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The Planets of the Kiassan System
Flamehold
Flamehold is the first planet from the blue sun Helios. It is
smaller than Earth, but far denser, producing a gravity about 1.2 times
that of Earth. The most remarkable thing about Flamehold is its almost
total inhospitality to life. The planet turns around the sun so oddly
that only a narrow band is livable at any one time -- one side of the
planet is scorching hot, the other freezing cold. Those who live upon
the planet's surface must continually migrate every couple decades to
stay within that narrow strip of livable land. Flamehold has several
oceans, plus some very fierce mountain ranges. Luckily, one does not
need to leave its main continent to remain alive through the fierce
winters and summers.
The band of livable area, or Ribbon, is about a hundred miles wide
and runs the entire circumference of the planet. The planet is dotted
throughout with mountains and cavern complexes in which most permanent
life tries to survive. The oceans themselves are a nightmare: either
freezing or boiled away, while the edges touching the Ribbon teem
with bizarre life. The planet slowly, slowly rotates around Helios, while
revolving around its 60-degree axis.
The most remarkable part of living on Flamehold, then, is that
those in the Ribbon see neither full daylight nor full nighttime. While
in the habitable zone, the sky is eternally in sunrise/sunset.
Flamehold's main mountain ranges form the hub of its human
population. Asrabreak is an older range running diagonally across the
main continent, Panvalla. It is home to the Summer Palace, a stunningly
misnamed fortress where most Flameholdans congregate in the Flameholdan
summer. At the other end of the continent, in its southwest corner, is
Winterkeep, in the young and jagged Blue Mountain Range, where they
congregate in the winter.
Summer Flameholdans and Winter Flameholdans can be very different in
temperament. Lykitis yar'Solius, the Flameholdan war-chieftess, is a
Winter Flameholdan, while her younger brother Rowan, known for his
soft-heartedness and gentleness, is one of the first crop of Summer
Flameholdans. In these siblings, one can generalize to great extent.
Flamehold will produce summer Flameholdans for another 30 or 40 years,
until the heat drives them south, back to the winterlands.
Flamehold is in general very loyal to the Empire, and its people
form the bulk of the Imperial Army, that part of it called the
Flameholdan Guard.
Flamehold was one of the last planets to rejoin the Kiassan Empire,
after years of isolation. Needless to say, technology levels are not
tremendous here, and is concentrated in the military and healing arts.
Animal life on Flamehold is, to say the least, robust. Here is
a partial collection of what Flameholdans hunt, herd, and avoid on
a daily basis:
Scorpaxis:
A winged reptile with a scorpion-like tail. It's venomous, with
a huge beak and a poisonous bite and sting. Extremely hard to kill,
this predatory creature is prized for its venom and chitinous hide.
Hrongar:
A large, twin-horned, four-legged mammal with a hugely thick and tough hide.
Though it is not carnivorous,
its huge horns make it a formidable opponent. It moves in slow-drifting
herds that devour all in their path. Bulls are prized for their horns;
calves are prized for their meat. Cows are gamy, tough, and impossible
to domesticate for milk, making them nowhere near as valued. They are
not considered very bright animals, leading to the saying "Thick as a
hrongar."
Spearlizard:
Long-bodied, with a long prehensile tail and a toothy snout, this
reptile has short, stubby legs that move it impossibly fast across
rough terrain. Its tongue is rough, sticky, and barbed on the end.
The venom in that barb shocks and paralyzes prey before the lizard
drags it off to devour quietly. The lizard is about 5' long, and its
venom can kill a child or otherwise vulnerable human, though it
won't do much more than stun an able-bodied adult. It is hunted
for food; its pale flesh is actually pretty tasty and good roasted
over fire. The venom decomposes too quickly to be of use in other
applications, but the tongue has to be very carefully cut out, along
with the poison-producing sacs in the cheeks, and disposed of, or
else the diners are in for a bad surprise. Most of the time, the
entire head is just cut off and thrown away.
Rockworm:
A huge invertebrate that lives in the mountains. It is dormant
in cold weather, but in the warmth, it awakens and begins anew
to find mates, breed, and feed itself. Its lifespan is said to be
very long, but it's hard to study them for obvious reasons. They
move very quickly and feed on the larger animals that dwell around
the Ribbon. The younger rockworms (20' or less long) are
killed and their internal
organs dried for cord and beads, and also because if they're allowed
to get too big, they may just decide to up-end the ground out from
under an entire human encampment. They never seem to stop growing;
myths exist of older ones that are the size of cities.
Crystal Prowler:
A beautiful but formidable arachnid. Large, with an exoskeleton that
is clear like quartz, it is one of the more poisonous and deadly
creatures on the planet. Famous for a "black widow" breeding strategy,
it is hunted for its glittering exoskeleton, which is often made
into jewelry. It feeds on small insects, and due to its size
(about 8" across) and its cave-dwelling habits, is not often
regarded as a real threat. When a clan needs to move into a cave
complex, though, sweeping for prowlers is part of the routine.
Dustrat:
A mid-sized rodent with short legs. It lives close to the ground and
is famous for its weird ability to survive even the worst of the
Ribbon's dust and ice storms and live on practically nothing. They
are sometimes hunted for food by the desperate; they usually live
in dug-out tunnel complexes under cave systems and often form
the principal diet of Crystal Prowlers and rockworms. They don't
taste exceedingly good and are extremely cowardly. Their fur
can be very soft but is usually mangey and unpleasant.
Irontailed Hawk:
A massive eagle-like avian with a black head and wings, and an
iron-grey tail. With its hooked beak, formidable talons, and
huge wingspan, this bird can pose a real threat to anything child-sized
or smaller. It will go out of its way to attack and kill scorpaxes
but it'll eat almost anything that moves. It lives in aeries in the
cave systems, and is famous for mating for life. Many clans use
the irontailed hawk as a symbol of honor and loyalty. Their
distinctive feathers are used as adornments; a cloak of irontail
feathers is a princely gift.
Desertmaw:
Living primarily in the wastelands just on the fringes of the Ribbon,
this reptile is 20' long or more, and can move bipedally. Its back
legs are huge and muscular; its front legs are somewhat smaller, and its
tail is thick and powerful, capable of sweeping opponents. Its head is
larger than expected, with a short snout and lots of big teeth. It has
several sets of teeth that are constantly growing and falling out as they
wear down. The desertmaw is a horrible opponent, but prized for its
meat and teeth. When a pod of them is spotted, most clans will go out
of their way to destroy it for general purposes; to do otherwise is to
allow a raid to happen later.
Black Boar:
Ever heard of
Hogzilla?
The black boar of Flamehold is absolutely, positively famous for its
size, evil temper, and enormous strength. Males grow to about 10' long,
and females get even bigger. Males grow tusks. Both are dark-skinned,
thick-hided, and ferocious. Due to their size, they are hunted for
food. They live wherever they damned well want but usually alone.
Females prefer caves for birthing piglets. They can eat almost anything,
and it's rumored that extends to stupid Flameholdans.
Back to the top
Scialla
Scialla was the place where the First Empire was born and is now the
seat of the Second, called the Kiassan Empire. The most Earth-normal
planet of the Kiassan Empire, it is somewhat larger than Earth, but has
a slightly lower gravity. Days are 26 hours long; the year is 412 days
long. It is a planet of beauty, with sapphire-blue oceans, pearly white
clouds, and land that ranges from emerald-green to rich sienna-brown.
It has several continents, the largest of which is
Tergaea, upon which the
entirety of the human population has settled. The ocean to Tergaea's
east is called the Eluviel Sea, and the one to the west is the Vestrian Ocean.
Both are quite inhospitable to long ocean voyages, which is not
to say attempts have not been made.
The planet has two moons. They are close in size, with generally similar
orbits, and are fixed in relation to Scialla. Neither has more than a very
thin and unbreathable atmosphere, and since both are quite small there was no
point to terraforming them as Walker was long ago. Scialla's
moons are called Crassus and Paxis; both names derive from the ancient
Aslantir language, and though their
etymology is murky are said to mean "War and Peace." Paxis is the larger moon,
so sometimes called "Big Brother," while the smaller moon, Crassus, is often
called "Little Brother." Crassus is usually out of view on eastern Tergaea
except for the warmer months; for the rest of the year, it is either barely
visible on the horizon or else out of sight. The first full moon of Crassus
of the year is usually a time of celebration, marking the first week of planting
for farmers and gardeners.
The Wilds:
Tergaea's main claim to fame is the Wilds, a
massive, dense old-growth forest that covers much of its interior. No
inhabitant can fail to notice it, even those who live far from it.
Without question it dominates life on Scialla.
The Wilds itself takes up a large portion of the main continent of
White Road runs through it.
People do not normally live in the Wilds; they are extraordinarily
dangerous to those who do not understand its rules. The
Preservationists do
understand those rules, and even they sometimes make mistakes and get
killed. They are the only ones who make permanent settlements inside
the Wilds. Other attempts have been made, and have all failed
disastrously. The Wilds protects its own.
Treewees come from the Wilds
exclusively, and the major predator there,
greatcats hunts and destroys
those who interlope.
People do live around the Wilds, but it's unheard-of for people to
live in the Wilds itself. Certainly it can be dangerous. Besides
greatcats, wolves and other predators hunt the forests. Even
Preservationists are not totally safe in the Wilds by any stretch. The
mining and logging villages around the Wilds know the rules of living
near the rhells: no chopping down the trees, no fires in the Wilds
itself, and no messing with the treewees. Hunters in particular are
very careful in the forest near the Wilds. Outside the dense Wilds,
it's business as usual for an untamed forest. There's definitely plenty
to do.
One very interesting development is the appearance of archaeologists
around the Wilds. On occasion interesting ruins get found, and though
it can be insanely dangerous to explore them, such fools throw
themselves into danger heedlessly. It could well be that if too many
more die, Empress Kira may need to do
something about it.
Whiteridge Mountain Range:
The main mountain range on Tergaea is the Whiteridge Mountains,
which run diagonally southwest to northeast, along the northwestern
side of the continent. They are known to be rich in metals, which
the planet is otherwise rather poor in, but it's a very dangerous
area--so dangerous that the miners who congregate there are
considered madmen. Archaeologists also like the mountains, but
it's the height of insanity to arrange a dig out there. The
main town in the mountains is Freehold,
owned by Jack Red Dog.
The Perimeter:
The planet itself prevents most power sources from operating. Power exists only in
limited amounts in Priascialla itself, about fifty
miles out from the city in all directions. Abruptly, as if crossing a line, engines
stop working, guns no longer discharge, and gadgets go dead. Researchers are still
studying the reasons for this. Due to the Perimeter, ships can only land in the Priascialla spaceport. This gives Scialla a unique
strength that it uses to full advantage.
The area outside the Perimeter is called "Without" generally. There
are dozens, if not hundreds of villages Without, none of any remarkable
size and almost none walled or strongly defended. Luckily, few of them
have anything anybody really wants.
The capital of Scialla, as well as of the entire Kiasse, is Priascialla, a city of approximately three million people
located on the eastern edge of Tergaea in the cluster known as the Eastern Cities. Scialla (and the Kiasse) is ruled by Kira Stardancer, of the house of that name, and her
husband, Imperial Consort Rowan of Flamehold.
Iscine Bay:
Priascialla sits along the edge of Iscine Bay, a long arc of coastline
that stretches hundreds of miles in either direction. Most of the Eastern
Cities are situated along its length. Trade ships ply the coastal villages
and cities on a constant basis, and passengers consider the ferries the
safest and fastest way to get to their destinations. The Iscine Bay
is dotted with small islands in a matching opposite arc; the largest of
these, Deusis Island, has become a major resort center with a casino
that is the envy of the entire Empire.
Valrona is a major port of call for Deusis
Island.
Animal Life:
The animal life on Scialla changes dramatically once one leaves the
Eastern Cities. Around the Eastern Cities, the animals tend to be fairly
familiar, if not outright benign: rabbits, deer, boars/pigs, cows, horses,
dogs, cats, rats, mice, birds, wolves, and the like. But the further
travelers get from those familiar areas, the stranger the animals become.
See here for specific dog breeds.
See here for horse breeds.
Eardog:
A rodentlike creature that lives in and around the Wilds. Its large,
rounded ears give it a good edge on detecting enemies that would threaten
its large family units. The ears flatten completely against the animal's
skull when it has to hide, which seems to be often. They burrow into the
ground or live in caves, and eat primarily insects and seeds.
Leafling:
A large flying insect that looks, literally, like a collection of leaves
and twigs. They're a brown-and-green mottled color. They're rarely seen, but
they are known to live in the Wild. Little is known of their eating or
living habits. They live in the trees and keep well away from humans.
Bearded Fox:
These foxes are somewhat larger than, but colored similarly to, red foxes.
They also sport beards and tufts of hair around their ears, paws, and between
their toes. They are regarded as intelligent and lively, and there are stories
of them being tamed, though they're extremely skittish around strangers and
can bite if alarmed. Woodsmen have to work extra hard to keep bearded foxes
out of their chicken coops.
Barnsnake:
A snake of the asp family that's figured out how nice barns are for
lurking in. They also like caves and other dry, cool areas. They are
a vibrant green color, quite notable in hue, but much larger than the
less deadly garden snake.
Red-Banded Falcon (Redwing):
A medium-sized bird of prey noted for its rusty-red crown and speckled wings
with their bands of rust red. It is quite tameable, responding well to
traditional falconry methods. They are one of the fastest birds in the air.
Marchbird:
A long-legged, smallish bird found near marshes and riverbanks. They
have dark wings, a pale body, and a distinctive ki-YEE, ki-YEE! cry.
They're not especially good eating, but can be hunted. Their small eggs
can also be eaten.
Briarhog:
A fierce wild hog that lives in briar-patches and other inhospitable
shrubby areas. They're territorial and rather grumpy mammals, but in the
fall, they're very good eating. Their hides are thick and usable for
clothing or containers, and most of their body parts are usable for something
or other. They are a deep, dark mahogany brown, with tusks and bristly hair.
Mortworm, Rotflies:
One of many carrion-eaters. This one's the larval form of a particular
type of blowfly; the fly lays eggs on carrion/corpses, and the segmented
larva hatches and eats until it pupates into another blowfly. A collective
term for the various bugs that fly and feed upon flesh is "rotflies,"
and mortworms are the creepy-crawly types.
Glasshoof:
A deer-like creature with pale short hair, white hooves, and two
dainty horns. The cloven-hoofed creature lives alone in the mountains
and is hunted for its soft fur and its horns; its meat is decent as
well but it's so elusive that it is not often used as a prey animal.
Corbah:
A thick-bodied, slow-moving herd animal living in the general area
of Saethbridge on the plains.
The herds can number in the hundreds, and a stampede is a deadly danger
to outlying villages. They are strong, big, weigh hundreds of pounds
easily, and have thick hides. Males have a thick growth of curly hair
around their heads and necks. Their meat is excellent, and the hides
can be used for armor or anything else one desires.
Cragtooth:
A golden-furred feline predator that lives in many types of terrain,
notably mountains and hills. They prefer trees for cover, but tall
grass works too if that's all that's available. They are solitary,
with females finding caves to give birth to their small litters.
They're formidable hunters, but humans hunt them in turn for their
fur and teeth (for adornment). They are prolific across Scialla.
Frostbear:
A huge white bear living at the far north and south of the continent
of Tergaea. It's known for its bad temper. Its fur is thick and warm,
but it's such a ferocious opponent and lives so far from anything humans
would want to go near that it's only rarely hunted.
Greatcats:
Huge black feline predators living only in the
densest of the Wilds.
Treewees:
Small simian-like mammals living in the Wilds.
The Eastern Cities:
The Eastern Cities are a collection of some dozen cities clustered
north and south of Priascialla along the
slightly curved coast of the eastern seaboard. They are varied vastly,
with some being very civilized, and some being little better than
frontiers. Valrona is one of the most urbane
and sophisticated of these. (See here for a
much bigger writeup of these influential cities.)
Other cities of note include Weston, the
largest of the frontier towns, and Eliff, a small
logging community about halfway between Weston and Priascialla. Eliff's
most famous for its beer brewer, who is quite good, and for its
comfortable inns, which most caravans make a point of utilizing despite
the cost.
Freehold, which is located up in the
Whiteridge Mountains,
is a small town that's almost impossible to get into without
permission. It is owned by Jack
Red Dog, an ex-wildcat miner who now considers the town his
personal "manor." Freehold's got a horrible reputation for crime and
villainy, but very few people around Valrona would ever have seen it
or met Jack Red Dog. It's not even well-known what he looks like or
even what race he is.
See this page for
more information about the geography of Scialla.
Back to the top
Lirwhin
The third planet of the Kiasse is as enigmatic and troubled as its
young ruler, Rus Niak. It is a planet
about Earth-sized, but there the resemblance ends. It is covered by
about 95% oceans, with only a small continent, Dryland, to join its
people to the air. The ocean is called Mentethis and is enormously deep
in places. A series of nearly-underwater mountain ranges run all
through it, and upon these shallow(er) slopes people make their homes.
Lirwhin's people are regarded almost as sorcerers by outsiders, who
look upon Lirwhinite "Artifacts", ancient relics with strange and
varying abilities, with awe, even dread. Not all Lirwhinites are fey,
of course; many are scholars for its own sake and will undergo the most
rigorous things to learn more for their massive library system, called
informally the Onyx Dome for the appearance of the main branch. Most of
Lirwhin's people live in domes beneath the surface of the planet,
though some live full-time on Dryland.
Dryland is no more than a few thousand miles across, and home to a
major spaceport. Lirwhin does not seem to suffer the same limit to
technology that Scialla does, and life there probably looks downright
magical to a Sciallan. Between 100,000 and 200,000 people live on
Dryland, but it is not considered very posh -- these people almost all
service the many ships that come and go from Lirwhin, and handle goods
that pass through on their journeys to and from the domes. Lirwhin does
also have ice caps, but neither is utilized by humans, both being
absolutely inhospitable to life. As one might expect, Dryland is
almost entirely composed of factories and greenhouses, every square inch
of the land towering with skyscrapers that efficiently process and create
products the entire planet needs. The lower levels of Dryland are
exceedingly dreary, but as one gets higher and higher into the sky,
society gets more and more urbane and sophisticated. Pollution levels
are not ideal; toward the ground, air quality declines considerably.
Most visitors base their sightseeing on Dryland, arranging to get a
pleasure-cruise if they want to sail, or arranging visas to
visit those few Domes that permit sightseers. Shark-hunting
is a favorite pasttime of bored
Nobles from all over the
Empire. Tourism is a huge
industry, with sightseeing companies snapping up real estate on
other smaller islands whenever possible. Recent efforts involve
creating man-made islands, but that's going very slowly and likely
won't be ready for use for years.
Lirwhin's surface is quite unpleasant for the most part, being
rocked by constant hurricane-strength storms and lightning of truly
impressive proportions, but under the surface of the water, things are
infinitely more pleasant. There are a number of very large ocean
animals that live in Mentethis, the primary of which are the sentient
Leviathans, whalelike creatures that seem happy to protect the Domes
from threats, and a variety of electric eel that gets 40' long and
almost 4' thick. Lirwhin also enjoys schools of dolphins and other more
familiar Terran creatures.
The animal life on Lirwhin is incredibly diverse, probably moreso
than anywhere else in the Kiassan Empire. Sentience is suspected in several
species. Not for nothing is it said that the oceans are the cradle of life.
Here's a sampling of some of them:
The Kraken:
Deep in the waters, one of the most deadly creatures on Lirwhin is the
Kraken. Approaching hundreds of feet long, with squidlike tentacles and
huge eyes, Kraken live on the ocean floor. They set down roots like
plants, living in the same location most of their lives (moving is very
difficult for them), and seizing prey that swims too close. Since they
tend to live in areas that are rich feeding grounds for other species,
prey does swim too close often. Though it'd be suicide to go after a
Kraken, hunting parties do occasionally venture into the deeps for the
golden oceat and sea-green lirix stones that the Krakens form inside
their bodies. These stones are incredibly valuable and rare, and laws
forbid their wearing by any but Lirwhinite Nobles or the Kiassan Royal
Family.
Dungfish:
Though they have an official scientific name, most people just call them
dungfish. As the name indicates, they are not in the least foodworthy,
but they fulfill an important part of the ecology by composting organic
matter into fertilizer. Their bite is quite septic and they are poor-tempered
eel-like fish, so best avoided. Recycling plants keep them in tanks. In
the wild ocean, they live near larger animals like the Kraken, living on
their excretions.
Waveskimmer:
A sleek, arc-shaped mammalian fishlike animal found in the water. They
have bullet-shaped bodies, fins, and short, slender snouts. They breathe
through blowholes on their backs. They are suspected to be sentient, with
numerous stories noised about regarding them rescuing lost swimmers or
doing other good deeds for no reason. They're incredibly friendly as long
as they're treated respectfully, and a lot of Lirwhinites are good at
hitching rides on them by holding onto their long, graceful fins.
The waveskimmer is a symbol of Rus Niak
and a personal favorite animal of his. A large pod of them are found
often near his Dome.
The Halcyon Ray/Hunter Ray:
The halcyon ray is nearly extinct, but is a smaller version of the hunter
ray. Both are large, kite-shaped flat animals that live near along
the sloping ocean floor. Sleek and deadly, they kill prey with their
poisonous tail-barbs. The halcyon ray feeds on plankton so its barb
is barely poisonous at all to humans, but because it looks like its
deadlier cousin, it was over-hunted. Recent science has led to their
being granted protection, though not all the human fishermen have gotten
the word.
Cordaellus Crab:
This absolutely gorgeous crustacean has eight legs and a large
body, all covered in a glittering, scintillating exoskeleton that
changes color to match the crab's background. The coloration also
shifts with the crab's mood. They are often kept as pets in large
tanks; they aren't large at all, about 8" across tops, so noble
Lirwhinites often keep them. They can be eaten and aren't bad-tasting
at all.
Lirwhin's main export is manufactured goods, as well as books
(Lirwhinite publishing houses do a truly prodigious business and enjoy
a good reputation). Naturally, it imports much in the way of food, but
not as much as one might think -- the oceans supply much that the
Lirwhinites need.
Each Dome has its own ruler, who goes by different names (king,
prince, chairperson). Lirwhin itself is ruled by
Rus Niak, a pale young
man in his 30s with a cunning grasp of politics. Lirwhinite politics
are both drastic and direct, but Rus Niak is the acknowledged master of
it. He is a parliamentary monarch, aided in his decisions by a large
Council of various Dome rulers. Rus Niak is a distantly related cousin
of Kira Stardancer's; her mother was one of Rus Niak's
aunts-by-marriage in the
complicated way Lirwhinites reckon family. Few know exactly how
much this relationship has to do with Rus Niak's unswerving loyalty to the Kiasse.
Back to the top
Bilashe
The last planet of the Kiassan Empire is a mystery to most. No
non-Bilashan ship has ever been able to satisfactorily land on the
planet or even get close to it; fierce magnetic fields destroy any ship
that refuses to heed Bilashan flight pattern instructions.
A ring of asteroids circles between Bilashe and the rest of the
Kiassan Empire, a fact that is considered quite metaphorical by the
rest of the Kiasse. The ring is called the Black Belt. It's almost
impossible to navigate a ship of any size through the Belt safely,
owing to the random and difficult-to-predict trajectories of the
individual asteroids. Some of these are quite small, making
collisions with anything larger than a small shuttle inevitable.
However, the Belt is known to be very iron-rich, which has led
to the usual speculations on the part of investors.
Some of the asteroids are quite large, and they are clustered
in small groupings. The groupings are usually of very small rocks,
but larger ones get their own names. Some of the names: Shensa IV,
Jhowan V, Darius VI, and Rastos III (denoting their position east
to west in the named grouping; for example, in the Rastos group, the
largest rock is the third one from the west edge).
Overall the planet is unpleasant-looking, with a ruddy color and few
bodies of water. Most of it's either too wet or too dry, and the
population is not large. It is known that Bilashe is not very large,
and that it has two moons, both of which are nearly its size, but
devoid of water. The moons are named Elentia and Mereketh, which are
the names of the twin sisters of the first Emperor-Priest of the Bilashans
from many centuries ago.
Technology levels on Bilashe seem nonexistent. Most of its people,
especially those around its capital of Dalbend, are nomadic shepherds.
There is also a flourishing religion on Bilashe, one that is twined
with its government. All that is really known of it is that its one god
is called Sernis, and that all
Bilashans seem to belong to this religion. Their dedication to Sernis
is awe-inspiring -- they really would do absolutely anything for their
faith, which is deep and abiding.
Bilashe has a bad reputation in the Kiassan Empire for its little
habit of deciding to try to take over the Kiasse every hundred years or
so. The last attempt actually almost succeeded, killing almost every
Stardancer except Kira, the youngest daughter, and enslaving her until
she could be rescued and established on the
Alabaster Throne. As a
result, there are very few Bilashans on Scialla, and the ones that are
there often face great persecution. Kira, oddly, has championed their
cause and attempted to end the mass persecution and occasional pogrom
of Bilashan expatriats, but old prejudices die hard. Most of the
Kiassan Empire sees Bilashans as sinister, weird, die-hard fanatics
with an inscrutable agenda. Like most stereotypes, there could be truth
to that.
It is unknown how loyal Bilashe is to the Empire. The current ruler,
a despotic tyrant-priest named Rashan,
son of the Usurper-King Tiramovar
whom Kira killed with her bare hands, seems content to let her rule
over him, but it is unknown what he thinks of her, or how loyal he's
willing to be when push comes ot shove.
The land can be very inhospitable. Though it gets enough warmth from
Helios, it is not a welcoming or friendly world. Its animal life reflects
its generally inhospitable nature:
Kallidoe:
A four-horned land mammal with delicate cloven hooves. The males are
bearded and have the four horns, while females are smaller, more graceful,
and have only two horns. They are prized for meat and ivory. They live
in the mountains in herds, preferring forests when possible, with a few
bucks guarding a herd of mostly females with calves. The bucks are
insanely strong and tough, defending their herds to the death.
Zhirensa:
A riding animal that lives wild in the plains of the planet. They are
exceedingly difficult to tame, but breed readily in captivity once tamed.
They have a single twisting horn and soft, brown-and-gold striped fur.
They run in fierce herds. Though they can be hunted for meat, they are
most often captured instead. Females are good milk producers. Some tribes
of primitive Bilashans live almost entirely on the zhirensa's generosity,
calling the animal "the gift of Sernis to the world."
Glenstrider:
A large flightless bird with powerful legs, clawed feet, and a long,
strong beak. They're found in any semi-flat terrain in small herds.
They run very fast, and fight ferociously. Their eggs are huge and
often stolen by young Bilashan humans for food.
Yurmifowl:
A small gamebird that dwells in the reeds around marshes and fields.
They prefer to live near standing water. They live on insects, so can
taste quite gamey, but once properly treated after killing, they are
very good eating. Their small, mottled eggs are good to eat. Their
spotted feathers are often used in decoration and for stuffing
pillows and beds.
Hargh:
A slinky, slimy, egg-stealing, hissing reptile. They're quite annoying
in their personal habits, unpredictable in their aggression levels, and
taste horrible. They prey on the eggs of swamp-dwelling birds. Though
fairly large (2-3' long), they're nowhere near big enough to threaten
even small children. All in all, they're about the worst part of
living on Bilashe aside from swarms of bugs.
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Walker and Other Satellites
Walker: One of Lirwhin's moons, and the only one in the
system capable of sustaining life. It is a jungle planet with a thin
atmosphere. Filled with beauty, it seems to have little in the way of
native animal life (though several Sciallan imports have done exceptionally well). It is independent from Lirwhin, being a joint
holding of Flamehold, Lirwhin, and Scialla. It is most often used as a
training ground by the military. Some interesting archaeological finds
have been discovered on Walker the past couple of years, but these are
not fully investigated yet.
One of the more interesting facets of Walker is the
Academy system centered there. These military dojos go all over the
Kiassan Empire (with exception of Bilashe, since no ships can go there) to recruit young boys and girls for induction into the various seven
Academies. Each Academy has a slightly different training system and
style of fighting. The graduates of this training are in huge demand by
the obscenely wealthy and powerful, for use as spies, diplomats,
assassins, and worse. They are called simply "Graduates", and do not
reveal their training or knowledge. Perhaps two or so Graduates a year
come out of the Academies; first bid is given to the planetary
governments, and if no government picks up the Graduate, bidding is
given over to private citizens. It is highly unlikely that a non-Noble
would know much about Graduates, but most Nobles would at least be
familiar with the concepts even if they weren't sure if they'd ever met
one.
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What Valrona Residents Know
Flamehold: It's nasty and its people are even worse. They're
excellent warriors, but don't push them too hard. If you're stupid
enough to get into a friendship with one, you'll find him rock-solid,
but they can get touchy about the weirdest things. Nobody can beat a
Flameholdan in a fight, largely because Flameholdans don't fight by
the rules. Worse, Flameholdans always have brothers. Lots of them.
Lirwhin: It's an ocean planet filled with wizards. The women
are extremely beautiful... and so are the men. They call themselves by
their entire names for some reason. They live in vast domes under the sea,
and some never see the sun even once. They worship science and technology,
but can't fight their way out of a paper bag.
Bilashe: A nasty planet far away. Most Valronans probably
wish the Bilashans were equally far away. Their religion makes no sense
and they themselves are reputedly thieves, liars, and worse. The women
are amazing dancers, but few indeed are the outsiders who get to know
them on more intimate terms. Their slanted blue eyes are weird, and
they're entirely too furtive.
Walker: It's supposed to be pretty, but you
sure wouldn't want to go there. That's where they train killers.
The Academies are nothing but
schools for assassins, and the Flameholdan Army practices maneuvers
there too--it's no fit place for civilized folk, even if it is a
pretty place. There're a lot of things that are weird about it, and
some stuff maybe that people weren't entirely supposed to ever know.
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