Tasunke

Join Date 10/2009

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[Suggestion][LORE] Wild and Wonderful Lore

a project by Tasunke

A project for cultural lore on the Fallen Races/ Factions of Imperia (the Empires)

Resolyn, Quendar, Trogs, and Urxen explained (kraxis to come)

Resolyn: Worshipers of Death.

The Wraiths are a very unique culture. A spiritual culture that seeks not enlightenment, but true death. perhaps True death is their own form of enlightenment.

In either case, religion is at the heart of their society.

The Resolyn sees all life as a form of suffering. They believe in Reincarnation, and that without 'True Death' you are stuck in an endless loop of suffering. To achieve true death one must 'die from the inside' or completely resign themself to death and nothingness. This is a long and difficult process, and it helps to have learned all the various and complex rituals of death worship.

As they believe those that do not attain true death will be doomed to an eternity of reincarnation, they are highly evangelical. Their form of evangelism is 'convert if possible, and kill if not' as a person reborn will have a new chance to embrace the worship of death.

Therefore the Wraiths are more than willing to send their (non Resolyn) neighbors into the next life.

Wraiths practice of death worship is integrated into their entire culture and economy in the form of a Caste System.

THE CASTES

Dying Dust: the Priestly caste. The most powerful magical and spiritual leaders. Most of the Dying Dust have little concern for the mortal world, other than ending it, perhaps. Their ultimate goal would be to give True Death to all living things, however most of them are primarily concerned with attaining True Death for themselves; personal enlightenment in nothingness, to wither away into pure nonexistence.

----> The Dying Dust is a religious order of extreme significance among Resolyn culture. While not (usually) political leaders (other than the Fallen Enchantress), each member is considered a spiritual leader worthy of heavy reverence. To resign ones self to death is to also resign ones self to pure obedience to the Dying Dust: both in terms of following the orders of individual members, and in following the 'ideal' of the Dying Dust as a group.

the Weary: Political leaders, and generals. The Fallen Enchantress was born into the Weary Caste, and then adopted into the order of the Dying Dust at the age of fourteen. The Weary are generally non magical, and are the Bureaucrats, Stewards, and Military leaders for the Wraiths. The Weary make up the majority of Resolyn government, and act as "REGENTS" for the members of the Dying Dust, who normally have no wish to interfere in the affairs of morals. The idea is that true leadership of the Wraiths belong to the spiritual leaders(Dying Dust), however the daily duties of law and order are generally governed by the political leaders (the Weary).

the Withered: The majority of magical users. Most magical users born into lower castes may undergo rituals to join the ranks of the withered. If one is born into the caste of the Withered without magical powers (which is rare) they may either be adopted by the Slothful or the Weary. It is rare for the Weary to adopt a non-magical Withered unless they show much promise for political rule. Most withered wish to serve faithfully so that they may be reborn as a Dying Dust, or perhaps even be as lucky as to achieve true death straightaway.

The role of the Withered are to serve the Dying dust, as 'lay magical users'. They generally do not have roles of spiritual leadership, yet they are the servants, the messengers, and the scribes for the Dying Dust. They aid the Dust in research into new magical rituals, and in the keeping of old rituals. The Withered lead in magical research, and often sign up as 'mages' in the armies of the Resolyn.

the Slothful: the Merchants and Artisans. While resigned to death (at least the religious among them), they are more focused on their current wealth and prosperity. Due to current Resolyn law however, only 10% of their wealth goes to their descendants when they die. The rest is sent to the church of the Dying Dust.

The Slothful are certainly interested in wealth, but as the upper crust of society is more concerned with dying than feasting, they definitely need to be B type, as actively trying to squeeze coins out of those with no interest in material goods can drive one mad. Therefore the Slothful, while skilled, take a more relaxed, even lazy attitude towards their craft. Most of the money they make is off of the Stubborn caste, as they are still relatively interested in activities of the living. Therefore they can often cut corners, and tend to be dishonest in their dealings. However, they must put out all stops if serving a member of the Dying Dust, for the slightest mistake could spell doom for their wealth, and likely their life. When serving a Dying Dust member, they make sure to avoid cutting corners and provide the highest quality product they can ... if for no other reason than to avoid being tortured and then eaten alive.

the Stubborn: The non-magical Warrior caste. These are the pub crawlers and the street walkers of Resolyn society. They are the step above wandering vagrant, and a step below shop keeper. These are the children of society, and they still hold cravings for many if not most of the activities for the living. They hold their own vulgar festivals in the streets where they get drunk and merry. The life of a stubborn is usually short and decadent. Yet even they are taught from birth to confer the upmost respect for the priestly caste. Stubborns are not allowed to speak in the presence of a Dying Dust. Therefore military officiers teach them Hand signals alongside verbal commands, so that if a Dying Dust were to be present in a public march, or even worse, a battle, they would still be able to operate as cohesive units within earshot of said Dying Dust.

Champions that wish to join the Wraiths may either join into the Withered Caste or the Stubborn Caste. Only if they pledge allegiance to Resolyn and publicly resign themselves to the three marks of death will they be allowed in the Withered Caste. And only those outsiders whom are accepted into the Withered caste are able to use magic in the presence of another Wraith.

All mercenaries that do not follow these rituals will be considered part of the Stubborn Caste and banned from using magic while under command of Wraith leaders.

Some among the Weary and Slothful caste simply do not care ... so if said outsiders are led by a particularly secular member of the Weary caste, they may still be allowed to use limited magics. equally if they are present in a small town only filled with Stubborn and Slothful caste members.

However, if one of the upper castes who is of a high religious affiliation catches an outsider using magic, that is not properly initiated into their culture ... then they will have said offending outsiders killed in a ritualistic manner.

Most such murder rituals involve killing the perpetrator in a very painful way, trying to soak the victim full of as much of their own fear, rage, and hatred as possible, and then give them a false hope of freedom and then chain them again, and kill them slowly as they slice off pieces of flesh once every half hour or so.

The tortured victim is then fed to a member of the Divine Caste (The Dying Dust) that has undergone the proper cleansing rituals, usually in the form of self burning or some other form of self mutalation, usually with some magical twist.

One of the most severe of these burning rituals is to burn off one's limbs, and then use Divine Magic to 'reanimate' their limbs, sometimes using the flesh of dead and buried persons, if there is not enough flesh remaining to reanimate.

---> if a Dying Dust is personally offended, they are the one that eats the punished. In this case, usually a cleansing ritual is unneeded, although most undergo a light cleansing ritual out of respect to the dying rot.

In Warfare, it is common to use both Stubborn and Withered in mass quantities. Especially the Stubborn, as they are the most numerous.

While the stubborn are often looked down upon by other castes, they can be valorous in their own ways. They make the best of what they are given despite the fact that everyone in their society seems intent on killing them. The officers are taught strict discipline and loyalty, and are usually picked based on the level of their spiritual dedication ... however even the most devout among the lower officers understands the pain and sacrifice of their subordinates. Therefore officers usually try to keep their soldiers alive, even when orders from on high seem to be the opposite. Its actually a point of contention among the officers, of those that see the soldiers as worms vs those that see them as valuable assets, and fellow people.

Ultimately the latter usually wins (at least in the lower ranks) due to the consensus that killing enemies is more useful than personally dying. Those among the Weary caste tend to agree.

The Withered caste are generally self absorbed fanatics, and almost never hold a lick of respect for underlings ... and are completely servile and supplicant to the Divine caste.

Meanwhile the Divine Caste almost never worries about warfare ... much more interested in "true death" than any number of 'false deaths', even if taking place in the thousands or millions.

The one exception is the Fallen Enchantress, who believes that if all life on earth were extinguished at the same time, it would force all life on earth to undergo True Death.

There are some scholars among the Withered Caste that believe a half-way point is achievable ... that if the Shadow World is brought to the world of the living, then all deaths will become true deaths. In that case, even mundane warfare would take on an entire new spiritual meaning, and Military conquests would (for the first time ever) have full backing of the insanely powerful mystics among the Dying Dust's ranks.

Ultimate Faction Quest: Unleash the Shadow world. (perhaps something among the order of Casting Blight 3 times and Casting Shadow Gate 10 times)

Once the Shadow World is fully unleashed, Resolyn can 'build/recruit' Dying Dust members for military use.

Essentially a Dying Dust member would be Death V, with some extra-special spells, and be a level 20 magical champion (Path of the Mage and Path of the Necromancer) ... focused on Spell Power and self enchantmetns, as well as obviously debuffing enemy armies.

Perhaps cost much crystal, mana, and production to train a Dying Dust?

If a Dying Dust 'dies' instead of reincarnating they achieve 'True Death' which increases their home city's materials by 1, and faction prestige by 2.

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In the rare event of a Dying Dust appearing on the battlefield, it is a moment of awe for her allies. Complete reverence is expected, and the member of the Divine must be treated with complete respect and surrounded by silence, so that they may focus on their prayer, meditation, and spells.

a Dying Dust may sometimes require to consume life energy from allies in order to power their unique divine spells, however often they prefer to drain life from the enemy.

Their ultimate spell kills everyone on the battlefield, with no exceptions. (including themselves)

While the Fallen Enchantress is a member of the Dying Dust, she was born a Weary, and is quite young to boot. Therefore she is not quite as powerful as one of the elders. However, she has one clear advantage. She cares much more deeply about the mortal world, perhaps because her parents were politicians. And she has time. Time to become more powerful. With the right outward focus, she believes that she can lead all her enemies, and her own people, into True Death.

In the rare chance that the Resolyn can plunge the world into the Shadow Realm, their first goal is to kill all other life on the planet, and then to commit ritual suicide. However, before doing this, they will search every dark corner to make sure there are no survivors.

If they cannot be certain, then a 'vanguard' is left behind to steward over the world, to help bring the planet to its last dying days ... while the majority kill themselves off in an act of religious triumph.

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A bit on the Three rots.

The Rot of Obedience: performance of Caste Duties and extreme obedience to the religious tenets and rituals. Obedience to the Dying Dust in both person and ideal. By exemplifying the Rot of Obedience in the fullest, one can achieve true death. And if you are close, you will still rise in caste during the next life.

The Rot of Evangelism: Just as important as the Rot of Obedience, if not more. The Withered hold this rot in the highest of esteem, seen as the arms and legs of the Divine Caste, the Dying Rot. As the servile extensions of the will of the Dying Rot, the Withered seek to bring the worship of death to all realms and walks of life. Sometimes they will even try to convert the beastly races into the worship of death. While the butchermen and other forms of twisted are the most likely to join, the serpents are among the least likely. The only serpents with high chances of joining are usually Skeleton Dragons ... that is, Dragons that have undergone Lichdom. Still, the most common form of "Evengelism" is to simply kill as many non Wraiths (or at least non-Resolyn) as possible. This is because those that do not worship death are seen as lower than even the "Stubborn" caste. Not that non-Wraiths cannot join the ranks of Resolyn, but they must first prove themselves worthy (or else assimilate only into the Stubborn caste anyways). Still, for outsiders with no wish of conversion, these are the people whom are highest on the kill priority. These Evangels, while seeking to convert, still feel that after killing a non converter they at least give the soul a second chance at heeding their vision (in the next life). Therefore the most common form of Evangelism is not to enslave, not to politically conquer, not to 'force' obedience ... but simply to kill. If they do not willingly convert, their only fate is to die. Not to route, or to be exiled, but to be killed very deliberately.

This being said, while the most common adherent of Evangelism is to 'make outsiders dead' conversion is still pursued as the first course of action. SOMETIMES other castes will intervene and try a different approach. The Weary caste tend to prefer slavery and political enforcement of rule and religion rather than outright death, but often they get outvoted ... and this is not how to perform the Rot of Evangelism either. For the true religious Zealot, willful conversion or death are the only options.

Sometimes a 'warrior' among the Stubborn caste attempts to follow this rot. They are often referred to as "Angels of Death" upon the battlefield. Often the religious castes will give them favor, and might give them a holy weapon such as a VAMPIRIC SWORD. Which allows them to gain strength while killing others on the battlefield; aka doing their spiritual duties.

The Rot of Resignation (Nothingness): performing this type of rot is by far the hardest, at least for the lower castes. One must study and have knowledge of all deathly rituals, and spend their existence dedicated to the pursuit of becoming closer to true death, or of bringing the world closer to the Shadow realm. Not just this though, as success in these studies is not what brings fulfillment to the rot of resignation. The studies are only a requirement. Instead, to fully exemplify the Rot of Resignation, one must achieve total nothingness, and wither themselves into little more than a moving form of death.

Some have tried Lichdom, or even self putrefication, in order to achieve this ... however it is a philosophical and enlightened state that is truly required, not a modification to the body. Even some of the Withered have successfully completed this path (according to the lore), however this is the primary occupation for the Dying Dust. Some say that once one has achieved complete nothingness and resignation, they are swallowed up by the Shadow world during the night. Others say they fade away into the very air. Regardless, this is said to be the most consistent path to the True Death, and that the other paths of Rot are primarily to gain rank within the caste system (over the course of several lives).

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Possible Faction Traits

Pros: Death Worship, Magical (faster magic teching), Spiritual (extra religious buildings and units), Zealots (greater magic resistance)

Cons:

Xenophobic (higher recruitment cost for non-Wraiths, universal diplo penalty with non Wraiths)

Zealots (universal diplo penalty with non Death Worshipers, better relations with Twisted men and Demons, worse relations with other neutral mini-factions such as Beasts, Serpents, and Elementals)

Slothful (slower civic teching)

Arrogant (slower warfare teching)

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sirmathmansir
DGB246
IronKaiser

The Mighty Trogs. Warrior Kings.

These brave warriors consider themselves to be among the 'best of the fallen'. They may not have the pedigree of Magnar or Resolyn, or the history of Umber, but Trogs are a forward thinking people.

The trogs are all about progress and rationalism. But instead of self education, they consider themselves as the logical next stage of fallen evolution. Only the strongest will survive, only the best will become as the Titans once were. Trogs live by Competition, and they have an honor code based on glory in combat, both on the field and in their yearly "Games of Honor".

The games of honor include walking over coals, wrestling (to the death or unconciousness), fist fighting (to the death or unconciousness), Sprinting, Long Distance running, and Javelin throwing.

They also will add in unique events each year such as a free for all Gladiatorial games, with the winner gaining legal ownership over a City or Castle. This usually happens the year after a famous general dies, and would be part of the living will of that general, that their holdings go to the winner of a Gladiatorial free for all.

If a "Games of Honor" is held in a city by the sea, or even by a river ... there will be contests to see who can hold their breath the longest. Many have died trying to win such games.

Sometimes there will be famous duels at the games, duels over honor between Trog 'nobility' usually over marriage claims or claims of succession among potential heirs. There is definitely a degree of hereditary rule, but if contested they must defend their title with martial prowess. Most duels are hand to hand, but sometimes there will be a degree of weapon selection. It depends ... because duels are very personal, they can be customized according to the wishes of both participants. There is a very in depth set of laws and guidelines that depict proper behavior and custom when setting up a duel ... it is very honor oriented. And if, for some reason, there is a 'tie' in the rule making process concerning a duel (which is very rare) then the three kings of Yithril must come to a decision.

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(Yithril origin story)

Yithril is lead by three powerful cities, two that used to be rival villages, and one that was a powerful trading city (along the coast) of the Urxen before the Trogs took them over.

When Yithril was a fledgling nation, the two villages of Yithril constantly warred against each other. It was very bloody. In order to have an edge in battle, the Yithril would capture other fallen, and even humans, to conscript them as slave soldiers. The most common were Kraxis refugees and Urxen mutts. In any case, the two waged vicious wars, but then finally one village took over the other. This lead to a time of relative peace ... and as the Trogs looked inwards, developing their laws and honor system, the Urxen began to flourish in the countryside. Trogs were larger and more powerful, and generally had less children over time, however the Urxen were fruitful and multiplied. They had shorter lifespans, shorter pregnancies, and were more likely to have twins and triplets. (in short, were much more fertile).

The Yithril king however, was quite happy with his rule. He had no desire to conquer, only to keep his power and keep the people beneath him. While the laws and customs of the Yithril were being created, there was still no precedent for challenging the authority of the Tribal crown. One Trog however, named Ezra, called out to the king, saying that the Trogs were the new heirs to Curgen's throne. The Trogs had a powerful destiny as the strongest among the fallen, and the entire east was their promised land. That the Yithril lands had mostly been spared was a sign of their favor among the titans, was Ezra's claim.

Therefore Ezra challenged the King to a duel, however the King was cowardly, and had Ezra locked away in the dungeon.

Then, a local Urxen warlord rallied the Urxen hordes that had grown upon the Yithril plains ... and seeking to take the land in full, invaded the fledgling townships of Yithril.

The battle was pretty rough. While strong Trogs took down many times their number, the Urxen outnumbered them even farther beyond that.

It was during the Chaos that Ezra broke out of his cell. He fought his way across the battlefield and managed to kill the Urxen warlord, (largely by accident but legend says otherwise).

Without leadership, the majority of the Urxen broke and ran, and the rest became disorganized ... leading to a Pyrrhic victory amongst the Trogs.

The majority of the Yithril survivors then bowed down to Ezra, noble among Trogs.

Ezra could have had the King killed then and there, or imprisoned him. Instead he did something quite different. First he recognized the authority and power of the King's crown. And then he addressed the king to a FAIR AND EVEN duel to the death .. over HONOR. He stated that all Trogs had the right to oppose an unjust ruler, and that the lawful form of opposition to the crown was by a duel. He even gave the King a week to rest himself. This would form a precedent for rights to succession, and succession of authority in general. Ezra then named himself King of his home town, and held a tournament to appoint the King of the opposing town.

He then united the two Kings (which was easy to do as he had, at that point, basic Dictatorship via his strength and charisma) in harmony.

Decades later, Ezra's son succeeded him to the crown. However the son had been coddled, and sheltered. He knew nothing of rule, or strength. And ezra was too preoccupied with the running of the state (and a new slave empire) to raise his son.

For over the decades the Trogs had honed their warrior nature, and had gone out into the countryside to enslave the Urxens that had been routed. Soon the entire countryside was belonging to the Trogs, if as little more than slaves. But that was the Trog way. For they were the best, and their destiny was to rule over all weaker creatures. This ideal of 'the best' was to be considered Hubris by the Urxen. For, in the Urxen way, only the Dragons could dare be called the best. Still, that was far away in a growing and massive Umber empire, beyond the mountains and forests and deserts still. For the Urxen had spread and multiplied everywhere, yet only in their massive valley of a homeland were they not enslaved, and escaped slaves had begun to flock back to the Calebethon, were their immortal (and strange) leader waited patiently.

Still, the Trogs had enslaved all as far as the eye could see. Apparently they could not see as far as the ocean, for a thriving Urxen settlement was bursting with activity and trade along the coast. (trade mostly with Kraxis and other indepenent Urxen townships. Some limited trade with Magnar)

So his son took over, as a cowardly and jealous king. With the old dictator gone, the honor system was only enforced amongst the peasants, the nobility saw fit to do as they pleased with little care for the honor system.

Therefore Ezra's nephew, Markoss Verga, challenged the new kingships. He called them cowardly, and challenged both to duels and claimed he would restore honor to the crown.

However the new Kings feared Markoss's strength, and instead of facing him, they exiled him and his family.

Therefore the Vergas, their friends, and their personal slaves ... fled to the coast. It was not long before they came across the Urxen settlement. They wished only shelter and food, however the Urxen (rightly) feared them, and instead began attacking them with rocks and crude arrows. Enraged at the insult, the Verga's took over the city (so the legend goes) in a feat of great honor. After victory, Markoss proclaimed that all the Urxen could stay within the city walls, and even within the palace, as some had come to grow accustomed to ... as long as they considered themselves Slaves to the Verga dynasty.

It was not long after this that a new Verga would be born ... a Verga that would later become known as Warlord Verga, most feared among the Sovereigns.

20 years later, Warlord Verga had trained in the art of combat since the day he could walk. Even as a small child, he would wander into the countryside to kill Urxen for sport. For his coming of age journey (as befitting any royal heir) he was sent to kill a bear. He was only supposed to be gone for a day, maybe a week at the most. Instead he came back after a month, cold and bitter, but with a warm glow of pride seeping through.

For he had slayed an Umberdroth. It took much wandering, but he wanted to impress his father and so he went to the extra length to travel the world until he found a beast greater than he had ever seen before. It was so large, that instead of carrying it back himself, he enslaved a Kraxis caravan to carry it for him. On the trek back, he had defeated an ambush of Kraxis knights, and several assassination attempts.

One he had arrived at his father's palace, he freed the Kraxis men he had enslaved. Most of them fled, tired and hungry, but a few stayed ... impressed with the young lord. One eventually became his diplomatic advisor.

On his 20th birthday, Warlord Verga became his namesake, and was titled with the supreme leadership of his father's military forces.

Meanwhile ... the two kings of old became worried, and their heirs were as well. Therefore they sent a spy to 'poison verga' meaning to kill the son. But the spy got it mixed up and killed the father instead.

With his father dead, Verga gave his mother the crown as regent and went on the warpath with his new army.

He made camp with his army outside the gates of Yithril, and went to the walls himself. He called out for duels among the Kingship. At first they agreed, and let him inside the walls ... but it was actually a trap. So wave after wave of soldiers were sent after him, hoping to kill him in the melee. Instead he killed each soldier sent as impressively as possible, until they were just too afraid to continue attacking. Then the arrows came. Verga was so enraged at their cowardice, that in a moment of great strength he kicked (part of) the wall down, and called for his soldiers.

It was a trying battle, but with Verga's leadership the outnumbered aggressors quickly took the Palace of the first city ... and then, with the first city barely surrendered, they went out to take the walls of the second city. It was a heroic victory on all accounts.

After the battle, since the kings were the rightful rulers by law, Verga challenged them to duels (as opposed to imprisoning them or having them killed).

Verga won each duel more gloriously than the last. By the end of it, the remaining heirs drew their swords upon themselves in their cowardice ... not wishing to be shamed by Verga besting them.

It was then that Verga became the new 'dictator' or Warlord of the entire Yithril peoples. Still, he gave each of the three cities a new King, among the best of his soldiers. For in that moment, the titles of 'King' became trophies for the most valiant and honorable of the soldiers that fought beneath him. And so the three Kings continue on their legacy. And Verga seems to have indeed been blessed by the Titans, for while the Walls that used to be wood are now Stone, Verga still remains ...

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So as I was saying, the Trogs live by an honor code "Aristea" and the majority of the Yithril population are not true Trogs but the slaves of Trogs. Primarily Urxen and Urxen-trog hybrids. Among the Trog aristocracy, there is a small number of Kraxis-by-birth administrators. These are honorary trogs, and generally handle the majority of diplomatic and trade duties. For a Trog's job is solely war. War, Competition, and Honor.

The Urxen-trog hybrids are seen as a bit above the Urxen slaves ... and the majority of simple shopkeepers are either Hybrid or Kraxan. Some however, especially among armor and weapons shops, are owned by true Trogs. 'Trog primus' a pure blood, as its called nowadays.

The Trogs see the Resolyn as grim and grotesque, while they see the Magnar as arrogant. They are decent, if fairly distanced partners of the Kraxis (as there is some bad blood due to enslaved Kraxans, yet they seem to get along better than most), and their relations with Umber are indifferent at best.

Trogs are interested only in honor, and competition in and outside of Warfare is a natural extension of this. Therefore, less fitting roles such as artisans, merchants, diplomats, and ARCHERS are generally taken on by Kraxan, Trog segundus(hybrids), or Urxen.

---> Trog authority stems from the three main cities, and their right to govern is backed by Warlord Verga's Sword arm. Verga is constantly searching for new feats of valor (such as slaying beasts) and will sometimes wage an entire campaign just to prove himself (likely to himself, as all already revere him).

Verga considers the Trogs as the highest on the food chain, with the Fallen below them, and Kraxans as useful allies.

The rest of the races of men however ... (and even the crown of Kraxis perhaps) ... just the idea of LOWLY MEN conquering the world is so disgusting. Verga will ally with any cause, no matter how hideous, as long as it prevents the races of Men from dominating the continent. Curgen's Thrown belongs to Trogs, and Trogs only. The new lords in town.

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possible trats

Pros: Code of Honor, Aristea (aristocracy/rule by the best), Competitive, The Strongest, Warlike (faster warfare teching), Eager (starts with Charge trait unlocked?)

Cons:

Elitist (large diplo malus with Urxen, diplo malus with Men/Kingdoms),

Overconfident (ranged weapons cost more, or are less effective)

Rule of the Strongest (small chance of non-capital cities to turn independent ... must be reconquered)

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Quendar: Magical and Educated slavers

Magnar is the rightful heir to the throne of Curgen. He was collecting slaves before the state of Yithril was even in its infancy.

The Quendar are the true slave masters, and have the magics to back the claim.

there were remnants of men in the east, after the Cataclysm. Kraxis were not the first men to build civilizations here. Magnar had conquered tribes of surviving men, and groomed them into large armies of slaves for the manual labor that would be required to reforge an empire.

Magnar seeks to reconquer the Imperia. He lets some factions of quendar act independently, but only for a time ... then he takes back the power that was rightfully his to begin with. All quendar must bow to Magnar the Great. New Emperor of the East.

There was a time when Magnar slept, when the tribes of the Quendar fought against each other, vying to become war leader. Some were magical, others were not, but such bickering was so barbaric, so infantile. Then Magnar awoke, and all pledged fealty. The Quendar may have been fighting amongst each other, but all had heard tales of the great and immortal Magnar.

He was the talk of legend. An ancient being that never died, containing great magical powers. Magnar warmed his people with the lava flows among the caverns. He taught his people knowledge of a lost age. Without Magnar, the Quendar split off into factions ... but with him, they stand united.

With Magnar comes civilization.

While Magnar is a benevolent dictator (among his own race anyways), below him his newly united peoples are ruled by a Plutocracy. The wealthiest and most civilized are given the power to lead the people. Casters are given military command, while the merchants, the sophisticated, and the scholars are given domestic command.

While the Quendar are a naturally warlike race, like many of the fallen, under Magnar the greatest source of power is a good education. Education in civility, in trade, in currency, in banking, in taxation, in record keeping, and finally in magical research. Those resources that Magnar does not devote to rebuilding civilization are devoted to researching into the magics of the realm.

Everyone takes a part in the academic process. Even peasants can enter the libraries and help seasoned scholars with their worldly pursuits. Those uninterested in education become law abiding tax payers, and become levied into the armies.

Quendar armies are a sophisticated sort that delve deeply into Enchanted Weapons.

The Quendar (or at least some families) see the Dragons and other serpents as potential allies perhaps ... but not as gods. (unlike the Urxen).

--------> Magnar knows one of the ancient 5 languages, and limited success in communicating with those of the Dragon race.

Magnar requires no religious duties of his followers, only that all pledge allegiance to him personally. As an immortal, he has the luxury of not needing to look for successors.

Still, he does hold national tests in the search for potential 'regents' should he choose to enter another long slumber. For the record, Magnar consider's his government one of hereditary rule ... however he has sired so many children over the years, most of the plutarchs are likely his descendants, and some are even his direct children.

The Quendar need only be loyal to the state, and the state IS Magnar. He even named the nation after himself. His plurachs control the masses with the power that comes from wealth, as well as a thick coating of laws produced by an easily bribed parliament. The fairness of lawmaking is equally hindered by the fact that Magnar's word of mouth IS law. Publicly Magnar encourages civility and refinement, yet under the table he supports black market activities, such as goods smuggling and 'slave fights', and leaves plenty of room for the gambling sharks to collect their dues ... so long as they pay enough taxes.

Magnar's plutarchs trade with whomever they see fit. Some have even traded with KINGDOMS! However the usual trading partners are the Urxen and the Kraxan, with the occasional envoy into Yithril or Resolyn territory. If the plutarchs had to decide, they like dealing with the Yithril slightly better than dealing with the Resolyn, yet both are pretty set in their ways, and hard to bargain with.

IF Magnar were to go to sleep, the society would likely break down into the Quendar's natural warlike ways, with various factions fighting for control ... yet under Magnar the armies are kept very organized, and even the basic soldiers have *some* level of education.

The Armies almost exclusively have magical officers, with magical talent often determining rank. The Warriors typically come in a wide variety of types, from Archers to Melee to Cavalry, yet all tend to be equipped with magical weapons. Those that cannot afford magical weapons are generally only given spears, dull swords, or bows. In fact the Dross Archers, the 'standard bowmen' of the Magnar Empire, are the most common form of non-magical soldiers. While the best armies of the Magnar have magical infantry, backed by magical bowmen and magical cavalry ... the most common army consists of regular dross archers protected by magical infantry. Sometimes the Dross archers are lucky enough to have a magical piece of armor or two, but its pretty rare. Magical Bowmen are uniquely protected by officers, as there are so few of them ... meanwhile the Dross Archers exist in droves upon droves.

While perhaps not logistical geniuses, Quendar armies tend to be quick and know how to stay on the move. Quendar cavalry units, known as lightning riders, tend to use hit and run tactics against the enemy. Lightning riders are also known (especially to the Umber/Urxen) as Lightning raiders or slave raiders ... as their primary peace time function is to capture new slaves for the empire. While potentially damaging to trade with the Umber, the Slave Raiders tend to never attack 'official' Umber settlements and cities ... and only attack roaming bands of unaffiliated Urxen. And Magnar has been around for so long, this practice has grown to be customary.

Also, unlike the Trogs, the Quendar do not kill their own slaves for sport. Sure, the occasional slaves will fight in an illegal ring where people gamble over who wins, but one usually gets freed, and is given a chance to join the army. In Yithril however slaves are considered lesser beings ... while in Quendar they are simply people who 'ran out of money'. One way to get out of gambling debts is to sign up as a slave (belonging to one's debtor).

The new Quendar are renowned for their well kept libraries.

In the age of rebirth, the great library of Adrienne is one of the 7 wonders of the man-and-fallen-made world.

With such a collection of books, even the poorest of citizens is allowed to wander the halls of the local library, and peruse through the books. School teachers are encouraged to take their students to the nearest library regularly. This being said, Quendar librarians are very strict task-masters, and tend to have dark, almost black scales. They are all highly skilled in death magic, and will magically maim anyone that sets to disrupt the order of the library ... especially if the intent is to destroy books. Usually such maimings are only temporary effects, and kids are generally given a bit of leeway, but the books come first.

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Possible Traits

Pros: Educated (general tech bonus), Civilized (faster Civics teching), Magical (faster magics teching?), Plutocracy (extra taxes?), Slave Lords. Sophisticated (diplomacy bonus)

Cons: Gambling(???), Autocracy(pioneers cost a bit more?), Arrogant (slower warfare teching), Unnatural Culture (slightly higher base unrest?)

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The Urxen: Highly Populous, Social Order, the Greater Good.

Social Hierarchy based on family size.

The Urxen society if focused on familial loyalty. A proper urxen is loyal to one's parents primarily, and then by extension they are loyal to the tribe/the state. There is placed emphasis on the greater good, and strict social order.

Loyalty is only the beginning. Urxen must also show that loyalty through strict obedience and ritual observation. there are 5 different names each for mother and father. Three names for in the home, depending on the time of day, and two names for while in public places ... one to be used on secular days and another to be used on days of reverence or spiritual observance.

A core tenet of urxen spiritual observance is ancestor worship. Some tribes hold claim to Dragon ancestors, while others hold claim to Titan ancestors. Some clans claim they were created during a holy ritual deep within the chasms of the Calebethon. However ALL clans hold reverence for the 'revered ancestor'. It is claimed that the revered ancestor was first among the Urxen. He was created to teach the rest of the Urxen loyalty to their superiors, loyalty to the Titans. It was the revered ancestor that taught the growing peoples of the Urxen the path of virtue, through loyalty and ritual.

Early Migrations

Back in the old days, Urxen that would cross the line of disobedience had their minds erased, and were sent into the wilds as little more than 'zombies'. These zombies however would regain some fragments of their former mind over the ensuing months (those that were not eaten by creatures of the wild), and eventually these Urxen became the wild tribes. These Wild Urxen had little memory of the customs and rituals of their origin people, only that they must be loyal to their superiors. Of course the descendants of these wild Urxen did not retain the addled brains of their predecessors, therefore they became fully functioning persons, as opposed to barely surviving half zombies.

These wild urxen would occupy all of the east in small pockets, and after the cataclysm, origin Urxen nomads would combine with the wild urxen nomads to produce healthy and plentiful society under the origin Urxen leadership. Most of these independent colonies became prime targets for slavers however ... and the Trog's hold an entire nation's worth of such peoples in their claws.

After the Titans were gone, mind-erasing was replaced by a sense of shame. Those that had shamed themselves were often ignored and dejected by former friends and family. Some were even exiled outright. Among these dejected peoples, life within proper Urxen cities became miserable. therefore once they had accrued enough belongings and followers, they would tend to venture out into the world as nomads seeking new lands.

Physical traits and the Bloodlines

The Urxen are a bit shorter than most Fallen, and even men. Their lives are relatively short, although there are some that live for extremely long periods of time. These are somtimes known (depending on the Clan they hail from), as either born of magic, born of dragons, or born of titans. Those born of magic tend to be impossible to kill, having their lineage traced back to twisted magic experiments from an age long past. Those born of titans tend to live the longest, even compared to magicborne and dragonborne. Titanborne also tend to have some increased spell resistances. Those that are Dragonborne generally have a higher intelligence, and have an easier time casting spells. Sometimes they are also physically stronger. There is ritual significance in teaching the ancestor language, a language closely derived from one of the five ancient languages (a different one than Magnar knows).

Most Urxen however do have short lives, yet all are highly fertile. Urxen are far more likely to have twins or triplets, and their society greatly encourages multiplets. (The Resolyn, for instance, take twins as an omen to be feared ... twins are always separated. Sometimes the twin is adopted into a childless family, sometimes exiled, and sometimes outright killed). In Urxen society, one's social status has close ties with family size.

The Social Hierarchy

In theory, all Urxen equal. That is, there is no caste system, and any member of society can pursue any form of career ... however there is a strict social code and social hierarchy. That is, everyone has a superior of some kind, and its not always by seniority. Seniority is generally most important during times of spiritual reflection, yet it is also very important in the thousands of small rituals one must perform daily; such as how to address one's superior versus one's underling. Technically your boss could be an underling and your employee could be a superior, although there is a cultural bias that tends to elevate the careers of those with higher status. Another realm where social ranking is very important is in politics. To become a leader, one must pass a number of tests regarding proper ritual and those in office are held to a higher standard of virtue. Those with higher social rank tend to be more educated on proper rituals, so they tend to have a better chance of passing the tests.

So, an Urxen with 5 siblings is typically equal to another Urxen with 5 siblings. The more siblings the higher the status ... however 1 virtuous sibling is worth 5 shameful siblings. Yet no matter how many virtuous siblings one has, if you yourself are shameful ... your status in society will be quite low. You will be able to work decent paying jobs, and own property, but others will look down upon you. Also, people are much less likely to hire a shameful person, or sell their property to a shameful person (its possible, but much less likely). Usually those with shame generally migrate elsewhere.

If two Urxen are both virtuous (ie loyal to their betters and following the rituals), have equal number of virtuous siblings, equal number of virtuous children, both had virtuous parents, and both had an equal number of virtuous aunts/uncles and cousins .... then the person that has lived the longest is considered the Superior (senpai). If both have lived for the same number of seasons, then they are considered full equals and likely quite amiable peers.

In the entire system of superiority, there is first virtuosity, which is of the highest value and is the most fundamental. Next is family. Having a huge family helps, but only if you are loyal to that family. While it is a black mark for one's family to be shameful, or to have black sheep, it is more important that you are loyal to your family no matter what. After that is age. Children without a family of their own always must look up to their elders regardless of family size ... however a full Adult is as important as their family. Immediate family, primarily siblings, are the most important factor when comparing families of similar prestige ... however overall family size and prestige is always important.

The Emperor

-----> In addition to the social hierarchy, the Urxen also have an Emperor. The Imperial family is considered the keeper of the rituals and customs of the Urxen people; often the Emperor will take on a political role as well, but primarily is significance is cultural and spiritual.

Below the Emperor is a complex system of Bureaucrats, Administrators, and Warlords. The current Warlord of Umber acts as political regent of the Emperor, and also happens to be the Emperor's grand nephew.

The Imperial family are all a special hybrid of magic borne and titan borne, and have extremely long lives. Some say that the revered ancestor (from long before the cataclysm) was the current Emperor's grandfather.

The Leader (the warlord)

The current Warlord has 10 siblings, and while he honors the customs of his people, his passion is to Quest and Campaign out in the wildlands. he is quite favorable towards the Dragons, as per custom, but its more than that. His mother was half dragonborne/ half magic borne, while his father was the typical titanborne/magicborne hybrid of the Imperial family.

excerpt:As the Imperial hybrid is not a combination of independent genes, but is instead a mutated 'double' gene that travels as a singular unit. Therefore during formation of a new Zygote, while most hybrids only pass on half of their hybridization, an Imperial hybrid passes on both sides, and leaves room for a 'second half,' however the larger gene generally nulls any expression of the second half, so the chances of a person gaining the Imperial hybrid gene AND gaining the effects of another bloodline are less than 5%.

However the Warlord Kulan fell into that 5%, and therefore while his siblings were generally either Imperial Hybrids, or magicborne, or dragonborne, the Warlord was both an Imperial Hybrid AND Dragonborne.

Due to the customs of being a Dragonborne, his mother schooled him well in the art of the Ancestor's tongue, and taught him of the importance of Dragons and their past.

Therefore the Warlord is obsessed with unlocking each of the 5 ancient languages, and he is really close to fully understanding the first of the 5.

Other than campaigning for the secrets of Dragons however, Warlord Kulan obviously, as his namesake implies, seeks the satisfying crunch of his vast armies obliterating lesser people.

[anecdote for what the Urxen, generally considered the least of the fallen, consider a 'lesser people' to be]

--> By Urxen standards, those with smaller families, and those who are ignorant of the rituals and customs of the Urxen. This would very much include the Trogs, but would also include the races of men. While the Urxen as a whole despise the Kraxis for their general lack of loyalty ... the Kraxis have also taken the time to learn the customs and rituals of the Urxen, and typically maintain such customs while in the presence of a pure-blooded Urxen. Therefore the respect is returned, and the Kraxans are generally honored guests of the Imperial court.

Back to the Warlord, while obsessed with Draconian secrets, and taking pleasure from well-earned conquests ... This war leader is more patient than your typical trog warlord for instance. Instead of killing the enemy, the Warlord seeks to demoralize them. The Warlord would rather see the enemy give up and join his side than have to kill them all, for he must consider the Greater Good for all fallen-kind. Although of note he also treats the humans this way, as slaves are far more effective alive.

The Warlord will never press forward when he is outnumbered ... either he will draw back to his own lands or bypass the enemy to disrupt their outposts. He will only raze an enemy city if greatly outnumbered, preferring to keep cities intact. However he will aggressively destroy enemy outposts.

If he outnumbers the enemy, he will prefer to attack from multiple fronts at once, in an attempt to surround the enemy.

If a scouting army is in danger, he will let the enemy chase his scouts, and then ambush them with a larger 'hidden' force.

If on even terms with his enemy, he will generally try to wait until the odds go towards his favor (if they have been steadily increasing or going back and forth), else he will seek diplomatic alternatives.

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The Religion

The Urxen religion has two folds. The first fold, which is everpresent in everyday life, is the familial devotion and ancestor worship.

The second fold however, is Harmony with the land. For the Urxen, this involves harmony with beasts ... especially intelligent beasts.

A close connection with the Serpents of the lands come from this. According to Urxen lore it was the serpents, the dragons, that created the earth.

----> According to them there was a World Dragon that controlled all the elements, and gave birth to the first dragons.

This world dragon had 10 heads. Non-Urxen refer this myth as the "hydra myth" ... however the Urxen refer to the beast as "Karna'Kali" something roughly translated into "Mother serpent of the world that controls all elements and is subjugated by none."

Many refer to her as "Kali" for short (mother serpent of the world)

According to the Urxen religion, Kali, even asleep, still swims in the streams below the earth ... causing the tides to turn and the days to turn to night.

Some Urxen believe that if Kali were awake during the Titan wars, a "cataclysm" would not have occurred.

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Of course, the real "Kali" is a great serpent (with 10 heads) of strength unimaginable to most Urxen.

one head breathes fire, another breathes ice. One has magical wings on its neck, allowing the entire beast to fly. The Fourth head can speak in the magical tongue, able to conjur a variety of spells. The Fifth head can speak the sound without words, which can nullify any magic in the entire battlefield.

The other 5 heads are more of a diplomatic/personality sort, and each can speak one of the ancient 5 languages (of serpent and man).

The "ULTIMATE QUEST" of the Urxen is to awaken Karna'Kali. The length and purpose of the quest is multi-fold.

Kulan starts with knowledge of 1 ancient language.

the 2nd ancient language can be found either in the hands of Kraxis, or through quests.

The other 3 are only findable through quests. (perhaps can learn a few from dragons?)

Once the appropriate steps have been taken, the Urxen can summon the Hyrda at any time. The main obstacle would be the Ancient Languages.

The Ancient Languages are important because they allow interaction and communication with the Hydra.

Know too few languages, and summon the Hydra, and chances are that you will do nothing more than release a powerful beast upon all the world (such as the Shadow demons are)

However learn all 5 ancient languages first and you have a guaranteed ally.

At knowledge of 1 ancient language, 20% conversion rate (as Kulan knows 1 already, this is your starting point)

At 2, 40% conversion rate.

At 3, 60% conversion rate.

At 4, 80% conversion rate.

At 5, 100% (Guaranteed soldier-ally)

(Contemplative Kali stats below)

For a baseline, the Hydra's attack, defense, and HP are about the same as a full-grown True Dragon. (not a drake, but a dragon such as one of Waerloga's minions ... although perhaps 30% more HP than a regular true dragon. But Attack and Defense should likely be the same.)

If "anti-magic field" is not cast, then the 5th head gets a free cast once each round (regardless of actions). Spells cannot be cast by the Hydra in any other form however.

During a Hydra's turn, she can choose between a physical attack, fire breath, ice breath, or movement.

Movement can either be 1 physical move, ending the turn at +50% physical defense ... or can 'fly' for 5 tiles, without the defense bonus.

Each round where flying is never involved (or just each round), the Hydra regenerates 10 HP.

The Hydra has 5 counter attacks per round.

Each physical attack (on offense) is as if a group of 3. (3 attacks at her attack value)-> by contrast, counter attacks only use 1 head, so don't have multiple attacks .... just that she can counter against opponents 5 different times, each with a different head.

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If the Hydra casts "Anti-Magic field" however, neither side can cast any spells for 5 full rounds. This can only be cast once per battle.

Magical Breathes (fire breath, ice breath) and non magical abilities are not affected.

--> physical abilities such as sweep, and creature abilities are not affected. (includes Spider Webs, Dragons Fear, Firebreath, et al)

But anything that requires a spell sphere, a spell book, or a scroll can not be used during this effect.

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Kraxis lore (might) go here

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Hi Tasunke, doesnt Brad have some fluff written already for the factions? Some interesting fluff is always good (FFH was brilliant for that) but I think Stardock's got that base covered already

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Yes I think there is some form of lore. However usually lore tends to be collaborative.

Therefore I feel inclined to add my own chapters to the lore, if possible. And as I feel Mr. Wardell has more of a feel on the Kingdoms of men, perhaps I can add my 2 cents to the Fallen races.

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completed lore on Wraiths/Resolyn

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Frogboy

Join Date 03/2001

+2410

I love reading this stuff. The lore in game is still developing as Dave Stern and I go over the various factions more.

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I just want to say that I fully support the idea of this thread, and the vision of Resolyn you've put out so far. From the worldview to the castes to the gameplay ideas, everything makes sense and brings more life (or death, ha ha) to Resolyn than before. The only thing I'd hesitate about putting into the game's lore is the whole murder ritual thing. Might be a bit too... grotesque? Dark? But hey, these are the ultimate bad guys of the world. It certainly makes sense. Keep up the great work! I'll be watching this thread closely!

Quoting Frogboy,

reply 8

I love reading this stuff. The lore in game is still developing as Dave Stern and I go over the various factions more.

That's very encouraging. It gives me hope that the feel of the factions and the game can still be revised and deepened.

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well yea we could gloss over the whole "punishment murder thing", much like people usually gloss over crucifixion when going into Roman lore.

Its like its 'there', it just doesn't have to be mentioned a whole lot ...

Point is, people cross the Dying Dust (or get caught performing heresy of any kind) and they end up going into their next life a bit 'early'

I had this in my 'source lore' notebook I've been writing, but don't think I've added it yet ... but if a particular member of the Dying Dust was offended, generally they are the one who 'eats' the one that offended them.

(generally this amounts to talking in their presence ... usually talking out of turn, or without enough respect. Although The Weary get a little bit of lee way, as they are regents and stewards for the Dying Dust)

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Added the three Rots (or the three paths of action) that can lead to any caste member's "True Death" at the end of their current natural life.

note that suicide is not mentioned among these rots. This is because 'suicide' (or the premature ending of a cycle) is not permitted until all OTHER life on the planet is extinguished first. All it would do is send you to your next cycle, and to a lower caste at that (possibly even as one of those slinking races of men ). Doomed to suffer for at least one extra lifetime.

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Very neat. I wonder how much fear Resolyn inspires in their Human and Fallen neighbors. Does Resolyn distinguish between Altarian, Krax, and Urxen life? IE, does the kind of life matter, or is all (non-death worshiping) life equally detestable?

Just curious, but what are you using to come up with your ideas? Just the game and your own ingenuity, or do you have the novel and other resources on hand? And do you have any ideas for the Trog, Quendar, and Urxen tribes? I'd love to read your ideas on them, since I can hardly ever tell the difference between Trog and Urxen.

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I have VERY different ideas about Trogs vs Urxen societies. In fact I'd almost call them opposites (while Resolyn is pretty left field, almost out of the ball park).

Not for certain about the Kraxis (hence the might).

Once I have all the other Fallen races down (in the thread) I might specify more on Resolyn <-> Fallen relations ...

but for now I think I'll come up with a simple analogy

Fallen Empires -> useful if annoying cousins

Kraxis Empire -> Useful worms

Races of men -> annoying and useless worms.

So the distinctions are mostly petty, yet the other Empires also at least practice death magic so they are more likely to be converted. Hence the Enchantress would be *slightly* less likely to kill them all vs, say, the Kingdoms.

Those that openly worship death magic of course, are seen more as allies rather than useful pawns.

And the twisted forms of beast and men (trolls, ogres, butchermen) are seen as potential converts not only to their religion but to their faction as well. Therefore they are seen as *extremely* useful pawns and potential allies.

Ultimately though, those that do not worship death must be killed, whether used as cannon fodder vs the Kingdoms, or on the end of a Resolyn pike.

As for where I get my ideas, I use a mix of real history and my own imagination, as well as (sometimes) other people's ideas. Although I must say I haven't seen an idea similar to 'my version' of the Wraiths. I am rather proud of it.

I think I've taken enough history classes to have a source for plenty of ideas

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Trogs updated

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Quendar updated

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Kudos Tasunke I can see you have put alot of time and effort into creating flavour for the factions so you get +1 karma from me.

Just out of curiousity, the Resoln true death apocalyptic cult thing reminds me of Os-Gabella and the Shiem; was that one of your sources of inspiration?

I also like how you have distinguished between the ordinary 'stubborn' wraiths and the higher castes - the ordinary wraiths seem basically like decent people who you could have some games of poker and some beers with but they are basically oppressed by the fanatics at the top - they are the biggest victims of all. This is more relatable and has parallels with historical 'evil empires' - not that I want to throw this thread off topic but it just makes the Resoln more meaningful.

At the time of posting this I havent had a chance to read your other descriptions; I'll read them shortly

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I like your ideas for the Trogs and Quendar too - it's good that you steered clear of describing them as outright evil and again they come across as relatable - the Trogs are a bit like Spartans/Klingons while the Quendar seem more venal and duplicious (like Ferengi actually)

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Hello DGB246, welcome!

I'm glad that I have made (at least parts of) the races relatable

Yes, with the Resolyn I indeed wished to make it clear that the Stubborn were more or less ordinary people

as far as Sheaim/Resolyn similarities ...

I suppose I was more open to the idea of armageddonites due to my experience with the Sheaim, however my writings on the Resolyn were not (imo) directly influenced by the Sheaim, they just ended up arriving at similar conclusions, and I think I'm fine with that.

The Sheaim are about the upper crust having pacts with demons, and people following them with a (perhaps false) promise of power.

They started as a secretive cult (out in the desert), and then began to take over cities and expand their influence.

The Sheaim make deals with demons on a semi regular basis, and summon them to their aid even more frequently.

----> I suppose this would have more connection to Resolyn's connection to the shadow world, and their positive dealings with demons, but truthfully the main Resolyn inspiration is as a strictly Spiritual society, less interested in warfare or politics (or alliances) than the other races.

Specifically, the Resolyn are a completely devout religious people (or at least the 'fanatics at the top').

Although ultimately ... yes I suppose the Sheaim would have had some level of influence on my writings whether I wanted them to our not

---> But in the Sheaim, they are a very rational and academic society, making demon deals and tricking the rest of the society to follow along ... while in the case of Resolyn, there is nothing to trick really, as 'True Death' is their ultimate spiritual goal, therefore the upper crust in this society are what you would call 'true believers' ... and to me that was more important than any notion of Armageddon.

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Updated ....

added Urxen!!!!!

made some slight organizational tweaks

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Just started playing Planescape: Torment again ... and although I didn't use it as direct inspiration, holy shit the parallels!

Dying Dust -> Dustmen

True Death ...

To be fair I was going to have the priestly caste be called "The Withered" but then I figured Dying Dust had more gravitas.

For Resolyn I went with Hinduism and used the Buddhist definition of enlightenment (nothingness).

Also in planescape the Dustmen seem to be caretakers for the dead, while the Dying Dust are the opposite ... they don't 'take care' of anything and only work towards purely spiritual goals. (usually sit in a chamber meditating and starving themselves)

Furthermore, in Planescape they are all already dead, whereas with the Resolyn/Hindus, they are very much on the mortal plane, don't know anything confirmed of the afterlife, and must rely soley on their personaly/spritual beliefs.

Buddhism believes that life is suffering, although they believe that one can achieve non-suffering by removing one's desires with the eightfold path. The Resolyn believe that life is suffering and therefore must end with the True Death.

Hindus believe that the mortal plane, and our mortal lives, are nothing but illusions of the divine. For Hindus, the real world IS in some ways a 'shadow world' similar to how the dustmen consider the Planescape realm as a shadow realm.

I think the primary reason for the parallels between Planescape: Torment and Resolyn is due to using similar source material.

Hinduism+Buddhism -> DnD setting -> Planescape Dustmen

Hinduism+Buddhism -> Empire with Death Worship -> MY version of Resolyn

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Urxen updated (World Hydra)

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I gotta say, these are very well written, and make for an excellent read. In fact, for a little bit there I thought this was an official sneak-peak. Well done!

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Thank ye

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