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Autrefois membre du peuple unifié des Mualijae, le groupe aujourd'hui connu sous le nom d'Alijae s'est séparé de ses frères en raison de divergences philosophiques. Le conflit portait sur la nature du "mal ancien" décrit dans une prophétie de Mualijae, un mal qui devait être à la fois le passé et le destin de leur peuple. Les scribes d'Alijae ont consigné cette prophétie, qui était autrefois exclusivement orale, sous la forme d'un vaste poème épique et d'une histoire dramatisée qui ont fini par être inscrits sur les murs des ruines elfiques de Nagisa. Non seulement ceux qui sont devenus les elfes d'Alijae pensaient que cette tradition orale devait être formalisée et écrite pour éviter d'en perdre des parties, mais ils avaient aussi une idée très précise de ce à quoi ce poème faisait référence et de ce qu'il fallait faire. Aucune de ces deux opinions n'était populaire au sein de la population de Mualijae dans son ensemble, et ceux qui devinrent Alijae furent les premiers à rompre avec l'ensemble. Ils ont également rompu avec ce qui avait longtemps été une tradition de narration purement orale pour commencer une tradition d'enregistrement de tout ce qui était important de multiples façons redondantes. | Autrefois membre du peuple unifié des Mualijae, le groupe aujourd'hui connu sous le nom d'Alijae s'est séparé de ses frères en raison de divergences philosophiques. Le conflit portait sur la nature du "mal ancien" décrit dans une prophétie de Mualijae, un mal qui devait être à la fois le passé et le destin de leur peuple. Les scribes d'Alijae ont consigné cette prophétie, qui était autrefois exclusivement orale, sous la forme d'un vaste poème épique et d'une histoire dramatisée qui ont fini par être inscrits sur les murs des ruines elfiques de Nagisa. Non seulement ceux qui sont devenus les elfes d'Alijae pensaient que cette tradition orale devait être formalisée et écrite pour éviter d'en perdre des parties, mais ils avaient aussi une idée très précise de ce à quoi ce poème faisait référence et de ce qu'il fallait faire. Aucune de ces deux opinions n'était populaire au sein de la population de Mualijae dans son ensemble, et ceux qui devinrent Alijae furent les premiers à rompre avec l'ensemble. Ils ont également rompu avec ce qui avait longtemps été une tradition de narration purement orale pour commencer une tradition d'enregistrement de tout ce qui était important de multiples façons redondantes. | ||
This first splinter group of elves was small, only a few dozen fighters, scouts, storytellers, and those with a vested interest in the safety of all those who traveled the jungle. Their first collective decision as the newly formed Alijae was to investigate Nagisa, the White City long rumored to be a bastion of darkness. The origins of the city itself largely remain a mystery, even to Alijae who have spent their entire lives studying. Elements of the architectural style clearly parallel those employed by the Mualijae elves, though they rarely used stone this extensively due to how hard it is to find and excavate safely within the tangles of the jungle. Carvings marked the walls and, upon checking references and venturing into the wider world to gain more frame of reference, the Alijae elves found the markings to be calls to demon lords and fell powers across the planes. This left many Alijae feeling vindicated, now having proof that their decisions hadn’t been in vain. After expanding and securing base camps on the outskirts of Nagisa, the Alijae elves set forth courageously on expeditions into the hearts of the pyramids. | |||
Those first forays were disastrous but informative. The pyramids’ builders had dedicated them to powerful demonic forces and especially demon lords, with a totem standing at the heart of each which served as a gateway to the Abyss. Grievous injuries and loss of life kept the elves to only the smaller pyramids, and infrequent incursions left them limited to a slow but inexorable push toward the city’s heart in the largest pyramid. One by one the elves cleared each pyramid, cleansed each demonic totem within, horoughly investigated the contents, and fortified the walls against retaliation. Each time this cycle could be fully completed, they celebrated the victory by recording the tale in its entirety to honor those wounded and lost. | |||
A group of aging oral storytellers composed the beginning of the poem that would end up on Nagisa’s walls, which was then scribed by the successors they trained. With their dangerous mission and many losses, it was entirely possible the small group of Alijae could be wiped out. They simply wouldn’t allow their history and that of the Mualijae as a whole be lost to time and circumstance should anything happen to their people. Thus, it would be recorded in a way that was hard to destroy in its entirety, could not be forgotten by future generations, and could be uncovered by those who might follow them should they fail. It would also lessen some of the burden of memory on their elders. The belief in lessening a shared burden by carrying it with many hands is one that suffuses through all aspects of Alijae culture and history. | |||
The historical poem that now sprawls across the walls of Nagisa began on the walls of a pyramid once dedicated to Nocticula when she was still a demon lord. Some historians and scholars believe this early reclamation may be one of the first seedings of the Cult of the Redeemer Queen, citing the apparent ease with which the Alijae elves were able to secure the pyramid despite its size, as well as their historical comfort when dealing with powers others avoid. | |||
With each Alijae who learned a different method of archiving came another redundancy for their records: first on the stone of the cleared and fortified pyramids in the White City; then in books and vellum carefully stored and preserved in special rooms within those pyramids, only removed for revisions and occasional research; later, on magical talking masks able to watch the wearer’s deeds and keep personal histories as close to them as possible; | |||
and even carved in shorthand onto precious stones, with the hope the value of the stones themselves would help protect the stories they contained when they had little other value to Alijae aside from vanity. | |||
==APPEARANCE == | |||
A large number of Alijae have lighter skin tones than many in the Mwangi Expanse, as well as patches of light skin, white hair, and vibrant, light-colored eyes that often glow with flecks of red and orange. Some say the life and color is draining from their people, replaced by the infernal glow of the sinister powers they confer with and rely on. In reality, this coloration is caused by a frequency of vitiligo, albinism, and other pigmentation conditions in their population. To most Alijae, these physical traits are simply that, traits that mean little in the long run when there are far more pressing matters to be attended. | |||
The most striking thing about any adult Alijae, especially those with accomplished forays into the pyramids of Nagisa or who spend long stretches of time away from home, are the huge magical masks covering various parts of their bodies. Starting with a central mask that contains their family histories and spreading outwards, these typically wooden or golden visages can tell the full stories of an Alijae’s family in an abridged format before transitioning into an individual’s own tale from birth to the present moment. Alijae nearing the end of their lives will usually ask that the masks are told the story of the elf’s death (as described below) and then sent on to next of kin, before their bodies are returned to their homeland. Many Alijae remove and hide their family history masks somewhere safe when around outsiders, until trust is fully established. | |||
Alijae elves otherwise favor the functionality of clothing over fashion or vanity in form, choosing instead to embellish with bright patterns, | |||
demonic ivory, woven accessories, and other styling choices. Due to the heat of the jungle, this often means little clothing at all beyond a protective cloak, but this is not always the case; for example, an Alijae archivist might wear more form-fitting clothing beneath loose layers with gloves, so as not to bring contaminants into the same space as they handle documents, while a scout might wear long lengths of fabric wrapped around their body that they can rewind to better serve the environments they travel through. | |||
Most Alijae accessories are passed through families and added to over time, serving as yet another method of coded record-keeping that other Alijae can recognize on sight. For instance, woven tassels might convey what the wearer does and how far they have progressed in their craft; an ivory tusk and its metal rings can show how many demons an elf has defeated or places they have purified; a well-woven scarf of many colors denotes a long lineage and that the wearer is likely the next family head. | |||
===GENEALOGY MASK === | |||
Access Alijae ethnicity Price 10 gp | |||
Usage worn; Bulk L | |||
These large masks are forged of precious metals or carved of wood and tasked with guarding the history of a family. Most Alijae are granted a genealogy mask when they come of age, which they bequeath to their next of kin upon death. When a member of the family recounted in the genealogy mask performs a particularly significant event while wearing the mask, its eyes and ears animate, allowing the item to witness and record the deeds for posterity. Different families have different standards for their genealogy masks—some may value accuracy and objective, clinical facts, while others may relish embellishing their stories to the very brink of believability in the name of a good story. | |||
Activate [one-action] command; Frequency once per day; Effect You ask the mask about the deeds of a particular ancestor, and the mask speaks for 10 minutes, recalling the tales it knows about that ancestor. The mask is limited by what information a particular ancestor shared with it. | |||
Craft Requirements Supply a casting of ancestral memories (Pathfinder Core Rulebook 402) or mindlink. You must be an Alijae elf. | |||
==SOCIETY== | |||
Alijae society has a relatively open structure, with no overseeing council or visible government. This is mostly due to their small population and the extremely spread-out nature of their community—numerous Alijae travel for much of their lives as adventurers, researchers, and chroniclers—which makes maintaining a rigid structure impossible. Rather than trying to force a traditional government to fit, they developed a system of coded correspondences managed by archivists on the outskirts of Nagisa, where the first Alijae settled. This system allows all adult Alijae to have a say in the affairs of their people by vote, no matter the distance. | |||
That same system keeps those far afield in touch with their loved ones in Nagisa as well. Contrary to what some outsiders might believe upon seeing the distances many Alijae travel, the elves place a tremendous importance on family connections, though it might be harder to for others to see. While all those within the community are cared for, Alijae don’t consider everyone in their community to be family. Only those connected by blood are a part of one’s family and deemed worthy of including in the historical mask records worn on one’s body. There are, however, rituals to bind a person to an Alijae lineage and make them a part of a family’s blood. The most obvious is through marriage ceremonies, but other rites occur from time to time for those who have done a family a great boon. Few outside of the Alijae community are willing to go through with such rituals, fearing binding their souls to demons or falling prey to other dangerous extraplanar creatures a family may have made deals or contracts with in the past. | |||
==FAITH== | |||
Alijae elves usually have some manner of divine patron, more out | |||
of pragmatism than anything else. They don’t worship a unifying | |||
deity or aspect of nature. They consider faith a much more personal matter, one they bring up rarely and question even less, as some Alijae have willingly entered into deals with fiends and other extraplanar forces in order to gain some power or knowledge they felt necessary | |||
to the continued survival of their people. Foreigners often find this distasteful and terrifying, making ubiquitous accusations that Alijae | |||
are evil demon worshipers one and all. | |||
However, some Alijae do choose to follow deities of the more widely accepted pantheons. For instance, the Cult of the Redeemer Queen, though not referred to locally as a cult, has a strong following among Alijae artisans who use part of her pyramid in Nagisa as a workshop space. Other popular deities include Desna, Irori, Nethys, and Findeladlara. | |||
==CULTURE== | |||
Alijae life largely focuses on the thankless task of safeguarding and cleansing Nagisa, and it shows in most aspects of their culture. Their traditions have slowly morphed over time and continue to do so, often changing to suit current needs. Some outsiders are scandalized by this lack of continuity, but the Alijae community has come to accept it as a better way to stay connected even when distance between loved ones intervenes. Many other elves are either appalled or bemused by Alijae informality when it comes to tradition. | |||
While Alijae culture places a high amount of focus on knowledge, its acquisition, and its preservation, any given individual might have a myriad of tangential interests and pursuits that are often within the arts. Many have a vested interest in culinary and alchemical pursuits, though generally not at the same time. Alijae cultures places a high honor on archival methods as art, granting great prestige to masters of calligraphy, scarification and tattooing, book illumination, sculpture and chiseling, and mural painting. These traditions are passed from a master to apprentices who assist in any works while they are in the vicinity of Nagisa. Master mask-makers will train as many apprentices as they can, who then travel to far-away Alijae and add to their records. | |||
==TAKE ALL THAT IS OFFERED == | |||
In a region full of dangers, Alijae elves inhabit what may be one of its most perilous sections. As a result, they have grown to accept all that is offered to them as a matter of course. This is never blind faith but conviction in the strength of their knowledge and abilities as a safeguard from greater dangers. Some elders who specialize in healing and medicine have been heard to chide “a poison can also be a cure” to particularly disagreeable patients. This shared philosophy of “take what is presented to you, be it gift or curse, and use it as you need” sums up the core of Alijae beliefs. Unsurprisingly, this philosophy does little to help the reputation of Alijae among those who already don’t understand them. | |||
In all matters, the average Alijae elf will choose to accept or learn something new if given a chance. Those who set out into the world in pursuit of a deeper knowledge of demonology may return home with books on demons, an understanding of swordsmanship, experience in political arenas, and insight into the cuisine of the Inner Sea region to boot. Most Alijae find interest in practically any topic that comes their way; if the subject might hold an unrealized key to the complications and trials their people face, all the better to spare the world of the evils that lurk within Nagisa. Because of this, preserving knowledge holds the utmost importance in Alijae life. | |||
==FAR FROM HOME== | |||
Throughout an Alijae person’s life, they will likely encounter many times where they must adhere to traditions and cultural practices remotely, without contact and connection to their fellows. They might find themself deep within a pyramid, in the jungles to trade for supplies, out in the wider world to gather some essential piece of knowledge, or working within an adventuring party. As such, Alijae communities adapted and evolved many traditions over time to be fulfilling whether done alone or with a community. Harvest meals | |||
that would normally be enjoyed with family or celebrations that would involve the entire community can be scaled down to be quiet and solitary, keeping in the spirit of these celebrations if not the full practice. | |||
For instance, Alijae commemorate the winter solstice and remember the lives of those who have left this world behind by gathering to tell stories and share a hibiscus-flavored mead. When there is no one to share with or no access to the mead (rarely found outside the Mwangi Expanse), any mead or beer will do, and most believe their ancestors won’t mind stories shared with outsiders that don’t reveal too much. If an elf believes the ancestors would prefer their stories not be told to those who are not Alijae, writing the stories down or repeating them quietly also fulfills the need. | |||
==AfterLife through history== | |||
The disquieting understanding Alijae have come to in all their dealings with demons, extraplanar creatures, and unconventional magic is that death is not always the end. While some may believe in the soul in a similar way to Ekujae or the balance of energies like Kallijae, few Alijae hold faith in the certainty of an afterlife. What comfort is there in the idea of life after death when so much magic is determined to imbue corpses with foul energy, bring lost loved ones back, or transcend what is known to be mortal? | |||
Rather than put stock in life beyond death, Alijae believe their lives and legacies are taken into the future by family, friends, and those entrusted with their histories. Every adult Alijae carries abridged versions of their entire family history imprinted on their masks and worn on their bodies; detailed records and histories are meticulously noted, maintained, and preserved in Nagisa; and stories are shared with those most trusted by an Alijae when they were alive and those who succeed them. For any outsiders an Alijae has come to know and trust in life, the same courtesy is bestowed upon them as stories and records are kept as a means of maintaining their memories. | |||
==HALF-ELVES== | |||
Because of the relatively small size of the Alijae population, every individual plays a key role in their society. Half-elves are no different and are generally the ones who travel the furthest afield to gather the most distant knowledge possible. Most work within the many factions that span Golarion or trek with adventuring parties, especially parties with an interest or possible interaction with Nagisa or demon lords. Some wear their heritage and mission proudly while others hide it and craft completely new identities, and still others attempt to ride the line between the two. | |||
Many outsiders incorrectly assume that Alijae half-elves are obliged and forced to fill this role with little say in the matter. The reasons for choosing this life vary based on the individual, but many simply cite the same drive as any other Alijae: there is much to find and learn in this world, and any piece of it may contain the answers they and their people seek. | |||
===RELATIONS=== | |||
Alijae show caution around any not their own —even Ekujae and Kallijae elves, despite their shared ancestry—because of their guardianship over Nagisa and what it could mean if its power fell into the wrong hands. Their distance only lasts so long as someone’s intentions remain unclear, at which point they make a nigh-irreversible decision: either that person is welcomed as a guest and fellow seeker of knowledge in the service of the greater good, or they are shunned for their lust for wealth and power. Alijae leaders make none of these judgments rashly, often deliberating over days or weeks in the case of individuals, or months and years in the case of more established organizations like the Pathfinder Society or Aspis Consortium. To make these decisions, Alijae will often willingly join the adventuring parties and factions, taking copious coded notes and sending them home along with letters on their well-being. Most, when they learn of this, call it treachery, but Alijae consider it a necessary evil to be sure of exactly who they are dealing with at any given time. This methodical vetting process has yet to majorly fail them, but some who have endured it fear it may only be a matter of time. | |||
Though Earthfall severed the Mualijae elves from the elves of Kyonin, there have recently been steps to reforge that connection. Queen Telandia Edasseril (Pathfinder Lost Omens Legends 106) made the journey to Nagisa and—after much deliberation among the Alijae—gave her respects to the White City, with permission. After hours of negotiation, a proposed alliance of marriage between the queen and an Alijae elf named Zazirele (NG male elf guardian 14) was also agreed upon, though Zazirele requested to spend time in Kyonin before he made his final decision, observing and assessing as Alijae always do. | |||
==NAGISA == | |||
Nagisa, also known as the White City, lies east of the Bdonge River and is largely built of beautiful white pyramids of an unknown elven design. While Alijae historians have found connections to Mualijae design and architecture, they also uncovered evidence of other elven and unknown influences. The city’s gorgeous buildings contain secrets far more sinister than their design origins: within each is a totem to a different demon, which draw fiends, evil fey, and other creatures to them in droves. The closer to the center of the city, the greater the strength of those demons and the evils that gather to them, with the ones at the city’s heart dedicated to the demon lords. On discovering the city, the early Alijae knew it must be the great darkness the Mualijae had always feared and set to the task of slowly clearing the totems. | |||
Now, Nagisa refers to both the city of white stone pyramids as well as the Alijae outposts at the primary entrances, as well as the other most-breached entry points. However, the small size of the Alijae sentry force relative to the sheer number of potential egresses means only a few remain guarded at all times. If outsiders present themselves and Alijae leadership judges them to be well-intentioned enough, the elves allow those outsiders within the city with an Alijae guide to ensure purpose and safety. If denied, a small party of scouts trails the outsiders for a distance before turning back and the watch is tightened for as long as it can be maintained. | |||
Lapses in the watch around the city have led to the rise of a migrating black market of outsiders called the Collaborative Interests Trading Post, shifting around the outskirts of Nagisa to fall into the blind spots of the Alijae lookouts. Those who have been denied by the Alijae but still wish to plunder Nagisa lurk and foray and trade from the transient bazaar town just out of sight of the city’s self-appointed guardians. | |||
==BUYISELA== | |||
The Alijae maintain several stations and outposts at or near the main entrances to Nagisa. Their largest stronghold, however, is tucked into the jungle near the main gate. Buyisela, often called Scholars’ Haven by outsiders permitted entrance, is a large outpost serving as a library, archive, vault, and training ground. In a stark contrast to much of Alijae culture, life in Buyisela is heavily regimented and controlled by strict schedules. | |||
For some Alijae, these rules chafe and go against much they knew in the outposts where they grew up. However, the Alijae of the past have learned that this structure is essential to continuing the work of maintaining the archives and slowly pushing toward the heart of Nagisa. | |||
==THE ARCHIVES== | |||
Though the library of Nagisa doesn’t have a formal name, residents and visitors alike call it the Archives. Spread through converted pyramids on the very edge of the city and several Alijae-built structures nearby, the Archives represent one of the largest collections of demon lore contained within a single space, focused on demon lords, their histories, and all locations where they have historically had vested interests in Golarion. For anyone considering facing demon hordes who can make the trek, the knowledge collected here can prove invaluable. However, outsiders are rarely permitted entrance into the Archives themselves due to the double-edged nature contained therein: the same knowledge that would help defeat a demon lord can also be used to aid or summon them. Instead, an Alijae archivist will assist any outsiders by doing research for them and presenting the findings. | |||
==THE PROVING== | |||
Along with an education focused on demon lore, Alijae are also expected to learn some form of defense and need training spaces for this. The Proving is a series of circular grounds set up for sparring, dueling, and practice with either magical or martial approaches. Though most Alijae are more comfortable with magic, especially magic that contains or counteracts other magic, some prefer a more direct and physical approach to combat, or a melding of both martial and magical prowess. These heavily warded and fortified spaces are hidden from view and away from any guests who may be in Buyisela at any given time. Alijae are well aware of the reputation they have within the Mwangi Expanse as those who flirt heedlessly with corrupting powers and are at great pains to prove, at least to some extent, that they can manage the powers they command. Precious few outsiders ever see the inside of the Proving. | |||
==THE QUEEN’S VAULT== | |||
Demon totems and dangerous creatures aren’t all that’s contained within the pyramids of Nagisa; within also lie precious artifacts, and some of those artifacts—namely powerful abyssal crystals—could prove devastating in the wrong hands. With each pyramid cleared and made safe, these artifacts are collected, investigated, cataloged, and stored in the deepest reaches of the first pyramids, beginning with the one once dedicated to the Redeemer Queen, Nocticula. These storage and containment chambers are known as the Queen’s Vaults, or simply the Vaults. No one but the most skilled and trusted Alijae archivists enter these rooms, ever careful of each artifact as they look for ways to either seal the powers it contains permanently, destroy the object and its threat, or make the object work in the Alijae forces’ favor as they continue to slowly cleanse the pyramids. | |||
==THE LODGE== | |||
If Alijae permit guests entry into the city, they ask that the visitors keep themselves only to places where they have been invited and to public spaces. Most of the public spaces within Nagisa and Buyisela are for outdoor seating and gathering, eating, and cooking where anyone can make something for those interested. The sites also include small but comfortable housing with more private meeting spaces specifically for invited visitors to Nagisa, so that they may prepare before venturing into the city and rest on their return. Called the Lodge by guests but not given a name by Alijae, these rooms also give visitors access to the healers and archivists in the city. | |||
TEMPLE OF THE TOAD | |||
The current focus of Alijae efforts to cleanse the city, this temple boasts an enormous, grotesque statue made of shining black stone at its entrance, out of place among the sharp white stones of the city. The huge sculpture depicts a bloated toad covered with bulging eyes and ripe pustules, with an obscenely long tongue lolling from its wide, drooling mouth. The inscriptions name it the Eater of Filth, and it bears the signs of dark magic from the demon lord Gogunta. A golden glow emanates from within the structure, as well as the stink of the swamp and an endless, echoing howl of torment. Ever since they began their excursions to clear the site, Alijae have been fighting a battle on two fronts, as boggards from the jungle have been constantly trying to break into the city and reach the profane temple. | |||
==COLLABORATIVE INTERESTS CO. TRADING POST== | |||
Not all who are turned away from Nagisa and Buyisela leave easily or willingly. Established by a consortium of parties with a vested interest in the city and the potential within, this outpost was originally funded through Chelaxian imperial efforts out of then-Sargava and allowed allies to launch their own forays from the spot. Though a more permanent base would be preferable, the moving bazaar is far easier to keep just outside of the Alijae forces’ admittedly short grasp. Over time, the management shifted from Chelaxian hands to silent backers from across Golarion with disparate end goals but a shared interest in the possibilities of power and treasure at the heart of Nagisa. Once called simply Sargava Outpost #4, it has since been renamed the Collaborative Interests Co. Trading Post, providing palatability through feigned legitimacy for other outsiders who wish to make use of its access. | |||
Rumors abound on how the trading post’s managerial group seems to stay one step ahead of the Alijae watches. Some believe there’s a mole high up in the Alijae guard who keeps them abreast of when and where lookouts will be strongest. Some say there are powerful diviners and mages with interest in Nagisa who spy for them. Some believe the Alijae simply allow the trading post to continue, keeping their enemies close and stopping things if they go too far. No one has confirmed or denied any rumor, only continued or added to them. | |||
Using this trading post and its readily available resources is sure to weigh on the hearts of any who were denied entrance but still feel themselves in the moral right, especially as they see priceless and dangerous artifacts traded away to the highest bidders and deepest pockets. | |||
==ZOLHA== | |||
NG | NONBINARY | ELF | ARCHIVIST 7 | |||
Zolha is the only child of two master archivists and one-time adventurers, Nkosana and Nonhle. Their parents often traveled together across the world, actively seeking out knowledge on behalf of the Alijae community and planting themselves in organizations and adventuring parties to ascertain their goals. Their work pushed the efforts of cleansing the remaining pyramids further than any others before them, and they were ever-willing to take on new quests and adventures until it became their time to mentor others. Many expected Zolha to proudly follow in their footsteps and become an outrider of academia to rival their parents. | |||
Unfortunately, in one of their first forays into the pyramids, Zolha was terrified by a face-to-face encounter with a demon and froze up in panic. This provided an opening that proved disastrous and ended in grave injuries for most of the party and the death of the warrior who accompanied them. While Alijae are all too aware that losses happen as a fact of their life, Zolha could never put the incident behind them. The resulting trauma and deep feelings of guilt over the tragedy plague them and make any traveling too anxious of an affair to be viable. While the Alijae community is thankful for Zolha’s efforts as an archivist and historian in the city, there are more than a few who wish Zolha might still pick up the torch left by their parents. | |||
Zolha rarely sets foot outside of Nagisa now, instead acting | |||
as a point of contact for the Alijae and vetting those adventurers | |||
and treasure seekers who would plunder the White City. Though | |||
much of Zolha’s duties revolve around maintaining records of familial lineage and tracking correspondences with traveling Alijae, they also hold a great deal of knowledge about demons, devils, other fiends, and the various factions of Golarion with a potential interest in them, the Alijae, or Nagisa. For someone who doesn’t get out much, they seem to have a nigh-infinite amount of knowledge about goings-on in the wider jungle and beyond. | |||
Standoffish and aloof on first meeting, Zolha is slow to open up to anyone whom they don’t consider family. Too many in the world would exploit the Alijae people’s knowledge, the power gated within the city, and the other phenomena within the Mwangi Expanse and beyond this plane, and use it all to do harm. Too many crave only money, power, and glory for Zolha to place faith in anyone too soon. As they slowly gain trust and see others who are willing to help stem the tide of evil in the world, they become a never-ending font of assorted and sometimes disparate knowledge and anecdotes, always happy to help those who are willing to go where Zolha can’t themself. | |||
Zolha is looking for heroes who might be willing to do a few “relatively small tasks” for them: retrieve an obscure book from Absalom that no one else will agree to deliver (possibly due to the curse on it that Zolha wishes to investigate further); escort a small team on a scouting mission to Usaro or another site of known demon-influenced activity in order to clarify notes from an ancient foray; or deliver a message to a potentially lost contact still within Cheliax. Should they gain enough trust and place enough faith in a group of adventurers, Zolha may even accompany them for a short time, attempting to ease themselves back into the field work for which their parents had gained renown. | |||
Even if a group of adventurers is unable to aid them in these tasks, Zolha always loves to hear tales of places they have never seen, feverishly scratching down meticulous notes and interrupting with questions throughout the telling in a way that some find irritating. They never know when and where they may happen upon a curious bit of information that could unlock further secrets, after all. | |||
=EKUJAE= | |||
The jungle-dwelling elves known as Ekujae are enigmas to most outsiders and bear different reputations among the cultures that have come into contact with them. To the masters of the Magaambya in the academic city of Nantambu, Ekujae are an ancient and respected civilization of scholars who sometimes venture from their homes to teach students or bring rare seeds to the university’s libraries. To the scattered tribes of the Mwangi Jungle, Ekujae are mysterious and implacable guardians of the wild, viewed with awe and superstition in equal measure. To capitalist organizations such as the Aspis Consortium, Ekujae are fearsome foes well known for their furious attacks on Aspis slavers, such as the infamous massacre at Whitebridge Station. Yet, first and foremost to all who know of them, Ekujae are warriors, standing ready to fight against an unknown darkness from an ancient time. | |||
Ekujae tend to hold a skeptical view of most foreigners, especially humans. Ekujae lands are rich with gold and other precious treasures, a fact that inspired generations of fortune seekers to plunder the jungle and give nothing in return. They have an especially sour relationship with non-Mwangi people due to conflicts with colonialist slavers, including a recent violent confrontation with the Aspis Consortium that has, in turn, motivated Ekujae warriors to destroy any slaver outposts they come upon. Ekujae also guard many places of great power or dormant evil, places they have little desire for reckless adventurers or sinister forces to uncover. While Ekujae culture firmly believes that individuals can’t be judged by the actions of others, they nonetheless view outsiders with caution and are reluctant to form alliances or share their secrets. Mortals, in Ekujae’s experiences, tend to repeat the same mistakes over and over, and while specific groups or rulers might be trustworthy, they die quickly by elven standards with the individuals who replace them often too eager to exploit Ekujae for some ambition or another. | |||
For this reason, Ekujae will quickly confront any trespassers who venture into their lands, though it would be an oversimplification to call them xenophobic or isolationist. They aren’t authoritarian by nature, so they leave travelers who don’t appear to be a threat alone. A simple fruit merchant or virtuous explorer has very little to fear from Ekujae; their scouts will likely follow and watch any such visitors, but they do so just as much out of compassion as suspicion—Ekujae make it a habit to ensure their guests don’t come to harm due to animals or ancient evils alike. Even strangers whom Ekujae deem less than welcome are usually offered a chance to peacefully leave the forest, though refusal can quickly provoke the militant elves’ wrath. | |||
==HISTORY== | |||
The history of Mualijae elves, and the Ekujae who descended from them, diverges from that of other elves on Golarion at the time of Earthfall. While most elves elected to leave for their ancestral realm of Sovyrian to survive the disaster, the Ekujae clans instead decided to stay behind despite the coming devastation. Whether they made this choice out of duty, love, stubbornness, or a sense of things to come, no records survive to say; all that’s known is that when the earth shattered and the skies went black, Ekujae were there to defeat the “Great Darkness” that arose from the destruction, sparing the remaining life on Golarion from total extinction. Yet, even their greatest warriors and mages couldn’t destroy the Great Darkness permanently, and Ekujae now train in preparation should it ever rise again. | |||
Despite most scholars’ belief that the identity of this Great Darkness is lost to time—or that the whole story is simply a fanciful legend told by the elves—Ekujae know the truth of their ancestral foe, though they never call it by its common name. The Great Darkness was an incarnation of the dragon god Dahak, who had been lured to Golarion by the death and chaos that wracked the world during that terrible time. Had Dahak been allowed to linger, Golarion would have suffered dire consequences; the dragon god Apsu was sworn to fight Dahak, and their cataclysmic struggle would inevitably have invited other gods to interfere as well until the clash of deities finished the job that Earthfall began and destroyed the entire planet. Instead, Ekujae forces defeated Dahak and drove the god’s incarnation into an aiudara, or elf gate, known as the Huntergate. This severed the connections between the aiudara in the instant that Dahak was between one gate and the next, trapping the dragon’s incarnation in a space between realities with no target for his unquenchable rage other than himself. | |||
This victory came at a devastating cost. To pierce the flesh of a god, the most heroic and virtuous Ekujae elves willingly sacrificed themselves so that their spirits could bolster the strength of the remaining Ekujae warriors. These elven souls burned bright as hot iron in the spiritual realm, and their determination allowed the surviving Ekujae to cut through Dahak’s scales. Dahak’s golden blood spilled across the Ekujae lands, and the elven warriors broke a horn and two fangs from Dahak’s head with enough force to fling them into the sea. The dragon was defeated at the terrible cost of countless Ekujae lives, and the taste of victory was like a mouthful of ash. | |||
Ekujae consider this battle both their greatest triumph and most crushing defeat. By routing Dahak, the elves accomplished a miracle—the defeat of a god’s living aspect by mortal magic and mortal hands. However, they only wounded and imprisoned the dragon; most Ekujae view their inability to cleanly finish off their foe as a failure. It thus became the sacred duty of all Ekujae to train in preparation for Dahak’s return, in respect for the courage and sacrifice of their ancestors and for their own pride as hunters who have injured a beast and are now honor bound to strike the killing blow. | |||
==APPEARANCE== | |||
Ekujae share a similar appearance to the humans who live in the Mwangi Expanse. They typically have dark brown skin and black hair along with jet-black eyes, though individual Ekujae are prone to variation, from dusky skin to densely coiled rose-blond hair. They tend to have more muscular frames than other elves thanks to their warrior training, though they’re still lanky and wiry compared to many humans of a similar profession. | |||
Ekujae traditionally adorn their bodies with patterns of white paint, the meanings of which are complex enough to elude almost all outsiders. Though they most usually represent only a specific elf’s family and clan, an Ekujae’s markings might also provide information about their profession, accomplishments, personal history, or even what mood they’re in that day. Despite these nuances, most Ekujae usually stick to a specific pattern of symbols on their skin, as the paint is intended to represent the most essential aspects of the individual; an Ekujae who frequently changes their symbols is considered flighty by their peers. | |||
Ekujae almost always dress in green and brown, both because these tones make for practical jungle camouflage and are considered the ancestral colors of their people. They frequently use wood, leaves, leather, fur, and bone in their clothing, and they’re well-known for favoring bark cloth made by pressing the inner bark of trees into sheets. Ekujae’s woodwarping magic enhances the quality of these textiles. The fine bark cloth and intricate wooden jewelry they produce can be extremely valuable in the right markets. | |||
==SOCIETY== | |||
Ekujae organize into distinct social groups known as clans, which in turn create their own villages and towns. These clans are so self-sufficient that many outsiders who encounter them assume that they’re entirely separate political entities from one another. However, the Ekujae clans constitute a united nation and maintain strong relationships with one another, though these ties might not be easily evident to people with shorter life spans than elves. While this nation technically chooses a king or queen from among the clan leaders, that position exists mainly in case a central authority is needed to take charge during emergencies, rather than to dictate nationwide laws. | |||
Though Ekujae greatly value their immediate relatives, most consider clan members to be as close as family, and a child of one familial unit is treated as a child of the whole clan. An Ekujae’s clan also tends to influence their vocation. | |||
Though clans happily support their members’ individual aspirations, certain ones specialize in various trades or skilled work, either through geographical advantage or tradition. A clan near ancient ruins, for example, might be famous for their warriors and protective magic, while those close to the Magaambya in Nantambu typically educate diplomats and mages. | |||
Ekujae aren’t born into their clans, though they always consider the clan of their mother to be family as well; instead, they choose to join a clan after they reach adulthood. Ekujae are expected to remain a part of their chosen clan for their entire lives; joining or leaving a clan is a very serious matter, though few clans will refuse a request for either. Banishment from a clan is a shame reserved for heinous social crimes that Ekujae feel don’t warrant capital punishment, such as child abandonment or reckless behavior that results in the death of another person. Such punishment is only slightly less severe than a death sentence. | |||
Ekujae clans democratically nominate and elect rulers and their advisers. All adults have a say in the final outcome. In particularly contentious elections, clan members might demand a task from the potential ruler to prove their worth. Once a ruler is accepted, the ruler and the clan jointly choose the ruler’s advisers. In addition to magical, military, and spiritual advisers, Ekujae highly value advisers known as linguists, who serve simultaneously as diplomats, translators, storytellers, and historians. These linguists are almost always half-elves, who, with their shorter life spans, tend to adapt more easily to changing times and situations that require an immediate solution. | |||
==FAITH== | |||
Ekujae consider the elven deity Yuelral to be their nation’s patron, and they believe their role as guardians and scholars pays homage to this goddess of magic. They also worship many of the traditional elven gods: Ketephys, the god of the hunt and the idealized warrior; Findeladlara, the goddess of the sky; Desna, whom they portray as a wandering moth and storyteller; and Calistria the wasp, whom Ekujae consider a sly trickster figure. Ekujae faith is an extremely personal matter, as they believe deities can offer inborn gifts or fated destinies to chosen individuals. They don’t find it unusual for elves to believe themselves tasked to follow a certain deity and carry out that deity’s agenda, so worshippers of obscure faiths aren’t rare among Ekujae clans. | |||
==CULTURE== | |||
A complex web of traditions and customs that stretches back thousands of years makes up Ekujae life, continuing to hold true even in the present day-to-day challenges of living in the jungle. Ekujae consider themselves guardians and defenders of their lands, seeing it as their sacred duty to fight against the Great Darkness and any demons, dragons, or other threats that might prey upon their people. They tend to be militant, raising their children with the expectation that they’ll see violent conflict within their lifetimes. Ekujae are also extremely formal in their dealings, even by elven standards, and they practice many rituals around the swearing of oaths and the forming of bargains. | |||
Ekujae highly value art and academia, but their method of keeping records can seem impenetrable to foreign scholars, making it difficult for them to share much of their lore with non-Ekujae. Along with maintaining strong oral and musical traditions, they also create “record trees.” Ekujae carefully cultivated these trees to grow specific patterns in their trunks and branches, which serve as semi-permanent records of important information and events. | |||
This unique system of shape-based writing can also record physical movements and even musical notes. From a young age, Ekujae learn how to read and write in this three-dimensional language; half-elves are particularly adept at translating their Ekujae forebears’ shape-speech or transcribing record trees into other forms of media, such as thin bronze strips woven into tree-like shapes or a shape-based, albeit complex script for when it becomes necessary to write in ink. | |||
Ekujae entertainment often consists of music, stories, or sports that emphasize precision and physical dexterity, from foot races through tree branches to target practice with clay pigeons. The Ekujae also favor strategy games played with small tokens that can be easily carried in a pocket or a pouch. One of the more popular Ekujae games is a dancing game known as daikada. Each player wears a pair of copper anklets, each set of which is designed to make chimes distinct from the other pairs when struck. The goal of the game is to dance along with the beat of a song while using fancy footwork to strike the opposing player’s anklets and make them chime. | |||
Ekujae elves believe their bond to the environment to be especially strong, as their ancestors stayed on Golarion through one of its darkest hours and shed their blood to save the planet from ruin. They prefer to build their elegant cities entirely in the canopies of trees, braiding living branches and vines together to form elaborate structures. Ekujae practice a noninvasive form of agriculture by grafting fruit trees onto the trunks of their cities’ largest branches and growing shade-loving crops in the underbrush. Their love of nature extends to the animals that dwell in their lands as well; they often name individual animals they commonly encounter, and it’s not unusual for them to chat about the local elephants and leopards in the same way they might gossip about a neighbor. | |||
==The ekujae Soul== | |||
Ekujae have an extremely complex and nuanced understanding of the soul. They believe every living being to have four spirits that are inherited or bestowed by different aspects of an individual’s life. The first, which Ekujae refer to as “what your father gave you,” represents the individual’s physical form and perception of their physical form; the second, “what your mother gave you,” is an individual’s heritage and family; the third, “what your heart gave you,” is the individual’s personality and personal taste. The fourth spirit, known as “what your gods gave you,” is the most enigmatic part of an individual’s soul, referring to an intricate tangle of intrinsic gifts and divine destiny that forms a guiding influence—whether wanted or not—on a creature’s life. These spirits have their own names and personalities, and they might not necessarily agree with one another. | |||
Indeed, a clash between two particular spirits is considered to be a common source of internal turmoil. Yet, Ekujae don’t consider these four spirits to be separate entities; they’re intrinsically part of the same soul, just as many complex emotions and thoughts are intrinsically part of a single person. For this reason, Ekujae believe that all of a creature’s spirits must be tended to in order for that creature to remain happy, healthy, and moral. When one spirit is consistently neglected, discontent and strife will soon follow, so introspection and self-care are of utmost importance in Ekujae society. | |||
==JEWELRY AND KELEDI== | |||
While Ekujae share the elven love of artistry, their jewelry is typically understated and crafted from natural materials. An Ekujae scout, for example, has little use for ostentatious ornaments that might catch on jungle plants or glint in a ray of sunlight. In addition, Ekujae observe certain taboos and customs regarding different types of accessories. For example, only Ekujae capable of casting magic wear gems, and these gems are always uncut out of respect for the elven goddess Yuelral. Only half-elves wear brass, as Ekujae believe the alloy represents the connection that half-elves share with both the natural world and the world of humans; half-elf merchants often wear exquisitely crafted brass jewelry all over their bodies as a sign of wealth, and almost every Ekujae half-elf receives a handmade brass ornament from their elven parent upon their birth. | |||
By far the most taboo metal in Ekujae culture is gold. They believe the gold beneath their lands to be the cooled breath and blood of Dahak, spilled during his battle with the elves ages ago, and that all gold is cursed by the wrath of the dragon god’s aspect. The curse of Dahak prompts even the kindest of dragons and the noblest of humans to covet gold, and it ensures that blood will always be spilled over the greed gold inspires. No Ekujae ever willingly wears gold, with a single exception: the keledi, elves of great virtue who have sworn to sacrifice their lives to fight against Dahak should the Great Darkness ever return. These elves wear ritually purified gold as a sign that they’re worthy enough that their souls could cut the very flesh of a god and to mark them as a living sacrifice to the fight against their ancestral foe. To bear the title of keledi is both the greatest honor and deepest sorrow in Ekujae society. | |||
==THE FIGHT AGAINST THE GREAT DARKNESS== | |||
For all their love of scholarship and artistry, Ekujae are a people at war, and much of their society functions around this cold fact. Even if the Great Darkness should never rise again, unnatural menaces still plague the Mwangi Jungle, and Ekujae lands host shrines to ancient demons and worse. Though these elves take what precautions they can, they know that isolation won’t save them from the dangers of their past or their homeland—and so they prepare for inevitable battles. Demons and dragons are the favored prey of Ekujae warrior-hunters, but countless other dangers lurk in the Mwangi Jungle, from ancient undead to forgotten arcana to primordial evils from an unknown time. Traditionally, each adult Ekujae carries a silver knife and a cold iron knife on their person in anticipation of battle against demons or devils. Ekujae warriors also wear a cold iron “soulguard,” a circular armored disk worn around the abdomen that provides protection from demonic magic. | |||
Ekujae must remain ever vigilant for any sign of dark influences, as they’re curiously susceptible to demonic poisons and corruptions as well | |||
as lycanthropy. It’s unknown whether this susceptibility is simply due | |||
to an unusual vulnerability in their constitutions or a more mysterious reason, but it remains a constant worry among Ekujae exposed to such dangers. Centuries of dealing with this particular vulnerability have made Ekujae among the foremost scholars of methods to reverse such magical poisons and transformations, and many seek out Ekujae help to save loved ones who have no other recourse. However, few Ekujae cures are pleasant or simple. | |||
==HALF-ELVES== | |||
The role of half-elves in Ekujae culture is nuanced and not easily understood by outsiders. Many Ekujae half-elves live in entirely half-elf clans, though this arrangement isn’t because they’re unwanted or rejected by full elves, as some foreigners might assume. While many Ekujae do ritually turn their half-elven offspring over to be raised within half-elf villages, they do so out of a belief that half-elves thrive better among peers than among elves, who have dramatically different life spans. For the most part, Ekujae half-elves agree with this policy, though some half-elves still feel excluded from elven culture and advocate for more integration between elves and half-elves. Despite this tradition of segregation, it’s hardly unknown for an Ekujae elf to raise a half-elf child in a predominately elven clan, and half-elves can freely choose their clan upon coming of age, just the same as elves. | |||
The Ekujae half-elf clans are valued as bridges between the elves and the other peoples of the Mwangi Expanse. Half-elves are the most common Ekujae emissaries to neighboring city-states for purposes of trade, cultural exchange, or other negotiations. Ekujae tradition strongly dictates that half-elves serve as a ruler’s linguists to ensure that their valuable perspective is heard, especially when making decisions that concern shorter-lived creatures whom the elves might not necessarily understand. | |||
==RELATIONS== | |||
Ekujae are generally suspicious of outsiders, preferring to keep to their own lands and to deal with others only on their own terms. They have strong ties to the Magaambya academy in Nantambu, but their association is too sporadic to be called an alliance. Otherwise, Ekujae deal with most other people on a case-by-case basis. They often send out linguists or other emissaries to local tribes or cities for trade and news but usually keep outsiders at arms’ length when it comes to the details of Ekujae affairs. | |||
==EKUJAE SETTLEMENTS== | |||
Most Ekujae settlements tend to grow on top of, or as close as possible to, ancient sites of power across the Mwangi Expanse. This method, while incredibly risky and dangerous, allows the Ekujae to better guard against the evils that lie within those sites and prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. A few others are more remote, offering both a safe haven and training grounds for those who keep watch over the jungle’s many perils. Some, like Ijo, are small towns filled with quiet life broken only by holidays, people leaving to enter the Circles, and those returning home. Some, including the Circles, are places of training where hard work reigns supreme. Others sit as guard posts over places of dangerous power, such as Akrivel. | |||
A few structural similarities exist in all Ekujae settlements, making a thread between them all. They’re built around two main buildings: an open-air communal cooking space and an enclosed but ventilated healing and recuperation space. The communal cooking and eating spaces are essential to Ekujae living, providing a place of respite from the evils that so often lurk nearby. When something worth celebrating occurs, there’s almost always a delicious meal already sizzling over an open flame or burbling in a pot. When not in use, the eating spaces can be converted into training spaces to keep skills sharp, even away from the Circles. Likewise, the cooking areas can be repurposed to make remedies and other healing supplies. Outside of these core buildings, every settlement is built to house what it needs most, such as homes, storage, further dedicated training space, or an armory. | |||
When outsiders arrive near Ekujae territory, they’re often scouted out long before they catch sigh of a settlement—whether they’re aware of that fact or not. Ekujae scouts make their judgments before acting, some seeking guidance from elders prior to approaching outsiders. Sometimes that decision means revealing their presence and escorting the group to the settlement. Sometimes, it means confusing and directing the outsiders away from the settlement. In other cases, it means making sure such travelers get lost deep in the jungle without any viable respite. Most scouts see this duty as one that must be performed, even if it can turn into an unfortunate occasion. | |||
==AKRIVEL== | |||
Akrivel is the home of the Leopard Clan and sits close to an ancient temple of Ketephys and its Huntergate Way Station—a site of magical backlash created when the Ekujae trapped the aspect of the dragon god Dahak within the aiudara that resided there, which has recently become active again. Because of its vicinity to the temple of Ketephys, the location serves as both a strategic fallback point and ideal launching station as well as a place of reprieve and recovery for those injured defending the site. It also allows scouts to monitor Huntergate. Over time, this settlement has grown from an outpost housing maybe a dozen to one of the larger Ekujae settlements, with treetop longhouses and well-maintained gardening platforms. Where settlements around other dangerous ruins or artifacts have an air of impermanence to them, as if they could be gone without a moment’s notice, Akrivel truly feels like a home to its residents. Fear that this settlement could be lost exists, but not to the extent that it keeps Ekujae away, as they value community and family far too much by comparison. | |||
Around the standard communal and training areas stands an ever-expanding cluster of private homes, a communal sleeping space for visitors from other clans as well as the occasional adventurers, food and grain storage, and a small smokehouse that doesn’t often see use. These buildings spiral slowly and lopsidedly outwards from the center, each new one built or relocated as necessity dictates. | |||
==THE CIRCLES== | |||
The Circles are unlike any other Ekujae settlement. Equal parts center of academia and martial training grounds, they break many of the unspoken rules of Ekujae civil planning with permanent ground-dwelling buildings for training as its central features. Upon reaching maturity, any warrior of Ekujae blood is heavily encouraged to attend and begin their training. First, new trainees undergo a battery of physical and magical combat training tests to see where they show the most aptitude and to focus their efforts. Then, they begin intensive training that can last years or longer, depending on their area of planned expertise. Those who train as warriors spend less of their time studying combat forms (as many have already learned them | |||
as children) and more learning the threats of the jungle, demons, and Dahak especially. Those who favor arcane combat experience a more melded method of learning, building on their skills as they learn the associated theory and lore to inexorably link their studies. While many pupils | |||
focus on the martial arts, the academic knowledge base gained in their training often means the difference between unwittingly unleashing the evils they attempt to hold back and succeeding in their chosen duties. Almost all students continue that education independently in some form—perhaps by training or learning under an expert from outside the Ekujae clans or finding a master among their people. Those who decide to learn magic trend toward divine or primal magic, supporting and healing warriors both in and out of battle, and they amass as much knowledge as they can about their foes until it becomes rote. Few specialize in other types of magic and even fewer look to combine magical and martial combat, but those who do are considered among the most formidable. | |||
Those who prove themselves capable in their training are given one final test of skill: to accompany a keledi on a mission, usually one that shouldn’t prove lethal but can still test the trainee’s capabilities. On returning from this mission, the keledi determines if the student will be capable of standing on their own. As time passes, many Ekujae return to the Circles to refine their skills, learn more, and mentor those who enter training after them. | |||
One of the few parts of the Circles that the Ekujae consistently allow outsiders to access is the modest library. This library was built when Ekujae on their Awari riri, a journey of self-discovery many Ekujae take before entering the Circles, returned home with books and scrolls as well as blank vellum and the means to record their knowledge. Together, these materials make a hyper-focused collection on the assorted evils of the world and the potential ways to thwart them, rivaling those in Absalom and Buyisela. When Ekujae need to delve deeply into the subjects of the occult and demonic, they often reluctantly turn to the Alijae, ceding that their fellow Mualijae are far more knowledgeable while still holding a deep distaste for how wantonly they steep themselves in the evils of this world. | |||
==IJO== | |||
Ijo was established when many families of assorted clans watching over especially dangerous areas worried for the well-being of their children. Coming together, they established a settlement deeper in the jungle and secured it within simple access of several other settlements. An easily defensible group of homes comprises most of Ijo; their ownership often | |||
rotates, depending on who needs them most. The settlement also has spaces where the efforts of raising children can be spread across the community, allowing warriors needed elsewhere within the Expanse to leave their loved ones with those they explicitly trust. Ijo is one of the few spaces that Ekujae refuse to allow outsiders to access in any way, turning travelers who need aid toward any of the nearby settlements or moving them discretely away before disappearing into trees to leave them lost. | |||
Most of Ijo’s population would be considered civilians by other cultures: those who do small-scale farming, trading, crafting, and study, collectively dedicating time to care and education where others can’t. While Ijo is relatively unique in its purpose, a handful of other Ekujae settlements like it do exist elsewhere, including a settlement of elders who don’t act as mentors at the Circles. | |||
==ADE CARO== | |||
CN | MALE | HALF-ELF | SORCERER 9 | |||
Ade, short for Adebayo, grew up in Absalom with his human father, an infamous sorcerer named Itri Caro who hailed from the Shackles. Well-known for his womanizing, Itri charmed his way into the life of Unathi, a gifted dagger fighter and daughter of the Ekujae Lion Clan’s matron. Unathi saw only the best in Itri, though the rest of the clan eyed him cautiously. The most wary of all was Thandi, an Ekujae who had hoped to prove and profess her love to Unathi before Itri’s arrival. | |||
Eventually, Itri decided to leave as he felt the call to adventure once more. A very young Ade, already beginning to show signs of magical ability unlike any other child around him, surprised the clan by leaving with his father. Coming into his divine powers as a sorcerer, he quickly became an asset to any crew that could put up with his constant jokes—along with the trouble that followed him just as it did his father. He spent much of his young adult life experiencing the pirating tales his father had told him during his childhood, all the while employing some of the combat tactics he learned from when he still lived in Ibori with his mother. Though life was often harder than expected, Ade coped and helped others with his snappy wit and easy good humor; he met any dire situation with a quip that almost always broke the tension. | |||
Ade made a small name for himself out in the world before very suddenly returning to the settlement of his birth. Some whispered that he did so due to suddenly losing his father in a raid, while other rumors chalked it up to some compulsion or magic of the Ekujae or even of the Mwangi Expanse itself. Though Ade will probably never give a straight answer about why, in truth, Unathi asked if he would lend his magic abilities to the clan and attend her joining with Thandi. Homesickness drove Ade to drop everything and return without notice to anyone. | |||
After parting ways with some of his friends and acquaintances in Vidrian and setting sail for home with a small crew, Ade slowly made his way inland to Ibori. Exactly what happened on this journey and who accompanied him aren’t matters he talks about, to the concern of his family. Whatever occurred obviously weighs on him heavily, as he endlessly deflects and distracts if talk of his journey comes up. When Ade finally arrived in Ibori, he was wounded and on the edge of exhaustion. The physical wounds were a simple matter, but the psychological ones seemed much deeper and much harder to treat. Returning to his old coping methods, Ade hid his pain with humor, though some in Ibori have seen him staring off into the jungle with fear and determination. | |||
When willing adventurers come to Ibori, Ade quickly tries to get on their good side in hopes that, once they finish with whatever business brought them there, those adventurers might be willing to go on “a quick little mission” with him into the jungle. According to him, his brothers are lost in the wilds, and Ade needs assistance to find and rescue them. Their exact locations and the circumstances around what happened seems to change and morph with each prospective group and telling: Ade’s brothers had fallen prey to bilokos and are being held as hostages and pantry stock; or they’re soon to be sacrificed by charau-ka in Usaro as a blood offering to Angazhan; or sabosans dragged them off in the night. If asked about it, Unathi and Thandi tell that Ade has no siblings or even half-siblings that they know of, at least none who are Ekujae. Those who have asked Ade’s crew in Vidrian find them unsure if Ade’s brothers might be Itri’s other children—given Itri’s past behavior, rumor has it that anyone in the Shackles could be related. Ade himself, when asked, falters over the answer as if unable to give one. Whatever the source and truth of his strange request, none of the groups that have offered their aid have found whatever Ade is searching for. | |||
==KALLIJAE== | |||
In the philosophical schism that fractured Mualijae elves, those who became Kallijae felt that the long-prophesied “ancient evil” they needed to guard against resided within themselves. These elves believed their longevity could foster a disconnect with the world around them in the wake of Earthfall, leading to a callous sense of superiority. It had the potential to push them on a slow but inevitable trajectory where they could become susceptible to evil purely because they could no longer recognize it as evil. This behavior had been observed in others within the Mwangi Expanse, and some Mualijae realized they were just as corruptible as anyone else—perhaps even more so, considering their long lifespans. Measures would need to be taken to protect themselves and thus the world from the potential evil that could be unleashed through neglect of duty and lack of discipline. | |||
The elves who left to better understand and suppress their so-called “natural” inclination toward superiority complexes and callousness, who feared their people could easily become what they fought against, came to be known as Kallijae. Though they originally split off from Mualijae elves in great numbers, their population has slowly dwindled over time due to the constant conflict against the evil forces they oppose. In particular, the charau-ka of Usaro under Angazhan’s influence have proven persistent enemies. | |||
HISTORY | |||
Though grim, the history of the Kallijae elves began with lofty promise. They wanted to not only fight against the ills of the world but recognize it within themselves, lest they fall prey to it. To that end, they decided to settle in self-isolation near the vicinity of Usaro. The location served a twofold purpose: there, they would always have a ready reminder of their potential fate in the form of Angazhan and his cruel charau-ka, and they could actively combat that evil. | |||
First, they established a moving base of operations just outside of Usaro which they named First Stand. Armed with a deep understanding of themselves, along with rigorous physical training, they began their first wave of assaults on Usaro. What followed was, and continues to be, a slow war of attrition on both sides. Kallijae fight with guerrilla tactics, whereas charau-ka wage full-frontal assaults, most often against First Stand, wherever it’s situated. First Stand has been destroyed and rebuilt so often that most Kallijae now keep only a few material possessions. | |||
Their own history is mostly preserved through oral traditions, along with some outsider recordings from a few Alijae archivists who view it as an extension of their duties. | |||
Many Kallijae would later regret their opening offensive against Usaro, coming to view it as an unmitigated failure resulting in far too many injuries and casualties. Forced to fall back, the elves retreated to a mist-shrouded island they deemed Haven, establishing that the location was safe; or, at least, safe enough. Upon building settlements there, they discovered that several nearby tarns—still and clear waters in circular pools—made exceptional foci for meditation. Though meditation had previously been little practiced among Mualijae elves, many who became Kallijae began to use it as a method of gaining a deeper self-understanding and gathering energy to steel themselves for their fight against evil. It also became a chance to reflect on their potentially corruptible nature and suppress any selfish impulse to the best of their abilities. Over time, they slowly created an entire system that partnered quiet self-reflection with physical betterment, building more retreats with further methods of focusing inward to find and stamp out any potential corruption lying within. | |||
Despite the constant threat of destruction to their settlements, Kallijae continue to hone their minds and bodies so they can deal with any threats that may arise. At times, this has backfired as some Kallijae found themselves drawn in by the very evil and corruption they seek to hold back. These regrettable incidents are never seen as a refutation of their philosophy, simply as further proof that they are just as susceptible to the corruptions of the world as anybody else. And so, Kallijae continue to improve themselves and the world around them. | |||
==APPEARANCE== | |||
Kallijae elves tend to have very dark skin and long, densely coiled black hair. To an outsider, a Kallijae might almost appear mundane when compared to an Ekujae wearing assorted bright metals or an Alijae proudly donning their prominent magical masks. While their fabrics may feature bright colors, this is only because many natural dyes made in the Expanse are especially vibrant. Kallijae are also known for wearing gems as foci for their minds and meditations and for the subtle scarification marks on their faces that represent their cultural history. | |||
Though not a codified belief among Kallijae, many of them feel that gaudy jewelry, bright trinkets, and other outward signs of wealth should be shunned, despite their own use of foci gems. Kallijae own very few expensive possessions, and these are usually family heirlooms. Exceptions are made for magical items of protection, objects to help one better blend in during their endless conflict against the world’s evils, and trinkets that can be sold or traded in emergencies. Even then, most Kallijae avoid purchasing opulent jewelry, as this is seen as an invitation to either be consumed by avarice or become a tempting target for one already in greed’s clutches. Any riches a Kallijae possesses should be easily carried and easily hidden. | |||
==WOVEN HAIR== | |||
Elaborate long braids, coils, and dread styles are Kallijae elves’ most visible concession to vanity, though they’re often much more functional than they first seem. To carry as much on their person as possible, should the need to travel quickly arise, Kallijae can braid their most prized possessions into their hair. These possessions are often small, of little value to anyone not part of a family or community, and lovingly handed down through generations or from mentor to mentee. Usually, these keepsakes are only removed and shown to others when a deep bond and trust is formed. Those rare Kallijae spotted outside the Mwangi Expanse might also use their hair to safely store important items such as documents, coins, and tinctures. | |||
As such, Kallijae hairstyles tend to be elaborately woven patterns that support weight while also cushioning the head. Depending on what is stored within their braids or dreads, styles can range from massive and elaborate or thin and extremely functional. | |||
Crafting these hairstyles is one of the arts Kallijae are most known for, sometimes taking hours to braid, dread, or maintain a single elf’s head of hair. These braids and dreads are often extremely thin to give them more potential versatility in wear. The wearer’s hair must be grown extremely long to allow for more to be held and the woven “basket” to be sturdier. Wooden beads are used strategically to help strengthen the pattern, some passed down in a family, in themselves keepsakes. | |||
==SOCIETY== | |||
The organizational structure that serves as the backbone of the rigid Kallijae society is often considered esoteric and incomprehensible to outsiders. To be a part of a Kallijae community, one must adhere to strict rules and regulations. First and foremost, Kallijae must keep themselves pure, a concept that’s often misunderstood. The “purity” that Kallijae hold in such high esteem is a freedom from the things which so often plague mortal souls and drag them down the various corrupting paths: non-communal material wealth, jealousy, vanity, and anything else that could distract from one’s duty and purpose. This requires daily strengthening and conditioning, meditation, academic study, and a balanced diet of food to help form one’s body into a cleansed vessel. | |||
Those Kallijae most capable of mastering themselves in all respects come together to form a council of six, who make all overarching decisions for their communities and lead the raids on Usaro and other sites Kallijae stand against. While this council does not have a formal name—titles and prestige being another temptation that Kallijae eschew—all Kallijae acknowledge their wisdom and authority as those who are most exemplary of what it means to be Kallijae. However, the council is not infallible, and this too must be acknowledged. Its bylaws state that should any decisions come to a split vote, the council must listen to their youngest acolyte with the ability to understand the choice at hand. Though wisdom comes with age and effort, youth and naivety may also hold a clarity that can reveal paths once obscured. When age fails to make a decision, youth must be what provides insight. | |||
Beyond the council, the hierarchy of authority slowly descends from lesser masters to mentors to trainees to acolytes and finally those not part of their semi-militaristic order. Generally, those outside of the power structure are those who cannot fight, such as the injured, elders who have lived extremely long lives, or parents of incredibly young children. This preparedness and over-planning trickles into the everyday life of Kallijae culture. | |||
==FAITH== | |||
To Kallijae elves, the gods are just as fallible and corruptible as any mortal. Like mortals, they experience fear,hate, jealousy, and all the other emotions that make one susceptible to evil. Those emotions and vulnerabilities can be passed on to their followers, disseminating across massive swathes of worshippers. Rather than open themselves up to such a vulnerability, the Kallijae observe no gods. | |||
Instead, those who have displayed knowledge, competence, and mastery of themselves are venerated for their expertise and referred to as onyukayo. These are typically living elders who have become beloved mentors to subsequent generations, but anyone who shows aptitude and demonstrates the exemplary self-composure taught by the Kallijae may become one of the esteemed onyukayo. Often, those who leave settlements to travel on far-flung adventures return to find their status elevated. | |||
However, Kallijae are careful to never elevate someone to godlike status, as this has the same pitfalls as worshipping and following gods. Even so, some still fall prey to the allure of having someone so lionized walking among them, morphing into quiet cults that lurk at the fringes of their society. | |||
Kallijae believe their bodies to be parts forming a whole: mind, eyes, mouth, heart, hands, core, and feet. Periodically, the body must be completely cleansed in a ritual called the Unburdening. Outsiders who have taken part in this ritual or witnessed it being performed often describe it as prayer in a different form, though Kallijae do not direct this prayer to any divine listener. They also claim the Kallijae concept of the mind and heart as akin to the soul, but Kallijae themselves say this is inaccurate. The mind and heart are not separate from the rest of the body. All parts are necessary and must be faithfully tended to form a functional whole. | |||
==CULTURE== | |||
Since parting ways from their Mualijae forebears, Kallijae elves have striven to achieve these overarching goals: to understand the nature of evil, identify it within themselves, suppress or eliminate it, and suppress or eliminate it in others. This takes many forms: meditation, the Unburdening, reflection through oral tradition, and vigilance. | |||
==MEDITATION & SELF-REFLECTION== | |||
To this end, Kallijae have developed several methods of meditation and introspection. Some are mundane, based on controlling breath and focusing on points within the body to clear one’s thoughts. Some use an outer focus to bolster one’s effort and lighten the load, such as foci gems or the pools of Haven. Others draw on primal magic to enhance the effects of meditation, such as the Unburdening. | |||
The various methods of meditation are one of the few practices Kallijae are willing to share with others, one way of lessening the spread of evils beyond where they’ve settled. When outsiders come to a Kallijae settlement seeking guidance, they are happily taken through the Unburdening and then trained just as a young Kallijae might be, as if they know nothing. | |||
==THE UNBURDENING== | |||
When one’s journeys and deeds begin to weigh heavily and slow one down, Kallijae believe all parts of the body must be thoroughly cleansed, purified, and re-centered in a ritual known as the Unburdening. This ritual can be performed as originally intended on the island of Haven, but any who cannot make the journey may use a spring-fed or freshwater pool. For the Unburdening to truly be effective, these are the steps that must be followed. First, one must reflect on what has been done with each part being cleaned, to acknowledge what one has been through between this Unburdening and the last. Next, one must assess those deeds and forgive any regrets while reveling in any that bring joy. Finally, all these memories are kept close and any lessons to be learned held closer. The last part washed is always the scalp and hair as the memories are given a place in the mind. This ritual is always completed after long journeys or at least once a year on one’s birthday, representing and acknowledging the journey of that year. | |||
==ORAL TRADITION== | |||
Kallijae put their trust in knowledge, stories, and skills that can be handed down through generations. Though outsiders may view reliance on such methods as short-sighted, it is has kept the Kallijae traditions alive despite the seemingly never-ending destruction of their settlements. While books can burn and buildings can crumble, words passed ear to ear continue so long as someone listens. Though other scholars might fear the corruption of information that can result from such a practice, a trained Kallijae storyteller possesses a memory that some might consider supernatural in its precision. Key repeated phrases and other mnemonic aids feature prominently in Kallijae stories, but much of their accuracy results the dedication and discipline of Kallijae historians. | |||
Rather than keeping extensive records as Alijae loremasters do, Kallijae preserve their history through oral tales told by elders and those who will listen to them and remember. Lighthearted stories are frequently passed around after meals and sober tales of their history solemnly recited at key points each year. All skills and knowledge are passed person to person, be it by family or community mentors. | |||
==CRUCIBLE OF THE HEART== | |||
To learn firsthand what exists in the outside world as they come of age, all Kallijae must make a Crucible of the Heart. For this, they must journey for several years away from any Kallijae settlements to test their will and perseverance against all that the world has to offer, and bring back reconnaissance. This test serves as a rite of passage that must be passed to understand the struggle they will endure their entire lives. Though Kallijae primarily focus on the threat Angazhan poses, many other ills exist in the world and may exacerbate that threat. As young Kallijae leave, they take nothing with them aside from the clothes they wear and what they know. They must earn everything else for themselves, including food and shelter. | |||
Many on this journey simply travel to the further edges of the Mwangi Expanse, preferring to remain around those who at least nominally look like themselves as a comfort. Such Crucibles are often shorter, more like apprenticeships than journeys of introspection, where one learns firsthand new techniques and who their potential allies and enemies are within the Expanse. Others, however, find themselves much further afield, potentially even as far as the Lands of the Linnorm Kings and Numeria. These travelers tend to be those who fell in love with tales of adventurers and wish to become like them, adding to the collection of oral knowledge to be handed down for generations. | |||
==HALF-ELVES== | |||
Another word for Kallijae half-elves is umanyano, symbolic of the bridge and potential unity with others they represent. To full elves and significantly older Kallijae, umanyano often seem like the only way of understanding and staying in touch with a rapidly changing world. How can one hope to suppress the evils of the world if they cannot know and understand them fully? | |||
A Kallijae half-elf raised within Kallijae culture will train especially hard in meditative practices before taking their Crucible of the Heart with the Alijae in Nagisa as a two-fold test: they must resist the temptations of power that most Kallijae believe Alijae elves drown themselves in, as well as learn the full history of their people to understand all that has come before. After a period that can last as long as several years, they return home to cleanse their spirit before going back out into the world in search of practices that can improve their meditative and cleansing habits, along with anything else that may aid their people. At times, these explorations may result in sowing deep distrust in their communities for outsiders, particularly those hailing from the Cheliax Empire and pirates from the Shackles. | |||
Kallijae half-elves raised outside of their culture are asked to perform the same duties should they become part of a settlement, but may tragically be used as object lessons rather than proverbial bridges: they are examples of what the ills of the world can heap onto a soul, rather than a bridge between cultures. | |||
==RELATIONS== | |||
Many outsiders consider Kallijae elves to be strange but ultimately trustworthy, if only because of their strict discipline and calm self-control. Their focus and self-knowledge often makes them a cool head in any crisis. Most adventuring parties from within the Expanse are glad to invite a Kallijae member with them as an anchoring force. Those from outside the Expanse tend to view Kallijae elves with curiosity and bewilderment: a seemingly rigid and emotionless group in a sea of peoples who wear their hearts on their colorful and well-appointed sleeves. | |||
The Kallijae belief in the fallibility of gods often attracts questions from those raised in more reverent societies, with inquiries ranging from innocent to aggressive—but, as Kallijae have little rancor toward the faithful and little interest in debating them, they tend to be accepted and appreciated by all but the most militant theists. These views can attract more positive attention from residents of Rahadoum, who have been primed to consider Kallijae elves as philosophical allies. However, Kallijae generally find belligerent atheism distasteful, which often leads to disappointment during these meetings. Nevertheless Rahadoum remains a popular nation for undertaking the Crucible of the Heart, and the Rahadoumi usually welcome these visitors, as they’re intrigued by Kallijae meditation techniques and non-religious rituals. | |||
For their part, Kallijae tend to be suspicious of everyone, watching and waiting for potential descent into villainy—not because they view outsiders as inherently evil, but because the world contains so much unchecked corruption. Alijae steep themselves in it with their otherworldly deals, and Ekujae flirt with it in their self-adornments. While they still wish to redeem their Mualijae cousins, most Kallijae despair it may never come to pass. Many others within the Expanse and beyond are seen are seen as lost, but no single individual is beyond helping. | |||
==KALLIJAE SETTLEMENTS== | |||
Kallijae settlements are conclaves on the small islands dotting Lake Ocota, clustered mostly to the north and northeast of Usaro. These sites are hard to find and even harder to gain access to, with heavy defenses and constant patrols to ensure they have not been ferreted out by the charau-ka. The largest of these by far is Haven, the shrouded island near the center of Lake Ocota where the Kallijae first found the peace needed for introspection. Rivaling it in size is Bere Nibi, where the skills to fight battles both within and without are learned and honed. Most other settlements are simply temporary fallback points and hidden nooks for when attacks from Usaro become too much for the larger, more obvious sites. However, these mostly stand empty and unused, little more than space for a handful of people, with a few weeks’ worth of food and a place for meditation and training. | |||
The architecture of these settlements is simple and almost brutal in appearance, built to withstand attacks and sieges, then get rebuilt or repaired as needed. Kallijae elves care little for external aesthetics. Why bother when their efforts are so often destroyed? When decorating internal spaces, they prefer to use impermanent methods that can easily be changed or replaced and often serve more utilitarian needs. Tapestries woven from grasses that change colors as they dry and indoor courtyard “gardens” made of fast-growing plants surrounded by rocks of varying sizes are common features, both because of how easily they can be replaced and their roles as potential methods of focusing the mind. | |||
The most common structural connections between Kallijae buildings are their unadorned use of the most readily available and structurally sound materials, usually hard woods and baked bricks built to form low and very angular buildings with drab colors. While no one cultivates plants around these buildings, any flora that naturally occur and pose no threat are allowed to flourish and only pruned as needed. Many such buildings are located in valleys, near canyons, or by waterfalls and cliffs, with these natural barriers used to aid Kallijae defenses. | |||
While Kallijae view outsiders as potential allies in their endless crusade, they still are not Kallijae and thus only privy to select parts of their culture, settlements, and homes. For instance, unless someone is completely trusted, they are not allowed within a family’s most private spaces: bedrooms and wherever meditation occurs. Even those Kallijae who are on adventures and roughing it in the wilds of Golarion become incredibly defensive about intrusions into their sleeping spaces, even if that intrusion is unavoidable. Befouling the air of these spaces with the impurities of those who have not been trained can change and alter any meditation that may occur before the space can be properly cleansed. | |||
All the Kallijae settlements at Lake Ocota are kept under tight and constant surveillance, though most patrols take great pains to keep themselves concealed and move silently through the trees in an effort not to lead enemies to their midst. All Kallijae activity in the area is regimented under a strict schedule, which might change at a moment’s notice if threats are spotted in the region. | |||
==HAVEN== | |||
The island that eventually became Haven was discovered largely by accident. A harrying party in full retreat was forced farther out onto Lake Ocota than most were willing to venture. Quickly lost in the fog that radiates from the center of the lake, they were eventually grounded on the shores of what turned out to be a large island. While the fog made for sufficient cover as they tended their wounds, it also meant they would be unable to see anyone approach. Despite spending days on the island, no one ever dared come close to them: neither the charau-ka nor any other aggressive predator lurking within the lake. Using the fog once more, the harrying party regrouped with the other Kallijae and reported their findings. | |||
So began Haven’s life, a place of retreat and recuperation for the injured. As their foremost base of operations is always called First Stand, so Haven is sometimes deemed Last Stand. With the discovery of the ground-fed reflective pools and hot springs within the island cave systems, it expanded to become one of the few Kallijae settlements that allows outsiders, as well as the most fiercely protected. Should an outsider manage to make their way to Haven and prove themselves trustworthy, they are allowed admittance. | |||
Like all Kallijae holding points, permanent or temporary, Haven is designed around defending its people. Nonessential buildings make up the outermost structures, built with dense walls and crowded close together with barriers between each. This shortens the time to build defenses while securing away goods and non-combatants in times of duress. These outer buildings are under constant repair and patrol, with no one able to slip in or out unnoticed. The outer buildings tend to be used as storage for weapons, drying and smoking houses for hunted and foraged foods, and stockpiles of little-used goods that may be useful for necessary trading such as maps, trinkets, and books. | |||
Beyond the outer edges are homes, food and clothing storage, training areas, and open-air spaces for any cooking and crafting that needs to be done. While these buildings are not as densely packed as the outermost ring, they are still staggered to provide strategic cover should it be needed. | |||
Finally, there are the healing and recuperative spaces, a series of semi-open rooms laid in a large circular pattern that rests above the underground cave system. This structure has been built in such a way that, as a last resort, it can be enclosed completely and allow those within to either retreat into the meandering springs beneath or teleport away if there are magic-users present. | |||
Haven is currently also the occasional hiding place of the Altar of Angazhan, stolen by an ambitious Kallijae named Dayo. When hidden in Haven, it is held deep within the cave systems, a place few Kallijae wander due to the strange deep groaning that perpetually rumbles from underneath. Some fear that the very things that have always made | |||
the island defensible may be hiding dangerous secrets they will later pay a dire price for choosing to ignore. | |||
==BERE NIBI=== | |||
Rather than establishing a location on one of their Lake Ocota islands, the Kallijae council decided that the journey to their training grounds would be part of the challenge to become one of their warriors. Nestled precariously within the faraway Bandu Hills and never spoken of to outsiders, Bere Nibi is where Kallijae youth learn raw skills from their families and community, their young minds honed into the multifaceted supports of the Kallijae community and culture. Learning everything from basic field dressings and medicine, to foraging and hunting, to methods of meditation and hand-to-hand combat, attendees receive a wide, stable foundation of skills, then guided into whatever more advanced skills suits their abilities. On the rare occasions a pupil shows an affinity for a type of magic no current Kallijae master teaches, all present masters will meet and come to a consensus on the best course of action. | |||
While the basic layout of Bere Nibi adheres to the defensive aesthetic of the other Kallijae settlements, there are a few key differences. First, the patrols of Bere Nibi are performed by the students currently in residence. The newest students take the least dangerous shifts, their responsibilities and the potential peril of their patrol growing as their skills and self-mastery grow in kind. If there are not enough students to fill out a patrol, guards will be summoned from available settlements. The distance from Lake Ocota and its ever-present dangers often makes both students and teachers lax in their duties—fortunately, this has yet to have any major consequences. Notably, while outsiders are not allowed within the complex’s fortifications, they are often permitted to loiter nearby in their own camps. Brave students often pester them for stories or training. | |||
Second, the defensive structures of Bere Nibi have been modified to take greater advantage of the hills and their peaks, which allow for multiple high vantage points. While the majority of Kallijae structures tend to be a maximum of three stories, the towers of Bere Nibi are sometimes twice as high and soar up to spindly lookouts. Though used as a watchtower, it’s no secret that many students volunteer for tower duty just for the view. Some students challenge each other in races up the swaying stairs to the top while others spend an entire night there surrounded by the wailing winds on a dare. | |||
The final difference between Bere Nibi and other Kallijae settlements is its permanence. Rather than being built with bricks that can crumble with time or whatever wood is most readily available, Bere Nibi’s buildings are stone held together with reinforced mortar. Because the training complex has never encountered a heavy attack, these walls have never been tested in combat. | |||
But they have withstood the test of time and have never had to be rebuilt. Because of this, the native plants that grow over the normally bland walls have become a vibrant decoration in their own right. While Kallijae guardians say they encourage these plants to grow in ways that fortify the walls and strengthen their defenses, observers might notice that the care of these plants is almost artful and very conscious of its aesthetics. | |||
==DAYO HEARTSHAKER== | |||
LG | FEMALE | ELF | WARRIOR 11 | |||
The eldest of four children, Dayo developed a deep pride in her Kallijae heritage and her peoples’ mission to suppress the evils within themselves as well as the world. As a child, she helped her mother tend to many a wounded fighter at Haven, listening with rapt attention to their tales of battle as they recovered from their injuries. Whenever adventurers from far-flung locales would arrive, Dayo pestered them for a lesson in combat or an interesting story that could aid her down the road when facing off against a threat. Her appetite for perfection was voracious enough that it became a point of concern for elder masters in Haven. | |||
The reason Dayo felt such a deep drive to become the best was simple: she desired to honor the father she had only ever known through stories of his heroic forays into Usaro and valiant defenses of various settlements. These stories all stopped at the one where he was lost on one last quest deep into the city, his end goal unclear. Dayo’s constant hounding for stories was a childish attempt to coax someone into telling her why her father was gone. | |||
Dayo took to training at Bere Nibi with a furious passion, working harder than anyone else and consistently asking for longer and more dangerous patrols. Whenever outsiders would find their way into the fortress, usually accompanying some terrified new student in the long journey to the Bandu Hills, she was the first to start asking them questions and the last to see them finally go as they struck out for somewhere new. It took years, but eventually a half-orc duelist by the name of Sitara Bladedancer arrived with no student in tow and was greeted like an old friend by a handful of the masters. Dayo sat rapt as Sitara spun her yarns, including a harrowing account of an unsuccessful trip deep into Usaro to steal the Altar of Angazhan with the help of a local Kallijae guide. Comparing the timelines and description from Sitara was enough to convince Dayo that this local guide was none other than her father, and she vowed to pick up where his last crusade left off. | |||
Her focus turned to something more akin to obsession, with training and missions only broken by intense study of Angazhan, the charau-ka, Usaro, and Lake Ocota. Where some saw an unrivaled dedication to the goals of the Kallijae people, others feared the ambition within Dayo could blossom if she continued down this path. For her part, Dayo focused on finding an adventuring party willing to delve into the city. | |||
When one daring enough came along, a group of Matanji orcs and half-orcs including Sitara, she joined them without a second thought. This foray was successful, and together they stole the Altar of Angazhan in the tumult caused by the death of the Gorilla King as the charau-ka struggled to start the succession of the next king. The feat earned her the title Heartshaker from the Matanji, one that followed her when she returned home. | |||
Refusing to leave the Altar in the hands of others for too long, Dayo has spent the last several years escorting it between various Matanji strongholds and Haven, to keep guard and cleanse herself of the taint she feels from the evil artifact amplifying the corrupted emotions within her own heart. What began as simply a twice-yearly journey home to see family, supplemented by routine daily meditation and training, has become a trek every few weeks. No matter where she is currently, Dayo searches for a group willing to take on the arduous task of discerning how to destroy the Altar permanently, before it can be reclaimed or before its influence can irrevocably change her for the worst. | |||
==MBE’KE== | |||
This is the story that Mbe’kes tell. | |||
Long ago, dwarves marched upwards on a Quest for Sky. They saw many wondrous things on that march; temples and treasures, magics and mysteries. One group of dwarves, who would later become Mbe’kes, finally emerged in a sheltered valley. | |||
They looked about the rocky sides of the valley, and they looked at the great blue thing above and mistook it for just one more cavern, if perhaps larger than most. Sages stroked their beards and engineers hefted their tools, and the dwarves set about breaching the vault of the sky. They climbed the tallest mountain in the land, braced the sky properly, and started digging. Dwarves, of course, can dig through anything, and so quite soon they broke through the sky into the Plane of Air. | |||
The People of the Air were greatly surprised by these strangers. First a great hurricane-spirit tried to chase the dwarves away, but the dwarves had fought worse beneath the earth and were not cowed. Then a great djinni of the west wind offered the dwarves fine treasures to leave, but nothing matched the wonders the dwarves made themselves. Finally, a curious cloud dragon asked what in the seven stars above and the three stars below the dwarves were doing. | |||
Once they understood their mistake, the dwarves descended back to Golarion and looked about the valley from which they’d emerged. They could most certainly make a home there, and did, and ever since Mbe’kes have been good friends with cloud dragons. | |||
==HISTORY== | |||
If one consults the histories, a different tale emerges. The proto-Mbe’ke dwarves were part of the same migration as others who followed the Quest for Sky. Like the dwarves of Dongun Hold, they traveled to the far southwest to establish an outpost, the Sky Citadel that would become known as Cloudspire. When they arrived, they found that the Terwa Uplands were already inhabited by a large clan of cloud dragons. | |||
Details of that era have been lost, but scholars believe that the two groups initially clashed over territory and resources. Certainly, a suspicious number of the oldest Mbe’ke relics are made of dragon bone. In time, however, conflict gave way to stalemate, stalemate became an uneasy truce, truce turned to true peace, and peace at long last became partnership and integration. | |||
Since about –2000 ar, Mbe’kes have lived alongside the cloud dragons in the Terwa Uplands, and by this point the partnership of the two species has become both tradition and ritual. Mbe’kes do not worship the dragons, but they respect them enormously, and cloud dragons have become one of the central symbols of Mbe’ke dwarven identity. Today, Mbe’kes have established settlements throughout the Uplands, farming, mining, crafting, and trading across Garund and Avistan. They still dwell in the Sky Citadel of Cloudspire, and they still maintain their alliance with the cloud dragons. | |||
Aside from the quasi-mythical Quest for Sky, the most important event in Mbe’ke history is the War of Split Hearts (3841–3844 ar). High King Nkobe, the last scion of the Mbe’ke royal family, had always been notorious for his temper and suspicion. When his son died suddenly of disease, Nkobe’s fury and paranoia grew tenfold. Certain his son had been poisoned, the High King began to secretly lay plans and recruit minions. Then, in what became known as the Nine Days of Blood, thousands of dwarves were arrested by masked enforcers, dragged to the bridges of Cloudspire, and beheaded. The Wellspring, a deep pool below the city, ran crimson with gore. | |||
A bloody civil war erupted, setting sibling against sibling, burning cities, and destroying mining halls. Both sides were evenly matched, and the tide only turned when a group of cloud dragons under the young Cykurarreot the Mist joined the rebels. Once the war was over, Nkobe and nearly all the royal family were dead, along with most of the Mbe’ke aristocracy. The modern Mbe’ke system of electoral kingship was founded in place of the shattered monarchy. Among Mbe’kes, Nkobe remains a byword for evil, mayhem, and cruelest tyranny. | |||
More recently, the Corsair Wars (4607–4611 ar, 4695–4699 ar, 4718 ar–Present) have occupied Mbe’ke attention. Being a populous, urbanized realm, the Mbe’ke dwarves thrive on trade. Dwarven vessels carry wool, fine wares, and on rare occasions chests of gold up along the Garundi coastline to the ports of Western Avistan, bringing back hardwoods, textiles, and even silks or spices from Jalmeray and the anadi nation of Nurvatchta. The wealth of this cargo drew the eye of the Shackles’ pirates, and so a brutal struggle soon developed. The pirates would congregate in packs and take on the slow but heavily armed Mbe’ke merchantmen, and then scatter before a cloud dragon could come and shatter their hulls with breaths of lightning. Twice during the reign of Hurricane King Kerdak Bonefist did these irregular skirmishes grow into full-scale naval battles, with dozens of ships lost on both sides. | |||
At first it seemed like Kerdak’s death would end the Corsair Wars, but it was not to be. In 4717 ar, the Chelaxian colony of Sargava declared independence and became the free nation of Vidrian. This ended Sargava’s protection payments to the Free Captains, and that in turn meant a surplus of pirates on the hunt for new prey. The Third Corsair War is shaping up to be the bloodiest yet, and support is growing among Mbe’kes to end the pirate threat once and for all, no matter the cost. | |||
==APPEARANCE== | |||
Mbe’kes are one of the Ergaksen peoples, or surface dwarves. The typical Mbe’ke dwarf has dark brown skin, usually of an umber shade, and black hair that is prone to forming tight, springy curls, though Mbe’kes often start going gray in early middle age. Eye color is usually dark brown, though gold and grey eyes are both reasonably common, and green is not unheard of. In comparison to other dwarves, Mbe’kes tend to be leaner of build, though by human standards they still seem quite stocky. | |||
The easiest way to identify a Mbe’ke dwarf, however, is their cultural habit of shaving their beards and cropping their hair very close. Numerous noxious insects call the Terwa Uplands home, many of which might find a flowing dwarven beard to be a lovely nesting ground, and so Mbe’kes tend to go cleanshaven. This sometimes scandalizes visiting dwarves. | |||
All genders among the Mbe’ke dwarves tend to wear billowing pants, a loose shirt, and a kaftan: a belted robe with tight sleeves often worn open. Head scarves are popular, wrapped around the brow so as to leave the hair on the top of the head still visible; they tend to be brightly colored and embroidered, and are often the best fabric a Mbe’ke family has. Even the poorest farmer owns at least one strip of brilliant cloth to show that he still has pride as a dwarf. Clothing tends to be made from wool or linen, though more extravagant outfits can be made from imported silk, fine cashmere wool, or Ekujae bark cloth. Kaftans and headscarves are both heavily decorated with designs and patterns, often of dragons, lightning bolts, or other celestial symbols, and all Mbe’kes wear jewelry, even if just a few brass rings. For colors, Mbe’kes favor the warmer end of the spectrum, particularly rich reds and oranges, though they’re always interested in bright new clothing, and a crowd of well-to-do Mbe’kes risks inducing eyestrain in onlookers. | |||
Mbe’kes have a particular fondness for amber, due to its association with electricity and therefore lightning and cloud dragons. They consider it the most fashionable and desirable of precious materials, all the more so as amber is rare in the Terwa Uplands and must be imported at great expense. They also use shed cloud dragon scales in decoration, as they’re common enough that even a relatively poor dwarf might have an amulet from a single scale; meanwhile, great judges and merchants wear armor or cloaks of dragon scale. The most precious Mbe’ke heirlooms, though, are carved from the cast-off horns of cloud dragons, and a dragon horn ring is many families’ dearest possession. | |||
==SOCIETY== | |||
The basic unit of Mbe’ke society is a fellowship, which is something like a guild and something like an electoral bloc. A fellowship consists of thirty to fifty dwarves, ostensibly all doing the same (or at least related) work. Thus, Cloudspire has the Copper Forge Fellowship, consisting of the copper- and bronze-workers of the city, while the South Simel Farmers’ Fellowship consists of farmers, millers, and anyone else who lives in the southern half of the Simel valley. In practice, fellowships also include retired members, apprentices, dependents, and the occasional odd souls who might not fit in elsewhere; the Copper Forge Fellowship includes the priest of Torag who blesses the forges. Of note, there is no requirement that one must be a dwarf to join a fellowship, and a modest number of humans and other folk live among Mbe’kes as equal citizens. | |||
Fellowships have plenty of minor ceremonial or administrative roles, but by and large they perform three main duties. First, they bear responsibility for the health and welfare of their members and ensure that none of their people suffer from hunger or poverty. Fellowships rarely give out charity outside of emergencies, but Mbe’kes are endlessly creative in finding face-saving traditions and sinecures that allow everyone to receive what they need when they need it and allow everyone to feel they contribute, at least a little. Secondly, fellowships are responsible for raising troops in times of war, whether that means taking up arms themselves, hiring others, or providing some kind of vital war service such as weaponsmiths or mages. Finally, each fellowship selects a Speaker to attend the Assembly of Speakers. | |||
The Assembly of Speakers is the Mbe’ke legislative body, and Speakers can and will argue for days on points of law and ritual. Voting is weighted according to how many soldiers the fellowship can raise in times of crisis, but even the most prosperous or militant fellowship is only first among equals. Among their other duties, Speakers also select the judges (who deal with disputes and crimes among the dwarves), sit in judgment about the gravest crimes themselves, and elect kings. A Mbe’ke king is simply the dwarf in charge of executive authority for a Mbe’ke community, however large or small. | |||
The Assembly says what to do, and the king makes it happen, though kings also have the duty of leading their fellowship’s warriors in battle. The High King of Cloudspire is, in turn, chosen by the weighted votes of the Assembly of Kings, and acts as the ultimate executive and warleader of all Mbe’kes. Kings and High Kings alike typically serve for a decade or two at a time, and can be removed by their Assemblies for incompetence or signs of tyranny. Even centuries later, Mbe’kes fear another leader going down High King Nkobe’s path—and with good reason. | |||
Cloud dragons occupy a peculiar place in Mbe’ke society. All but the youngest hatchlings are given the rights and honors of kings, welcomed into the Assembly of Kings, and treated with great respect and reverence. Dragons and dwarves come together at solstices and equinoxes in great, formal celebrations, rekindling millennia-old vows. At the same time, Mbe’kes remain aware of the difference between cloud dragons as symbols and cloud dragons as actual, flesh-and-blood creatures. | |||
Cloud dragons are powerful, majestic beasts, avatars of destruction and glory. They are also fickle as cats, prone to flights of whimsy that can distract them for years, and as capable of wisdom or foolishness as any dwarf. Mbe’kes greatly respect their draconic allies, but they do make a point of ensuring that they can easily outvote them in any assembly that might arise. As cloud dragons often take little interest | |||
in mortal politics, this arrangement has suited both peoples reasonably well. | |||
Several fellowships, chief among them the Dragon Wardens of Cloudspire, are tasked with serving the dragons and acting as dwarven envoys to their draconic allies. In practice, this means ensuring that the dragons have plenty of food and treasure for their hoard, while also coaxing cloud dragons into doing something useful on occasion. Younger dragons often patrol Mbe’ke territory for fun, swooping down to thoroughly ruin some raider or pirate’s day. Dragons are welcomed among Mbe’ke councils for their age and experience, and Cykurarreot the Mist (N female ancient cloud dragon 19), now old and withered, has been advising the Mbe’ke kingdom since the War of Split Hearts. The ancient dragon rarely talks, having little interest in the day-to-day affairs of dwarves, but she’s seen more crises and disasters than anyone else in the Uplands and provides a voice of calm when things are most dire. | |||
FAITH | |||
Mbe’kes worship the traditional dwarven pantheon with minor alterations. Torag rules as chief and first of the gods, and every Mbe’ke community will have at least a small shrine to the Creator. More unusually, Torag’s son, Grundinnar the Peacemaker, earns only slightly less reverence than his father, and is considered responsible for the Mbe’ke alliance with the dragons and for the success of their mercantile ventures. In recent years, worship of Angradd, traditionally a minor offshoot of Mbe’ke faith, has grown in popularity due to the Corsair Wars. Where Torag is restrained, defensive, cautious, the Forge-Fire is aggressive and quick to shed blood, seeking out and eliminating threats to the dwarven people. Sects dedicated to Angradd have sprung up across the Terwa Uplands and, though his faith is still not as strong as his brother’s, it grows swiftly. | |||
Alongside traditional dwarven gods, the Mbe’ke dwarves venerate Gozreh as patron of wind and waves, and Uvuko (page 142) as lord of the sky and of dragons. Temples of Gozreh tend to be somber affairs among the Mbe’ke settlements, the god more respected than loved, but Uvuko is a very popular deity, especially among younger dwarves. | |||
==CULTURE== | |||
If one were to ask a Mbe’ke, they would say that their people are famed for three things: first, they are the most stubborn of all the dwarves; second, they are the mostargumentative of all the dwarves; and third, they have absolutely no sense of humor. This last will be said with a perfectly straight face. | |||
While it’s hard to measure the stubbornness of Mbe’kes vis-à-vis other dwarves, they certainly boast a proud and vibrant tradition of debate, argumentation, and questioning. On the one hand, good-natured argument is seen as a pleasant way to pass the time. Mbe’kes will argue over food, weather, family history, politics, and quite nearly anything that can be imagined. On the other hand, they also view debate as a way to get to the truth of the matter. Mbe’kes believe that one should question everything, and that defending an intellectual position helps keep it from getting ossified and meaningless, though they usually know the difference between honest questions and bad-faith efforts. | |||
Mbe’kes also have a very distinctive sense of humor, a fusion of the traditional dwarven dourness and the whimsicality of cloud dragons. They adore telling tall tales or surreal stories (called tangle-tales), but the particular trick is to relate the most bizarre, fantastic, or hilarious events while maintaining an absolutely straight face. The audience, in turn, strokes their chins and asks utterly serious questions, until the story is a tangle of absurdity and someone finally breaks out in giggles. If a Mbe’ke isn’t arguing, then they’re probably telling bizarre tangle-tales in hopes of making someone laugh. Another side benefit of this is that Mbe’kes make for fearsome gamblers, since they’ve learned the art of bluffing with a straight face since childhood. | |||
Mbe’ke daily life revolves around work and fellowships. Mbe’kes firmly believe that one must contribute to the community, and so most everyone works in some fashion. Even those who cannot work for reasons of age or disability are given a small duty or role suited to their ability as a way to feel part of the community. Morning and midday meals are typically rather plain, some bread and vegetables, but after the day’s work is done there are large, communal meals with family or fellowship where news is read by the senior dwarf present or tangle-tales are told. Minor celebrations are common, and one of a fellowship’s key tasks is to organize an endless line of festivals, holy days, commemorations, and parties, so that some kind of feast happens every week or so. | |||
==RELATIONS== | |||
Being a mercantile people, Mbe’kes welcome strangers easily and often. Anyone who comes to the Terwa Uplands willing to work can find a place among them, and non-dwarves make up a sizable minority in the Mbe’ke realm. Humans are common, particularly Bekyar and Bonuwat, but one can find Kallijae elves, Song’o halflings, or even iruxis, Matanji orcs, or gnolls dwelling in Mbe’ke communities. As far as Mbe’kes are concerned, all of these people are also Mbe’ke, with all the same rights and responsibilities as native dwarves. | |||
Nowhere is this clearer than with the Mbe’ke kobolds of the Terwa Uplands. Both ancestries venerate dragons, both live underground by preference, and both possess a strong work ethic, a love for crafting, and a certain militaristic streak. Friendly relations took several centuries and several wars, but these days kobolds make up a valued part of Mbe’ke society, with their own fellowships, clan daggers, kings, and votes in Mbe’ke affairs. | |||
The iruxis of the Sodden Lands, particularly those ruled by the aggressive Terwa Lords, are a different story altogether. While most Terwa Lords aim their attentions north towards the Sodden Lands, at least a few have taken to attacking the outlying Mbe’ke communities. Several Mbe’ke kings have raised troops to go after them, but while the dwarves are perfectly capable of crushing lizardfolk in the mountains, venturing into the sodden marshlands of the northern Terwa coast is unlikely to end well. | |||
Most troublesome by far are the Free Captains of the Shackles. Since Sargava’s fall and Vidrian’s victory over the corsairs, pirate attacks on Mbe’ke shipping lanes have steadily increased. Traditionally, the Mbe’ke realm has held back from retaliatory attacks on Port Peril and other pirate towns, both because such military action would likely cost lives and treasure and because the ports are a convenient location for Mbe’kes to purchase back their stolen goods. Some Mbe’kes fear that razing the pirate towns would simply cause the raiders to move their operations somewhere less convenient. However, as the Corsair Wars continue to take their toll, the desire for final action is growing, and with it, the influence of hardliners such as King Thabsing Blood-Eye (page 71) and the [[Mage-King Khawu]] (N nonbinary dwarf sky sage 14). | |||
Version du 14 juin 2024 à 23:33
| Etendue du Mwangi | |
| |
| Nation | |
| Titre | {{{titles}}} |
| Pays: | {{{land}}} |
| Alignement | Neutral |
| Capitale | None |
| Dirigeant | None |
| Gouvernement | Many tribal chiefdoms, utopian enclaves, monarchies, etc. |
| natives | Mwangi |
| adjective | Mwangi |
| Languages | Polyglot, regional dialects |
| religions | Angazhan, Gozreh, Lamashtu, Ydersius, ancestor worship, demon lords, La Foie Verte, regional traditions |
| regionmap | |
| source | |
Si vous ne cherchez pas à vous perdre, ne venez pas dans l'Étendue de Mwangi. Les récits ne peuvent guider qu'une partie de l'aventure, et les cartes ne peuvent qu'induire en erreur. Un aventurier dans l'Étendue de Mwangi trouvera sa meilleure boussole dans la vigilance. Pour les intrépides et les curieux, l'Étendue est une aubaine. Les moins préparés sont engloutis tout entiers.
L'Étendue de Mwangi recouvre une grande partie du continent de Garund d'une étendue prismatique. À l'intérieur de ses limites se trouve un vaste éventail de faune et de flore, sans doute la plus grande biodiversité de tout Golarion. La flore et la faune primordiales sont aussi nombreuses que les arbres imposants qui les cachent à la vue du reste du monde, et qui dissimulent des secrets encore plus sauvages. Les ruines d'anciens mystères et de cultures oubliées sont presque aussi fréquentes que le vaste éventail de cultures qui traversent l'Étendue comme les rivières qui s'écoulent du lac Ocota.
L'Étendue est remarquable par la richesse de ses ressources, mais son impénétrabilité a empêché l'établissement d'autant d'empires qu'elle en a forgé. De nombreuses civilisations sont restées dans leurs foyers d'origine, et le double existe dans les tribus et nations nomades qui voyagent à travers l'étendue sauvage, élargissant leur vaste histoire à chaque pas. De Mzali à Jaha, une culture ancienne et des récits encore plus anciens traversent la vaste jungle de l'Étendue de Mwangi. Les peuples et les lieux de ces myriades de cultures n'attendent pas d'être découverts ou déterrés, mais existent plutôt selon leurs propres termes, à l'insu de l'ensemble de Golarion.
L'étendue de Mwangi a le don de rendre humbles les étrangers envahissants. Les ambitions démesurées ne font souvent pas le poids face à la beauté et à la cruauté de la nature, ni face aux innombrables secrets anciens qu'elle recèle. La jungle cache suffisamment de ruines de folies passées pour décourager même le plus vorace des peuples soi-disant civilisés de Golarion, datant d'avant même l'Effondrement de la Terre. Le petit nombre de cartes cohérentes pour une frontière aussi ancienne n'est pas une coïncidence. S'aventurer sur ces terres sans être guidé est synonyme de malheur pour tous les survivants, à l'exception des plus experts.
Cette région est beaucoup plus accueillante pour les personnes bien préparées et chaleureusement curieuses. La myriade de peuples indigènes qui s'épanouissent même dans les parties les plus profondes de la région ont une compréhension plus intuitive de la géographie et des communautés qui les entourent. Dans certaines des villes les plus connues de l'Étendue, comme Nantambu et Kibwe, la profondeur culturelle est à la hauteur de l'immense diversité qui caractérise l'ensemble de l'Étendue, sans parler de la région de la mer Intérieure. Ces communautés sont prêtes à partager avec les étrangers qui les écoutent. Ce livre est un guide que de nombreux habitants de Golarion n'auront peut-être jamais le privilège de consulter et qu'un groupe d'aventuriers serait heureux d'avoir à sa disposition. Si ce livre n'a pas toujours existé, Golarion a toujours eu l'Étendue de Mwangi, et il n'y a pas d'endroit plus beau et plus coloré au monde où se perdre.
L'Étendue de Mwangi, ses habitants, ses lieux, sa flore, sa faune et ses terres n'ont rien de nouveau. Des gens ont prospéré dans cet espace pendant des éons avant que votre groupe d'aventuriers ne le fasse. Ils continueront à le faire après. En tant que créateurs, joueurs et maîtres de jeu, nous visitons la maison de quelqu'un, pas simplement une toile de fond. Les expériences vécues par les personnages joueurs et les personnages non joueurs dans cette partie du monde, comme dans toutes les autres, seront certainement étranges, mais ce qui est nouveau pour nous en dehors du jeu fait depuis longtemps partie de Golarion dans la fiction. L'étendue de Mwangi a toujours été la maison de quelqu'un et nous, les personnes extérieures à la fiction de Golarion, sommes les extraterrestres qui apprennent à connaître cet endroit ensemble, comme n'importe quel autre endroit de ce monde. Traitez bien les maisons des autres, même si ces autres personnes sont vos propres personnages. Les fictions que nous peignons dans leurs espaces reflètent et s'inspirent de personnes et de lieux réels, et votre exotisme est l'existence de quelqu'un d'autre.
VILLES ET NATIONS
La variété culturelle de l'Expanse est immense. Rencontrer cette multitude peut donner l'impression de pénétrer dans un monde aussi vaste que celui de Golarion. Les nations plus formelles de la région ne rendent pas l'immensité de l'étendue culturelle de Mwangi plus digeste, mais elles éclairent ces expériences d'un contraste plus net. La nature sauvage de la région entretient avec la métropole des relations tour à tour tendues et florissantes, selon l'endroit où l'on se place.
Les villes les plus remarquables de l'Étendue de Mwangi offrent aux voyageurs un éventail étourdissant d'expériences, ainsi qu'une toile de fond riche pour les aventuriers. Les communautés urbaines et les infrastructures de l'Étendue de Mwangi sont très variées, allant d'anciens mystères presque oubliés à de gigantesques Mecques du commerce et de l'industrie. Aussi impressionnantes que soient les villes du reste de la région de la mer Intérieure, l'Étendue est sûre d'en avoir une tout aussi splendide et deux fois plus colorée.
Nantambu, fondée par le légendaire Vieux-Mage Jatembe, continue de prospérer en tant que havre emblématique de l'érudition des arcanes. Il abrite l'école de magie la plus ancienne et la plus importante de tout le Garund (et, selon certains, de tout le Golarion), le Magaambya. Équitable jusqu'au bout des ongles, Nantambu s'efforce de soutenir ses habitants, qu'il s'agisse d'étudiants du Magaambya ou d'artisans qualifiés résidant dans la ville. Quelle que soit leur situation, les élus de la ville se sont engagés à assurer un niveau de vie confortable aux autres. Le résultat est une communauté merveilleuse, souvent édifiante, faite de magnifiques canaux et ornée de verre soufflé, avec de nombreux secrets arcaniques à chaque coin de rue, et une leçon pour le monde entier non loin de là.
En comparaison, la richesse sordide et corrompue de Bloodcove est le fruit d'une politique et d'un commerce impitoyables. Le tristement célèbre Consortium Aspis - un puissant réseau de commerce international - voit son emprise sur Bloodcove, autrefois incontestée, s'effriter à mesure que les capitaines libres, désireux de s'approprier une part des perspectives de la ville, diluent l'emprise du Consortium. Sous le couvert de ce conflit commercial, des réfugiés sargaviens originaires de la nation désormais connue sous le nom de Vidrian tentent de se faire une nouvelle vie dans une ville portuaire qui ne rend la vie facile à personne. Bloodcove constitue une toile de fond idéale pour une histoire politique profondément enchevêtrée.
La cité-État de Kibwe soutient le commerce et tout ce qui est mercantile sur une vaste toile, avec ses marchés byzantins qui agissent à la fois comme un aimant animé et un creuset. L'étendue de la ville de Kibwe convient parfaitement à un environnement métropolitain. Presque tous les ancêtres de Golarion, des gnomes aux géants, se cachent dans ses denses alcôves. D'anciens murs gravés de runes encerclent la ville, et le choc des cultures qui s'y déroule offre un tour d'horizon étourdissant des sociétés qui renforce la diversité de l'Étendue.
La ville de Jaha, deux fois déserte, est beaucoup plus calme. Son passé astrologique obscur guide sa troisième vague d'habitants dans la croissance et le changement. La population de Jaha est bien moins diversifiée que celle de Kibwe, et l'histoire de ses habitants est une histoire personnelle entre deux groupes héritant de vieux traumatismes et d'énigmes bien plus anciennes. Les secrets de Jaha tirent leurs possibilités du sol et des étoiles. Pour les aventuriers qui cherchent à découvrir des énigmes historiques non résolues, Jaha s'avère une scène plus qu'idéale. Les possibilités urbaines sont aussi denses que les sols de la jungle, et ces exemples ne font qu'effleurer la surface d'un monde rempli de villes gouvernées par les morts, de communautés issues de nations renversées et de sociétés entières qui apprennent à se redéfinir dans le sillage de la tourmente coloniale.
Les étrangers réduisent souvent l'humanité de la région à une homogénéité inexacte de "Mwangi", mais l'éventail des expressions humaines qui traversent l'Étendue est vaste. Les marins Bonuwat et Lirgeni, les Caldaru, qui résident dans la robuste cité-état de Senghor, les Mauxi, qui voyagent beaucoup, de la limite nord de l'Etendue, les Sargavans, d'origine chélaxienne, qui ont rejeté la colonie de leur descendance, et les Zenj, toujours présents, forment la majeure partie de la population humaine de Mwangi, et ne représentent qu'une infime partie de l'humanité de la région.
Les étrangers considèrent souvent les gens et les lieux de cette région comme de nouvelles découvertes. En réalité, de nombreux habitants de la région se sont préservés et ont préservé leurs terres là où la nature n'a pas fait le travail à leur place. Les ancêtres de Golarion ont certains de leurs représentants culturels et ethniques les plus primordiaux qui traversent l'étendue de Mwangi.
QUESTIONNEMENT DES ÉTRANGERS
Si votre groupe arrive dans l'Étendue de Mwangi avec une équipe d'aventuriers déjà établie, il y a de fortes chances qu'ils ne soient pas originaires de la région. Voici quelques questions à prendre en compte lorsque vous jouez le rôle d'étrangers sur des terres qu'ils n'ont jamais visitées.
Quel effet votre présence aura-t-elle sur ce qui existe déjà ? Les PJ explorent-ils la région en raison d'une mission qui les a attirés ou poussés depuis une autre région ? Sont-ils ici de leur propre chef, et si c'est le cas, que veulent-ils ? Quelle menace inhérente les PJ pourraient-ils signifier sans le vouloir (et de manière compréhensible), et comment renforcent-ils cette inquiétude ? Comment peuvent-ils la dépasser ? Il n'y a pas de mal à ce que les personnages jouent les touristes si le groupe interroge les motivations des personnages-joueurs autant que le feraient les habitants.
Comment l'Etendue remet-elle en question et élargit-elle la compréhension que les PJ ont d'eux-mêmes ? L'Etendue contient de nombreuses cultures uniques pour des ancêtres familiers, ainsi que des éléments culturels familiers pour de nouveaux ancêtres et des communautés qui n'ont pas encore été introduites. Quelles hypothèses les PJ font-ils, et comment se recadrent-ils dans les différences et les similitudes auxquelles ils sont confrontés ? Les orcs matanjis reçoivent un accueil très différent de la part des non-orcs de cette région par rapport aux orcs du reste de Golarion, par exemple.
En quoi l'Étendue soulève-t-elle des questions sur la compréhension qu'ont les PJ de leurs origines ? Les cultures qui ont façonné les PJ peuvent déjà sembler étranges lorsqu'ils passent d'une nation à l'autre dans la région d'où ils viennent. Un saut à travers la Mer Intérieure offre un miroir encore plus clair sur les choses que ces personnages considèrent comme acquises dans leur pays d'origine. Apprendre à connaître une communauté inconnue selon ses propres termes, puis voir les résultats de votre propre tentative de l'enfermer dans une boîte familière peut être amusant et instructif, ou donner à réfléchir.
LANGUES
Mwangi est peut-être une désignation vague pour les habitants de l'Étendue, mais la langue qui partage ce nom est bien plus distincte. Cette langue commerciale très répandue est considérée comme "commune" par les habitants de la région. La langue mwangi donne souvent l'impression d'avoir autant de noms de communautés que de personnes, car il s'agit d'une langue particulièrement riche en dialectes, ce qui correspond à la forte saturation de communautés qui peuplent l'Étendue. Le dialecte ocotan, courant et fluide, contraste fortement avec le calda, plus inhabituel, qui utilise une grammaire oubliée depuis Senghor et un vocabulaire façonné et modifié par les voyages navals dans la mer intérieure. Le fait de parler la langue avec aisance dans l'Étendue indique souvent qu'il s'agit d'une langue étudiée et ayant beaucoup voyagé. Si les nombreux locuteurs du mwangi issus de ces différents groupes peuvent se comprendre, les nuances varient considérablement d'une communauté à l'autre. L'histoire de la langue mwangi rend cette variance peu surprenante. Les nombreuses communautés qui ont formé les branches de la langue dans le Golarion d'aujourd'hui remontent à une langue commune qui n'a pas encore été entièrement découverte par le monde moderne.
Certaines tendances discernables ont récemment émergé dans l'utilisation de la langue régionale. Les locuteurs originaires des villes les plus abritées par la nature sauvage de l'Etendue ont tendance à parler de manière très expressive, en utilisant le langage corporel autant que les mots. Ceux qui ont fait leur vie dans des villes au trafic plus international, comme Bloodcove, manient la langue dans un dialecte parsemé d'expressions taldanes distinctes. Les tribus nomades et les communautés rurales s'expriment plus sèchement et silencieusement, avec des intonations d'une grande subtilité, développées pour éviter de perturber les menaces de la nature sauvage qu'ils risquent de rencontrer.
Dans l'Étendue, la plupart des langues sont idiosyncrasiques d'une communauté à l'autre, car chaque groupe a besoin de peu de choses pour interagir dans un environnement aussi riche en ressources. Certaines sont plus répandues en raison des nombreux déplacements de la culture d'origine dans la région. D'autres sont liées à la survie et à la sécurité, comme l'utilisation croissante de la langue Matanji pour appeler à l'aide contre les menaces diaboliques de l'Etendue.
ADVENTURES
Pour les indigènes comme pour les étrangers, les explorations les plus fertiles de l'Etendue émergent de ses histoires denses, ainsi que de la façon dont les gens découvrent, changent et sont changés par la région. La terre tisse une vaste tapisserie de questions sur l'histoire des Mwangi. Les réponses à ces questions offrent des possibilités encore plus passionnantes pour le présent. La région se présente comme une toile épique prête à être peinte avec des histoires extraordinairement personnelles où le présent et le passé s'entrechoquent. L'Étendue est pleine de mystères autonomes, ce qui fait de la redécouverte et de la connexion au passé des thèmes parfaits pour le voyage de votre groupe. La terre retrace tant de fils jusqu'à Golarion avant la chute de la Terre, d'une manière que d'autres régions ont perdue au cours de leur croissance. Qu'est-ce que cela signifie de parcourir cette histoire et de la protéger alors qu'elle redevient évidente ? La survie est le mot d'ordre pour beaucoup de ceux qui bravent la nature sauvage de Mwangi. Il en va peut-être de même pour votre groupe. Les préparatifs d'une visite de donjon endiablée sont bien plus complexes, voire remplacés, par les défis qu'un groupe doit relever pour résister à la formidable nature de l'Étendue de Mwangi. La plupart des paysages sont aussi colorés et vivants que les gens qui les peuplent, mais cette apparence séduisante peut être le moyen idéal de piéger un groupe en proie à de graves difficultés. Jouez avec ce qui se passe lorsque les joueurs ont peu de ressources pour faire face à de nombreux risques naturels.
Les mystères de l'Etendue sont une merveilleuse façon d'explorer une ambiance pulpeuse pour encadrer la campagne de votre groupe. De nombreux secrets inclus dans ce livre et dans la région ont des points d'ancrage clairs et des réponses fournies, mais beaucoup d'autres ouvrent de toutes nouvelles portes que votre groupe devra définir. Même si ce livre confère à la région une nouvelle profondeur, l'Étendue de Mwangi dispose de beaucoup d'espace pour devenir bizarre et sauvage à partir des histoires que les joueurs souhaitent raconter. Curieux des mystères cosmiques de l'univers ? C'est aussi le cas de certains habitants de l'Étendue ! Vous voulez vous lancer dans la chasse aux démons ? Les orcs Matanji et d'autres seront ravis d'aider les joueurs et de leur montrer les ficelles du métier.
La colonisation et la mondialisation sont des thèmes qui touchent de nombreuses parties de l'Étendue de Mwangi. L'Etendue est une région étonnamment riche en ressources. Ses innombrables biomes sont colorés, étendus et abondants dans ce qu'ils offrent aux hommes et aux créatures qui les habitent. Les étrangers ont exploité ces ressources, et les colonies des nations qui n'ont pas respecté la terre et ses habitants se sont développées et ont été détruites à leur tour. Bien que l'environnement fournisse plus qu'il n'en faut pour partager et échanger des quantités mesurées, les pressions exercées par l'exploitation commerciale et la consommation inconsidérée constituent un terrain fertile à explorer dans la région. Dans quelle mesure la voracité d'une nation plonge-t-elle dans les ressources naturelles de l'Etendue, qu'il s'agisse d'une entité étrangère ou non ? Le commerce et ses conséquences peuvent revêtir un intérêt particulier dans les récits de la région. Dans une région qui est devenue aussi mondialisée que les régions de la mer intérieure, que signifient ces mêmes modèles de commerce pour la santé de l'Etendue ? Envisagez des communautés et des cultures qui ne partagent pas et ne monnayent pas les mêmes choses que leurs voisins internationaux afin de trouver une tension catalytique autour de laquelle construire une histoire.
Ces conversations peuvent être approfondies en explorant les thèmes de l'oppression, que ce soit en se tournant vers l'intérieur et en explorant les tensions entre les communautés et les nations au sein de l'Étendue ou vers l'extérieur pour examiner les pressions externes des influences étrangères sur la région. Des institutions brutales d'esclavage et d'expansion existent ou ont existé récemment, et ces actes ont des répercussions et laissent des cicatrices que ce livre explore.
Quelles que soient les pistes qu'un groupe d'aventuriers choisira de suivre, l'Étendue de Mwangi est plus que suffisamment vaste pour les couvrir. Ce livre contient un potentiel infini, à la fois explicitement détaillé et laissé en suspens pour qu'un groupe intrépide le remplisse et se l'approprie. Les possibilités de l'Étendue en tant que cadre d'aventure vont bien au-delà des mots écrits ici. Pour les MJ inventifs et les joueurs intrépides, l'Étendue de Mwangi est une invitation à s'approprier Golarion et à sortir de la carte, pour ainsi dire. Utilisez ce livre comme une rampe d'accès à votre aventure !
=NO PLACE LIKE HOME= Il se peut que votre groupe démarre une campagne avec de nouveaux personnages issus de cultures résidant dans l'Étendue de Mwangi. Lorsque vous faites d'une région fictive qui vous est inconnue votre foyer, cela peut vous aider à éviter d'exotiser la région. Cela suscite également des questions qui peuvent fournir un contexte plus approfondi et une meilleure compréhension de ce qui est nouveau dans la région pour vous en tant que joueur et de ce qui est devenu familier pour votre PJ. Considérez les points suivants lorsque vous créez un personnage Mwangi.
Que vous a appris votre pays ? Commencer par ce que vous avez appris de votre maison dans l'Etendue peut vous aider à établir un lien avec quelque chose que vous, en tant que joueur, souhaiteriez comprendre plus en profondeur. Le fait que la maison soit au cœur de la vision du monde d'un PJ offre de nombreuses possibilités d'approfondir un concept qui semble particulièrement étranger à un joueur.
Qu'est-ce qui reste mystérieux pour vous à propos de la maison ? Cela donne un bon signal au joueur et au groupe dans son ensemble sur ce qu'il faut explorer et définir dans le monde. Un tel cadre est plein de mystères, mais les joueurs qui découvrent ces secrets pour eux-mêmes ajoutent un angle personnel à ce PC et à la communauté dont il est issu.
De quoi vous protégez-vous ? Quels sont les changements qui effraient le plus votre personnage, et pourquoi ? Que cherchez-vous à préserver ? Vous efforcez-vous de changer quelque chose qui vous semble anormal dans votre milieu culturel ? Toutes ces questions auxquelles vous répondez en tant que personne du Mwangi en disent long sur les valeurs individuelles dans cette partie du monde. Il n'y a pas de meilleur moyen de faire sentir qu'un endroit est vivant que de le faire vivre. Le fait d'avoir des PC originaires de l'Étendue qui participent à l'aventure dans l'Étendue donne une vie personnelle aux histoires que votre groupe raconte ensemble.
THREATS
L'Étendue de Mwangi abrite un large éventail de dangers pour les personnes non préparées. La beauté de l'Étendue dissimule de nombreux dangers mortels. Des terres détrempées à la jungle hurlante, d'innombrables histoires poignantes racontent les dangers des étendues sauvages de Mwangi, et tout autant de personnes en ont été victimes. Bien que l'écosystème prospère grâce à son propre ordre interne, les cycles qui maintiennent la nature de la région en vie existent en partie grâce à un tribut mortel. Prédateurs et proies s'affrontent au soleil comme à l'ombre, et la flore de la jungle s'épanouit magnifiquement grâce à sa propre persistance plutôt qu'à une quelconque docilité attendue. Les collines, les plaines et les ruines retiennent moins l'attention dans les récits qui s'échappent de l'Étendue, mais ne méritent pas moins de prudence.
Naviguer dans les jungles de l'Etendue peut souvent ressembler à une bataille pour les non-initiés, mais l'explorateur avisé sait qu'il ne doit pas considérer les nombreux dangers de la terre comme un combat, mais plutôt comme une danse délicate. Il sait que le but est d'éviter de perturber l'environnement dans lequel il navigue s'il ne veut pas s'y perdre. Ce principe pose davantage de problèmes aux nouveaux venus dans la région, et même à ceux qui y ont vécu toute leur vie, car le subterfuge est un réflexe pour les dangers de l'Etendue et l'environnement qui l'entoure est prêt à soutenir les feintes de la nature.
Les menaces se présentent également sous forme de petits paquets, et souvent sous des formes rassasiantes. Les poisons peignent l'Etendue en costumes chromatiques que le voyageur prudent et aguerri sait éviter, mais pour le non-initié, la mauvaise plante peut devenir une erreur inconfortable, voire mortelle.
Les navigateurs chevronnés de l'Étendue savent qu'il faut vérifier l'odeur, la couleur et les autres signes révélateurs d'une nourriture ou d'une folie potentielle. Nombre de ces agents vénéneux provoquent la douleur par ingestion, tandis que d'autres infligent leur poison par contact. Les huiles d'un arbre à singes peuvent être inoffensives en elles-mêmes, mais l'odeur piquante avec laquelle elles marquent l'infortuné en fait une proie de choix pour les chasseurs de la jungle. Les tenthrèdes géantes (et les essaims de leurs parents plus petits) peuvent s'avérer des nuisances individuelles à la première rencontre, mais le cycle de vie dévoreur de chair de la naissance d'une tenthrèbe géante tue de nombreuses créatures qui ont essayé de naviguer dans les jungles de l'Etendue, et hante de nombreuses aventures qui ont été soit témoins, soit presque victimes du processus. Si les jungles de l'Étendue de Mwangi retiennent l'attention dans les récits qui circulent dans Golarion à propos de la région, les collines, les plaines, les rivières et surtout les ruines qui composent la majeure partie de l'Étendue peuvent être tout aussi meurtrières. Le climat qui ravage l'Étendue est aussi redoutable que la flore et la faune, et les risques environnementaux pimentent l'Étendue de Mwangi avec une régularité décourageante. Les plages du lac Ocota sont aussi susceptibles de piéger les passants dans une mare de sables mouvants que le sol de n'importe quelle jungle de Mwangi. Les puissantes tempêtes qui s'abattent sur la région noient régulièrement des pans entiers de l'Étendue. Les tempêtes de jungle particulièrement violentes peuvent renverser les arbres de l'Étendue sans que ceux qui passent en dessous ne s'aperçoivent de leur disparition gravitationnelle imminente.
La chaleur omniprésente et souvent étouffante de l'Étendue peut être pénible à l'intérieur et à l'extérieur des jungles de la région. Une pluie battante et insistante s'abat régulièrement sur la jungle, et la végétation fertile fleurit aussi souvent qu'elle pourrit partout où les explorateurs se rendent. Que ce soit dans les collines et les plaines ou sous la canopée de la jungle, les crues soudaines et autres risques tempérés mettent à l'épreuve la vie locale et celle des visiteurs. Tous ces éléments contribuent à créer un climat agressif, moite et humide, avec un air qui peut être étouffant, souvent décrit comme "assez épais pour être mâché". Midi est le pire moment pour se promener dans les étendues sauvages de l'Étendue, et la chaleur intense a l'habitude de clouer au sol ceux qui sont assez audacieux pour essayer de la traverser.
Si les dangers environnementaux et la faune redoutable de l'Etendue ne parviennent pas à arrêter les aventuriers effrontés, il leur reste à faire face à sa principale menace : l'éventail de maladies qui menacent la nature du Mwangi. La connaissance de risques pathogènes bien documentés tels que la dysenterie, son cousin plus "doux" le crachat de feu, et la malaria ne prépare guère l'aventurier novice aux maladies les plus mortelles de l'Étendue. La terrible torpeur provoquée par les sensations d'écrasement de la fièvre de l'écraseur d'os transmise par les moustiques, les pustules et les écailles douloureusement suintantes de l'écaille verte et l'immonde et douloureuse pourriture des tourbières ont eu raison de la santé de trop de voyageurs non préparés. Beaucoup de ces maladies peuvent être combattues ou traitées - une amputation rapide permet d'enrayer la propagation de l'exsudat cramoisi des doigts aux poumons - mais les maladies des régions sauvages de Mwangi font souvent des ravages morbides.
Dans toute l'étendue, et en particulier le long du lac Ocota, les démons et leurs divers adorateurs constituent une menace. Malgré les mesures de protection que les orcs de Matanji ont mises au point pour se protéger et protéger la région des menaces diaboliques, le danger est toujours très, très réel. Des dizaines d'autres bêtes redoutables menacent les étendues sauvages de Mwangi, parfaitement adaptées à la recherche de leurs proies. Aussi belle que soit la région, elle regorge de dangers.
RENCONTRES ALÉATOIRES
Les forêts tropicales, les savanes et les côtes de l'Étendue de Mwangi abritent l'une des plus grandes biodiversités naturelles de la surface de Golarion.
L'Étendue abrite également des milliers de créatures magiques et d'ancêtres inhabituels. Si nombre d'entre elles sont fascinantes et merveilleuses, elles peuvent aussi présenter un danger pour les imprudents et les inexpérimentés. Les animaux recherchent rarement les humains, mais sont souvent agressifs lorsqu'ils perçoivent une intrusion ou une menace : aucun aventurier ne souhaite se retrouver du mauvais côté d'un éléphant mâle furieux ou d'un rhinocéros en train de charger ! Certains ancêtres peuvent être pris pour des monstres et se heurter à des étrangers, et comme dans tout Golarion, certains êtres qui hantent l'Étendue, quelle que soit leur origine, sont vraiment méchants. Voir les pages 289-307 de ce livre pour une liste partielle des créatures que les aventuriers peuvent rencontrer en voyageant dans l'Étendue.
==ÉTAT DE MWANGI
De nombreuses marées de changement irradient l'Etendue, depuis le lac Ocota et ses nombreuses rivières jusqu'aux extrémités des limites nébuleuses de l'Etendue. Dans chaque localité de l'Étendue, une vie vibrante palpite, encore inconnue du monde international. Pourtant, l'Étendue commence à ouvrir ses vérités à l'œil extérieur, à la fois à elle-même et au reste de la région de la Mer Intérieure. Chaque fois que ce processus est révélé, une nouvelle couche d'histoire qui aurait pu être perdue ou oubliée est mise en lumière. Les liens avec Golarion avant l'effondrement de la Terre sont profonds et étendus. À bien des égards, cette histoire et ce contexte se trouvent dans les ruines de la région. Ils vivent et respirent dans les peuples indigènes de l'Étendue, et dansent à travers les mots de la langue commune Mwangi.
Aucun gouvernement centralisé n'unit la myriade de nations, de cultures et de villes de l'Étendue de Mwangi. Par conséquent, les relations sont tout aussi variables et se compliquent encore plus avec les influences extérieures. Certaines localités, comme Nantambu et Kibwe, accueillent volontiers les étrangers qui ont des affaires en cours dans leurs murs. Les tensions au sein des nations côtières telles que le Vidrian restent vives après leur large libération de l'influence coloniale et la fin de la soumission matérielle de la nation à la piraterie.
La religion et le culte sont des sujets curieux dans l'Etendue. De nombreux habitants des nations de la région sont tout aussi enclins à vénérer des dieux connus ou oubliés que leurs dirigeants, comme Walkena, l'enfant régent mort-vivant de Mzali. D'autres adorent des forces plus viles ; des cultes exaltent les démons et d'autres entités diaboliques. Les plus notables sont peut-être les adorateurs du seigneur singe démoniaque à la fourrure rouge, Angazhan, un seigneur démon de la force vicieuse et de l'entropie. Bien que son serviteur le plus important, le Roi Gorille, ait été tué sans successeur pour présider la cité d'Usaro, de nombreux cultes vénérant le seigneur pratiquent leur violente vénération dans les profondeurs des jungles de l'Etendue. De manière plus holistique, un grand nombre de cultures chamaniques et d'adorateurs des phénomènes naturels composent le paysage spirituel de l'Étendue de Mwangi.
La géographie de Mwangi est celle de la générosité naturelle. Riche en ressources, comme toute autre région qui se respecte, elle abrite une diversité vertigineuse d'animaux sauvages, de cultures anciennes et changeantes, et d'immigrants opportunistes. Les indigènes défendent les riches minerais des montagnes du nord de la Barrière et de la Chaîne brisée, ainsi que les herbes rares et les cultures fertiles, contre les colons avistanais et leurs forces militaires. De nombreuses communautés ont été poussées à se défendre contre l'exploitation et l'oppression, et les dernières décennies ont été marquées par leur guérison, à l'image de la réforme du Vidrian, suite à la subversion et au rejet de la colonisation chelaxienne par le biais d'une révolution. Bien que les nations garundi de l'est aient trouvé des relations commerciales efficaces dans les vastes marchés intérieurs de Kibwe, et que les ports de Senghor accueillent désormais tout un réseau de commerce de la mer intérieure, l'approche autosuffisante dans laquelle s'épanouissent de nombreuses cultures et communautés basées à Mwangi ne s'est pas beaucoup livrée au commerce international ou à l'importation. Beaucoup de ces groupes, par commodité et par scepticisme à l'égard des étrangers, ne commercent qu'avec leurs voisins immédiats.
L'Étendue de Mwangi se trouve dans une situation où elle raconte sa propre histoire, une histoire individuelle et passionnante à la fois. Les perspectives extérieures qui viennent à sa rencontre ne dictent pas son existence, mais finissent par mettre en lumière la façon dont cette étendue autrefois mystérieuse de Golarion est et a été en train d'évoluer.
HISTOIRE
Les étrangers à l'Étendue de Mwangi ne connaissent généralement que quelques éléments de l'histoire de la région, principalement en ce qui concerne ses liens avec les événements de l'Avistan. L'Étendue a joué un rôle central dans l'histoire de Golarion depuis le tout début, mais le reste du monde ne connaît guère ses héros, à l'exception du légendaire vieux mage Jatembe, et encore moins sa géographie en dehors des ruines que les aventuriers avistanais ont pillées pendant des siècles. Mais les habitants de l'Étendue de Mwangi connaissent leur histoire : leurs mains ont construit les grandes cités que les étrangers ne voient que comme des sources de trésors et d'aventures sanglantes ; leurs esprits ont découvert la magie légendaire, les médicaments qui sauvent des vies et d'autres connaissances aussi essentielles à la vie que le sel et bien plus précieuses que l'or. Ces histoires ont été transmises de génération en génération par des écrits méticuleux et des récits oraux, bien que, comme pour de nombreuses nations dans le reste de la région de la mer intérieure, des événements historiques cataclysmiques aient souvent entraîné la perte de pans entiers de connaissances.
ÂGE DES SERPENTS (INCONNU)
Avant que l'humanité n'apparaisse sur la scène mondiale de Golarion, les serpentfolks avaient déjà bâti un empire qui s'étendait sur plusieurs continents. Cependant, une période glaciaire a ralenti leur expansion et leur reproduction, ce qui, combiné aux conflits avec les civilisations iruxi et cyclope, a empêché les serpentfolks de s'étendre trop loin dans le monde de la surface.
À la fin de l'âge des Serpents, les elfes sont arrivés sur Golarion. Les elfes ont quitté leur patrie de Sovyrian, sur la planète Castrovel, pour rejoindre le continent de Golarion, l'Avistan, en empruntant un immense portail interplanétaire appelé aiudara, ou "porte des elfes". Après avoir fondé la nation de Kyonin, de nombreux elfes ont entrepris d'explorer le monde de Golarion, construisant d'autres aiudara pour se permettre de voyager instantanément vers des terres disparates à travers de nombreux continents.
ÂGE DE LA LÉGENDE (INCONNU À -5293 AR)
La civilisation elfique atteignit son apogée à l'âge de la légende, et les explorateurs elfiques atteignirent l'étendue de Mwangi à cette époque. Les elfes fondèrent la nation de Mualijae dans l'Étendue de Mwangi, qui s'étend sur la majeure partie de la Jungle de Mwangi. Les premières cultures humaines expansionnistes entrèrent en conflit avec cette nation elfique à plusieurs reprises au cours des siècles et furent repoussées. Bien que les petites colonies humaines pacifiques n'eurent que peu de problèmes avec les elfes de Mualijae, ces conflits cimentèrent la réputation de la jungle de Mwangi comme étant dangereuse pour la majorité de l'humanité.
La nation humaine d'Azlant s'est développée au cours de l'Âge de la Légende. Alors que l'empire s'étendait vers l'est, il entra en conflit avec l'empire serpentfolk dans l'Étendue de Mwangi, ce qui conduisit les Azlanti à repousser les serpentfolks dans des redoutes souterraines et, finalement, dans les Terres des Ténèbres. Les serpentfolks ont tenu bon jusqu'à Ilmurea, le sanctuaire de leur demi-dieu Ydersius. Le champion azlanti Savith fit campagne depuis les colonies de l'ouest de l'Avistan jusqu'à l'étendue de Mwangi pour mettre fin à la guerre et décapiter Ydersius. Savith tomba peu après sous le coup du venin du dieu-serpent, et ses disciples l'enterrèrent dans un avant-poste isolé qu'ils nommèrent Saventh-Yhi en son honneur. Les Azlanti ne tentèrent cependant pas de s'emparer des terres de l'Étendue de Mwangi dont ils avaient chassé les serpentfolks, laissant Saventh-Yhi comme une cité isolée dans une région qui restait par ailleurs épargnée par leur expansion. Après la retraite des serpentfolks dans les Ténèbres et le retour des Azlanti sur leurs propres terres, la civilisation cyclope de Ghol-Gan s'est développée pour combler le vide de pouvoir. La culture Ghol-Gani s'est développée à partir de petites colonies vénérant la nature pour devenir un empire adorant le soleil et la lune, couvrant une grande partie de ce qui est aujourd'hui les Chaînes, les Terres Détrempées et une partie de l'Étendue de Mwangi. Ils se sont d'abord heurtés aux vestiges survivants des serpentfolks lors de leur expansion souterraine, mais les Ghol-Gani ont fini par adopter certains rites religieux et pratiques sacrificielles de leurs ennemis, à la recherche désespérée d'un quelconque avantage. Ils repoussèrent les serpentfolks plus loin dans les Terres Obscures et consolidèrent leurs nouveaux territoires. Les Ghol-Gani ont continué à adopter ces pratiques religieuses, ce qui a entraîné une concurrence entre les cités-états pour les ressources. Les candidats qui plaisaient aux dieux nouvellement adoptés, y compris ceux de la Tapisserie sombre, étaient particulièrement recherchés. Les Chutes de Terre détruisirent complètement de nombreuses cités Ghol-Gani. Celles qui sont restées se sont retrouvées coupées de leurs réseaux commerciaux, incapables d'acquérir les ressources nécessaires à leur reconstruction. Finalement, ces sites Ghol-Gani ont dépéri, laissant derrière eux des ruines maudites et hantées qui n'attendent que de corrompre ceux qui tombent dessus.
ÂGE DES TÉNÈBRES (-5293 AR À -4201 AR)
En -5293, les étoiles se sont abattues sur Golarion lors du cataclysme de l'Effondrement de la Terre. L'impact de la dévastation aurait effacé le soleil pendant un millénaire, entraînant la chute des empires azlanti et thassilonien, ainsi que celle de Ghol-Gan et de Saventh-Yhi, déjà en perte de vitesse. Au milieu de cette destruction et de cette tragédie, l'arboricole Dimari-Diji s'est réveillé pour assister au désastre. Après un siècle d'exploration, Dimari-Diji découvrit le mystérieux Puits de Némésis, un chemin entre les mondes, et fit le serment de protéger la région des entités malveillantes qui l'utiliseraient pour semer le chaos sur Golarion.
Les chutes de terre ont provoqué des répliques longtemps après l'impact initial, depuis la montée des eaux jusqu'au déplacement des alizés qui apportaient auparavant la pluie dans les régions méridionales de l'Etendue. Une série de sécheresses désastreuses a poussé un groupe de pasteurs zenj vivant dans la savane à quitter leur terre natale et à s'enfoncer plus profondément dans la jungle. Menés par deux sœurs déterminées, la druidesse Kamar et la guérisseuse Jahar, les réfugiés pacifistes ont erré pendant des années à la recherche d'un territoire non revendiqué où ils pourraient s'installer. Kamar, en communion régulière avec le paysage, finit par rencontrer l'esprit ancien de Dimari-Diji et lui proposa un pacte : son peuple l'aiderait à cacher et à garder le Puits de Némésis si l'arboricole permettait au groupe de s'installer dans sa forêt. Dimari-Diji accepta et les réfugiés utilisèrent les compétences acquises au cours de leur voyage pour mettre au point des médicaments et des composés alchimiques de plus en plus efficaces.
Alors que la plupart des elfes s'étaient retirés en Sovyrie avant la catastrophe, les elfes de Mualijae choisirent de rester et de défendre leurs terres contre les ténèbres à venir. Ils affrontèrent le mal sous la forme de Dahak, dieu des dragons maléfiques, qui, dans la perturbation causée par l'Effondrement de la Terre, s'était infiltré dans le Plan matériel en exploitant l'un des aiudaras elfiques. Les clans qui devinrent les Ekujae sacrifièrent leurs plus grands guerriers pour emprisonner Dahak dans le réseau de portails de l'aiudara, laissant la manifestation piégée entre les plans. Ces clans se rassemblèrent autour de l'Anneau d'Alseta, le grand centre d'aiudara, pour développer les moyens de tenir la manifestation de Dahak en échec jusqu'à ce qu'ils puissent trouver un moyen de la détruire définitivement. Pendant ce temps, d'autres clans ont voyagé vers le nord-est et ont fini par redécouvrir la cité blanche de Nagisa. Malgré l'architecture clairement elfique de la ville, ses origines s'étaient perdues dans le temps et son cœur avait attiré des influences démoniaques.
Les clans n'étaient pas d'accord sur la manière de traiter ce nouveau mal. Ceux qui choisirent de rester près de Nagisa, d'étudier ses ruines et de tenter de chasser les démons, devinrent les Alijae. D'autres, craignant d'être eux-mêmes corrompus, continuèrent vers les rives du lac Ocota, où ils vécurent en paix jusqu'à l'ascension du premier roi gorille. Résolus à affronter le mal plutôt qu'à se retirer à nouveau, les clans - qui s'appellent désormais les Kallijae - entreprirent de résister à la corruption de l'intérieur.
Alors que les Mualijae perdirent le contact avec les autres civilisations elfiques restées sur Golarion, les nains de Mbe'ke conservèrent des liens avec leurs proches à leur arrivée dans l'Etendue. Quelque temps après que la Quête du Ciel eut ramené les nains à la surface, plusieurs groupes partirent vers le sud pour établir des citadelles naines au-delà de l'Avistan. Un groupe de clans construisit Dongun Hold dans l'actuelle Alkenstar. Les clans qui allaient devenir les Mbe'ke formèrent une alliance avec les dragons des nuages des hautes terres de Terwa, fondant ainsi Cloudspire. Au fil des siècles, les Mbe'ke firent de leur citadelle un centre prospère de commerce, d'exploitation minière et de métallurgie, tout en maintenant des liens avec d'autres forteresses naines.
ÂGE DE L'ANGOISSE (-4200 AR À -3469 AR)
L'écrasement de la Terre a brisé la plupart des plus anciennes civilisations de Golarion, qui n'ont pu être restaurées, et de nombreux savoirs ont disparu avec elles. Partout dans le monde, les gens ont lutté pour reconstruire et réinventer ce qu'ils avaient perdu. C'est à cette époque que sont apparus les héros les plus célèbres de l'Étendue de Mwangi : Le vieux mage Jatembe et ses dix guerriers magiques. Le récit complet de toutes leurs légendes dépasse le cadre d'une introduction à l'histoire, mais la plus grande réussite de Jatembe a été la réintroduction de la magie et de l'envoûtement dans un monde qui avait à moitié oublié que c'était possible. Le premier et le plus important des enseignements de Jatembe était que le savoir, quel qu'il soit, devait être partagé : si personne n'en bénéficiait, quelle en était la valeur ? Bien que chacun de ses dix guerriers magiques ait ses propres centres d'intérêt, ils suivirent l'exemple de leur maître, prenant des apprentis à former et les envoyant faire le bien dans le monde. Au fil du temps, le principal disciple du Guerrier Magique Éléphant, connu sous le nom de Plume de Jade, s'est rendu compte que les connaissances des autres Guerriers et de leurs apprentis n'étaient pas préservées, car la plupart d'entre eux passaient d'un problème ou d'une énigme à l'autre sans documenter leurs solutions ou les communiquer à d'autres. Plume de Jade en parla à Éléphant et proposa que les apprentis choisissent un endroit pour se rencontrer régulièrement et échanger leurs connaissances. Eléphant accepta et encouragea tous ses disciples à se réunir avec ceux de son amie l'Araignée verte, à Nantambu, la ville préférée de l'Araignée verte.
Ces réunions devinrent rapidement un événement annuel, et les disciples des autres guerriers magiques - qui ne voulaient pas que leurs exploits soient oubliés dans les chroniques de l'éléphant - se joignirent bientôt à eux. Dans toute l'Étendue, ceux qui recherchaient la connaissance pour elle-même ou pour en faire profiter leur communauté affluèrent au Nantambu, cherchant des enseignants dans tous les domaines, de l'herboristerie à l'irrigation, en passant par la théorie de l'abjuration et la magie météorologique. Elephant et Verdant Spider n'ont pas rédigé de codes de conduite, de programmes stricts ou de contrats d'apprentissage ; tout ce que Verdant Spider demandait, c'était que les futurs étudiants aident les villageois dans leur travail et qu'ils contribuent à leur alimentation et à leur entretien, ainsi qu'à celui des autres. Cette attitude décourageait subtilement ceux qui n'étaient intéressés que par le gain personnel et le prestige, tout en encourageant ceux qui étaient motivés par le travail pour le bien commun. Ceux qui n'étaient pas enclins à le faire étaient présentés aux adeptes les plus militants du Léopard d'azur, qui étaient plus qu'heureux de les voir partir. Lorsque les apprentis commencèrent à agir de manière communautaire, Serpent d'Or les honora en leur donnant l'un de ses propres surnoms, "Magaambya".
Le Nantambu devint connu comme un lieu d'apprentissage partagé et de tolérance pour tous ceux qui étaient prêts à vivre, apprendre et travailler ensemble. Cette réputation et les rumeurs concernant la présence d'un anadi parmi les guerriers magiques attirèrent l'attention du peuple anadi, un peuple d'araignées aux formes changeantes, naturellement doué pour la magie de transmutation. Au cours des siècles passés, les anadis s'étaient approchés de villes aujourd'hui perdues, ne cherchant qu'à apprendre et à commercer, mais ils avaient été repoussés par l'arachnophobie instinctive de nombreuses espèces sapientes. Refusant d'abandonner, les anadis ont consacré des siècles à modifier leurs formes pour susciter moins de peur, et le Magaambya ayant accepté les pétitionnaires iruxi et gnoll, leurs espoirs se sont accrus. Un trio de lanceurs de sorts anadis demanda à être admis au Magaambya et gagna rapidement le respect de tous grâce à ses compétences et à son dévouement.
À la veille d'être officiellement acceptés comme enseignants, ils demandèrent à parler à Jade Feather en privé et révélèrent leurs autres formes. Plume de Jade surmonta son inquiétude initiale pour leur dire qu'ils seraient les bienvenus quelle que soit leur forme. L'anadi Danseuse pommelée répliqua que si certains étaient prêts à ignorer une apparence effrayante pour voir le cœur bien intentionné qui les habitait, ce n'était pas le cas de tous, et l'anadi avait perdu de nombreux êtres chers qui s'étaient trompés sur leur accueil. La Danseuse pommelée demanda à Plume de Jade d'être discrète quant à leurs autres formes et de travailler avec les anadis pour faire du monde un endroit plus sûr pour se révéler. Bien qu'elle soit convaincue que toutes les connaissances doivent être partagées, Plume de Jade réalisa que révéler la nature des anadis les mettrait en danger, et elle accepta de garder leur secret. Depuis des millénaires, les enseignants du Magaambya diffusent discrètement des histoires de Grand-mère Araignée et d'esprits bienfaisants déguisés en araignées, tout en continuant à accueillir des élèves anadis et en espérant qu'un jour, ils se sentiront suffisamment en sécurité pour sortir de l'ombre.
ÂGE DU DESTIN (-3470 AR À -632 AR)
Lorsque Golarion émergea de l'Âge de l'angoisse, de nouveaux empires virent le jour. Le Héron noir, l'un des guerriers magiques du vieux mage Jatembe - ou un successeur portant son masque - a réuni les nomades du sud du Garundi et un certain nombre de tribus du Mwangi pour lutter contre les cultes de Rovagug. Les chefs de l'alliance ont commencé par utiliser la magie de l'air pour attaquer depuis les arbres ; ils ont bientôt mis au point des plates-formes volantes, presque invulnérables aux attaques conventionnelles et capables de frapper de n'importe où. Les cultes de la Bête Brute ayant été supprimés pour l'instant, les tribus alliées souhaitèrent retourner à leur mode de vie nomade tout en conservant leurs relations et en continuant à développer leur technologie volante. Elles formèrent l'empire Shory, qui fleurit en cette période de paix, élevant d'abord Kho, puis ses autres cités, vers les cieux. Fidèles aux traditions d'hospitalité des nomades et aux enseignements du Magaambya en matière de service, les cités volantes offraient des soins, des connaissances et des nouvelles d'autres contrées aux cités terrestres qu'elles croisaient.
Les mages qui construisaient et entretenaient les appareils de vol des cités gagnèrent de plus en plus de pouvoir, et l'Empire Shory se transforma en une véritable société régie par la magie, dans laquelle un triumvirat de lanceurs de sorts dirigeait chaque cité. Cependant, leurs techniques aéromantiques engendrèrent une dépendance à l'égard des êtres invoqués, à commencer par les élémentaires, puis les démons et les créatures de la Sombre Tapisserie. Entre l'arrogance croissante, l'aliénation des civilisations voisines et le manque d'entretien, les cités succombèrent aux attaques des rejetons de Rovagug, aux maladies ou à d'autres événements tragiques. Bien que l'empire Shory ait duré près de deux mille ans, peu de documents ont survécu, et nombreux sont ceux qui considèrent leurs cités volantes comme une légende. Cependant, les ruines de Kho, situées dans le mur-barrière séparant l'Étendue de Mwangi des déserts d'Osirion, prouvent que ces cités Shory n'étaient pas un simple mythe.
Les cités volantes de Shory, même au crépuscule de leur existence, avaient suffisamment bien rempli leur mission d'enseignement pour que, malgré l'effondrement de leur empire, la civilisation plus large qu'elles avaient contribué à nourrir ne s'effondre pas. Pour de nombreux habitants de l'Etendue, la vie continua comme elle l'avait fait au cours des six siècles précédents, même si les visites des cités volantes s'espaçaient de plus en plus. Les réseaux commerciaux et les sphères d'influence politique se réduisirent mais restèrent intacts, et avec le temps, plusieurs polities zenj comblèrent le vide de pouvoir. Conformément à leur structure sociale duale, la plupart des établissements statiques se sont formés dans la forêt sous la direction d'un homme, mais chacun de ces établissements entretenait des relations avec une tribu sœur dans la savane, dirigée par une matriarche nomade. Les villes forestières commercialisaient des produits agricoles, des médicaments, des tissus et d'autres produits finis à leur tribu sœur en échange de viande, de peaux, d'ivoire, d'ornements en os et en corne, ainsi que de lait fermenté et de yaourt. Le mois entourant l'équinoxe était la période de rencontre traditionnelle pour ces foires commerciales. Les communautés échangeaient également des adolescents et des jeunes : selon une longue tradition, un jeune qui n'aimait pas le rôle traditionnel de sa communauté de naissance était encouragé à chercher un apprenti ou un partenaire de mariage dans la tribu sœur, car les anciens comprenaient que le fait d'imposer un rôle à quelqu'un qui n'y était pas adapté ne pouvait qu'entraîner le malheur de toute la communauté. Grâce à ces échanges, les communautés se sont diversifiées tout en restant unies, et certaines sont devenues de grandes villes. Les plus grandes et les plus célèbres d'entre elles se déchirèrent cependant dans des luttes de pouvoir.
Xatremba s'est d'abord imposée comme un centre religieux. Ses prêtres pharasmins, qui considéraient les esprits des ancêtres comme des intercesseurs et des médiateurs entre les vivants et le royaume des morts, étaient largement reconnus comme les plus sages et les plus puissants. Les personnes endeuillées venant de villes lointaines se rendaient en pèlerinage à Xatremba, munies d'un os ou d'un symbole de leur ancêtre, afin de consulter les prêtres pour obtenir conseils et aide, et laissaient les reliques en offrande dans les catacombes de la ville, qui ne cessaient de s'agrandir. La ville s'est tellement orientée vers la spiritualité que de nombreux marchands et artisans à l'esprit matériel se sont installés dans le camp d'hiver de la savane de leur tribu sœur, les Rastel. Rompant avec la tradition, les Rastel nomades décidèrent d'agrandir le campement pour en faire un marché permanent, puis une ville portant le même nom. La matriarche s'installa dans une tour d'os, coordonnant les équipes de chasseurs qui alternaient entre l'approvisionnement de la ville en viande et l'escorte des caravanes vers les autres cités zenj. À l'époque de la paix et de l'abondance, la cité marchande se développa rapidement, et des marchands du Katapesh, de Thuvia, d'Osirion, des Terres de Mana et d'autres contrées plus lointaines s'installèrent à Rastel, apportant avec eux une multitude de coutumes et de croyances.
Les dirigeants de Xatremba, habitués à dominer leur région, s'opposèrent à ces influences extérieures et tentèrent de restreindre le commerce entre les cités forestières et Rastel. Outrés, les dirigeants de Rastel accusèrent (avec une certaine justesse) les dirigeants de Xatremba d'invoquer des dogmes religieux pour conserver le statut et le pouvoir de la cité. Rastel riposte en imposant des droits de douane et en offrant des avantages pour attirer encore plus de commerce extérieur sur les routes de la savane. La bataille pour le pouvoir régional s'est intensifiée au fil des décennies et Rastel a eu recours à la magie démoniaque pour repousser les "guerriers saints" autoproclamés que Xatremba avait envoyés pour perturber leurs routes commerciales. Ce conflit prolongé a débouché sur une guerre ouverte. Tandis que Xatremba faisait appel à ses ancêtres et à Pharasma, Rastel invoquait les seigneurs démons - et reçut une réponse. Les démons s'abattirent sur Xatremba, envoyant ses habitants à la rencontre de leurs ancêtres, puis traversèrent la forêt et la savane pour détruire ceux qui pensaient pouvoir contrôler les pouvoirs des Abysses. L'invocation de Rastel a déchiré les barrières entre les plans, laissant des failles que les Magaambya et les Ekujae se sont battus pendant des siècles pour refermer. Certains érudits magaambyens soupçonnent que les dommages collatéraux de cette guerre ont poussé certains clans bekyars à vénérer les démons.
Plus au sud, une lignée de rois et de reines guerriers se réclamant de Chohar, l'un des trois aspects divins de leur soleil, a fondé la ville de Mzali. Farouchement fiers de leurs prouesses martiales, ils momifiaient leurs morts royaux et choisissaient des serviteurs pour protéger la capitale depuis l'au-delà. Les premiers souverains exercent rapidement leur domination sur les régions environnantes, qu'ils taxent lourdement pour financer leurs armées. Cependant, une fois l'hégémonie sur la région acquise, les occasions de se glorifier au combat se font de plus en plus rares. La lignée dirigeante devint obsédée par la reconstruction et la reconversion de ses ordres militaires en équipes de gladiateurs, exigeant plus d'enfants des régions périphériques pour s'entraîner aux jeux de sang, plus d'or et de pierres précieuses pour les somptueux prix des vainqueurs, et plus de nourriture et de tissus à distribuer aux habitants de Mzali afin d'attirer le public pour les jeux.
Finalement, un réseau de gouverneurs régionaux et de chefs religieux locaux a formé une alliance pour briser la mainmise de la famille régnante sur l'économie de la région. S'appelant eux-mêmes le Conseil de Mwanyisa, ils ont coordonné un soulèvement contre une armée qui n'était plus qu'un moyen de recruter des gladiateurs et ont renversé les dirigeants de Mzali. Walkena, un jeune prince de la lignée royale, était mort de maladie quelques décennies avant la révolte et avait été enterré à la hâte dans le sépulcre destiné à un célèbre gladiateur. Les militants du Conseil ont fouillé les tombes royales et détruit leurs momies, mais n'ont pas retrouvé celle de Walkena, qui a sombré dans l'obscurité.
ÂGE DE L'INTRONISATION (1 AR À 4605 AR)
Quelques décennies après l'arrivée d'Aroden dans le nord, le seigneur démon Angazhan trouva le moyen de projeter une partie de son pouvoir dans le plan matériel. Dans les falaises qui surplombent la côte sud du lac Ocota, il a façonné des pierres déchiquetées pour en faire un autel grossier et a attendu d'oindre son représentant sur Golarion. Personne ne connaît le nom du premier mortel malchanceux à avoir touché l'autel d'Angazhan et à s'être réincarné de force en roi gorille, mais eux et leurs successeurs ont peu à peu transformé Usaro en un sanctuaire sanglant à la gloire du seigneur de la destruction. Lorsque les charau-ka et autres disciples du roi gorille commencèrent à s'aventurer plus loin dans l'Etendue pour les sacrifices, ils rencontrèrent les orcs Matanji. Lorsque les tribus nomades apprirent qu'Angazhan pratiquait des tortures brutales, des sacrifices et une profanation hideuse de leurs proches décédés, elles s'unifièrent pour faire face à la menace démoniaque. Elles ont transformé Matakali, autrefois lieu de rencontre pour les négociations de mariage et les rituels sociaux, en une redoute fortifiée où elles s'entraînaient à chasser les démons. Au fil des siècles, les chasseurs de Matakali ont renforcé la sécurité de leur patrie en construisant les Neuf Murs qui protègent les orcs Matanji et les Terres Détrempées des sectateurs du démon.
Tandis que les Matanji et, plus tard, les elfes de Mualijae concentraient leur attention sur la menace démoniaque, les habitants de la savane étaient confrontés à une série de seigneurs de guerre gnolls de plus en plus puissants. La matriarche Hungry Bones réunit sa tribu Spinebreaker avec les Red Fangs et les Stone Shapers après une décennie de manœuvres politiques astucieuses. Elle mena la confédération gnoll dans une série de raids contre Mzali et Elokolobha, s'aventurant jusqu'à Kibwe au nord. Après être tombée au combat - toujours à la tête de ses troupes à l'âge vénérable de 60 ans - sa fille Shattered Bones changea de tactique, exhortant à payer un tribut en échange d'une protection le long des routes commerciales de la savane.
Après une longue et fructueuse carrière, Shattered Bones confia la direction des Spinebreakers à sa fille Ashen Bones et se retira à Kibwe, où elle mit à profit sa réputation de négociatrice avisée et de guerrière expérimentée pour négocier des accords avec les caravanes qui recherchaient des mercenaires gnolls pour assurer leur garde. Alors que l'alliance gnoll s'est dissoute après la mort d'Ashen Bones, les lieutenants de Shattered Bones ont poursuivi son travail, organisant des contrats pour des mercenaires gnolls jusqu'à Senghor et Nantambu.
Alors que les empires autoproclamés d'Avistan s'élevaient et tombaient, plusieurs d'entre eux tentèrent de s'étendre dans le Mwangi, avec des résultats mitigés. La sixième armée d'exploration de Taldor chercha à s'approprier le territoire situé entre la trouée de Ndele, dans le Nex, et la côte occidentale du Garund. Le Roi Gorille mit un terme à leurs ambitions en massacrant l'armée lors d'une embuscade à Nagisa et en humiliant encore plus les dirigeants taldans en s'emparant de la machine de siège magique Worldbreaker. Si ce coup d'arrêt a freiné l'expansion taldane, d'autres forces ont trouvé d'autres moyens d'exploiter les ressources de l'Etendue. Bloodcove, longtemps un port temporaire pour les pirates et les maraudeurs, a vu son trafic exploser lorsque le réseau criminel en plein essor connu sous le nom de Consortium Aspis s'y est installé. Ils ont rapidement commencé à exploiter les ressources naturelles de l'Étendue de Mwangi et à piller les sites culturels historiques. Plusieurs groupes, dont les Ekujae, ont résisté à ces incursions avec toutes les tactiques de guérilla dont ils disposaient, mais le chant des sirènes du trésor attirait chaque année davantage d'aventuriers sans scrupules.
Plus au nord, des bouleversements politiques internes ont mis sur la touche les nains de Cloudspire, auprès desquels les Matanji et les Ekujae avaient cherché en vain de l'aide contre les démons. Le grand roi Nkobe, dernier représentant de l'ancienne maison régnante des nains de Mbe'ke, perdit son fils unique, emporté par la maladie. La mort de son héritier le plongeant dans la paranoïa et le désespoir, il ordonne l'exécution des médecins royaux, puis de la confrérie des chirurgiens, et enfin des barbiers et des guérisseuses de la région. La ville de Cloudspire s'est rapidement rebellée, déclenchant la Guerre des Cœurs Fendus. Les trois années de guerre civile sanglante qui s'ensuivirent entraînèrent la mort de la majeure partie de l'aristocratie héréditaire. Les quelques survivants, reconnaissant qu'un manque de contrôle et d'équilibre avait permis l'échec du système, rassemblèrent les représentants des plus puissantes fraternités de Mbe'ke pour mettre au point une monarchie électorale constitutionnelle. Les chefs des communautés ont formé ce qui est devenu l'Assemblée des présidents, et l'Assemblée des rois a été chargée de sélectionner et de conseiller le monarque. Si ces réformes ont renforcé les Mbe'ke et Cloudspire à long terme, les troubles les ont empêchés de jouer un rôle plus actif dans la résistance à l'empiètement des Avistani.
Alors que la nation avistanaise de Taldor s'effondrait, plusieurs grands territoires déclarèrent leur indépendance vis-à-vis de l'empire en difficulté. Attirée par les ressources de l'Etendue et déterminée à réussir là où les armées d'exploration de Taldor avaient échoué, la nation nouvellement déclarée de Cheliax sponsorisa des explorateurs pour établir des avant-postes dans les entraves. Après quelques rencontres alarmantes avec des ruines hantées de Ghol-Gani dans les îles, ils s'installèrent au sud des Terres de Kaava, revendiquant la région au nom du Chéliax et l'appelant Sargava. Les nouveaux colons, pour la plupart des jeunes nobles ayant peu de chances d'hériter de la richesse, de la terre ou du pouvoir en Avistan, ont rapidement relégué les peuples indigènes de l'Étendue au rang de citoyens de seconde zone et les ont exploités économiquement. Ils n'ont cependant pas gouverné en toute impunité et se sont heurtés à une résistance inattendue.
À Mzali, le Conseil de Mwanyisa a redécouvert la momie de Walkena, ainsi que ses fantastiques objets funéraires. Peu après, plusieurs conseillers eurent des visions de l'ancien symbole du disque solaire de Mzali s'élevant à la place du soleil et entendirent des chuchotements selon lesquels Mzali se relèverait bientôt avec leur aide. Après avoir consulté les autorités religieuses, qui n'avaient que peu de traces de la famille régnante de Mzali et de sa funeste ascension, le Conseil interpréta cette vision comme signifiant que Mzali était destiné à retrouver son ancienne hégémonie régionale. Ils exposèrent le prince momifié et appelèrent les peuples environnants à témoigner de la grandeur de leurs anciens souverains. Après des siècles de perturbations causées par les colons sargavanais, les pirates de Shackles et les pillards de Blood Cove, les habitants des environs affluèrent à Mzali pour voir les signes matériels de leur fier passé. Ils apportèrent avec eux des tributs d'or, de sel, de pierres précieuses et d'autres marchandises. Mzali devint rapidement un centre de pèlerinage religieux, de commerce régional et de résistance aux déprédations des Sargavans. Irrités par ce défi, les chefs sargavans de Kalabuto envoyèrent une expédition de mercenaires et de pirates, dirigée par de jeunes nobles avides de gloire, pour piller Mzali. À la surprise générale, la momie se porte à la défense de la cité et chasse les envahisseurs par une pluie de feu sacré. Walkena s'imposa rapidement comme le souverain de la ville, invoquant ses anciennes prétentions héréditaires ainsi que son pouvoir et son autorité divins. Outré par l'intrusion d'étrangers dans son fief, Walkena jura de débarrasser l'Étendue des envahisseurs. Les divers mouvements de résistance se rallièrent à sa bannière, et le Conseil de Mwanyisa se retrouva mis à l'écart alors que Mzali passait d'une ville commerçante à une ville qui penchait vers la guerre.
ÂGE DES PRÉSAGES PERDUS (4606 AR À 4721 AR [PRÉSENT])
Bien que le dieu Aroden ait eu peu d'influence dans l'Étendue, sa mort a laissé des traces durables dans la région. L'apparition de l'Œil d'Abendego - une tempête surnaturelle catastrophique et sans fin - a rapidement noyé les pays de Yamasa et de Lirgen et a modifié les routes maritimes le long des côtes, envoyant davantage de marchands à travers Bloodcove. Les Frères Saoc au pouvoir à Lirgen, réputés pour leur expertise en astrologie, n'ont pas réussi à prédire l'événement, et leurs prophéties se sont avérées inutiles à ce moment critique. Il est difficile de dire quel fut le coup le plus dur pour les Lirgeni : la dissolution de leur pays ou l'effondrement de leur vision du monde. Dix ans après l'impact, les Frères Saoc et une grande partie de la population avaient disparu, laissant derrière eux des fragments épars de technologie et d'archives qui laissèrent perplexes ceux qui arrivèrent dans la région après eux.
Dans les possessions coloniales du Chéliax, le baron Grallus, le souverain actuel, se trouvait dans un dilemme : après avoir soutenu le rival de la maison Thrune pendant la guerre civile du Chéliax, il s'est retrouvé sans soutien lorsque Thrune est monté sur le trône en 4640. Déterminé à conserver le pouvoir, il déclara l'indépendance de Sargava avec l'appui des pirates du Chapelet - obtenu grâce à de nombreux pots-de-vin qui se transformèrent bientôt en paiements réguliers de protection. Conscients des profits potentiels qu'ils pourraient tirer des bouleversements géographiques et politiques, certains des pirates les plus puissants du Chaillot ont décidé de s'unir sous la bannière du Roi de l'Ouragan en 4674. Malgré les dangers, la richesse et l'aventure à gagner en haute mer poussèrent de plus en plus de gens peu recommandables à rejoindre les équipages des capitaines libres. Un Conseil des pirates s'est formé autour du Roi Ouragan et, bien que personne ne puisse accuser les pirates des Fers d'avoir un gouvernement formel, ils sont néanmoins devenus une puissance régionale malgré leur manque d'organisation. Tant qu'ils concentraient leurs déprédations sur les riches navires marchands du Cheliax et du Rahadoum et qu'ils laissaient les pêcheurs du Mwangi tranquilles, les marins qualifiés du Bonuwat et du Bekyar refusaient de contester la domination autoproclamée des pirates.
Cependant, la domination coloniale n'allait pas durer. Les Matanji et les Kallijae intensifièrent leur campagne contre les démons d'Usaro, et des aventuriers parvinrent à tuer le roi gorille lui-même. Dans la foulée, une équipe mixte de Matanji et de Kallijae a volé l'autel d'Angazhan pour empêcher l'ascension d'un autre roi gorille. Peu après, le long mouvement de résistance contre les colonialistes chélaxiens a finalement réussi à renverser le gouvernement de Sargavan, le transformant en une nation nouvellement libérée, la Vidrie.
Peuple de Mwangi
Bien que souvent désignés par le terme fourre-tout de "Mwangi" par les autres cultures de Golarion, les humains de l'Étendue Mwangi sont divisés en une myriade d'ethnies différentes. Bien que ces groupes soient encore plus divisés par des différences régionales, sociétales et historiques, les populations partagent suffisamment de tendances similaires en termes d'apparence, de valeurs, de vêtements, de coutumes et d'autres traditions pour que l'opinion culturelle Mwangi les considère généralement comme ayant une origine sociétale commune.
Grâce à une solide histoire de commerce régional et à un environnement regorgeant de ressources, les cultures de l'Étendue de Mwangi se sont développées à la fois ensemble et indépendamment les unes des autres au fil des siècles. Hormis la nation de Vidrian, la plupart des grands centres de population de l'Étendue sont des cités-états puissantes et indépendantes, chacune ayant sa propre culture, remarquablement différente de celle de ses voisins. D'autres groupes sont nomades, traçant de nouveaux chemins ou suivant des générations de sentiers. La plupart des personnes d'origine mwangi ont la peau foncée, bien que la couleur des cheveux et d'autres caractéristiques physiques varient considérablement d'une ethnie à l'autre et d'un ancêtre à l'autre.
ANCETRES
Comme presque partout dans le monde, les humains sont l'ascendance la plus répandue dans l'Étendue de Mwangi. Alors que des civilisations, telles que l'Empire Shory, ont connu des hauts et des bas au cours des âges, de nombreuses cultures humaines de l'Étendue remontent à des lustres, ce qui a permis de transmettre une incroyable richesse de connaissances au fil du temps. Les elfes représentent également une part importante de la population, la plupart d'entre eux descendant des elfes de Mualijae qui sont restés sur Golarion au lieu de se replier sur leur terre ancestrale de Sovyrian à la suite de l'Effondrement de la Terre. Les nains sont un peu moins nombreux, et les deux principales sociétés naines vouent une vénération particulière aux dragons. Les halflings vivent principalement dans l'ombre des sociétés humaines, passant souvent inaperçus aux yeux des peuples plus grands. Une population notable est celle des Song'o, dont les communautés recluses rejettent l'aventure mais n'hésitent pas à se défendre.
Les gnomes vivent dans l'Étendue, mais en petit nombre, et ils n'ont pas d'enclaves spécifiques qu'ils pourraient considérer comme des bastions dans la région. Les gobelins n'existent pratiquement pas en dehors de la côte - les gobelins pirates, qui sont généralement des gobelins singes, sont les plus courants. Par conséquent, les peuples du Mwangi considèrent plus souvent les gobelins qu'ils rencontrent avec curiosité qu'avec des préjugés. Les orques de l'Étendue ont la réputation d'être d'héroïques chasseurs de démons, et la plupart des sociétés mwangi les traitent avec le plus grand respect, de même que les demi-orques qui leur sont apparentés. Les étrangers qui traitent les orcs avec agressivité seront probablement mis à l'écart ou carrément exilés. De nombreux autres ancêtres peuplent l'Étendue en bien plus grand nombre qu'ailleurs dans le monde, comme les catfolks et les kobolds, et certains ancêtres n'existent effectivement que dans l'Étendue, comme les golomas et les shisks.
Compte tenu des habitudes itinérantes de nombreux peuples mwangi, les mariages entre personnes d'ethnies différentes sont fréquents. Certaines cultures ont des coutumes pour amener les époux et les enfants dans une culture parentale, mais dans d'autres cas, les enfants avec des origines ethniques doubles ou multiples peuvent se sentir déchirés ou aliénés par les cultures parentales duelles.
LANGUE
La langue commune de l'Etendue Mwangi est connue simplement sous le nom de Mwangi, une langue commerciale développée pour être accessible aux personnes de différentes origines à travers l'Etendue. Lorsque des personnages originaires de l'Etendue Mwangi sont joués, le MJ doit remplacer "Commun" comme langue par défaut par "Mwangi". Ce livre introduit également les langues régionales Mwangi de Calda, Ekujae shape-script, Kibwani, Lirgeni, Mzunu, Ocotan, et Xanmba. Ces langues devraient être communes aux personnages qui résident dans l'Étendue de Mwangi ou qui ont un lien avec elle, mais ne sont pas courantes pour les autres personnages. À la discrétion du MJ, les langues régionales avistanaises, telles que le kelish et le varisien, devraient être peu courantes pour les résidents de l'Étendue de Mwangi.
RARITÉ
Ce livre introduit de nouvelles ascendances qui ont des liens profonds avec l'Étendue de Mwangi, ou des liens conflictuels avec la plupart des autres régions du monde. Ces ancêtres ont été qualifiés de peu communs ; cependant, cette rareté reflète leur relation avec Golarion en général, plutôt que leur présence au sein de l'Étendue de Mwangi. En outre, le livre présente également un certain nombre d'ancêtres qui résident dans l'étendue, mais dont la population est très réduite ou qui sont culturellement reclus. Comme les autres ne les voient que très rarement, ils sont rares en tant qu'aventuriers. Ces traits de rareté s'appliquent spécifiquement aux règles permettant de jouer un membre de cette ascendance, et sont distincts du trait de rareté qui détermine l'obscurité des informations sur une créature. Pour refléter les différentes compositions culturelles de l'Étendue de Mwangi, les MJ pourraient envisager d'ajuster la rareté des diverses ascendances applicables.
- Les kobolds, les lézards et les orcs sont considérés comme des ancêtres communs.
- Les gnomes et les gobelins sont considérés comme peu communs.
- Certains ancêtres peu communs ayant des liens étroits avec Garund, comme les catfolks, les gnolls (page 110) et les gripplis (page 118), peuvent être considérés comme communs si le groupe et le MJ le décident.
GROUPES COMMUNS
Les groupes ethniques suivants représentent les peuples les plus répandus dans l'Étendue de Mwangi.
BEKYAR
Résidant principalement en Vidrie, dans les Fers et dans les Terres détrempées le long de la côte de Mwangi, le peuple bekyar occupe une place complexe dans l'Étendue de Mwangi. Les Beykars sont généralement de grande taille et leur coiffure se compose souvent de longues mèches ou tresses élaborées, auxquelles s'ajoutent parfois des bandeaux de soie décoratifs et voyants. L'encens épicé et les bougies florales sont plus largement utilisés que les autres parfums personnels et domestiques. On croit souvent à tort que les Bekyars sont malveillants et méchants pour le plaisir, mais les Bekyars se considèrent comme des pragmatiques brutaux et réalistes. D'autres croient qu'ils vénèrent des démons et d'autres puissances terribles. Bien que les Bekyars passent des accords et des contrats avec les démons et les diables, ils le font en pesant et en comprenant les risques et les conséquences. Les Bekyars ne considèrent guère le bien et le mal comme des concepts objectifs. Ils pensent simplement que s'ils peuvent survivre aux conséquences de leurs actes et de leurs désirs, ils ont mérité ce qu'ils ont gagné. Les Beykars considèrent que les monstres ont un pouvoir qu'il faut respecter et dont il faut se méfier, et ils pensent que le respect et la compréhension des termes d'un contrat sont plus importants pour la stabilité de la société que toute autre considération.
Les croyances des Bekyars tournent autour du respect du pouvoir de l'archidémon Méphistophélès et de ses serviteurs infernaux de moindre importance. Les Bekyars ont survécu à l'Effondrement de la Terre lorsque Méphistophélès en personne leur a proposé un contrat, un contrat qui allait donner le ton à l'attitude pragmatique de leur culture vis-à-vis des relations infernales. Les termes exacts de ce contrat initial sont inconnus des Bekyars d'aujourd'hui, mais ils croient généralement que la fonction de leur culture dans l'Étendue de Mwangi remplit collectivement le contrat d'une certaine manière. Certains utilisateurs de magie bekyar embrassent cet aspect de leurs origines ancestrales à petites doses et utilisent la magie infernale pour guérir les malades ou accomplir des miracles, généralement en échange d'un sacrifice personnel ou de l'accomplissement d'un pacte à la fin de leur vie. D'autres adoptent la magie diabolique au point de chercher à se transformer en démon ou en diable et de pouvoir conclure eux-mêmes des pactes.
La culture bekyar voue une haine brutale aux étrangers, en particulier aux colons sargavanais, aux explorateurs avistanais et à tous ceux qu'ils considèrent comme des envahisseurs potentiels. Ils savent que d'autres considèrent leurs pratiques comme barbares, en particulier leur adhésion au commerce des esclaves et à la magie infernale, mais les Bekyars n'ont aucun intérêt à laisser d'autres personnes changer la façon dont les choses ont toujours fonctionné pour eux ou à regarder leur culture de haut depuis ce qu'ils considèrent comme des piédestaux trop idéalistes. En revanche, ils commercent volontiers avec les autres peuples Mwangi. Ils peuvent même aider un Mwangi malchanceux ou un étranger à conclure un pacte malheureux avec un démon, généralement dans le but d'obtenir un meilleur accord pour eux-mêmes.
Bien que les autres peuples Mwangi ne comprennent pas les subtilités de cette culture plutôt secrète, ils respectent le fait que les Bekyars ne rompent jamais un marché, même s'il faut être prudent lorsqu'on conclut de tels accords. Certains croient que les Bekyars regardent sans crainte les démons en face ou qu'ils sont en fait des démons, ce qui n'est pas toujours faux. D'autres Mwangis respectent les Bekyars pour leur apparente force psychologique autant que par crainte de faire de l'un d'entre eux un ennemi à vie. Malgré l'importance accordée à la discipline et au pragmatisme dans la culture beykar, offenser un Bekyar, c'est s'exposer à un ennemi qui pourrait être prêt à sacrifier son âme pour s'assurer qu'une personne souffre de damnation éternelle, d'une vie de malchance ou d'une force infernale visant à créer des tragédies à chaque instant. Les Bekyars sont incroyablement passionnés, tant dans leur amour que dans leur haine. Cette épée à double tranchant est à la fois une force et une faiblesse, et peu d'autres Mwangis souhaitent savoir de quel côté ils vont tomber.
BONUWAT
Si les habitations permanentes des Bonuwat se trouvent principalement le long du littoral de Mwangi, de la baie du Désespoir aux entraves, en passant par les terres détrempées et certaines parties du sud de Rahadoum, il est beaucoup plus probable de trouver des communautés de Bonuwat sur l'eau. Les Bonuwats sont des personnes de taille moyenne dont le mode de vie a fait d'eux de bons nageurs. Ils ont les cheveux courts, tressés ou chauves pour être hydrodynamiques. La plupart des Bonuwat vivent de la mer. La société bonuwat est basée sur les clans, et la plupart d'entre eux se différencient par ce qu'ils recherchent principalement au cours de leurs voyages. La plupart de ces clans pratiquent la pêche, se spécialisant dans des méthodes complexes de capture d'une espèce particulière. Ils prennent également soin de ces espèces en veillant à équilibrer leurs pratiques afin d'éviter la surpêche et la destruction de leurs moyens de subsistance. D'autres clans profitent de la magie de la respiration aquatique pour plonger et chasser les trésors au fond des mers. Les Bonuwats les plus endurcis naviguent près de l'œil d'Abendego pour piller les navires fraîchement abandonnés, sachant que les étrangers malchanceux entraînés dans l'ouragan de taille nationale s'en sortent rarement - bien que si un clan trouve des marins échoués, il n'est pas sans cœur et ramènera les survivants avec lui hors de la tempête, même s'il n'a pas prévu de mission de sauvetage.
Étant donné que les Bonuwat passent beaucoup de temps en mer en tant que petits clans fragmentés, ils croient en une variété de dieux pour diverses raisons. Les dieux les plus courants qu'ils vénèrent sont Sarenrae, le soleil qui guide, et Gozreh, le vent et les vagues. Tous les Bonuwat font des offrandes à Gozreh pour s'assurer des voyages sûrs, même s'ils sont bien conscients qu'ils ne peuvent pas faire grand-chose pour apaiser le dieu capricieux de la mer. Comme ils utilisent le soleil comme principal moyen de navigation pendant la journée, la plupart des marins vénèrent Sarenrae, mais les clans Bonuwat qui préfèrent travailler la nuit ont tendance à vénérer Desna, car ils naviguent à l'aide des étoiles et de la position de la lune. Les clans qui travaillent la nuit sont beaucoup moins nombreux que leurs homologues diurnes, et ils ont développé des différences culturelles qui leur sont propres. Ces Bonuwats portent un peu plus de vêtements que leurs congénères en raison des températures nocturnes plus basses, et nombre de leurs rituels et coutumes se déroulent pendant ces heures. La plupart des coutumes qui impliquent le soleil sont généralement remplacées par la lune ou les étoiles.
La majorité des Bonuwat - ceux qui travaillent principalement pendant la journée - ne portent pas beaucoup de vêtements, ce qui leur permet de rester au frais et de ne pas s'encombrer dans le climat de Mwangi. Il s'agit d'une culture moderne, dotée d'une économie moderne, qui fait du commerce tout au long des côtes de l'Étendue de Mwangi. La plupart des autres peuples du Mwangi les considèrent comme un élément essentiel de la société, car peu d'entre eux sont aussi habiles lorsqu'il s'agit d'acquérir des ressources de la mer, qu'il s'agisse de nourriture, d'encres, de perles ou de plantes sous-marines rares utilisées en médecine. Peu de membres d'autres cultures peuvent se prévaloir d'une amitié étroite avec un Bonuwat ; la plupart des Bonuwats passent tellement de temps en mer que les étrangers ont du mal à faire véritablement connaissance avec l'un d'entre eux. Ils se marient presque exclusivement avec des membres de leur ethnie, ont la plupart de leurs enfants en mer et utilisent leur terre comme un entrepôt commercial glorifié. Les Bonuwats les moins doués pour la navigation ont généralement la responsabilité de s'occuper des ressources terrestres de leur peuple, mais ces individus sont fiers de leur contribution unique à leur société.
CALDARU
Les Caldaru se considèrent, et sont souvent considérés par les autres peuples Mwangi, comme particulièrement uniques : leur culture utilise des mots, des styles architecturaux et des rituels qui ne semblent avoir de racines dans aucune autre culture Mwangi. Résidant principalement dans la ville de Senghor, les Caldars commercent intensivement avec une grande variété de peuples, et abritent même de temps à autre un navire en provenance de la lointaine Arcadie.
Des générations d'échanges et de diplomatie ont permis aux Caldars d'assimiler de nombreuses langues et de nombreux aspects de communautés éloignées, ce qui a fait de leur civilisation un creuset de technologies et de cultures venues de contrées lointaines. Bien qu'ils ne perdent jamais de vue leur identité en tant que peuple, ils ne ralentissent jamais le progrès et l'évolution de leur société.
De nombreux autres groupes, y compris les autres Mwangis, considèrent les Caldars comme des capitalistes qui cherchent avant tout à gagner de l'argent, notamment en raison des accords commerciaux passés avec l'ancienne colonie de Sargava. Cependant, les Caldarus ont tendance à considérer l'accumulation d'argent et de richesses comme un moyen de subvenir aux besoins d'une famille et de la faire grandir, et non comme un objectif louable en soi. L'ostentation de la richesse et de la propriété n'a pas la même connotation au Senghor que dans d'autres cultures. Le statut financier est perçu comme la capacité à subvenir aux besoins, bien qu'il y ait encore beaucoup de gens qui apprécient simplement le luxe qui accompagne une telle prospérité.
Le teint des Caldaru va de l'olive au bronze foncé. Ils préfèrent les robes longues et fluides et les robes aux matières fines qui absorbent la brise et rafraîchissent la peau plutôt que de la réchauffer. Les Caldarus vouent généralement un grand respect à l'environnement, car si l'environnement n'est pas sain, le commerce ne l'est pas non plus - et si le commerce n'est pas sain, leur famille ne l'est pas non plus. C'est pourquoi ils ont tendance à utiliser toutes les parties d'un animal abattu ou chassé, à ne jamais prendre plus que ce dont ils ont besoin dans la nature, et même à soutenir financièrement les besoins agricoles de leurs proches nations commerçantes. De nombreux Caldarus vénèrent Erastil, adoptant ses valeurs concernant la famille et la subsistance, même si les Caldaru les interprètent d'une manière qu'ils considèrent comme plus moderne.
Les événements récents ont limité les routes commerciales de Caldaru en raison des retombées de la révolution Vidric, qui a fait des navires de commerce la proie d'une mer de pirates mécontents. La révolution a également créé des relations quelque peu tendues avec les populations Sargavan et Vidric en raison d'un traité et d'un accord commercial inégaux entre Senghor et Vidrian. La plupart des Caldars insistent sur le fait que les termes de l'accord sont équitables, car ils estiment que leurs contributions justifient largement l'accord et que la marine de Senghor a apporté son aide pendant la révolution.
En revanche, les Caldars entretiennent des relations étroites avec le peuple Bonuwat, car les équipages de ce dernier sont tout à fait disposés à surpasser les pirates du capitaine libre afin de maintenir le flux commercial de Senghor. Les deux cultures partagent des valeurs similaires en termes de nature et d'environnement, mais les Caldarus tiennent à ce que la famille reste unie, tandis que les Bonuwats sont bien plus disposés à se séparer de leur famille pendant des mois, voire des années, à l'occasion d'un long voyage. Les Bonuwats et les Caldarus se respectent mutuellement en raison de leurs compétences en matière de navigation, bien qu'il y ait un débat amical sur la question de savoir lequel des deux peuples est le meilleur.
Il ne fait aucun doute que les Caldarus sont des maîtres de l'ingénierie. Leur ville de Senghor est une merveille architecturale et défensive, et ils possèdent des navires plus sophistiqués que presque tous les habitants de l'Étendue de Mwangi et d'ailleurs. En plus de leurs traditions culturelles uniques, ils recherchent constamment de nouvelles informations et méthodes technologiques auprès d'autres civilisations. Leurs navires et leurs fortifications prennent la forme de vitrines blindées d'art militariste, destinées à intimider tout pirate qui oserait les attaquer lors de l'une de leurs nombreuses missions diplomatiques ou commerciales.
MAUXI
Les Mauxi vivent principalement dans le nord de l'étendue de Mwangi. Leur mode de vie est fortement influencé par les sociétés Thuvienne et Osirienne voisines, la plupart des Mauxis parlant principalement la langue Osiriani. Cependant, un fossé générationnel divise actuellement la culture Mauxi. Les Mauxis les plus âgés ont tendance à rejeter l'idée même qu'ils ont quelque chose à voir avec les peuples Mwangi, tandis que les jeunes générations ont tendance à considérer le sud comme leur patrie, ayant grandi en considérant l'influence culturelle de la Thuvia et de l'Osirion comme un sous-produit du fait d'avoir vécu parmi eux pendant si longtemps. Contrairement à leurs aînés, les jeunes Mauxis adoptent souvent les coutumes et les rituels des autres peuples Mwangi, à l'instar du récent renouveau culturel de Vidrian. Certains Mauxis ont commencé à créer leur propre rituel de passage à l'âge adulte : ils se rendent dans le sud, dans la région de Mwangi à laquelle ils s'identifient le plus, puis reviennent et racontent leurs expériences et leurs difficultés au bout d'un an au moins. La plupart des expériences des Mwangis du sud avec les Mauxis sont basées sur des rencontres avec ces jeunes pèlerins ou avec des diplomates Mauxi formés.
Les Mauxi ont généralement un teint allant du bronzage clair au brun foncé et des yeux bruns ou dorés. Comme ils vivent dans un climat désertique et sec, ils portent généralement des couvre-chefs pour se protéger du soleil. Leur mode va d'une variété de robes colorées pour les Mauxis plus âgés à la mode de diverses cultures Mwangi pour les plus jeunes, de nombreux jeunes optant pour une fusion des deux. Les Mauxis ont tendance à être très religieux et à vénérer les dieux du panthéon Osirion, mais ils vénèrent également des dieux d'autres cultures, principalement Abadar, Nethys, Pharasma et Sarenrae.
Le gouvernement de Mauxi est une monarchie strictement dirigée par une famille que l'on dit lointainement liée à la royauté d'Osirion, et de nombreuses décisions politiques ont tendance à prendre en compte les besoins et les volontés des dieux, ce qui constitue une autre source de conflit générationnel. Bien que les deux générations respectent grandement les dieux, elles ne s'entendent pas sur le degré d'intégration de la religion dans la politique de Mauxi. La jeune génération pense que les générations plus âgées utilisent les dieux pour leurs propres objectifs et que mélanger la politique et la foi est un manque de respect envers les divinités. Les générations plus anciennes estiment qu'il serait sacrilège de ne pas intégrer les dieux dans leurs politiques.
Malgré ces fortes différences, les deux générations ne se détestent généralement pas et n'éprouvent pas d'animosité l'une envers l'autre. La jeune génération fait de son mieux pour respecter ses aînés malgré leurs désaccords, et les Mauxis prennent le temps de se réunir pour les fêtes et les célébrations et de prendre soin les uns des autres. Leurs nombreux débats deviennent souvent très intenses, mais rares sont ceux qui cessent de s'aimer à cause de ces désaccords, car il s'agit souvent de questions strictement personnelles plutôt que de questions de vie ou de mort.
SARGAVAN
Les Sargavans sont les descendants des colons chélaxiens de l'ancienne nation de Sargava. La plupart d'entre eux sont de taille moyenne et ont la peau pâle à rose. Ils portent des vestes, des tuniques, des robes et des armures qui étaient courantes pendant l'âge d'or du Chéliax, mélangées à des morceaux de mode et de coiffure provenant de pratiquement toutes les régions de l'Étendue de Mwangi. Réprouvés par leur nation d'origine, le Chéliax, et chassés de leur position de pouvoir en Vidrie, de nombreux Sargavans ont le sentiment d'avoir perdu leur voie en tant que peuple, mais la perception qu'ils ont d'eux-mêmes en tant que leaders et dirigeants les rend tenacement déterminés à réussir et à travailler en toutes circonstances, même s'ils ne bénéficient pas du respect et de la reconnaissance de leur histoire culturelle que l'on accorde généralement aux habitants de l'Étendue de Mwangi.
Le peuple sargavan a été divisé en deux par la révolution vidrique. La majorité d'entre eux résident aujourd'hui à Bloodcove, après avoir fui les conséquences de la révolution, et tentent de se tailler une nouvelle place parmi les pirates et le crime organisé. Malgré les richesses mal acquises qu'ils ont dérobées à Vidrian, la plupart de ces exilés ont éprouvé des difficultés à pénétrer la structure du pouvoir de la région. Certains Sargavans ont été dévalisés et laissés pour morts, tandis que d'autres ont réussi à s'introduire par le biais de pirates ou du Consortium d'Aspis. Malgré ces échecs, la majorité des Sargavans basés à Bloodcove sont fiers de croire qu'ils peuvent, comme leurs ancêtres coloniaux, prendre le contrôle et devenir la puissance dominante.
Les relations sont plus complexes en Vidrian. Selon la loi, les Sargavans qui ont aidé les esclaves à se révolter ou qui ont combattu les pirates du Capitaine Libre sont des citoyens officiels et ne subissent pas de représailles, mais ces Sargavans continuent d'avoir des conflits culturels et de souffrir de problèmes de croissance. Les Sargavans ont l'habitude d'être la culture dominante ; beaucoup de ceux qui se sont révoltés par dégoût de l'État sargavien s'attendaient à rester au pouvoir ou à se voir à des postes qu'ils enviaient auparavant. Alors que la réalité de la révolution s'installe, les Sargavans de Vidrian poursuivent leur long processus d'adaptation à ce changement de paradigme. Beaucoup d'anciens esclaves et serviteurs sont ouvertement hostiles - il y a un niveau élevé d'agression passive justifiée avec d'anciens serviteurs qui parlent ouvertement et critiquent les modes des Sargavans mélangés au hasard des différents groupes Mwangi ou qui rappellent simplement aux Sargavans leur nouvelle position d'égalité dans la vie. Les sargavans qui s'opposent sincèrement à l'esclavage et le trouvent odieux, et qui ont tendance à éviter le comportement orgueilleux et suffisant des autres, reçoivent un peu plus de respect et d'acceptation. Beaucoup de ces Sargavans contribuent à la politique de la Vidric en aidant à unir les peuples disparates. Cependant, à l'heure actuelle, la situation du peuple sargavan reste très instable, car les objectifs fracturés et l'histoire coloniale compliquent grandement tout ce qui pourrait ressembler à une solidarité immédiate entre eux et avec le peuple indigène de Vidric.
Les Sargavans, quelle que soit leur origine, sont largement perçus de manière négative dans l'Étendue de Mwangi, une perception exacerbée par d'autres efforts coloniaux nordiques sans rapport. Depuis la révolution vidrique, de nombreux Mwangis préfèrent s'en prendre aux Sargavans plutôt que de les aider, de travailler avec eux ou de commercer avec eux. Les Bekyars, en particulier, n'aiment pas leurs anciens partenaires esclavagistes, qui n'ont plus d'utilité. Les Bekyars n'ont aucune raison de faire confiance aux Sargavans, qui sont des étrangers coloniaux aux motivations incertaines à la suite de la révolution. Les Sargavans qui ne possèdent aucune richesse réelle se retrouvent dans la position la plus difficile, car peu de Mwangis sont prêts à leur donner la possibilité d'accéder à une position plus élevée dans la société - beaucoup préfèrent ne pas travailler avec eux, et même dans les endroits où il est illégal de leur faire du mal, il n'est certainement pas illégal de les éviter. Pourtant, les Sargavans trouvent toujours des opportunités, car pour beaucoup de gens, le travail est le travail et l'argent est l'argent.
VIDRIC
Le peuple Vidric est une culture différente de la plupart des autres dans l'Étendue de Mwangi. Ils se sont nommés eux-mêmes en l'honneur de Vidrian, l'ancienne colonie de Sargava récemment reforgée, et sont principalement composés d'anciens esclaves et serviteurs autrefois assujettis par les colonisateurs de Sargavan. Après de nombreuses générations, la plupart d'entre eux ne connaissent pas leur héritage ethnique, et beaucoup ont probablement des origines très mélangées. Une faction du peuple Vidric s'est mise à suivre la culture Mwangi qui lui correspond le mieux. Si beaucoup s'inspirent des autres peuples mwangi pour leur mode, leurs philosophies et leurs croyances, d'autres cherchent à forger une identité unique à partir de leurs expériences. Ces citoyens continuent parfois à porter la mode sargavan, modifiée de manière provocante - tuniques aux manches déchirées, robes sargavan coupées court, pantalons sargavan coûteux mais sans chemise, et autres modifications stylistiques. Certains portent des chaînes ou des entraves sans chaînes en guise de bracelets ; cependant, cet affichage est un point de discorde dans la culture Vidric, car certains trouvent dégradant d'adopter une telle imagerie, tandis que d'autres trouvent valorisant de porter les symboles de leur servitude comme un simple article de mode qui n'a plus aucun pouvoir sur eux. Malgré leurs désaccords, les Vidrics ont un esprit unique dans leur vie quotidienne. Ils ont gagné leur liberté de haute lutte et n'ont pas l'intention de la perdre à nouveau. Les responsables de Vidrian se querellent souvent sur la manière de gérer et de protéger la nation, mais le commun des mortels goûte pour la première fois à une véritable opportunité. Il n'est pas rare de voir des fêtes spontanées dans les rues, des Vidriciens organiser de grands festins dans la maison d'un ancien maître, et des groupes organiser de longs voyages pour voir ce que le reste de l'Étendue de Mwangi a à offrir. Bien que le Vidric moyen soit reconnaissant envers les Sargavans qui l'ont aidé à gagner sa liberté et qu'il respecte les lois qui protègent les citoyens sargavans, la plupart d'entre eux gardent une forte amertume envers les colonisateurs. Il n'est pas rare d'entendre des murmures et des craintes selon lesquels les Sargavans qui les ont aidés à se libérer pourraient un jour essayer de les asservir à nouveau.
Les Vidrics vouent une haine particulière aux Bekyars, qui ont participé au commerce des esclaves sargavans et contribué à leurs souffrances. De même, les Bekyars ne font pas confiance aux esclaves qui ont renversé leurs maîtres et ne veulent pas travailler avec eux, estimant qu'une telle chose invite la destruction ou des idées dangereuses dans leur propre société et culture. D'autres groupes de l'Étendue de Mwangi admirent la détermination du peuple Vidric et la façon dont il s'est soulevé pour gagner sa liberté. La plupart d'entre eux attendent de voir ce qui va se passer, si les Vidric restent libres et si leur société peut réellement gagner et maintenir une certaine stabilité. Néanmoins, le Mwangi moyen est plus qu'heureux d'inviter un Vidric à un festin ou à une fête, partageant un verre tout en se laissant régaler par des histoires de libération et de soulèvement.
ZENJ
La majeure partie de l'étendue de Mwangi est peuplée par le peuple Zenj. Bien que ce groupe ethnique compte des milliers de tribus, il se divise principalement en deux groupes : le peuple matriarcal de la savane et le peuple patriarcal de la jungle.
Les semi-nomades de la savane, qui se désignent eux-mêmes sous le nom de Zenje, construisent généralement des installations temporaires pendant des mois, apprivoisant et gardant le bétail avant de recommencer à se déplacer. Leurs déplacements servent de routes commerciales naturelles, et la plupart des habitants de Mwangi suivent les schémas de migration des tribus Zenje locales pour avoir accès au bétail et aux herbes qui ne sont généralement pas disponibles localement. La mode Zenje la plus populaire consiste à porter des peaux d'animaux, les animaux les plus rares indiquant la richesse et le statut de chacun. La matriarche d'une tribu porte généralement une coiffe fabriquée à partir du prédateur qu'elle a dû chasser, tuer et dont elle a utilisé toutes les parties à la suite de l'élection démocratique de la matriarche. Ce processus a lieu tous les dix ans ou à la mort de la matriarche, selon ce qui survient en premier.
Les habitants de la jungle se désignent eux-mêmes sous le nom de Zenju. Leurs tribus sont très stationnaires et construisent généralement de simples maisons en rondins. Ils font principalement commerce de plantes et la plupart des tribus ont développé des traditions culturelles végétariennes - les Zenju pensent que ce régime est nettement plus sain et plus civilisé que la société basée sur le bétail du peuple Zenje. De courageux Zenjus ont également découvert les secrets médicinaux de nombreuses plantes vénéneuses, souvent en testant ces plantes sur leur propre corps. La médecine zenju est l'une des plus avancées du continent, et il n'est pas rare que des personnes viennent de loin lorsque la guérison magique a échoué. Les Zenjus sont également l'un des rares peuples Mwangi à pouvoir préparer des plats à partir de fruits et de légumes réputés toxiques. Lorsque des étrangers tentent de goûter ces plats, de nombreux Zenjus aiment faire des blagues morbides en disant que c'est la première fois que le chef tente de préparer un plat aussi dangereux ou attendent que le visiteur ait pris une bouchée avant de prétendre qu'il y a eu une erreur dans la préparation.
Les tribus Zenje et Zenju restent étroitement liées et partagent de nombreuses coutumes. Les groupes ne se marient généralement pas entre eux en raison de différences culturelles majeures et de l'absence de proximité géographique, mais ils ont de l'affection et de la confiance l'un pour l'autre, comme s'il s'agissait d'une famille, et ils organisent ensemble de nombreux rituels annuels pour la richesse, la prospérité et le plaisir. La légende zenje raconte qu'il y a très longtemps, alors que les Zenjes et les Zenjus ne formaient qu'un seul groupe, un patriarche insista sur le fait qu'un régime végétarien était bien plus sain par crainte de chasser un prédateur, ce qui provoqua la scission des deux groupes. Personne ne peut prouver cette histoire, mais la tradition orale persiste, que les femmes zenjes utilisent pour taquiner les hommes zenjes. Le peuple zenj a tendance à être très facile à vivre et pratique, ne considérant jamais sa liberté comme acquise. Ils vénèrent de nombreux dieux différents, mais vouent un amour particulier à Nana Anadi-Grand-mère Araignée, en raison des "écoles de mamans" que les adeptes de sa religion dirigent souvent. Zenje et Zenju pratiquent également l'artisanat, fabriquant des perles qui ont une grande signification culturelle. Un plus grand nombre de perles indique généralement la richesse ; diverses couleurs peuvent représenter des compétences, des professions, des événements de la vie et d'autres informations complexes. Les utilisateurs de magie ont généralement au moins une perle magique brillante, le matériau utilisé pour sa création indiquant le type de magie qu'ils emploient. Les personnes extérieures à la culture zenj ne comprennent pas très bien le symbolisme de ces perles, mais la plupart d'entre elles sont conscientes de leur signification.
La plupart des autres peuples Mwangi ont de l'affection pour les Zenj ou, au pire, une perception neutre. Les individus Zenj ne cherchent pas à perturber la vie des autres peuples Mwangi et sont généralement heureux de conserver leurs traditions et leur mode de vie essentiellement pacifique.
AUTRES GROUPES=
L'abondance de l'étendue Mwangi a donné naissance à une diversité infinie de sociétés humaines. Les peuples suivants ne représentent qu'un échantillon des plus petits groupes ethniques de la région.
==LE PEUPLE DES ELEPHANTS
Le peuple des éléphants est une tribu issue des peuples Mauxi et Osirion qui, il y a plusieurs générations, a découvert la preuve de l'ancien culte des éléphants d'Osirion. Le groupe s'est ensuite détaché de ses cultures d'origine et s'est développé pour atteindre quelques milliers d'individus, choisissant de vivre un mode de vie simple et migratoire en protégeant et en prenant soin des éléphants. Ils considèrent leurs éléphants à la fois comme des animaux sages et comme une force directrice, envoyée par un dieu sans nom et oublié depuis longtemps pour s'occuper d'eux et les guider. En conséquence, ils n'ont pas d'autre nom collectif que celui de leurs compagnons animaux, et les étrangers et les autres Mwangi les appellent simplement le peuple de l'éléphant.
Le peuple des éléphants se considère comme dépourvu de complications et de gouvernements. Ils ne sont pas particulièrement accueillants à l'égard des étrangers en raison des générations de personnes qui ont essayé de chasser et d'exploiter les éléphants, et ils ont donc tendance à accueillir les autres Mwangis avec scepticisme et hostilité. Ils sont cependant en très bons termes avec les elfes Ekujae, qui les ont aidés et soutenus à de nombreuses reprises, et les Elephant People considèrent que les Ekujae ont bien plus de sagesse que la moyenne des humains modernes.
LIRGENI
Le peuple Lirgeni n'a plus de foyer unique depuis la destruction de la nation de Lirgen, il y a 100 ans, par l'Oeil d'Abendego. Dans le passé, leur civilisation très avancée s'appuyait fortement sur la lecture des étoiles pour la prophétie, utilisant les corps célestes pour obtenir des informations et des conseils sur leur vie. Aujourd'hui, les Lirgeni sont disséminés dans le Mwangi et au-delà, dans de petites communautés diasporiques, comme Little Lirgen dans le quartier étranger d'Absalom. La plus grande population Lirgeni réside actuellement à Jaha, où leur culture continue de se transformer dans une direction de plus en plus scientifique, sans pour autant abandonner complètement la religion ou les derniers vestiges de la prophétie.
Malgré la grande diversité des lieux de résidence des Lirgeni, ces derniers font de leur mieux pour rester en contact avec les membres de leur famille restés sur place, et se déplacent donc fréquemment d'une communauté à l'autre. Quelques milliers d'entre eux continuent de résider dans les Terres Détrempées, vivant dans leurs cités noyées et étudiant l'astrologie pour tenter de discerner l'avenir, mais ils restent les plus déconnectés de la culture Lirgeni moderne dans son ensemble. Aujourd'hui encore, quelques universitaires Lirgeni cherchent un moyen d'arrêter l'Œil d'Abendego. Certains Lirgeni croient qu'ils retourneront d'une manière ou d'une autre dans leur pays d'origine, mais de nos jours, la plupart d'entre eux se sont installés dans une vie moderne qui est de plus en plus éloignée de leurs origines.
==UOMOTO
Le peuple Uomoto est une tribu Mwangi qui vit près des mystérieuses ruines de Kho. Le fait de vivre près de ces ruines magiques a conduit ce groupe à avoir un nombre de sorciers plus élevé que la moyenne, parmi d'autres utilisateurs de magie. Les sorciers Uomoto reçoivent traditionnellement des tatouages cérémoniels pour marquer leur fin d'apprentissage auprès de leurs mentors plus expérimentés. Pour encourager l'égalité, les habitants de l'Uomoto portent généralement des manches longues afin de ne pas savoir qui est sorcier et qui ne l'est pas, en raison de la proportion exceptionnellement élevée de ces utilisateurs de la magie.
Les bricoleurs constituent l'autre catégorie de personnes que l'on trouve couramment chez les Uomotos, car beaucoup d'entre eux grandissent en expérimentant des objets étranges trouvés dans les ruines, accumulant ainsi autant d'expérience que des chercheurs en magie deux fois plus âgés d'autres régions. Les membres des tribus Uomoto ont tendance à être des charognards, récupérant et vendant souvent des artefacts rares trouvés dans les ruines de Kho, ou ils peuvent vendre des objets intéressants laissés dans les ruines par de malheureux aventuriers qui ont été la proie des nombreuses machines dangereuses et instables et des sources étranges d'énergie magique qui traînent dans les parages. Dans l'ensemble, le mode de vie des Uomoto est à la fois très pratique et unique, puisqu'il repose sur un mode de vie et des pratiques quotidiennes très éloignés de la norme Mwangi.
YAMASAN
Yamasans were devastated by the Eye of Abendego much like le peuple Lirgeni dont ils sont issus depuis de nombreuses générations. Cependant, la tempête les a touchés bien plus durement, les chassant complètement de leur terre natale.
Peuple essentiellement agricole, leurs terres étaient irrécupérables et ils n'avaient aucun moyen de retrouver leurs moyens de subsistance, ni même de se nourrir. Parmi les survivants, la plupart des familles se sont dispersées pour gagner leur vie en tant qu'ouvriers agricoles, dans la mesure du possible. Une grande partie de la diaspora réside aujourd'hui à Absalom, tandis que les orcs du Matanji ont accueilli et protégé la deuxième plus grande partie des Yamasans, qui en échange ont contribué à améliorer considérablement l'agriculture du Matanji.
Malgré les revers et les limites liés à la perte de leur nation, les Yamasans font preuve d'une grande ingéniosité. Ils sont passés maîtres dans l'art de l'agriculture, au point de pouvoir cultiver dans leur petit quartier d'Absalom, fortement urbanisé, en utilisant les matériaux des bâtiments environnants, ainsi que la terre et les nutriments qu'ils ont pu se procurer. À une certaine époque, les Yamasans étaient séparés en un système de castes, les plus hauts placés ne voulant pas participer aux tâches agricoles. De nos jours, à plusieurs générations de distance, les Yamasans sont comme une famille qui se soutient mutuellement, prospérant dans l'adversité sans se soucier des coutumes peu pratiques d'antan.
ALIJAE
Issus des anciens elfes Mualijae, les elfes Alijae ont la réputation d'être des ermites extrêmement reclus qui se confient à des puissances d'un autre monde qui pourraient se retourner contre eux à tout moment. Les elfes Ekujae les considèrent comme incompréhensibles, leur mépris flagrant pour les traditions qu'ils partageaient autrefois se manifestant dans les murs mêmes de Nagisa - révélant tous ses secrets à quiconque peut les lire - et dans l'usage intensif de l'or dans les vêtements alijae et des pierres précieuses gravées dans la culture alijae. Les elfes de Kallijae les prennent en pitié, pensant qu'ils sont devenus la proie des ténèbres intérieures, alors qu'ils communiquent avec des êtres au-delà de Golarion et du plan matériel sans trop craindre les conséquences de leurs actes. Du point de vue des peuples qui ne descendent pas des Mualijae, même ceux de l'Étendue de Mwangi, les Alijae sont une curiosité que l'on craint et que l'on reluque tour à tour, en s'accompagnant de mots et de gestes semi-politiques. Plus on s'éloigne des jungles, plus les Alijae deviennent une curiosité pour ceux qu'ils rencontrent et plus ils sont ouvertement fétichisés.
Les elfes d'Alijae se considèrent cependant comme pragmatiques : ils font ce qu'il faut pour tenir à distance les maux démoniaques qui s'agitent entre les beaux murs de la Cité Blanche. Lorsque des étrangers proposent leur aide dans cet effort et que la source semble sans animosité, les Alijae acceptent ce qui leur est offert et choisissent de gérer les conséquences comme elles se présentent. Ils peuvent prendre leur temps pour délibérer, mais si l'un d'entre eux se montre sincère, les elfes alijaïs deviendront des alliés prêts à partager la profondeur de leurs connaissances afin de repousser la marée chaotique de démons qui pourrait se déverser de Nagisa à tout moment.
Autrefois membre du peuple unifié des Mualijae, le groupe aujourd'hui connu sous le nom d'Alijae s'est séparé de ses frères en raison de divergences philosophiques. Le conflit portait sur la nature du "mal ancien" décrit dans une prophétie de Mualijae, un mal qui devait être à la fois le passé et le destin de leur peuple. Les scribes d'Alijae ont consigné cette prophétie, qui était autrefois exclusivement orale, sous la forme d'un vaste poème épique et d'une histoire dramatisée qui ont fini par être inscrits sur les murs des ruines elfiques de Nagisa. Non seulement ceux qui sont devenus les elfes d'Alijae pensaient que cette tradition orale devait être formalisée et écrite pour éviter d'en perdre des parties, mais ils avaient aussi une idée très précise de ce à quoi ce poème faisait référence et de ce qu'il fallait faire. Aucune de ces deux opinions n'était populaire au sein de la population de Mualijae dans son ensemble, et ceux qui devinrent Alijae furent les premiers à rompre avec l'ensemble. Ils ont également rompu avec ce qui avait longtemps été une tradition de narration purement orale pour commencer une tradition d'enregistrement de tout ce qui était important de multiples façons redondantes.
This first splinter group of elves was small, only a few dozen fighters, scouts, storytellers, and those with a vested interest in the safety of all those who traveled the jungle. Their first collective decision as the newly formed Alijae was to investigate Nagisa, the White City long rumored to be a bastion of darkness. The origins of the city itself largely remain a mystery, even to Alijae who have spent their entire lives studying. Elements of the architectural style clearly parallel those employed by the Mualijae elves, though they rarely used stone this extensively due to how hard it is to find and excavate safely within the tangles of the jungle. Carvings marked the walls and, upon checking references and venturing into the wider world to gain more frame of reference, the Alijae elves found the markings to be calls to demon lords and fell powers across the planes. This left many Alijae feeling vindicated, now having proof that their decisions hadn’t been in vain. After expanding and securing base camps on the outskirts of Nagisa, the Alijae elves set forth courageously on expeditions into the hearts of the pyramids.
Those first forays were disastrous but informative. The pyramids’ builders had dedicated them to powerful demonic forces and especially demon lords, with a totem standing at the heart of each which served as a gateway to the Abyss. Grievous injuries and loss of life kept the elves to only the smaller pyramids, and infrequent incursions left them limited to a slow but inexorable push toward the city’s heart in the largest pyramid. One by one the elves cleared each pyramid, cleansed each demonic totem within, horoughly investigated the contents, and fortified the walls against retaliation. Each time this cycle could be fully completed, they celebrated the victory by recording the tale in its entirety to honor those wounded and lost.
A group of aging oral storytellers composed the beginning of the poem that would end up on Nagisa’s walls, which was then scribed by the successors they trained. With their dangerous mission and many losses, it was entirely possible the small group of Alijae could be wiped out. They simply wouldn’t allow their history and that of the Mualijae as a whole be lost to time and circumstance should anything happen to their people. Thus, it would be recorded in a way that was hard to destroy in its entirety, could not be forgotten by future generations, and could be uncovered by those who might follow them should they fail. It would also lessen some of the burden of memory on their elders. The belief in lessening a shared burden by carrying it with many hands is one that suffuses through all aspects of Alijae culture and history.
The historical poem that now sprawls across the walls of Nagisa began on the walls of a pyramid once dedicated to Nocticula when she was still a demon lord. Some historians and scholars believe this early reclamation may be one of the first seedings of the Cult of the Redeemer Queen, citing the apparent ease with which the Alijae elves were able to secure the pyramid despite its size, as well as their historical comfort when dealing with powers others avoid.
With each Alijae who learned a different method of archiving came another redundancy for their records: first on the stone of the cleared and fortified pyramids in the White City; then in books and vellum carefully stored and preserved in special rooms within those pyramids, only removed for revisions and occasional research; later, on magical talking masks able to watch the wearer’s deeds and keep personal histories as close to them as possible; and even carved in shorthand onto precious stones, with the hope the value of the stones themselves would help protect the stories they contained when they had little other value to Alijae aside from vanity.
APPEARANCE
A large number of Alijae have lighter skin tones than many in the Mwangi Expanse, as well as patches of light skin, white hair, and vibrant, light-colored eyes that often glow with flecks of red and orange. Some say the life and color is draining from their people, replaced by the infernal glow of the sinister powers they confer with and rely on. In reality, this coloration is caused by a frequency of vitiligo, albinism, and other pigmentation conditions in their population. To most Alijae, these physical traits are simply that, traits that mean little in the long run when there are far more pressing matters to be attended.
The most striking thing about any adult Alijae, especially those with accomplished forays into the pyramids of Nagisa or who spend long stretches of time away from home, are the huge magical masks covering various parts of their bodies. Starting with a central mask that contains their family histories and spreading outwards, these typically wooden or golden visages can tell the full stories of an Alijae’s family in an abridged format before transitioning into an individual’s own tale from birth to the present moment. Alijae nearing the end of their lives will usually ask that the masks are told the story of the elf’s death (as described below) and then sent on to next of kin, before their bodies are returned to their homeland. Many Alijae remove and hide their family history masks somewhere safe when around outsiders, until trust is fully established.
Alijae elves otherwise favor the functionality of clothing over fashion or vanity in form, choosing instead to embellish with bright patterns, demonic ivory, woven accessories, and other styling choices. Due to the heat of the jungle, this often means little clothing at all beyond a protective cloak, but this is not always the case; for example, an Alijae archivist might wear more form-fitting clothing beneath loose layers with gloves, so as not to bring contaminants into the same space as they handle documents, while a scout might wear long lengths of fabric wrapped around their body that they can rewind to better serve the environments they travel through.
Most Alijae accessories are passed through families and added to over time, serving as yet another method of coded record-keeping that other Alijae can recognize on sight. For instance, woven tassels might convey what the wearer does and how far they have progressed in their craft; an ivory tusk and its metal rings can show how many demons an elf has defeated or places they have purified; a well-woven scarf of many colors denotes a long lineage and that the wearer is likely the next family head.
GENEALOGY MASK
Access Alijae ethnicity Price 10 gp
Usage worn; Bulk L
These large masks are forged of precious metals or carved of wood and tasked with guarding the history of a family. Most Alijae are granted a genealogy mask when they come of age, which they bequeath to their next of kin upon death. When a member of the family recounted in the genealogy mask performs a particularly significant event while wearing the mask, its eyes and ears animate, allowing the item to witness and record the deeds for posterity. Different families have different standards for their genealogy masks—some may value accuracy and objective, clinical facts, while others may relish embellishing their stories to the very brink of believability in the name of a good story.
Activate [one-action] command; Frequency once per day; Effect You ask the mask about the deeds of a particular ancestor, and the mask speaks for 10 minutes, recalling the tales it knows about that ancestor. The mask is limited by what information a particular ancestor shared with it.
Craft Requirements Supply a casting of ancestral memories (Pathfinder Core Rulebook 402) or mindlink. You must be an Alijae elf.
SOCIETY
Alijae society has a relatively open structure, with no overseeing council or visible government. This is mostly due to their small population and the extremely spread-out nature of their community—numerous Alijae travel for much of their lives as adventurers, researchers, and chroniclers—which makes maintaining a rigid structure impossible. Rather than trying to force a traditional government to fit, they developed a system of coded correspondences managed by archivists on the outskirts of Nagisa, where the first Alijae settled. This system allows all adult Alijae to have a say in the affairs of their people by vote, no matter the distance.
That same system keeps those far afield in touch with their loved ones in Nagisa as well. Contrary to what some outsiders might believe upon seeing the distances many Alijae travel, the elves place a tremendous importance on family connections, though it might be harder to for others to see. While all those within the community are cared for, Alijae don’t consider everyone in their community to be family. Only those connected by blood are a part of one’s family and deemed worthy of including in the historical mask records worn on one’s body. There are, however, rituals to bind a person to an Alijae lineage and make them a part of a family’s blood. The most obvious is through marriage ceremonies, but other rites occur from time to time for those who have done a family a great boon. Few outside of the Alijae community are willing to go through with such rituals, fearing binding their souls to demons or falling prey to other dangerous extraplanar creatures a family may have made deals or contracts with in the past.
FAITH
Alijae elves usually have some manner of divine patron, more out of pragmatism than anything else. They don’t worship a unifying deity or aspect of nature. They consider faith a much more personal matter, one they bring up rarely and question even less, as some Alijae have willingly entered into deals with fiends and other extraplanar forces in order to gain some power or knowledge they felt necessary to the continued survival of their people. Foreigners often find this distasteful and terrifying, making ubiquitous accusations that Alijae are evil demon worshipers one and all.
However, some Alijae do choose to follow deities of the more widely accepted pantheons. For instance, the Cult of the Redeemer Queen, though not referred to locally as a cult, has a strong following among Alijae artisans who use part of her pyramid in Nagisa as a workshop space. Other popular deities include Desna, Irori, Nethys, and Findeladlara.
CULTURE
Alijae life largely focuses on the thankless task of safeguarding and cleansing Nagisa, and it shows in most aspects of their culture. Their traditions have slowly morphed over time and continue to do so, often changing to suit current needs. Some outsiders are scandalized by this lack of continuity, but the Alijae community has come to accept it as a better way to stay connected even when distance between loved ones intervenes. Many other elves are either appalled or bemused by Alijae informality when it comes to tradition.
While Alijae culture places a high amount of focus on knowledge, its acquisition, and its preservation, any given individual might have a myriad of tangential interests and pursuits that are often within the arts. Many have a vested interest in culinary and alchemical pursuits, though generally not at the same time. Alijae cultures places a high honor on archival methods as art, granting great prestige to masters of calligraphy, scarification and tattooing, book illumination, sculpture and chiseling, and mural painting. These traditions are passed from a master to apprentices who assist in any works while they are in the vicinity of Nagisa. Master mask-makers will train as many apprentices as they can, who then travel to far-away Alijae and add to their records.
TAKE ALL THAT IS OFFERED
In a region full of dangers, Alijae elves inhabit what may be one of its most perilous sections. As a result, they have grown to accept all that is offered to them as a matter of course. This is never blind faith but conviction in the strength of their knowledge and abilities as a safeguard from greater dangers. Some elders who specialize in healing and medicine have been heard to chide “a poison can also be a cure” to particularly disagreeable patients. This shared philosophy of “take what is presented to you, be it gift or curse, and use it as you need” sums up the core of Alijae beliefs. Unsurprisingly, this philosophy does little to help the reputation of Alijae among those who already don’t understand them.
In all matters, the average Alijae elf will choose to accept or learn something new if given a chance. Those who set out into the world in pursuit of a deeper knowledge of demonology may return home with books on demons, an understanding of swordsmanship, experience in political arenas, and insight into the cuisine of the Inner Sea region to boot. Most Alijae find interest in practically any topic that comes their way; if the subject might hold an unrealized key to the complications and trials their people face, all the better to spare the world of the evils that lurk within Nagisa. Because of this, preserving knowledge holds the utmost importance in Alijae life.
FAR FROM HOME
Throughout an Alijae person’s life, they will likely encounter many times where they must adhere to traditions and cultural practices remotely, without contact and connection to their fellows. They might find themself deep within a pyramid, in the jungles to trade for supplies, out in the wider world to gather some essential piece of knowledge, or working within an adventuring party. As such, Alijae communities adapted and evolved many traditions over time to be fulfilling whether done alone or with a community. Harvest meals that would normally be enjoyed with family or celebrations that would involve the entire community can be scaled down to be quiet and solitary, keeping in the spirit of these celebrations if not the full practice.
For instance, Alijae commemorate the winter solstice and remember the lives of those who have left this world behind by gathering to tell stories and share a hibiscus-flavored mead. When there is no one to share with or no access to the mead (rarely found outside the Mwangi Expanse), any mead or beer will do, and most believe their ancestors won’t mind stories shared with outsiders that don’t reveal too much. If an elf believes the ancestors would prefer their stories not be told to those who are not Alijae, writing the stories down or repeating them quietly also fulfills the need.
AfterLife through history
The disquieting understanding Alijae have come to in all their dealings with demons, extraplanar creatures, and unconventional magic is that death is not always the end. While some may believe in the soul in a similar way to Ekujae or the balance of energies like Kallijae, few Alijae hold faith in the certainty of an afterlife. What comfort is there in the idea of life after death when so much magic is determined to imbue corpses with foul energy, bring lost loved ones back, or transcend what is known to be mortal? Rather than put stock in life beyond death, Alijae believe their lives and legacies are taken into the future by family, friends, and those entrusted with their histories. Every adult Alijae carries abridged versions of their entire family history imprinted on their masks and worn on their bodies; detailed records and histories are meticulously noted, maintained, and preserved in Nagisa; and stories are shared with those most trusted by an Alijae when they were alive and those who succeed them. For any outsiders an Alijae has come to know and trust in life, the same courtesy is bestowed upon them as stories and records are kept as a means of maintaining their memories.
HALF-ELVES
Because of the relatively small size of the Alijae population, every individual plays a key role in their society. Half-elves are no different and are generally the ones who travel the furthest afield to gather the most distant knowledge possible. Most work within the many factions that span Golarion or trek with adventuring parties, especially parties with an interest or possible interaction with Nagisa or demon lords. Some wear their heritage and mission proudly while others hide it and craft completely new identities, and still others attempt to ride the line between the two. Many outsiders incorrectly assume that Alijae half-elves are obliged and forced to fill this role with little say in the matter. The reasons for choosing this life vary based on the individual, but many simply cite the same drive as any other Alijae: there is much to find and learn in this world, and any piece of it may contain the answers they and their people seek.
RELATIONS
Alijae show caution around any not their own —even Ekujae and Kallijae elves, despite their shared ancestry—because of their guardianship over Nagisa and what it could mean if its power fell into the wrong hands. Their distance only lasts so long as someone’s intentions remain unclear, at which point they make a nigh-irreversible decision: either that person is welcomed as a guest and fellow seeker of knowledge in the service of the greater good, or they are shunned for their lust for wealth and power. Alijae leaders make none of these judgments rashly, often deliberating over days or weeks in the case of individuals, or months and years in the case of more established organizations like the Pathfinder Society or Aspis Consortium. To make these decisions, Alijae will often willingly join the adventuring parties and factions, taking copious coded notes and sending them home along with letters on their well-being. Most, when they learn of this, call it treachery, but Alijae consider it a necessary evil to be sure of exactly who they are dealing with at any given time. This methodical vetting process has yet to majorly fail them, but some who have endured it fear it may only be a matter of time.
Though Earthfall severed the Mualijae elves from the elves of Kyonin, there have recently been steps to reforge that connection. Queen Telandia Edasseril (Pathfinder Lost Omens Legends 106) made the journey to Nagisa and—after much deliberation among the Alijae—gave her respects to the White City, with permission. After hours of negotiation, a proposed alliance of marriage between the queen and an Alijae elf named Zazirele (NG male elf guardian 14) was also agreed upon, though Zazirele requested to spend time in Kyonin before he made his final decision, observing and assessing as Alijae always do.
NAGISA
Nagisa, also known as the White City, lies east of the Bdonge River and is largely built of beautiful white pyramids of an unknown elven design. While Alijae historians have found connections to Mualijae design and architecture, they also uncovered evidence of other elven and unknown influences. The city’s gorgeous buildings contain secrets far more sinister than their design origins: within each is a totem to a different demon, which draw fiends, evil fey, and other creatures to them in droves. The closer to the center of the city, the greater the strength of those demons and the evils that gather to them, with the ones at the city’s heart dedicated to the demon lords. On discovering the city, the early Alijae knew it must be the great darkness the Mualijae had always feared and set to the task of slowly clearing the totems.
Now, Nagisa refers to both the city of white stone pyramids as well as the Alijae outposts at the primary entrances, as well as the other most-breached entry points. However, the small size of the Alijae sentry force relative to the sheer number of potential egresses means only a few remain guarded at all times. If outsiders present themselves and Alijae leadership judges them to be well-intentioned enough, the elves allow those outsiders within the city with an Alijae guide to ensure purpose and safety. If denied, a small party of scouts trails the outsiders for a distance before turning back and the watch is tightened for as long as it can be maintained. Lapses in the watch around the city have led to the rise of a migrating black market of outsiders called the Collaborative Interests Trading Post, shifting around the outskirts of Nagisa to fall into the blind spots of the Alijae lookouts. Those who have been denied by the Alijae but still wish to plunder Nagisa lurk and foray and trade from the transient bazaar town just out of sight of the city’s self-appointed guardians.
BUYISELA
The Alijae maintain several stations and outposts at or near the main entrances to Nagisa. Their largest stronghold, however, is tucked into the jungle near the main gate. Buyisela, often called Scholars’ Haven by outsiders permitted entrance, is a large outpost serving as a library, archive, vault, and training ground. In a stark contrast to much of Alijae culture, life in Buyisela is heavily regimented and controlled by strict schedules.
For some Alijae, these rules chafe and go against much they knew in the outposts where they grew up. However, the Alijae of the past have learned that this structure is essential to continuing the work of maintaining the archives and slowly pushing toward the heart of Nagisa.
THE ARCHIVES
Though the library of Nagisa doesn’t have a formal name, residents and visitors alike call it the Archives. Spread through converted pyramids on the very edge of the city and several Alijae-built structures nearby, the Archives represent one of the largest collections of demon lore contained within a single space, focused on demon lords, their histories, and all locations where they have historically had vested interests in Golarion. For anyone considering facing demon hordes who can make the trek, the knowledge collected here can prove invaluable. However, outsiders are rarely permitted entrance into the Archives themselves due to the double-edged nature contained therein: the same knowledge that would help defeat a demon lord can also be used to aid or summon them. Instead, an Alijae archivist will assist any outsiders by doing research for them and presenting the findings.
THE PROVING
Along with an education focused on demon lore, Alijae are also expected to learn some form of defense and need training spaces for this. The Proving is a series of circular grounds set up for sparring, dueling, and practice with either magical or martial approaches. Though most Alijae are more comfortable with magic, especially magic that contains or counteracts other magic, some prefer a more direct and physical approach to combat, or a melding of both martial and magical prowess. These heavily warded and fortified spaces are hidden from view and away from any guests who may be in Buyisela at any given time. Alijae are well aware of the reputation they have within the Mwangi Expanse as those who flirt heedlessly with corrupting powers and are at great pains to prove, at least to some extent, that they can manage the powers they command. Precious few outsiders ever see the inside of the Proving.
THE QUEEN’S VAULT
Demon totems and dangerous creatures aren’t all that’s contained within the pyramids of Nagisa; within also lie precious artifacts, and some of those artifacts—namely powerful abyssal crystals—could prove devastating in the wrong hands. With each pyramid cleared and made safe, these artifacts are collected, investigated, cataloged, and stored in the deepest reaches of the first pyramids, beginning with the one once dedicated to the Redeemer Queen, Nocticula. These storage and containment chambers are known as the Queen’s Vaults, or simply the Vaults. No one but the most skilled and trusted Alijae archivists enter these rooms, ever careful of each artifact as they look for ways to either seal the powers it contains permanently, destroy the object and its threat, or make the object work in the Alijae forces’ favor as they continue to slowly cleanse the pyramids.
THE LODGE
If Alijae permit guests entry into the city, they ask that the visitors keep themselves only to places where they have been invited and to public spaces. Most of the public spaces within Nagisa and Buyisela are for outdoor seating and gathering, eating, and cooking where anyone can make something for those interested. The sites also include small but comfortable housing with more private meeting spaces specifically for invited visitors to Nagisa, so that they may prepare before venturing into the city and rest on their return. Called the Lodge by guests but not given a name by Alijae, these rooms also give visitors access to the healers and archivists in the city. TEMPLE OF THE TOAD The current focus of Alijae efforts to cleanse the city, this temple boasts an enormous, grotesque statue made of shining black stone at its entrance, out of place among the sharp white stones of the city. The huge sculpture depicts a bloated toad covered with bulging eyes and ripe pustules, with an obscenely long tongue lolling from its wide, drooling mouth. The inscriptions name it the Eater of Filth, and it bears the signs of dark magic from the demon lord Gogunta. A golden glow emanates from within the structure, as well as the stink of the swamp and an endless, echoing howl of torment. Ever since they began their excursions to clear the site, Alijae have been fighting a battle on two fronts, as boggards from the jungle have been constantly trying to break into the city and reach the profane temple.
COLLABORATIVE INTERESTS CO. TRADING POST
Not all who are turned away from Nagisa and Buyisela leave easily or willingly. Established by a consortium of parties with a vested interest in the city and the potential within, this outpost was originally funded through Chelaxian imperial efforts out of then-Sargava and allowed allies to launch their own forays from the spot. Though a more permanent base would be preferable, the moving bazaar is far easier to keep just outside of the Alijae forces’ admittedly short grasp. Over time, the management shifted from Chelaxian hands to silent backers from across Golarion with disparate end goals but a shared interest in the possibilities of power and treasure at the heart of Nagisa. Once called simply Sargava Outpost #4, it has since been renamed the Collaborative Interests Co. Trading Post, providing palatability through feigned legitimacy for other outsiders who wish to make use of its access.
Rumors abound on how the trading post’s managerial group seems to stay one step ahead of the Alijae watches. Some believe there’s a mole high up in the Alijae guard who keeps them abreast of when and where lookouts will be strongest. Some say there are powerful diviners and mages with interest in Nagisa who spy for them. Some believe the Alijae simply allow the trading post to continue, keeping their enemies close and stopping things if they go too far. No one has confirmed or denied any rumor, only continued or added to them.
Using this trading post and its readily available resources is sure to weigh on the hearts of any who were denied entrance but still feel themselves in the moral right, especially as they see priceless and dangerous artifacts traded away to the highest bidders and deepest pockets.
ZOLHA
NG | NONBINARY | ELF | ARCHIVIST 7
Zolha is the only child of two master archivists and one-time adventurers, Nkosana and Nonhle. Their parents often traveled together across the world, actively seeking out knowledge on behalf of the Alijae community and planting themselves in organizations and adventuring parties to ascertain their goals. Their work pushed the efforts of cleansing the remaining pyramids further than any others before them, and they were ever-willing to take on new quests and adventures until it became their time to mentor others. Many expected Zolha to proudly follow in their footsteps and become an outrider of academia to rival their parents.
Unfortunately, in one of their first forays into the pyramids, Zolha was terrified by a face-to-face encounter with a demon and froze up in panic. This provided an opening that proved disastrous and ended in grave injuries for most of the party and the death of the warrior who accompanied them. While Alijae are all too aware that losses happen as a fact of their life, Zolha could never put the incident behind them. The resulting trauma and deep feelings of guilt over the tragedy plague them and make any traveling too anxious of an affair to be viable. While the Alijae community is thankful for Zolha’s efforts as an archivist and historian in the city, there are more than a few who wish Zolha might still pick up the torch left by their parents.
Zolha rarely sets foot outside of Nagisa now, instead acting as a point of contact for the Alijae and vetting those adventurers and treasure seekers who would plunder the White City. Though much of Zolha’s duties revolve around maintaining records of familial lineage and tracking correspondences with traveling Alijae, they also hold a great deal of knowledge about demons, devils, other fiends, and the various factions of Golarion with a potential interest in them, the Alijae, or Nagisa. For someone who doesn’t get out much, they seem to have a nigh-infinite amount of knowledge about goings-on in the wider jungle and beyond. Standoffish and aloof on first meeting, Zolha is slow to open up to anyone whom they don’t consider family. Too many in the world would exploit the Alijae people’s knowledge, the power gated within the city, and the other phenomena within the Mwangi Expanse and beyond this plane, and use it all to do harm. Too many crave only money, power, and glory for Zolha to place faith in anyone too soon. As they slowly gain trust and see others who are willing to help stem the tide of evil in the world, they become a never-ending font of assorted and sometimes disparate knowledge and anecdotes, always happy to help those who are willing to go where Zolha can’t themself.
Zolha is looking for heroes who might be willing to do a few “relatively small tasks” for them: retrieve an obscure book from Absalom that no one else will agree to deliver (possibly due to the curse on it that Zolha wishes to investigate further); escort a small team on a scouting mission to Usaro or another site of known demon-influenced activity in order to clarify notes from an ancient foray; or deliver a message to a potentially lost contact still within Cheliax. Should they gain enough trust and place enough faith in a group of adventurers, Zolha may even accompany them for a short time, attempting to ease themselves back into the field work for which their parents had gained renown.
Even if a group of adventurers is unable to aid them in these tasks, Zolha always loves to hear tales of places they have never seen, feverishly scratching down meticulous notes and interrupting with questions throughout the telling in a way that some find irritating. They never know when and where they may happen upon a curious bit of information that could unlock further secrets, after all.
EKUJAE
The jungle-dwelling elves known as Ekujae are enigmas to most outsiders and bear different reputations among the cultures that have come into contact with them. To the masters of the Magaambya in the academic city of Nantambu, Ekujae are an ancient and respected civilization of scholars who sometimes venture from their homes to teach students or bring rare seeds to the university’s libraries. To the scattered tribes of the Mwangi Jungle, Ekujae are mysterious and implacable guardians of the wild, viewed with awe and superstition in equal measure. To capitalist organizations such as the Aspis Consortium, Ekujae are fearsome foes well known for their furious attacks on Aspis slavers, such as the infamous massacre at Whitebridge Station. Yet, first and foremost to all who know of them, Ekujae are warriors, standing ready to fight against an unknown darkness from an ancient time.
Ekujae tend to hold a skeptical view of most foreigners, especially humans. Ekujae lands are rich with gold and other precious treasures, a fact that inspired generations of fortune seekers to plunder the jungle and give nothing in return. They have an especially sour relationship with non-Mwangi people due to conflicts with colonialist slavers, including a recent violent confrontation with the Aspis Consortium that has, in turn, motivated Ekujae warriors to destroy any slaver outposts they come upon. Ekujae also guard many places of great power or dormant evil, places they have little desire for reckless adventurers or sinister forces to uncover. While Ekujae culture firmly believes that individuals can’t be judged by the actions of others, they nonetheless view outsiders with caution and are reluctant to form alliances or share their secrets. Mortals, in Ekujae’s experiences, tend to repeat the same mistakes over and over, and while specific groups or rulers might be trustworthy, they die quickly by elven standards with the individuals who replace them often too eager to exploit Ekujae for some ambition or another.
For this reason, Ekujae will quickly confront any trespassers who venture into their lands, though it would be an oversimplification to call them xenophobic or isolationist. They aren’t authoritarian by nature, so they leave travelers who don’t appear to be a threat alone. A simple fruit merchant or virtuous explorer has very little to fear from Ekujae; their scouts will likely follow and watch any such visitors, but they do so just as much out of compassion as suspicion—Ekujae make it a habit to ensure their guests don’t come to harm due to animals or ancient evils alike. Even strangers whom Ekujae deem less than welcome are usually offered a chance to peacefully leave the forest, though refusal can quickly provoke the militant elves’ wrath.
HISTORY
The history of Mualijae elves, and the Ekujae who descended from them, diverges from that of other elves on Golarion at the time of Earthfall. While most elves elected to leave for their ancestral realm of Sovyrian to survive the disaster, the Ekujae clans instead decided to stay behind despite the coming devastation. Whether they made this choice out of duty, love, stubbornness, or a sense of things to come, no records survive to say; all that’s known is that when the earth shattered and the skies went black, Ekujae were there to defeat the “Great Darkness” that arose from the destruction, sparing the remaining life on Golarion from total extinction. Yet, even their greatest warriors and mages couldn’t destroy the Great Darkness permanently, and Ekujae now train in preparation should it ever rise again.
Despite most scholars’ belief that the identity of this Great Darkness is lost to time—or that the whole story is simply a fanciful legend told by the elves—Ekujae know the truth of their ancestral foe, though they never call it by its common name. The Great Darkness was an incarnation of the dragon god Dahak, who had been lured to Golarion by the death and chaos that wracked the world during that terrible time. Had Dahak been allowed to linger, Golarion would have suffered dire consequences; the dragon god Apsu was sworn to fight Dahak, and their cataclysmic struggle would inevitably have invited other gods to interfere as well until the clash of deities finished the job that Earthfall began and destroyed the entire planet. Instead, Ekujae forces defeated Dahak and drove the god’s incarnation into an aiudara, or elf gate, known as the Huntergate. This severed the connections between the aiudara in the instant that Dahak was between one gate and the next, trapping the dragon’s incarnation in a space between realities with no target for his unquenchable rage other than himself.
This victory came at a devastating cost. To pierce the flesh of a god, the most heroic and virtuous Ekujae elves willingly sacrificed themselves so that their spirits could bolster the strength of the remaining Ekujae warriors. These elven souls burned bright as hot iron in the spiritual realm, and their determination allowed the surviving Ekujae to cut through Dahak’s scales. Dahak’s golden blood spilled across the Ekujae lands, and the elven warriors broke a horn and two fangs from Dahak’s head with enough force to fling them into the sea. The dragon was defeated at the terrible cost of countless Ekujae lives, and the taste of victory was like a mouthful of ash.
Ekujae consider this battle both their greatest triumph and most crushing defeat. By routing Dahak, the elves accomplished a miracle—the defeat of a god’s living aspect by mortal magic and mortal hands. However, they only wounded and imprisoned the dragon; most Ekujae view their inability to cleanly finish off their foe as a failure. It thus became the sacred duty of all Ekujae to train in preparation for Dahak’s return, in respect for the courage and sacrifice of their ancestors and for their own pride as hunters who have injured a beast and are now honor bound to strike the killing blow.
APPEARANCE
Ekujae share a similar appearance to the humans who live in the Mwangi Expanse. They typically have dark brown skin and black hair along with jet-black eyes, though individual Ekujae are prone to variation, from dusky skin to densely coiled rose-blond hair. They tend to have more muscular frames than other elves thanks to their warrior training, though they’re still lanky and wiry compared to many humans of a similar profession.
Ekujae traditionally adorn their bodies with patterns of white paint, the meanings of which are complex enough to elude almost all outsiders. Though they most usually represent only a specific elf’s family and clan, an Ekujae’s markings might also provide information about their profession, accomplishments, personal history, or even what mood they’re in that day. Despite these nuances, most Ekujae usually stick to a specific pattern of symbols on their skin, as the paint is intended to represent the most essential aspects of the individual; an Ekujae who frequently changes their symbols is considered flighty by their peers.
Ekujae almost always dress in green and brown, both because these tones make for practical jungle camouflage and are considered the ancestral colors of their people. They frequently use wood, leaves, leather, fur, and bone in their clothing, and they’re well-known for favoring bark cloth made by pressing the inner bark of trees into sheets. Ekujae’s woodwarping magic enhances the quality of these textiles. The fine bark cloth and intricate wooden jewelry they produce can be extremely valuable in the right markets.
SOCIETY
Ekujae organize into distinct social groups known as clans, which in turn create their own villages and towns. These clans are so self-sufficient that many outsiders who encounter them assume that they’re entirely separate political entities from one another. However, the Ekujae clans constitute a united nation and maintain strong relationships with one another, though these ties might not be easily evident to people with shorter life spans than elves. While this nation technically chooses a king or queen from among the clan leaders, that position exists mainly in case a central authority is needed to take charge during emergencies, rather than to dictate nationwide laws.
Though Ekujae greatly value their immediate relatives, most consider clan members to be as close as family, and a child of one familial unit is treated as a child of the whole clan. An Ekujae’s clan also tends to influence their vocation.
Though clans happily support their members’ individual aspirations, certain ones specialize in various trades or skilled work, either through geographical advantage or tradition. A clan near ancient ruins, for example, might be famous for their warriors and protective magic, while those close to the Magaambya in Nantambu typically educate diplomats and mages.
Ekujae aren’t born into their clans, though they always consider the clan of their mother to be family as well; instead, they choose to join a clan after they reach adulthood. Ekujae are expected to remain a part of their chosen clan for their entire lives; joining or leaving a clan is a very serious matter, though few clans will refuse a request for either. Banishment from a clan is a shame reserved for heinous social crimes that Ekujae feel don’t warrant capital punishment, such as child abandonment or reckless behavior that results in the death of another person. Such punishment is only slightly less severe than a death sentence.
Ekujae clans democratically nominate and elect rulers and their advisers. All adults have a say in the final outcome. In particularly contentious elections, clan members might demand a task from the potential ruler to prove their worth. Once a ruler is accepted, the ruler and the clan jointly choose the ruler’s advisers. In addition to magical, military, and spiritual advisers, Ekujae highly value advisers known as linguists, who serve simultaneously as diplomats, translators, storytellers, and historians. These linguists are almost always half-elves, who, with their shorter life spans, tend to adapt more easily to changing times and situations that require an immediate solution.
FAITH
Ekujae consider the elven deity Yuelral to be their nation’s patron, and they believe their role as guardians and scholars pays homage to this goddess of magic. They also worship many of the traditional elven gods: Ketephys, the god of the hunt and the idealized warrior; Findeladlara, the goddess of the sky; Desna, whom they portray as a wandering moth and storyteller; and Calistria the wasp, whom Ekujae consider a sly trickster figure. Ekujae faith is an extremely personal matter, as they believe deities can offer inborn gifts or fated destinies to chosen individuals. They don’t find it unusual for elves to believe themselves tasked to follow a certain deity and carry out that deity’s agenda, so worshippers of obscure faiths aren’t rare among Ekujae clans.
CULTURE
A complex web of traditions and customs that stretches back thousands of years makes up Ekujae life, continuing to hold true even in the present day-to-day challenges of living in the jungle. Ekujae consider themselves guardians and defenders of their lands, seeing it as their sacred duty to fight against the Great Darkness and any demons, dragons, or other threats that might prey upon their people. They tend to be militant, raising their children with the expectation that they’ll see violent conflict within their lifetimes. Ekujae are also extremely formal in their dealings, even by elven standards, and they practice many rituals around the swearing of oaths and the forming of bargains.
Ekujae highly value art and academia, but their method of keeping records can seem impenetrable to foreign scholars, making it difficult for them to share much of their lore with non-Ekujae. Along with maintaining strong oral and musical traditions, they also create “record trees.” Ekujae carefully cultivated these trees to grow specific patterns in their trunks and branches, which serve as semi-permanent records of important information and events.
This unique system of shape-based writing can also record physical movements and even musical notes. From a young age, Ekujae learn how to read and write in this three-dimensional language; half-elves are particularly adept at translating their Ekujae forebears’ shape-speech or transcribing record trees into other forms of media, such as thin bronze strips woven into tree-like shapes or a shape-based, albeit complex script for when it becomes necessary to write in ink.
Ekujae entertainment often consists of music, stories, or sports that emphasize precision and physical dexterity, from foot races through tree branches to target practice with clay pigeons. The Ekujae also favor strategy games played with small tokens that can be easily carried in a pocket or a pouch. One of the more popular Ekujae games is a dancing game known as daikada. Each player wears a pair of copper anklets, each set of which is designed to make chimes distinct from the other pairs when struck. The goal of the game is to dance along with the beat of a song while using fancy footwork to strike the opposing player’s anklets and make them chime. Ekujae elves believe their bond to the environment to be especially strong, as their ancestors stayed on Golarion through one of its darkest hours and shed their blood to save the planet from ruin. They prefer to build their elegant cities entirely in the canopies of trees, braiding living branches and vines together to form elaborate structures. Ekujae practice a noninvasive form of agriculture by grafting fruit trees onto the trunks of their cities’ largest branches and growing shade-loving crops in the underbrush. Their love of nature extends to the animals that dwell in their lands as well; they often name individual animals they commonly encounter, and it’s not unusual for them to chat about the local elephants and leopards in the same way they might gossip about a neighbor.
The ekujae Soul
Ekujae have an extremely complex and nuanced understanding of the soul. They believe every living being to have four spirits that are inherited or bestowed by different aspects of an individual’s life. The first, which Ekujae refer to as “what your father gave you,” represents the individual’s physical form and perception of their physical form; the second, “what your mother gave you,” is an individual’s heritage and family; the third, “what your heart gave you,” is the individual’s personality and personal taste. The fourth spirit, known as “what your gods gave you,” is the most enigmatic part of an individual’s soul, referring to an intricate tangle of intrinsic gifts and divine destiny that forms a guiding influence—whether wanted or not—on a creature’s life. These spirits have their own names and personalities, and they might not necessarily agree with one another.
Indeed, a clash between two particular spirits is considered to be a common source of internal turmoil. Yet, Ekujae don’t consider these four spirits to be separate entities; they’re intrinsically part of the same soul, just as many complex emotions and thoughts are intrinsically part of a single person. For this reason, Ekujae believe that all of a creature’s spirits must be tended to in order for that creature to remain happy, healthy, and moral. When one spirit is consistently neglected, discontent and strife will soon follow, so introspection and self-care are of utmost importance in Ekujae society.
JEWELRY AND KELEDI
While Ekujae share the elven love of artistry, their jewelry is typically understated and crafted from natural materials. An Ekujae scout, for example, has little use for ostentatious ornaments that might catch on jungle plants or glint in a ray of sunlight. In addition, Ekujae observe certain taboos and customs regarding different types of accessories. For example, only Ekujae capable of casting magic wear gems, and these gems are always uncut out of respect for the elven goddess Yuelral. Only half-elves wear brass, as Ekujae believe the alloy represents the connection that half-elves share with both the natural world and the world of humans; half-elf merchants often wear exquisitely crafted brass jewelry all over their bodies as a sign of wealth, and almost every Ekujae half-elf receives a handmade brass ornament from their elven parent upon their birth.
By far the most taboo metal in Ekujae culture is gold. They believe the gold beneath their lands to be the cooled breath and blood of Dahak, spilled during his battle with the elves ages ago, and that all gold is cursed by the wrath of the dragon god’s aspect. The curse of Dahak prompts even the kindest of dragons and the noblest of humans to covet gold, and it ensures that blood will always be spilled over the greed gold inspires. No Ekujae ever willingly wears gold, with a single exception: the keledi, elves of great virtue who have sworn to sacrifice their lives to fight against Dahak should the Great Darkness ever return. These elves wear ritually purified gold as a sign that they’re worthy enough that their souls could cut the very flesh of a god and to mark them as a living sacrifice to the fight against their ancestral foe. To bear the title of keledi is both the greatest honor and deepest sorrow in Ekujae society.
THE FIGHT AGAINST THE GREAT DARKNESS
For all their love of scholarship and artistry, Ekujae are a people at war, and much of their society functions around this cold fact. Even if the Great Darkness should never rise again, unnatural menaces still plague the Mwangi Jungle, and Ekujae lands host shrines to ancient demons and worse. Though these elves take what precautions they can, they know that isolation won’t save them from the dangers of their past or their homeland—and so they prepare for inevitable battles. Demons and dragons are the favored prey of Ekujae warrior-hunters, but countless other dangers lurk in the Mwangi Jungle, from ancient undead to forgotten arcana to primordial evils from an unknown time. Traditionally, each adult Ekujae carries a silver knife and a cold iron knife on their person in anticipation of battle against demons or devils. Ekujae warriors also wear a cold iron “soulguard,” a circular armored disk worn around the abdomen that provides protection from demonic magic. Ekujae must remain ever vigilant for any sign of dark influences, as they’re curiously susceptible to demonic poisons and corruptions as well as lycanthropy. It’s unknown whether this susceptibility is simply due to an unusual vulnerability in their constitutions or a more mysterious reason, but it remains a constant worry among Ekujae exposed to such dangers. Centuries of dealing with this particular vulnerability have made Ekujae among the foremost scholars of methods to reverse such magical poisons and transformations, and many seek out Ekujae help to save loved ones who have no other recourse. However, few Ekujae cures are pleasant or simple.
HALF-ELVES
The role of half-elves in Ekujae culture is nuanced and not easily understood by outsiders. Many Ekujae half-elves live in entirely half-elf clans, though this arrangement isn’t because they’re unwanted or rejected by full elves, as some foreigners might assume. While many Ekujae do ritually turn their half-elven offspring over to be raised within half-elf villages, they do so out of a belief that half-elves thrive better among peers than among elves, who have dramatically different life spans. For the most part, Ekujae half-elves agree with this policy, though some half-elves still feel excluded from elven culture and advocate for more integration between elves and half-elves. Despite this tradition of segregation, it’s hardly unknown for an Ekujae elf to raise a half-elf child in a predominately elven clan, and half-elves can freely choose their clan upon coming of age, just the same as elves.
The Ekujae half-elf clans are valued as bridges between the elves and the other peoples of the Mwangi Expanse. Half-elves are the most common Ekujae emissaries to neighboring city-states for purposes of trade, cultural exchange, or other negotiations. Ekujae tradition strongly dictates that half-elves serve as a ruler’s linguists to ensure that their valuable perspective is heard, especially when making decisions that concern shorter-lived creatures whom the elves might not necessarily understand.
RELATIONS
Ekujae are generally suspicious of outsiders, preferring to keep to their own lands and to deal with others only on their own terms. They have strong ties to the Magaambya academy in Nantambu, but their association is too sporadic to be called an alliance. Otherwise, Ekujae deal with most other people on a case-by-case basis. They often send out linguists or other emissaries to local tribes or cities for trade and news but usually keep outsiders at arms’ length when it comes to the details of Ekujae affairs.
EKUJAE SETTLEMENTS
Most Ekujae settlements tend to grow on top of, or as close as possible to, ancient sites of power across the Mwangi Expanse. This method, while incredibly risky and dangerous, allows the Ekujae to better guard against the evils that lie within those sites and prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. A few others are more remote, offering both a safe haven and training grounds for those who keep watch over the jungle’s many perils. Some, like Ijo, are small towns filled with quiet life broken only by holidays, people leaving to enter the Circles, and those returning home. Some, including the Circles, are places of training where hard work reigns supreme. Others sit as guard posts over places of dangerous power, such as Akrivel.
A few structural similarities exist in all Ekujae settlements, making a thread between them all. They’re built around two main buildings: an open-air communal cooking space and an enclosed but ventilated healing and recuperation space. The communal cooking and eating spaces are essential to Ekujae living, providing a place of respite from the evils that so often lurk nearby. When something worth celebrating occurs, there’s almost always a delicious meal already sizzling over an open flame or burbling in a pot. When not in use, the eating spaces can be converted into training spaces to keep skills sharp, even away from the Circles. Likewise, the cooking areas can be repurposed to make remedies and other healing supplies. Outside of these core buildings, every settlement is built to house what it needs most, such as homes, storage, further dedicated training space, or an armory.
When outsiders arrive near Ekujae territory, they’re often scouted out long before they catch sigh of a settlement—whether they’re aware of that fact or not. Ekujae scouts make their judgments before acting, some seeking guidance from elders prior to approaching outsiders. Sometimes that decision means revealing their presence and escorting the group to the settlement. Sometimes, it means confusing and directing the outsiders away from the settlement. In other cases, it means making sure such travelers get lost deep in the jungle without any viable respite. Most scouts see this duty as one that must be performed, even if it can turn into an unfortunate occasion.
AKRIVEL
Akrivel is the home of the Leopard Clan and sits close to an ancient temple of Ketephys and its Huntergate Way Station—a site of magical backlash created when the Ekujae trapped the aspect of the dragon god Dahak within the aiudara that resided there, which has recently become active again. Because of its vicinity to the temple of Ketephys, the location serves as both a strategic fallback point and ideal launching station as well as a place of reprieve and recovery for those injured defending the site. It also allows scouts to monitor Huntergate. Over time, this settlement has grown from an outpost housing maybe a dozen to one of the larger Ekujae settlements, with treetop longhouses and well-maintained gardening platforms. Where settlements around other dangerous ruins or artifacts have an air of impermanence to them, as if they could be gone without a moment’s notice, Akrivel truly feels like a home to its residents. Fear that this settlement could be lost exists, but not to the extent that it keeps Ekujae away, as they value community and family far too much by comparison.
Around the standard communal and training areas stands an ever-expanding cluster of private homes, a communal sleeping space for visitors from other clans as well as the occasional adventurers, food and grain storage, and a small smokehouse that doesn’t often see use. These buildings spiral slowly and lopsidedly outwards from the center, each new one built or relocated as necessity dictates.
THE CIRCLES
The Circles are unlike any other Ekujae settlement. Equal parts center of academia and martial training grounds, they break many of the unspoken rules of Ekujae civil planning with permanent ground-dwelling buildings for training as its central features. Upon reaching maturity, any warrior of Ekujae blood is heavily encouraged to attend and begin their training. First, new trainees undergo a battery of physical and magical combat training tests to see where they show the most aptitude and to focus their efforts. Then, they begin intensive training that can last years or longer, depending on their area of planned expertise. Those who train as warriors spend less of their time studying combat forms (as many have already learned them as children) and more learning the threats of the jungle, demons, and Dahak especially. Those who favor arcane combat experience a more melded method of learning, building on their skills as they learn the associated theory and lore to inexorably link their studies. While many pupils
focus on the martial arts, the academic knowledge base gained in their training often means the difference between unwittingly unleashing the evils they attempt to hold back and succeeding in their chosen duties. Almost all students continue that education independently in some form—perhaps by training or learning under an expert from outside the Ekujae clans or finding a master among their people. Those who decide to learn magic trend toward divine or primal magic, supporting and healing warriors both in and out of battle, and they amass as much knowledge as they can about their foes until it becomes rote. Few specialize in other types of magic and even fewer look to combine magical and martial combat, but those who do are considered among the most formidable.
Those who prove themselves capable in their training are given one final test of skill: to accompany a keledi on a mission, usually one that shouldn’t prove lethal but can still test the trainee’s capabilities. On returning from this mission, the keledi determines if the student will be capable of standing on their own. As time passes, many Ekujae return to the Circles to refine their skills, learn more, and mentor those who enter training after them.
One of the few parts of the Circles that the Ekujae consistently allow outsiders to access is the modest library. This library was built when Ekujae on their Awari riri, a journey of self-discovery many Ekujae take before entering the Circles, returned home with books and scrolls as well as blank vellum and the means to record their knowledge. Together, these materials make a hyper-focused collection on the assorted evils of the world and the potential ways to thwart them, rivaling those in Absalom and Buyisela. When Ekujae need to delve deeply into the subjects of the occult and demonic, they often reluctantly turn to the Alijae, ceding that their fellow Mualijae are far more knowledgeable while still holding a deep distaste for how wantonly they steep themselves in the evils of this world.
IJO
Ijo was established when many families of assorted clans watching over especially dangerous areas worried for the well-being of their children. Coming together, they established a settlement deeper in the jungle and secured it within simple access of several other settlements. An easily defensible group of homes comprises most of Ijo; their ownership often rotates, depending on who needs them most. The settlement also has spaces where the efforts of raising children can be spread across the community, allowing warriors needed elsewhere within the Expanse to leave their loved ones with those they explicitly trust. Ijo is one of the few spaces that Ekujae refuse to allow outsiders to access in any way, turning travelers who need aid toward any of the nearby settlements or moving them discretely away before disappearing into trees to leave them lost.
Most of Ijo’s population would be considered civilians by other cultures: those who do small-scale farming, trading, crafting, and study, collectively dedicating time to care and education where others can’t. While Ijo is relatively unique in its purpose, a handful of other Ekujae settlements like it do exist elsewhere, including a settlement of elders who don’t act as mentors at the Circles.
ADE CARO
CN | MALE | HALF-ELF | SORCERER 9
Ade, short for Adebayo, grew up in Absalom with his human father, an infamous sorcerer named Itri Caro who hailed from the Shackles. Well-known for his womanizing, Itri charmed his way into the life of Unathi, a gifted dagger fighter and daughter of the Ekujae Lion Clan’s matron. Unathi saw only the best in Itri, though the rest of the clan eyed him cautiously. The most wary of all was Thandi, an Ekujae who had hoped to prove and profess her love to Unathi before Itri’s arrival.
Eventually, Itri decided to leave as he felt the call to adventure once more. A very young Ade, already beginning to show signs of magical ability unlike any other child around him, surprised the clan by leaving with his father. Coming into his divine powers as a sorcerer, he quickly became an asset to any crew that could put up with his constant jokes—along with the trouble that followed him just as it did his father. He spent much of his young adult life experiencing the pirating tales his father had told him during his childhood, all the while employing some of the combat tactics he learned from when he still lived in Ibori with his mother. Though life was often harder than expected, Ade coped and helped others with his snappy wit and easy good humor; he met any dire situation with a quip that almost always broke the tension.
Ade made a small name for himself out in the world before very suddenly returning to the settlement of his birth. Some whispered that he did so due to suddenly losing his father in a raid, while other rumors chalked it up to some compulsion or magic of the Ekujae or even of the Mwangi Expanse itself. Though Ade will probably never give a straight answer about why, in truth, Unathi asked if he would lend his magic abilities to the clan and attend her joining with Thandi. Homesickness drove Ade to drop everything and return without notice to anyone.
After parting ways with some of his friends and acquaintances in Vidrian and setting sail for home with a small crew, Ade slowly made his way inland to Ibori. Exactly what happened on this journey and who accompanied him aren’t matters he talks about, to the concern of his family. Whatever occurred obviously weighs on him heavily, as he endlessly deflects and distracts if talk of his journey comes up. When Ade finally arrived in Ibori, he was wounded and on the edge of exhaustion. The physical wounds were a simple matter, but the psychological ones seemed much deeper and much harder to treat. Returning to his old coping methods, Ade hid his pain with humor, though some in Ibori have seen him staring off into the jungle with fear and determination.
When willing adventurers come to Ibori, Ade quickly tries to get on their good side in hopes that, once they finish with whatever business brought them there, those adventurers might be willing to go on “a quick little mission” with him into the jungle. According to him, his brothers are lost in the wilds, and Ade needs assistance to find and rescue them. Their exact locations and the circumstances around what happened seems to change and morph with each prospective group and telling: Ade’s brothers had fallen prey to bilokos and are being held as hostages and pantry stock; or they’re soon to be sacrificed by charau-ka in Usaro as a blood offering to Angazhan; or sabosans dragged them off in the night. If asked about it, Unathi and Thandi tell that Ade has no siblings or even half-siblings that they know of, at least none who are Ekujae. Those who have asked Ade’s crew in Vidrian find them unsure if Ade’s brothers might be Itri’s other children—given Itri’s past behavior, rumor has it that anyone in the Shackles could be related. Ade himself, when asked, falters over the answer as if unable to give one. Whatever the source and truth of his strange request, none of the groups that have offered their aid have found whatever Ade is searching for.
KALLIJAE
In the philosophical schism that fractured Mualijae elves, those who became Kallijae felt that the long-prophesied “ancient evil” they needed to guard against resided within themselves. These elves believed their longevity could foster a disconnect with the world around them in the wake of Earthfall, leading to a callous sense of superiority. It had the potential to push them on a slow but inevitable trajectory where they could become susceptible to evil purely because they could no longer recognize it as evil. This behavior had been observed in others within the Mwangi Expanse, and some Mualijae realized they were just as corruptible as anyone else—perhaps even more so, considering their long lifespans. Measures would need to be taken to protect themselves and thus the world from the potential evil that could be unleashed through neglect of duty and lack of discipline.
The elves who left to better understand and suppress their so-called “natural” inclination toward superiority complexes and callousness, who feared their people could easily become what they fought against, came to be known as Kallijae. Though they originally split off from Mualijae elves in great numbers, their population has slowly dwindled over time due to the constant conflict against the evil forces they oppose. In particular, the charau-ka of Usaro under Angazhan’s influence have proven persistent enemies. HISTORY Though grim, the history of the Kallijae elves began with lofty promise. They wanted to not only fight against the ills of the world but recognize it within themselves, lest they fall prey to it. To that end, they decided to settle in self-isolation near the vicinity of Usaro. The location served a twofold purpose: there, they would always have a ready reminder of their potential fate in the form of Angazhan and his cruel charau-ka, and they could actively combat that evil.
First, they established a moving base of operations just outside of Usaro which they named First Stand. Armed with a deep understanding of themselves, along with rigorous physical training, they began their first wave of assaults on Usaro. What followed was, and continues to be, a slow war of attrition on both sides. Kallijae fight with guerrilla tactics, whereas charau-ka wage full-frontal assaults, most often against First Stand, wherever it’s situated. First Stand has been destroyed and rebuilt so often that most Kallijae now keep only a few material possessions.
Their own history is mostly preserved through oral traditions, along with some outsider recordings from a few Alijae archivists who view it as an extension of their duties. Many Kallijae would later regret their opening offensive against Usaro, coming to view it as an unmitigated failure resulting in far too many injuries and casualties. Forced to fall back, the elves retreated to a mist-shrouded island they deemed Haven, establishing that the location was safe; or, at least, safe enough. Upon building settlements there, they discovered that several nearby tarns—still and clear waters in circular pools—made exceptional foci for meditation. Though meditation had previously been little practiced among Mualijae elves, many who became Kallijae began to use it as a method of gaining a deeper self-understanding and gathering energy to steel themselves for their fight against evil. It also became a chance to reflect on their potentially corruptible nature and suppress any selfish impulse to the best of their abilities. Over time, they slowly created an entire system that partnered quiet self-reflection with physical betterment, building more retreats with further methods of focusing inward to find and stamp out any potential corruption lying within.
Despite the constant threat of destruction to their settlements, Kallijae continue to hone their minds and bodies so they can deal with any threats that may arise. At times, this has backfired as some Kallijae found themselves drawn in by the very evil and corruption they seek to hold back. These regrettable incidents are never seen as a refutation of their philosophy, simply as further proof that they are just as susceptible to the corruptions of the world as anybody else. And so, Kallijae continue to improve themselves and the world around them.
APPEARANCE
Kallijae elves tend to have very dark skin and long, densely coiled black hair. To an outsider, a Kallijae might almost appear mundane when compared to an Ekujae wearing assorted bright metals or an Alijae proudly donning their prominent magical masks. While their fabrics may feature bright colors, this is only because many natural dyes made in the Expanse are especially vibrant. Kallijae are also known for wearing gems as foci for their minds and meditations and for the subtle scarification marks on their faces that represent their cultural history.
Though not a codified belief among Kallijae, many of them feel that gaudy jewelry, bright trinkets, and other outward signs of wealth should be shunned, despite their own use of foci gems. Kallijae own very few expensive possessions, and these are usually family heirlooms. Exceptions are made for magical items of protection, objects to help one better blend in during their endless conflict against the world’s evils, and trinkets that can be sold or traded in emergencies. Even then, most Kallijae avoid purchasing opulent jewelry, as this is seen as an invitation to either be consumed by avarice or become a tempting target for one already in greed’s clutches. Any riches a Kallijae possesses should be easily carried and easily hidden.
WOVEN HAIR
Elaborate long braids, coils, and dread styles are Kallijae elves’ most visible concession to vanity, though they’re often much more functional than they first seem. To carry as much on their person as possible, should the need to travel quickly arise, Kallijae can braid their most prized possessions into their hair. These possessions are often small, of little value to anyone not part of a family or community, and lovingly handed down through generations or from mentor to mentee. Usually, these keepsakes are only removed and shown to others when a deep bond and trust is formed. Those rare Kallijae spotted outside the Mwangi Expanse might also use their hair to safely store important items such as documents, coins, and tinctures.
As such, Kallijae hairstyles tend to be elaborately woven patterns that support weight while also cushioning the head. Depending on what is stored within their braids or dreads, styles can range from massive and elaborate or thin and extremely functional.
Crafting these hairstyles is one of the arts Kallijae are most known for, sometimes taking hours to braid, dread, or maintain a single elf’s head of hair. These braids and dreads are often extremely thin to give them more potential versatility in wear. The wearer’s hair must be grown extremely long to allow for more to be held and the woven “basket” to be sturdier. Wooden beads are used strategically to help strengthen the pattern, some passed down in a family, in themselves keepsakes.
SOCIETY
The organizational structure that serves as the backbone of the rigid Kallijae society is often considered esoteric and incomprehensible to outsiders. To be a part of a Kallijae community, one must adhere to strict rules and regulations. First and foremost, Kallijae must keep themselves pure, a concept that’s often misunderstood. The “purity” that Kallijae hold in such high esteem is a freedom from the things which so often plague mortal souls and drag them down the various corrupting paths: non-communal material wealth, jealousy, vanity, and anything else that could distract from one’s duty and purpose. This requires daily strengthening and conditioning, meditation, academic study, and a balanced diet of food to help form one’s body into a cleansed vessel.
Those Kallijae most capable of mastering themselves in all respects come together to form a council of six, who make all overarching decisions for their communities and lead the raids on Usaro and other sites Kallijae stand against. While this council does not have a formal name—titles and prestige being another temptation that Kallijae eschew—all Kallijae acknowledge their wisdom and authority as those who are most exemplary of what it means to be Kallijae. However, the council is not infallible, and this too must be acknowledged. Its bylaws state that should any decisions come to a split vote, the council must listen to their youngest acolyte with the ability to understand the choice at hand. Though wisdom comes with age and effort, youth and naivety may also hold a clarity that can reveal paths once obscured. When age fails to make a decision, youth must be what provides insight.
Beyond the council, the hierarchy of authority slowly descends from lesser masters to mentors to trainees to acolytes and finally those not part of their semi-militaristic order. Generally, those outside of the power structure are those who cannot fight, such as the injured, elders who have lived extremely long lives, or parents of incredibly young children. This preparedness and over-planning trickles into the everyday life of Kallijae culture.
FAITH
To Kallijae elves, the gods are just as fallible and corruptible as any mortal. Like mortals, they experience fear,hate, jealousy, and all the other emotions that make one susceptible to evil. Those emotions and vulnerabilities can be passed on to their followers, disseminating across massive swathes of worshippers. Rather than open themselves up to such a vulnerability, the Kallijae observe no gods.
Instead, those who have displayed knowledge, competence, and mastery of themselves are venerated for their expertise and referred to as onyukayo. These are typically living elders who have become beloved mentors to subsequent generations, but anyone who shows aptitude and demonstrates the exemplary self-composure taught by the Kallijae may become one of the esteemed onyukayo. Often, those who leave settlements to travel on far-flung adventures return to find their status elevated.
However, Kallijae are careful to never elevate someone to godlike status, as this has the same pitfalls as worshipping and following gods. Even so, some still fall prey to the allure of having someone so lionized walking among them, morphing into quiet cults that lurk at the fringes of their society.
Kallijae believe their bodies to be parts forming a whole: mind, eyes, mouth, heart, hands, core, and feet. Periodically, the body must be completely cleansed in a ritual called the Unburdening. Outsiders who have taken part in this ritual or witnessed it being performed often describe it as prayer in a different form, though Kallijae do not direct this prayer to any divine listener. They also claim the Kallijae concept of the mind and heart as akin to the soul, but Kallijae themselves say this is inaccurate. The mind and heart are not separate from the rest of the body. All parts are necessary and must be faithfully tended to form a functional whole.
CULTURE
Since parting ways from their Mualijae forebears, Kallijae elves have striven to achieve these overarching goals: to understand the nature of evil, identify it within themselves, suppress or eliminate it, and suppress or eliminate it in others. This takes many forms: meditation, the Unburdening, reflection through oral tradition, and vigilance.
MEDITATION & SELF-REFLECTION
To this end, Kallijae have developed several methods of meditation and introspection. Some are mundane, based on controlling breath and focusing on points within the body to clear one’s thoughts. Some use an outer focus to bolster one’s effort and lighten the load, such as foci gems or the pools of Haven. Others draw on primal magic to enhance the effects of meditation, such as the Unburdening.
The various methods of meditation are one of the few practices Kallijae are willing to share with others, one way of lessening the spread of evils beyond where they’ve settled. When outsiders come to a Kallijae settlement seeking guidance, they are happily taken through the Unburdening and then trained just as a young Kallijae might be, as if they know nothing.
THE UNBURDENING
When one’s journeys and deeds begin to weigh heavily and slow one down, Kallijae believe all parts of the body must be thoroughly cleansed, purified, and re-centered in a ritual known as the Unburdening. This ritual can be performed as originally intended on the island of Haven, but any who cannot make the journey may use a spring-fed or freshwater pool. For the Unburdening to truly be effective, these are the steps that must be followed. First, one must reflect on what has been done with each part being cleaned, to acknowledge what one has been through between this Unburdening and the last. Next, one must assess those deeds and forgive any regrets while reveling in any that bring joy. Finally, all these memories are kept close and any lessons to be learned held closer. The last part washed is always the scalp and hair as the memories are given a place in the mind. This ritual is always completed after long journeys or at least once a year on one’s birthday, representing and acknowledging the journey of that year.
ORAL TRADITION
Kallijae put their trust in knowledge, stories, and skills that can be handed down through generations. Though outsiders may view reliance on such methods as short-sighted, it is has kept the Kallijae traditions alive despite the seemingly never-ending destruction of their settlements. While books can burn and buildings can crumble, words passed ear to ear continue so long as someone listens. Though other scholars might fear the corruption of information that can result from such a practice, a trained Kallijae storyteller possesses a memory that some might consider supernatural in its precision. Key repeated phrases and other mnemonic aids feature prominently in Kallijae stories, but much of their accuracy results the dedication and discipline of Kallijae historians.
Rather than keeping extensive records as Alijae loremasters do, Kallijae preserve their history through oral tales told by elders and those who will listen to them and remember. Lighthearted stories are frequently passed around after meals and sober tales of their history solemnly recited at key points each year. All skills and knowledge are passed person to person, be it by family or community mentors.
CRUCIBLE OF THE HEART
To learn firsthand what exists in the outside world as they come of age, all Kallijae must make a Crucible of the Heart. For this, they must journey for several years away from any Kallijae settlements to test their will and perseverance against all that the world has to offer, and bring back reconnaissance. This test serves as a rite of passage that must be passed to understand the struggle they will endure their entire lives. Though Kallijae primarily focus on the threat Angazhan poses, many other ills exist in the world and may exacerbate that threat. As young Kallijae leave, they take nothing with them aside from the clothes they wear and what they know. They must earn everything else for themselves, including food and shelter.
Many on this journey simply travel to the further edges of the Mwangi Expanse, preferring to remain around those who at least nominally look like themselves as a comfort. Such Crucibles are often shorter, more like apprenticeships than journeys of introspection, where one learns firsthand new techniques and who their potential allies and enemies are within the Expanse. Others, however, find themselves much further afield, potentially even as far as the Lands of the Linnorm Kings and Numeria. These travelers tend to be those who fell in love with tales of adventurers and wish to become like them, adding to the collection of oral knowledge to be handed down for generations.
HALF-ELVES
Another word for Kallijae half-elves is umanyano, symbolic of the bridge and potential unity with others they represent. To full elves and significantly older Kallijae, umanyano often seem like the only way of understanding and staying in touch with a rapidly changing world. How can one hope to suppress the evils of the world if they cannot know and understand them fully?
A Kallijae half-elf raised within Kallijae culture will train especially hard in meditative practices before taking their Crucible of the Heart with the Alijae in Nagisa as a two-fold test: they must resist the temptations of power that most Kallijae believe Alijae elves drown themselves in, as well as learn the full history of their people to understand all that has come before. After a period that can last as long as several years, they return home to cleanse their spirit before going back out into the world in search of practices that can improve their meditative and cleansing habits, along with anything else that may aid their people. At times, these explorations may result in sowing deep distrust in their communities for outsiders, particularly those hailing from the Cheliax Empire and pirates from the Shackles.
Kallijae half-elves raised outside of their culture are asked to perform the same duties should they become part of a settlement, but may tragically be used as object lessons rather than proverbial bridges: they are examples of what the ills of the world can heap onto a soul, rather than a bridge between cultures.
RELATIONS
Many outsiders consider Kallijae elves to be strange but ultimately trustworthy, if only because of their strict discipline and calm self-control. Their focus and self-knowledge often makes them a cool head in any crisis. Most adventuring parties from within the Expanse are glad to invite a Kallijae member with them as an anchoring force. Those from outside the Expanse tend to view Kallijae elves with curiosity and bewilderment: a seemingly rigid and emotionless group in a sea of peoples who wear their hearts on their colorful and well-appointed sleeves.
The Kallijae belief in the fallibility of gods often attracts questions from those raised in more reverent societies, with inquiries ranging from innocent to aggressive—but, as Kallijae have little rancor toward the faithful and little interest in debating them, they tend to be accepted and appreciated by all but the most militant theists. These views can attract more positive attention from residents of Rahadoum, who have been primed to consider Kallijae elves as philosophical allies. However, Kallijae generally find belligerent atheism distasteful, which often leads to disappointment during these meetings. Nevertheless Rahadoum remains a popular nation for undertaking the Crucible of the Heart, and the Rahadoumi usually welcome these visitors, as they’re intrigued by Kallijae meditation techniques and non-religious rituals.
For their part, Kallijae tend to be suspicious of everyone, watching and waiting for potential descent into villainy—not because they view outsiders as inherently evil, but because the world contains so much unchecked corruption. Alijae steep themselves in it with their otherworldly deals, and Ekujae flirt with it in their self-adornments. While they still wish to redeem their Mualijae cousins, most Kallijae despair it may never come to pass. Many others within the Expanse and beyond are seen are seen as lost, but no single individual is beyond helping.
KALLIJAE SETTLEMENTS
Kallijae settlements are conclaves on the small islands dotting Lake Ocota, clustered mostly to the north and northeast of Usaro. These sites are hard to find and even harder to gain access to, with heavy defenses and constant patrols to ensure they have not been ferreted out by the charau-ka. The largest of these by far is Haven, the shrouded island near the center of Lake Ocota where the Kallijae first found the peace needed for introspection. Rivaling it in size is Bere Nibi, where the skills to fight battles both within and without are learned and honed. Most other settlements are simply temporary fallback points and hidden nooks for when attacks from Usaro become too much for the larger, more obvious sites. However, these mostly stand empty and unused, little more than space for a handful of people, with a few weeks’ worth of food and a place for meditation and training.
The architecture of these settlements is simple and almost brutal in appearance, built to withstand attacks and sieges, then get rebuilt or repaired as needed. Kallijae elves care little for external aesthetics. Why bother when their efforts are so often destroyed? When decorating internal spaces, they prefer to use impermanent methods that can easily be changed or replaced and often serve more utilitarian needs. Tapestries woven from grasses that change colors as they dry and indoor courtyard “gardens” made of fast-growing plants surrounded by rocks of varying sizes are common features, both because of how easily they can be replaced and their roles as potential methods of focusing the mind.
The most common structural connections between Kallijae buildings are their unadorned use of the most readily available and structurally sound materials, usually hard woods and baked bricks built to form low and very angular buildings with drab colors. While no one cultivates plants around these buildings, any flora that naturally occur and pose no threat are allowed to flourish and only pruned as needed. Many such buildings are located in valleys, near canyons, or by waterfalls and cliffs, with these natural barriers used to aid Kallijae defenses.
While Kallijae view outsiders as potential allies in their endless crusade, they still are not Kallijae and thus only privy to select parts of their culture, settlements, and homes. For instance, unless someone is completely trusted, they are not allowed within a family’s most private spaces: bedrooms and wherever meditation occurs. Even those Kallijae who are on adventures and roughing it in the wilds of Golarion become incredibly defensive about intrusions into their sleeping spaces, even if that intrusion is unavoidable. Befouling the air of these spaces with the impurities of those who have not been trained can change and alter any meditation that may occur before the space can be properly cleansed.
All the Kallijae settlements at Lake Ocota are kept under tight and constant surveillance, though most patrols take great pains to keep themselves concealed and move silently through the trees in an effort not to lead enemies to their midst. All Kallijae activity in the area is regimented under a strict schedule, which might change at a moment’s notice if threats are spotted in the region.
HAVEN
The island that eventually became Haven was discovered largely by accident. A harrying party in full retreat was forced farther out onto Lake Ocota than most were willing to venture. Quickly lost in the fog that radiates from the center of the lake, they were eventually grounded on the shores of what turned out to be a large island. While the fog made for sufficient cover as they tended their wounds, it also meant they would be unable to see anyone approach. Despite spending days on the island, no one ever dared come close to them: neither the charau-ka nor any other aggressive predator lurking within the lake. Using the fog once more, the harrying party regrouped with the other Kallijae and reported their findings.
So began Haven’s life, a place of retreat and recuperation for the injured. As their foremost base of operations is always called First Stand, so Haven is sometimes deemed Last Stand. With the discovery of the ground-fed reflective pools and hot springs within the island cave systems, it expanded to become one of the few Kallijae settlements that allows outsiders, as well as the most fiercely protected. Should an outsider manage to make their way to Haven and prove themselves trustworthy, they are allowed admittance.
Like all Kallijae holding points, permanent or temporary, Haven is designed around defending its people. Nonessential buildings make up the outermost structures, built with dense walls and crowded close together with barriers between each. This shortens the time to build defenses while securing away goods and non-combatants in times of duress. These outer buildings are under constant repair and patrol, with no one able to slip in or out unnoticed. The outer buildings tend to be used as storage for weapons, drying and smoking houses for hunted and foraged foods, and stockpiles of little-used goods that may be useful for necessary trading such as maps, trinkets, and books.
Beyond the outer edges are homes, food and clothing storage, training areas, and open-air spaces for any cooking and crafting that needs to be done. While these buildings are not as densely packed as the outermost ring, they are still staggered to provide strategic cover should it be needed.
Finally, there are the healing and recuperative spaces, a series of semi-open rooms laid in a large circular pattern that rests above the underground cave system. This structure has been built in such a way that, as a last resort, it can be enclosed completely and allow those within to either retreat into the meandering springs beneath or teleport away if there are magic-users present.
Haven is currently also the occasional hiding place of the Altar of Angazhan, stolen by an ambitious Kallijae named Dayo. When hidden in Haven, it is held deep within the cave systems, a place few Kallijae wander due to the strange deep groaning that perpetually rumbles from underneath. Some fear that the very things that have always made the island defensible may be hiding dangerous secrets they will later pay a dire price for choosing to ignore.
BERE NIBI=
Rather than establishing a location on one of their Lake Ocota islands, the Kallijae council decided that the journey to their training grounds would be part of the challenge to become one of their warriors. Nestled precariously within the faraway Bandu Hills and never spoken of to outsiders, Bere Nibi is where Kallijae youth learn raw skills from their families and community, their young minds honed into the multifaceted supports of the Kallijae community and culture. Learning everything from basic field dressings and medicine, to foraging and hunting, to methods of meditation and hand-to-hand combat, attendees receive a wide, stable foundation of skills, then guided into whatever more advanced skills suits their abilities. On the rare occasions a pupil shows an affinity for a type of magic no current Kallijae master teaches, all present masters will meet and come to a consensus on the best course of action.
While the basic layout of Bere Nibi adheres to the defensive aesthetic of the other Kallijae settlements, there are a few key differences. First, the patrols of Bere Nibi are performed by the students currently in residence. The newest students take the least dangerous shifts, their responsibilities and the potential peril of their patrol growing as their skills and self-mastery grow in kind. If there are not enough students to fill out a patrol, guards will be summoned from available settlements. The distance from Lake Ocota and its ever-present dangers often makes both students and teachers lax in their duties—fortunately, this has yet to have any major consequences. Notably, while outsiders are not allowed within the complex’s fortifications, they are often permitted to loiter nearby in their own camps. Brave students often pester them for stories or training.
Second, the defensive structures of Bere Nibi have been modified to take greater advantage of the hills and their peaks, which allow for multiple high vantage points. While the majority of Kallijae structures tend to be a maximum of three stories, the towers of Bere Nibi are sometimes twice as high and soar up to spindly lookouts. Though used as a watchtower, it’s no secret that many students volunteer for tower duty just for the view. Some students challenge each other in races up the swaying stairs to the top while others spend an entire night there surrounded by the wailing winds on a dare.
The final difference between Bere Nibi and other Kallijae settlements is its permanence. Rather than being built with bricks that can crumble with time or whatever wood is most readily available, Bere Nibi’s buildings are stone held together with reinforced mortar. Because the training complex has never encountered a heavy attack, these walls have never been tested in combat.
But they have withstood the test of time and have never had to be rebuilt. Because of this, the native plants that grow over the normally bland walls have become a vibrant decoration in their own right. While Kallijae guardians say they encourage these plants to grow in ways that fortify the walls and strengthen their defenses, observers might notice that the care of these plants is almost artful and very conscious of its aesthetics.
DAYO HEARTSHAKER
LG | FEMALE | ELF | WARRIOR 11
The eldest of four children, Dayo developed a deep pride in her Kallijae heritage and her peoples’ mission to suppress the evils within themselves as well as the world. As a child, she helped her mother tend to many a wounded fighter at Haven, listening with rapt attention to their tales of battle as they recovered from their injuries. Whenever adventurers from far-flung locales would arrive, Dayo pestered them for a lesson in combat or an interesting story that could aid her down the road when facing off against a threat. Her appetite for perfection was voracious enough that it became a point of concern for elder masters in Haven. The reason Dayo felt such a deep drive to become the best was simple: she desired to honor the father she had only ever known through stories of his heroic forays into Usaro and valiant defenses of various settlements. These stories all stopped at the one where he was lost on one last quest deep into the city, his end goal unclear. Dayo’s constant hounding for stories was a childish attempt to coax someone into telling her why her father was gone.
Dayo took to training at Bere Nibi with a furious passion, working harder than anyone else and consistently asking for longer and more dangerous patrols. Whenever outsiders would find their way into the fortress, usually accompanying some terrified new student in the long journey to the Bandu Hills, she was the first to start asking them questions and the last to see them finally go as they struck out for somewhere new. It took years, but eventually a half-orc duelist by the name of Sitara Bladedancer arrived with no student in tow and was greeted like an old friend by a handful of the masters. Dayo sat rapt as Sitara spun her yarns, including a harrowing account of an unsuccessful trip deep into Usaro to steal the Altar of Angazhan with the help of a local Kallijae guide. Comparing the timelines and description from Sitara was enough to convince Dayo that this local guide was none other than her father, and she vowed to pick up where his last crusade left off. Her focus turned to something more akin to obsession, with training and missions only broken by intense study of Angazhan, the charau-ka, Usaro, and Lake Ocota. Where some saw an unrivaled dedication to the goals of the Kallijae people, others feared the ambition within Dayo could blossom if she continued down this path. For her part, Dayo focused on finding an adventuring party willing to delve into the city.
When one daring enough came along, a group of Matanji orcs and half-orcs including Sitara, she joined them without a second thought. This foray was successful, and together they stole the Altar of Angazhan in the tumult caused by the death of the Gorilla King as the charau-ka struggled to start the succession of the next king. The feat earned her the title Heartshaker from the Matanji, one that followed her when she returned home.
Refusing to leave the Altar in the hands of others for too long, Dayo has spent the last several years escorting it between various Matanji strongholds and Haven, to keep guard and cleanse herself of the taint she feels from the evil artifact amplifying the corrupted emotions within her own heart. What began as simply a twice-yearly journey home to see family, supplemented by routine daily meditation and training, has become a trek every few weeks. No matter where she is currently, Dayo searches for a group willing to take on the arduous task of discerning how to destroy the Altar permanently, before it can be reclaimed or before its influence can irrevocably change her for the worst.
MBE’KE
This is the story that Mbe’kes tell.
Long ago, dwarves marched upwards on a Quest for Sky. They saw many wondrous things on that march; temples and treasures, magics and mysteries. One group of dwarves, who would later become Mbe’kes, finally emerged in a sheltered valley.
They looked about the rocky sides of the valley, and they looked at the great blue thing above and mistook it for just one more cavern, if perhaps larger than most. Sages stroked their beards and engineers hefted their tools, and the dwarves set about breaching the vault of the sky. They climbed the tallest mountain in the land, braced the sky properly, and started digging. Dwarves, of course, can dig through anything, and so quite soon they broke through the sky into the Plane of Air.
The People of the Air were greatly surprised by these strangers. First a great hurricane-spirit tried to chase the dwarves away, but the dwarves had fought worse beneath the earth and were not cowed. Then a great djinni of the west wind offered the dwarves fine treasures to leave, but nothing matched the wonders the dwarves made themselves. Finally, a curious cloud dragon asked what in the seven stars above and the three stars below the dwarves were doing.
Once they understood their mistake, the dwarves descended back to Golarion and looked about the valley from which they’d emerged. They could most certainly make a home there, and did, and ever since Mbe’kes have been good friends with cloud dragons.
HISTORY
If one consults the histories, a different tale emerges. The proto-Mbe’ke dwarves were part of the same migration as others who followed the Quest for Sky. Like the dwarves of Dongun Hold, they traveled to the far southwest to establish an outpost, the Sky Citadel that would become known as Cloudspire. When they arrived, they found that the Terwa Uplands were already inhabited by a large clan of cloud dragons.
Details of that era have been lost, but scholars believe that the two groups initially clashed over territory and resources. Certainly, a suspicious number of the oldest Mbe’ke relics are made of dragon bone. In time, however, conflict gave way to stalemate, stalemate became an uneasy truce, truce turned to true peace, and peace at long last became partnership and integration.
Since about –2000 ar, Mbe’kes have lived alongside the cloud dragons in the Terwa Uplands, and by this point the partnership of the two species has become both tradition and ritual. Mbe’kes do not worship the dragons, but they respect them enormously, and cloud dragons have become one of the central symbols of Mbe’ke dwarven identity. Today, Mbe’kes have established settlements throughout the Uplands, farming, mining, crafting, and trading across Garund and Avistan. They still dwell in the Sky Citadel of Cloudspire, and they still maintain their alliance with the cloud dragons.
Aside from the quasi-mythical Quest for Sky, the most important event in Mbe’ke history is the War of Split Hearts (3841–3844 ar). High King Nkobe, the last scion of the Mbe’ke royal family, had always been notorious for his temper and suspicion. When his son died suddenly of disease, Nkobe’s fury and paranoia grew tenfold. Certain his son had been poisoned, the High King began to secretly lay plans and recruit minions. Then, in what became known as the Nine Days of Blood, thousands of dwarves were arrested by masked enforcers, dragged to the bridges of Cloudspire, and beheaded. The Wellspring, a deep pool below the city, ran crimson with gore.
A bloody civil war erupted, setting sibling against sibling, burning cities, and destroying mining halls. Both sides were evenly matched, and the tide only turned when a group of cloud dragons under the young Cykurarreot the Mist joined the rebels. Once the war was over, Nkobe and nearly all the royal family were dead, along with most of the Mbe’ke aristocracy. The modern Mbe’ke system of electoral kingship was founded in place of the shattered monarchy. Among Mbe’kes, Nkobe remains a byword for evil, mayhem, and cruelest tyranny.
More recently, the Corsair Wars (4607–4611 ar, 4695–4699 ar, 4718 ar–Present) have occupied Mbe’ke attention. Being a populous, urbanized realm, the Mbe’ke dwarves thrive on trade. Dwarven vessels carry wool, fine wares, and on rare occasions chests of gold up along the Garundi coastline to the ports of Western Avistan, bringing back hardwoods, textiles, and even silks or spices from Jalmeray and the anadi nation of Nurvatchta. The wealth of this cargo drew the eye of the Shackles’ pirates, and so a brutal struggle soon developed. The pirates would congregate in packs and take on the slow but heavily armed Mbe’ke merchantmen, and then scatter before a cloud dragon could come and shatter their hulls with breaths of lightning. Twice during the reign of Hurricane King Kerdak Bonefist did these irregular skirmishes grow into full-scale naval battles, with dozens of ships lost on both sides.
At first it seemed like Kerdak’s death would end the Corsair Wars, but it was not to be. In 4717 ar, the Chelaxian colony of Sargava declared independence and became the free nation of Vidrian. This ended Sargava’s protection payments to the Free Captains, and that in turn meant a surplus of pirates on the hunt for new prey. The Third Corsair War is shaping up to be the bloodiest yet, and support is growing among Mbe’kes to end the pirate threat once and for all, no matter the cost.
APPEARANCE
Mbe’kes are one of the Ergaksen peoples, or surface dwarves. The typical Mbe’ke dwarf has dark brown skin, usually of an umber shade, and black hair that is prone to forming tight, springy curls, though Mbe’kes often start going gray in early middle age. Eye color is usually dark brown, though gold and grey eyes are both reasonably common, and green is not unheard of. In comparison to other dwarves, Mbe’kes tend to be leaner of build, though by human standards they still seem quite stocky.
The easiest way to identify a Mbe’ke dwarf, however, is their cultural habit of shaving their beards and cropping their hair very close. Numerous noxious insects call the Terwa Uplands home, many of which might find a flowing dwarven beard to be a lovely nesting ground, and so Mbe’kes tend to go cleanshaven. This sometimes scandalizes visiting dwarves. All genders among the Mbe’ke dwarves tend to wear billowing pants, a loose shirt, and a kaftan: a belted robe with tight sleeves often worn open. Head scarves are popular, wrapped around the brow so as to leave the hair on the top of the head still visible; they tend to be brightly colored and embroidered, and are often the best fabric a Mbe’ke family has. Even the poorest farmer owns at least one strip of brilliant cloth to show that he still has pride as a dwarf. Clothing tends to be made from wool or linen, though more extravagant outfits can be made from imported silk, fine cashmere wool, or Ekujae bark cloth. Kaftans and headscarves are both heavily decorated with designs and patterns, often of dragons, lightning bolts, or other celestial symbols, and all Mbe’kes wear jewelry, even if just a few brass rings. For colors, Mbe’kes favor the warmer end of the spectrum, particularly rich reds and oranges, though they’re always interested in bright new clothing, and a crowd of well-to-do Mbe’kes risks inducing eyestrain in onlookers.
Mbe’kes have a particular fondness for amber, due to its association with electricity and therefore lightning and cloud dragons. They consider it the most fashionable and desirable of precious materials, all the more so as amber is rare in the Terwa Uplands and must be imported at great expense. They also use shed cloud dragon scales in decoration, as they’re common enough that even a relatively poor dwarf might have an amulet from a single scale; meanwhile, great judges and merchants wear armor or cloaks of dragon scale. The most precious Mbe’ke heirlooms, though, are carved from the cast-off horns of cloud dragons, and a dragon horn ring is many families’ dearest possession.
SOCIETY
The basic unit of Mbe’ke society is a fellowship, which is something like a guild and something like an electoral bloc. A fellowship consists of thirty to fifty dwarves, ostensibly all doing the same (or at least related) work. Thus, Cloudspire has the Copper Forge Fellowship, consisting of the copper- and bronze-workers of the city, while the South Simel Farmers’ Fellowship consists of farmers, millers, and anyone else who lives in the southern half of the Simel valley. In practice, fellowships also include retired members, apprentices, dependents, and the occasional odd souls who might not fit in elsewhere; the Copper Forge Fellowship includes the priest of Torag who blesses the forges. Of note, there is no requirement that one must be a dwarf to join a fellowship, and a modest number of humans and other folk live among Mbe’kes as equal citizens.
Fellowships have plenty of minor ceremonial or administrative roles, but by and large they perform three main duties. First, they bear responsibility for the health and welfare of their members and ensure that none of their people suffer from hunger or poverty. Fellowships rarely give out charity outside of emergencies, but Mbe’kes are endlessly creative in finding face-saving traditions and sinecures that allow everyone to receive what they need when they need it and allow everyone to feel they contribute, at least a little. Secondly, fellowships are responsible for raising troops in times of war, whether that means taking up arms themselves, hiring others, or providing some kind of vital war service such as weaponsmiths or mages. Finally, each fellowship selects a Speaker to attend the Assembly of Speakers.
The Assembly of Speakers is the Mbe’ke legislative body, and Speakers can and will argue for days on points of law and ritual. Voting is weighted according to how many soldiers the fellowship can raise in times of crisis, but even the most prosperous or militant fellowship is only first among equals. Among their other duties, Speakers also select the judges (who deal with disputes and crimes among the dwarves), sit in judgment about the gravest crimes themselves, and elect kings. A Mbe’ke king is simply the dwarf in charge of executive authority for a Mbe’ke community, however large or small.
The Assembly says what to do, and the king makes it happen, though kings also have the duty of leading their fellowship’s warriors in battle. The High King of Cloudspire is, in turn, chosen by the weighted votes of the Assembly of Kings, and acts as the ultimate executive and warleader of all Mbe’kes. Kings and High Kings alike typically serve for a decade or two at a time, and can be removed by their Assemblies for incompetence or signs of tyranny. Even centuries later, Mbe’kes fear another leader going down High King Nkobe’s path—and with good reason.
Cloud dragons occupy a peculiar place in Mbe’ke society. All but the youngest hatchlings are given the rights and honors of kings, welcomed into the Assembly of Kings, and treated with great respect and reverence. Dragons and dwarves come together at solstices and equinoxes in great, formal celebrations, rekindling millennia-old vows. At the same time, Mbe’kes remain aware of the difference between cloud dragons as symbols and cloud dragons as actual, flesh-and-blood creatures.
Cloud dragons are powerful, majestic beasts, avatars of destruction and glory. They are also fickle as cats, prone to flights of whimsy that can distract them for years, and as capable of wisdom or foolishness as any dwarf. Mbe’kes greatly respect their draconic allies, but they do make a point of ensuring that they can easily outvote them in any assembly that might arise. As cloud dragons often take little interest in mortal politics, this arrangement has suited both peoples reasonably well.
Several fellowships, chief among them the Dragon Wardens of Cloudspire, are tasked with serving the dragons and acting as dwarven envoys to their draconic allies. In practice, this means ensuring that the dragons have plenty of food and treasure for their hoard, while also coaxing cloud dragons into doing something useful on occasion. Younger dragons often patrol Mbe’ke territory for fun, swooping down to thoroughly ruin some raider or pirate’s day. Dragons are welcomed among Mbe’ke councils for their age and experience, and Cykurarreot the Mist (N female ancient cloud dragon 19), now old and withered, has been advising the Mbe’ke kingdom since the War of Split Hearts. The ancient dragon rarely talks, having little interest in the day-to-day affairs of dwarves, but she’s seen more crises and disasters than anyone else in the Uplands and provides a voice of calm when things are most dire. FAITH Mbe’kes worship the traditional dwarven pantheon with minor alterations. Torag rules as chief and first of the gods, and every Mbe’ke community will have at least a small shrine to the Creator. More unusually, Torag’s son, Grundinnar the Peacemaker, earns only slightly less reverence than his father, and is considered responsible for the Mbe’ke alliance with the dragons and for the success of their mercantile ventures. In recent years, worship of Angradd, traditionally a minor offshoot of Mbe’ke faith, has grown in popularity due to the Corsair Wars. Where Torag is restrained, defensive, cautious, the Forge-Fire is aggressive and quick to shed blood, seeking out and eliminating threats to the dwarven people. Sects dedicated to Angradd have sprung up across the Terwa Uplands and, though his faith is still not as strong as his brother’s, it grows swiftly.
Alongside traditional dwarven gods, the Mbe’ke dwarves venerate Gozreh as patron of wind and waves, and Uvuko (page 142) as lord of the sky and of dragons. Temples of Gozreh tend to be somber affairs among the Mbe’ke settlements, the god more respected than loved, but Uvuko is a very popular deity, especially among younger dwarves.
CULTURE
If one were to ask a Mbe’ke, they would say that their people are famed for three things: first, they are the most stubborn of all the dwarves; second, they are the mostargumentative of all the dwarves; and third, they have absolutely no sense of humor. This last will be said with a perfectly straight face.
While it’s hard to measure the stubbornness of Mbe’kes vis-à-vis other dwarves, they certainly boast a proud and vibrant tradition of debate, argumentation, and questioning. On the one hand, good-natured argument is seen as a pleasant way to pass the time. Mbe’kes will argue over food, weather, family history, politics, and quite nearly anything that can be imagined. On the other hand, they also view debate as a way to get to the truth of the matter. Mbe’kes believe that one should question everything, and that defending an intellectual position helps keep it from getting ossified and meaningless, though they usually know the difference between honest questions and bad-faith efforts.
Mbe’kes also have a very distinctive sense of humor, a fusion of the traditional dwarven dourness and the whimsicality of cloud dragons. They adore telling tall tales or surreal stories (called tangle-tales), but the particular trick is to relate the most bizarre, fantastic, or hilarious events while maintaining an absolutely straight face. The audience, in turn, strokes their chins and asks utterly serious questions, until the story is a tangle of absurdity and someone finally breaks out in giggles. If a Mbe’ke isn’t arguing, then they’re probably telling bizarre tangle-tales in hopes of making someone laugh. Another side benefit of this is that Mbe’kes make for fearsome gamblers, since they’ve learned the art of bluffing with a straight face since childhood.
Mbe’ke daily life revolves around work and fellowships. Mbe’kes firmly believe that one must contribute to the community, and so most everyone works in some fashion. Even those who cannot work for reasons of age or disability are given a small duty or role suited to their ability as a way to feel part of the community. Morning and midday meals are typically rather plain, some bread and vegetables, but after the day’s work is done there are large, communal meals with family or fellowship where news is read by the senior dwarf present or tangle-tales are told. Minor celebrations are common, and one of a fellowship’s key tasks is to organize an endless line of festivals, holy days, commemorations, and parties, so that some kind of feast happens every week or so.
RELATIONS
Being a mercantile people, Mbe’kes welcome strangers easily and often. Anyone who comes to the Terwa Uplands willing to work can find a place among them, and non-dwarves make up a sizable minority in the Mbe’ke realm. Humans are common, particularly Bekyar and Bonuwat, but one can find Kallijae elves, Song’o halflings, or even iruxis, Matanji orcs, or gnolls dwelling in Mbe’ke communities. As far as Mbe’kes are concerned, all of these people are also Mbe’ke, with all the same rights and responsibilities as native dwarves.
Nowhere is this clearer than with the Mbe’ke kobolds of the Terwa Uplands. Both ancestries venerate dragons, both live underground by preference, and both possess a strong work ethic, a love for crafting, and a certain militaristic streak. Friendly relations took several centuries and several wars, but these days kobolds make up a valued part of Mbe’ke society, with their own fellowships, clan daggers, kings, and votes in Mbe’ke affairs. The iruxis of the Sodden Lands, particularly those ruled by the aggressive Terwa Lords, are a different story altogether. While most Terwa Lords aim their attentions north towards the Sodden Lands, at least a few have taken to attacking the outlying Mbe’ke communities. Several Mbe’ke kings have raised troops to go after them, but while the dwarves are perfectly capable of crushing lizardfolk in the mountains, venturing into the sodden marshlands of the northern Terwa coast is unlikely to end well.
Most troublesome by far are the Free Captains of the Shackles. Since Sargava’s fall and Vidrian’s victory over the corsairs, pirate attacks on Mbe’ke shipping lanes have steadily increased. Traditionally, the Mbe’ke realm has held back from retaliatory attacks on Port Peril and other pirate towns, both because such military action would likely cost lives and treasure and because the ports are a convenient location for Mbe’kes to purchase back their stolen goods. Some Mbe’kes fear that razing the pirate towns would simply cause the raiders to move their operations somewhere less convenient. However, as the Corsair Wars continue to take their toll, the desire for final action is growing, and with it, the influence of hardliners such as King Thabsing Blood-Eye (page 71) and the Mage-King Khawu (N nonbinary dwarf sky sage 14).