Characters

[Detomah]

Cavolon Profile

Player Character Species: Cavolon

Brief Description: The Cavolon are eccentric Scientists that specialize in the mastery of plant life on Atriana. Plants are important resources for many aspects of life on Atriana and can be bred for a variety of purposes.

Personality Traits: Crafty. Paranoid. Calculating. Highly-educated. Secretive. Patient. Fragile. Methodical.

Physical Appearance: Averages 2 meters in height. They are the only Player-Character Species in Atriarch that is not bipedal. Instead, they have long, lean torsos connected to four tentacles, which the Cavolon use for locomotion. Their skin and eyes come in a variety of colors and often times will reflect their natural habitat.

Natural Abilities: Flexible and capable of articulating an expansive variety of movement. Can use tentacles in a whipping motion. Travel well in muddy or soupy terrain.

Unique Abilities: They have control of a vine-like tongue that extends outward from a tentacle. The tongue can stretch far beyond arms length and attach to certain materials at the other end. As long as the tentacle tongue is healthy, the Cavolon can travel by swinging from one tongue to another. Not all materials allow for attachment of the tentacle tongue. Cavolon can also use the tentacle tongue to attack a creature that is not within arm's reach.

Cavolon can quad wield (because you never know from which direction something will attack).

Eccentricities: Cavolon are fearful of anything they don't understand or can't control. They will relentlessly try to learn every single aspect of everything, and will not reveal their knowledge to other species unless it is absolutely necessary to seek their aid.

The Cavolon appear to be completely loyal to their own kind and this shows in their every action. Other species speculate that their loyalty is merely a symptom of their paranoia.

Cavolon are slow to make decisions. They take every aspect of a situation into account before acting. It is common for a major decision to span several generations. It takes so long for them to make a decision that the issue will many times no longer exist by the time the final one is made. Alternatively, Cavolon strategies and plans span many Salvod. Every Cavolon from generation to generation knows its responsibility in implementing its part of the plan.

Natural Habitat: Swamp.

Current Cavolon Leader: Atriarch Anon

Cavolon believe that the Cavolon Species as a whole is more important than each of them individually. Every act a single Cavolon makes is with consideration of how it will affect every other of their Species now and in the future. Their actions are always calculated and rarely reactionary.

Despite Cavolon's disdain for other species, they recognize the economic value of trade. Whenever the economic value is high enough or new knowledge is to be gained, a Cavolon will in fact tolerate interaction with other species. Cavolon who spend too much time traveling and living amongst the other species are many times looked upon suspiciously when they return. Therefore, when a Cavolon returns from a cross-continental journey, they will always bring many gifts of knowledge and trade to reaffirm that their intentions and thoughts while abroad remained loyal to the Cavolon Species.

Cavolon are educated in the extreme. From birth, they begin their lifelong learning process. After the basics of biotechnology are learned, a Cavolon is assigned to a lab where it will studies that lab's specialty then moves on to the next lab and so on. There is a lab in existence for every type of plant known to the Cavolon.

9 Types of Cavolon Labs:

Egra Labs - These labs specialize the in production nutrients, including: food for creatures, fertilizer for other plants, and temporary enhancements for the species.

Matos Labs - These labs focus on plants used for offense, including first-strike attacks and attacks that cause damage. They also include highly specialized labs, for example, plants used as traps designed for use in snowy terrain.

Telsh Labs - These labs focus on defense plants that disarm, slow, and that provide a means for escape.

Olva Labs - These labs specialize in plants designed for covert operations. Surveillance, subterfuge and sabotage tactics seem most practical to Cavolon thinking as they involve the least risk. They serve the self-preservation instinct which is so strong in a Cavolon.

Kuj Labs - These labs focus on influence, mind alteration, and hallucinogens.

Grenn Labs - These labs focus on creating materials used for construction of buildings, equipment, or items. There is currently a debate amongst the Cavolon whether to split these labs and create the Jerysh Labs specializing in building materials. The Eshlar have a contention with this.

Klora Labs - These labs focus on the production, collection, and transfer of energy for various uses.

Serrin Labs - These labs focus on item and equipment enhancements. For example, coatings that will harden surfaces.

Burra Labs - These labs focus on experimentation with crossbreeds. These labs will cross a plant of one type with that of another type.

Unconfirmed - Other species have heard of secret labs that span the planet. It is rumored that the Cavolon experiment not only on plants, but on creatures and other sentient species. No one has been able to document or confirm this.

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Eshlar Profile

Brief Description: The Eshlar are the Architects on Atriana. They embody the ideal characteristics which compel them to create the most beautiful, grand, and functional structures on Atriana. They do not begrudge sharing their knowledge. The Eshlar believe if they teach their architectural skills and philosophy to others, then the values of artistry and function will spread, making the other species at least somewhat tolerable for the Eshlar.

Personality Traits: Intelligent. Artistic. Focused. Persistent. Stubborn. Belligerent toward anyone who does not embrace their philosophy.

Physical Appearance: Averages 2.6 meters tall. An Eshlar's neck sinks into its chest, revealing its mouth when talking or looking around. Its skin is made up of thick, hard plates sitting upon connective tissue and membrane that is flexible.

Natural Abilities: Resilient. Strong. Slow moving.

Unique Abilities: Eshlar can transform their hands and arms into various tools used in construction and architecture. Also, Eshlar have two opposable thumbs which provide them with utter precision in artistry.

Eccentricities: Eshlar are perfectionists. Creating something without the perfect balance of beauty, function and grandeur would be considered absurd and a waste of time to an Eshlar. Therefore, when another species contracts an Eshlar to design a structure, they are not always prepared to deal with the Eshlar's artistic temperament. An Eshlar will constuct, demolish, construct, demolish, and reconstruct again and again until it is satisfied with the exact results.

A high-ranking Tyrusin Warrior once contracted a famous Eshlar Architect to design and construct a grand and impenetrable defensive wall around his new fortress. The Tyrusin was relieved to see the Eshlar complete the wall just as the Tyrusin's enemies marched over the hill prepared for battle. The Eshlar, oblivious to what was about to ensue, tore down the wall to begin again. It was not yet perfect. These types of occurrences are common.

Natural Habitat: Mountains. Canyons. Volcanoes.

Current Eshlar Leader: Atriarch Cromas

Government: Eshlar tend to avoid or eschew politics whenever possible. They'll naturally fall into a student-teacher hierarchy when creating a large communally-built project, with the project's designer directing and the most experienced leading. Most other things, they prefer to leave to the legendary Eshlar common sense. Anyone routinely seeking conflict with or taking advantage of other Eshlar is seen as overly-impulsive or strange. Of course there are sometimes conflicts, as well as decisions or long-term plans that need to be made and carried out. In these cases, a Council of elder Eshlar will begrudgingly leave their work for a time, think deeply about an issue, and make a ruling. Councils are also convened to judge architectural and other creative contests, which the Eshlar love to hold and participate in.

There are six officially recognized Architectural Schools: Metholo, Karin, Diseera, Nokk, Viliscent, Jerysh.

Metholo: The ornate style of the Metholo carries deep meaning to most Eshlar. The style most often utilized in the construction of religious and gubernatorial structures, Metholo utilizes cavernous spaces, decorative thorning, flying buttresses, inscribed scripture, and other grandiose fixtures. While seen as superfluous by some outsiders, every facet of construction has meaning to the Architects of Metholo. Every piece is commemorative or thought to imbue the structures with certain attributes. Some Metholo structures are entire history lessons wrought of stone. Disciplines of Metholo often involve space, displacement, and airflow.

Karin: The Karin has an emphasis on collective defense, with fortified and bulky structures, nestled together in precise order and most often walled in. Creators of massive fortresses, the Karin are great for all things civil defense. Even at their most spartan, though, the Karin cannot help but be aesthetically pleasing and tasteful. The Karin grew out of an environment in which they had to stave off monstrous predators, against which no single Eshlar could survive. They are also masters of siege engineering, and share a long-standing friendship with the Unarra.

Diseera: A focus on clever and innovative overall designs with an emphasis on visual curiosity sets the Diseera apart. Often bordering on optical illusion, the Diseera is an esoteric and secretive order, and only the most intelligent and well disciplined Eshlar can take formal training. Diseera enjoy working with light, elegant materials to create novel and functional features such as retractable fixtures, secret doors, and transforming rooms. Diseera strive to optimize all available space. Diseera are conscious of overall form and try to preserve harmony amongst their buildings, neighboring structures, and the surrounding geography. Having grown out of the Diseeran Folds, a region of thin, intersecting hills laced under and through with esoteric novel.

Nokk: Cliff dwellers and burrowers who carve structures from solid rock and coax living rock to grow to their will. The Nokk create great interconnected cities in this fashion. The Nokk school is a formal institution but the style is most often associated with the Nokk Eshlar, who are more tribal than their urban cousins. The focus is on communal living and clustered, hivelike town complexes. Though Nokk grew out of a region of mesas, canyons, caves. Violent weather conditions topside and rising and falling rivers and floodlands below gave the Nokk a narrow zone in which to evolve. They are experts at support, digging, and mining. Many master sculptors have grown out of the Nokk school. The Nokk have enjoyed a friendly relationship with he Tyrusin who are fans of this style of architecture.

Viliscent: Evolved from the western peninsulas, where rainstorms and monsoon conditions are a constant, the Viliscent school of architecture features domes, bubbles, and swooping curves. Nary a hard edge is to be found on a Viliscent structure. A major sub-discipline of the Viliscent school deals with suspension and support, and many of their buildings features interesting elevation schemes. Sometimes these support legs are shock-absorbent or even retractable. The common materials of the school are pearlescent or porous rock. Often the material is living coral, which the Viliscent master can grow as they wish. While all Viliscent structures are streamlined and have delicate aesthetics, they are surprisingly resilient. The Lokai as a whole are great admirers of the Viliscent school of architecture. They have befriended the leading architects of the school.

Jerysh: The Jerysh shun stone and are always seeking new and innovative materials with which to build or grow into structures. The Jerysh School comes from the great verdant plains of the interior Eshlar continent. They create more miserable failures than all the other schools combined, but when they do find a new innovative technique or material, it quickly becomes a standard, instantly adapted by the other five schools. The Jerysh practitioners have cultivated and maintained strong ties with the Cavolon, a mutually beneficial relationship.

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Lokai Profile

Brief Description: Lokai are Explorers. They have an infinite curiosity and drive to adventure, explore and collect. They take great pains to document and map the planet of Atriana. Their stature in Lokai society is directly related to the notoriety received for completing great journeys never before recorded.

Personality Traits: Curious, have a respect for the planet and environment, distracted, acquisitive, individualistic, single-minded, excellent storytellers, quick witted, industrious, aloof.

Physical Appearance: Averages 2 meters high without its shell and 2.25 meters high with its shell. The Lokai are thin and their skin tends to be a tough leather in shades of browns and sand. Shells come in a various shades and colors and are mostly protective. Eyes are typically shades of yellow, blue, green, brown, or white. Every Lokai owns a Lifestaff adorned with talismanic markings and decorum that details the Lokai's life Journey.

Natural Abilities: Have a keen survival instinct. Can adapt to nearly any weather or terrain. Move gracefully for long periods of time without tiring. Quick, agile, and precise in combat, but not very strong.

Unique Abilities: Can jump vertically several times its height. Have a symbiote under its shell that can temporarily detach and act as a scout or a third eye.

Eccentricities: The Lokai are rabid collectors of rare or unique artifacts that will bring them notoriety within their culture. Since there is little to no glory in buying these items, it is common for a Lokai to spend most of their life in search of unique artifacts. Since the Journey is where their focus lies, matters of state and politics are often left unattended. This leads to many conflicts and misunderstandings that are compounded by the Lokai's tendency to believe what they ignore will eventually go away.

Natural Habitat: Homeland is desert, hot and dry, but can make themselves at home in any climate or terrain.

Current Lokai Leader: Atriarch Afton

Although there is a very specific government and hierarchy in place for the Lokai, the culture of the Lokai affects it in a way as to make it more a tradition than a ruling body. The Lokai are obsessed with questing and the search and the journeys involved therein. They are single minded in this respect. Therefore, affairs of State and politics are often lost on the Lokai, who often seems aloof to other species. Stature in the Lokai culture is achieved through notoriety, not through politics. As a result, policy and management of the Lokai Atriarchy are effectively run by a special religious sect by the default fact that they are the only ones in a location long enough for these issues to be of concern. This sect is not a highly visible part of the culture.

It is rare for a Lokai to want to take over the leadership position, because there is practically not enough time to be concerned with it during the quest for notoriety.

Like the Tyrusin, the Lokai leadership is also passed down through the bloodline. The Lokai regard their lineage seriously. Notoriety is both personal and tied to lineage. Those who can trace their ancestry back to the famous historical siblings, (Mantar, Devar, Orescent, Gentar), receive a special designation on their staff. Lineage ties to other famous explorers are also honored by distinctive staff adornment.

The Loshan Kilar, Book of Journeys: Every Lokai knows the Loshan Kilar. From birth, Lokai are taught and trained according to the Loshan Kilar, lore that documents the famous "firsts." Whenever a Lokai discovers something new, charts a new land, or is a part of a significant event, the Lokai's travels are made a part of the Loshan Kilar. The Journey is named after the honored Lokai, and it is forever remembered for its contributions to Lokai culture.

Young Lokai are expected to show reverence and humility by retracing the steps of each of these Journeys to experience it as their ancestors and elders did. The greatest and most difficult notoriety achievable for a Lokai is to have its Journey made a part of the Loshan Kilar while still alive and actively exploring. Every Lokai after reliving the recorded Journeys begin a quest that no other has done in the hopes that they too will complete a Journey worthy of the Loshan Kilar.

Khanja, a Lifestaff: A personal staff, called a Khanja, is cut before you take your first journey, retired when it becomes full of symbols, or you make a major life change, and a new one cut and immediately inscribed with a sigil that lists the number of previous Khanjas which exist somewhere. Symbols are pictograms which stand for journeys taken -- a long and dangerous journey between three cities would have the sigils for those cities, linked, possibly with the sigil for a creature or species that were attacked or traded with along the way. It is tradition for a Lokai, who is welcomed you into a home when abroad for a meal or shelter to tell a story from its Lifestaff.

When an entirely new place of significance is discovered, a new sigil is created for the Khanja. The sigils are recorded and spread like a verbal virus by every single traveling Lokai, as are travel stories, so it's rare not to know which places have already been discovered and mapped.

It is an incredible dishonor to be exposed as having fiction or lies written on your Khanja. This happens so rarely that Khanjas have been accepted as evidence in murder investigations. And since Lokai travel so widely, and talk so much, it's regarded as impossible not to get caught. An offender caught lying on its Khanja would have it broken, and have to change names, towns, and probably professions before it would be allowed by society to cut a new one. The Lokai's old associates and family would regard him as shamefully dead.

There are museums of the Khanjas of famous historical Lokai, and some are also passed down from elder to spawn and kept in family homes. If there's no family, faction, or city that wants to host your Khanja when you die, then it's buried with you after being treated so it'll fossilize into rock.

They aren't diaries -- routine trips to run a trade route or fight a small conflict aren't usually recorded, unless something amazing happened there. Only very major events in the life of the Lokai are inscribed.

Old Lokai sometimes refer to a particularly impertinent or arrogant youngster as a 'barestaff.'

Khanjas (Lifestaves) simply aren't stolen or broken by Lokai. The theft of one would be regarded as something like murder. Lokai who have their homes burgled of every single possession down to the floor tiles can rest assured that their staves will be left untouched, or at least set safely aside

Professions: Traveling in a quest for notoriety can become expensive for most Lokai. Therefore, you will often find them providing services for other species, such as mapping locations, scouting for resources, or acting as guides. Traveling caravans of Lokai selling their wares and rare resources from distant locations are also common. In any Lokai city, the marketplace is certain to be a center for commerce and information. There are many skills and professions a Lokai can learn. Through their travels, they are exposed to many different cultures and ways of life. Variety is the spice of any Lokai's life.

"May you find what we seek."

- Lokai salutation

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Tyrusin Profile

Brief Description: The Tyrusin are Warriors. They believe they are born with the Life Energy of past Heroes, and when the War Cry is heard during the ascendance of Gentar, Moon of Frost, life is breathed into the Tyrusin and the Warrior emerges. A deeply rooted sense of responsibility compels the Tyrusin to honor the truth and glory of the Heroes by being true to a chosen Path.

Personality Traits: Valiant, intelligent, stubborn, courageous, intolerant, loyal, brutal.

Physical Appearance: Averages 3 meters in height. Eye colors are shades of black, blue, red, yellow, or gray. Fur colors are shades of white, gray, blue or black, sometimes braided for ceremonies. Elaborate adornments are often worn to convey the story of past exploits.

Natural Abilities: Posses great physical strength, keen eyesight, and are capable of very precise movements.

Unique Abilities: Can direct electrostatic energy. Can create ice formations from liquid stored in the body. With practice and study, these skills can be developed well beyond the basics. A skilled Tyrusin can direct lightening and create shields of ice that will deflect projectiles back at the attacker.

Eccentricities: Tyrusin are notorious for starting off in the weaker position in combat to prove their prowess. They will often accept challenges for which they are not equipped. Failure and much loss are often the result.

Tyrusin will accept any honorable challenge, no matter the odds of failure or success. If there is a wager on the challenge, a Tyrusin will often bet against itself as a sign of respect for its opponent. This custom has often made Tyrusin wealthy, since they tend to take on such difficult challenges. Challenges can range from first blood or throw, to first major piece taken in a tactical game, to fatal wounding.

Natural Habitat: Ice Plains, Snow, Cold, Glacial

Current Tyrusin Leader: Atriarch Xol

The Tyrusin Atriarchy is governed by Xol and is passed on through a royal lineage. It is both Xol's honor and burden in life to serve the Tyrusin as their leader. Xol's purpose was chosen For him. However, the rest of the species have the liberty to choose their Path of Purpose and align with a Warrior Caste.

Every Tyrusin will be schooled in the basics of combat, warfare, and weaponry.

The Tyrusin live by a Code of Honor when loosely translated means the Six-Sided Circle. It is the paradox of the Warrior's life... to walk a straight and narrow path while serving the Heroes. An honorable Warrior's life is a cycle. They embark upon their own great deeds, while embodying a living tribute to the Heroes of the past. Many times in a Warrior's life, there will be a personal and internal conflict in the choices. The goal of Warrior's life is to live the paradox perfectly and serve both without sacrifice of the other. This is what makes a Hero.

The Warrior's Code of Honor asserts that there is no glory in fighting battles in which the opponent is weaker. A Tyrusin will fight only when the odds are even or in favor of the opponent. Regardless of the strength of an opponent, the Warrior's Code of Honor would never permit a Tyrusin to outnumber its opponent. This is how a Warrior truly masters its skills.

Warrior Castes: The Six Paths of Purpose
Trinaath Caste (The Guardians)
Purpose: to protect those that cannot protect themselves. Members of this Caste typically hold professions as body Gards or private militia. It is common to hear of a lone rogue or band of travelers coming out of nowhere to protect the weak from an impending threat. This is often the Trinaath who are alert and highly skilled in all forms of single combat and weaponry.

Narym Caste (The Righteous)
Purpose: to seek new and better ways. The Warriors who join this Caste are inquisitive. They question everything. They invent, experiment and test alternative skills and echniques. They are highly experimental and will try new technologies and weapons. A member of this Caste might be found riding a creature that has never been seen efore on the Tyrusin Continent before recommending it to other Castes. The Narym will often study combat styles for which a use has not yet been determined.

Kahrik Caste (The Performers)
Purpose: to bring the great deeds of the Heroes to all of Atriana. The members of the Kahrik are a mixture of athletes, actors, and storytellers. Within the Tyrusin, the Kahrik caste carries a reminder of their history -- keeping the Code of Honor consistent through the centuries, and making sure the great deeds of past Heroes are remembered. There is an obvious entertainment value to that the Kahrik's purpose in honoring the deeds of the past Heroes through an entertainment venue. However, this Caste also serves an important role in spreading a message to the inhabitants of Atriana that a Warrior is not someone to cross. Athletes are skilled warriors and often showcase dangerous feats of skill and strength.

Lovek Caste (The Diplomats)
Purpose: to maintain political and economic ties with the other species. The Lovek are known for their non-combative mediation skills. Some Castes are friendly to the other Species and some are not. It is the job of the Lovek to maintain enough political peace so that economic trade is not disrupted. One of the more delicate balances is between the Tyrusin and the Unarra. A favorite Tyrusin mount is the rare Bulldra, a winged, two-headed creature, tamable only by the Unarra.

Haddron Caste (The Enforcers)
Purpose: to punish those who publicly denounce the Warrior's Code of Honor either by word or action and reward those who devoutly follow it. This Caste is respected and feared amongst the Tyrusin for a member of the Haddron is both judge and jury and can bestow a marks of honor or dishonor. Membership in the Haddron is by invitation only.

Onketh Caste (The Workers)
Purpose: to craft the items used by the Tyrusin. The Onketh believe that every piece of clothing, armor, or weapon they craft could find itself in use during a legendary event or a great deed. Therefore, every item is crafted as if it is to be used by a great Hero.

After contemplating a change, a Tyrusin can opt for a quest to change their Caste alignment. If a Tyrusin chooses not to a align with any Caste, then they will be considered a Student of Purpose and encouraged to travel the lands of Atriana to learn the skills and trades of the other Species and bring them back to the Tyrusin.

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Unarra

The Unarra are the beast lords. Unarra have an empathic link to the creatures of Atriana. Unarra prefer peace, but are fierce and swift fighters when necessary. They live in the forests where many of the beasts also live.

Unarra Profile coming Soon

In the meantime, read about the Tresed Death Ritual..

The Tresed and the Death Ritual

The Tresed of Unarra first formed many Salvod ago on the Lokai Continent. They played a significant role in helping the Lokai to win the Nine Currans War against Rey and the invading army of Tyrusin warriors. After their victory, the skills the Unarra used during the war became regarded as sacred, and others started to refer to them as "Tresed". When the Tresed returned to their home continent, they began their own subculture, living separately from the rest of the Unarra.

Today, the Tresed are a specialized population of the Unarra who train and tame creatures for non-combative purposes. They live by a creed that proclaims all life is sacred. All living things are connected by the web of life -- harming a living creature is doing harm to yourself. Nature is a cycle, of which natural death is a part. Any premature or senseless death is an interruption of the circle, and cause for sorrow. Therefore, the Tresed do not take part in combat nor training creatures for combat.

When a Tresed dies, a death ceremony takes place in a special grove. The ceremony is attended by members of an Unarra's faction, lineage and many of the beasts that it has tamed in its lifetime. The guests stand in two single-file lines, a distance apart, facing each other. The presiding Tresed directs the ceremony. It begins by commanding a beast of burden to carry out the corpse. The beast walks up the center aisle between the two lines of guests and lowers the body to the ground. Next, the Tresed summons a weaving creature to spin a cocoon around the corpse. The weaver crawls forward, also up the center aisle, and performs its task. When the cocoon is finished members of the Unarra's lineage may come forward to inspect it. The more multicolored the cocoon, the higher they consider its quality. Once the cocoon has been inspected, they offer water to the beast of burden and the weaver, then step back in line.

The Tresed then calls forward a third beast that is both enormous and tall. The Tresed feeds it a red leaf and uses hand signals to give it orders. The beast picks up the cocoon and hangs it on one of the trees in the grove. The deceased Unarra is assigned a specific branch, dependent on its lifetime accomplishments. Over the Currans, cocoons can be seen hanging and dropping from the special trees. A cocoon drops once the body inside has transformed.