Grey Marches

Also known as the Dead Sphere or Muerterra, the Grey Marches are under the Curse of Decay. Necrotic energy suffuses the the sphere, both decaying life, but also sustaining undeath. In this grey land the animate dead outnumber the living.

Regions

Little grows on the Grey Marches, and the most common biomes are fens, grasslands, and swamps. The notable features are the Necrowells, the expansive plains, and the two cities that surround the two Golden Paths. Rain and mist are constant features of the Grey Marches diminishing the sun and preventing Daylight from reaching the land.

The Grant Necropolis

Under the auspices of Muerana Deis and her Mueranites, the Grand Necropolis is an expansive settlement of catacombs, crypts, mausoleums, and tombs. Powerful individuals who who are uncertain about their place int the afterlife, want to continue existing as in the Mortal Realm after death, who want an expensive funerary rite, or wish to secure funerary offerings for use in the afterlife are entombed in a Grey Marches Necropolis. Constantly being built by the Mueranite Reliquarians the Grand Necropolis is always expanding or being built atop itself. While there are living priests and researchers inhabiting the Grand Necropolis, they are far outnumbered by animate dead laborers and the incorporeal dead.

Land of the Dead

Situated on one of the few mountain ranges on Grey Marches and known by Xibaukucha by it's inhabitants, it is a carefully crafted to replicate the city Kaywurkucha on Korvel to be the afterlife for the Ixeltapic dead, or Waq'ulel. Home of the Soulmage Academy, it is core to Ixeltapic religion and magic. Both Golden Paths that connect the Grey Marches and Korvel are situated on a similar mountain range, leading the Ixeltapi to consider the Grey Marches as shadow copy of Korvel. That combined with the animating magics that suffuse the Spheres, allow the Waq'ulel to continue their existence and influence the Mortal Realm as advisors to the living government on Korvel.

History

Founding of Xibaukucha

Natives of Korvel cast adrift by the Godswar discovered the Golden Paths to the Grey Marches. With the discovery of it's animating power, the Ixeltapi initially saw the Sphere as a path to immortality. As well, they drew the attention and revelation of Muerana Deis, or Xibauchilba among other gods. They built the city of Xibaukucha to reflect Kaywurkucha and Kaywurkucha was built to reflect Xibaukucha. As the twin cities developed the knowledge of the reasons of the founding were lost and was replaced by the belief that the Gray Marches are the afterlife.

Revelation of Wizardry

Discovered by the people of Baeon during The Isolation, experiments with the Necrowells and the revelation of Muerana Deis, the Grey Marches became the founding source of Wizardry. Experiments with the animating energies of the Sphere led to the belief that souls on the Grey Marches are protected from the Maelstrom between life and death.

Founding the Necropolis

As the revelation of the Grey March's protective power spread outside of Wizardry practitioners, more and more demand for interment spread. The attraction of life beyond death, even with the limits of being an incorporeal undead, drew powerful individuals who feared what lay beyond the Maelstrom to the Sphere.

Government

Bureaucracy of Death

The high priests of each Mueranite order collaborate to manage the lands around the Grand Necropolis and the concerns within it. While each order is ostensibly independent, priests move from order to order as they feel Muerana Deis directs them. While there are political machinations of the priests to jockey for authority within the Bureaucracy of Death, death is not a limitation so the political machinations tend to be social not violent. Because the Mueranites hold themself apart from mortal concerns they tend to avoid outside influence.

Xibaukucha Yachyuk

The government of Xibaukucha is made up of a council of deceased Priest Kings and other high status dead. There is not a formal roll of members, it is made up of whoever shows up. As shades age their interest and attention to worldly affairs diminish unless held together by a powerful will so the council members churn over the centuries. While the Yachyuk's deliberations are focused on advising the Priest King of Kaywurkucha, they also administer new construction and interment of the newly dead.

Religion

Ixeltap Ixatinasu

More than many other religions, the Ixatinasu is the center of Ixeltap society. All aspects of their life is tied in directly with one of the gods or in preparation for the afterlife. Priests Kings rule the society, the living dead act share their wisdom, and the priesthood is made up of Soulmages. Preparing for their afterlife is foremost in people's minds, they strive to earn high status housing in the afterlife and not be one of the cachopaq, or sacrifices, that the priests use to fuel their magics on the magicless Korvel. Dozens of gods worshiped by the Ixeltap have domains that touch even the most mundane of activities.

Mueranites

The followers Muerana Deis rule the Grand Necropolis and the territory around it. The carefully regulate who has access to the sphere, who has access to the tombs, who has is interred, and for how long.