Vemir Oldan

History

The city of Vemir Oldan was founded long ago, during the Age of Creation. It began as a small village with few settlers who had migrated from Myr, all Human. Initially, Lodis was hospitable and a veritable paridise. The island's inhabitants flourished until a day whose date has been lost to time, when a Wellspring eruption created an anomaly around the island of Lodis. The memory of this event has faded over time, as Humans tend to embellish stories, but there are still stories told of a calamity from thousands of years ago. The anomaly prevents anyone from approaching Lodis, as any who approach are turned away by a powerful geas which causes them to forget the island's existence. As a result, the Humans of Lodis have been isolated for thousands of years, and now have no memory or knowledge of the other races of Aellorah, besides a handful of "ghost stories" about what they call "Vespen" (night people) that kidnap misbehaving children. Little do they know, this is a distant memory of the Vesperkin.

In recent memory, another Wellspring anomaly changed Lodis forever when in 1,761 RK, the southern half of Lodis froze over, and what is known as Art Glomir ("the gloom") appeared. Art Glomir is a thick black mist blanketing the southern half of the island, and very few who have ventured into the mist have ever returned. There were a few smaller settlements throughout Lodis, but all were destroyed after the appearance of Art Glomir, by the creatures that dwell within it -- the Moshavemir. The Moshavemir have the appearance of wolves, but they are made of pure darkness, trailing wisps of inky smoke as they move. Any who dare set foot in Art Glomir will immediately draw the attention of the Moshavemir, who can sense all within the mist's boundaries. They have been known to mimic the voices of their victims in order to lure in those who have come to seek vengeance for their loved ones. And at night, the Moshavemir would emerge from Art Glomir to attack the city directly, barely being held off by the city's walls. The Humans had no way to harm them.

For years, the Moshavemir preyed upon the hapless denizens of Vemir Oldan, as the forest blanketed by Art Glomir is the only source of wood to build from and much of the island's wildlife, which the Moshavemir curiously ignore. However, in 1,778 RK, a Letheni merchant by the name of Galanthir Keldimar was shipwrecked while traveling to Gothir and washed up on the northern shores of Lodis, where he was discovered by a pair of Human hunters. He had managed to bypass the geas because he was unconscious, and the Humans had no idea what to make of them; they had never seen Letheni. As he led the hunters back to the city, it became dark and the hunters were terrified, not having torches; so Galanthir produced light with a simple cantrip, to the great astonishment of the hunters. Once he made his way to the city and explained his situation to the inhabitants of Vemir Oldan, they took him in and pampered him, believing him to be some sort of god, and he just never corrected them. Initially he thought they were just being hospitable, but by the time he realized that he was believed to be a deity, he had already partaken in a number of gifts offered to him that he was worried would anger them if they were to realize his deception. A religion quickly formed around Galanthir, emboldened by his display of light magic, which the locals saw as a miracle, as they had no knowledge of magic.

Imagine Galanthir's surprise when that small light, one of the only few cantrips he knew, would be the key to allowing the Humans to explore Art Glomir again. The mists of Art Glomir recede in response to magical light, even ones as weak as Galanthir was capable of producing, which allowed the Humans to enter the mists without drawing the attention of the Moshavemir. The light does not banish the Moshavemir, however, so encounters with them are still deadly. This revelation would solidify the belief that Galanthir was a god, and he was put in the position of god king. His followers were taught his magic, becoming known as Philuesten (roughly, "light bearers"), and use it to explore Art Glomir searching for the ruins of the settlements lost when Art Glomir appeared, though the Moshavemir have made it nearly impossible to reach them.

Government

Vemir Oldan was once a democratic system, with a very spiritual people. They thrived for years until the arrival of the Art Glomir. The city devolved into chaos when the Moshavemir began to descend upon it, and all sense of democracy gave way to anarchy as they tried to survive. They persisted this way for 17 long years until a Letheni by the name of Galanthir Keldimar arrived on the island, washed ashore from a shipwreck. The Humans had never seen Letheni before and took his strange appearance and ability to conjure light with magic as a sign that he was a god of some sort. To his credit, Galanthir initially attempted to deny these claims, refusing special treatment; but the Humans of Vemir Oldan were desperate for a solution to their problems, which his magic provided. They named him Ordunavazar ("god king") and instituted him as their ruler.

Galanthir had no idea how to handle the situation, being young by Letheni standards, not even 200 when he first arrived, so he eventually just accepted it. Besides, being Ordunavazar had its perks; drink, servants, women. But the fear of the people discovering the truth caused him to embrace the deception. While he could not convince his faithful of his mortal nature, especially given the extraordinary lifespan of his kind, he could try to make the best of the situation. He decided to return order to the city by spreading the teachings of Lys, hoping that this would offset the karma of his deception in her eyes. He began to teach a select few the ability to conjure light the way he could so they could protect themselves from the Moshavemir, but made it against his "doctrine" to use magic more advanced than this under the guise that other forms of magic were "heretical", when in reality he was just worried that if someone were to surpass him in his skill with magic, he would be exposed.

While Galanthir enjoyed the many luxuries afforded to his position, a complication arrived in 320 AE when a Wellspring eruption gave Letheni and Humans the ability to interbreed. Suddenly, the women who came to Galanthir's chambers at night were with child. Galanthir had no idea what to make of this, unaware of the events of the outside world, and in his mentally unwell state, this convinced him that something must be special about him if he could defy a restriction placed upon his kind by the gods themselves. Galanthir has become convinced that he was sent to Lodis to help the people, and fully accepted his role as Ordunavazar. His children have been revered, their mothers placed in special positions in the church. The Philuesten believe his children are the island's saviors, and will banish the Moshavemir forever.

Economy

Without contact with the outside world, Vemir Oldan is a self-sustaining community. The city does not use any form of currency, and each citizen is allotted food rations, and they supplement this with food they grow themselves using techniques Galanthir taught them, with trellis' running up the sides of homes and planters everywhere there is space for them. Without currency, the citizens of Vemir Oldan rely on trade to get the things they want. However, not everyone has something worth trading for the things they want or need, so they have established a system in which one can put out a request for something they need, and others can reply with what they will accept as payment, which usually takes the form of some task or menial labor that they wish done for them. The tasks assigned for this manner of bartering can vary wildly.

The materials that they have available to them are few. Fortunately, they had many years to explore the island and stockpile metal and stone, and have some access to the Deephollow to harvest more. But wood is at a premium, as the majority of the forested areas of Lodis lie within Art Glomir. The city's citizens do not venture far into the Deephollow, as with any other place on Aellorah, it harbors a number of terrifying creatures that they are not equipped to deal with, especially given their lack of ability to see in the dark unaided. The city has more than enough of the basic metals, such as iron and copper; but they have yet to discover any Flow-reactive metals.

Notable Locations

• Tenabithor - The temple of light, home of the Philuesten and of Galanthir Keldimar, is where the city's faithful gather to pray to Galanthir and receive his "blessings". It is also where Galanthir's "light bearers" are trained to use light magic. The temple is the largest building in all of Vemir Oldan and was constructed to house Galanthir. Carved from a combination of soapstone and granite, the temple is beautiful, and required considerable effort to assemble. Galanthir seemed incredibly uncomfortable about the prospect of its creation, but offered no arguments. The temple has a central prayer area with an altar and a copper idol made in Galanthir's likeness above it. Behind this are Galanthir's chambers and the chambers of the clergy.
• Padracosh - The "house of cleanliness", a public mixed bathhouse where residents go to bathe themselves. It is also used as a social bonding activity. There are strict rules to prevent harassment, with the punishment for vulgar behavior being thrown in a pile of dung and being banned from the bathhouse for a month; and multiple offenses can earn a lifetime ban. Guests must first scrub themselves clean before entering the main baths. The baths are heated by steam vents from deep underground.
• Paltos il Carn - The "arena of skill", where citizens go to watch athletes wrestle in tournaments held for the city's entertainment. The athletes wear nothing when wrestling, and may use any tactics to win. Though the point of the sport is not to harm your opponent, accidents do happen. The arena is a large dirt pit with stone seating surrounding it. The arena is also used to settle disputes between citizens as a way to prevent bloodshed. When two people come to the arena to settle their dispute, the winner claims the right to decide how the dispute is resolved.

Culture

The Humans of Lodis may share the same language as those of the outside world, but without the close integration of Vesperkin and Lynoxi into their society, their culture diverged in many ways; not to mention the environment they live in, which is nothing like the permanently temperate climate found in Myr. One noticeable difference is their culinary tastes; unlike their Myrian counterparts, they do not have much in the way of fruit, so the only sweetness found on Lodis is from honey, which is typically just used to brew mead. The original settlers brought many types of seeds with them from Myr, but half of them would not grow in Lodis' climate, so they made use of the native vegetables, which include turnips, rhubarb, and cabbage. Also, unlike their Myrian counterparts, they do not place much value in art, which is more the result of necessity than intention, as their harsh existence doesn't afford them the luxury of giving attention to anything but the essentials. Instead, the Humans of Lodis tend to value trade skills, such as blacksmithing, stonemasonry, and carpentry. Due to their lack of access to wood for building, many old homes constructed from wood long ago have fallen to ruin, giving rise to homes mostly built from stone, clay, and rope. What little wood they are able to recover from the forest is reserved for things like rope bridges and tools. Most buildings are a single story, much like those found in Myr.

Due to the lack of magic usage on Lodis, it has high levels of Flow, like the Rathmore Empire's territory in Myr. As a result, there are similar levels of spiritual activity as their homeland, but with the caveat that the spirits of Lodis are never hostile. This is due to their distance from the Wellsprings, which causes them to remain uncorrupted. The locals do not fear the spirits, and see them as a comfort; believing their forebears are there to guide them, often following spirits when sighted in the hopes that they'll lead them to something important. There are precious few who are able to commune with these spirits, and those are able are considered blessed. There are some who have claimed that some of these spirits have come from the lost settlements on the southern half of the island, searching for those who can reach them and lay them to rest.

The Humans have lost much knowledge of their origins, including their religion. The name Lekaris still has significance to them, though they are only vaguely aware of who she is. The arrival of Galanthir upset their religious beliefs even more, with many forgetting Lekaris completely in favor of this tangible figure of hope who, unlike Lekaris, actually provided them with a solution to some of their problems. The Philuesten, Galanthir's "light bearers", have become the dominant religion in Vemir Oldan, representing the hope he brought to their people. Priests of the Philuesten are taught how to use the magic Galanthir brought with him to conjure light. To sorcerers of the outside world, this would be literal child's play, but to the Humans of Lodis, it is a miracle. The high priests of the Philuesten only train a select few in the magic and send them out to use their magic to explore Art Glomir, searching for the source of the darkness in the hopes of snuffing it out forever. Unfortunately, they don't always return.

Defenses

The city is surrounded by thick stone walls, 20 feet high and 5 feet thick, which act as the first line of defense against the Moshavemir. The gates are made of solid wrought iron, as if there were any gaps, the Moshavemir could simply pass right through them. The gate is hoisted by long iron chains wrapped around winches with a quick release so that the gate can be quickly dropped if necessary. Galanthir has taken to honing his magic with his considerable time in order to find additional ways to protect the city. Though he was never formally trained, he managed to deduce how to make simple enchantments, and created what he calls "pylons" around the city which permanently shed light in order to prevent the Moshavemir from getting past the outer walls. The lights are adequate for keeping the Moshavemir away from the walls, as they will be banished if light is cast upon them, but unfortunately the "pylons" seem to cease functioning within Art Glomir, unlike the light conjured by a Philuesten. Unfortunately, Galanthir is far from a master enchanter, and they take him considerable time to create. These defenses are far from perfect, but have prevented the Humans of Lodis from being wiped out completely.

The city's standing militia consists of mostly the Philuesten employing blades enchanted with light, which are more symbolic than functional, as the light alone is enough to banish the Moshavemir. They cannot take these blades into Art Glomir, otherwise their light will be snuffed until they are outside of the mists. There are no other creatures on Lodis, so the Humans there never really needed to learn to fight, and as such are not well-trained.

Crime

There is not much crime to be seen in Vemir Oldan. Nearly everyone in the city is trying to make ends meet, so theft is the only crime that is prevalent, due to food scarcity. Galanthir has tried to curb this by asking the community to pool their food resources and take only what they need, but hunger is a powerful motivator. Perhaps the most unique crime that is unspoken, however, is practicing magic. The introduction of magic when Galanthir arrived stoked the fires of curiosity in many of the city's people, but Galanthir's light is not seen as magic, it is seen as a miracle. Those attempting to recreate it without Galanthir's blessing, especially if attempting to produce anything but light, are seen as heretics by the Philuesten. Those caught attempting to use magic are executed by the Philuesten as an example, putting them outside the gates at night to be devoured by the Moshavemir. Galanthir had nothing to do with the implementation of this policy, but has remained silent on the issue, presumably because he knows that if anyone were to discover magic is not a miracle, it would be a slippery slope towards revealing him.