oligarchy. Of all the ruling classes, none achieved more power than the artificers, and soon the human armies of Voray were disbanded in favor of Golem hordes. With the golem armies, the kingdom of Voray conquered the city-state of Voros, making the city their capitol. Their golems soon became the most feared soldiers in Riok.

Dhurndhlar

The kingdom of Dhurndhlar is the oldest in Riok and one of the oldest in the world. Originally beginning as a collection of tribes in the forest, one man rose after the centuries who called himself Atunomos. Calling himself the high king of Dhurndhlar, he banished all dissidents, resulting in the largest mass migration in world history. Most of the people living in Riok can trace their ancestry back to these migrants. The kingdom of Dhurndhlar soon spread far from its original lands, covering a vast expanse of wooded land, from the north-western corner of Kosmotom to the far north of the world, becoming one of the largest kingdoms in the known world.

Ghain-Tarin-Hughin

The language of Dhurndhlar, named for the first three characters of their alphabet, is the oldest spoken language and one of the most curious in form. Of special note is the consonant combination sounds, as with the name Dhurndhlar, which is pronounced Gurnglar, though the "g" sound is pronounced at the back of the cleft rather than the back of the throat. Included with this case are also "GH" which places the "g" sound halfway between the cleft and the throat, "TH" which places the "h" sound halfway up the mouth from the throat, and "MH" which sounds out as a mix of the "f" and "v" sounds. Along with these are the traditional consonant sounds, making the language difficult to master, and many people of Riok who try to speak it adopt a noticeable accent. Of final note is the lack of certain consonant sounds such as "p", "x", and "z".

Reavers

Reavers are warriors of pain who possess great power and near invulnerability in battle. The first Reaver was a man named Chumhain who returned home from his merchant work to find his wife slain and his children gone. I a rage, he swore an oath with Arventar, the god of death, hate, and destruction, to serve the god if in return Chumhain was given the power to avenge his family. Arventar granted the wish, giving Chumhain a nearly limitless well of power in combat. This power came with a trade, however, as Chumhain's mortal body could not handle the stress. Thus, he was wracked with pain for the rest of his days, which were shortened due to the suffering he endured. After his death, Chumhain was taken to Arventar's realm where he served the dark god in anguish for eternity to create more reavers. As each reader dies, they go to the dark realm, where they are tortured for eternity. Their anguish fuels the power of the next generation of reavers, so that each new reaver is more powerful than the last.

Immortals

Immortals are servants of Eirintar, the goddess of life, love, and creation. The first immortal was a woman named Faoghlin. While her husband was away selling their farming goods, brigands from another tribe attacked their home. As a sacrifice to save her children, Faoglin offered her own body to the men, who had their way with her in turns until she died. After they had satisfied themselves with Faoghlin, they took her children as slaves. Faoghlin awoke a few days later in the charred remains of her home, resurrected by Eirintar, who was moved to tears with the love this mortal had shown, even to her death. Eirintar thus granted that Faolin would never again die save that her heart, which was now a treasure, was destroyed. Faoghlin sought out her children, and finding the brigands' layer, she fought them as best she could. She did find her children, but not before her husband, Chumain - believing her to be an evil spirit embodying his wife - thrust is sword through her heart. Her sacrifice inspired her children, who would become the last two immortals for thousands of years. As was the doom of Faoghlin, if an Immortal's heart is destroyed, they die. This is because, in order to bring the fallen back, Eirintar must grant them a piece of her own heart. If the heart is destroyed, the only connection between Eirintar and the mortal is severed, and they return to death.

Grominar

Grominar, the sword of King Jonathan of Edgarton, was forged from two shattered blades of ferrite steel, making it the most powerful weapon in Kosmotom. The fully tempered, high carbon steel blade has a distal taper, with fullers on both sides along the spine, and is light and quick. The hilt fittings are cast in solid steel, matching the locket and chape of the leather-covered scabbard. Kosmotom lacks any ferric deposits, and thus lacks the only true mortal weakness of the golems. Iron and steel are immune to the supernatural buffers placed over a golem in its creation. Thus, Grominar is able to cut to the mortal flesh behind the golem. Grominar was first used in the battle of Hiltinar, where Jonathan, not yet king of Voros, slew many golems. The sword was forged from the shards of both Jonathan and William Perish's sabers and bears an eagle head on the rain guard. The blade - curved with a single edge - has a fuller that runs its length next to the spine. The hilt has a knuckle guard made from the brass of William Perish's pommel.

Durchanin

The Durchanin are a race of semi-sentient carnivores quadrupeds. The males of the race, the Durchnon, are more intelligent and much larger. They can often also fly and breathe either fire or poison. The females live in large packs, are much smaller (usually a little larger than a horse), and do not have any breath weapons. The males, each mating season, will leave their lairs to seek a mate. Upon finding a female, they will attempt to draw her from the pack, avoiding being harmed or killed by her pack mates. If the male successfully claims his mate, the two will remain together for life or until there is a female born. No matter how many offspring the pair births, if a female is born, the male will kick out the mother and her offspring. The ancients would bond with female packs, creating large cavalry units of several thousand riders called Durchain (Durchan: dragon, Chumhain: rider). The bond is unique, as the empathetic connection between rider and mount prevents a male from claiming a mounted female. This lead to the domestication of males as studs to breed new mounts. Durchanin are herbivorous, and often eat rooted plants which they dig up with the cleft which protrudes from their chin. This is larger in females, as they do not need the lessened weight in order to fly. This growth is made of our bone coated in keratin, making it perfect for when the mounted company is charging.

{-Ghain-Tarin-Thughin alphabet

Ghain (GAY-een) – Spruce; phonetic element: a
Endhlar (EN-glar) – Grove; Phonetic element: e
Farlnin (FAR-ln-NEEN) – Apple; phonetic element: i
Tarin (TAR-een) – Willow; phonetic Element: o
Mhaogh (VHWAIG) – Birch; phonetic element: u
Theordh (HE-org) – Fir; phonetic element: d
Theorchlin (HE-OR-kleen) – Yew; phonetic element: f
Dhurn (GURN) – Oak; phonetic element: g
Faolin (fway-LEEN) – Ash; phonetic element: h
Faothnin (FWAY-h-neen) – Rowan: phonetic element: k
Thughin (hew-GYN) – Elder; phonetic element: t
Thomh (HOE-vh) – Poplar; phonetic element: th
Ghormh (GORVH) - stick/branch; phonetic element: ch
Thurchlin (HUR-keen) - leaf; phonetic element: gh
Mhaolnin (VHWAY-ln-NEEN) - vine; phonetic element: dh
Chunin (KOON-neen) - root; phonetic element: mh

Rules of syntax:

1. Consonant combinations must always be followed by a vowel.
2. TH makes the traditional "soft t" sound when at the end of a word, all other times it sounds like an H
3. If the consonant combination sounds a stop (GH, DH, CH) it does not end a word, use the traditional letter (g or k)
4. Certain letter combinations are monosyllabic: ao, eor, in. Breaking these letters up necessitates a syllable break
5. Placing a stop (c, ch, b, d, dh, g, gh, t) ends the syllable-}

References

Any material we use for inspiration (video links, songs, images) go here.

A Dictionary of Military terms from the Revolutionary war period
http://footguards.tripod.com/01ABOUT/01_dictionary.htm

Forging of Grominar
https://www.youtube.com/embed/TEktwaAsv_Y

Andarian the Black
https://www.youtube.com/embed/DJ89RhP3tYU

Map of Riok

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